A Little Of The Old In And Out



(image via shawnwilson)

In: Sean Hannity. This is not going to be fun. Whether or not you like Sean Hannity or think that he is an intellectual lightweight incapable of higher thought with that "let not your heart be troubled nonsense (Averted Gaze)," he is fabulously successful. Not quite Howard Stern or Rush Limbaugh successful, yet -- who is? -- but getting there. Fast.

Hannity started in radio late, at almost 30 years of age, in 1989. And his on-air presence at Fox News began almost as soon as the channel began.

In his life Hannity has been a bartender, a construction worker, and now he is on his way to becoming a billionaire (?!). From TheHollywoodReporter:

"Fox News Channel host Sean Hannity has signed on for another tour at the top-ranked news channel.

"Financial terms of the multiyear deal were not announced. But it would keep him on 'Hannity and Colmes' and 'Hannity's America.'

"It also follows a new radio deal he made with ABC Radio Networks, earlier this year, for a reported $100 million over five years.

"'As one of the most prominent conservative minds in the American political landscape, Sean consistently advances the news of the day with insightful and provocative commentary,' said Fox News senior vp programming Bill Shine."

(image via msnbc)

Out: Viktor Yushchenko. Viktor Yushchenko, who took a dose of Russian dioxin en route to winning the fragile Ukrainian Presidency, has not been dealt the best hand in the latest Crimeasn crisis. The Russian Bear is breathing down his neck and the planet is in the midst of pandaemonium -- economic, military -- and thus unable to muster the will to help. Add to the mix the fact that the Ukraine is doing its best to implode from within. From Bloomberg:

"Ukraine's President Viktor Yushchenko dissolved parliament and called early elections, the second in a year, after legislators missed a deadline to form a coalition.

"'I was not informed of any coalition agreement as of Oct. 8,' Yushchenko said in a prerecorded television address broadcast in Kiev today. 'Thus, I use my constitutional power to dissolve parliament. Let the people help to solve the political crises.'

"Yushchenko's party, which is seeking closer ties with the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, quit the coalition on Sept. 3 after its former ally Prime Minister Yulia Timoshenko teamed up with the pro-Russian opposition to strip the president of some powers. Under the constitution, Timoshenko had one month to form a new majority.

"Yushchenko and Timoshenko joined forces four years ago to win the 2004 election in the bloodless Orange Revolution. After a split in 2005, the two reunited before last year's vote. Since then, Yushchenko and Timoshenko have been locked in a battle over how to tackle Europe's fastest inflation rate, sell state assets and how to spend budget."