t? i am bill o'reilly. we do hope to see you again next time and remember the spin stops here. because we're definitely looking out for you. sean: 2009 brought us a new president. it saw tea parties and town halls sweep all across the country, and throughout it all, there was no shortage of scandals in washington, hollywood, and, yes, even the world of sports. tonight we're going to cover all of those issues and much more. joining me for the next hour is frank luntz, who has brought us one of his famous focus groups and they're going to be asked to share their thoughts on the past 12 months. first, we're going to turn our attention to the top economic events of 2009. before we get started, we have the main question we've always got to ask -- out of this audience, how many of you voted for barack obama? >> 12. sean: 12? >> how many of you voted for john mccain? 12? it's split. >> actually barack obama's approval rating has fallen a lot. >> i was going to say we should have one more obama person. but let me ask you this question -- they've been saying the past few days that the recession is over. you're the american people. you tell me. by a show of hands, how many of you believe the recession is over? >> one. >> one individual, i'll let you go first. why do you think it's done? >> by definition the recession is over. by employment, it's not over. >> and none of you think it's over, why not? >> we haven't created enough jobs. most of the jocks we created are in the private sect -- jobs we createds are in the private sector. we need private jobs. >> i actually think it's slowing down. we're not increasing jobs as much as we could, but i think that a lot of the indicators show that we're getting better. sean: let me ask one question on this related issue, because the president said if we pass the stimulus, we would either face a catastrophe or a disaster. but if we pass his stimulus, $787 billion, that unemployment would not go above 8%. if we didn't pass it, it might go to 9%. now we have double digits. what does that tell you about the president in terms of confidence? >> he's just out of touch with reality right now. maybe his aides are telling him wrong facts. but 10%, i think that's a lot lower than what it actually is. there are people who are underemployed. 18% is the real number. >> it has nothing to do with what the president is saying, it's what's happening on wall street. unless the corporations get onboard and get more jobs into the economy -- sean: can i stay with this for a second? the president said if we passed his plan, unemployment wouldn't go above 8%. now it's double digits. is that a false promise? was he overly optimistic? do you have questions about his economic acumenst >> he can't dictate what wall street is going to do, but he's trying to get them to stimulate the economy on his own. he can't do it, the government can't do it. >> did you guys support cash for clunkers? how many of you did? how many of did you not? sean: three, four. >> aren't you frustrated with what obama is doing in the economy? >> 3% is not particularly significant of the sean: we've got obama speaking at the house democratic congress. let's roll the tape. >> then you have the argument, well, this is not a stimulus bill, this is a spending bill. what do you think a stimulus is? [laughter] that's the whole point. no, seriously. that's the point. >> so i've got to ask but this spending. when it comes to washington spending, how many of you would say that you're mad as hell, you're not going to take it anymore? sean, i have the number for this. 72% of americans overall expressed their anger, and it's one of the reasons why only 33% think that their kids are going to have a better quality of life than them. sean: that's frightening. so the government didn't keep its promise. you don't trust the government to get you out of this? >> we were told what they think we want to hear, not actually what will happen. and no one has a crystal ball, as he does, to decide it won't go above 8% sean: yes, ma'am. >> we should be using tarp money to reduce the federal deficit. we shouldn't be increasing the federal deficit. >> this is economically flawed. any spending bill is taking money out of taxpayers' pockets. so they're taking it from me and giving it to someone else, except they spent money they don't have, so they're taking it from future generations. sean: didn't the president say that in his campaign? >> i want to hear someone defend the obama plan. >> it's not even the taxpayers' money, it's china's money. sean: that's a great point. now we can't even go after the chinese on their human rights abuses, because we need their money to fund our debt. yes, sir. >> we don't have enough people in government who know what the real world is like. we have too many professional politicians who have never made apparel, never run a business and are clueless on how to get the economy going. sean: let me do one thing. you all remember rick san telly from cnbc? this became pretty famous in the past year when he said this to the president -- >> this is america. how many of you people want to pay for your neighbor's mortgage that has an extra bathroom and can't pay their bills? raise their hand. president obama, are you listening? we're thiffing having a chicago tea party in july. all you capitalists that want to show up to lake michigan, i'm going to start organizing. if you read our founding fathers, people like