Hannity misrepresents source of editorial to claim that “liberal media” outlet claimed Obama has “embarrassed America”
On the March 10 broadcast of his nationally syndicated radio program, Sean Hannity claimed that “the solid wall of the liberal media, in terms of support for [President Obama], may be starting to crack.” To support this claim, Hannity said, “In fact, we have the leading newspaper in San Francisco, no less, complaining that it looks like amateur hour at the White House, and they’re saying that Obama has, already, quote, ‘embarrassed America.’ ” Hannity then read from what he claimed was a San Francisco Chronicle editorial criticizing Obama. In fact, the editorial from which Hannity read was not from the San Francisco Chronicle, which endorsed Obama in the 2008 presidential election, but rather The San Francisco Examiner, which endorsed Sen. John McCain in that race.
From the March 10 edition of ABC Radio Networks’ The Sean Hannity Show:
HANNITY: Now the solid wall of the liberal media, in terms of support for the anointed one, may be starting to crack. In fact, we have the leading newspaper in San Francisco, no less, complaining that it looks like amateur hour at the White House, and they’re saying that Obama has, already, quote, “embarrassed America.”
And here’s their editorial today, San Francisco Chronicle: It was embarrassing enough that President Barack Obama insulted British Prime Minister Gordon Brown last week by handing him 25 movie videos as the chief executive’s diplomatic gift to the visiting representative of America’s most important ally. Compared to Brown’s gifts, which included a pen holder which was made of wood from a British warship that helped stamp out the slave trade, Obama’s gift, in the words of The Telegraph, looked like the kind of thing the White House might hand out to a visiting head of a minor African state. Even worse is the context in which the huge diplomatic gaffe took place — a six-week succession of miscues, oversights, miscalculations, and outright errors that suggest things may have gone seriously wrong in the White House.
The list of Obama administration blunders include: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton telling the European Union at a gathering that American democracy has been around a lot longer than European democracy. This no doubt particularly surprised the Dutch, whose republic commenced years before the U.S. won its independence. Somebody should tell Clinton about Athens, too.
Then they go on, they say White House chief of staff “Rahmbo” — deadfish, my words — and OMB director Peter Orszag saying that Obama’s going to sign the $410 billion omnibus spending bill because it’s last year’s business, even though the bill requires the president’s signature now to become law. Saying that a catastrophe would result from delays in passing the $1.3 trillion stimulus bill, according to Obama, who took a four-day shopping trip with his family in Chicago before signing the emergency legislation.
Remember [Sen.] Sherrod Brown’s [D-OH] mother had died, and he had to fly back that Friday — he didn’t sign it until the following Tuesday. Attorney General Holder, calling Americans a nation of cowards.
Folks, this is the San Francisco Chronicle. And they’re — they’re getting a lot — they haven’t even begun to touch the surface as we have.
