This is a rush transcript from “Hannity,” May 4, 2009. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.
SEAN HANNITY, HOST: All right. The president says Americans understand how important it is to pay their taxes, and standing right next to him when he said it today was none other than Tim Geithner himself. And that is our headline this Monday, the “President’s Poker Face.”
Now that had to be what we saw today coming from an administration that has lost multiple nominations to tax scandals and has glossed over at least two others. But still, the president continues to bluff his way through his first 100 plus days convincing you, the American people, that he has a flush when in reality he’s holding a pair of deuces.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: Let’s begin with a simple premise. Nobody likes paying taxes, particularly in times of economic stress. But most Americans meet their responsibilities because they understand that it’s an obligation of citizenship necessary to pay the costs of our common defense and our mutual well-being.
And yet, even as most American citizens and businesses meet these responsibilities, there are others who are shirking theirs, and many are aided and abetted by a broken tax system written by well-connected lobbyists on behalf of well-heeled interests and individuals.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANNITY: All right. I’ll tell you what. I wouldn’t want to play five- card draw with that man, and like a card hustler who plays with a shotgun under the table there are allegations tonight that the administration has been bullying its way through the Chrysler bankruptcy negotiations, and Dick Morris — he’ll be here in just a few minutes and he will have that story.
Joining us first tonight with more is the co-host of “The View,” author of the brand-new book, by the way, “The G-Free Diet”, the one and only Elisabeth Hasselbeck is back.
• Video: Watch part 1 | Part 2
Great to see you.
ELISABETH HASSELBECK, “THE G-FREE DIET” AUTHOR: It’s good to be back.
HANNITY: Congratulations. You have a baby coming in August.
HASSELBECK: I do, in August.
HANNITY: Yes? And you don’t know if it’s a boy or girl?
HASSELBECK: No. No.
HANNITY: You’ve got to find out.
HASSELBECK: You found out?
HANNITY: All right. I wanted a boy in my first one so bad. And I saw the lady squirts the jelly on my wife’s stomach, and I said, “What is it?” You know? I had to know immediately.
HASSELBECK: You had to know immediately. No, I don’t want to know. I don’t even look at the ultrasound until they just take the picture of the face.
HANNITY: Yes. But do they say to you — did they ask you the question, “Do you want to know?”
HASSELBECK: No, I’d beat them to that.
HANNITY: Oh OK.
HASSELBECK: I pretty much.
HANNITY: Because that’s an indicator.
HASSELBECK: No. I don’t want to know a thing. They know it. I don’t.
HANNITY: Right.
HASSELBECK: I don’t want to hear a thing. I don’t want to see a thing until the baby is out.
HANNITY: Well, congratulations.
HASSELBECK: Thank you.
HANNITY: That’s great.
HASSELBECK: Thank you.
HANNITY: All right. Before we get to the business of some politics and about your book — all right, Joy Behar doesn’t like me. You’re constantly defending me with Joy. What’s up — I think she’s funny. I love the show. I don’t agree with her views, but she’s got a great sense of humor. She thinks I’m dangerous. What’s the matter?
HASSELBECK: I think she’s just flirting with you. I think there’s something there we’re not aware of.
(LAUGHTER)
HANNITY: I thought she had a boyfriend. By the way, Joy, come on. I’m a good guy. I’m safe.
HASSELBECK: I think Republicans do something for her.
HANNITY: Yes, I think you’re probably right.
HASSELBECK: No.
HANNITY: You know what I wanted to ask you?
HASSELBECK: Yes.
HANNITY: You got to meet and interview Michelle Obama and Barack Obama.
HASSELBECK: Yes.
HANNITY: You got to sit with them.
HASSELBECK: Sure.
HANNITY: Now, they wouldn’t sit with me. So I was just wondering.
HASSELBECK: Well, you’re dangerous.
(LAUGHTER)
HANNITY: OK. When you met them, what was your impression of them then maybe versus now?
HASSELBECK: Well, I think we’re — I think your impression is probably limited to that one time. Your first impression, obviously, was when he came, I remember Senator Obama came early on with his book the first time. He came again during the election, during the primaries.