benjamin franklin and jefferson, what we're doing in this country now is making them roll over in their graves. >> i want to know who's got kids here. ok, about half of you. aren't you afraid for your children? >> very much so. >> aren't you afraid that they won't be able to afford what you're taxing them? >> plus being i'm afraid that i won't be able to have my money to help raise them rell. >> i would like my own money to pay for my own chilled's education, not somebody else's child. sean: some people this i that it's selfish. what about the people who are hurting out there? >> if health care is going to cost us $1 trillion, what's going to be left for health care when my daughter is old enough in 20, 30, 40 years? >> they say if you don't take care of somebody else's health problem, when you have h1n1 or other problems, you're going to pay for it. you can't ignore the fact that your neighbor -- >> are you going to take care of her? >> absolutely not. everyone should stand on their own. sean: i want to go back to the confidence issue, though. and joe biden made this issue about, very specifically, even if they got -- even if they passed this bill, they still may not get it right. remember this from this year. >> do you know, if we do everything right, we do it with absolute certainty, we stand up there and we make really tough decisions. there's still a 30% chance we're going to get it wrong. sean: so did they get it wrong? >> absolutely. sean: how many of you believe they got it wrong? how many of you that voted for barack obama believe they got it wrong? explain to me. you're an obama voter. what did he get wrong? >> i think he seems to not really take a stand and say, this is what i want to don't he seems to want to please both ends of the spectrum. >> you voted for obama, but he got it wrong, why? >> overly optimistic. >> i think he's appeasing to everybody. he has to get to democrats and say this is what we need to do, and let's do it. >> ends of story, i agree. i agree. >> i think he's in a tough situation. he's the first black president and he's under a microscope. >> but is thank and excuse? you think it is an excuse. sean: why does it matter what his race is in terms of his decision-making and leadership ability? why? >> because he's under a microscope because he is a black man. sean: isn't every president under a microscope? >> no. sean: do you think -- how many people think he's under a microscope more than other presidents? >> absolutely. sean: you believe absolutely. how many don't believe that? why absolutely, sir? >> he knows that he is making history, as being the first african-american president. so he has to be this paragon of ideas and change and what have you. sean: do you think the media has been unfair to barack obama? >> no, not really. >> i think he's gotten a free ride. sean: i think i've been tough on him, but -- we got to take a break. >> if he was a conservative, i would have voted for him hands down, to be honest with you. so it has nothing to do for me, with his skin color. nothing. sean: we have a lot more to get to. hang in there. we'll come back and discuss health care and some of the other hottest issues going on in the pop culture. also, tonight we'll counts down with what he think are the six most outrageous videos of this year. here's a quick sneak peek. >> you be the judge. was it really for fun, or to save money on heat? why? don't you think nordic tuesday is fun? oh no, it's fun... you know, if you are trying to cut costs, fedex can help. we've got express options, fast ground and freight service-- you can save money and keep the heat on. great idea. that is a great idea. well, if nordic tuesday wasn't so much fun. (announcer) we understand. you need to save money. fedex who's not answering. announcer: there's a better way. intuit quickbooks online organizes your business in one place, and helps you stay on top of your business anytime, anywhere. get a 30-day free trial at intuit.com. sean: welcome back to this special edition of "hannity." the democrats' attempts to socialize health care have dominated the 2009 political scene, and we have compiled the most memorable moments of this year. here is the president speaking september 9, joint session of congress on the issue that's been talked about all year, health care. >> instead of honest debate, we've seen scare tactics. some have dug into unyielding idealogical camps that offer no hope of compromise. too many have used this as an opportunity to score short-term political points, even if it robs the country of our opportunity to solve a long-term challenge. and out of this blizzard of charges and countercharges, confusion has reigned. well, the time for bickering is over, the time for games has passed. >> so let me ask you, you're members of congress, you have to take that tough vote. how many of you are going to vote for the health care package as it stands now? raise your hand in you would support it. you would, maybe? >> maybe. >> where are the obama people here? sean: there's one person that supports it. let's go to this guy. >> you would support it? >> i don't like the concept that you say it's socialism. what about reform? don't you believe in reform? sean: i do, i believe in reform. >> why are we calling it socialism? >> tort reform, tax credits for those who can't afford it, but not blowing up the best system in the world. go ahead. >> i'd like to see insurance available across state