(VIDEO) Keith Ellison Battles Fox's Sean Hannity over Sequestration
Ellison to Hannity: 'I'm laughing at you—and it's not the first time.'
Sequestration was the issue as U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison (DFL-MN) made a feisty appearance on Fox News' Hannity program Tuesday, calling host Sean Hannity's introduction on the topic "yellow journalism."
See the full 9-minute intro and their exchange in the YouTube above.
As co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, Ellison has spoken out against the sequester budget cuts coming Friday:
- Ellison Leads Opposition to Entitlement Cuts in Sequester Deal
- SEQUESTER? Deadline Looms, Cuts Could Hit MN Education Programs
For Ellison, the Hannity tussle was perhaps his most combative on-air appearance since a late-campaign radio debate with Republican challenger Chris Fields at KFAI-FM in Minneapolis:
- The Claws Come Out: Ellison, Fields Get Nasty During Thursday Debate
- What Happened in KFAI Studio During Keith Ellison-Chris Fields Debate Fracas
- REPLAY: Rep. Keith Ellison's Name-Calling Gets Vulgar in Angry Debate
- AUDIO: Hear the Low Points of Thursday's Fractious Ellison-Fields Debate
- Ellison: 'I Acted Beneath My Personal Standard'
Annie S.
12:15 pm on Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Anyone who has listened to Hannity's radio show or seen his TV show knows he likes to sensationalize but then again, that's what is consumers want him to do. I'm curious what Congressman Ellison was hoping to achieve by not maintaining his composure on Fox News - a network with a decidedly conservative viewership - but after all that I sure hope he feels it was a success.
Lynn Bottge
9:03 am on Thursday, February 28, 2013
Rep. Ellison did not lose his composure. He was calm and kept talking. You were listening to the childish Hannity who was losing his composure and proving what a poor host he is and that he really isn't a journalist but belongs in the category of Morton Downey, Jr from the 1980s.
Kevin Parks
1:23 pm on Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Well, at least Mr. Ellison stopped before calling Mr. Hannity a "Low life scumbag" as he did in the campaigns against his opponent. As a statesman and a representitive of of our fine state of Minnesota, as will as a representitive of myself as a Minnesota, am just a little ashamed. On a world stage, knowing full well what kind of program it was, My representitive fell to the bait, and forgot what it was to be a Minnesotan and a Statesman. Every debate is lost when you resort to name calling, and you lose by not debating the facts.
Lynn Bottge
9:24 am on Thursday, February 28, 2013
You were listening to Hannity rather than to Rep. Ellison. Hannity lost his composure... what little he has. He was trying to set up Rep. Ellison but couldn't. One knew that H. didn't want to hear anything R. E. had to say. Hannity is no journalist. He's a contemptible little man with no principles. When I do watch Hannity & O'Really for a few minutes, I laugh at their silliness, too.
Joe Blow
7:01 pm on Wednesday, February 27, 2013
one person is obvious a liar, people should look up the definition of retheric and undersand what FOX News is really about. Wake up and read a real news paper and try to understand whats going on really. Just try one "real" artical in a "real" newspaper
joe bloc
7:02 pm on Wednesday, February 27, 2013
one person is obvious a liar, people should look up the definition of retheric and undersand what FOX News is really about. Wake up and read a real news paper and try to understand whats going on really. Just try one "real" artical in a "real" newspaper
Mike B.
7:07 am on Thursday, February 28, 2013
Rep. Ellison embarrassed himself and the city of Minneapolis in his meltdown on Hannity's program. Ellison's election reflects badly on the voters of Minneapolis.
Lynn Bottge
9:07 am on Thursday, February 28, 2013
Please note my response to Annie S. above. Rep. did not have a meltdown. Hannity had a meltdown. He's no journalist but wants to be considered one. He is a sad, pathetic little man.
patricia rodriguez
2:29 pm on Thursday, February 28, 2013
Ellison did not embarass himself at all. He's one of the few who have stood up to Hannity and made him look like fool is. You go Keith!
Dean Ritzman
8:14 am on Thursday, February 28, 2013
Ellison acts like the classless A _ _ (ct) that he is.This no composure wing nut represents Minnesota ... Embarassing.
Mike B.
9:18 am on Thursday, February 28, 2013
One would think that Keith Ellison's fellow Muslims would come out and say they are embarrassed at his antics, and that Ellison's actions and opinions reflect badly on their religion. Ellison is the gold standard of why the American public is fed up with Congress.
It's time that the normal areas of Minnesota, whose residents are hard-working and conservative, secede from the state. Let Minneapolis and St. Paul wallow and wither away. These two cities, and their representatives, Ellison of Minneapolis and Betty McCollum of St. Paul, are rightly held up to national ridicule.
Heather Beal
10:06 am on Thursday, February 28, 2013
I think Representative Ellison called the set-up like he saw it and I appreciate that. The clip that Fox News/Hannity played to introduce the interview was clearly slanted and sensationalized so calling it yellow journalism seems accurate to me. Unfortunately, Fox News doesn't have a corner on dramatizing news or on personifying problems. All the spectacle (regardless of whether it is Fox, MSNBC, CNN etc) takes attention from the real issue: that Congress hasn't passed a budget and this unending series of "crises" HAS had detrimental effects on our country's credit rating and on consumer confidence, etc. etc. While I agree that name-calling doesn't accomplish anything, Representative Ellison expresses his clear opinions about what should be done to address the budgetary issues and refers Sean Hannity to the White House to resolve concerns Fox has with how the President is handling things.
