Obama Administration Putting Politics Over Protecting America?

Christmas Day bombing suspect Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab (FNC)

This is a rush transcript from "Hannity," February 3, 2010. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

SEAN HANNITY, HOST: Terrorists are at war with America. But does the president really believe that we are fighting War on Terror? Well, some of his decisions in recent months indicate that, no he does not. Now, first came to the news from Attorney General Eric Holder back in November that Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and his 9/11 co-conspirators would be tried in civilian court right here in the U.S.

Then fast forward about a month to the aftermath of the Christmas Day bombing when the so-called underwear bomber was questioned by agents from a local FBI field office for only 50 minutes — 50 minutes, that's it.

And after that, well, as if you were a petty criminal, the bomber was read his Miranda rights and immediately he clammed up.

Now, recently, the administration has justifiably been criticized over its decision to try this terrorist in a criminal court which Eric Holder now says was his decision and one that was greeted with no objection from other departments in the government. Wouldn't you know it, just when Mr. Holder and the administration really started to feel the heat, the White House leaked to the entire world that all of a sudden the Christmas Day bomber is once again cooperating with the FBI.

Well, how convenient.

Now, Deputy White House Press Secretary Bill Burton was asked about this coincidence earlier today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BILL BURTON, DEPUTY WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: Ideally this information would not have necessarily come out. But in order for the American people to know that we are doing everything possible to keep them safe and in order for our continued success in this effort, we made a determination that it was a good idea to make sure that people knew that our sources and our methods here were working.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: All right. So, politics and public opinion trump national security for this administration.

Now, this concern appeared to have been voiced by Senator John McCain at the hearing on Capitol Hill yesterday. Now, he noted that the decisions relating to the War on Terror are being made by law enforcement officials, the Attorney General Eric Holder, not the department of defense. And here's what Senator McCain had to say to Secretary of Defense Robert Gates.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN, R-ARIZ.: I hope you will come to a conclusion, as to how enemy combatants should be treated, as far as their trials are concerned and our ability to ensure the American people, assure the American people that they will not be returning to the battlefield. And whether they should be tried and incarcerated in the United States rather than began than Guantanamo. We look forward to your review on that because I view that clearly in your area of responsibility. Not the attorney general who has obviously botched this one very, very badly.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: All right, so with all these critical mistakes being made by the Obama administration, listen to what the intelligence community has to say about when the next terror attack can happen here on American soil.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. DIANNE FEINSTEIN, D-CALIF.: What is the likelihood of another terrorist attempted attack on the U.S. homeland in the next three to six months? High or low? Director Blair?

DENNIS BLAIR, NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE DIRECTOR: An attempted attack the priority is certain, I would say.

FEINSTEIN: Mr. Panetta?

LEON PANETTA, CIA DIRECTOR: I would agree with that.

FEINSTEIN: Mr. Mueller?

ROBERT MUELLER, FBI DIRECTOR: Agree.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: By July?

All right. Here with reaction to all of this, our nationally syndicated radio talk show host, the host of the Jeri and Fred show, Jeri Thompson and Fred Thompson are back with us.

Why don't you put your wife's name in the name of the show, I don't get that?

FRED THOMPSON, "THE FRED THOMPSON SHOW" HOST: Well, she's wondering why she should step down, I mean, she's holding out for CEO now, thanks to you.

(LAUGHTER)

HANNITY: All right. Well, good to see you both. Thanks for being here.

JERI THOMPSON, "THE FRED THOMPSON SHOW" HOST: Good to see you too.

HANNITY: You know, first of all, what frightened me about, we only for 50 minutes interrogate the Christmas Day bomber. He says more are coming, I trained with them. And then we allow Miranda rights and allow him to clam up. I mean, what are we thinking here and.

JERI THOMPSON: Well, can we first talk about Bill Burton?

HANNITY: Yes.

JERI THOMPSON: Bill Burton said — talked about the American people that need to know sources and methods. Actually, we don't need to know sources and methods, he's supposed to be protecting sources and methods. We have lots of friends at the Department of Justice not one time did they ever give either a backgrounder or deep backgrounder a press conference on what it was they were doing. How they were doing it. Look at security operations here. I mean, do these people know what they are doing?

HANNITY: Fred?

FRED THOMPSON: You saw two things in that clip, I don't think that have happened before in this country not to my knowledge anyway. One of our top intelligence officials saying, an attack is certain in their opinion, next three to six months. And the other is what Jeri is talking about and that is an ongoing discussion of the progress making and talking to a national security-related suspect.

JERI THOMPSON: We know more about what is going on with Farouk than we did about health care. We almost had a C-SPAN, an open ended White House conversation last night with reporters which we don't have about what's going on with Ben Nelson in health care.

HANNITY: Let me and I say, God forbid because I lost kids that I graduated high school with on 9/11. We all knew Barbara Olsen. What if this Christmas Day bomber who said, others are coming, what if the others are the ones that come in that three months period? You would think just for political purposes if they didn't realize the dangers that they would understand that this is serious.

