Originally Posted By DAR I came across this transcript from Hannity and Colmes(don't ask) McCain was at a rally in which a local talk show host made some diparaging remarks about Obama. McCain immediately distanced himself from these statements. Here's a transcript of the interview with Bill Cunningham: BILL CUNNINGHAM, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: At some point in the near future, the media, the stooges from The New York Times; CBS, the Clinton Broadcasting System; NBC, the Nobody But Clinton network; the All Bill Clinton Channel, ABC; and the Clinton News Network at some point is going to peel the bark off Barack Hussein Obama. (END VIDEO CLIP) SEAN HANNITY, CO-HOST: That was our friend, Bill Cunningham, speaking at a Cincinnati rally for Republican presidential candidate Senator John McCain earlier today. And Cunningham was there to endorse McCain, but the Arizona senator made sure to distance himself immediately after the talk show host made those comments. And Bill Cunningham now joins us from Cincinnati, the great American that he is. All right. Bill, you're — apparently, Senator McCain is upset: "I take responsibility. I repudiate what he said. I will not tolerate anyone that denigrates either Senator Clinton or Senator Obama." And your thoughts and reactions to Senator McCain? BILL CUNNINGHAM, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: Well, my friend, Sean, McCain should be repudiating Democrats and leaving conservatives alone. His people told me to give the faithful red meat. Give them red, raw meat. And so what I did was deliver a speech about Rezko, the developer in Chicago under a federal criminal indictment, a good friend of Barack Hussein Obama. I spoke about the circumstances involving Obama, Reverend Jeremiah Wright, who was the fellow who gave a lifetime achievement award to Louis Farrakhan. HANNITY: To Louis Farrakhan, yes. CUNNINGHAM: And the daily — the daily political machine gave us this — this stealth candidate, this Manchurian candidate. We don't know who in the heck he is. I'd like to know more about Obama. HANNITY: Yes, I don't know why everybody is fainting. All of Alan's liberal friends have seen it at all these events. But look, at the Rezko trial, a U.S. district judge today presiding over it told prosecutors they can introduce evidence in this case, Bill Cunningham, to support allegations that Rezko used straw men to make contributions to Obama. But a lot of people seem to be taking issue with the fact that you use his full name. Now, that is his name. Isn't it? You didn't make it up. That is his name. CUNNINGHAM: Sean, now why don't you talk to his mother and father, recently departed? God bless and God rest their souls. His parents called him Barack Hussein Obama, not me. And Alan Colmes' good friend, Patrick Fitzgerald, was the U.S. attorney who prosecuted Scooter Libby. He's now prosecuting the good friend of Barack Hussein Obama, and I bet Alan Colmes doesn't know it, doesn't care and would want to ignore it. ALAN COLMES, CO-HOST: I don't even know the guy. HANNITY: Let me ask you this, because it's amazing... COLMES: I don't know him. CUNNINGHAM: Patrick Fitzgerald, your buddy. Alan... HANNITY: I want to get into the idea that Senator McCain repudiated your statements, distanced yourself from him, and he's still being attacked by, for example, Howard Dean, who says, quote, "I hate Republicans and everything they stand for. Republicans have never made an honest living. They're the white Christian party. This is a struggle between good and evil. We're good. Republicans can't get people of color in the room unless, of course, the wait staff is there." You know, I'm just trying to understand. He can say all of that, but you can't use — you can't mention that he's got issues involving Rezko. And you can't use his full name. That's the environment that the Democrats want this country to have a debate in? How are you going to respond to Senator McCain? Will you stop supporting him? CUNNINGHAM: Your co-host, Alan Colmes, wants to have, like, a force field around Barack Hussein Obama, and if you touch it, you get electrocuted. What happened to me today is what's going to happen to conservatives for the next eight months if they bring up Barack Hussein Obama's name. Just say his name. All of a sudden, you're going to be electrocuted. COLMES: