This is sickening, as well. Via Atrios, we learn that Sean Hannity was coaching the ‘witnesses’ who claimed Terri Schiavo was still mentally aware:
If the conservative guests on Fox News’ “Hannity and Colmes” sound especially on-message, that’s because they’re being coached by the best:
Sean Hannity himself.
On the March 31 installment of the shouting-head show, the guests included two of the late Terri Schiavo’s former nurses, Trudy Capone and Carla Sauer Iyer, arguing that their patient wasn’t brain-dead.
Between commercials, according to an off-air audiotape obtained by investigative comedian Harry Shearer for last Sunday’s episode of his weekly radio program, “Le Show,” Hannity coached the women on exactly how to respond when liberal co-host Alan Colmes cross-examined them.
“Just say, ‘I’m here to tell what I saw,'” Hannity can be heard instructing his guests. “No matter what the question, ‘I’m here to tell you what I saw. I’m here to tell you what I saw.'”
Hannity adds helpfully: “Say, ‘I’m not going to be distracted by silliness.’ How’s that? Does that help you? Look into that camera. Look at me when I’m talking.”
On the air, Iyer performs beautifully. “I don’t have any opinions or judgments. I was there,” she declares
After the segment ends, Hannity gushes off the air to the nurses: “We got the points out. It’s hard, this isn’t easy. But you did great, both of you. Thank you, guys. Those nurses are powerful, aren’t they?”
One reason I sided with the medical community, the courts, and TErri and Micahel Schiavo, and not Sean Hannity, Randall Terry, and Tom Delay.
Brandon
Just another reason to despise Sean Insanity.
Is there anyone in the world of talk radio that has let fame and fortune go to his head more than him?
Rick
John,
Yeah, you really took Teri’s side. You have Michael’s word on it, and goodness knows that unimpeachable.
So much for your “clear-eyed” quality one of your new admirers claims to have detected in you.
Sad, sad, sad.
Cordially…
CadillaqJaq
For anyone that’s still biased either way in the Schiavo issue, take a week and read all the following link:
http://abstractappeal.com/
Gary Farber
“… investigative comedian….”
A good gig, if you can get it.
W.B. Reeves
Nothing surprising about this. Sean has always operated this way. Back in his salad days on Atlanta radio, I was on his show to refute some bogus talking points that he’d regurgitated from our local theocrats. He didn’t have the instestinal fortitude to stand by his erronious comments on his own, so he brought his “source”, a local “Christian” Reconstructionist propagandist named Gary Demar on board. Two against one is Sean’s idea of fair odds. Just as his idea of truth is whatever suits his prejudice or convenience, like some others I could mention.
not.rick
Rick- maybe John read the Guardian Ad Litem’s report, or the medical evidence from neurologists who actually had contact with Schiavo, in comparison to their doctors who gave ancedotal, not scientific evidence (and one of whom was not even a neurologist.)
Maybe John acknowledged that Terri’s parents admitted her cerebrum was liquified until they were coached into thinking or saying otherwise by the jerks who have made a personal tragedy into a political case of grandstanding.
Maybe he noted Schiavo’s parents said they would keep her in a persistent vegetative state even if she had severe diabetes and had to have her arms and legs removed, even if they knew she had expressed wishes to the contrary.
The lies that have been put forward by the media about this case are disgusting. The invasion of privacy by the state is sickening…one more step on the road to a police state that the right wing seems so in favor of these days.
When it’s a democratically-controlled police state, just remember that you helped to bring it about.
Mona
I second the recommendation for the Abstract Appeal blog. There you may learn why Carla Iyer is a fantasist, and why her testimony was rejected by Flordia Judge George Greer, so please go here
Be sure to follow the link to Greer’s order, in which he describes Iyer’s claims as literally incredible, and states that if she is to be believed, a criminal conspiracy existed among most medical staff at Schiavo’s nursing home, the police, and Terri’s parents themselves.
The woman is a self-dramatizing publicity hound, and a liar.
That Hannity did not take the time to familiarize himself with the lunatic nature of Iyer’s claims is very disappointing.
John Cole
Actually, not.rick, I read all of them. Rick knows that.
the friendly grizzly
“Is there anyone in the world of talk radio that has let fame and fortune go to his head more than him?”
Uhhh… Bill O’Reilly?
shark
I used to listen to Hannity (comes on after Limbaugh) but I couldn’t take it during the Schiavo case. When he started smooching Jesse Jackson, that was the final straw.
Rick
The lies that have been put forward by the media about this case are disgusting. The invasion of privacy by the state is sickening…
Not mini-me,
I agree, including lies from the pull-the-tubers, and the push-polling. Seems the state got involved in the mid-90s, when Mr. Schiavo suddenly recalled his wife’s wishes, and he found himself a compliant judge.
If we get a police state, it’s the quality of judges that’ll be the big worry. If you help bring it about, will you feel better about it because, Hey! Judges! Always right!
Cordially…
W.B. Reeves
Don’t you love it when people make sweeping accusations without presenting a shred of evidence to back them up?
It’s especially tasty when they follow up by inventing caricature statements while pretending that they are the actual opinions of their opponents. You could call it distortion. Another word for it is lying.
Rick
Ah, the struggle with words and their meaning continues for Dubya-Bee.
Good Sunday to you.
Cordially…
W.B. Reeves
As the struggle with reality continues for others…
Joe
Wow, WB was on the radio??
Color me overly fucking impressed.
W.B. Reeves
You’re easily impressed.