Sean Hannity continued his irresponsible and dangerous attempts to aggravate an armed Nevada ranch conflict last night. Oh, he made a few statements about hoping the situation would be resolved peacefully. But his open sympathy for the rancher defying the federal government, his demonization of the federal government and his frequent suggestions that the Nevada rancher is or is about to be the victim of uncalled-for violence all amounted to the behavior of a civil warmonger.
Megyn Kelly – not exactly a left-winger - provided some of the backstory in a somewhat saner segment about the issue. Here’s how she described the federal government’s position:
The feds have been saying, “Look, we have sympathy for him. We understand his position but we have court orders here. We have repeated court orders. He’s lost in the courts at every turn in his challenge to our – the federal government’s right to have this land – and his responsibility to pay the grazing fees and therefore, he is flouting the law.”
Later, Kelly said, “Legally, he (Bundy) doesn’t have a leg to stand on. …I worry about the law enforcement officers on the scene, too. Because they’re there doing their job. …Those who go to enforce the court orders are doing what we pay them to do. We’re a nation of laws.”
Apparently, “rule of law” means little if anything to “Great American” Hannity. At least not when he has the chance to promote hatred and undermining of the Obama administration. And given Hannity’s bloodlust I can’t help but think that a few (other) people dying for his cause wouldn’t bother him much, either.
In the first video below, Hannity took viewers for an “exclusive tour” of his new BFF’s ranch.
Hannity said in the beginning of that first video that he hopes “for a peaceful solution to this standoff.” But clearly, he's thinking about the safety of the Bundys throughout. The feds? Not so much.
- We’ve got, what, 200 agents… surrounding your ranch at this present moment and they’re takin’ your cattle more and more everyday. Is that where we are at this moment?
- How long have your cattle been out there grazing over the years? It goes back to the 1800s right?
- Here’s my big worry here because things are getting very hostile. You got tased, a woman got thrown to the ground, you’ve got more and more protesters coming out there to support you guys. What is it about this moment and I understand that there’s a dispute and I understand that you did lose the court case. What is it about this piece of land when we have so many problems with drugs and criminals and pedophiles – the country has a lot of problems. Why have they decided to fight for this piece of land? …Why would they – I guess, initiate this type of confrontation that could end ugly at this moment?
- You got some support from some guys in Utah. …Your local… county commissioner, he actually raised the stakes… He called (the out-of-town Bundy supporters) “inbred bastards” and that if they come to Clark County to support you, they better have funeral plans. Why would a government official… ever say that?
- I thought America was a free speech zone? So the Bureau of Land Management set up only one area where people are allowed free speech? I thought that was a Constitutionally protected right.
- I am having a hard time understanding why the government would create a confrontation like this. …It seems like this is brewing into – people are being tased, they’re now being hit and beaten. …It seems like we gotta defuse this. …Would you be willing to sit down with these guys and talk to them?
- You said you’re going to take this to the end. I gotta be honest. I’m worried about the encroachment of our federal government that spies …on Americans illegally (quite a departure from Hannity’s position during the Bush administration), we now know we have an IRS that harasses, intimidates, it tries to silence opposition voices, I’m worried about the lies that are told to us about the NSA, about the IRS, about what happened in Benghazi and the lies that sold health care. I’m concerned that the government is overreaching here …and I don’t know why they’re taking a stand here.
- I’ll be honest. We saw what happened at Waco, and the Branch Davidians. I’m concerned. …When you said, Cliven, that this is going to be a range war, those words were concerning to me. What do you mean by that? …I just don’t want to see anybody lose their life over this. This has gotten way out of control. They need to pull back here. …They need to pull back. They need to pull back now.
The second video contains this charming little graphic:
Not once did Hannity mention concern for the well-being of law enforcement officials. Not once did Hannity discuss the federal government without demonizing them and suggesting that they were behaving in a criminal, fascist manner that deserved to be fought.
Since then, Hannity's pals blocked traffic on I-15, backing up traffic for three miles in each direction. The BLM has stood down, at least for the moment, citing a "serious concern" for the safety of its employees and the public. I'm sure Hannity will be strutting like a chickenhawk peacock over his "victory" on Monday.
Good to “see” you and your always thoughtful posts again. You are right about Kelly. That’s why I said she was “somewhat saner” on the subject.
