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FOX HANNITY & COLMES

Fox News Network

August 13, 2008

"Obama Nation"

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SEAN HANNITY, CO-HOST (voice over): Tonight on HANNITY & COLMES.

The liars are back. John Kerry attacks Jerome Corsi's best-selling book on Senator Obama, but why is he still talking about the swift boats?

And Democrats continue to block a vote on drilling. Could it lead to a government shutdown? Newt Gingrich will break it all down.

SEN. JOE LIEBERMAN (D), CONNECTICUT: As the Russians moved into Georgia, if you read the statements from the beginning from Senator McCain and Senator Obama, one had a kind of moral neutrality to it that comes, I think, from inexperience.

HANNITY: Both campaigns trade jabs over the Russian invasion of Georgia.

Plus want to see Barack Obama speak in Denver? Well, you better make sure your time card is punched.

And more speculation on Edwards' affair timeline. Was any part of his confession true?

Newt Gingrich, the government shutting down, and could Edwards pass a lie detector test? Hey, there's only one place to see it all, HANNITY & COLMES starts right here, right now.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HANNITY: And welcome to HANNITY & COLMES. We're glad you're with us. I'm Sean Hannity. We get right to our "Top Story" tonight.

Liberals are going crazy that Jerome Corsi's book, "The Obama News, Nation," is sitting at number one atop the "New York Times" best seller list. In fact, the "Times" feel so guilty about it that they ran a whole article today going after the book and Corsi in the news section of the paper.

Then something incredibly -- well, predictable happened. Liberals took their cues from "The New York Times." Senator John Kerry sent out an e- mail to supporters with the header, "The Liars are Back," and proceeded to attack Corsi for his book four years ago that he co-wrote with the founder of the Swift Boat Vets for Truth, and his new book about Barack Obama. But why is it after four years that John Kerry spends more time talking about the swift boats than anyone else? Well, could this be another hint that he is being considered as Obama's running mate?

Well, joining us now, former speaker of the House, FOX News contributor, author of the "New York Times" bestseller, "Days of Infamy," Newt Gingrich is with us.

How are you, sir?

NEWT GINGRICH, "DAYS OF INFAMY" AUTHOR: I'm having a ball. How are you?

HANNITY: I am -- you know what, I'm having a ball, too. So far I've gotten attacked by Ayers, Wright, Obama himself, and every other -- you know, person in the Obama team that matters, so I'm pretty -- we're doing OK here.

GINGRICH: But, I.

HANNITY: Go ahead.

GINGRICH: I just watched an opening where you suggested that the second most liberal member of the Senate who lost the presidency in 2004 might be considered by the most liberal member of the Senate?

HANNITY: That is correct.

GINGRICH: As his vice presidential running mate?

HANNITY: And there's something wrong with that?

GINGRICH: Oh, listen, in terms of pure narrow calculation for Republicans, we couldn't be that lucky. I can't imagine anything less helpful to Senator Obama than to have Senator Kerry out today attacking this new book making sure that all of us are aware of it and reminding all of us that the last time this guy wrote a book, it helped defeat Senator Kerry.

I just think this is one of those moments when Senator Kerry -- if he'd gone wind surfing, it would have been a more helpful thing for Senator Obama.

HANNITY: Well, look, I got to tell you, he is back, he's been reunited with that typical white person -- that's what he -- that's how he referred to his grandmother as he's traveling in Hawaii. I don't know if a lot of other people in the media will bring that up. But that's how he referred to his grandmother.

But -- all right, let me stay on the VP question for just a minute here. I am hearing some pretty credible rumors from people that know that Senator McCain has really narrowed down his selection process to about two or three people, and one of those people would be Joe Lieberman.

What would -- would that be a good choice in your view?

GINGRICH: Well, I like Senator Lieberman a great deal. I admire him a lot. I think he'd be a great secretary of state. I think he would be terrific as an attorney general, but I think the idea of him being the Republican vice presidential nominee would split the convention, would probably mean that Bob Barr would get about 15 percent of the vote.

HANNITY: Wow.

GINGRICH: Because I think -- I think that traditional values, right-to- life conservatives would walk. I mean I think they literally.

HANNITY: Yes.

GINGRICH: . would walk out of the convention in a way that would be unmanageable by the McCain people.

HANNITY: By the way, on a personal level, I got to tell you I agree with you. I like Senator Lieberman. He's been great on issues involving homeland security, standing up as an independent in his party, and I admire him a lot, but I'm not sure that that would be the best choice. I think it would alienate the conservatives, as you point out.

So then that raises a question who would be a good choice?

GINGRICH: Well, I think -- I think Senator McCain clearly has several choices that he could make. As you know, and we've discussed, Governor Romney might well bring him Michigan, and that could be a decisive factor, and would probably be very effective in Pennsylvania and Ohio in campaigning in those industrial states.

