on the post-game show shortly. i am bill o'reilly. i am bill o'reilly. sean: tonight -- >> the discussion is not over. the debate is not over. sean: watch out, america. democrats will not compromise. they could resort to tricks to ram their health care bill down your throat. new details on david axelrod and the media firms cashing in on the push for nanny state health care. say goodbye to cash for clunkers. >an exclusive report on the terrorists who keep americans hostage. plus, michael steele and much more. "hannity" starts now. americans have united against government-run health care.

democrats are scrambling for a second plan. declaring all out war in the senate. harry reid might soon decide to split the health care bill into two parts. one would contain less controversial measures like regulations on insurance companies. this bill would receive at least the 60 votes needed to pass it. the second half of the bill would contain the reckless budget details of the plan and the government auction. with virtually no republican support, democrats might use reconciliation to pass it. they would need only 51 votes to push this through. when asked about the possibility of these measures, a spokesman said, "we are determined to get something done this year by any legislative means necessary." democrats are willing to turn their backs on the american people who put them in office.

are they really that stupid? joining me is the chairman of the republican national committee. michael steele is back. welcome back to the program. "by any means necessary." does this mean that the will of the american people, as evidenced by every credible poll, means nothing to them? >> when has it ever mattered? this administration came in with an agenda and they are executing it. we have talked about, and you have pressed on this show, the fact that the leadership has already talked about incrementalism. we will come back to this piece later. we will go where we need to go. if it means the nuclear option, it means a nuclear option. bring it on. you have 60 seats in the senate. you have a 78-seat majority in the house.

where are the machinations? just do it. put it on the table and come back home to places like arkansas and explain to the people why you ignored their wishes. sean: it is not the republicans. they have the votes in the senate. they have the white house. the question is, why do they feel they do not have been a democrat? it seems like their problem is within their own rank here. >> exactly. the problem is within the democratic party. you have blue dogs who play it conservative here at home but now have to be a lap dog in washington to nancy pelosi, who is dictating terms that they have to swallow and try to explain. they are trying to push back a little bit and make noise. the reality is that they have the votes. the american people are coming out in droves to express directly to elected officials, we want this to slow down. we want you to pay attention to what we want.

we want a doctor-patient oriented health care strategy, not a government-focused strategy. sean: the president on this conference call with a number of religious leaders used harsh language. he talked about those of us that oppose obamacare as "bearing false witness," urging them to speak the truth. he said, "i am my brother's keeper." he said that this is a moral and ethical obligation. if the president uses it in that moral light and thinks he is morally superior in his views, that tells me he will not stop anything. >> i find that to be disingenuous, bringing faith leaders into a conference call to talk to them about supporting a bill that would allow for the government to pay for the abortion of babies, to talk to them about supporting a bill that at best raises the

question about end of like decisions -- and of life decisions. i found that to be disingenuous. the pastors i spoke to at a roundtable here in in arkansas tonight looked me in the eye and said it makes it very difficult for him to believe he has to sell something that he knows is not comprehensible. sean: via -- the white house has done some focus groups and some polling. the president says "health insurance reform," it is not " health care reform." they keep using republican words like "choice." it will not be a government auction. it will be a "co-op." is any of this real? are they changing anything? is this like a madison avenue media campaign? >> it is a madison avenue media campaign. they are trying to repackage

damaged goods. they have to put this thing in the best light. they want to get something done. they do not want to come home in december, at the end of this first part of the term, with nothing. they have to deliver something for this president. some members are willing to move on this thing, but a whole lot are not. that is the package right now that the president is dealing with, trying to not just convince the faith-based community, but his own democrats to get behind the bill. sean: i want to ask you this. there's an article that talks about "the death books" for veterans. democrats denied the death penalty existed. among the many things, they show veterans at the hospitals, and a section says, have you ever heard anyone say, i am a

vegetable, pull the plug, i am a financial burden on my family, i am causing emotional damage to my family? that was eliminated in the bush years and brought back under president obama. is that the equivalent of a debt panel -- death panel? >> no one is laying out with clarity exactly what these panels are going to do. why do you need to insert yourself in those types of decisions to begin with? let me and my family worry about how we will manage the cost and what decisions we will make. the administration is rushing hard into this and that should tell people there are -- there is more to it than meets the eye. when democrats say, that is not in the bill, where does it use that term? ask yourself, is this an opportunity for the democrats? sean: the charge of the

democrats is simple. i have spoken to you in interviews many times. the republicans talk about tax credits for people who cannot afford insurance. they talk about reform so malpractice insurance will not be so high, medic 8 -- medical savings accounts, a variety of issues is discussed. why don't they talk about those? >> it is partly because we have the media that is slamming the coverage. i have said this from the very beginning. they have a vested interest in the success of this administration because they helped create. the reality for them is that this thing comes up on rocky shores. the whole story is not getting out there. your not having a full discussion about what republicans are bringing to the table. they do not talk about the fact that things are rejected in committee. we are there.