Let me point out that on your radio — what you're ignoring, Bill, is on your radio show didn't you call him Barack Hussein Mohammed Obama? CUNNINGHAM: Well, I did call him that once, because Mohammed is the greatest prophet of God according to... COLMES: I see. So why did you add a name that wasn't his name? Now you're acting like, "I just said his name." You didn't do that. You actually inserted the name "Mohammed" to his name. Why did you do that? CUNNINGHAM: I believed at the time that his confirmation and one of his names was Mohammed, and I rescinded the statement. I said Barack Hussein Obama. COLMES: I see. CUNNINGHAM: I thought at the time. I was wrong. Alan, I made a mistake. COLMES: You also had a caller to your radio show refer to him as a terrorist cell. Do you concur with that caller? CUNNINGHAM: No, I did not concur with any caller. I do not believe Barack Hussein Obama is a terrorist or a Manchurian candidate. I do believe we know nothing about this guy from the daily political machine. COLMES: You also said it would be a shock if Barack Mohammed Hussein Obama could be elected the president of this country in these difficult terrorist times. It sounds to me like you're trying to — you're making up names for him, and you're using the word "terrorist" as if you're trying to tie him to terrorism. So you want to explain that statement? CUNNINGHAM: Very easily. This is the candidate who wants to close down Gitmo, who wants to reinstate habeas corpus, who wants to criminalize — terrorist activities, and he wants to eliminate key elements in the Patriot Act. I'm referring to that, Alan Colmes, and not his name. COLMES: Does that make him a terrorist? Does that make him a terrorist? CUNNINGHAM: He is not — no, he's not a terrorist. But I'll tell you what. His policies might encourage more terrorism. COLMES: First of all... CUNNINGHAM: George Bush has kept us safe, Alan Colmes. COLMES: I think John McCain handled it with dignity and class. He said the right thing. How does it feel... CUNNINGHAM: No, he didn't. COLMES: ... for you to get repudiated by your Republican candidate? CUNNINGHAM: I'm going to follow the lead of Ann Coulter. I've had it with John McCain. I'm going to endorse Hillary Rodham Clinton for president, because she would do a better job in the Oval Office, I think, than the liberal John McCain. I'm done with him. COLMES: Your reaction actually — your actions actually caused John McCain to apologize to Barack Obama for what you said. You put your candidate in that position. CUNNINGHAM: I did not. He's not my candidate. He is not a conservative. I'm a conservative Reagan Republican, and John McCain embarrassed himself. The local Republican Party, Alan Colmes, has received dozens — dozens of calls complaining about John Juan Pablo McCain. They're getting complaint calls. COLMES: I noticed you make up names for John McCain. You don't call him John Sidney McCain III, which is his full name, but you call him Barack Hussein Mohammed Obama. So you have a double standard there, don't you, Mr. Cunningham? CUNNINGHAM: My standard, Alan Colmes, is for the American people and the American way of life. HANNITY: I've got a question. CUNNINGHAM: And I want you to say that "George Bush has kept me safe for the last seven years." Say it, Alan. Say it. HANNITY: What do you call Alan Colmes? CUNNINGHAM: I call Alan Colmes a well-intended liberal who's a left-wing radical extremist to the left of a Bolshevik. COLMES: To the left of a Bolshevik. Well, aybe I'll send you a political chart, so you can understand me a little more, Mr. Cunningham. CUNNINGHAM: Thank you, Alan Colmes. COLMES: Thank you for coming on our program this evening. This is why my AM dial is always turned to ESPN, Fox Sports, the Sporting News, the Score in Chicago and our local Sports Station because I just can't take these people anymore.
Originally Posted By utahjosh I'm conservative, for sure, and am a republican (but may be going independent soon) - and I can't stand Hannity. However, I love listening to Glenn Beck. Funny, and pretty smart.
Originally Posted By Kar2oonMan >>I'm going to follow the lead of Ann Coulter.<< That tells me all I need to know about this dope.
Originally Posted By DAR <<However, I love listening to Glenn Beck. Funny, and pretty smart.>> Have you read An Inconveient(sp) Book? Pretty good.
