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HANNITY v. RFK, JR.
NROTC ^ | 8/4/04 | Rich Lowry

Posted on 08/04/2004 2:45:24 PM PDT by swilhelm73

There seems to be interest out there in seeing the transcript of this exchange last night between Hannity and RFK, Jr. about his new book. This is only part of it, and doesn’t fully capture it, but for those who are interested (excuse the long post):

HANNITY: All right. Let's start with one. First of all, you start with, in your book, page 193, you talk about, "communism is the control of business by government, fascism is the control of government by business. My American Heritage dictionary defines fascism as a system of government that exercises dictatorship of the extreme right, typically through the merging of the state and business leadership together with belligerent nationalism. Sound familiar?" Are you accusing this president of being -- and this administration of being fascist like, Nazi-like?

KENNEDY: No, what I -- the point is that if you read that in context, is that Americans have to understand that there's a huge difference between free market capitalism, which is great for a democracy, which democratizes our country, that brings efficiencies, and the corporate crony capitalism that has been embraced by this administration, which is as antithetical to democracy in America as it is in Nigeria. Today, you have polluters running the agencies that are supposed to protect Americans from pollution. The second in command at EPA is a Monsanto lobbyist. The head of the air division at the EPA is a -- is a utility lobbyist.

HANNITY: I...

KENNEDY: Let me finish.

HANNITY: Go ahead. Go ahead.

KENNEDY: Who for his lifetime has been defending the worst polluters in America. The head of the public lands now, Sean, is a mining industry lobbyist. The head of forest service a timber industry lobbyist, and on and on and on.

HANNITY: I understand your point.

KENNEDY: These people did not enter government for public service. They entered to undermine and subvert the very laws that they're charged with enforcing.

HANNITY: This is fundamental. Because I say the left today, your leadership, including your uncle, uncle Ted, or Ted Kennedy, have said irresponsible things about our president and about our country. And I find it here.

Now I'm going to read a very long paragraph for the sake of our audience, because I don't want to take it out of context, and I want to make sure I get the full context in here. OK? This is from your book.

KENNEDY: Sure.

HANNITY: You said, "these elected governments use the provocation of terrorist attacks, continued wars" -- you're talking about Nazism and fascism on page 193, OK?

KENNEDY: No, no, no now you're...

HANNITY: Wait a minute, right here I have it in the book, 193 and 194, and you talk about Spain, Germany and Italy reacting to the economic crises.

KENNEDY: Sure.

HANNITY: And then you say the following: "These governments use provocation of terrorist attacks, continual wars, invocations of patriotism and homeland security to privatize the commons, tame the press, muzzle criticism by opponents, turn the government over to corporate control.

'It's always a simple matter to drag people along,' noted Hitler's sidekick Herman Goering, whether it's a democracy or a fascist dictatorship or a parliament or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them that they are being attacked, denounce the peacemakers for lack of patriotism, and expose the country to danger -- and exposing the country to danger. And it works the same in any country," is what you say.

Then you go on to say -- you're talking about fascism and Nazism -- and the next line in this book of yours says, the White House has clearly grasped this lesson. That is disgraceful to make that comparison.

KENNEDY: Well, you know, Sean in this -- you know, look at the comparisons. Look at our -- what is -- look at the terror alert, for example, that we -- that was...

HANNITY: Nazism and fascism? That we're using the tactics of fascists and Nazists? That's what you're saying about your president? You can't disagree without being that obnoxious?

KENNEDY: We can disagree with each other, Sean, and that's something that we ought to be able to do without calling each other names.

HANNITY: You're the one calling them fascists and Nazis, comparing them to fascists and Nazis.

KENNEDY: Well, I never called the president a fascist or a Nazi.

HANNITY: You found a nice round-about way to compare his tactics to the fascists and the Nazis.

KENNEDY: And the point that I'm making, which is very clear in that book, is that control of government by corporations is as dangerous as control of government by communism.

HANNITY: That is unbelievable.”

Posted at 12:04 PM


TOPICS: News/Current Events; Philosophy
KEYWORDS: hannity; rfkjr; talkradio
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1 posted on 08/04/2004 2:45:24 PM PDT by swilhelm73
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To: swilhelm73
i saw this last night...i thought they were going to start throwing punches...

whats with RFKjr's voice??? has it always been that annoying?

2 posted on 08/04/2004 2:48:48 PM PDT by KB4W (I voted for the...before I voted...against, No...wait...You mean I'm supposed to vote? JF'nK)
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To: KB4W

He actually went on the radio with Sean today and called Sean a bully who trys to intimidate those who dont agree with him and said something to the effect of Sean does not debate, I guess meaning he can LOL


3 posted on 08/04/2004 2:49:42 PM PDT by alisasny ("I will leave no hampster behind" John F'en Kerry : ))
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To: KB4W

Sean got a bit miffed when Kennedy took the pages out of his hand and said that he was getting his facts from an advertisement.


