The first thing in Hannity's show, as in most, is it's acceptance of willful ignorance. Pat Robertson is a perfect example of such.
He knows nothing of judicial practice, law, and rarely - if ever - speaks any truth to power about the religious sect that he claims to represent. And, in that respect, he is a perfect candidate for a guest on Sean Hannity's program.
But the part that really gave Hannity a tickle in his pants was the court case he cited last night. This case was also part of an "investigation" by on of the Fox"News" beauty-queen-reporters. The only problem with Hannity's commentary and the "investigation" of the firemen who were not promoted was the direct relation to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
From Newshounds:
As the New Haven Independent reported, the NAACP, the ACLU and the International Association of Black Professional Firefighters have come out in favor of the city, citing concerns that the case threatens to eviscerate laws — particularly Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 — that afford opportunities for African-Americans to advance. The vast majority of New Haven firefighters are white. The black firefighters union wants the city to “re-examine the promotional process and the results of the test” under the guidelines of Title VII. They point to an earlier federal ruling which noted that firefighting ability, not the ability to pass a test, is the most important factor in evaluating a firefighter's job performance.
Nothing piques Hannity's interest more than the hint that "the white man" is being picked on. So, what does Hannity do? He calls her a racist, of course.
But, who are these "mainstream Americans" that Hannity mentions in the opening of his program? Do they think as he does, that Judge Sotomayor is "racist", that she's this alleged "radical"? Are they Fox"News" viewers? Are they predominantly white? The later two are almost a guaranteed yes. The former is only likely should they not be able to make up their own minds and rely on people like Sean Hannity for their information.
Later in the program, Hannity had on two guests ( Ed Gillespie and Lanny Davis ) to discuss the "racial/sexual component" as it relates to Sotomayor's ability ( or from Hannity's perspective, her lack thereof ) to be a fair-minded member of the Supreme Court.
Never one to be able to accept or even attempt to understand a rational and honest answer like the one Lanny Davis gave, Hannity does his "throwing the hands up and whining" schtick.
The reality of the situation is that no one, no matter who it may be, that is nominated or offered a job by a Democrat will pass muster with people like Sean Hannity. They whine and cry about how they want to bring America together, but offer no plans to back these claims up. They speak about "mainstream Americans" but this general discription obviously doesn't include blacks, latinos, or any other ethnic group which conservatives claim to accept, they just aren't allowed to mention their heritage.
Sonya Sotomayor will be confirmed. Not simply because the Democrats have a 12 to 7 advantage on the Judiciary Committee, but because Sotomayor has a very moderate record. Her statements about "policy" as it relates to the Appelate courts are accurate and have been shown to not be controversial to anyone except those that are attempting to cast her in the roll as "radical", "racist", or "dangerous".
More from Media Matters and Newshounds.
No comments:
Post a Comment