Now that Sean Hannity is playing a more prominent role at Fox News, I thought I’d share a personal story about Sean and me. Back in 2000, when I was a Suffolk County legislator, I authored the first law in the nation that banned talking on a cell phone while driving (yes, that was me!). After my bill passed, it received quite a bit of national media attention. Sean Hannity asked me to appear on his Fox News show to discuss my bill, and I agreed. I had never actually watched his show, so I didn’t know what to expect. When I arrived at the Fox News studio, I was escorted into the Green Room, which is where guests wait until they’re brought out to the set. While I was waiting, I had the opportunity to watch Sean on a TV screen as he was interviewing another guest. He was quite rude, argumentative, and frankly, not very nice. When one of his staffers came into the room to check in on me, I asked her if Sean always treated his guests like this. She just smiled. A few minutes later, Newt Gingrich walked into the Green Room. As I recall, he was a Fox News contributor at the time. Newt started chatting with me and he asked why I was going on Sean’s show. I told him about my cell phone bill, and he congratulated me on its passage. Newt said it was a “great idea” and would “save a lot of lives.” When I finally got called onto the set for my interview with Sean, I planned to mention on air that Newt Gingrich told me he liked my bill. Unfortunately, every time I tried to make a point that Sean disagreed with, he’d cut me off, talk over me, or steer the conversation in a different direction. He made it clear that he thought my bill was a bad idea, and he never gave me the opportunity to make my case. It was the most frustrating five minutes of my life, lol. Of course, I never did get to say a word about Newt praising my bill. Anyway, my segment with Sean finally ended (thankfully!) and I remember thinking that I was an idiot for agreeing to go on his show. During the next commercial break, Sean came up to me, put his arm around my shoulder, and said “Jon, I actually think your bill is great. Don’t take it personally. It’s just my shtick.” True story, lol.
@joncoopertweets I wasn't aware that was yours. Very commendable, that had to be the best bill legislated in 2000. Politics has no right to take precedents above policy, not even in conversation. You Mr. Cooper are responsible for saving an uncalculable amount of lives. One helluva accolade there