Comedian John Fugelsang blasted Fox News host Sean Hannity on Wednesday, accusing him of kissing up to "lawless" guests like Cliven Bundy, Oliver North or George Zimmerman in an effort to stay in the good graces of his conservative viewers.
"Here's the body count: Bill Ayers, zero deaths. George Zimmerman, one," Fugelsang told Hardball guest host Steve Kornacki. "Oliver North sold weapons to the same Iranians who killed our Marines in Beirut. Sean Hannity loves lawlessness when it suits his id."
This week, Fugelsang said, has brought about a role reversal, with Hannity taking the side of Bundy -- the Nevada rancher who refuses to recognize the federal government and pay grazing fees for his cattle -- and Daily Show host Jon Stewart siding with government officials.
On Monday, Stewart skewered what he described as Hannity's hypocritical support for "welfare rancher" Bundy, while Hannity responded the following night by saying Stewart was the real hypocrite for not questioning President Barack Obama regarding his relationship to former Weather Underground member Ayers.
"Sean Hannity's standing up for a lawless, socialist welfare queen," Fugelsang said. "Sean Hannity has one job: to keep people who were wrong about everything for the last 20 years thinking they've been right about everything. His show is like an IV drip for denial for the 'get off my lawn' demographic."
After Kornacki said that "everybody who's on cable news" lived in fear of being taken to task by Stewart and his writing team, his other guest, actress and commentator Nancy Giles said it didn't take much of an effort for The Daily Show to do that to Hannity.
"The comedy is built in every time Sean Hannity opens his mouth," Giles said. "What I find interesting is, Jon Stewart's a comedian. He doesn't pose [as] a journalist. All he has to do to show Hannity's ridiculousness is just get the clips where Sean Hannity will completely violate what he's fighting for with the Bundys."
Watch the discussion, as aired on MSNBC on Wednesday, below.
