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| Newt Talks Primary Results, Reverend Wright and More on Hannity & Colmes |
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Hannity & Colmes
Fox News
April 23, 2008
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALAN COLMES, CO-HOST: Tonight on HANNITY & COLMES.
SEN. HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I might stumble and I might get knocked down, but as long as you will stand with me, I will always get right back up.
COLMES: Hillary takes Pennsylvania and the race continues. Newt Gingrich looks ahead to North Carolina and Indiana.
TERRY MCAULIFFE, CLINTON CAMPAIGN CHAIRMAN: Fair and balanced, FOX. You beat them all.
COLMES: FOX News unearths an unlikely new fan. Clinton campaign chair Terry McAuliffe takes the hot seat.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Barack Obama sat in his pew listening to his pastor. He is just too extreme for North Carolina.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLMES: A controversial Republican ad in North Carolina has even John McCain crying foul.
All that plus Mary Matalin and Jack Kemp on the beef's stakes.
Newt Gingrich, Terry McAuliffe, Jack Kemp and Mary Matalin. There is only one place to see it all. HANNITY & COLMES starts right now.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COLMES: Welcome to HANNITY & COLMES.
We're following a developing story tonight. Two new anti-Obama attack ads are threatening to turn the presidential race really nasty tonight. And we have both of those ads and we're going to play them for you in just a few minutes.
First our top story tonight is the fallout from yesterday's Pennsylvania primary. Hillary Clinton found a new life with a convincing victory over Barack Obama in the Keystone state. But the infighting between Democrats continues.
An editorial today in the "New York Times" called for Senator Clinton to stop the attacks against Barack Obama. And it blames her for the negative tone of the campaign. Superdelegates continue to split between the two candidates, with each campaign claiming one more today. But with the potential for the two candidates to split North Carolina and Indiana on may 6th, the emergence of one nominee may still be a bit off.
Joining us now with more, former speaker of the House and FOX News contributor, and the author of "Real Change," Newt Gingrich. Welcome back, Mr. Speaker.
NEWT GINGRICH, FMR. SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: It's good to be with you.
COLMES: Does yesterday's result make Hillary Clinton a more viable possibility for the nomination?
GINGRICH: An absolutely. I think when she won by 10 points -- when Senator Obama only got 37 percent in rural and small-town Pennsylvania, that's clearly a sign that she is still viable. If you add in Michigan and Florida, she actually has more popular votes right now than Obama does. And I think that it's going to be a challenge, maybe all the way to Denver.
The next big test is going to be North Carolina and Indiana. And Senator Obama has two advantages. There is a very big African-American population in North Carolina. I think 38 percent of the Democratic primary vote. And he comes from the neighboring state Indiana, of Illinois which has a lot of markets that they share together. So he is relatively well known in western Indiana.
She's got to, I think, at least win Indiana and see if she can keep him close in North Carolina. I'd be a little surprised if she could beat him in North Carolina. But if he has one or two more bad weeks and he has one or two more mistakes like William Ayers and like Reverend Jeremiah Wright, and like the Million Man March with Farrakhan, and like the bitterness comment about Pennsylvania, I think he could be in trouble. He's not in trouble yet. He's still the frontrunner, but this was not a good night for him.
COLMES: Well, let me ask you about it. You just mentioned -- we went through a litany of issues he'd to face, which is Jeremiah Wright and Bill Ayers, being at the Million Man March as if, what, anybody at the Million Man March could never run for president, as if an association with -- we've gone over this a number of times. But should those be legitimate issues in terms of who gets to seek the presidency in this country?
GINGRICH: Well, nobody said he couldn't seek it. I mean it's fine for him to run for it. But it is a legitimate question what his judgment was in going to a march organized by a aggressively anti-Semitic Muslim militant in Louis Farrakhan. It's a legitimate question to ask how he could have sat in the pew for 20 years listening to some of Reverend Wright's sermons. It's a legitimate question to ask why he wanted to launch his first campaign with William Ayers, a man who was recently as 9/11 2001.
COLMES: He went to his house. I wouldn't know.
GINGRICH: .he was sorry he didn't have more bombs.
COLMES: You know, the Million Man March, half a million people were there. They call it the Million Man March, I think, but 500,000. Is that to say anybody who went to that march is suspect and we have to start asking questions about attending.
GINGRICH: No, no, no. Look.
COLMES: .an empowerment rally for African-American men?
GINGRICH: It's one of a number of questions you have to ask about his judgment. He has legitimately run and he's run a great campaign. He is a terrific performer. He has run a campaign as a unifier who brings us together and who is somehow above normal politics. What we saw in Pennsylvania was that when he got into normal politics he had real problems. He could not close the campaign. He could not win a knockout punch against Senator Clinton. The result is tonight Senator Clinton is once again a viable candidate. And she has a real opportunity, I think, to put together a majority.
