Hate talk from the heartland
Ed Schultz is the Fargo-based left-wing radio talk show host who was at one time a Republican. He touts himself as providing straight talk from the heartland. Over the weekend he was at the bar of the venerable Shoreham Hotel in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota when a visitor (who thought he was still a Republican) introduced him to her cousin visiting from California, a prominent businessman and Republican. Before long Schultz was, by his own account, in a shoving match with him. Why? The Fargo Forum explains:
The conversation went sour when Nagle said he respects Joe Lieberman, the Independent Democratic senator from Connecticut known for supporting the Iraq war.I infer from the story that Schultz inititated physical contact with Nagle, though Schultz describes it as "harmless shoving." By my reading of the story Schultz comes off as a bully. According to the Forum: "[Schultz] did not return a Wednesday phone call seeking a response to Nagle’s side of the story." He apparently prefers to do the talking into a microphone where he controls the conversation.Nagle said Schultz said he doesn’t like Lieberman, and then commented that if Nagle felt so strongly about the war, his family should go over and fight in it.
The daughter of Nagle’s fiancee serves in the Army and may soon go to Iraq. His fiancee’s son-in-law has served in Iraq.
“It was at that time that Mr. Schultz completely lost control, in my opinion,” Nagle said. “He became enraged, and then our interactions became far less civil.”
Schultz said the woman with Nagle addressed Schultz’s wife with profanity.
“If someone comes up to you in public and calls your wife (references to expletives), what are you going to do?”
Schultz said he engaged in harmless shoving with Nagle, whom he never named on his radio shows. Schultz said he knew if he hit the man, he could be arrested, which could sink his professional career.
“That’s in my contract. I can’t be arrested,” Schultz said. “Am I now the target? I’m against the war. I think Bush is a fraud.”
Nagle said his fiancee, who he didn’t want to name, was responding to what she heard said about Iraq.
“Obviously, you’re going to become very defensive,” he said. “That’s her family. That’s my future family.”
Nagle said as he and his fiancee were trying to leave the bar, Schultz moved toward him with his fist cocked, as if to threaten a punch.
“Fortunately my fiancee stepped in front of him right at the last second and blocked the physical interaction,” Nagle said.
Mr. Nagle himself describes his unpleasantly close encounter with Schultz somewhat more graphically:
[Schultz] told me he "hated f****** far right Republicans and threatened me. At this time, the crowd and restaurant security started to take control. I told them that this is not what life is about and was shocked at the actions of a supposed legitimate Talk Show Host and we would leave. Someone from the hotel or Mr. Schultz's party grabbed both of my arms and pulled them behind me as Mr. Schultz ran toward me with his fists cocked behind his head and ready to hit me face on. Fortunately, my fiance stepped in front of him at the last minute to block the physical interaction and his fist grazed me (and her). It was mayhem.Rob Port spoke with Mr. Nagle yesterday and has more on Ed Schultz's bar fight. Yesterday on his nationally syndicated show "Big Eddie," as he refers to himself on his site, opened the third hour of his show "with a story about how he and Wendy being [sic] verbally attacked in a bar by a right wing contributor." I wonder if Schultz's on-air story included any discussion of Schultz's physical attack. Schultz in any event apparently gave out Mr. Nagle's business telephone number to his national audience and overloaded the business telephone system. Classy. Perhaps the owner of Schultz's Fargo outlet at KFGO should hear from a few of Mr. Nagle's friends and supporters. The owner of the station in Fargo that employs Schultz and broadcasts him locally is Jim Ingstad (email: JIngstad@RadioFargoMoorhead.com).
UPDATE: Ian Schwartz writes: "Saw your post on Schultz. Just wanted to let you know -- here is the audio of Schultz REPEATEDLY (and purposely) reading the phone number."
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