This is a rush transcript from "Hannity," August 26, 2010. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.
SEAN HANNITY, HOST: Jerry Springer has had a long and controversial career in television. He currently hosts the game show "Baggage" now in its second season on the Game Show Network.
Now Springer forces contestants to reveal personal details about themselves to a potential date.
Look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "BAGGAGE" ON THE GAME SHOW NETWORK)
JERRY SPRINGER, HOST: Now I want the first answer that pops into your mind. These are rapid fire questions. OK?
AMBER: Yes.
SPRINGER: When it comes to lovers, how old is too old?
AMBER: I don't think love has a number, Jerry.
SPRINGER: Super sexy or super smart?
AMBER: Super smart.
SPRINGER: What's the freakiest thing you've done outdoors?
AMBER: My parents are watching this.
(LAUGHTER)
SPRINGER: You did something with your parents?
(LAUGHTER)
SPRINGER: What do men like about you?
AMBER: My intelligence, of course.
SPRINGER: Thank you, Amber.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
HANNITY: OK. And I sat down with Springer for an interview earlier. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HANNITY: Something happened to you when you were young, I don't know, if your parents dropped you on your head. Because in spite of -- in spite of Obama's failure in every category you still support the guy. You can't look --
SPRINGER: Yes.
HANNITY: You can't look in that camera and tell America that you think he's done a good job as president.
SPRINGER: America, I think Barack Obama has done a good job as president. In fact I'd say even better than good.
Do I agree with every single thing he's done? No. Is America perfect yet? Of course not.
HANNITY: No.
SPRINGER: But he came in --
HANNITY: Jerry. Jerry.
SPRINGER: -- tremendous problems and I think -- you've asked me, I'm telling you. I think he's been -- and you know what? I didn't support him in the primaries. I was for Hillary Clinton.
HANNITY: Yes, I got to be honest --
SPRINGER: And -- but I must admit. I must admit he's turned out to be an excellent president.
HANNITY: And where do you point to his success? Because he did say if we spend all that stimulus money -- first he said if we didn't pass it we face catastrophe. And guess what, he --
SPRINGER: Well that's true.
HANNITY: He said unemployment wouldn't go above eight percent. We're coming off the worst --
SPRINGER: Well, he was wrong on that.
HANNITY: The worst months that we've ever had. He's had two years. If you blame George W. Bush I am going to come through this screen and I am going to strangle you. Meta -- of course --
SPRINGER: Well, then you can be on my show. See that? Right away you're back on my show.
HANNITY: But in all seriousness --
(CROSSTALK)
HANNITY: Wait a minute.
SPRINGER: He didn't make popular moves, he made courageous moves.
HANNITY: Yes.
SPRINGER: And the fact of the matter is, people can go to the banks today and have some sense that their money is still there.
HANNITY: Jerry -- what --
SPRINGER: Yes. He's done a lot of good things.
HANNITY: Listen. With all due respect --
(CROSSTALK)
SPRINGER: Plus a lot of people have health insurance now that didn't have health insurance before.
HANNITY: Jerry, no.
SPRINGER: God bless them.
HANNITY: Jerry, four years from now you pay taxes for four years and then maybe it goes into effect. And you're going to --
SPRINGER: Yes.
HANNITY: You're going to end up with the same system they got in Europe where health care is going to be rationed, where government bureaucrats are going to decide --
SPRINGER: Let me tell you something about --
(CROSSTALK)
SPRINGER: I have heard this, Sean.
HANNITY: You need to learn.
SPRINGER: Sean, I have heard this.
HANNITY: It's all true.
SPRINGER: But let me tell you something. The life expectancy of people in Europe -- and I'm talking about Germany, England, France, I'll talk about Canada. The life expectancy there is over 80 years old.
HANNITY: The study that you are citing is --
SPRINGER: The life expectancy of America -- you're not letting me finish -- and the life expectancy of Americans is about 76. So we keep saying they have such horrible health care around the world --
HANNITY: They don't have freedom.
SPRINGER: -- the western world in Europe, the fact of the matter is, those people are living longer and you know what?
HANNITY: All right, let me --
SPRINGER: If you go there, they're not complaining.
HANNITY: Jerry. Jerry? Why -- why then does the Canadian prime minister when he needs health care or -- why does he fly to Miami? Why is it that so many people that have money --
SPRINGER: We --
HANNITY: Let me -- now let me finish.
