Voinovich Lashes Out At Hannity: ‘You’re Not Going To Intimidate Me,’ Then Hangs Up

[babylonsister]

http://thinkprogress.org/2007/06/28/voinovich-lashes-out/

Voinovich Lashes Out At Hannity: ‘You’re Not Going To Intimidate Me,’ Then Hangs Up

Sen. Trent Lott (R-MS) said recently that “talk radio is running America” and that “we have to deal with that problem.” Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) said “hate radio” has hijacked the political discourse with its “xenophobic, anti-immigrant” rhetoric.

Yesterday, Sen. George Voinovich (R-OH) released his frustration in a “hate radio” interview with Sean Hannity. “A lot of radio programs have really got out there and fired this thing up,” Voinovich said of the immigration debate. “And so people are really hot about it. And I’m getting calls from people that basically are intimidating me.” Voinovich told Hannity:

I’ve had people back home because of programs like yours said to me if you vote for this bill, it’s the end of your political career. I just want you to know and I want everybody else to know that you do not intimidate George Voinovich.

Fed up with Hannity’s efforts to turn the interview into a right-wing commentary, Voinovich lashed out, “I really don’t think it’s worthy to talk to you right now because you’ve got your mind made up.” Hannity then turned on Voinovich, telling him, “You’re running away because you can’t answer a simple question. … Oh, so I’m irrational because I disagree with you? You’re a mighty senator, ok I get it.” Voinovich then hung up.


UPDATE: UPDATE: The right is outraged over Voinovich. Hot Air says he humiliated himself. KLo writes, “At least he didn’t cry.” Radio Equalizer asks, “How did these elected officials get so out of touch with reality?” And FrontPage calls him “Senator Embarrassment.”

[madokie]

1. although I know not of this hannity other than what I read here but good on George

strew those bastiges

[Swamp Rat]

2. Cannibals!!! ..... HAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!

:rofl:

[april]

8. Great thank you

:bounce:

[malaise]

16. And believe me I'm

lovin it as they devour one another.

[DeSwiss]

3. This is absolutely GREAT!!!!

As they RePukes continue to eat their own, these sleezebags like Hannity will be left with no one but themselves to interview. Because they can't get a sufficient number voters to support the Neo-Con Artists now, nor the Right-Wingnutters. Single hot-button issues will not carry the day by themselves.

So who are they going to turn to whose an elected officeholder if they keep running their own Repukes away?

No One. Well, Ann Coulter so she can give some of her books away to the guests....

Way to go George V!!!

[WCGreen]

4. Where was George Voinovich when talk radio relentlessly sought

to trivialize politics throughout the 90's and well into the 00's with not a peep from this ass hole...

How does it feel, George, how does it feel....

He's my senator and he has coasted along for decades by being a shill for which ever corporation decided to back him...

[youngdem]

5. I keep wondering who's genius idea it was to bring up immigration at this time

I do thank them though.

It has ripped apart the GOP.


:patriot:

[Shiraz]

21. Was it Harry Reid ?

Kind of like the Harriott Maier's fiasco.

[Virginia Dare]

6. Awww, is hate radio making the Repubby's mad?...

that just breaks my heart...:nopity:

[ljm2002]

7. You know what I really like about this?

The Republican politicos are suddenly whining publicly about "hate radio" -- well golly gee, guys, ya think? Prepare to be devoured by the monster of your own creation.

Har de har har har.

[AlCzervik]

9. i have something good to point out about the Senator-

remember the first time Bush was pushing his massive tax cuts for the rich? Well Voinovich was against them and he was vocal about it so the Subsidiary of the RNC "The club for growth" launched Ad's against him comparing him with Saddam Hussein and i think Bin Laden. I don't think he caved in but they really treated him like well he was a democrat.

[babylonsister]

12. Nothin' like being beat up by your own party. He may not have

been intimidated, but that treatment shows how low they'll go.

[AlCzervik]

14. exactly, toe the line or else. This was around the same time and most likely

the same firm that made the ad's that ran against Max Cleland, they both seemed pretty similiar, i also think they ran that attack ad against Olympia Snowe as well.

