Sean Hannity, AP, President George W Bush

MEDIA SHOCK

Hannity Supports President Bush!





Joining the unresolved question of where the Easter Bunny lives (anybody know?), this year's holiday provided a second great mystery: why did the Associated Press seem surprised Sean Hannity still supports President Bush?

Forget that, the AP appeared shocked.

In other news, water is wet, kids eat too much candy on Easter Sunday and Al Franken still thinks Rush is fat. Conservative bloggers are fat too, as is pretty much anybody else we lefties don't like.

Apparently, from the mainstream media's perspective, falling poll ratings should mean an automatic abandonment by Bush's key media allies.

From an in-depth wire profile so far appearing on the websites of over 75 newspapers, Hannity spells out why:

(Via CTV-Canada) NEW YORK -- Sean Hannity will not abandon ship. President Bush's approval ratings have sunk into the 30s, but Fox News Channel's tenacious conservative isn't wavering in his support, even while parting ways with the president over immigration and the Dubai ports deal.

"Let me be straight with you -- I like George Bush," Hannity said. "I think he's a man of principle, a man of faith. I think he's got a backbone of steel and he's a real, genuine, big-time leader ... He's a consequential figure for his time. We don't see it right now."

History will vindicate Bush as a strong leader the same way it did Harry Truman, another unpopular president of his time, Hannity said.

Beyond clear criticism directed at Sean for his Bush loyalty, it's actually not a bad piece, especially coming from a liberal media organization like the AP.

More:

"I think the guy's political views are off-the-wall, but he is an undeniably brilliant television talent," said Ellis Henican, a Newsday columnist and frequent on-air foil.

"He exudes authenticity. You can disagree with him, as I do, about almost every thought he has but recognize that Sean is truly somebody who believes in something."

Henican was part of a particularly electric "Hannity & Colmes" on March 29. In a rare moment where Hannity was double-teamed, Henican and Alan Colmes pummeled him about Hannity's frequent criticism of those who attack Bush while "he's leading troops into harm's way."

Bush's sagging popularity and the dwindling public support for the Iraq war has definitely made things tougher for Hannity, Henican said.

Hannity and his peers are "in this double tug, being squeezed in different ways," he said. "Do I stick with the guy I love or do I back the policies that fit into my world view? And I guess he's done the only thing he could do, which is uncomfortably express his opposition in those areas in which Bush has disappointed him."

In the end, this piece accidently trashes liberals.

How?

It proves they're unable to figure out why, even as Bush's popularity sags, conservatives like Hannity stick to their guns.

Depending on poll results, isn't political life all about flipping and flopping? If Republicans do manage to hang on in November, this may be the reason why: by the party opposite, a true lack of core principles.

Your Amazon orders that begin with clicks here, regardless of what you ultimately purchase, help to support this site's efforts. Thanks!

AAR Easter: David A Lunde, Hannity Image: Communists For Kerry, Creepy Air America Ad: WLIB-AM