Originally Posted By wahooskipper Here's a thought. Don't like talk radio? Don't listen to it. I don't like VH1. I don't watch it.
Originally Posted By jonvn Conservative talk radio has been around forever. It has gotten more strident. Back in the 70s, I used to listen to Ray Briem on KABC. He was on from about 10PM to 5AM. Something like that. That's what I used to do in the middle of the night before the internet. Anyway, he was quite the right winger, and very paranoid about the soviet union, and was always going on about how they were at any moment going to roll tanks across western europe. It's not new.
Originally Posted By woody >>This is why my AM dial is always turned to ESPN, Fox Sports, the Sporting News, the Score in Chicago and our local Sports Station because I just can't take these people anymore.<< How about Air America?
Originally Posted By SingleParkPassholder Here's a CCN link to this Bozo. <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/02/27/cunningham.mccain/index.html" target="_blank">http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITI CS/02/27/cunningham.mccain/index.html</a> What is it with a certain faction of the Republican party that is so vocal about their displeasure with McCain? And to go so far as to say they'll support Clinton? Can anyone point to a faction of the Democratic party that pulls crap like this?
Originally Posted By wahooskipper The extremesits in the Republican party see their influence slipping away. Desperate time call for desperate measures. Would they really vote for Clinton over McCain? I'll believe it when I see it. Actually, the extremists in the Democrat party may be facing this struggle soon too. Frankly, I think it is best for the rest of us if both parties come back to the middle...where most of the country happens to reside.
Originally Posted By DAR <<How about Air America?>> We never had Air America here either and thank God.
Originally Posted By RC Collins Talk radio is not going to die. In many cases, it is extremely lucrative. Not all conservative talk radio is the same. Some talk radio is bad, some is good. And not all successful talk radio is conservative or overtly political, either. I listen to hosts I disagree with on some very important issues, as long as their show is interesting and informative. Some people are driven absolutely batty by conservative talk radio shows because they simply can't stand to hear opinions different from their own. I particularly find it humorous when Leftists assume the reason you disagree with them is because you listen to talk radio and you simply did not hear their opinion. I mean, how could you possibly disagree with their opinion once you've heard it? So, they tell you their opinion again. Louder. Sometimes, this is what drives people to demonstrate. They think shouting slogans over and over again will change someone's mind. It only really helps as a publicity tool. It gets a little scary when they decide to make listening to their opinions mandatory. Freedom of speech does not mean that anyone should be forced to sit there and listen.
Originally Posted By DAR <<Some people are driven absolutely batty by conservative talk radio shows because they simply can't stand to hear opinions different from their own.>> No I can't stand it because many use the same tone that they rail against.
Originally Posted By Dabob2 <He's the most liberal senator.> Be careful what you read, Jon. That's the opinion of the National Journal. In 2004, who did they say was the "most liberal" Senator? Kennedy? Feingold? Nope. John Kerry, who just happened to be the 2004 Democratic nominee for president. How convenient. A rather more objective list can be found here: <a href="http://voteview.com/sen110.htm" target="_blank">http://voteview.com/sen110.htm</a> and <a href="http://voteview.com/sen109.htm" target="_blank">http://voteview.com/sen109.htm</a> In this session, he ranks 11th. In the last session, 21st. You can click on the links to see their criteria. But expect to hear that "most liberal senator" thing parroted from now till November.
Originally Posted By Dabob2 <It gets a little scary when they decide to make listening to their opinions mandatory. Freedom of speech does not mean that anyone should be forced to sit there and listen.> And just when have you been forced to sit and listen to their opinion? Did they tie you down or something?
Originally Posted By woody The fairness doctrine? If Obama or Clinton gets into the White House, it won't be long.
Originally Posted By Dabob2 Even if the fairness doctrine comes back (and it was in place for decades with little ill effect, IMO), you could still watch the one opinion you liked, then change the channel for the other one.
Originally Posted By woody This is about talk radio. Conservative radio didn't exist much when the fairness doctrine was in place.
Originally Posted By jonvn "How convenient." Hmm. OK, good pointing that out. Glad you have that site.