I think Governor Pawlenty is a real reformer who's had a good track record in Minnesota, and who's going to be host to the convention. I still like the idea of reaching out and a little bit of daring for Governor Jindal in Louisiana or Governor Palin in Alaska. But I think that Senator McCain has a number of choices that would be more than acceptable that would be effective and that could crest-cross the country, making the case for the solutions that McCain stands for on energy, on national security, on lower taxes.

ALAN COLMES, CO-HOST: Hey.

GINGRICH: .. in a way that I think would be effective.

COLMES: Mr. Speaker, how about you?

GINGRICH: Alan, it's great to have you back.

COLMES: Thanks for caring. I'm so glad to have your love.

What about you? You've been the -- you know the progenerator of this drill here, drill now stuff, which I'm sure we'll get into in just a moment. You've been fighting the fight on behalf of the things McCain has been arguing. Why not you for VP?

GINGRICH: You know Clint Eastwood in one of his movies had a great line. He said a man has to know his limitations. I think that I'm sufficiently aggressive and have enough different ideas and enough different solutions of my own that I think Senator McCain would want somebody who was probably a little bit less uncontrollable and off on his own.

COLMES: Really? Where do you -- where do you differ from him?

GINGRICH: Oh, give me a break, Alan. You know -- you just want to pick a fight here.

COLMES: Why not?

GINGRICH: Senator McCain knows I disagree strongly on McCain-Feingold, which I think so unconstitutional.

COLMES: So does he.

GINGRICH: OK. And he knows that I thought last year's effort on immigration was a mistake.

COLMES: So does he.

GINGRICH: He also knows -- he also knows that I think he would be a dramatically better president than Barack Obama, and I'm doing everything I can to be helpful to the McCain campaign.

COLMES: Yes.

GINGRICH: Because I think they're dramatically better for America.

COLMES: He disagrees with those positions now, too. But, you know, in terms of painting Obama as a liberal, according to ProgressivePunch, he's the 25th most liberal person lifetime. "National Journal" which you quote actually.

GINGRICH: But, Alan, I'm.

(CROSSTALK)

COLMES: But calling Obama all these names and going after him has helped him. He keeps coming up in the daily Gallup tracking poll. I think he's being helped by all this negativity you're throwing his way.

GINGRICH: You're suggesting Senator Obama is not liberal?

COLMES: I'm sorry, I.

HANNITY: He said you're suggesting that he's not liberal.

COLMES: Oh he's a liberal, but.

HANNITY: Thank you.

GINGRICH: OK.

COLMES: . you know calling him the most liberal -- and by the way there's nothing wrong with being a liberal. I'm proud to be liberal and he should be proud of it, too. But I'm just telling you, statistically, he's 25th lifetime, not first.

GINGRICH: Well, but that's in part because he hasn't been there very long. And you know, for a guy who's only in the Senate for a couple of years, his actual cumulative voting record is about one and a half years in four years because he's been out campaigning most.

COLMES: And I'm also saying calling him all these things doesn't hurt him, in fact, he keeps creeping up on the daily tracking polls, so I think all these attacks are helping him, not hurting. I think there's backlash.

GINGRICH: No, I'll tell you -- I'll tell you what actually helped him. He went off on vacation and got off television for a week, and he actually came back in the polls when he disappeared for a week.

COLMES: All right. I see. That's a lovely endorsement. We'll come right back. Yes, there are a few people I wish might go on vacation.

Coming up more with Newt Gingrich after the break, and still to come, it's a war of words over war, The McCain and Obama camps go back and forth over the Russia-Georgia conflict showcasing their foreign policy skills. But which one has the stronger approach?

And then, you want to see Obama deliver his convention speech in Invesco Field? Well, it might cost you, not money, but time. We'll explain why some Democrats are not always happy with the Obama camp. Coming up.

ANNOUNCER: "Top Story" is brought to you by.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COLMES: Early this week, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi suggested she would consider allowing a vote on offshore drilling if it was part of a larger energy package in an attempt to put it to rest talks of a government shutdown.

Will the Democrats and Republicans really be able to reach a compromise?

We now continue with former speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich.

By the way, before we talk about the Democratic side, there's something I'd like to discuss with you. You were blamed -- I know you blamed Bill Clinton, but you were blamed for the Republican shutdown back in early 1996. Were you not?

GINGRICH: We were, and the fact is we became the first reelected Republican House majority since 1928 because people realized we were serious, we were determined to balance the federal budget, we were determined to cut taxes, we were determined to reform welfare, and all the Washington news media think that hurt us.

The fact is, we are the first Republicans to be reelected since 1928. And I ask you if it hurt us that much, how come we're the only ones in a 68- year period to get reelected?

COLMES: I went back to see what was going on back then today, and to look at it, it said Republican leaders rejected White House requests to include Democratic counterparts in meetings, that Clinton asked for you to drop a proposal, a proposed increase in Medicare premiums from legislation that would keep the government running, and you refused to do that.

