Sean Hannity’s Homage To “Big Government” Liberalism
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This is the logo to Fox News Channel’s “Hannity”:
The logo is instantly recognizable because it mimics the logo of the Interstate Highway system.
As most students of American history know, the Interstate Highway system was a product of Republican president Dwight D. Eisenhower. Ike was the kind of Republican that doesn’t exist anymore – interested in using the strength of the government to improve lives and commerce across the country without being beholden to the radical fringe.
Let’s go to the tape:
In 1956 the pieces finally fell into place. Although the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 contained many provisions affecting the Interstate System, the key legislative phrase in section 108 is breathtakingly simple and direct: “It is hereby declared to be essential to the national interest to provide for the early completion of the ‘National System of Interstate Highways,’ as authorized and designated in accordance with section 7 of the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1944.”
That simple phrase–”the national interest”–is all the justification the legislators who created the bill thought was needed, perhaps because they believed the interest was obvious, widely understood, and shared.
Well, clearly Eisenhower was some kind of communist.
After Pearl Harbor, General George C. Marshall called him to Washington for a war plans assignment. He commanded the Allied Forces landing in North Africa in November 1942; on D-Day, 1944, he was Supreme Commander of the troops invading France.
Ah, right.
So what kind of claptrap does Sean Hannity, who uses the icon of the largest public works program – all 46,876 miles of it – say about now investing in our infrastructure and building up America in a manner similar to Ike?
“Hannity dubs USA “United States of France”"
So, that’s your modern conservative movement.
41 Responses to “Sean Hannity’s Homage To “Big Government” Liberalism”
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© 2000-2011 Oliver Willis
Today’s GOP thinks the rapture will happen before the road is finished being built so why build it
George W. Bush is responsible for making the Fed the largest its ever been (Homeland Security and TSA, anyone?), and for a record deficit (which started as the Clinton surplus).
I’d be delighted if these assholes had maybe said something about the evils of big government under Bush II, but once again IOKIYAR.
Ironically, modern Republicans are screaming “socialism” because Obama wants to raise the top tax rate to 39.9, while the rate was 90% during Eisenhower’s administration. That guy must have been a raging commie.
“To be fully effective, we need in Washington liberal and experienced members of Congress.” – Dwight Eisenhower, 1952 Presidential Campaign
And OW, I humbly request the return of recent comments.
Dude, Oliver, I love ya baby but this new look is entirely unreadable
Please tell me what’s unreadable. It’s a basic 2 column layout.
of course, oddly enough as soon as I hit submit on that comment all the ads, indeed, both the right side columns disappeared. Hmmmm.
Straw man through and through. The infastruture projects in the stimulus aren’t “game changers” like the Interstate System was, because the stimulus focused on projects that are “shovel ready” (things like repaving). Any project that would actually increase productivity and cause growth (like, say, connecting all the dead-end interstates in Baltimore) would still be subject to DECADES of environmental impact studies, town hall meetings, zoning commissions, and NIMBY-paloozas.
And look, Hannity’s got five stars, like Eisenhower!
(Where did Sean serve?)
Fox News ratings “Crazy High”
During Obama Administration, #2 Channel in All of Cable
Fox News averaged 2.15 million viewers in primetime for the week ending March 22, 2009. Only USA (3.16 million) averaged more. CNN came in 21st with an average 914,000 total viewers, and MSNBC placed 23rd with an average of 886,000 total viewers. All figures are according to Nielsen Media Research.
Of course, you realize total viewers don’t matter, right? Give me the money demo, bitch.
Of course, you realize total viewers don’t matter, right? Give me the money demo, bitch.
Rupert’s lost half his wealth.
Give me the money demo, bitch. Duros62
Here you go, Duros.
The guy you call crazy and nuts who comes on at 5:00 on Fox is crushing the guy who Speaks Truth to Power who comes on at 8:00 at MSNBO. Same with Hannity vs. Madcow… more than doubling her in the money demo.
—–
Rupert’s lost half his wealth. Duros62
That’s a lot of lost tax revenue, Duros. At a time when our country needs it the most.
I know you love this country and that is just a partisan taunt, right? You really don’t want to see him fail when it hurts our country so, do you?
He’s not a citizen, now is he?
Piss up a rope, Denny.
Give me the money demo, bitch. Duros62
First off, Denny, learn to read more closely. Jesse said that, not me.