SEAN HANNITY, CO-HOST: Mr. Speaker, Sean here. I think this was a humiliating defeat for Barack Obama yesterday. You know, I am listening to my friend and colleague Alan here, I don't get this. And maybe you can explain it to me. Here is an unrepentant terrorist. He bombed the Pentagon, the Capitol, New York City Police.
COLMES: And Obama was 8.
HANNITY: People were injured, and they have a friendly relationship. They give speeches. They sat on boards together. I wouldn't shake William Ayers' hand knowing that. I'm trying to understand why that isn't an issue for the left and they're even so outraged that George Stephanopoulos had the audacity to ask the question.
GINGRICH: Well, look, I think that on the left there is a belief that it's OK for Jimmy Carter to meet with Hamas because after all he means well and just because Hamas is a terrorist organization killing people doesn't mean that it's inappropriate. There is a belief on the left that the terrorists in the United States back in the `70s were really kind of well- meaning misguided people who just happened to occasionally have bank robberies and kill people.
There is a whole mythology on the left. That's why it was all right. You know, I was very struck by the difference between the Pope's visit and his saying both at the White House and his farewell "God bless, America" and the way that was received by the crowd in both places and what Reverend Wright said.
I think on the left what Reverend Wright said was this, you know, more of the same. I think people would not be shocked by it on the left.
HANNITY: I did something on my radio show, Mr. Speaker. And it got a lot of reaction. A lot of people angry. I played the Pope saying "God bless, America." Then I would play Reverend Wright, "No, no, no. God -- America." And a lot of people were mad that I put those two things together. I think it illustrated the point here.
But let me ask you this, starting out last night, Barack Obama had 139 delegate lead. Maybe when all the delegates are tallied maybe he -- she picks up 16. I actually believe it was the bitter comments in San Francisco that played a significant role here. And, by the way, I'm guilty. I'm one of these guys that clings to my faith and God and religion and I think I'm like a lot of Americans.
But it seemed like the insulting way that he suggested this, I think it played a big -- had a big impact. Don't you?
GINGRICH: I think it stopped the momentum of his campaign. He was beginning to gain ground on her. He was beginning to get away from his earlier problems. And then he sort of -- he went to San Francisco, probably the worst possible city to make this kind of left-wing, elitist comment. And I think what jarred people was the idea not that -- there are people who are economically bitter. There are people who are frustrated.
But he turned it into the notion that you believe in God out of bitterness.
HANNITY: Yes.
GINGRICH: And I think most people found that to be very offensive.
HANNITY: All right. You sent me an incredible e-mail today. When we come back, I want to share it with our audience.
COLMES: Why didn't I get the e-mail?
HANNITY: Well, you.
COLMES: What, am I chopped liver here?
HANNITY: It's a vast right-wing conspiracy. We'll share it with Alan when we get back.
COLMES: How about a blind copy?
HANNITY: And all of you. We'll have more of Speaker Gingrich coming up, as we look at the Obama attack ad that threatens to blow this race potentially wide open. Plus the Illinois senator may have more trouble than just losing Pennsylvania. His pastor problems are back to haunt him. We'll explain.
And then new audiotapes tonight of admitted terrorist Bill Ayers, the unrepentant friend of Barack Obama.
COLMES: Friendly.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Tamika McFadden-Harris, murdered leaving church choir practice. Mike Boyd, killed at 15, beaten with bricks. Severo Enriquez, just 14 years. They all died in 2001 in Chicago. The "Sun- Times" called it urban terrorism.
That same year a Chicago state senator named Barack Obama voted against expanding the death penalty for gang-related murders.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANNITY: That was a pretty harsh attack ad going after Barack Obama and his record on crime. There are more like it to come. And we'll actually be able to show you another one coming up in just a few minutes.
We continue now with former speaker of the House Newt Gingrich. There are ads now showing up in other campaigns, Mr. Speaker, that literally tie Barack Obama to Reverend Wright being used by candidates down ballot. Do you think that's a good strategy?
GINGRICH: Well, I think it's a legitimate strategy and I think the ad that you just saw was a legitimate ad. If you're talking about something which is public record, you are not attacking him personally in terms of his character, you are saying these things are facts. I don't see why that's not a legitimate strategy.
And one of the key questions in this campaign is going to be how radically left is Barack Obama and how many of the things that other people near him said does he agree with, remembering that when he was on the foundation board with William Ayers, they gave money to Reverend Wright's church in addition to the money that Obama himself has given to that church. So it's not.
HANNITY: Yes.
GINGRICH: These are not passing small things. They're.
HANNITY: Yes.
GINGRICH: They are a real relationship.
HANNITY: I think he hasn't answered any of these questions about Wright, Ayers, Louis Farrakhan. He's upset that they're even being asked in a small way but I don't think he's answered them.
All right. I want to go to the private e-mail that you did not share with Alan Colmes...
COLMES: Yes, thanks.
HANNITY: .that has him deeply offended, Mr. Speaker. But I thought you did a terrific analysis. One of the things you're pointing out here is that, it may surprise some people, there are actually 50 states in the union and you take on the issue that Michigan and Florida should not be counted. And if counted, in terms of the popular vote, Hillary Clinton has a case to be made both in the delegate count and she would be up in the popular vote by 122,000. Explain as best you can.
