The Sean Hannity "funny" photograph

[scottcsmith]

This photo was posted on Jan. 8 at Sean Hannity's web site:


Notice the U.S. Army captain flipping off a U.S. Senator?

Discipline must be lax in the Bush military. Had I done that when I served during the 1980s I most certainly would have been reprimanded if not punished. There are strict rules regarding the proper etiquette in dealing with a member of Congress.

In Hannity-land, this disrespect is considered funny.

Edit: It's hard to tell the man's rank. Looks like a captain's bars to me but it also looks like the rank insignia for a PFC.

If he is a captain that looks like a UCMJ Article 89 offense, "Disrespect toward superior commissioned officer," which includes members of Congress.

[cosmicdot]

1. don't see it ... is that how it's done in the army?

crossing the middle finger over the index finger is kind of hard to do ... maybe it's a double-jointed thing :shrug:

[wtmusic]

2. It's crossed fingers

and very, very funny :eyes:

[radwriter0555]

37. Yes. those are crossed fingers. There is no flip off there by any stretch

of the imagination.

Well, it IS the freeper imagination.

[nini]

3. that's a flip off?

looks like he's crossing his fingers.. either way - if this guy doesn't like Hillary have a bit of class and stay away from her.

[Cannikin]

5. Here's a Sean Hannity funny photo!

[scottcsmith]

9. What else could it be?

I've no doubt it's a subtle way to give Clinton the finger. There's nothing funny about the guy crossing his fingers. Unless right-wingers think crossed fingers are funny, which they just might.

[aquart]

4. What a jerk.

His mother did a real impressive job.

[RUexperienced]

6. You gotta respect the guy.

He did his obligation and also did what he thought was right.

[Cannikin]

7. Or this one...THIS is funny!

[liberalmuse]

12. If it is an insult, it was done passive-aggressively.

Only a deceitful, duplicitous coward would think pull something like this for their amusement and the amusement of others of their ilk. I hope a captain in the U.S. military would have the honor not to behave so childishly.

[RUexperienced]

14. He is obviously "crossing his fingers"

not giving her the finger. See his index finger below his middle finger? (Try that position yourself.)

So in other words, he is doing his military duty by shaking hands with someone whom he may disrespect. But he manages a little 'free speech' at the same time without breaking the rules.

No harm done.

[Timefortruth]

35. I've got some real estate to sell you.

Ocean front in Iowa.

[Judi Lynn]

16. This act doesn't have any appeal for Democrats. n/t

[Timefortruth]

34. Now, close you eyes and think of a soldier doing the same thing

to Chimp.

Would you consider him courageous?

[Bake]

39. Did his obligation?

Was he OBLIGED to pose for a photo with the Senator? I doubt it. I think it's disrespectful. Given the opportunity for a photo with Smirk, I would simply either refuse, or flip him off to his face. I see nothing honorable about this picture.

Bake

[liberalmuse]

8. That's not flipping the bird...

and if it is, I'd say that it's not surprising that many people of a certain party affiliation are two-faced, back-stabbing hypocrites. If you don't like someone, don't pose with them and hold hands with them. This is so Jr. High, if indeed this Captain is flipping off an elected public servant. I doubt it, though, but let's let the petty, mean-spirited liberal slanderer think so, so his shallow life retains a pretense of having any meaning whatsoever.

[GreatCaesarsGhost]

10. a lot of soldiers are keeping their fingers crossed

hoping they don't get blown to bits.

[supercrash]

11. Doesn't look like the bird...

It reminds me of being a child and crossing my fingers behind my back to cancel out a promise I was making at the time..."Didn't happen...my fingers were crossed"

Maybe this is a signal to the masses that he didn't sincerly shake Hillary's hand

[tridim]

13. If he IS flipping her off

Why? What has Hillary ever done to him or the military? Nothing, except visit them to lend her support. That soldier is an asshole.

[Rabrrrrrr]

15. Do have the guy's story? Do have the context? Do we know what happened?

If we don't, and I bet we don't, then anything said is conjecture, whether he's flipping or not flipping.

How do we know his hand isn't damaged?

How do we it isn't a nervous tick that he does that? I know people who cross their fingers totally unconsciously.

Do we know what they said to each before the photo? Do we know what they said afterward?

We don't know anything - we have a picture of a Captain shaking hands with Sen. Clinton and he has the fingers of right hand slightly crossed.