And I thought he was a thoughtful person, incredibly charismatic. I mean, you know, we heard the quotes of him saying, “I have a gift.” He truly does. Now whether that gift is used to, you know, better the country or not, we will see.
And I thought that Michelle is also thoughtful. It’s hard to judge someone, I think, in the midst of an election when they’re doing interviews, short interviews. You know if you sit down with someone.
HANNITY: Right.
HASSELBECK: … for a lengthy period of time, you get more of a decent feel for them. You know we have a shorter period of time, so that impression is quick. I found her very candid on some things. You know, like, I said I wish I could have expanded the conversation with her a little bit more.
HANNITY: Right.
HASSELBECK: But that didn’t happen, so I’m trying to open up my mind in terms of future impression. The first impression was that these are two gifted people.
HANNITY: But so — because I know — because I watch the show regularly. I like the show. I’m usually working out as you guys are doing in the show, and I’m doing my prep, and I’m reading the paper and I’m watching you guys.
I love “Hot Topics.”
HASSELBECK: Thanks.
HANNITY: Except, except when you guys start talking about sex. That’s just — that totally makes me uncomfortable.
HASSELBECK: That throws you off?
HANNITY: That throws me off.
HASSELBECK: All of a sudden the treadmill is like.
HANNITY: The treadmill is going faster, you know? It was…
HASSELBECK: It happens. It happens.
HANNITY: It does happen. Because you have — you guys are really honest, I mean.
HASSELBECK: Yes.
HANNITY: And you’ve all reveal, you know, very deep aspects of your life, which I think is why the show is probably as successful as it is.
HASSELBECK: I think our comfort level with one another allows us to kind of touch the talk the outer circle and surface, but it’s — you know, look, hey, I am not comfortable with that topic so much either.
HANNITY: Right.
HASSELBECK: And I’m sort of forced into it on the table at times and then once in a while something just sort of pops out of my mouth and I wish I could have it back.
HANNITY: Right.
HASSELBECK: In that subject. But it just happens because we have that comfort level with one another.
HANNITY: You are the defining soul conservative voice on the show. I know because whenever you’re on the show, people always write me and they say tell Elisabeth to keep it up, keep standing up for the conservative point of view.
Do you feel like when you’re at the table and you’re doing your hot topics that you really want to defend that side because people are encouraging you?
HASSELBECK: I don’t go into it saying I need to defend this just in case. I think especially since the election I’ve been trying to — you know, just be a little more relaxed about things, so far, just pace myself. I don’t feel the responsibility to bear on my shoulders that I need to try to carry any conservative person who happens to be watching “The View.” I just speak what I’m personally feeling at that time.
Now we had James Carville on the show today.
HANNITY: Uh-oh.
HASSELBECK: You know, who was claiming that Republicans are doomed, they’re never going to — you know, they’re never going to resurface for the next 40 years. It’s only going to be Democrats.
HANNITY: He attacked me on Imus this morning.
HASSELBECK: Yes. I’m sure.
HANNITY: I’m used to it.
HASSELBECK: You know, I think, hey, you know, all of the sudden the Republicans are in trouble, then of course, I’m going to have something to say. So I don’t feel as though it’s my duty, and I don’t wear — you know, I don’t go in with the guard of the Republican Party.
HANNITY: Right.
HASSELBECK: But certainly if something comes up, I will more than likely defend it.
HANNITY: What do you think of the media coverage? For example, we hear about the dog. This weekend they went on date night and they were holding hands. He gets questions about what do you find enchanting about this job?
HASSELBECK: Sure. I love that question. I think Tim asked me that on our second date. It was a little personal. But I answered it. What enchants you the most? I thought, what the heck is going on? That this is a question our president is getting at this time, especially at the state of our country right now.
Yes, there’s been a lot of — sort of fluff I think going on.
HANNITY: A kind of fluff.
HASSELBECK: And still a double standard. I mean we even go back to — you harken back to the election where people were all over Republicans for what they wore and what it cost, OK, then you know, allegedly Michelle was wearing $400 sneakers while they.