sean: there are many in the media that have a growing man crush on the president, but i have to tell you, our audience is engaged. they are concerned. we have some of the largest numbers we have had because people do not want this, but they are being diminished by their own government. >> that concerns a lot of people. that is why you are having the turnout. going into the fall, do not let up on the pressure. continue to talk to your representatives and make them understand what you want for your health care choices. sean: michael steele, thank you for being with us. coming up, more on the allegations that the president's top adviser is cashing in on the health-care debate. oliver north is here.

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sean: last night, we reported on a brewing scandal. new reports are coming out that the health care debate is making democrats very rich. akpd is a firm with close * to david axelrod. they have received more than $12 million to produce ads touting the health care plan. david axelrod joined the obama campaign after working for that firm. he is still owed $2 million. another from cashing in on the debate is known as gmmb. it employs several obama strategists. we have a columnist and kimberly guilfoyle to discuss this. good evening. first of all, david axelrod's

family is benefiting from this. the money is being sent over here. is this beyond the appearance of impropriety? >> what happened to "change you can believe in"? this guy is still owed $2 million. if they are not generating capital, how will they pay him the money that they owe him? it is basic. sean: this was written about. is axelrod cashing in on health care change? >> there is an interesting piece in "town hall." the question asked is not so much, will he make money, but is he violating federal law? we need to know more about this a tuition. there is a checklist that he would go through asking, if he did this come a violation, if he did this come a violation. this is potentially much bigger than campaign impropriety. sean: the first question he

asked, if axelrod has been negotiating any part of the deal involving these players, is there a conflict of interest? you are the lawyer. do we get into a legal issue? >> you do. if this was a past administration, the democrats would already be calling for a special prosecutor, saying this is outrageous, criminal conduct, there should be an investigation. i think it should be fully vetted. they are saying he did everything he could do to comply with the strict ethics standards. it does not seem that way. it seems obvious to me that there is some overlapping, networking, and relationships that are improper. it is all about the astroturfing for the obamacare legislation. >> axelrod should close all of this before he goes on a talk show to talk about health care. he should make that open and honest to the public.

i have been trying to find the real story. as the story that someone in the obama administration might have done something on toward -- untoward? there are multiple angles here. >> on this story the media has ignored, we have another report , you have henry waxman, another congressman, sending letters to insurance companies. they are basically trying to intimidate them. we want receipts about junkets you might have taken, but transportation you took, they want information about compensation for employees. at this particular moment in time, it seems they are trying to intimidate the insurance industry, which they have started to demonize. >> absolutely. there is hypocrisy in those two situations. wouldn't it be nice if we could all have the fix can wear any type of questionable activity

did not buy the rest? they are sleeping well. they are not answering the questions of americans and they are trying to ram health care that we cannot afford down our throats. people are mad. sean: this brings up the broader question of the handling of this, assaulting the american people and calling them names. they are changing the message. they keep saying "changing competition." now they are talking about co- ops. is this a marketing campaign? are they really thinking about changing? >> of course it is a marketing campaign. they are advertisers. they change the names of things. they slap on a colossae logo and think that will sell a smelly package. they did not count on the public not buying it. the american public sees right through it. you know what the worst part of it is? we do not have to look to the goings on behind the scenes.

they are doing this to our face. they are doing this shady stuff on health care to our face. >> it is insulting to the american people. sean: it is also not working. every credible poll shows this is failing. the question is, if they try this reconciliation process, which we were discussing, which is they try to bypass the normal procedures, what is the impact of that? >> they will not have any credibility left. that is the problem. i think they are spiraling down hill. people do not have the faith in this administration. sean: i do not think this debate is over. i think they are so committed to this holy grail of socialistic madison and redistribution of wealth, i think they will do anything to pass it. >> democrats say they will go against the will of the constituents to get this passed. they're doing it to our face.

sean: it could be tgood to see . thank you, as always our great american panelists straight ahead. straight ahead. ---- introducing the all new chevy equinox. with an epa estimated 32 miles per gallon. and up to 600 miles between fill ups. it's the most fuel efficient crossover on the highway. better than honda cr-v, toyota rav4 and even the ford escape hybrid. the all new chevy equinox. you know, a lot can happen in a year. life changes.