DUers and Hannity are both making too much about this.

Oh wait - we DO INDEED know one thing: Hannity is a lying scumbag asshole because he thinks a serviceman flipping off a Senator is "funny" (but we already knew he was a lying scumbag, so new conclusions here :-) )

[Catherine Vincent]

17. It doesn't look like he's flipping off or crossing his fingers.

It looks deformed if you ask me but of course if it was, he wouldn't be in the service. I don't know what to think of it.

[jayfish]

19. Maybe He Was Wounded In Battle. How Funny...

would Sean think the photo was then?

Jay

[Beaker]

18. maybe he crossed his fingers for luck...

like hoping that he'd be able to meet and get a picture with Hillary?

It could be a lot of different things, but since it's just one pic, it's hard- if not impossible to determine the soldier's intent, and since it's nothing blatantly disrespecful, I believe that the soldier deserves the benefit of the doubt.

[Cat Atomic]

20. That's a good argument for removing Rush Limbagh from AFR.

That sort of swill has no place on Armed Forces Radio. It's pure political propaganda.

Is Hannity on AFR?

[EV1Ltimm]

21. what a dick.

period.

[Dude_CalmDown]

22. If I met Hillary I'd not only flip her off, I'd chew her out until I'm

escorted away. I hate fake democrats just as much as I hate real republicans.

[jmowreader]

23. This is a PFC, not a captain

Officers in the United States Army wear rank insignia on the right collar of the BDU and branch insignia on the left collar. Enlisteds wear rank on both collars, and this particular rank is PFC.

Which, once he's brought up on charges under Article 134 of the UCMJ, will be Private 1. But who's counting?

[Toucano]

24. It isn't the finger until it goes vertical.

It looks to me like he's holding something that bulges his middle finger outward.

Anyway, how can Hannity get away with suggesting Clinton is the enemy? I mean we are at war and all. Is he suggesting Hillary is a Ba'athist or Al Qaeda?

[Toucano]

25. Is it still online?

Do you have a link? I couldn't find it at his site.

[Judi Lynn]

26. I found his site and located the photo

You can get there from here:
http://www.hannity.com/story.php?content=/funnies

I hope someone in authority will look into this photo, and find out who the guy is who wants to make an official appearance/statement dissing the former First Lady, and current N. Y. Senator.

Cheap, juvenile, stupid.

[Nlighten1]

27. PFC with his fingers crossed.

Morans...geez...

[warrior1]

28. Juvenile

But, heck let's put a gun in his hands so he can go kill some brown people. If he didn't want to have his picture taking with the First lady, he should have been a man and said no thank you. I hope he gets punished for this.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

29. looks like crossed fingers to me..Sean Insanity is just UGLY inside & out

[GreatCaesarsGhost]

30. photoshopped?

look at his hat. it's just there with nothing holding it. i think his hand was holding his hat originally.

[Skittles]

31. I think it looks photoshopped

if it isn't, I find it disappointing to see such an act of cowardice.

[spindoctor]

32. My verdict: retouched and not crossing his fingers

The number of colors decreases rather sudden in close up and then continues to be pretty much the same for the finger parts.
The soldier also lost a finger?

He is not crossing fingers. When looked at in close-up, the position of his fingers is wrong.
He has only three fingers and appears to has his thumb stuck between his middle and ring finger. His index finger is missing and more than likely removed in a picture editor.

I don't know if there is any hidden meaning to sticking your thumb between your fingers. I do that to my 2-year old and then yell "I got your nose! I got your nose!"

Bottom line, the soldier's left index finger was removed for visual effect. I am still not clear what they were trying to achieve exactly. Somebody might want to point this out to Hannity. Things like this can be so embarassing.

edit: full edit for clarity

[Judi Lynn]

38. Same here. I thought of the "got your nose" ploy immediately, too. n/t

[LZ1234]

33. He's definitely crossing his fingers...

Leave it to the conservatives to spin and weave their web of lies - that's why they are where they are. It's a skill they've mastered. They can't handle the truth. Starting something like this plants things in people's minds and they know that.

[newyawker99]

36. Hi LZ1234!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Cat Atomic]

40. Where was this taken, anyway?

There are civilians in the background that almost look like students with backpacks, and streamers on the ceiling. It isn't Iraq, is it?