Hannity's Obsessive Shiavo Crusade Continues
Reported by Deborah - March 23, 2005
Hannity, still in Florida, sat in front of a crowd of protesters tonight determined to do anything in his power to satisfy his extreme right support base.He opened the show with an interview with the understandably stricken Schindler family using their pain to fuel his message and continue his circus. 3/23/05
Hannity,was so intent on controlling his message, that he cut off Alan at the start of the show and took his turn for himself interviewing Terri Schiavo's parents,Robert and Mary Schindler. This behavior is unthinkable on H&C but Hannity is so obsessed that he couldn't allow Alan to speak to the Schindlers butting in and urging the family to talk about how it feels to watch Terri being starved to death.It was impossible not to be emotionally influenced by their anguish which set the tone for the rest of the show.
Pat Robertson joined Hannity's chorus claiming,"This judge is brutal. We have to do something with this out of control judiciary." A thinly veiled support of using the Schiavo case to load the courts with extreme conservatives.
Jim Moran. D. voted against the Schiavo law in Congress and joined Colmes in New York to discuss his position.He and Colmes agreed that it was wrong to reach into personal family business. Colmes mentioned
the irony of cutting Medicaid which helps people needing nursing care like Terri. Moran brought up a poll showing that two thirds of the conservatives polled were against the congressional involvement. Then Hannity pounced. "I don't want to talk about health care.Do you care if she dies? Does it bother you at all? You could have stepped up..."
Moran tried to explain that he cared about the thousands of people who have been abandoned because of medicare cuts.
The cheers broke out from the crowd behind Hannity and they started to chant, "Why Why Why..."Hannity continued his raving while they chanted.
"You want to talk about medicare. Why don't you give her a chance. I care about all human life. You wouldn't give her a chance."
Then another nurse appeared, Heidi Law, claiming that Terri would follow her around the room with her eyes and she liked to eat Jello. Law, of coursed, was critical of Michael Schiavo claiming he neglected his wife.
comment: Tonight's show was a travesty and bordering on obscene. Hannity has lost all professional dignity and has thought nothing of bringing on dubious witnesses who were later discredited. He has taken no responsibility for the distortions and lies. All he cares about is proving his point and being a hero.
Colmes, however, has handled this issue with dignity and compassion.
It can't be easy making points while Hannity is acting like a frantic wild man.