4 posted on 08/04/2004 2:51:44 PM PDT by lugsoul (Until at last I threw down my enemy and smote his ruin on the mountainside.)
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To: swilhelm73

What was interesting were his non-answers to why he opposed building power plants or drilling for oil in his own backyard. His big retort to Hannity asking him if he was going to stop flying in private jets, because he's supposedly all bunged up about the environment, was to ask Hannity if he was going to stop. That and his excuse that the waterways around his home were too important to tourism and scenery to be messed with were perfect examples of the muddle headed leftist.


5 posted on 08/04/2004 2:51:47 PM PDT by kenth
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To: swilhelm73

Then Hannity has to ruin it all by putting that moron from Gulianni's staff on at the end of the show.


6 posted on 08/04/2004 2:52:06 PM PDT by hattend (I'm on the Mark Steyn Ping List! I'm somebody!)
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To: swilhelm73
My American Heritage dictionary defines fascism as a system of government that exercises dictatorship of the extreme right, typically through the merging of the state and business leadership together with belligerent nationalism.

The American Heritage Dictionary says no such thing. Robert Kennedy Jr. just made this up. Fortunately, Robert Kennedy Jr. is a political non-entity who will never make the big time.

7 posted on 08/04/2004 2:52:44 PM PDT by bondjamesbond (We live in a wonderful country where any child can grow up to be the next Ronald Reagan.)
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To: KB4W
whats with RFKjr's voice??? has it always been that annoying?

Did you also notice his hands shaking at times?

He has much of the sound and actions of early Parkinson's.

8 posted on 08/04/2004 2:54:31 PM PDT by Michael.SF. ('The USS R. Reagan is a WMD' - Ron Reagan Jr. (Per Michael Reagan))
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To: swilhelm73
Liberals like Kennedy try to rule the stage by quoting endless facts, figures and statistics (junk science).

The only way to deal with them is roughly.

Hannity was right to go after Kennedy again and again for equating Bush with Naziism.

9 posted on 08/04/2004 2:55:59 PM PDT by what's up
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To: KB4W

Hannity straight owned that guy. Kennedy was so shaken that his voice was cracking and faltering. Hannity earned major respect from me.


10 posted on 08/04/2004 2:57:49 PM PDT by Bronco_Buster_FweetHyagh
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To: swilhelm73

I had Hannity on to listen to the Swift Boat ad but instead heard an interview between RFK Jr and Hannity. I had to turn it off because RFK sounded too much like Elmer Fudd. His voice made Lieberman sound manly.

Yuck


11 posted on 08/04/2004 2:57:58 PM PDT by Republican Red (Is that a classified document in your pants Sandy or are you just glad to see me?)
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To: Michael.SF.
I heard a clip of this interview on Hannity's radio show today, and couldn't believe how grating Kennedy's voice was and just how utterly stupid he was. His father and uncle Jack would be embarrassed at this generation of Kennedy offspring.

The funniest thing was when Sean asked RFKJr. if he was a Nader supporter or a Kerry supporter, because he sounded like a Nader supporter - and Kennedy started whining again about name-calling. That's name-calling?!?

12 posted on 08/04/2004 2:58:37 PM PDT by mountaineer
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To: what's up

It's amusing that this is coming from someone whose grandfather was one of the biggest American apologists for Hitler and his gang.


13 posted on 08/04/2004 2:58:43 PM PDT by xp38
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To: Republican Red

I turned it on....before I turned it off. (Good grief! I'm beginning to sound like Scary Kerry!) Frankly, I think RFK, Jr., has been on Hannity too many times already. Nothing new there. Enough is enough! Getting bo-ringggggggg! (Somebody tell Hannity, please!)


14 posted on 08/04/2004 3:03:42 PM PDT by Winfield
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To: Michael.SF.
" He has much of the sound and actions of early Parkinson's."

Yes, you're right. I believe that there are the beginnings of a serious neurological disorder here. It could be Parkinson's or it could be "Parkinson's like symtoms" caused by something else.

15 posted on 08/04/2004 3:28:54 PM PDT by davisfh
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To: KB4W
i thought they were going to start throwing punches...

As I've said before, I'm tired of talking with these numbskulls, to hell with the debate. It's time for a good, old fashion, wild west bar room brawl.

16 posted on 08/04/2004 3:30:01 PM PDT by tbpiper (Michael Moore…..the Erich von Däniken of political documentary)
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To: Bronco_Buster_FweetHyagh

"Hannity straight owned that guy."

Major ownage. Sean's a great American!

I love it when he plays the clip of Ted K singing......LMAO!!!!!!


17 posted on 08/04/2004 3:36:06 PM PDT by Stellar Dendrite
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To: davisfh
"It could be Parkinson's or it could be "Parkinson's like symptoms" caused by something else."

Yeah, like getting smacked around and embarrassed on national TV. This dork started talking funny the moment Sean verbally bitch slapped him with the fascism quote.
18 posted on 08/04/2004 3:37:15 PM PDT by Lee'sGhost (Crom!)
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To: tbpiper

"It's time for a good, old fashion, wild west bar room brawl."

I got yer back.


19 posted on 08/04/2004 3:38:07 PM PDT by Stellar Dendrite
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To: Stellar Dendrite

I can only stand Hannity's TV or radio show when he gets into it with leftists.


20 posted on 08/04/2004 3:40:41 PM PDT by NutCrackerBoy
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