James Ishmael
12:03 pm on Thursday, February 28, 2013
Minnesota should be embarrassed by the actions of their classless hate monger Keith Ellison. All Muslims are not like this one. Most are kind and courteous.
Spotman
1:29 pm on Thursday, February 28, 2013
Ellison just goes along with his party line, which is spend, spend, spend. We should welcome these sequester cuts, which aren't actually cuts, but reductions in future spending. i agree that the scariest part of this political scenario, is the voters that put Obamma and Ellison in office. People have become so selfish and now vote for their special interests(gays, illegal immigrants, entitlements, etc.) instead of what is best for the whole country.
David F
1:48 pm on Thursday, February 28, 2013
Bottom line, FOX wins. This interview is getting a lot of attention and that is what the advertisers like to see. For the record Ellison also represents part of Edina not just Minneapolis.
Bill James
6:28 pm on Thursday, February 28, 2013
As they say voting has consequences. I doubt anyone who voted for Keith will really go back after the election, slap their forehead and say, "Gee I could of had a V8" no they simply won't do that, they'll just believe that Keith's unprofessional meltdown was a response to him being asked simple questions by Sean who gave him numerous opportunities to answer questions intelligently which Keith completely failed to do. Keith is an angry man at his core and he has a clear agenda and when he does not see what he wants then he will bully you into believing in his position. He is an abject failure as a Congressman and he can sit in front of all the cameras he wants with sock monkey's and crocodile tears but at the end of the day he's not really taken seriously by anyone up on the Hill including his own party. The big players, Pelosi, Crowley, Hoyer, Becerra the real leaders of the Democratic Caucus in the House of Rep., they won't get near Keith. He's a little player among 435 players there and he continually finds new ways to make himself irrelevant. And with that he makes the MN 5th irrelevant. Go ahead, Google up what Keith has accomplished in his entire time up there and the list is pretty short, his record of passing meaningful legislation is simply abysmal.
Mike B.
7:43 pm on Thursday, February 28, 2013
You are correct... Ellison is among those rated "worst congressman" by non-partisan groups. He's right up there with such "distinguished" company as Shelia Jackson Lee of Texas, Maxine Waters of California and Alan Grayson of Florida.
In most congressional districts, the voters would remove such an embarrassment. But the city of Minneapolis is so overrun with liberals, socialists, communists, deadbeats, and criminals, that Ellison is treated as one of their own.
LCMichaels
12:05 pm on Saturday, March 2, 2013
We are in trouble people...there is 'no one' looking out for us in Washington. We stand idly by watching this three ring circus as the tent burns around us. My side, your side, I'm right, you're wrong, he said, she said. Our forefathers aren't just spinning in their graves...they are ashamed of all of us. Those that came before us did so much to shape this country as we to do so little to save it from falling apart.
Shawn Aune
11:29 pm on Saturday, March 2, 2013
I agree.
What I notice about exchanges like this is that they don't provide any useful information that would allow the viewer to understand the issue. They sure do generate a lot of distracting buzz though.
For example. The first round of cuts is in the amount of about $85,000,000,000.00. That is roughly how much the Federal Reserve prints every month. They print more every minute than I will ever make yearly.
The politicians are baffling the public with BS. Sequester is a fancy way to say spending cut. What they're really arguing about is who suggested calling the spending cuts a, "sequester," to begin with.
These clowns do not represent us. They represent themselves and they try keep us all from noticing it by distracting us with this drama.
Hard economic times are coming quickly. The politicians will have us all blaming the, "other guy," for the problems when in reality is has been the politicians causing the problems all along.
We need the politicians less now than we ever have.
About Ellison, he didn't shut down Hannity nearly as well as Alex Jones shut down Morgan.
Daniel Goodermont
4:50 pm on Sunday, March 10, 2013
I am impressed by Congressman Ellison and would like to thank him for standing up to Mr. Hannity. I didn't find Congressman Ellison to be anything more than factual in addressing Mr. Hannity's hyperbole.
Big_Phish
10:48 am on Monday, March 11, 2013
So you are impressed by Congressman Ellison! So, you are ok with people who committ to cut a little spending and that are held to task by a mandatory cut if Congress fails to act. But, when it comes time for it to happen he cries foul. Ok here's what you do, go to a convience store and get a lighter. Use your thumb to spin the wheel, don't be surprised, you will see sparks and then a flame if you hold the red button down. Be careful and not to burn yourself. If I am right, this will impress and entertain you for days. Congress, across the board is a joke, and we are in a lot of trouble. We need term limits.
James Warden
11:07 am on Monday, March 11, 2013
Y'all may want to check out the latest article on Ellison:
"Ellison: Republicans Are Committed to Undermining Medicare"
http://hopkins.patch.com/articles/ellison-republicans-are-committed-to-undermining-medicare