The guys that are on the ground, the guys that are fighting, the guys that are risking their lives, overwhelmingly say--and, Brent [Bozell], you chronicle this as well or better than anybody--that the media is not telling the true story. Look, we've had elections, three of them. People risked their lives to vote.... We've had the toppling of a guy you describe as evil, now his execution, the death of his two sons, the end of rape rooms and torture chambers. And you still can't say a good thing has happened in Iraq. [emphasis added]
LEVINE: I happen to be an opponent of the death penalty. I'm certainly not shedding any tears, however, for his death.... The question, however, is whether or not he was put to death legally. There's actually some question about whether his execution violated Iraqi law.
HANNITY: Not really, only in the minds of extreme left-wingers. [Editor's note: False.] Brent Bozell, I mean, it's interesting to hear the way Mark sees this, but I see the death of Uday and Qusay, now Saddam, we see the invasion and the freeing of Baghdad, free elections, formation of a government, a trial, a conviction, and execution that seems to be another sign of a lot of progress there, no?
BOZELL: But look how that's turned around by the radical left, as you heard it right from your guest two minutes ago.
LEVINE: Well, I didn't know I was the radical left.
BOZELL: Well, let me explain how you are.
HANNITY: Well, you are, sir. Admit it.
BOZELL: You see the execution of one of the most evil men on the face of this Earth, turned in one sentence into a condemnation of U.S. foreign policy. You've heard it at the top of this show. I cannot believe this!
HANNITY: ...Let me just read you some headlines, as we watch this video again: "Selective justice in the execution of Saddam"; "Saddam was right, Bush was wrong"; "Nothing to celebrate in Saddam's heading." That was the "Atlantic Online."Let's see, "The hanging of Saddam, another disgusting spectacle in the disgusting story of the U.S. persecution in Iraq." The liberal bloggers, the "New York Times" claiming Americans are outraged over the death. It's stunning.
BOZELL: I will remind you, Sean... when Saddam's sons were killed, the exact same response was had from the American press, condemning the military. When Saddam was captured, the late Peter Jennings ran that dour piece on ABC News about how there was nothing to celebrate. Now, Saddam's been executed. The same any-saying comes from the American press. There's nothing that they won't say is good about what we're doing in the Middle East. Nothing!