Hannity’s Reagan Myth blown to pieces at Calling All Wingnuts

Hannity’s Reagan Myth blown to pieces

Published by Mike Stark June 20th, 2006 in Sean Hannity

As has been noted (and Hannity admits it in this call), Mr. Perfect Hair has been moving away from George W. Bush - almost to the point of disowning him - and towards grandpa Reagan…

I blew that talking point up today. I didn’t get much of a chance - well, I didn’t get any chance to follow up, but I hammered as hard as I could for the thirty or so seconds that I had.

[UPDATE] There is a TON of stuff to debunk in Sean’s response, but I can’t do it right now. Gotta get the kid in for a check-up… But y’all can go wild with it in the comments and I’ll call Sean back later this week with what we find.

13 Responses to “Hannity’s Reagan Myth blown to pieces”

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1 Erl Jun 20th, 2006 at 6:07 pm

Sheesh, how can you debate a guy who thinks the Iran-Contra affair didn’t occur? From the horse’s mouth — Ronald Reagan, March 4, 1987:

“A few months ago I told the American people I did not trade arms for hostages. My heart and my best intentions still tell me that’s true, but the facts and the evidence tell me it is not.”
2 Ezsuds81 Jun 20th, 2006 at 10:00 pm

Since the Republicans always rag on Clinton for his poor response to terrorism, maybe they should compare it to Reagan’s.

REAGAN’S LOUSY RECORD ON TERRORISM

It’s often forgotten, but Reagan’s eight years in office witnessed a marked increase in acts of international terrorism. In fact, terrorists killed far more Americans during the 1980s than during the 1990s. In 1983, Hezbollah suicide bombers attacked the U.S. Embassy in Beirut, killing 63. Later that year, in October, a 12,000-pound bomb destroyed the Marine barracks in Beirut, killing 241 Americans–the most deadly terrorist strike against the United States until September 11.

https://ssl.tnr.com/p/docsub.mhtml?i=20040621&s=lizza062104

If Memory serves me correctly, after the Beirut bombing Reagan “cut and ran”.

“In a move that took Washington lawmakers by surprise, President Reagan Feb. 7 said he had sent orders to the U.S. Marine contingent in Beirut to begin withdrawing to U.S. ships offshore.”…

“Reagan had repeatedly described the U.S. presence in Lebanon as vital to the survival of a stable government, and his administration had vigorously resisted congressional efforts to compel a withdrawal of the Marines.

On Feb. 3, Reagan had told the Wall Street Journal, in an exclusive interview, “As long as there is a chance for peace, the mission remains the same. If we get out, that means the end of Lebanon.” In a barb directed at House Speaker Thomas P. “Tip” O’Neill Jr. (D, Mass), Reagan had said, “He may be ready to surrender, but I’m not.”

The next day, in his weekly radio address, Reagan had said the dangers of the U.S. mission in Lebanon were “no reason to cut and run.” “If we do,” Reagan had added, “we’ll be sending one signal to terrorists everywhere: They can gain by waging war against innocent people.

In the statement issued by the White House the evening of Feb. 7, however, Reagan announced that he had ordered the approximately 1,400 Marines in Beirut to begin “shortly” a phased withdrawal to U.S. ships offshore.”

http://eightiesclub.tripod.com/id413.htm
3 Ezsuds81 Jun 20th, 2006 at 10:16 pm

Here is another article on terrorism:

“Terrorist attacks on Americans 1979-1988

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/target/etc/cron.html

April 18, 1983 Bombing of U.S. Embassy in Beirut

A suicide bomber in a pickup truck loaded with explosives rammed into the U.S. Embassy in Beirut, Lebanon. Sixty-three people were killed, including 17 Americans, eight of whom were employees of the Central Intelligence Agency, including chief Middle East analyst Robert C. Ames and station chief Kenneth Haas.

“The U.S. government took no military action in response to the embassy bombing”…

Oct. 23, 1983 Bombing of Marine barracks in Beirut

A suicide bomber detonated a truck full of explosives at a U.S. Marine barracks located at Beirut International Airport; 241 U.S. Marines were killed and more than 100 others wounded.

…Four months after the Marine barracks bombing, U.S. Marines were ordered to start pulling out of Lebanon.

Dec. 12, 1983 Bombing of the U.S. Embassy in Kuwait

The American embassy in Kuwait was bombed in a series of attacks whose targets also included the French embassy, the control tower at the airport, the country’s main oil refinery, and a residential area for employees of the American corporation Raytheon. Six people were killed, including a suicide truck bomber, and more than 80 others were injured.

The U.S. military took no action in retaliation. In Kuwait, 17 people were arrested and convicted for participating in the attacks.