SPRINGER: OK.
HANNITY: So many people in Europe, when they need health care, they come to the United States.
SPRINGER: Because if you want the single, the very best care in the world, and if you can afford it, certainly it's in America.
HANNITY: Good point.
SPRINGER: The best doctors, the best scientists, the best research, everything. No question. But that's not the issue. There are millions and millions and millions of American that can't afford that particular care. And that's the difference in the system.
HANNITY: No, let me tell you the difference.
SPRINGER: Obviously, if you're rich, this is the best place in the world to be.
HANNITY: You need to --
SPRINGER: If you're not rich, it's tough.
HANNITY: You need to read some of the papers in Great Britain. You need to learn about the national health services. You need to learn about Great Britain's -- hang on. Government rationing body.
Women with advanced breast cancer, Jerry, in Great Britain denied lifesaving drugs. And here you come on this program, Barack Obama has accumulated $3 trillion in debt and you still want to blame Bush.
At what point do you say --
SPRINGER: I didn't -- I never mentioned his name! You did!
HANNITY: But you insinuate -- he inherited the worst --
SPRINGER: I'm not even talking about Bush!
HANNITY: He inherited the worst, worst, worst.
(CROSSTALK)
SPRINGER: Well --
HANNITY: No. Actually --
SPRINGER: Well, it is true.
HANNITY: George Bush also did inherit a recession.
SPRINGER: No serious person --
(CROSSTALK)
HANNITY: Ronald Reagan inherited a far worse economy.
SPRINGER: Let's not even be partisan. We won't even talk about Bush. I am saying right now, right now things are tough, but we're on the right track. The financial system has been saved.
HANNITY: No, it has not.
SPRINGER: And even Republicans suggest -- oh no.
HANNITY: You are living in a -- you are living in a Jerry Springer fantasy world.
SPRINGER: You keep saying that -- well, it is a nice place to be.
HANNITY: Right. Whatever. But here's the -- here's the reality.
SPRINGER: I welcome you to my world.
HANNITY: $3 trillion in --
SPRINGER: OK.
HANNITY: Hang on. Let me give you the reality. $3 trillion in debt, we're sitting on a housing bubble, foreclosure is at an all-time high. We've got unemployment, real unemployment in this country hovering near 18 percent with underemployed -- those that have given up looking for work.
SPRINGER: Yes. You're right.
HANNITY: This president has had two years -- two years to fix it. He promised unemployment wouldn't go above eight percent. He spent all of our children and grandchildren's money, and it's --
SPRINGER: No serious person --
(CROSSTALK)
HANNITY: And we now are risking a double-dip recession.
SPRINGER: OK. No serious -- I understand what you're saying, Sean. But I am telling you, no serious person believes that one president can step in and within two years --
HANNITY: Oh, it's not his fault.
SPRINGER: -- save the country from what was happening --
HANNITY: Not his fault.
SPRINGER: -- when the bubble burst when it all happened. So he comes in and yes --
HANNITY: It got worse.
SPRINGER: Has it been solved in two years? Of course not. In some areas it's going to get worse before it gets better. You have to make the investment. But I'm telling you, to live in a country where everyone one day will be able to have health insurance, God bless it.
HANNITY: Yes, OK.
SPRINGER: To live in a country where all of a sudden our financial institutions --
HANNITY: Health insurance, housing --
SPRINGER: -- are at least secure --
HANNITY: Day care.
SPRINGER: Thank God for that.
HANNITY: Well, to each according --
SPRINGER: Yes. Yes.
HANNITY: To each according to his needs -- according to his ability -- we'll live in your --
(CROSSTALK)
SPRINGER: This is a much better way. And all you guys know how to do is say no, no, no. Every time you want to solve something no, we're not doing that.
HANNITY: No. Wrong.
I have a final thought. Jerry Springer has lost his mind, ladies and gentlemen. That's our final thought. Thanks for being with us as I bring you peace --
SPRINGER: But we still could be friends.
HANNITY: I kind of like you, but you're nuts. All right. Peace.
SPRINGER: You got to have one friend who is nuts.
HANNITY: Thank you, Jerry.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
Content and Programming Copyright 2010 Fox News Network, Inc. Copyright 2010 Roll Call, Inc. All materials herein are protected by United States copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of Roll Call. You may not alter or remove any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content.
Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox