Sean Hannity’s obsession with Louis Farrakhan continued last night as he tried to use Farrakhan’s fiery speech over the weekend as a not-so-thinly veiled excuse to portray President Barack Obama as some kind of Farrakhan soulmate. This is a tactic Hannity uses over and over, even though his own investigation turned up evidence to the contrary. Unfortunately for Hannity, his designated accomplice, Herman Cain, either didn’t want to play the game or didn’t catch on.
Hannity began by saying,
We know Farrakhan, we know his past – racism, anti-Semitism – we understand that. He went to visit Gadhafi with Rev. Wright. There’s a picture of Mrs. Farrakhan and Mrs. Obama. Do you think it’s a fair question or am I way over the top, looking at Father Pfleger – Obama’s friend was at Farrakhan’s speech. Am I going too far in saying they lived in the same neighborhood, hung out with the same people. Why hasn’t anyone asked him what his relationship was with this guy?
Well, funny Hannity should mention that because he investigated that very question and found out that there is no relationship between Obama and Farrakhan. But that discovery hasn't stopped Hannity from trying to suggest otherwise ever since.
Cain didn’t quite get the hint. Cain readily assured Hannity he had not gone too far but while assailing Farrakhan as a “disciple of division” (while overlooking the divisiveness that defines Hannity's punditry), Cain nonetheless cited class warfare and 9/11 as examples - not race or radicalism.
So Hannity tried again. “There’s this circle here. Father Pfleger – Barack Obama’s friend, at the speech – Rev. Wright, Louis Farrakhan meeting Gadhafi.” Decrying again the media’s supposedly “not asking” Obama about Bill Ayers, while asking Rick Santorum about contraception, Hannity asked if this is the environment “we just have to accept” living in.
That prompted an attack on the “lapdog, lamestream” liberal media “in Obama’s pocket” from Cain. But again, nothing radical or racial.
Hannity went on to play a clip of Farrakhan saying that the kinds of attacks on Obama (his birth certificate, etc.) have never been seen under a white president.
“How about George Bush?” Hannity asked contemptuously, hinting that Farrakhan has some kind of black chip on his shoulder. Even worse, Hannity ignored how Farrakhan voiced fears that racial animosity could lead to attempts to assassinate Obama. But why wouldn’t Hannity ignore that? He's a prime birther promoter and white race-card player extraordinaire - and he was engaging in exactly the kind of behavior Farrakhan was talking about.
But while we’re on the subject of radical associates, feel free to contact Hannity and ask him about his association with white supremacist Hal Turner (currently serving time in prison for threatening three federal judges). You can email him at [email protected] or tweet him @SeanHannity.
I apologize for the break in the recording below.