GINGRICH: And that's -- well, you selected out things you wanted to select out. I was in a numerable meetings with Senator Daschle and with majority -- with Minority Leader Gephardt during that period. We met with President Clinton and Vice President Gore over and over for five, six, eight hours a day.

But the key fact was, we were determined to balance the budget, to cut taxes, and reform welfare, and ultimately we won on every single one of those issues, and we were willing to endure a difficult time to get there.

Here's the challenge, and I'm very encouraged that, you know, Senator Obama is weakening on drilling and saying maybe he could be for it. Speaker Pelosi this week said maybe she could be for it. I've seen Democrats around the country coming out saying now they're for drilling. So maybe what we're doing at American Solutions with Drill Here, Drill Now, Pay Less, with that petition that has almost 1.5 million signatures. Maybe it's having an effect, Alan. And I think that's good for the country.

COLMES: Well, maybe having an effect on the political front. I'm not sure I agree with Obama switching his position or Nancy Pelosi switching when you have the Energy Information Administration, a statistical agency that provides the numbers to the Bush administration that literally says any impact on prices is and will be down the road and insignificant, and we're talking about 2030 before it takes full force.

GINGRICH: That is just nonsense. And I'm glad you believe in bureaucrats, Alan. I don't.

COLMES: Bush's administration.

GINGRICH: They're just wrong.

COLMES: Well.

GINGRICH: I'm happy to tell you they're wrong.

COLMES: Who would be.

GINGRICH: Oil prices -- oil prices have been coming down for three weeks just at the talk about drilling. I think the fact is the world markets are beginning to think the U.S. is going to start producing more energy, and the world market is prepared to accommodate more U.S. energy almost immediately.

HANNITY: I agree with your assessment, and it's dead on, and it's interesting that Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi are now moving in Newt Gingrich's direction, although I suspect that they're going to try and create the impression that they're for drilling, but they're going to be against it.

By the way, there is a problem regarding this issue, Mr. Speaker. There's a report out today that there is a shortage of limousines in Denver for the convention for the Learjet, limousine liberals. This is going to be a problem. What are they going to do?

GINGRICH: Well, I think in the great tradition of calling on the Saudis to help -- that they ought to see how many limousines they can have flown in from Saudi Arabia and the UAE and Dubai, and make sure that they bring back the limousines to Denver on behalf of the wealthy members of the Democratic Party and their interest groups so they can travel in style to their popular convention.

HANNITY: Yes, we'll have to import 70 percent just to have the moral equivalent here. We'll import 70 percent of the limousines in for the convention, and then maybe they'll understand why we need to become energy independent. We need to get American oil.

All right, I want to go back to an issue I just talking to you in the last segment. We were talking during the break here and that is, I keep hearing that on his short list there -- and I like Joe Lieberman a lot. I want to be very clear. I like him a lot.

But Senator Joe Lieberman being considered really considered for VP, and you said something during the break that -- you didn't say earlier that you think it may even have an impact on him getting the nomination.

GINGRICH: Well, remember, the delegates are pledged to Senator McCain for president. But they're not pledged to blindly and automatically vote for anybody that they send in to be the vice presidential nominee, and I remember in 1960 when Richard Nixon picked Henry Cabot Lodge Jr. that the rebellion led to the rise of Barry Goldwater, and there was a serious floor rebellion on that issue.

I suspect you would see somebody else's name whether -- put in nomination as an alternative, and I think there'll be a genuine floor fight if they try to nominate somebody who, on every major social value, and on about most economic values, is, in fact, a liberal Democrat.

And, again, I respect Senator Lieberman a lot, I like him a lot, but I can't imagine how he could be effective as the vice president in a Republican administration.

HANNITY: I think he'd be great for secretary of state, secretary of defense. I think he'd be terrific.

All right, one other issue, you said that Barack Obama-- and he really hasn't rebounded in the polls. The polls -- every one of them showed this is a very tight race, and Barack Obama, are mystified, he can't, you know, tap above 45 percent. And here he's going to -- you said you said he's benefited from being away from the spotlight.

Now he's going to go with this convention, 70,000, 80,000 people, you know, we children-of-the-world speech, I guess, is coming out. He's probably going to mention change 4,000 times in the speech.

Is that going to be helpful to hype it up that much?

GINGRICH: I don't know. This is one of the great rock star performers of our time, and I think the country will be watching. I think he'll have a very, very large audience, and the country has got to decide are you comfortable with this kind of charismatic leader? And he's got to be careful not to get carried away by his crowd.

HANNITY: All right. And thank you, Mr. Speaker, for being with us, and we'll see you, by the way, Sunday night on "HANNITY'S AMERICA."

And coming up, fighting between Georgia and Russia has sparked a foreign policy battle between Senator McCain and Senator Obama. Obama supporter Chuck -- Congressman John Sestak is going to join us. He'll be here to respond to the latest attack.

And the price of admission for Obama 's acceptance speech is just too much for some Democrats. We're going to tell you what is angering them and what the cost is, coming up.