This is a rush transcript from “Hannity,” March 31, 2010. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.
SEAN HANNITY, HOST: Welcome back to this special edition of “Hannity.” And we are here live in Salt Lake City, Utah on our cross-country Conservative Victory Tour. Now back on the East Coast the anointed one made a big announcement earlier today.
Let’s take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: Given our energy needs in order to sustain economic growth and produce jobs, and keep our businesses competitive, we are going to need to harness traditional sources of fuel even as we ramp up production of new sources of renewable homegrown energy.
So today we are announcing the expansion of offshore oil and gas exploration.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANNITY: Now that is not what the president, the anointed one, sounded like on the campaign trail. Remember this?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA, JUNE 20, 2008: What wouldn’t do a thing to lower gas prices is John McCain’s new proposal — a proposal adopted by George Bush as well — to open up Florida’s coastline to offshore drilling.
OBAMA, SEPT. 26, 2008: We only have three percent of the word’s oil supplies. And we use 25 percent of the word’s oil. So we can’t simply drill our way out of the problem.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANNITY: All right, so what caused the president’s so-called change of heart? Joining me now with analysis, Utah Congressman Jason Chaffetz, and Rob Bishop — Congressman.
Guys, good to see you. Thank you for being here. Appreciate it.
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
(CROSSTALK)
HANNITY: You know, maybe this is the cynical side of me. And I’m always looking — I’m looking very closely to a president that doesn’t really have any problems — you know, kind of breaking his word.
By the way, all of this is on C-SPAN. You know, broken promise, no lobbyists, no earmarks. You know what? I won’t tax people above $250,000.
You know what? None of these things came true. If you pay very close attention he’s specifically saying expand exploration. How about just saying we will open drilling in ANWR, off the coast of Florida, in the gulf, off the coast of California. We’ll look for oil shale in Utah, Colorado and Wyoming.
He didn’t sound specific enough. But why do I think he’s trying to create a depression? Am I wrong or how do you see it?
REP. JASON CHAFFETZ, R-UTAH: Well, he actually ended up blocking up more land than he ended up opening up. And if you look at what he’s doing — if you look at California, for instance, you could create more jobs and get more oil immediately off the coast of California. You can’t do anything now off the coast of California.
So — and of the 14 billion barrels of oil that we know on the outer continental shelf he locked up 13.1 billion of it, so that’s not a good thing.
HANNITY: Yes, I didn’t hear ANWR today, either.
CHAFFETZ: No, no.
CHAFFETZ: There’s not even a tree to hug in ANWR, for goodness sakes. We should be up there —
(LAUGHTER)
CHAFFETZ: We should be up there drilling. Absolutely.
HANNITY: All right. Great line. That’s a good line.
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
REP. ROB BISHOP R-UTAH: The good news is that for a full year his administration has been opposed to any kind of energy production, whether it’s fossil fuel, alternative, any kind. Wind, solar. So at least he’s saying that. But the problem is what’s just sent.
We were ready to start drilling off the coast. His proposal is now to change the plan so we don’t even start talking about it until 2012. And with a much — this is an Obama moratorium. So we’re not — we’re not pushing for it.
And I would love him to open up the land areas, especially here in Utah, we have energy to help solve the problems of this nation.
HANNITY: All right. Let me — I agree with that. That’s all true.
(APPLAUSE)
HANNITY: Let me ask you two the same question that I asked Senator Hatch. All right, you’re in Washington. You know what? The American people, you look at the numbers, they have never been more distrustful of government.
We’ve never seen such activism as we are seeing with the Tea Party movement and town halls, and politicians being confronted.
Have you ever seen it this bad? And if so, tell me when. And if not, why do you think it’s too bad?
CHAFFETZ: Well, I just love that people are getting up out of their seats and actually doing something. That’s what this country was founded upon.
HANNITY: All these people here.
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
CHAFFETZ: We should applaud that. Instead they’re mocked, they’re called names. There’s all these accusations. That’s what this country is founded upon. We need to applaud that kind of action.