Secondly, the chart you provided shows total viewers. Like Jesse said, total viewers don’t matter. Show us the money.
Same with Hannity vs. Madcow
You’re such a twit, Denny. Does it make you feel big when you make up stupid names for people that you think insult them? do you feel superior? Like George W. or something?
Secondly, the chart you provided shows total viewers. Like Jesse said, total viewers don’t matter. Show us the money. Duros
Total viewers does matter. And my link had the total viewers and the 25-54 demographic.
Well then, it’s very sad that that many people prefer to be lied to and uninformed.
Well then, it’s very sad that that many people prefer to be lied to and uninformed. Duros
I know it’s very easy to just repeat something that’s be said over 10 millin times like you did with this reply, but that argument defies logic. How does that explain the sharp drop-off at MSNBC and the huge increase at Fox.
Shuster is smarmy, Olbermann is so jealous of O’Reilly it clouds his perspective and he looks much more diminished as an announcer now after the election, Matthews has gotten weird and admitted he’s in love with Obama, and Maddow is intelligent but just boring. I’m embarrassed for them.
Jealous? I think not.
but that argument defies logic.
How so? How many web sites exist solely for the purpose of watching Fox and calling them on their falsehoods and deceptions, easily refutable? I can think of 4 just off the top of my head. How many exist to catch Olberman in a lie? One.
I never liked Matthews, you’re right, Rachel is good but boring, and just about everybody else on MSNBC walks a tightrope of conservative bias. At least Olberman is entertaining and entertainment, and that’s why I watch it. Couldn’t really speak about Fox programming because I took it off my DirectTV channel line-up. Won’t have it in my house.
But you know what? I don’t really give a shit who watches what.
Dennis the Bigot: “Olbermann is so jealous of O’Reilly it clouds his perspective…”
And when we laugh at Palin, it means we are scared of her.
Rupert’s lost half his wealth. Duros62
That’s a lot of lost tax revenue, Duros.
Dennis, we don’t tax wealth in this country. We tax income. So no, Mr. Murdoch’s loss of wealth isn’t a loss of tax revenue.
Dennis, we don’t tax wealth in this country. Qibbie
Not just yet, Quibbie.
I’d rather they watch fox than run the country. Plus it means steady employment for me. Not our fault cons are so simple that Hannity’s considered so brilliant.
I’d rather they watch fox than run the country.
Woah, I just had a major deja vu. I said the same thing about liberal blogs four years ago.
Not just yet, Quibbie.
So why not start saying we do now! Get ahead of the socialist curve! Don’t wait for it to not actually happen! Say it’s happening now before it doesn’t!
Not just yet, Quibbie.
Right. Yet another “fake yet accurate” moment from Denny.
It didn’t happen, but it could have.
http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/original/PrimeTime_3.26.bmp
It’s odd Dennis didn’t mention this. Basically, FOX has flatlined since 2005 while MSNBC has grown by leaps and bounds.
Also, if you actually look at the numbers, on most nights, Olbermann comes within 100k of beating O’Reilly and Maddow comes in second. I’d be interested to see if their numbers have dropped since the height of the election while FOX has grown.
Say it’s happening now before it doesn’t!
Win!
Didn’t Olberman overtake O’Rly a few weeks ago? I seem to remember Keith patting himself on the back for it.
So why not start saying we do now! Get ahead of the socialist curve! Don’t wait for it to not actually happen! Say it’s happening now before it doesn’t! fafaroo
Uhh, I’m thinking Obama already beat me on that one, fafaroo, when he told JTP he wants to “spread the wealth around“.
I really don’t get your indignation on this one. He said he wants to do it, that spreading it around would be good.
He didn’t mean it like you think/wish he did, you farking tool. We’ve been over this.
Oliver, can we get a disemvoweler for Denny?
Didn’t Olberman overtake O’Rly a few weeks ago? I seem to remember Keith patting himself on the back for it. Duros
Don’t think so, Duros. I’m thinking maybe you should call up your satellite company and get Fox back on there for the more fair and balanced viewpoint. Unless you just like watching Edward R. Olbermann for the comedy.
I’m thinking maybe you should call up your satellite company and get Fox back on there for the more fair and balanced viewpoint.
No way.
“Fair and Balanced?” You may buy into that fantasy, but I sure as hell don’t. There is absolutely nothing – NOTHING – fair OR balanced about Fox News. At least Rachel Maddow has Pat “Nazis are misunderstood” Buchanan on her show.