GINGRICH: Well, I think the answer is very simple. Florida had the largest turnout for the Democratic primary in its history as a state. And she carried Florida by some 300,000 votes. A large enough margin that if Florida is counted, she catches up with Senator Obama in votes. So, just counting Florida would put her ahead by about -- 20,000 votes.
If you count in Michigan, where Obama was not on the ballot but where uncommitted was, and pretty clearly the areas that would have voted for Obama.
HANNITY: By the way, he chose not to be -- he pulled himself off the ballot.
GINGRICH: That's right.
HANNITY: But just a point.
GINGRICH: And I think he -- look, he can make a fair case that they ought to have a new primary in Michigan. He has a weaker case that they ought to have a new primary in Florida. But I think that you're going to hear Senator Clinton in about three weeks say, you know, the Republicans stole Florida from us in 2000. And now Senator Obama wants to steal Florida in 2008. And she's going to say how can -- she's going to say take up the position, how can you say to several million Floridians you don't count?
And I think it's a very hard case to make the argument in a race that is this close that Florida does not count as a state.
COLMES: Hey, Mr. Speaker, going back to the whole issue of Bill Ayers and the pastor and people he may or may not have known or live in the same neighborhood as. And Bill Ayers never endorsed.
HANNITY: His friend.
COLMES: ..Obama for this campaign. There is no evidence that they share any of the same views. Do we ask John McCain, who has been both repudiated and then said he accepted and has gone back and forth about the endorsement of John Hagee, who is going to be in New Orleans tomorrow, by the way, McCain will be, and John Hagee just told Dennis Prager on his radio show that New Orleans was cursed because they were about to hold a gay pride parade.
He has already bad-mouthed the Catholic Church. He has called it the great whore, anti-Christ and things like that. Should we make sure that John McCain repudiates that to a greater extent? Is it fair to make that analogy if we're going to after Obama for the things you're mentioning?
GINGRICH: OK. I think -- well, let me point out, when this came up, questions were raised for Senator McCain. He was very clear. He repudiates any anti-Catholicism. He repudiates any kind of vicious comments. And McCain was quite clear about it. There's a dramatic difference between Senator McCain who did not spent 20 years in somebody's church, but who was quite clear the minute it was brought to his attention, and Senator Obama who did spend 20 years in the church and has not been clear. So I think, Alan, you are grabbing at straws here.
COLMES: Well, it's unclear because he said to George Stephanopoulos on Sunday -- first he said it was a mistake to accept John Hagee's endorsement and in the very next sentence said he was happy to have Hagee's endorsement. So is he happy or not happy to have it? And should McCain be a little -- bring a little more clarity to that situation?
GINGRICH: I think McCain should be clear that he disagrees with statements of anti-Catholicism. But I think he should adopt the Ronald Reagan position. Reagan always said people get to endorse me. I'm not endorsing them. And I don't think we need to allow the media to have us run around.
COLMES: He sought the endorsement and says he wants it.
GINGRICH: Wait a second. Wait a second. You are drawing a huge distinction here, Alan. In the case of Bill Ayers, the terrorist, Senator Obama served on boards with him. They made decisions about giving away money
HANNITY: Speeches.
COLMES: So what? So they're on a board together.
GINGRICH: They made speeches together.
COLMES: So what? So they gave speeches the same place, so what?
GINGRICH: You know, you're not suggesting anywhere that John McCain is in any way been anti-Catholic and I think that would be...
(CROSSTALK)
COLMES: Let him repudiate the endorsement and say he doesn't want the endorsement.
HANNITY: Let Obama do that with Ayers.
COLMES: Ayers never endorsed.
HANNITY: He says they are friendly.
COLMES: Ayers never endorsed him. Did Ayers endorse him?
HANNITY: He donated money to Obama's campaign.
COLMES: Did Ayers endorse him?
HANNITY: Yes.
COLMES: Did Ayers endorse him?
HANNITY: Yes, they're friendly.
COLMES: No, Ayers did not endorse his candidacy.
HANNITY: You don't hang out with a guy that bombed the Pentagon.
COLMES: Did Ayers endorse his candidacy?
HANNITY: You don't hang out with a guy that's unrepentant about bombing the Pentagon.
COLMES: We can go all -- they don't hang out. Did Ayers.
HANNITY: Mr. Speaker, help me out here.
COLMES: Did Ayers endorse him, yes or no?
HANNITY: They're friendly. They shouldn't be friends with a terrorist.
COLMES: There was no endorsement. With Hagee and McCain there was.
Mr. Speaker, thanks for watching us fight here.
GINGRICH: By the way, I don't believe -- I do not believe Obama, in fact, has repudiated Ayers.
HANNITY: No, he says they're friendly.
COLMES: Ayers never endorsed him.
We thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.
GINGRICH: Talk to you later, guys. |
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