Hannity cut out gist of Hillary Clinton's comments about VP debate to bolster his claim that Clintons will "vote for John McCain"
Summary: On his radio show, Sean Hannity played a cropped version of recent comments by Sen. Hillary Clinton, which included her praise of Gov. Sarah Palin's debate performance but excluded the portions of her comments praising Sen. Joe Biden's debate performance and asserting that "[t]he Obama-Biden ticket" is "better for America" than the "McCain-Palin ticket." Hannity then stated: "I just had to play that 'cause you just know the Clintons are just -- why do I bet, and this is just a guess on my part, that Hillary and Bill [Clinton] go in there, and they vote for John McCain? I just know it."
On the October 6 broadcast of his nationally syndicated radio show, Sean Hannity played a cropped version of recent comments by Sen. Hillary Clinton, in which she praised Gov. Sarah Palin's debate performance. Hannity then stated: "I just had to play that 'cause you just know the Clintons are just -- why do I bet, and this is just a guess on my part, that Hillary and Bill [Clinton] go in there, and they vote for John McCain? I just know it. I really believe it." However, Hannity did not air the full context of Clinton's comments. After praising Palin's performance in the debate, Clinton asked, "But the real issue is: Who is better for America?" She went on to assert, "The Obama-Biden ticket is much more likely to, you know, deal with these tough problems. And I think the McCain-Palin ticket, as we saw again last night, is offering pretty much the same prescription, which helped to get us where we are today." Hannity also did not air interviewer Ryan Seacrest's first question about the debate -- "How did you score it?" -- or Clinton's response: "Look, I thought Joe Biden was great." Nor did Hannity air Clinton's comment that Biden "put forward a flawless performance."
Clinton made her comments during an interview on the October 3 broadcast of Premiere Radio Networks' On Air with Ryan Seacrest. From the discussion between Clinton and Seacrest, with the portions Hannity aired in bold:
SEACREST: I want to get your take on last night's VP debate, first off. How did you score it?
CLINTON: Look, I thought Joe Biden was great. I think he put --
SEACREST: I figured you'd say that.
CLINTON: -- put forward a flawless performance, and I, like probably everybody watching, was so moved by the authentic grief that, you know, caught in his throat when he talked about his own personal experience. So, I was very, you know -- I was very up and happy about Joe, whom I've known a long time, and I thought that this debate was another good way for people to help themselves make up their mind.
SEACREST: Did Sarah Palin do better than you anticipated?
CLINTON: I think she's very good. I always thought she would do well. Look, I mean, it's amazing. She's been thrust into the national spotlight with the -- you know -- very little preparation, and I think that, all things considered, you saw a very composed and effective debater last night.
But the real issue is: Who is better for America? And given the problems we've got and I just heard about Governor [Arnold] Schwarzenegger asking, perhaps, for a short-term $7 billion loan for California. The Obama-Biden ticket is much more likely to, you know, deal with these tough problems. And I think the McCain-Palin ticket, as we saw again last night, is offering pretty much the same prescription, which helped to get us where we are today.
From the October 6 broadcast of ABC Radio Networks' The Sean Hannity Show:
HANNITY: But this weekend, how many of you heard on the Ryan Seacrest radio show -- I wonder if Tom Bergeron was on -- "Hey, the cha-cha's coming up next. I'm Tom Bergeron." I guess -- I don't think he was on there.
But, anyway, Hillary Clinton was on the Ryan Seacrest show. Now, she -- why doesn't she ever come on this program? I can't understand it. I, for the life of me, don't get it. Anyway, this is what she said about Governor Palin.
CLINTON [audio clip]: I think she's very good. I always thought she would do well. Look, I mean, it's amazing. She's been thrust into the national spotlight with the -- you know -- very little preparation, and I think that, all things considered, you saw a very composed and effective debater last night.
HANNITY: I just had to play that 'cause you just know the Clintons are just -- why do I bet, and this is just a guess on my part, that Hillary and Bill go in there, and they vote for John McCain? I just know it. I really believe it.
—V.P.
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