Minor fracas involving Bill O’Reilly at Obama event…
The Chicago Sun-Times’ Lynn Sweet blogs about a minor kerfuffle between Bill O’Reilly and someone on Barack Obama’s staff…
Fox News host Bill O’Reilly got into a confrontation with an Obama aide after O’Reilly started screaming at him as he tried to get Barack Obama’s attention following a rally here. O’Reilly eventually did chat briefly with Obama and asked him to be a guest on his show.
The incident was triggered when O’Reilly–with a Fox News crew shooting–was screaming at Obama National Trip Director Marvin Nicholson “Move” so he could get Obama’s attention, according to several eyewitnesses. “O’Reilly was yelling at him, yelling at his face,” a photographer shooting the scene said.
ICN heard that an O’Reilly camera crew was being blocked which was the reason for the initial confrontation — O’Reilly was in the ropeline and someone tried to block his shot. After the incident, Senator Obama spoke with O’Reilly for about a minute and said that he would be a guest on the Factor at some point — the exchange was cordial.
At 3pm O’Reilly talked with Brian Wilson by phone about this…(video via Johnny Dollar)
Update: The New York Times’ Jeff Zeleny blogs that there are photographs showing that the Secret Service did get involved…
Photographs of the incident show that Secret Service agents intervened after Mr. O’Reilly pushed Mr. Nicholson.
Update 2: Slate’s John Dickerson tailed O’Reilly at the event apparently on the hunch that something might go down (or so he says anyways)…
O’Reilly took up a position along the narrow column by the doorway created for Obama’s departure. The press really isn’t supposed to line up against the steel barriers that protect the candidate from the crush of the crowd but it’s not an ironclad rule. We all break it from time to time covering the news. With his camera crew behind him and the sound boom overhead, O’Reilly waited to grab the senator on his way out the door. I had been watching him since his arrival (his group had bumped into me at one of the two press platforms), and I followed him to watch the spectacle it was certain he would create.
At first, the railing where O’Reilly stood wasn’t very populated. Then, as the Obama team saw who was laying in wait, they started to huddle. Staffers started to arrive at the scene. Three policemen showed up, too. One of them stood in front of O’Reilly until O’Reilly asked him to move. One of Obama’s staffers Marvin Nicholson, took up the same post, standing in front of the Fox camera as Obama neared the door.
“You’re blocking our shot,” yelled O’Reilly.
“Oh, am I?” asked the Obama staffer, not entirely sincerely and not moving.
This is not a new trick. When staffers block you because you’re being too aggressive, the standard thing to do is give them a little business and then move to another spot. O’Reilly didn’t do this. He shoved the Obama aide. There was an exchange and a little more shoving. I didn’t fully capture because as I looked at O’Reilly in his black leather Fox jacket, which resembled the kind we wore during football season in high school, I swore I could hear him challenge the staffer to a rumble out by the drive-in.
Update 3: O’Reilly was also at a Hillary Clinton event. USA Today’s Mark Memmott and Jill Lawrence have that story…
When everyone was seated, Clinton quickly moved to questions. Her first questioner said Bill O’Reilly, the Fox News personality, wanted to know her plan for removing troops from Iraq.
“Bill O’Reilly! How are you?” Clinton greeted him with a big grin. The audience booed, but she interrupted.:”You gotta give him points for courage.”
The Democrats are going to have to get over the big scare of
all things Fox if they want the big job. Because in the world we live in today there are a lot of people more frightening than Bill O’Reilly. And they have wepons not
cameras.
Comment by Liz — January 5, 2008 @ 3:41 pm
I believe the following from the Drudge Link until I see video showing otherwise:
Secret Service agents who were nearby flanked O ‘Reilly after he pushed Nicholson. They told O’Reilly he needed to calm down and get behind the fence-like barricade that contained the press.
Liz, don’t mistake fear for contempt. They don’t want your vote, they don’t need your vote and they don’t ask for your vote.
Comment by elmonica — January 5, 2008 @ 3:53 pm
First I have been voting since 1968 and nobody “gets” my vote they have to earn it. Bill is pushy but
it’s fear and comtempt that keeps the Democrats away from
Fox and they are missing the boat because I like many others
don’t see anyone that I would vote for now. What would being on camera hurt, don’t you want free TV time?
Comment by Liz — January 5, 2008 @ 4:04 pm
It will be interesting to see the video on Monday. O’Reilly has a fair point if indeed the 6′5″ guy he was talking about was repeatedly blocking the camera shot (do they stand in front of cell phone cameras too?). Perhaps O’Reilly went too far in “removing” the guy, but the video should tell the tale…just as long as it isn’t edited to make one side look right.
Sounds like, in the end, it worked out as Obama gave O’Reilly time to ask his question.
Comment by FishOil — January 5, 2008 @ 4:09 pm
Bill O’Reilly doesn’t want to interview Obama, but debate him. That is not his role, and especially it is not when he controls the cameras, the microphones, and the setting, and has a history of disrespecting people he disagrees with.
