Sean Hannity has left the Republican party and reregistered "independent" out of frustration with the party's failure to support conservative values. I feel Sean's frustration, but I'm willing to give it a little more time to see if the party makes some changes after the failure of the Amnesty Bill. If the Republican Party doesn't stand up and start promoting conservative values while fighting against the left's perversion of America, then like Hannity, I will be out of here and on the 'independent" rolls as well. It's not about Right vs. Left, it's about right vs. wrong and the Republican Party has been going in the wrong direction for too long now.  

Hannity debated many Republicans including Tony Snow over the amnesty bill and was just blown over at the things they said to him and accused him of. George Voinovich (RINO-OH) refused to answer his questions and hung up on him when Sean revealed that Voinovich hadn't even read the bill. But Voinovich accused Sean of not reading it which he had.

Laura Ingraham had Tony Snow on the ropes about this too and delivered several knock out punches to Snow who said the same things to her that he said to Sean. When he couldn't answer a question honestly, he accused both of not knowing what they were talking about and spreading false information. But Sean and Laura both had the last word and listeners could easily see who was right and who was wrong. If Tony Snow wants to salvage his good reputation, he should resign from the Bush Administration and return to Fox News where he can be more honest and stop carrying Bush's water.

The people in Congress have been doing the same thing to Rush Limbaugh and it's because these radio talkers are holding them accountable to the public for what they're doing in Congress, and they don't like it. They have forgotten that we don't serve them, they are there to serve us. "I'm a Senator. How dare you question me! How dare you challenge me!" This is the "Ted Kennedy" attitude that we have seen come out into the open from Republicans as a result of the amnesty bill, and we don't like it.

In the interview on the Sean Hannity radio show, George Voinovich revealed this about himself: "I’ve had people at my back calling because of programs like yours saying, ‘If you vote for this bill, then it’s the end of your political career.’ And I just want you to know, and I want everyone else to know: You. Do. Not. Intimidate. George Voinovich. This is my 40th year in this business." George Voinovich, like other arrogant fools in the Senate, will not be intimidated by talk show hosts or his constituents when called to account for his actions. They have no right to question Sir Voinovich.

Rush Limbaugh is accused of shilling for the Republican party by those on the other side of the isle. Rep. David Obey (D-WI) said of Rush: "Everybody knows he's plugged directly into Republican national headquarters." In other words, Rush is just echoing the party line. Rush has never done that. Like Sean, he thinks for himself and decides for himself what is right and what is wrong regardless of what the Republican party says. And he is just as hard on Republicans when they screw up as he is on Democrats.

Rush and Sean have more intelligence, integrity, and independent thought than can be found anywhere in Congress with few exceptions.  They study, analyze, and report the hidden truths on important issues that you won't find in the media.  That is something the Republicans in Congress should try doing sometime.  If they did, and if they were really conservatives and had the backbone to stand up for conservative values, they would come to the same conclusions voiced by Rush and Sean.

So when Sean goes on the air now, he will be speaking from an independent point of view and will feel more free to criticize Republicans as well as Democrats without being associated with either one. Kind of like what Bill O'Reilly does. I am seriously considering doing the same because I'm not going to defend Republicans when I know they are wrong.  The Republican Party has deserted Conservatives and thinks their future lies in compromising with the Left at the expense of their conservative base.  They think they have us all locked up because there is no place for us to go.  We may have to prove them wrong if we can't pull them back to their base.

For Sean, the amnesty bill was just the last straw from the Republicans. He didn't like the way many in the party handled that situation, especially President Bush and his Press Secretary, Tony Snow. Sean has been complaining for a long time that the Republican party has deserted conservatives and is not representing our values. I agree. Sean considers himself a "Reagan Conservative", not a "loyal Republican". He feels, as I do, that the Republican party has left the conservatives and moved to the center while the Democrats have moved the center further to the left.

In Congress, Republicans are more interested in compromising with the left just so they can pass legislation, than they are with standing up for conservative values. Simply put, the Republican party no longer represents our conservative values and refuses to fight for them. Why support a party that doesn't support or represent you? That's how Sean feels and it's also how I feel.

His decision was also influenced by the interest in Congress to revive the Fairness Doctrine which received the support of Trent Lott and Chuck Hagel and other Republicans. Sean makes his living by using his First Amendment Right to freedom of speech which would be severely limited under the Doctrine. Sean and other conservative talkers would have their programs cut from many stations in order for those stations to put on government mandated liberal hosts in their place. This is enough to anger any conservative talker and it has.  Liberal talk shows are welcome on any network or radio station providing they can draw listeners, and that's where their problem lies.  People want to be factually informed and entertained by talk radio.  They don't find it in liberal programs.  Air America turned out to be just another Edsel.

When Sean saw Trent Lott, Arlen Specter, Lindsey Graham, and other Republicans saying talk radio is running America; when Tony Snow accused Sean of putting out false information and not doing his homework on the bill; when George Voinovich railed against Sean for opposing Congress on the amnesty bill and accused him of not knowing what he was talking about, that was the end. These are Republicans who should be supporting Sean's work in getting the truth out to the people but instead they all became defensive, turned against him viciously and unfairly because they couldn't stand being exposed and challenged on their own incompetence and betrayal of conservative values.

As an independent, Sean can no longer be accused of "carrying the water" for the Republican party, which he never did. When the Republicans took the right approach to an issue, Sean supported them. When they took the wrong side of an issue, Sean opposed them. But in either case, Sean stood firm for Conservative values even when the Republican party didn't and that's why he finally had enough of them. This was a direct result of their spending and other conduct in Congress over the past 5 years and their arrogant and belligerent attitude when challenged on the amnesty bill. And it is because of that conduct and attitude that I don't want to be associated with them anymore either.