BISHOP: The level of anger and anticipation and anxiety has never been higher. I’ve heard that from people talking all last year.
I just hope that they remember that feeling from now through until November.
HANNITY: Yes.
BISHOP: And don’t forget that. That’s the key element.
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
HANNITY: I think that’s really a key point. What do you think it is, though? I mean we’ve chronicled the bribery, the corruption, the backroom deals, the shifting of rules, the constitution.
I mean we’ve gone over this in fine, fine detail. I think the American people get it. The latest Rasmussen Poll shows that the American people actually think the Tea Party movement knows more about the health care bill than members of Congress and probably more people have read it.
CHAFFETZ: Yes.
BISHOP: They do.
HANNITY: Which is pretty interesting.
(APPLAUSE)
So is it that the Democratic Party, they’ve lost all their moderate — any moderate wing that they might have had? What do you think?
CHAFFETZ: No, I think it’s the arrogance that they just drove forward, they just plowed through people, they weren’t listening to the American people, and they’re passing massive legislation with not even one Republican onboard.
HANNITY: Yes.
CHAFFETZ: It’s just an arrogance that’s just —
HANNITY: What is it like —
CHAFFETZ: It’s pervasive.
BISHOP: It’s not all rank-and-file Democrats. It’s the Democratic leadership in Congress.
HANNITY: Yes, but they’re following —
BISHOP: That’s what has to change.
HANNITY: Wait a minute. The Blue Dog — I call it the Blue Dog lap dog. All right?
BISHOP: You got it right.
HANNITY: The Blue Dog lap dog, whatever Nancy Pelosi says she wants they’re going to follow in suit. They ran as moderates. They’re not that moderate. Right?
BISHOP: But the he key is changing the leadership of Congress. That’s what has to happen.
HANNITY: Well, I think that’s a difficult task. How difficult a task is that?
I watch my kids’ tennis matches all the time. And I watch all their friends’ tennis matches. And I can’t tell you how many times, you know, kids are up 6-0, 5-1, second set, best out of three sets. And then the other guy comes back and wins.
I mean a lot of people are confident right now, can Republicans lose in November in spite of the fact you think they’ll be successful?
CHAFFETZ: Look, job number one, fire Nancy Pelosi. That ought to be job number one.
(CHEERS)
HANNITY: I’m with you.
CHAFFETZ: And —
HANNITY: Wait a minute. Job number two, fire Reid and job number three, make Obama a one-term president.
CHAFFETZ: There you go.
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
CHAFFETZ: But you got to do that district by district. And that’s where people need to get up out of their seats, stay involved and stay involved in the fight. Talk to their neighbors, talk to their friends, get on Facebook. I mean all these things go in our favor. Because if you just do it issue by issue, principle by principle —
HANNITY: Yes.
CHAFFETZ: We win. We win big.
HANNITY: Well, that’s the interesting part of this. There’s a poll that came out — I have it here in my stack of stuff, I’ll find it. There’s a poll that came out actually today and I think this is interesting.
And this is a Gallup Poll. It shows that the American people think by a 10-point margin that Obamacare — Obamacare will hurt the overall — I’m sorry will hurt the economy by 10 points. Hurt the overall quality of health care 55-29, and that it will increase the federal deficit 61-23.
We won the debate, but they got — they ended up cheating and getting the votes.
BISHOP: For now.
HANNITY: For now.
BISHOP: There is still — remember none of this goes into effect for another four, five years. The taxes start now, but the benefits don’t. And if we even get one House of Congress in control we can postpone this so that we can actually repeal and start over and replace it with something that actually gives Americans options and choices and solves the health care cost problems, not just the —
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
HANNITY: Congressmen — guys, good to see you. Thank you for being with us.
BISHOP: Thank you.
HANNITY: Appreciate it.
CHAFFETZ: Thanks. Congratulations on the book.
HANNITY: Thank you very much.
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