More Hannity & Colmes Hypocrisy On Alcee Hastings
Reported by Ellen - November 28, 2006 -
The Hannity & Colmes obsession with Alcee Hastings continued last night (11/27/06) in yet another segment designed to demonize Hastings and, by association, Nancy Pelosi who may appoint him chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Hastings was acquitted of criminal bribery charges but that didn’t stop Dick Morris, the sole guest for the segment, of baselessly accusing Hastings of leaking intelligence. Morris further claimed that the reason Nancy Pelosi wants Hastings, instead of ranking member Jane Harman, to head the committee is because Pelosi “doesn’t want female competition” in case she decides to run for governor. But in the very next segment, disgraced Bernard Kerik who was convicted for taking “gifts” from mob-connected contractors, was welcomed again as a legitimate pundit and identified as simply a former New York City police commissioner.
Interestingly, Morris’ claim that Pelosi’s dislike of Harman is based on female competitiveness nearly exactly mirrors Susan Estrich’s theory put forth in a FOXNews.com article, as reported by Chrish.
However, Morris took it a few steps further by insinuating that Hastings would likely compromise national security. “Think of what he could sell. Think of the opportunities for bribery if you know all of our secrets, and then think of the pious liberal demands (my emphasis) that you have to clear this with Congress (uh, isn’t that our American system of checks and balances?) when clearing it with Congress means going to a guy who would be a convicted felon except for the fact that his lawyer went to jail rather than testify.”
Alan Colmes pointed out Hastings has been on the Intelligence Committee for seven years and asked if there’s any evidence he has ever compromised his position.
No, Morris said, “But we’ve had plenty of leaks. Who gave the NY Times the information (about wiretapping)?”
Colmes, astounded, asked, “Are you blaming Alcee Hastings?”
Morris said no, but that the committee leaks “like a sieve” and “there’s probably a pretty good chance that he’s been involved with it.” In other words, yes.
Then it was time for yet another appearance by the rehabilitated-for-TV Bernard Kerik. Kerik is disgraced for other reasons beyond the Mafia "gifts." As Wikipedia reports,
On December 3, 2004, Kerik was nominated by President Bush to succeed Tom Ridge as United States Secretary of Homeland Security. But on December 10, after a week of press scrutiny, Kerik withdrew acceptance of the nomination. Kerik stated that he had unknowingly hired an undocumented worker as a nanny and housekeeper who had used someone else's social security number...Shortly after withdrawal of the nomination, the press reported on several other incidents which might also have posed difficulties in gaining confirmation by the Senate. These include: questions regarding Kerik's sale of stock in Taser International shortly before the release of an Amnesty International report critical of the company's stun-gun product; a sexual harassment lawsuit; an affair with Judith Regan; allegations of misuse of police personnel and property for personal benefit; connections with a construction company suspected of having ties to organized crime; and failure to comply with ethics rules on gifts.
I wasn't monitoring Hannity & Colmes at the time, but I'd bet money there was no debate about President Bush's judgment or spurious speculation about his preference for Kerik.