lines. i mean this is something that the democrats have scoffed at continuously. >> everybody is mig the most basic point here, -- missing the most basic points here and that is none of this is constitutional. the government does not have the right under the constitution to be doing this at all. sean: do you guys agree with this? how many agree? i want to see a show of hands. >> the obama people here -- he got elected on health care reform. >> i'm in favor of single-payer option like they have in canada. there should not be one person in the united states who does not have health insurance. >> so you want government to take it all over. >> just like it does for medicare, for people whoever over 65. >> why should everyone take care of the people that are uninsured? >> why does it take four years to get there? why don't they start taxing us now? sean: the remember the town halls that took place a lot this summer? one woman that made a lot of national attention was katie abrams. she then became a guest on this program right here. but you may remember this from this past year. >> i don't believe this is just about health care. it's not about tarp, it's not about left and right. this is about the systematic dismantling of this country. i'm only 35 years old. i have never been interested in politics. you have awakened sleeping giants. >> you're going to bankrupt this country, you and the democrats, and you are making a mistake. >> i'm sorry, sir, but i don't understand your mentality. what do you think you accomplish by yelling? what do you accomplish by yelling? >> hello! let us ask the question. >> can i ask a question, please? >> i've got news for you, that you and your crones in the government do this kind of stuff all the time. >> i don't like the fact that my elected officials are running around calling me un-american, a rabble-rouser, a mobster -- [applause] sean: a tim mcveigh wannabe, a political activist. all those adjectives used by the democrats. how many of you agree with the sentiments of the people you heard in the town halls? how many of you disagree? hands up high. not many. five. >> i guess the question i have is when you are watching all of this, you brought up the issue of portability before. tort reform is another. medical savings is another. tax cuts or tax benefits for people who can't afford their own insurance plans. how many of you were frustrated -- show of hands -- that these other ideas have not even been discussed? even obama supporters. who's over age 50 here? do you want to be on medicare? >> no. >> would you, if you had that option, choose it? >> no. >> would you want to be on medicare? >> my mother is on it. i see elderly people on it. they get terrific health care. >> who is over 50? would you be willing to go on medicare? >> no. >> would you? >> yes, with complementary insurance. >> would you? >> yes. >> i want to ask you a question. i know you guys saw a video every a health care ad that deals with prevention. sean: prevention ad. >> what i want to know is whether you all would want this type of answer, rather than what they're fighting for. let's roll that ad. roll tape. >> hi, i'm chris bayh, founder of u.s. preventative medicine. are you tired of all the bickering over health care? i am. my dad died of colon cancer when i was 1. i have no memory of him whatsoever. everyone has their own story and i'm sure you do, too. shouldn't he be focused on providing you and every american citizen with their own prevention plan that can help prevent illness in the first place? the prevention plan, the right care, at the right time, at the right price. >> let me ask you, the idea of prevention. who believes that's an important principle? raise your hands. it is. who's paying for it? this is the private economy, not the government. if this is the private economy offering a prevention plan, who believes that prevention is important as part of health care? why? >> well, because if you stay healthy, you'll be healthy longer. and this way -- how much can it cost to cover the real basics? sean: you're one of the youngest people here, but you still believe in prevention? >> yes, just save everybody money. why should someone in an urban area who can't afford to go to a p.c.p. every year suffer because they can't afford vitamins or other sources of medicine like that? >> it will cost the government less in the long run if we focus more on prevention efforts, rather than trying to fix the sick. sean: let me ask this question -- how many of you do not have confidence that the government can pull this off well? >> there's no track record. >> no track record. sean: explain that. >> well, social security is bankrupt, medicare is bankrupt. the fact that i wouldn't want medicare is because i don't think it's going to be around by the time i need it. sean: same as social security. >> i want to plan now, so i can enjoy my retirement years on my own. i think the fact that we're talking about government every day is the fact that it's too big. sean: you're an obama supporter, you don't have faith in the government. >> this didn't just happen with this administration. sean: but you don't have faith or confidence in the government, i guess is the question. >> correct. sean: sir? >> if they're going to get involved in our health care, give me the plan that they have. that's all. sean: whatever plan they have, it would be nice if they included themselves right? >> they voted against that. sean: that's absolutely correct. from tiger woods to carrie prejean, there were a lot of scandals. plus, we'll take a look at the year of governor palin. let's look at the infamous alan grayson explaining the republicans's health care plan. >> if you get sick, america, the republican health care plan is this -- die quickly. that's right. the republicans want you to die quickly if you get sick. host: could switching to geico really save you 15% or more on car insurance? host: does charlie daniels play a mean fiddle? ♪ fiddle music charlie:hat's how you do it son. vo: geico. 