[OzarkDem]

19. Voino knows how to play the "moderate" card

He's not, he's as right wing, conservative as they come. He just takes a phoney stand now and then to try to keep moderate Ohioans voting for him.

He's actually vulnerable for the next election. The Ohio news media has been working overtime to protect him.

[Zavulon]

10. Actually, I thought Voinovich made an ass out of himself.

He didn't know what the Fairness Doctrine was, he thought Kay Bailey Hutchinson's amendment to the immigration bill passed (it failed) when he was there to vote on it, and - as much as I hate Hannity - Voinovich really did refuse to answer a simple (and, in my view, not unreasonable) question about the overall cost of the bill. Voinovich sounded psychotic and actually made a festering asshole dullard like Hannity sound almost reasonable.

When you're the New York Yankees and you get swept by the Boston Red Sox, it's bad but understandable. When you're the Yankees and get swept by the Kansas City Royals, it's inexcuseable. Voinovich was humiliated by the least skilled and probably least intelligent conservative on radio.

Voinovich is a Repug so I kind of understand him sounding like such an ass, but if a prominent Democrat had turned in a performance like that I'd be beside myself.

[Rosemary2205]

17. Really good post

I didn't hear the show but I'm floored that a US Senator (Even a Bushbot one) would be stupid enough to even go on Hannity let along let Hannity get the best of him. Hannity has proven over the years the only thing he hates more than the Clintons is a "Rino".

[Zavulon]

18. Thanks.

If you haven't listened to it, you should. It's stunning.

Most of the people I hang out with, throw darts with, play pool with, drink beer with and play fantasy football with are Repugs - basically cool (and misguided) people who are decent enough to respect my beliefs and leave politics outside of the bar. NOT ONE of them is a fan of Hannity. Most listen to Limbaugh and the rest of the righty psycho contingent, but NOT ONE likes Hannity.

Why?

Because his debate style, as any one of these guys will tell you, is to grab onto one point like a pit bull and beat to to death. Out of any of the Repug pundits, he should be the easiest to crush in a debate, even easier than Savage, and Voinovich couldn't come close.

I'm perfectly happy to see Hannity carve up the people he calls RINOs (of course, a RINO is anyone who deviates from the GOP playbook on even one issue, no matter how minor), so seeing (hearing) an inept radio host carve up Voinovich like a roast was great - but as I said, if a Dem had been emasculated like that by a dullard like Hannity I'd be a mess (and my Repug friends would let me know about it, if not in the bar then by e-mail).

If I were George Voinovich, I'd be beet red right now. He got slapped around like a tetherball by the dumbest wingnut with a microphone.

[ClassWarfare2008]

11. I haven't watched FAUX since the 2004 election theft

And I've never listened to Hannity's radio show, but from what I can remember, he tends to get even pissier with Republicans who go against the party line than he does with Democrats. So that makes Voinovich the enemy because he's turned against the Chimpministration.

Seems to be a dead giveaway as to who is really behind these hate radio assmunches. No names mentioned but his initials are Karl Rove.

[Zavulon]

15. This was the radio show.

I've never seen Hannity's TV show, but I do tune into his radio show once a month or so just to see what the major piss-and-moan talking points are. With the immigration vote coming up, yesterday seemed like an ideal day to hold my nose and listen.

You're right about Hannity and Republicans overall, but Hannity is getting more and more critical of the Chimp as well. That's good news; it doesn't break my heart to see dissent among the ranks of the asses.

If Voinovich's speech had been slurred, I would have sworn he was drunk. The man was clueless and unable to debate against a one-dimensional intellectual black hole. He really embarrassed himself yesterday; you've got to go long and far to sound like an idiot against Sean Hannity.

[originalpckelly]

13. They are meant to turn against their masters.

It has been planned. Remember folks, Hannity is a ninny, he's got nothing under that rug of his. He didn't decide to be against illegal immigration, someone told him to say those talking points.

[zbdent]

20. Trust me ... when it comes time ... Voinovich will give Bush's ass a big, wet, sloppy

French kiss ... like he has done almost every other time he "broke ranks" and asserted that he would go against Bush's policy ...

You know, Voinovich's Serbian heritage should have been rejected at Ellis Island ...