The Media Research Center has withdrawn its choice of Sean Hannity to receive the prestigious William F. Buckley Award for Media Excellence at a gala on September 21. The explanation given was "scheduling conflicts" that would prevent Hannity from attending.  But according to this report by CNN Money, the family of the late conservative intellectual strenuously objected to the choice of Hannity and requested that his name be withdrawn. Buckley, the founder of the National Review, who died in 2008, was hailed in his day as "arguably the most important public intellectual in the United States." Giving an award in his name to Hannity – a pugnacious talk radio host who has shared conspiracy theories on his popular cable news show – had caused hand wringing among some conservatives. It also caused distress among Buckley's family – in particular his only child, best-selling author Christopher Buckley. A source familiar...(Read Full Post)