It isn’t taken off my satellite, I removed it from my channels. I could put it back on any time I wanted. But I would need to see a court order first.
Dennis, you’re getting worse and worse. You really think that Fox News is “fair and balanced”? Really? REEEEEALLY?!
No matter how you answer, you’re going to look bad. If you think it’s a fair news network, then you’re an idiot. If you think that it’s a fair news network and you’ve done any research related to Fox News, then you’re a bigger idiot. If you think that it’s actually NOT fair and balanced, then you’re a liar.
So which is it?
Honestly, I get so very, very depressed thinking that there are clowns out there in the country that consider O’Reilly, Hannity, and the other idiots at Fox to be anything other than partisan hacks of the highest order.
I’d love to read/see some conservative media, and actually step outside my personal biases. But when all those conservative media are spending their time/ink questioning whether the president’s a socialist or making up teleprompter gaffes, I might as well read the Enquirer for all the good it will do me.
Dennis: Uhh, I’m thinking Obama already beat me on that one, fafaroo, when he told JTP he wants to “spread the wealth around“.
sigh. As long as folks like Dennis lack the comprehension skills to understand anything longer than four words, we’re going to have to keep dealing with this shit.
Parthenon: I’d love to read/see some conservative media, and actually step outside my personal biases.
I would, too. I’ve recently started spending some of my commute drive time listening to right wing talk radio (Limbaugh, Savage, beck, et al) really hoping I’d hear someone say something that would reasonably challenge my views/opinions. C’mon, folks. Put up a reasoned argument that forces me to make an effort to defend my views or makes a case too compelling to ignore.
Alas, it is as you say. They’re completely uninterested in making the effort. Far to eager to take the easy route of just saying Obama’s plans just won’t work because they say they won’t work.
For a Rockefeller Republican viewpoint, the economist ain’t bad. They’ll jump down the president’s throat something fierce. I’m almost tempted to say ‘intellectual’ and ‘social conservativism’ must be oxymorons, but that’d be snotty.
WELL IT SEEMS TO ME ALL THESE “WELL INTENDED” PROGRAMS AND IDEAS TO OBAMAS VISION OF AMERICAS FUTURE, ARE CLOUDED AND MISTY. I FIND HARDLY ANYBODY CAN DISAGREE WITH WHAT HE SAYS, BUT THERE ARE ALWAYS THREE THINGS MISSING. FIRST HE NEVER STATES ANY PLAN, DETAILS OR APPROACH ONLY THE GOAL. SECOND THE DOLLARS INVOLVED ARE STAGGERING, IN MY OPINION FOOL HEARTY AND DANGEROUS TO OUR COUNTRIES SOVEREIGNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.THIRD I SEE MUCH CONCERN OVER THE ENORMOUS DEBT WE ALREADY HAVE, LET ALONE INCREASING IT TO A UNMANAGEABLE SNOWBALL, WITHOUT TRULY CONSULTING US, THE PEOPLE. I HAVE DOUBTS AND TRUST ISSUES HERE.
THE GOVERNMENT RUNS SOCIAL SECURITY, MEDICARE, OVERSEES FREDDIE MAC FANNIE MAY ECT. ECT.. OF THESE NONE ARE RUN RIGHT ,IF THEY WE’RE PRIVATE BUSINESSES THEY WOULD BE OUT OF BUSINESS. OF COURSE THERE NOT, BECAUSE THEY JUST PUMP OUR TAX MONEY IN THEM. WITH NO REMORSE. MOST OF OUR GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS HAVE NEVER WORKED IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR LIKE WE DO. WHERE RESULTS ARE REQUIRED. I FIND IT SOMEWHAT DISHEARTENING THAT SOME OF THE ADMINISTRATIONS TACTICS OF LATE ARE OF QUESTIONABLE ETHICS. I FIND THAT OFFENSIVE. I, LIKE MOST OF MY FRIENDS LIKE THE TRUTH NOT HALF TRUTHS AND MANIPULATED NUMERIC REPRESENTATIONS OF THINGS TAKEN SO FAR FROM THE POINT THEY ARE NOT EVEN WORTH MENTIONING, BUT DIRECTED AT SPECIFIC POPULATION GROUPS FOR EFFECT AND TAKEN AS FACT. ENOUGH SAID FOR TODAY.
GOOD LUCK–jb