(CROSSTALK)
HANNITY: No. $540 sneakers at a shelter.
HASSELBECK: Yes. So, look, but there was nothing written about it. I mean you’d hardly hear about this. I mean, other than a few select mentioning it, you wouldn’t hear about it. So there is still that double standard, and I think people are now saying oh, are people so — you know, are Republicans — are they suffering because they’re too conservative?
Why aren’t we asking well, are liberals — are Democrats too liberal? I mean you have what — now President Barack Obama was the most liberal senator, OK, in just three short years?
HANNITY: Yes.
HASSELBECK: He’s our president. Why aren’t people asking that question? No, you can’t be.
HANNITY: Well, I…
HASSELBECK: You can’t have a conservative perspective now.
HANNITY: Look, I don’t give him a good grade for his first 100 days because he’s radically changed the country. I mean I think he’s moving the economy to socialism and I think he’s weakening our national defenses.
I’ve heard you make similar point. Are you concerned about the direction of the country now?
HASSELBECK: Sure, I’m concerned about the direction of the country. I certainly do not believe in nationalized health care. I don’t think that’s the way to go. I believe that our national defense and security is something that needs to be top priority. I’m uncertain whether that is true with liberals, I’m concerned.
I’m also concerned that, you know, when he is visiting other countries, you know, you kind of really honed in on it when you called it the apology tour. What was that about? You go to other countries and apologize. I don’t need a mediary, I need somebody to represent our country well. So I’m trying to remain optimistic but there are things that are concerning me.
HANNITY: All right. We’re going to come back with more with Elisabeth Hasselbeck right after.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HANNITY: And we continue now with “The View” co-host and the author of the brand new book, “The G-Free Diet, A Gluten-Free Survival Diet,” Elisabeth Hasselbeck is with us.
By the way, I love the cover.
HASSELBECK: Thank you.
HANNITY: It’s awesome.
HASSELBECK: Thanks.
HANNITY: And look, I’ve known you — we’ve been friends now for a long time. This is really — this became a really big issue in your life.
HASSELBECK: Mm-hmm. Sure. It sure did.
HANNITY: You were in the hospital for a long time.
HASSELBECK: I was. Well, originally I was put in an infirmary for an intestinal infection and it took me — that was 1997, and it took me until 2005 to get it diagnosed as Celiac disease. It should not take that long in this country to get a clear diagnosis from the doctors.
But I had incredibly horrible symptoms for a long time, was in pain, and didn’t realize that I had Celiac disease, which is an autoimmune disease where your body cannot and completely rejects gluten which is a protein from barley, oats wheat and rye. And so once I realized that I had Celiac disease, I kind of called this my diet in the rough where, you know, out of, say, diabetes, came out low glycemic index diet.
HANNITY: Right. Right.
HASSELBECK: Out of Celiac, I found this G-free diet, and I wouldn’t eat another way. I have more energy than ever, and I’m.
HANNITY: And you feel better.
HASSELBECK: It’s been a ten-year pursuit of research and experimenting and ups and downs, and I kind of weave throughout the book great tips but also my story and how I came to learn all the different aspects.
HANNITY: It’s funny because I have friends that the same thing, so, for example, we go out to eat no bread, no pasta, and you tell a story where every holiday you would go, and you’re grandma, who you love dearly, would make you all this penne pasta.
HASSELBECK: Yes.
HANNITY: And now — and she didn’t understand. You’d say no, none for me and she — you were concerned you’re going to insult her.
HASSELBECK: Yes, sure. And I mean, look, if you come up growing in an Italian household and you can’t have your mama’s pasta, it’s a problem. And I dedicated the book to her. She passed away this past year. She’s probably smiling down right now because, you know, I’m able to replace that now.
This is the diet where you can have your cookie, you can have your pasta, you can eat your bread. It just delivers more nutrients to your body especially for women when you’re looking for things like folate.