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sean: tonight on our great american panel, she is the washington editor for "fortune." nina easton is here. karen hanretty is with us. he is a cbs sports college football analyst and former nfl player. spencer tillman is back. thank you for being here. we have a change in strategy.

they will try to split the bill. democrats concluded they cannot get republicans to support this thing. we see people reacting. >> i think they made a crucial error in the president not doing what he does best. he is a great orator. no one does it better. sean: he read the teleprompter pretty good. >> they understand this is a huge problem there dealing with. there are keys to slating the problems. one of them is to test your weapon. he did not take the. on the issue -- the poitnt on the issue that was crucial. he needed to be more aware of what was in this plan and be more of a champion up front. sean: in this sense, i think he is right. he let nancy pelosi and harry reid take hold of this thing. the other thing is, how did they

not anticipate that there would be opposition to this? >> this whole notion that they changed strategies because republicans are not going to support the health care bill is absurd. you have democrats, moderate democrats and senators who have not support it. they said the public auction is a deal breaker. that was a month ago. this notion that all the sudden these town halls are going on and republicans do not like the bill, so now we will go it alone, but they realize they cannot get conservative democrats to come their way. sean: which is why they need reconciliation. they are not calling it the government option. they're calling it a co-op. if i hear them say "choice and competition" one more time -- it is market-tested language.

i am not sure they will be able to pull it off this time. i suspect there's more opposition than they think to this. >> hillarycare, this was going to be different. going back to your point, they were not going to do it behind closed doors like hillary did. the industry was at the table from the beginning. there was a sense that people were telling pollsters, we want you to reform health care. there was one number they underestimated. more than 80% of people like their health care the way it is. they were undermined by that. >> what is also clear, the lobbyists were at the table. i got through 230 pages of the bill and you could see the language. it was obscure. it was not focused, like most lawyers want it. they can take it in any direction they choose. in sports, you do not change strategy unless what you are doing is not working.

sean: i would agree with that. this seems unlike the president. he was disciplined during the campaign. when he starts getting on the phone with religious leaders accusing people of "bearing false witness" and how he needs you to speak the truth, am i allowed to bring reverend wright back up now? hannity talks a lot about that reverend wright guy. i found that shocking. we are bearing false witness. >> this is a man who is really reaching and grasping at straws right now. he is losing on the left. this man has been in office seven months and has not gotten one trophy to put on the mantel. gays in the military, did not do it. he has not closed the gitmo and

it will not be closed by the end of the year. he will not give them a public auction -- public option. >> he is trying to walk the line. sean: i think he has lost a lot. >> he is losing independents. sean: he is losing them. we have to take a break. much more with our great american panel. boss: come on in, i had some other things you can tell people about geico - great claims service and a 97% customer satisfaction rate. show people really trust us. gecko: yeah right, that makes sense. boss: trust is key when talking about geico. you gotta feel it. why don't you and i practice that with a little exercise where i fall backwards and you catch me. gecko: uh no sir, honestly... uh...i don't think...uh... boss: no, no. we can do this.

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sean: we continue with our great american panel. maybe some be -- maybe somebody can explain something to me. cash for clunkers, the dealers do not want any part of it. the post office is bankrupt. we know what the government did to freddie and fannie. we heard this from max baucus. social security insolvent in two years. medicare and medicaid, bankrupt. why does any american have any faith, hope, and trust with that track pack -- track record that the government can run health care? >> when you get involved in the conflicts, it does not run efficiently. you have two distinct relationships.

enter one person, say health care, insurers, those who are responsible. you have a with b and b with a. the more complex it gets, the less efficient they become a managing those relationships. that is why government does not need to be involved. >> look at what is happening with cash for clunkers. dealers are saying they are not getting reimbursed. guess what you can do if you had a government option? doctors could opt out. what do you do when doctors say, i am not getting reimbursed quickly enough? the government said they would do this and they are not doing it. i am opting out. what is the government going to do? >> in terms of patience, what we will see is more people losing their private plans and ending up on the public option. sean: they will lose tens of millions of people.