Obama should never go on the Factor and I hope he never does. As for BOR’s audience, who gives a $#!+ about them? They aren’t voting for him anyway.
Comment by elmonica — January 5, 2008 @ 4:13 pm
BO should be arrested at once! NO BOND!
Comment by Terance — January 5, 2008 @ 4:20 pm
I loved that Slate article Spud linked to. Makes we wish I had been there.
Comment by elmonica — January 5, 2008 @ 4:49 pm
Too bad this fracas happened on a Saturday. Now I have to wait until Monday to see BOR get his Worst Person award.
Comment by elmonica — January 5, 2008 @ 5:27 pm
Elmonica, I guess it’s not fascism or bullying when Liberal nutjobs do it at Republican event. The Demcorats have no one to blame but themselves if they don’t win the White House in 2008 because they won’t appear on Fox News…
Comment by ZoneDaiatlas — January 5, 2008 @ 5:53 pm
Bill O’Reilly acting like a spoiled, entitled brat? Say it ain’t so!
Comment by Arthur — January 5, 2008 @ 5:59 pm
“Bill O’Reilly! How are you?” Clinton greeted him with a big grin. The audience booed, but she interrupted.:”You gotta give him points for courage.”
Give him points for courage? While many people of you (elmonica et al) hate O’Reilly, one thing he’s never been accused of lacking courage. What is Hillary thinking?
While I know I would NEVER vote for Hillary in a million years, her condescension toward O’Reilly on the question he asked re: the war was just disgusting. He tracked her down at the meeting because she won’t appear on his program, and until only recently (”Cackle Sunday”, a few weeks ago) did she let ANYONE from the media question her in any way.
Comment by Missy — January 5, 2008 @ 5:59 pm
Edited to remove errors:
Give him points for courage? While many of you (elmonica et al) hate O’Reilly, one thing he’s never been accused of is lacking courage. What is Hillary thinking?
Sorry for the errors; I’m fervently trying to defend Bill-O.
Comment by Missy — January 5, 2008 @ 6:02 pm
The Demcorats have no one to blame but themselves if they don’t win the White House in 2008 because they won’t appear on Fox News…
Ah, the fantasy emerges…
Comment by Arthur — January 5, 2008 @ 6:02 pm
And of course Bill O’Reilly will get the “Worst Person” award. We’re talking about Keith Olbermann the biggest hypocrite and liar on cable tv. Does anyone remember this video clip that Keith Olbermann admits being “ANTI-AMERICAN”?
http://youtube.com/watch?v=IOWBnkaitd8
Comment by ZoneDaiatlas — January 5, 2008 @ 6:05 pm
Something goofy has been going on with the links recently.
Comment by elmonica — January 5, 2008 @ 6:08 pm
Missy - Clinton doesn’t appear (much) on Fox News. She does every single other news show all the time. So yes, she lets people from the other media question her all the time. But I am not surprised that you think she doesn’t appear all the time - O’Reilly falsely reports that the Dems won’t show up for questioning, particularly Obama, all the time. They are actually on he air all the time - not just on Fox.
Comment by Steve — January 5, 2008 @ 6:09 pm
This is a test. If the link below is grey and unclickable means something was changed - maybe during the pop-up fix:
http://www.cnn.com/
Comment by elmonica — January 5, 2008 @ 6:15 pm
just like fbn no one has been talking about it now cause no on has been talking about billo he had to do somthing so people would tune in to his show come monday…
and dont bs me and say he wasent because thats what billo does i bet anyone on this blog there will be a promo for the factor
“hyping” billos thoughts about this encounter what a damn joke an everyone one on here is going all out to defend this nutjob
i would hold ko to the same site if he did this to a rep canidate, anyone who goes on
GET OVER YOURSELF stop pounding on your keybords and relax!
Comment by Don — January 5, 2008 @ 6:17 pm
Just what we need, another straw man for one of the most important primaries for the Dems (ok, ok, since 2004). Well, at least Keith Olbermann will give Obama some “Fair & Balanced” coverage now.
Comment by untitled — January 5, 2008 @ 6:31 pm
“Secret Service agents intervened after Mr. O’Reilly pushed Mr. Nicholson” to bad he wasent muzzled after this stint
Comment by Don — January 5, 2008 @ 7:20 pm
What a pompous, arrogant SOB BO is. Somewhere in his head, he truly believes that this is all about him, his show, his ego, his point-of-view. It’s borderline scary as to how important he thinks he is, and the sense of entitlement that results. And once again, he will get away with it along with better-than-average ratings, as he promotes the incident for his own show. I hope Obama has the sense to *never* appear on his show after this altercation.
Comment by J — January 5, 2008 @ 11:10 pm
Bunch of liars over at Fox News.
Comment by randy — January 6, 2008 @ 12:18 pm