Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN) exploded at Fox News host Sean Hannity Tuesday night in a discussion of President Barack Obama’s rhetoric regarding the impending sequester.
“You are the worst excuse for a journalist I’ve ever seen,” Ellison declared in his opening statement. “What you just displayed what not journalism; it was yellow journalism. It wasn’t anything close to try to tell the American people what’s really going on,” he continued.
The resulting exchange, in short, was full of crosstalk.
Hannity and Ellison locked horns over the Budget Control Act, for which both President Obama and Congressional Republicans are trying to blame each other, and the bill’s provision called the sequester which will make minor cuts to the federal budget. Along the way, Ellison accused Hannity of being a Republican shill, setting off not one but two clashes over the Fox host’s official party registration.
As the two tussled, Hannity let up briefly, saying, “I’ll give you time to rant.” When Ellison reached a lull and Hannity asked a followup question, the sitting Congressman protested, “wait a minute, you said I could rant.”
Ellison then said he would allow Hannity to “get a word in,” then changed his mind when Hannity mocked the idea. After much more crosstalk, the following exchanges occurred:
HANNITY: I gave you three minutes to rant. Calm down.
ELLISON: [Inaudible] you calm down.
…
HANNITY: Why are you so angry? You’re so angry.
ELLISON: Why are you so angry?
…
ELLISON: The Republicans are responsible for the Budget Control Act, which contains sequester.
HANNITY: I got it. I know, you’re a broken record. Now let me get you with my question.
ELLISON: You’re a broken record.
At the end of the segment, Hannity had to cut off the Minnesota Democrat to wrap up, saying, “Congressman, you are a total waste of time. I’m moving on, because our audience deserves better. Thank you for being with us; I tried to give you a fair shot.”
“No, you didn’t,” Ellison retorted.
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