15 minutes could save you 15% or more on car insurance. [ thunder and cracks of lightning ] whatever i did, my digestive upsets came back. but then came align with bifantis. it helps build and maintain a healthy digestive system to restore my natural digestive balance and protect against occasional digestive upsets. align brings peace to my digestive system... ...and the money back guarantee brings peace to me. >> and we continue to look back at 2009. we talk about a lot of controversial events that transpired in politics. we'll be talking about governor palin, and more about that in just a minute. but the world of pop culture has also had its share of scandal, most recently, tiger woods. >> hey, it's tiger. i need you to do me a huge favor. can you please take your name off my phone? my wife went through my phone and may be calling you. so if you can, please take your name off that. just have it as a number on the voicemail. you got to do this for me. huge. quickly. all right, bye." >> i want you all to stick your fist out with your thumbs like this. you're in charge of corporate sponsorship. do you keep tiger or dump him? >> dump him. >> keep him. >> you actually would keep him? sean: why keep him? >> he's a good golfer, and he's selling golf products and that's all that matters. >> and he represents the morals and values of golfers? >> he's a good golfer. every golfer wants to play like him. i wish i could hit a ball like that. >> you don't keep him just because he's a great golfer, that's obvious. if nike drops him, reebok will be knocking on his doorstep. >> kobe bryant two years ago, you have all these athletes doing the same thing. nobody remembers after a while. >> so they should be considered role models? >> definitely. >> it's a personal matter. who cares? you have someone like pat tillman, who gives up a pro football career, dies in afghanistan fighting for his country. he's an american hero. he didn't get any of the coverage that tiger woods got. >> we covered him a lot on this program, but i think your point is well taken. did you want to add something, sir? ok, we'll move on. before we get back to politics, pop culture has been a big part of 2009, and, of course, the death of michael jackson took a lot of news coverage this year. roll tape. >> ever since i was born, daddy has been the best father he you could ever imagine. -- you could ever imagine. and i just wanted to say i love him so much. [applause] >> clearly, it's emotional, but did we spend too much time talking about michael jackson? >> way too much time. >> there's so much other stuff going on. i can't understand why the media spent so much time with his funeral. >> he's a profile. >> there is possible that there isn't anything else the media chooses to do of substance. they picked this. it's sensationalism and people will watch it. >> he was a good musician about 20 years ago, but he was a pedophile. i don't know why everyone's wrapped up with him, looking up to him. and that kid is not even his. sean: we do have that infamous interview, that he sleeps with other people's children in bed, tucks them in, gives them cookies. does any adult act like that? >> it's inappropriate, but i think there were psychological issues that he definitely had. >> but he's not worthy of all the media. sean: we've got one more. we have the former miss california, carrie prejean, and it was these words that created a huge firestorm this year. let's roll the tape. >> we live in a land that you can choose same-sex marriage or opposite marriage. in my country and in my family, i think that i believe that a marriage should be between a man and a woman. no offense to anybody out there, but that's how i was raised, and that's how i think that it should be, between a man and a woman. thank you. sean: she seemed very open-minded. i believe. do you think she was treated unfairly? show of hands. you do think -- yes, sir. >> people only agree with tolerance when it's their viewpoint. >> she said i believe this is what i believe, and the question was what do you believe. he didn't take that as acceptable because it wasn't what he -- an opinion that he shared. sean: here's a question we'll get into more on our next segment, because we're going to do a segment on governor palin. do you think conservative women -- and i'll ask you first because you were speaking. do you think conservative women are treated differently in the media than liberal women? >> absolutely. sean: you do. >> they did a hit-and-run on sarah palin. look at the way they treat michele bachmann, anyone that represents the conservative party. >> conservative women are treated much worse than liberal women are, but then again, so are conservative men. sean: exactly. i think we're treated much worse than anybody. >> they attacked her children. they attacked her children. david letterman, who made such a