March 16, 1984 CIA Station Chief William Buckley kidnapped

U.S. officials believed that the Iranian-backed Hezbollah was behind most of the kidnappings and the Reagan administration devised a covert plan. Iran was desperately running out of military supplies in its war with Iraq, but Congress had banned the sale of American arms to countries like Iran that sponsored terrorism. Reagan was advised that a bargain could be struck — secret arms sales to Iran, hostages back to the U.S. The plan, when it was revealed to the public, was decried as a failure and anathema to the U.S. policy of refusing to negotiate with terrorists.

In August 1985, the first consignment of arms to Iran was sent — 100 anti-tank missiles provided by Israel; another 408 were sent the following month. As a result of the deal, American hostage Benjamin Weir was released from captivity; he had been imprisoned for 495 days. Only two other hostages were released as a result of the arms-for-hostages deal”…

Since the funds from the arms sales to Iran were secretly, and illegally, funneled to the U.S.-backed Contras fighting to overthrow the Sandinista regime in Nicaragua, the infamous episode became known as the “Iran-Contra affair.”

Sept. 20, 1984 Bombing of U.S. Embassy annex northeast of Beirut

In Aukar, northeast of Beirut, a truck bomb exploded outside the U.S. Embassy annex killing 24 people, two of whom were U.S. military personnel. According to the U.S. State Department’s 1999 report on terrorist organizations, elements of Hezbollah are “known or suspected to have been involved” in the bombing.

The U.S. mounted no military response to the embassy annex bombing, but it did begin to explore covert operations in Lebanon. Investigative journalist Bob Woodward says that the CIA trained foreign intelligence agents to act as “hit teams” designed to destroy the terrorists’ operations. Ambassador Robert Oakley says the U.S. merely attempted to set up a “protective unit,” a Lebanese counterterrorist strike force.

President Reagan and the CIA called off covert operations when Lebanese intelligence operatives — some allegedly trained by the U.S. — set off a car bomb on March 8, 1985, in an attempted murder of Sheik Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah, the Shiite Muslim cleric who some believed to be the spiritual leader of Hezbollah. Over 80 people were killed in the attack near a Beirut mosque. Fadlallah survived.

Other terrorist acts are listed in the article, again the link to it is:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/target/etc/cron.html
4 DW Simon Jun 22nd, 2006 at 6:12 pm

Why is Hannity (and others of his ilk) appearing to disown President Bush? This was all explained in an excellent article in The New Republic last week, entitled “Binge and Purge” by Jonathan Chait. You can find this two-page article online (for the time being at least) here:

http://www.tnr.com/doc.mhtml?i=20060619&s=chait061906

I HIGHLY recommend this essay.
5 Ezsuds81 Jun 23rd, 2006 at 1:06 am

Sean said Reagan cut the top marginal rate from 90% to 28%.

Lie.

It was from 70% to 28%.
6 erik Jun 23rd, 2006 at 7:39 am

Have him respond to this Mike:

Research shows tax cuts produce more government spending. Why won’t right-wingers respond?

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-chait11jun11,0,2704568.column
7 Al Jun 23rd, 2006 at 10:56 am

Mkie, you made Meida Matters with that call and they put out the facts that Sean seems to ingnore
8 Ezsuds81 Jun 23rd, 2006 at 11:29 am

Here is the media matters link, and their analysis of Sean’s lies.:
http://mediamatters.org/items/200606230002
9 Ezsuds81 Jun 23rd, 2006 at 11:56 am

Regarding the total Federal revenue brought in:

First , lets look at federal revenues in constant dollar terms.

from : http://www.gpoaccess.gov/usbudget/fy06/pdf/hist.pdf#page=29

Lets start with 1981, rather than 1980, because Reagan didn’t take office until Jan20, 1981.

YEAR ———REVENUE(in billions of dollars)
1981———-1077.4
1982———-1036.9
1983———–961.7
1984———-1016.8
1985———-1082.6
1986———-1107.3
1987———-1196.1
1988———-1235.6

so in real dollar terms, the TOTAL revenue to the treasury went from
1077.4 Billion to 1235.6 Billion over Reagan’s term.( an increase in revenue of 14.68%)

Not the “doubling of revenue” that some (including Hannity) would like us to believe. Also notice that total revenues in real dollar terms dropped from
1981 thru 1984. Did the decrease in tax rates cause this to happen? We know that later in his term Reagan increased taxes, perhaps that is what caused revenues to grow during the last half of his term.