Nick Zetton,
I do think this is worse than Schiavo because there are lots of people with guns involved. At least in the Schiavo case Hannity was arguing to keep someone alive. Not that he was any less heinous in sticking his nose into a case that was none of his business or his lack of regard for disrupting everyone else’s life at the hospice where Schiavo was. But in this case, he’s egging on armed extremists who seem like they’d like nothing better than to use those weapons.
Some radio stations are changing formats to all sports. Also, sports draws a bigger audience-and more advertisers-than his show.
Hannocchio is losing affiliates, and that has him scared to death. He’s trying to change his image slightly to keep from losing further affiliates, but it’s too late. The damage is done. He’s too old to draw the 25-54 demos.
If the suits at Fox “News” were smart they would let his contract expire, and replace him with Dana Perino and Kirsten Powers. The Perino/Powers debate show can draw the demos 25-54, double the ratings, and bring in younger female/male viewership and advertisers.
Hannocchio has dark secrets that he hides from the public. If it became public knowledge his broadcasting career would come to a halt, and he knows it. We are surprise he’s not behind bars.
We don’t recall the Foxies taking up Bundy’s cause during Bush’s reign. Perhaps, our media partners need to ask these burning questions: Where was conservative media during this dispute when Bush was in office? And why was Fox “News” silent on this issue?
The Stop Hannity Express says the masses need to call every radio station, local and national, and tell the world that conservative media did not bother with Bundy when Bush was in office. Also, post in all social media.
Sample script: “I’m surprised that conservative media didn’t pick up the story while Bush was still president. In my humble opinion, I believe the conservative media didn’t want to make waves for President Bush, which to me, is a hypocrisy. Do you think (to radio host) that Bundy tried to reach out to Bush, but was rebuffed?”
If Mittens was president today these conservative frauds would have ignored Bundy’s plight. They would have called Bundy a tax cheat, and demanded that the feds-under Romney-seize his land and cows.
Bottom line is these cafeteria Catholic frauds could care less about Bundy. These frauds are using Bundy’s situation strictly for political reasons and ratings. Also, It’s mid-term election season, and these conservative frauds are using everything in their arsenal to take down the Democrats and win seats.
As for aging Putin lover Hannocchio, it’s all about his sagging ratings. He could care less about everyone’s safety in Nevada.
Don’t be surprised if Hannocchio flew down to Nevada to get an interview with Bundy. And while he’s there he can gamble his little heart out, and visit some other ranches, if you get our drift.
And Klannity is begging for someone to be killed. Haven’t heard him once defend any of the law enforcement officials out there in Nevada or show any emotion about their families, trying to earn a living while a bunch of armed nutters from the far-right are heading to this ranch to show solidarity with that gov’t entitlement King, Bundy.
@janet and Truman: he’s definitely a taker, albeit for money not incidentals like food, clothing and medicine for the kids, shelter or heating. For the foxies, money-moochers are an admirable example of free enterprise because they’re robbing from the government, i.e. the taxpayers. Methinks there’s a flaw in their reasoning …
@super Donkey Fun: words fail me too. Recently tried to watch FNC for myself and was depressed for days. Such contorted thinking breeds pessimism for the human race but I’m somewhat comforted by the average age of their viewership.
Yeah, Sean — kinda like those “Free Speech Zones” the GOP set up during the Republican National Convention (which were always set up some distance away from Dumbya Bush.)
You remember those, don’t you? Wait, I forgot: Sean and his fellow RWNJ’s have collective amnesia of the events of 2001-09 . . .
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Good for Kelly for at least giving some context. Hannity gave none, and allowed the Bundy people to lie repeatedly without the slightest challenge— that the land isn’t federal land (it absolutely is, and Bundy’s claim that it isn’t has been literally laughed out of court repeatedly), the “gummint” hasn’t been killing off tortoises because they’re doing so well, etc.
This man has been making a profit off of public lands owned by ALL of us for decades, is apparently quite wealthy, and yet refuses to pay rather modest grazing fees for the privilege for 20 years.
Feh.
And now it’s coming out that he’s been committing numerous crimes and BML violations, while sponging off the government. He flat admitted to an interviewer that he knows the government’s in their rights to evict him, he’s just trying to make this into a phony “government tyranny” narrative.
Here’s how self-assured Fox News and Nation are that their supporters would ignore those little facts if you glued their faces to the screen and looped it: They both posted this in text, and watched their loyal readers gloss it. But, to be fair… This does explain the sites like the dollar Dump.