big thing about it, is the one who did the same thing. sean: you wanted to disagree with -- >> yeah, i disagree. listen to what people say about nancy pelosi and about other liberal senators who are supporting the health care bill. i think she is -- i'm not talking about you, sean hannity. sean: thank you. >> however, i think that they're torn apart, their views, why they think what they think. sean: was anybody excoriated more than george w. bush or governor palin? >> george bush deserved to be excoriated. eight years, and look at the mess we inherited. sean: hang on. >> it's ok to do it if it's your point of view. >> there was an uproar about that, yes. sean: the tea party what? >> the tea party has framed obama as being hitler's supervisor or representing his values. sean: most of the criticism against president obama -- i can tell you as a conservative -- is on substance, on national security, on health care, on a stimulus plan. redistribution -- >> there are a lot of people making these conclusions. you're one media personality, because -- what about opposition research? sean: is that because you like me? >> i want to hear what the other side is saying. sean: i thought you were going to say what the enemy is saying. >> no, because i want to know what the other side is saying. it is healthy. sean: she was one of the most talked-about figures in politics this entire year. after the break we'll get our studio audience's reaction to sarah palin. first, it's time to look at the fourth most outrageous video of the year. remember kanye west crashing the stage on taylor swift? >> i love country music, so thank you so much for giving me a chance to win a v.m.a. award. 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[captioning made possible by fox news channel] sean: we continue now with a special edition of "hannity." she has sparked love and hate like nobody else this past year. we go now to the top sarah palin moments of 2009, and we start with my interview with governor palin just a short time back, a couple of months ago. i follow this president every day. i think he's a socialist. do you think he's a socialist? >> i think that he certainly is feeding more and more power -- he's taking it away from the individual and our small businesses, and he's empowering government, and that's a dangerous path for our country to be on. sean: he's taking over banks, financial institutions, dictating pay, auto companies and now maybe the health care industry. isn't that, by definition, socialism? >> energy, too. the attempt will be next. that's why americans have got to pay attention. they've got to have their voices heard. sean: let's hear your voices. >> i want a word or phrase to describe her. >> real and practical. >> dramatic. >> slander. >> caribou barbee. sean: caribou barbie? >> what she was referred to at the beginning a couple of months ago. it was harder to take her seriously as a politician. sean: would you ever say that about a male politician, caribou ken? >> never. sean: who said never? >> never. they'd never do that to a man, because a woman is held up to a double standard. and once there's allegations of her spending too much money on wardrobe and clothes, then, you know, forget about her. just turn her away. sean: by the way, fox bought me this beautiful suit that i have on. >> arrogant. sean: arrogant? >> airhead. sean: just as bad. >> down to earth. >> provocative. >> dynamic. sean: who would consider voting for her for president if she ran? who voted for john mccain. sean: there was about nine there. >> but would not vote for sarah palin? why not? >> why can't you just name a magazine? i still think back about that interview with katie couric. she just can't think. she's not eloquent at all. sean: what did you think of her answer? i asked her bit. she said, you know what, it was a bad answer, my bad. i could have done a lot better with it. i was agitated at the point. the interview had gone on for hours, and she felt she was playing gotcha. fair? did you give her any slack? >> i give her a little bit of slack. but then again, she knows it's an interview, she's on the campaign and she has to answer the questions. sean: do you give her a slap for that? >> yes, i do. but i don't like her, because i don't like the fact she stepped down from governor. but the more they put her down and slander her, the more i like the way she stands up for herself, because she does go through so much. >> so you like people rallying behind her. >> i'm turning that way. sean: and the fact she's willing to fight back and not leave the arena. >> that says a lot about her character. sean: her family has been attacked relentlessly by the media. this is the david letterman attack against her daughter. let's roll that tape. >> one awkward moment for sarah palin at the yankee game. during the seventh inning, her daughter was knocked up by alex rodriguez. were the jokes in questionable taste? of course they were. do i regret having told them? well, i think probably i do. but you know what? there are thousands of jokes i regret telling on this program. sean: all right. what did you think of that? >> i think that people are looking to put her down because they fear that her popularity can grow, and it may sink in if people look at it. women get real. she is real. >> the double standard that i see with this -- this is so annoying. i mean, if the press had used half the people they used to check out her book