The Plane Truth: Private Jet-Setter Hannity Attacks Gore
On Sunday night, Sean Hannity will unveil his latest smear campaign against Al Gore. Hoping to portray the Oscar and Nobel-nominated Gore as a "Gulfstream Liberal," the Hannity's America hit segment will try to paint the former Vice President as a private jet flying, carbon-burning, global warming machine.
And Sean Hannity should know. After all, when it comes to hypocrisy over extravagant travel on private aircraft, Hannity is the master of hot air.
In 2004, Hannity racked up the private jet frequent flyer miles during his journeys shilling on behalf of President Bush and the GOP. An October 20, 2004 Hannity face-off against Michael Moore cost Utah Valley State College almost $50,000 in travel expenses for the Fox New host, including $35,000 for the private Hawker jet service. Hannity flew in the lap luxury not only from New York to his Utah gig, but afterwards to Arizona where he broadcast his show during a Kerry-Bush presidential debate. As Hannity himself noted:
"Private planes are expensive. The fuel is expensive. I have two jobs so I do charter planes sometimes on my own, and I know what they cost. But (UVSC officials) said they wanted me to come and they wanted to pay my travel. And I wanted to be there to meet the students."
Understandably anxious about the perception of student fees from a public college supporting his exorbitant lifestyle, Hannity's handlers arranged for Republican gubernatorial candidate Jon Huntsman Jr. to donate $10,000 and a Utah-based firm coughed up $5,000 to help offset the expenses.
Hannity's sensitivity on the subject were well-founded. Hannity, after all, had just days before cancelled an appearance at Washington University over the very issue of private air travel. Not because the school wouldn't provide him with a private plane, but because they did not offer him the right private jet. As the University's paper Student Life put it, "Since he can't fly in style, Sean Hannity says he won't come to St. Louis at all." Typically, Fox values maven Hannity lied about the episosde:
Hannity cited personal reasons for his cancellation, said law student Ruth Hollander after speaking with the right-wing pundit over the phone yesterday. Hannity, Hollander said, requested a private jet to fly him to St. Louis for the speech, but then rejected "several" different jets offered by a private donor. He told Hollander about a "bad experience" with the prominent company that had manufactured all the jets offered for his trip.
"[Hannity's agent] said he thought we should say that because of the short time frame involved, it didn't work out," said Hollander. "I said I didn't think that was the truth, and...I really felt we had met all of our commitments and we were going to be honest when asked."
In advance of Sunday night's Hannity hatchet job, Al Gore's office provided ThinkProgress with a statement. Among other points, it noted:
"In his private life, Gore tries to reduce his emissions as much as possible. He drives a hybrid, flies commercially whenever he can, and purchases green power. In the few instances where work has demanded that he travel privately, he purchases carbon offsets for the emissions."
Fox News and Sean Hannity, of course, won't let facts get in the way of their anti-Gore, global warming Lysenkoism. (Rudy Giuliani's extravagant travel habits are apparently just fine with him.) Hannity, who decried John Kerry for leading "a lifestyle that I don't live" and included himself among "us common people," said on Friday of Gore, "if they're not willing to lead by example, I think that's hypocritical."
After all, Sean Hannity should know.
UPDATE: ThinkProgress provided a post-mortem on Hannity's infantile rant against Gore. The predictable conclusion, "Hannity presented no evidence to suggest Gore is currently flying on private jets or doing anything inconsistent with his record as one of our nation's leading environmentalists."
Good catch on Hannity. What a lying POS...
There is literally no end to their hypocrisy.
that's great that you found out Hannity flies on private jets. however, you're apparently missing the point - hannity is not the one preaching to the country about how we need to reduce our energy consumption. the point hannity is making is that gore is a hypocrite. if gore wants to demand that americans cut back on their energy consumption, he should lead by example.
apparently you don't understand the definition of hypocrisy.
Brett,
Of course, Gore is the global warming icon and Hannity is a proud global warming denier.
As the closing paragraph above shows, Hannity's hypocrisy stems from his posing as a "common man" with a working man's "lifestyle." Instead, it is Sean Hannity who is jet-setting around the U.S.
And by the way, Hannity's accusations were predictably baseless, as ThinkProgress documented.
Ummm, Mr. Hannity is NOT a hypocrite (one who preaches 1 thing, practices the opposite). Mr. Hannity proudly drives an SUV.
Many intelligent people think that the idea that global warming is "mostly" caused by humans and can be amelioratedly significantly by human interventions is silly. I included. And my last 2 cars have been hybrids!
Hmmm... Yeah, it would seem that if you were to put in all this effort to post a blog, that you would do a little bit of research on the individual YOU are attempting to smear. Sean Hannity doesn't believe in Global Whining, **ahem** warming and has never denied using a private jet. He proudly waves to all the left-y's with their panties in a bunch on the freeway through the window of his SUV. And rightly so, it's his choice and his decision because HE is not lecturing Americans on their energy consumption while whizzing around in a private jet like a snake-oil salesman, going to the MTV music awards to spread his venom while "congratulating" the musicians that little wife Tipper (sitting in ONE of their THREE energy guzzling houses) is so ready to destroy. OPEN UP YOUR FREAKING EYES AND TAKE A LOOK AROUND. And while you're at it, look up "Hypocrisy" in a dictionary...
Acidmars, Terry,
What part of "Hannity is being hypocritical about his average guy lifestyle, not global warming" don't you understand?