Lets compare those numbers to what happened under Clinton Who we all know RAISED the top tax rates(again using constant dollar terms)

YEAR ———REVENUE(in billions of dollars)
1993———-1323.1
1994———-1413.9
1995———-1482.3
1996———-1557.7
1997———-1661.0
1998———-1793.0
1999———-1874.7
2000———-2025.2

So in real dollar terms, the TOTAL revenue to the treasury went from 1323.1 Billion to 2025.2 Billion over Clinton’s term. (an increase in revenue of 53.06%)

Lets see, 53.06% versus 14.68% , apparently raising tax rates does a better job of increasing revenue into the treasury.
10 Ezsuds81 Jun 23rd, 2006 at 12:52 pm

Regarding Social security/ Medicare taxes , from:
http://www.ssa.gov/OACT/ProgData/taxRates.html

Rates for employers and employees (added)

1979-80 12.26%
1981 13.30%
1982-83 13.40%
1984 14.00%
1985 14.10%
1986-87 14.30%
1988-89 15.02%

Rates for self employed people

1979-80 8.10%
1981 9.30%
1982-83 9.35%
1984 14.00%
1985 14.10%
1986-87 14.30%
1988-89 15.02%

If you look at federal revenues/composition of receipts by source, you will find the following data:
http://www.gpoaccess.gov/usbudget/fy06/pdf/hist.pdf#page=35

YEAR INDIVIDUAL CORPORATE SOCIAL INSURANCE/
TAXES TAXES RETIREMEMT RCPTS

1981 47.7% 10.2% 30.5%
1982 48.2% 8.0% 32.6%
1983 48.1% 6.2% 34.8%
1984 44.8% 8.5% 35.9%
1985 45.6% 8.4% 36.1%
1986 45.4% 8.2% 36.9%
1987 45.9% 9.8% 35.5%
1988 44.1% 10.4% 36.8%

So by 1988, the percentage of federal revenues from Individual and Corporate taxes decreased by 3.4%
while the percentage of federal revenues from social insurance and retirement receipts increased by 6.3%
11 Ezsuds81 Jun 23rd, 2006 at 1:05 pm

Hopefully this post will format better.

Regarding Social security/ Medicare taxes , from:
http://www.ssa.gov/OACT/ProgData/taxRates.html

Rates for employers and employees (added)

1979/80— 12.26%
1981——– 13.30%
1982/83— 13.40%
1984——– 14.00%
1985——– 14.10%
1986/87— 14.30%
1988/89— 15.02%

Rates for self employed people

1979/80—–8.10%
1981———-9.30%
1982/83—- 9.35%
1984——– 14.00%
1985——– 14.10%
1986/87—-14.30%
1988/89— 15.02%

If you look at federal revenues/composition of receipts by source, you will find the following data:
http://www.gpoaccess.gov/usbudget/fy06/pdf/hist.pdf#page=35

YEAR INDIVIDUAL CORPORATE SOCIAL INSURANCE/
———–TAXES————TAXES———RETIREMEMT RCPTS

1981—47.7%———-10.2%———–30.5%
1982—48.2%———–8.0%———–32.6%
1983—48.1%———–6.2%———–34.8%
1984—44.8%———–8.5%———–35.9%
1985—45.6%———–8.4%———–36.1%
1986—45.4%———–8.2%———–36.9%
1987—45.9%———–9.8%———–35.5%
1988—44.1%———-10.4%———–36.8%

So by 1988, the percentage of federal revenues from Individual and Corporate taxes decreased by 3.4%
while the percentage of federal revenues from social insurance and retirement receipts increased by 6.3%
12 Ezsuds81 Jun 24th, 2006 at 2:10 am

What Mike says about the growth of revenue due to Social insurance/ retirement receipts outpacing the growth in revenue due to Income and Corporate taxes, during the Reagan administration is exactly right !!!

http://www.gpoaccess.gov/usbudget/fy06/pdf/hist.pdf#page=33

Individual and Corporate income taxes.

1981——-$347054 Million
1988——-$495689 Million

Increase of 42.8%

Social insurance / retirement receipts.

1981——-$182720 Million
1988——-$334335 Million

Increase of 83.0%

Percentage wise, nearly twice as much growth in revenue where the tax rates increased compared to where the tax rates were reduced.
13 Jack Anusoff Jun 29th, 2006 at 5:39 pm

DW Simon,

They are disowning Bush because Bush has steady 30% approval and he is a liability during the midterms. The Republican Party doesn’t want to be known as the Bush Party, but that’s too bad. They own him. They can’t disown him now.

Also, I too have always been amazed by the Reagan mythology. Did you know he single handedly ended the cold war? But, then I come across a lot of Clinton mythology too. Did you know that during the Clinton admin it was a time of total peace and prosperity? I guess when you’re likable and have that TV something, people will want to make it seem like you were responsible for all the good in the world and you were fighting all of the bad. Eh…

Calling All Wingnuts