on obama, we would know a lot more about obama than we do now. sean: that's a good point. >> what really bothers me is the fact that they went after her kids. the youngest kid, trig, her daughter, i mean, that's unconscionable. kids are out of bounds. >> totally out of bounds. and what letterman said was not an apology. he made fun of himself. >> when you consider the double standard in the press, they refuse adamantly to look into barack obama's past. they dismiss everything as a distraction, and yet, they sent reporters up to alaska to investigate every detail of sarah palin's past. sean: let's get a mic owe. >> they're doing the same thing with her book. they're asking who wrote her book. well, who wrote barack obama's book? >> i'm sure he did. sean: what about what letterman said? >> i have a comment to make about that shot. i am a liberal, and i will say that that was unconscionable what dave did. you don't go after people's kids. i don't care if she used her kids in her political ads. it's inappropriate, and he should have never done it. and i don't want them doing it to barack obama's kids. >> the way that she's being attacked right now is actually building support for her. it's turning people who would otherwise be hostile into supporters. >> david letterman is hardly one to judge. a couple of months later, guess what? letterman himself is in hot water. maybe he'd be a little bit more empathetic after the tables have turned and he sees what happens. sean: we've got governor palin's regular ig nation, that was a big part of -- resignation, that was a big part of the debate. we'll go to the tape. >> i will support others who seek to serve in or out of office, and i don't care what party they're in, or no party at all. inside alaska or outside of alaska. but i won't do it from the governor's desk. so i choose for my state and for my family more freedom to progress all the way around, so that alaska may progress. i will not seek re-election as governor. >> was she right to resign, yes or no? if you say she was, raise your hands. who says she was not? what's the problem with it? >> she's a fortune hunter. she had to get her book out ready for publication. >> they had people going and doing little picayune lawsuits one after another after another. sean: hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees. yes, sir. >> that's not the issue. the issue is she's trying to get herself taken seriously, and i can't believe we live in a country that will take her seriously. sean: why wouldn't you take her seriously, but you'd take barack obama seriously? she didn't sit in reverend wright's church for 20 years, did she? >> absolutely. >> but she quit on her executive duties. >> she has more experience than barack obama had. sean: when we come back, we're going to take a look at some of the major foreign policy issues and blunders of the year. plus, the moments that encapsulate obama's first year in office. and we are almost at number one. but here is our third most outrageous video of the year, former illinois governor, remember him? rod blagojevich maintaining his innocence right here on the show. >> i haven't done any wrong and i never, ever, in any conversation ever intended -- ever intended to violate any criminal law. sean: you're giving me a speech. >> no, sir. i don't believe anybody had any intention of violating criminal law. ugcl) yeacl 's h fba icos y!tyft juneck yno itft'sse sut'cu tyftef (ckicli sean: have a look at some of the highlights and some lowlights of 2009. president obama sold himself to america as somebody who would change the cub's image on the world stage. -- country's image on the world stage. what are some of the most memorable? we look at his decision on afghanistan. >> as commander in chief, i have determined that it is in our vital national interest to send an additional 30,000 troops to afghanistan. after 18 months, our troops will begin to come home. these are the resources that we need to seize the initiative, while building the afghan capacity that can allow for a responsible transition of our forces out of afghanistan. sean: by a shove hands, who supports that policy to send 30,000 troops? >> as long as he doesn't announce when they're coming home. >> who opposes the policy? who voted for obama and still opposes it? tell me why in the back. let's go in the back. >> george bush gave that speech a year and a half ago. it's no different now. sean: would george bush have announced, though, in 18 months i'm leaving? >> no. sean: i do agree with you, though. you're right inasmuch as he said things in that speech that he hadn't said before. but if you tell your enemy you're leaving, i think that's a bad policy. >> i think you're right. i've supported obama, but i see this afghanistan as another vietnam. it's a no-win for us. but it doesn't make sense to say we're going to leave. we do that, and the game's over, really. >> the speech was nothing but appeasement. he was trying to appease the left and the right. splitting it down the middle. >> but he appointed himself. general mcchrystal wanted 40,000 troops and he gave him 1/3 of what he wanted. >> 3/4. >> 3/4. >> he studied the responses to obama, and there's the feeling that those on the right won't give him a break, won't say anything good about him, no matter what he says. that was a good decision. but his qualifying was poor. you know, everybody is calling it just another vietnam. it's only going