SOME DEFINITIONS
From Encarta:
1. feigned high principles: the false claim to or pretense of having admirable principles, beliefs, or feelings
2. hypocritical act: an act or instance of hypocrisy
SEAN HANNITY ON HIS LIFESTYLE
Compare Sean Hannity's private-jet setting and padded expense accounts to his own claims. (Excerpted from "First-Class Ticket and Private Jet Not Good Enough for "Regular Guy" Sean Hannity.")
- On July 14, 2004, Hannity mocked Kerry for skeet shooting, saying "You know, there's no average Joe person that I know that shoots clay plates in the air. I just -- you know, I just, it's a lifestyle that I don't live."
- On August 4, Hannity ridiculed Kerry and Senator John Edwards for appearing at a Wendy's restaurant "for a light lunch with us common people."
- Also on August 4, while attacking environmental activist Robert Kennedy Jr.'s recent criticism of the Bush administration's environmental policy, Hannity claimed that "corporate America" creates "products that make life easier and better for all of us-- the average American out there, those of us that don't have the benefit of his [Kennedy's] lifestyle."
- On September 29, Hannity mocked Kerry for windsurfing, suggesting that "carpenters, electricians, regular folks" don't windsurf and asserting that "I know a lot about carpenters and electricians and plumbers, and I'm gonna tell you something right now that the ones I knew and worked with in New England ... were too busy working to find a little spare time to head off to Nantucket for the weekend and start windsurfing."
Sean Hannity recently attacked and berated the Honorable Ron Paul, Republican presidential candidate, because Hannity is a corporate-driven elitist who supports the Security Prosperity Partnership as the foundation for an economic integration of Canada, U.S., and Mexico. By so forcefully opposing Congressman Ron Paul, Hannity demonstrates that he is not in any way, shape, or form a common man. He is a Bush flunkee who supports the corporate dominating New World Order way of life.
Fox News should IMMEDIATELY dump Hannity.
This is ridiculous. It is only wrong for Hannity to fly private planes if he believes such is wrong. He doesn't. What he believes it wrong is for the elite like RFK, Jr. and Al Gore to say it is wrong to drive large cars and SUV while they are burning through multiples more fuel in private planes. I'm in awe that someone has to tell you this.
It's absurd to call Hannity a hypocrite for flying in private jets. HE doesn't deny such. Nor does HE preach about emmisions of such travel.
It's also absurd to call him a hypocrite for saying he's a common man. His JOB(s) require immense travel. Wanting to travel in comfort wherever possible isn't hypocritical in the least.
My father was certainly a "common man" who had a job that required immense travel. He flew 1st class and private jets whenever possible for comfort. The travel is part of the job. Spend 10-20 hours a week on an airplane as part of your job and see if you don't seek the best accommodations available.
Oh the serious bias and stupidity of some people.
Let's get this straight: Hannity is not telling others what to do with their cars, boats, planes, etc. He believes there use is fine and that global warming is not accurate (there are just as many major scientists disputing GW as there are supporting it).
It is Al Gore who is preaching that we all should drive Prius's, live in straw huts, fly as little as possible and when we do, fly commercially, etc.
It is Al who is calling people irresponsible for driving SUV's, flying in private jets, using AC in the summer, etc.
Yet all the while, Al is doing exactly what he is preaching against.
If AL was very publicly anti-gun and anti-smoking, but was off shooting guns and smoking 20 times per year, would the he still be defended by the people who seem to be under his spell?
Then we have some yo-yo calling Hannity a hypocrite for using jets (hello, he doesn't tell others not to) and for not supposedly not fully believing in all that Catholicism preaches, though he is a Catholic.
Again, Hannity is not out trying to convert people to Catholicism, he is not a priest, etc.
This blog, as well as some of it's readers, are so anti-bush, so anti-hannity, the can't see the truth or even grasp the most basic logic, as their bias gets in the way.
Ask yourself this, liberals. If when Bush gets out of office he is running around saying the stuff about global warming that Gore is, but is flying a private jet all over the US and driving his pick up trucks, will you justify his actions because his speeches mean well?
Mike S
Those comments that PERSPECTIVE quotes from sean are out of context. You need to understand when someone is being sarcastic. I guess thats how people convince others to believe there lies. They take a couple lines out of story. Twist it so it sounds they way they want it to. It would be very convicing to me if i didnt listen to his show and know thats not what he ment. Whoa! now you could chop up this comment and make it what you want.
I wish you good luck on your mission of making lies. I hope you enjoy 😉
Cory
Perrspectives blog over a year old, OK. But really, when does telling unflattering truths about someone constitute a "smear" or a "hatchet job?" This is typical of leftist prose. If they see a nasty sounding word they'd like to use to describe someone they don't like, they don't bother to look up the meaning. For leftists, words mean what they want them to mean.
For instance, the word "hypocrite" can only describe those on the right of them politically.
Nice post,good inormation. Thanks a lot Really incredible.
-----------
sohbet
hi good thank you when does telling unflattering truths about someone constitute a "smear" or a "hatchet job?" This is typical of leftist prose. If they see a nasty sounding word they'd like to
hi good thank you when does telling unflattering truths about someone constitute a "smear" or a "hatchet job?" This is typical of leftist prose. If they see a nasty sounding word they'd like to use
Thanks
Thanks
Good luck to choose a private jet charter which can make a luxury travel.