they will be forced into the government auctiono governmentption -- government option. >> the president said, let me tell you why you should not be concerned. it is a hard sell for him. he had faith in government all through the campaign last year. people looked to him. he was a charismatic figure. george bush was not popular. sean: let me ask you this. "canadian medical association" -- canadacare is imploding. women give birth -- a woman gives birth on the pavement in great britain because she could not have an ambulance. >> listen. i do not think the liberals want to pass government-run health care because they think it will be efficient. they want to pass it because they believe that government

should be involved in your personal health care decisions. this is about ideologies -- ideology. sean: we have been conditioned to think that the government will take care of all of our fears. what happened to the american spirit? you have to be responsible for your life. >> when you make government officials regulators, they will trade in halos for pitchforks. that is what is problematic. we cannot assume there will be efficient and do the right thing. if you look at the language of this bill, this is scary. i am not an attorney, but this language can become something totally other than what it was intended to be. that scares me. i am not the sharpest guy. it scares me. sean: let me tell you. there are provisions about not

being able to choose care, the death counseling, some of it is frightening. >> but if you do not think it is about ideology, there is no rational argument that it is about efficiency. sean: we are out of time. great panel. thank you. thank you. it can be tough living with copd... but i try not to let it slow me down. i go down to the pool for a swim... get out and dance... even play a little hide-n-seek. i'm breathing better... with spiriva. announcer: spiriva is the only once-daily inhaled maintenance treatment for both forms of copd... which includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema. i take it every day. it keeps my airways open... to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announcer: spiriva does not replace fast-acting inhalers for sudden symptoms. stop taking spiriva and call your doctor if your breathing suddenly worsens, your throat or tongue swells, you get hives,

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>> on some of the most dangerous terrorists are closer than you might think. oliver north goes south of the border to see one of them get brought to justice. >> a ferocious battle is raging in the jungle to the south of the u.s. border. it is narcoterrorism destined for streets. on one side, the colombian special police. on the other side, drug-running

terrorists from the revolutionary armed forces of colombia. it is a narco terror group born in the 1960's. we are in the highlands of coluombia. we had exclusive access to a terrorist. he is one of the top-10 leaders of the group. he has a penchant for taking hostages. >> he is one of the most prolific drug traffickers. let the viewer 13, 2003, four american civilians defense contractors and a soldier crash land in their territory. his fate becomes entwined with

theirs. >> he was cut to the bone. i had broken ribs. i had a fractured hip and internal injuries. >> things got a whole lot worse. >> we basically crashed right in the middle of their territory. upon opening the door to the airplane, they were one hill over, running toward us. >> the pilot and the intelligence specialist or murdered. the three others were forced to march into the jungle for the next 24 days straight. >> it was not long before the blisters rub off and we were down to rahm meet on our feet. every step was pained -- to raw meat on our feet. every step was painful. >> the hostages were kept constantly on the move. >> the military got close to us and we had to do marches. we called them death marches or

hunger marches. >> we were always inside the jungle. the john bull was very humid and dark and gloomy -- the jungle was very humid and dark and gloomy. >> we were on the run in the jungle for five and a half years. there are pink scars on my neck. those are scars from a human being being chained up like a dog. >> i lost 50 pounds. >> you would be all cut up, stung, dirty, sweaty, and every step was painful. >> living conditions were horrific. >> the camp was made up of sticks and vines. >> mark had a back problem. he tried to sleep on the ground. he slept under me. >> i kept a journal and i wrote in at almost every day.

i basically described my deterioration. >> when somebody brings a squad to execute you come and you hear someone on the radio waiting for the order to kill you, you are a father. we survived because we are americans. >> they demanded the hostages make a proof of live video. >> my companions did not want to speak and i understood that. they did not want to play the game. you have to communicate with your family after four years. i love you very much. the look on my face, i do not know if it was a loving look, staring into the eyes of the terrorist. >> after five and a half years of captivity, helicopters appeared overhead. >> that is when the guerrillas

were supposed to massacre us. they came with a different attitude. they cannot with smiles and there were two helicopters flying low. >> the military conceived a bold plan after intercepting radio transmissions. colombians made fake orders to transport the hostages. >> we were told there were 15 hostages. some more police and some wore army. there were some politicians. >> the door opened up and a group of humanitarian aid workers cannot. one of them was carrying a video camera. they rushed out and were interviewing them. >> a message was delivered. >> there were screaming at me not to talk to the camera. i did not care.

i said, we are americans held hostage. this is where we are at. we are still alive. >> that was right across from where the commander was sitting. >> the supposed humanitarian aid workers lunged on the commanders. >> as soon as that helicopter lifted off, there was chaos. there were bodies, fists, everything was flying. >> we all kind of jump on them. >> everyone was saying, we are army. >> the leader was on the ground. >> we were free. >> three americans were greeted by their colleagues. there were taken on a plane and were finally headed home.