to be another vietnam if he makes the same mistakes, and he's making the good mistakes. >> he was asked for 40,000 troops, he committed to 30,000. and then he gave the stipulation of when they were coming home. >> i think everybody needs to realize that bush got news this mess to begin with. -- got us in this mess to begin with. sean: 9/11 got news this mess, not bush. >> bush responded appropriately. >> this is a war that liberals love. >> let me ask you this question -- hold on one second. if you got, from the federal government, a note that said that they want you to go serve in afghanistan, is there anyone in this seat that would not go? you wouldn't go, even if president said to you, i want you to go? why? >> i do not believe in war. >> at all. >> no. >> obama just said in his speech, in order for peace, there has to be war. there's been war throughout history. sean: let me go to another thing here. we created quite a controversy this year when the president bowed before the saudi king. remember this video? >> this president bowed before the saudi king. i think, by the way, it's the best argument i've seen for an american energy policy to use coal, ethanol, oil, natural gas, nuclear power, solar, wind. let's have american energy and not bow to anybody, versus bough to a saudi king. i -- bowing to a saudi king. sean: how many agree with newt? how many disagree? we're kind of broken into the same categories. why? >> first of all, remember when bush went to saudi arabia a year ago? he's walking down the block holding the guy's hand. which is worse, bowing or holding hands? >> he was helping the king. >> yeah, he was helping the king. >> we've been reduced to second-class citizens. >> i think the bow and the handshake epitomized obama. he wanted to do both, and that's him. >> i also think that we have to recognize the cultures of the other things in the world. not everything is done the way we do it. sean: we've got more oil, more natural gas, more coal in the united states and anwar offshore in the 48 states, and we continue to be dependent on foreign oil. how many would like to see a party say for once and for all, we'll build refineries, we'll drill for oil, we'll get natural gas, we'll go for nuclear facilities? how many agree with that? how many are against drilling in our own country? so you want to continue to import oil? >> no, i want renewable fuel. i want other forms of fuel. sean: but until that time, shouldn't we be energy-independent? >> how come the chinese can drill in the gulf of mexico and we can't? it's crazy. >> it's probably our oil. >> they're drilling sideways. the chinese are going into our oil with the new sideways drilling technology and taking our oil. >> but the president is showing his lack of experience in foreign policy and it shows the rest of the world that we don't know what we're doing. sean: we'll get to that. stay right there. coming up, by the way, we cannot talk about 2009 without talking about the president's first year in office from his beer summit to his poor choice in one czar after another. we'll have our studio audience reacting. and we are almost at our most outrageous video of the year. but first, our runner-up, speaking of apology tours, the president on his worldwide apology tour. >> we have to acknowledge potentially we've made some mistakes. that's how we learn. in america, there's a failure to appreciate europe's leading role in the world. there have been times where america has shown arrogance and been dismissive. even derisive. i would like to think that with my election and the early decisions that we've made that you're starting to see some restoration of america's standsing in the world. my digestive system didn't always behave. [ thunder and cracks of lightning ] whatever i did, my digestive upsets came back. but then came align with bifantis. it helps build and maintain a healthy digestive system to restore my natural digestive balance and protect against occasional digestive upsets. align brings peace to my digestive system... ...and the money back guarantee brings peace to me. sean: so far we have highlighted some of the most memorable events of 2009 from tea parties to tiger woods. but now, we're going to take a closer look at the year -- the first year of the obama presidency. and by the way, here's a question i raised throughout the year -- is barack obama a socialist? >> he said it himself. we need to spread the wealth around. now -- that's one of the tenets of socialism. sean: and that is our headline this tuesday night, day number 29 of socialism you can believe in. >> earlier this week we heard the world's best salesman of socialism address the nation. >> it's all one big down payment on a new american socialist experiment. >> i think most americans agree with me that that is a road toward socialism. >> by a show of hands, how many of you think that barack obama is a socialist? do you think that that's a productive way to have political discourse in this country? you think he's a socialist. >> yeah, i think so look what he's been doing to the economy. health care especially. he wants everyone to chip in and help everyone else out. >> what's wrong with the dialogue? i don't know what you mean by the question. >> the question is do you think that is a proper way to engage? that kind of label is loaded with intensity. >> you voted for obama and you thought he was a socialist. >> i didn't know, i didn't know. >> in 