Hannity and Dunn exchange brickbats

A national talk radio host blasted one of Utah's top Democratic leaders on the air Tuesday.

Sean Hannity invited Utah Democratic Party Chairman Donald Dunn on the radio after Dunn made some disparaging comments in a local newspaper Tuesday. And the two went back and forth in a heated conversation about Dunn's comments.

"He's very divisive. I think he's very short-sighted in what he talks about," Dunn said in Tuesday's Salt Lake Tribune. "Sean is a pimp for the GOP, and he cares about selling books and money."

Hannity then invited Dunn on stage to continue the debate at his national book tour stop in Salt Lake City, scheduled for tonight.

Dunn declined the offer but said he might reconsider if Hannity split the proceeds with the local Democrats.

He said Hannity is just "promoting his new book, creating high ratings and making a lot of money," something Dunn said he wants no part of.

"I bet he doesn't show up, he's a gutless wonder," Hannity said Tuesday on his radio show, heard locally on KSL 1160.

Hannity will appear at Abravanel Hall at 7 p.m. to promote his latest book, "Deliver Us From Evil: Defeating Terrorism, Despotism and Liberalism."

Hannity also is scheduled to announce this year's Stadium of Fire entertainment lineup and sponsors at a noon press conference at KSL Broadcast House.

A handful of Utahns were in a tizzy last year after organizers of Provo's annual Fourth of July bash, held at LaVell Edwards Stadium on the Brigham Young University campus, announced the hard-hitting conservative would be hosting the Stadium of Fire event. But a huge crowd muted all of his critics, and Hannity was invited back to emcee again this summer.

Dunn said Hannity was trying to lure him into a verbal fight — something he refused to do.

"He likes to talk loud and try to drown out people, and I wasn't going to take his bait and play his game," Dunn said.

Hannity said he was just defending himself from Dunn's published attacks.

"I didn't attack him, he attacked me," Hannity said. "He called me names, and I defended myself."

Dunn said he stands by his earlier published comments.

"I still believe that Sean Hannity is a lackey for the GOP," Dunn said. "His show is to talk radio what the National Enquirer is to print media."

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E-mail: ldethman@desnews.com