This is a rush transcript from “Hannity,” May 12, 2010. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.
SEAN HANNITY, HOST: Tonight your America is turning into a nanny state thanks to the Obama administration’s efforts to rein in the junk food industry. But the irony of all this is that the person behind this campaign — first lady Michelle Obama — once profited from the very industry she is now declaring war on.
Michelle Malkin reveals in her column that just prior to becoming first lady, Mrs. Obama served on the board of directors of a company called Treehouse Foods. And according to Malkin among other things that company is a leading supplier for — you guessed it — McDonald’s.
So is somebody who once profited from this so-called junk food industry really the best person to lead the administration’s efforts against childhood obesity?
Here with reaction, the author of The New York Times bestseller “Culture of Corruption,” the one and only, Michelle Malkin.
Michelle, before any of this — I don’t want to be told how many calories are in my Big Mac meal or my quarter pounder meal. I don’t want the government telling me that I can’t put salt on my food.
Isn’t that our job? Do we have any role of responsibility in life anymore?
MICHELLE MALKIN, “THE CULTURE OF CORRUPTION” AUTHOR: No. Apparently not. And it’s this administration’s view that they’re going to usurp as much authority and control over lives as possible and it’s too bad.
My problem with the Obama administration is that it’s more concerned with policing grocery aisles and our refrigerators than it is with our borders. And we’d be heck a lot better off if they got their priorities in order.
And it is incredibly telling and so rich that Michelle Obama, who I call big momma or big nanny, is wagging her fingers at the food industry when she herself profited and I reported this in “Culture of Corruption” last year, and you would think that it would be very germane the fact that her Treehouse Food —
HANNITY: Yes.
MALKIN: — which was one of the biggest suppliers to Wal-Mart, makes things like cheese sauces and powdered soft drink mixes, and puddings and jams and jellies and processed foods.
HANNITY: By the way all the stuff that I like and I’m not on their board. I don’t get paid the way she does here. Maybe she can first start an anti-smoking campaign and get her husband to finally once and for all kick the habit. And then maybe that would be a good start considering that’s not a great example for kids.
You go into great specificity of detail — now after her husband — this is after he became a senator, she gets put on this board. She’s, what, given $45,000 in 2005, $51,200 in 2006. And by the way, stock options worth more than $144,000 for the company that makes what food, right?
MALKIN: Yes. That’s right. All of those things that I mentioned. And of course she got this cozy position as a result of her marriage to the new — then new senator of Illinois. And she had absolutely zero experience.
You know most of the board of directors members on Treehouse Foods sat on the boards or founded or helmed other food processing companies. For example, Sam Reid, who’s the head of the board of directors there, used to work for Kellogg and Keebler. Yes, Keebler that features what — what Michelle Obama now considers a public enemy, the Keebler elf.
And think of what she’s trying to do —
HANNITY: I like the Keebler elf.
MALKIN: I know.
HANNITY: I like the food. I like the food.
MALKIN: What’s wrong with the Keebler elf?
HANNITY: I like McDonald’s.
MALKIN: But — apparently now we need government food cops to direct and restrict the advertising free speech, again, of companies that helped line her own pockets.
HANNITY: Alright, here’s — and this is obvious hypocrisy. But this is not the first time as it relates to the first lady. And I know all our liberal friends in the media get very sensitive when we bring up issues of hypocrisy.
When I brought up the fact, “For the first time in my adult life, I’m proud of my country,” when she said that.
MALKIN: Yes.
HANNITY: “America is a downright mean country.” She said that in 2008 — didn’t get much media attention. But this is not the first time we’ve seen this hypocrisy. Remember David Axelrod, she was working at a hospital in Chicago and that hospital orchestrated a PR campaign with David Axelrod to be involved in patient dumping so the hospital wouldn’t take on patients that didn’t have insurance or the ability to pay.
So, there’s a very high level of hypocrisy and constant hypocrisy here. So the question is, where is the media attention?
MALKIN: Well, that’s right. And it’s not just the hypocrisy. Of course, it’s the double standards and it’s this endless, boundless sense of immunity, political immunity, that both Obamas have.
I mean we could also extend this to the fact that Barack Obama was a huge recipient of BP money and Goldman Sachs money. And then he can turn around and wag his finger at them and wage war on his own friends.
And it is really that do as I say not as I do mentality, or in the case of this anti-obesity campaign, as I say, for Michelle Obama it’s shed as I say, not as I gain.
HANNITY: Yes. Well, listen. I like junk food. I like McDonald’s, I like Wendy’s, I like Burger King, I love Kentucky Fried Chicken, I love Ruth’s Chris, my favorite steak house.
I want to put as much salt on my food as I determine. And I don’t need the government and a nanny state to dictate this. I find the intrusion into our lives — do they think we are too stupid to figure out that, you know what? We can’t eat McDonald’s every day, we can’t put too much salt on our food?
What is it? Do they think we’re not capable of making this decision?
MALKIN: Well, you know, this is the liberal mindset. And the lack of faith that they have in individuals to make these decisions for themselves, and particularly their lack of respect for parents and parental authority, you know, we can laugh about it right now, but it really is a very serious and dangerous issue, the amount of control they want to exercise on our lives.
And anybody who is — really wants to see how stupid they think we are should read that White House anti-obesity task force report.
HANNITY: That’s our job. We’re parents. And if the president wants to smoke I won’t criticize him for it. Leave my salt and my McDonald’s alone.
Michelle, good to see you.
(LAUGHTER)
HANNITY: Thank you for being with us.
MALKIN: You too.
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