You know if I didn’t find out about this diet, I don’t know if I’d be able to have the kids. I was having fertility issues for a long time. It literally changed my life, but out of it, I mean when you hear people who aren’t cealics eating this way and feeling great, you realize there’s something good in this.
HANNITY: Well, you were an athlete, too. A star softball player.
HASSELBECK: Oh yes, star bench warmer is what — is more like it, Sean.
HANNITY: Well, you married a quarterback. And — so one that — you’d just been to Central America, you came back.
HASSELBECK: Yes.
HANNITY: And you were in the infirmary. You were going to Boston College.
HASSELBECK: I was going to Boston College.
HANNITY: In the infirmary for a week. You know, Tim and your mom, you barely remember it, you write about in the book.
HASSELBECK: Sure.
HANNITY: And they’re hovering over you, and you didn’t even know what was wrong with you.
HASSELBECK: No. I mean it was a horrible infection, but I thought OK, I’ll get beyond this, and the problem was, after that, I never healed. My stomach never healed.
HANNITY: Yes.
HASSELBECK: And you realized this is a genetic disease. It took me too long to get to it. You know the problem here in our country, too, is that you have 80 percent of medical research being backed by pharmaceuticals, so these pharmaceutical companies, with things like autoimmune diseases, if there’s not a pill to sell, why would they back research to then fund nothing? OK? They want to justify medicine.
HANNITY: Well, they have to because that’s the only way they can sustain themselves.
HASSELBECK: That’s the way they do.
HANNITY: Right.
HASSELBECK: And look, they need the free market society power to them, however, that spectrum should broaden a little bit so that at least things like this can be researched without having to be justified through medicine.
HANNITY: Yes, as I look back in this, I’ve gotten to know you, your career is fairly amazing. I mean when you think of — you go on the show “Survivor,” it ends up that you’re on “The View.” You’re out campaigning for a presidential candidate and a vice presidential candidate.
You’re on one of the top shows on television, and I think, frankly, one of the most entertaining. I credit Barbara Walters. She’s put together a great show.
HASSELBECK: She’s outstanding.
HANNITY: Yes. And…
HASSELBECK: She’s outstanding.
HANNITY: And did you ever imagine that would happen?
HASSELBECK: Never. Never. You know I — I was a fine arts industrial design major at Boston College. I was designing shoes right out of college, this is not where I thought I would be, but you know, I’m kind of the type of person that if I feel I need to be somewhere I’m going to do whatever I can to be there. I try to do my best and.
HANNITY: You’re still a designer because you had the “Great Ameri(Mc)Cain” shirt.
HASSELBECK: Yes. Yes. I still wear that.
HANNITY: That’s the cause of big controversy on “The View.”
HASSELBECK: I still wear it.
(LAUGHTER)
HANNITY: I’m going to give $5,000 to Joy Behar’s favorite charity if she wears it. Just one day. One show.
(LAUGHTER)
HANNITY: I’m trying to reach out to Joy.
HASSELBECK: I have a feeling she’s going to meet your challenge.
(CROSSTALK)
HANNITY: Well, I don’t understand why Joy’s calling me dangerous. Attacking me all the time. I’ve always liked Joy. She’s funny.
HASSELBECK: Because you can’t be conservative right now, Sean. Don’t you know the rules?
HANNITY: I’m not so.
HASSELBECK: You cannot be conservative right now.
HANNITY: But to call me dangerous because I don’t like Barack Obama’s policies? I have nothing against the Obamas personally.
HASSELBECK: You know, she finally got to me. I registered as a Democrat yesterday.
(LAUGHTER)
HANNITY: So you just gave in?
HASSELBECK: Because why not?
HANNITY: Well, listen, there is a bright side. Rosie left but I’m not going down that road. Ouch.
(LAUGHTER)
OK. Congratulations on the book.
(LAUGHTER)
HASSELBECK: Thanks, Sean.
HANNITY: It’s a great book, by the way. And it’s going to help a lot of people with a lot of diets. A good friend of the program. It’s always great to have you.
Elisabeth Hasselbeck, thank you.
HASSELBECK: Thanks, Sean.
HANNITY: Appreciate it.
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