FRED THOMPSON: The FBI agents on the ground who made this decision apparently, initially, are reading the tea leaves. They know what is expected of them. They look at their boss ultimately in this case the attorney general of the United States, and the decisions he's made. First thing out, you know, he decided to reopen cases against our own CIA agents. Right now, we've got open cases against CIA agents being investigated.

HANNITY: And Navy SEALS.

FRED THOMPSON: And Navy SEALS, because of interrogation tactics. And then the decision with regard to the Christmas Day bomber of course and then trying Khalid Sheikh Mohammed in New York. All of those decisions and all of those statements that have been made indicate that we are more interested in what international opinion thinks than protecting this country. And these guys know what they are supposed to do. Treat it like an ordinary criminal case or we're going to have somebody to answer to in the Justice Department.

HANNITY: Should Eric — I want Eric Holder fired. Let me be more direct.

JERI THOMPSON: First of all, he's in the witness protection, where is he?

HANNITY: Good question.

(CROSSTALK)

JERI THOMPSON: Janet Napolitano is down, you know, checking out the security at the Super Bowl, I guess Eric Holder must be up in Vancouver. Where are these people?

HANNITY: Well, with the certainty, we're going to be — this is going to happen, I mean, let me look ahead to 2010. Because I think national security in the end is going — those decisions are even far more dangerous than the quadrupling of the debt and deficit. Do you realize that Blanche Lincoln is now down 23 points in Arkansas literally said to the president today that there's no one in your administration that knows how to make a payroll?

FRED THOMPSON: Yes.

HANNITY: Wow!

JERI THOMPSON: He's got 40 lobbyists though, three are Cabinet members.

(CROSSTALK)

JERI THOMPSON: One's a CIA director.

HANNITY: You know what? She should be — the Jeri and Fred show.

FRED THOMPSON: Well, we are getting people calling in suggesting the same thing, I left the show one day and our ratings went up, so, you know, I'm squelching her from now.

(LAUGHTER)

But, you know, Blanche Lincoln was literally correct. There is no one in their Cabinet literally who came from the private sector.

HANNITY: Right.

FRED THOMPSON: And she is right. And what Blanche is doing is reflecting the concern that Democrats running for office the next time have. So, she takes on the president before a national audience, that's how desperate some of these Democrats up for election are.

HANNITY: Yes, I think it is too little, too late. She really had the opportunity.

FRED THOMPSON: Yes, I think so.

HANNITY: But there wasn't one Democrat that was brave enough to stand up to the president.

JERI THOMPSON: Yes.

HANNITY: Question. What do you expect in 2010? What are some of the pitfalls and dangers for the Republicans? You know, never understatement a Republican's ability to blow it.

JERI THOMPSON: Look at Illinois. Look at Illinois. I think there are some, you know, interesting things there. Now, one thing that's not being reported, I think, should ought to be, is that, the Republican turn out with there with very heavy for Illinois. For Illinois, there was about seven, I guess, you know, seven million people came out. That is good for Illinois because there are not that many Republicans.

But we have to understand is that, there's an anti-incumbency. I mean, there's a lot of polls out right now, John McLaughlin has a great poll on his Web site, he's talking about the fact that most people who normally would have said I like my guy, I just don't like your guy, throw the other bums out, for the first time in his history, John was saying that they want to throw their own guy out, Republican or Democrat.

HANNITY: Isn't this mostly a backlash against, you know, corrupt, the buying of the votes in Louisiana, the buying of votes in Nebraska. You know.

JERI THOMPSON: It's a uncertainty. People have no control over their lives anymore. They don't understand.

(CROSSTALK)

HANNITY: I think it is a rejection of Obama more than anything else.

FRED THOMPSON: No question about there's uncertainty with regard to the substance of these issues like health care. People are against it, it is clear. I mean, they are trying to give the president a little signal on that election after election after election, poll after poll after poll after poll. And then the procedure that you were talking about and all the corruption involved are still there. And yet the Democrats in the administration are doubling down.

They are still talking about health care and rushing it through and trying to get it in, you know, by reconciliation process, which is a bastardization, really of the normal process, if they do that. Cram it down at all costs and, you know, I was telling Jeri you know, I've heard people digging their own grave, I never heard of anybody digging the grave, jumping in it and trying to throw the dirt on themselves.

(LAUGHTER)

HANNITY: All right. Now, you are catching up to her. You're working hard.

(CROSSTALK)

FRED THOMPSON: I'm trying. Right. I'm on probation.

HANNITY: Good to see you.

JERI THOMPSON: Good to see you too.

HANNITY: Nationally syndicated Jeri and Fred Show.

FRED THOMPSON: You got it.

HANNITY: Coast-to-coast.

FRED THOMPSON: Thank you.

HANNITY: You are going to — I am so dead after this interview.

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