During his show last night, Sean Hannity again repeated his self-serving phrase, "I'm not willing to gamble with American people's lives" as part of his justification for supporting Donald Trump's plan to bar Muslims from entering the U.S. But Hannity has been perfectly willing to gamble with American people's lives when it suited his political purpose.
During the Hannity show, Fox News quoted Hannity's new favorite phrase in a tweet, ".@seanhannity: "I’m not willing to gamble with American people’s lives.” #Hannity"
But as I've posted before, Hannity and Fox News repeatedly gambled with American lives when they promoted the armed insurrection of rancher Cliven Bundy who didn't want to obey American laws about grazing his cattle on federal lands.
Some examples of Hannity's lack of concern for American lives when he championed Bundy's lawlessness and demonized those tasked with enforcing the law Bundy refused to recognize:
- 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, 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. (4/11/14)
- You talked about a range war with the federal government. There’s a lot of people out there - now that they’re taking your cattle - that are fearful that this is another Waco situation. Ruby Ridge has come up in some articles. What do you mean “range war?” How far are you willing to take this? (4/9/14)
- I would assume as Cliven’s son, you want to protect your Dad. What are your plans if in fact (federal agents) come late in the night? …Do you worry that in fact they may kill either your Dad or somebody in your family? (4/15/14)
- (T)hey may want to make an example out of you. I would hate to see that happen. If in fact they try to stage an Elian Gonzalez-style raid… what’s gonna happen? …Are you worried about what the federal government’s capable of doing from this point forward? (4/16/14)
Hannity was not the only Bundy supporter.
FoxNews.com was just as inflammatory, with headlines such as, "Why Cliven Bundy should continue his fight, no matter what" and "The Case for a Little Sedition."
In fact, one of Bundy's supporters later murdered two police officers in Las Vegas, the same state Bundy lives in. And how did "American-life loving" Hannity and Fox react? By yawning. From Eric Boehlert's review of the case at Media Matters:
Primetime hosts Bill O'Reilly and Sean Hannity both ignored the shocking cop-killer story last night, while Megyn Kelly devoted four sentences to it. ...In the 36 hours after the shooting, Fox News tread lightly around the Las Vegas story, producing regular news updates about the crime spree. But Fox provided almost no commentary, no context, and certainly no collective blame for the executions.
And considering Hannity's war lust, there are plenty of other American lives, he'll happily gamble with, too.
Oh, and I'm sure it's just a coincidence that, just like Trump, Hannity's pal Bundy turned out to be quite a bigot, too.
Hannity graphic by Nina Brodsky.
Grandpa’s Irish family should have been barred from entering New York. That would have sparred us from this boring old hack, and Merri Jill would have married someone who was a full time dad to the children.
My toes are tapping now! Imagine a Tea Party character with a strong physical resemblance to Archie Bunker sitting in his double-wide:
“And now it’s…
Springtime for Trump and America
Uncle Sam is happy and gay!
We’re marching to a faster pace
Look out, here comes the master race!”
Meanwhile, weather guy turned Trump shill Steve Doocy is on fair and balanced right-wing Fox News “Fox & Friends” softballing Trump this morning – just like old times when The Donald was a Thursday regular! – and referring to me calling him a “bigot” as an “elitist.”
Wow! Rarely is a lowly middle-class guy like myself compared to a billionaire celebrity demagogue and it’s me who gets smeared as the “elitist.”’ ;^)
Good gravy! GOPTV™ is such a continual spew of unintentional comical satire it’s going to put Comedy Central out of business. ;^)
But, it is — concern for (White) (Republican) American lives (only), that is . . .
.