Sean Hannity did not follow his Fox News colleagues down the “Donald Sterling proves that racism is dead lane” last night. However, he did follow the Fox line of using the occasion to attack Rev. Al Sharpton and suggest Sterling is affiliated with Democrats. Hannity put his personal racial spin on the story by using the occasion to go after the NAACP. Oh, and then complain about guest Bob Beckel politicizing the issue when he pointed out that Sterling’s donations to Democrats were because that’s the dominant party in Los Angeles.

Hannity hosted a discussion about the LA Clippers owner's racial rant with Beckel and conservative African American David Webb. Coincidentally, Webb recently ambushed the head of a North Carolina chapter of the NAACP, Rev. William Barber, and urged Hannity to go on offense against the group.

Hannity announced at the beginning of the segment that Sterling will not receive a previously-scheduled Llifetime Achievement award from the LA Branch of the NAACP. He quickly added, “However, according to the group’s website, the list of honorees for the person of the year does still include the Rev. Al Sharpton. Now, Sharpton’s honoree status comes as he threatens to rally in front of the NBA headquarters until Donald Sterling is fired.”

“Why would they honor him and Sharpton?” Hannity asked. He worked in an extra swipe at Sharpton by adding, “The guy who used the N-word about the first black mayor in New York?” Say what you will about Sharpton but it's beyond ridiculous to suggest that he's anti-black or in any kind of league with Sterling.

But Webb didn't waste time on that. He ran with the anti-NAACP ball Hannity had just tossed him. Webb said, “It’s hypocrisy. It’s flat-out hypocrisy. Look, the NAACP’s not what it used to be. The national leadership won’t condemn Rev. Barber, what he said about Tim Scott. They won’t condemn Alvin Holmes, the representative from Alabama… So they don’t condemn bigotry. …They condemn those that don’t agree with them or don’t fit their agenda."

Was Webb suggesting that Sterling fits the NAACP agenda? Beckel didn’t challenge that outrageous suggestion. Instead, he said the NAACP had probably planned to honor Sterling because he had contributed a lot of money to the organization.

For the record, I think it’s a very legitimate question to ask why the NAACP had planned to honor Sterling. His racism was no secret before this rant was publicized. But Hannity did nothing to find out the NAACP's relationship with Sterling. No, Hannity did everything to exploit the occasion as an opportunity to smear them: “So you’re saying that he bought (the NAACP)?” Hannity “asked” Beckel.

 No, Beckel said, just gave them money. He noted that Sterling had donated to Democrats as well.

“He gives only to Democrats,” Hannity added, with unmistakable glee.

“Well, here in California, what are you going to do?” Beckel replied.

Hannity's unintentionally hilarious response: “You want to turn this into politics, really?

Then, in Mr. Sensitive’s next breath, Hannity said: “The one thing I will say: David and I have discussed this. Why is it that conservative blacks are the single largest group that get attacked and nothing ever happens? How many times in your life?” He asked Webb.

To his credit, Webb shut that avenue down. “I don’t even count. It’s daily,” he said. "But, you know, to the point of whether this is politics. This isn’t politics. Racism and bigotry isn’t politics. Crush it unmercifully, Sean. That’s what the American people have to do.”

So Hannity moved on.