1996, the socialist newspaper welcomed him as a new member. he joined the socialist party himself. so to call him a socialist is a stated fact. sean: you voted for obama and you think he's a socialist. >> i have voted with obama with like 51% conviction. i was really for mccain, i'm an independent. i took a leap of faith and -- sean: disappointed. >> you wouldn't vote for him again? >> no. >> yes, ma'am, right here. >> i don't think he's a socialist. i think he's the first one who's actually stepped up and said that wealth is very unevenly distributed in this country. and he's trying to address that, and i don't think there's anything wrong with that. >> that's not the point. >> it's government job to create -- [all talking at once] >> do we believe in freedom and that is individual responsibility, or do you believe this should be an equal result society? >> how many of you think it ought to be about we share the wealth? >> no, it is not either/or. you need to have a combination. you know, that's part of small d democracy. sean: we pay 50%, and you live in new york? >> i live in new jersey. i pay double tax. >> new york and new jersey, you pay some of the highest tax rates in the country. 50%, 55% of your income. is that fair or is that too much? >> i don't have a problem paying the taxes is the money is used effectively. sean: and is it? is it? >> my issue is that i'm concerned that it is not used -- and this is whether you're mp or democrat, that it is not necessarily being used well. >> czars have become a big issue, also, the radical appointments. hold dren and van jones, for example. let's roll some tape. >> jobs for urban youth, giving urban youth meaningful, dignified pathways out of poverty. this is not just consumer choices for the affluent, it's about jobs and health for the poor people, job opportunities for the poor people. >> how are the republicans able to put things through when they have less than 60 senators, but somehow we can't? >> well, the answer to that is they're [bleep] holes. >> give them the wealth, give them the wealth, give them the dignity. sean: how many of you think that there's been too many radical appointments by the president? wow, almost everybody. >>he's appointing czars to get around the senate approval process. sean: so that's part of a method to get more radical people that otherwise would not have been confirmed? >> it wouldn't have made it through confirmation. a lot of these wouldn't have made it through. >> aren't you guys a little concerned about the tone of the political discourse in this country? you're not concerned? >> no, we have to call everything out that's doing, otherwise, he's just going to continue. he's doing a lot of things by himself that people don't even know about. >> but yelling at senators, yelling at congressmen, that kind of language? >> people feel disenfranchised and they do not feel that they have a voice, and the common man has stood up -- maybe not common to some people -- and said, enough is enough. you're going to hear me. >> he disagrees. >> we lived through them yelling for bush for eight years, including making a movie, "kill the president." sean: doesn't make it right. why do you disagree? >> you guys give too simplistic answers to very hard questions, and it makes polarization, left, right, contest, liberal. >> so you think obama has been fair? >> no, i don't. >> you don't? >> because you keep raising the socialist issue. it's not about wealth redistribution. there are people who haven't been born into the right families, who got the opportunities that you and i did. >> my grandparents came here with no money, nothing, zip. >> i need to correct this. how many of you by show of hands think this hour has been fair? i want to show the wide shot. almost everyone, including almost every obama person. sean: let's go to one other thing of controversy that came up this year. you remember the infamous beer summit? the president once suggested to a lady in an interview, why don't you have a beer with sean hannity? mr. president, my offer continues throughout 2010. and in the spirit of spreading the wealth, i will pay. let's reminds you of the beer summit. >> the cambridge police acted stupidly. i notice this has been called the beer summit. it's a clever term, but this is not a summit, guys, this is three folks having a drink at the end of the day. >> what you had today was two gentlemen agree to disagree on a particular issue. i don't think that we spent too much time dwelling on the past. >> 20 seconds. acted stupidly? what did you think of -- >> he never said anything about fort hood. he did not intervene in fort hood. >> he was the one who acted stupidly when he commented about that. >> he rushed on judgment at fort hood and he rushed to judgment at cambridge. sean: we appreciate you all being here tonight. thank you. [applause] now it's time for us to reveal our number one most outrageous video of the year, and it comes from none other than our good friend, vice president biden, wanting the americans to stay away from public transportation. >> i would tell members of my family -- and i have -- i wouldn't go anywhere in confined places now. it's not that it's going to mexico. it's you're in a confined aircraft. when one person sneezes, it goes all through the aircraft. that's me. i would not be at this point, if i had another form of transportation, suggesting to ride the subway. >> that was about h1n1. and theryo