This is a partial transcript from “Hannity & Colmes,” July 20, 2004, that has been edited for clarity.
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SEAN HANNITY, CO-HOST: Just 105 days to go until George W. Bush is elected for a second term as president.
But some in Hollywood are trying their hardest to go beat up on the commander in chief.
During a recent performance, veteran entertainer Linda Ronstadt got booed and then booted from the Aladdin Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas for comments she made regarding filmmaker Michael Moore.
Joining us from Los Angeles, radio talk show host Leslie Marshall.
Leslie, she can say whatever she wants. And the people at the casino that pay her to do this gig can also say, when she alienates the fans at the casino, to get lost. You shouldn’t have a problem with that, do you?
LESIE MARSHALL, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: Actually, I have a problem with two things, Sean. Hi, first of all.
Linda Ronstadt was hired to perform. However, every single concert prior to Vegas before singing “Desperado,” she dedicated the song to Michael Moore.
At the Aladdin Casino, nearly 50 percent of the audience clapped when she did it; 50 percent booed. Less than 25 percent walked out.
These are the people I have the problem with. One: The president for not allowing her to return to her room. And two: The people that walked out vandalizing the property, her posters, throwing alcohol. That’s not proper behavior.
HANNITY: But here’s the bottom line. She chooses to make a political statement…
MARSHALL: Yes.
HANNITY: … citing a ridiculous controversial figure. She makes that, and then there’s risk. And she got booed. And people stood up and walked out. And the owner said, “That’s not why I bring entertainment here. get out of here.” So she has the right to take that risk, and they have a right to say get lost. I don’t see why any…
MARSHALL: Well, they have the right. They have the right. I just don’t think it was proper behavior. If I hired you to do a job, and I’m putting you up in my hotel, I’ll let you sleep there, then I’ll kick you out and I won’t ask you back.
HANNITY: But beyond the point that Michael Moore, frankly, is not very bright.
MARSHALL: He’s not very bright?
HANNITY: No, I don’t think he’s…
MARSHALL: Because you don’t agree with his opinions?
HANNITY: I just don’t think he’s particularly bright. He comes up with the most bizarre conspiracy theories without any proof or evidence or substantiation.
MARSHALL: So you think that all of “Fahrenheit 9/11” was false?
HANNITY: I think it is full of lies, distortions misinformation, propaganda. And I think he has found the hate-Bush mentality in this country that he’s tapped into, and the gullible among you on the left buy into it. But that’s neither here nor there.
When Linda Ronstadt says, “It’s a real conflict for me to go to the concert and find out somebody in the audience is a Republican or fundamental Christian, it can cloud my enjoyment. I’d rather not know.”
HANNITY: So she’s a pretty bigoted person, a pretty hateful person, so no wonder she worships at the altar of Michael Moore, right?
MARSHALL: Well, I don’t think she worships at the altar of Michael Moore.
HANNITY: You don’t think he likes her?
MARSHALL: And you know what? I don’t agree with what she has said about her audience members. I don’t feel that way about people who have a different political view than me. This is not a life or death situation. I don’t hate George Bush. I just don’t choose to vote for him in the election come November.
ALAN COLMES, CO-HOST: Leslie, it’s Alan. Good to have you back on the show.
MARSHALL: Hi.
COLMES: I just wonder, if you’re at a Charlie Daniels concert or you’re at a concert of somebody with a different political point of view and they say, “Let’s support the president,” can you imagine throwing somebody out for taking a political stance that supports the war in Iraq, supports the president, supports a conservative point of view in front of an audience. I just don’t imagine that ever happening in this country.
MARSHALL: Actually, I was saying that earlier. If we had it in reverse, if Linda Ronstadt had said, you know, “I just want to say what a great job President George W. Bush is doing and I hope all of you vote for him when you go to the polls,” even though some people would have walked out, I do believe the liberals wouldn’t have vandalized the property, by the way. I don’t think the president would have kicked her out. I don’t think I would be sitting here talking to you on national television. There’s definitely a hypocrisy here.
COLMES: Look, she has a right to say what he wants to say. He has the right to toss her out. I think he could have let her spend the night.
MARSHALL: I agree.
COLMES: Get some rest, sleep in the bed in the hotel.
MARSHALL: Right.
COLMES: He didn’t let her back in her room.
MARSHALL: Yes.
COLMES: And I’m amazed at that. I mean, was her behavior that egregious? And as you pointed out, this is something she has done at other concerts, where she would sings “Desperado,” dedicated it to Michael Moore at the end of her show.
And they know what you’re getting when they buy Linda. Just like you know what you’re getting when you buy Whoopi Goldberg, you know what you’re getting when you buy Linda Ronstadt, right?
MARSHALL: Absolutely. And on top of it, we have to look at what this is all about. At the Aladdin Hotel, hello, it’s built on what, loss. So we could say in a joking matter all of the people that left her concert angry and went and bought drinks and gambled and made more money for the Aladdin. But we can also say that Linda Ronstadt packed the house and brought in money and the president should have let her at least sleep for free for nothing else than she helped to increase his bottom line. And that’s what it is all about in the concert business and in almost any business.
COLMES: I also would hope all the law and order people who support the president and don’t like Linda Ronstadt’s point of view will come after and speak ill of those who defaced her posters. One person threw a cocktail at her poster, supposedly.
MARSHALL: Yes.
COLMES: Not the way you would want anybody representing — I wouldn’t want people representing my point of view to behave in that manner.
MARSHALL: Well, you know, Alan, you and I have actually talked off air about this. I say, how many conservatives get hate mail and death threats from liberals for simply disagreeing with a political opinion?
HANNITY: I could fax them over in the morning, if you’d like to see my e-mails.
MARSHALL: It blows my mind how violent Republicans are being.
HANNITY: You’d like to see my e-mail from a lot of the liberals.
MARSHALL: OK, Sean, I would.
HANNITY: Alan, nobody would ever leave a Charlie Daniels concert. Ever, Alan.
COLMES: I love Charlie, both personally and I love what he does on stage. But he can say whatever he wants and nobody objects.
MARSHALL: I agree. I agree.
HANNITY: That’s exactly right.
COLMES: It’s a double standard in this country.
HANNITY: He’s talented; she’s not.
COLMES: That’s untrue.
HANNITY: Thank you for being with us, Leslie.
MARSHALL: Oh, Sean, thank you.
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