>> we were inside this gigantic air force cargo jet and it was amazing. >> to step on american soil again, to be home, to feel that love, i cannot put that into words. >> one year later, thanks to d a agents and commandos, that leader was headed to the u.s. in shackles to face justice for his crimes. >> a great sense of personal satisfaction. it is a great day for the united states. >> he is an example of what our real enemy is. he does not look like anything dangerous or anything scary. he is the worst of the worst. >> it is a very good thing he is out of the jungle. there's no rehabilitation for person like that. >> he has medical care. he has contact with his family. he has food. he sleeps in air-conditioning. he has clean sheets. he has a toilet. the people that have been held for almost 12 years would give

their right like to have the conditions that he has. never feel mercy on this animal, ever. sean: unbelievable. the entire ordeal was told in an amazing new book called "out of captivity." colonel oliver north joins us right now. good to be with you. >> it is a great story. five and half years in captivity these men went through this ordeal because of that terrorist organization. here is the thing. 11,000 human beings have been killed in mexico alone as a consequence of the cocaine coming out of colombia. most of it flows through mexico. 11,000 people. sean: it is a big problem. we have reported on this terrorist group before. tell us how badly these prisoners were treated. >> they went through a horrific

ordeal. what you see in their cap or is absolutely, cold-blooded, absolute cynicism. he gets brought back thanks to the dea, the remarkable special agents who tracked him down and rescue these guys in a daring operation. these guys brought him to justice. he was walked across the tarmac and he will face justice in america. sean: this was physical punishment and mental torture. >> never knowing when you are going to be free. i know this from some experience with other hostages. never knowing if you're going to be killed or ever set free is terrible. sean: we have a problem with a lot of these countries now. as i understand it, this terrorist group is still holding a number of people, dozens of people, hostages now. >> most of them are colombian nationals. some of them were liberated in

this operation. one policeman was held for 10 years. others have been : we will be watching. check out "war stories." that will air this saturday9:00n right here on the fox news channel. coming up, ainsley earhardt will give you a behind-the-scenes look at the concert this year. a clinically proven, low-dose tablet for erectile dysfunction you take every day so you can be ready anytime the moment is right. tell your doctor about your medical condition and all medications and ask if you're healthy enough for sexual activity. don't take cialis if you take nitrates for chest pain,

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sean: you have been hearing me talk about the freedom concerts'. we have had a sellout and every city. we had michael w. smith, lee

greenwood. we have rolled through houston, vegas, phoenix, new jersey. we will be in cincinnati and atlanta this weekend. net proceeds go to the scholarship fund for the children of slain soldiers or severely injured soldiers standing up for our freedom and fighting for this country. if he were not able to catch our show, we have our cameras. >> the freedom concert is on the air. >> hello, memphis. >> welcome to san diego.

[applause] >> we want to make sure everything goes right. >> ♪ >> the millions of dollars for the kids of those killed in the war, this will help support them. >> we are supporting the greatest men and women in the world. >> i am supporting the military, supporting my fellow conservatives. >> why are you here? >> this is a freedom concert and there are all of these freedom loving people out there. >> i want to express my gratitude for the people that are over their living their lives so we can do this. >> are you a veteran? >> yes, i am. i love what we stand for.

i don't like what has happened this country. people that have basic values, we need to come together and get strength from together. that is what these concerts' do. >> the devil went down to georgia and he was looking for a sold to steal. -- a soul to steal. ♪ ♪ >> my hats off >seato sean and everyone who put this together. this is a good cause to make sure that the children of our heroes are getting a college education. ♪

>> sounds like you are putting your dog on the bus. >> he has not been in show business. >> i would love to see inside. we are doing a behind-the-scenes tour. >> he is getting ready to be in show business. here he is. he is discardinjust gaurding. >> everyone on your feet, let's

go. >> ♪ i am proud to be an american where at least i know i am free ♪ >> we want everyone to know this is important. >> thank you all for coming out. god bless america. good night. sean: you had a good time. let me tell you, you have to go to the concert. and you will see sean hannity, not only does he get up on stage and talked, he dances, he sings. a great time. the crowds went wild. sean: it was a great concert for a great