O'Reilly vs Franken Hell in the Cell erupts

[Guest Jobber of the Week]

http://www.usatoday.com/life/books/news/20...book-expo_x.htm

 

Insults thrown, left and right

By Bob Minzesheimer, USA TODAY

LOS ANGELES — Bill O'Reilly, the conservative talk show host, first decried political commentators who "call people names." Then he called Al Franken, the liberal humorist, an "idiot."

Both were on a panel Saturday to discuss their new books at Book-Expo America, an annual convention for booksellers and publishers where authors are not known for shouting insults at each other.

 

But when the convention ended Sunday, the buzz was less about the hottest novels of the fall than the raucous debate between O'Reilly of Fox News, who has written Who's Looking Out for You?, and Franken, author of Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them: A Fair and Balanced Look at the Right.

 

Both will be published in September.

 

Unlike Ernest Hemingway's encounter with poet Wallace Stevens, no punches were thrown, but both men walked away without a handshake after Franken questioned O'Reilly's veracity and O'Reilly dismissed Franken as a "propagandist." During the shouting, the moderator, former congresswoman Pat Schroeder, asked whether anyone had a referee's whistle.

 

Franken's book cover pictures him in front of TV monitors showing President Bush, Vice President Cheney, commentator Ann Coulter and O'Reilly.

 

Schroeder said that, backstage, O'Reilly said his photo was used without permission. Franken said it was in the public domain. Later, O'Reilly said, "Fox lawyers will handle this."

 

Before the shouting, O'Reilly, who has written two best sellers, said his new book "takes on the powerful in a non-ideological way."

 

He said he's trying to "elevate the discourse" about politics. "I don't call anyone a liar or fat," which Franken did in his best seller, Rush Limbaugh Is a Big Fat Idiot and Other Observations.

 

When Franken exceeded his 15-minute limit, challenging O'Reilly's claims about a journalism award he said he'd won, tempers flared.

 

"This idiot has been going on for 35 minutes," O'Reilly said.

 

"Bill, this isn't your show," Franken replied.

 

O'Reilly called Franken "vicious" and said he was "blinded by ideology." The third member of the panel, Molly Ivins, author of Bushwacked, just shook her head.

 

One bookseller praised O'Reilly and Franken for "good entertainment" but warned that such debates were divisive.

 

"I can't bring people together," O'Reilly said. "My job is to rattle the cages. It's to put the bad guys on alert."

 

Franken said it's time for liberals "to stop taking it" and to call conservatives on their lack of civility.

 

That set off O'Reilly. "You write a book called Liar, Liar and you talk about civility. Unbelievable."

 

"That's not the title," Franken said, "but it's close."

 

As for calling Franken an idiot, O'Reilly told a reporter, "If I said it, I misspoke." Then he said, "I stand by my description."

 

C-SPAN2 plans to air the panel on Sunday at 5:30 p.m. ET/2:30 p.m. PT.

 

 

Idiot vs Idiot, it's like the worst matchup since HHH vs Nash. For more fun, check out this sound file or just reac the transcript below:

 

What this guy writes and says does not matter to me, other than, Mike, he insulted me in a forum where I was at a decided disadvantage, you know, he went over his time limit. It was very, very sneaky, and you know, as I said at the top of the broadcast, somebody calls you a liar to your face, you don't just laugh that off. That's an insult. In the old west, that woulda got you shot. See in the old west, and I woulda loved to have been in the old west, Al and I woulda just had a little, uh, a little shootout. You know? We woulda went out, on Wilshire Avenue, and uh, six shooters, now he's a much smaller target than I am, about four foot eleven, but he's wider, and it woulda been you know, Clint Eastwood time. I woulda had the cheroot, the serape, woulda given my squint, and I woulda put a bullet right between his head. Woulda been wrong, woulda been wrong, but it was the old west, and I would not have known any better, so I wouldn't have been held accountable because I would not have known any--now I do, now in 2003 that would have been wrong.

 

 

Can I get a WTF up in here?

[Guest JMA]

This should be entertaining. And by "entertaining" I mean painful to watch.

[Guest bob_barron]

Go Bill!

[Guest JMA]

Go Bill!

 

Is this because you're an O'Reilly fan or because Franken insulted you personally?

[Guest Hogan Made Wrestling]

Why is it attention starved media whores like these two (and everyone else of their ilk) seem to think that they each speak on behalf of a group of people, both 50 million+ in size.

[Guest JMA]

Why is it attention starved media whores like these two (and everyone else of their ilk) seem to think that they each speak on behalf of a group of people, both 50 million+ in size.

You answered your own question: They're media whores. It's as simple as that.

[Guest Dangerous A]

Franken and O'Reilly= media attention whores!!

[Guest Jobber of the Week]

Why is it attention starved media whores like these two (and everyone else of their ilk) seem to think that they each speak on behalf of a group of people, both 50 million+ in size.

I remember photoshopping a fake headline along the line of "Meda Whore Puts Foot In Mouth" or something a few O'Reilly threads ago.

 

Nothing greater than a guy from an expensive high falutin' university speaking out for the common man.

[Guest Hogan Made Wrestling]

That entire "debate" reads like a script written by Vince Russo.

[Guest bob_barron]

Go Bill!

 

Is this because you're an O'Reilly fan or because Franken insulted you personally?

Both.

 

I love Bill and hate Al- So of course I'm going to root for Bill.

 

Come on- are you gonna root for the guy who made Stuart Saves His Family?

[Guest JMA]

Come on- are you gonna root for the guy who made Stuart Saves His Family?

No, but I'm also not rooting for someone who thinks Fox News is "fair and balanced."

[Guest Jobber of the Week]

I love Bill and hate Al- So of course I'm going to root for Bill.

My arrogant prick is better than your arrogant prick!

 

 

(Note to say I'm just foolin' here, never read any of Franken's political commentary)

[Guest Vern Gagne]

O'Reilly was wise not to start anything. That Liberal Hoss Micheal Moore was at the expo. Franken and Moore could double teamed O'Reilly and if C-Span was any indication alot of liberal writers were at the expo. O'Reilly would of been in trouble.

[Guest Cancer Marney]

Bill O'Reilly is a loud bully and a bore, large-calibre crapshooter. His "show" has as much dignity, intellectual value, and authenticity as any "professional" wrestling match.

 

At least Al Franken doesn't take himself so seriously.

[Guest JMA]

Bill O'Reilly is a loud bully and a bore, large-calibre crapshooter. His "show" has as much dignity, intellectual value, and authenticity as any "professional" wrestling match.

 

At least Al Franken doesn't take himself so seriously.

Well said, Marney.

[Guest Jobber of the Week]

Bill O'Reilly is a loud bully and a bore, large-calibre crapshooter. His "show" has as much dignity, intellectual value, and authenticity as any "professional" wrestling match.

[Guest bob_barron]

I saw a story about it on Inside Edition. Franken sounds like the asshole here but this whole thing could've been a publicity stunt to help sell books.

[Guest Tyler McClelland]

watch it for yourself, i think it was quite watchable.

 

http://www.booktv.org/misc/BookExpo_053103.asp

[Guest Vyce]

O'Reilly > 8,000 Al Frankens (and more than a few Michael Moores)

[Guest bob_barron]

Molly Ivins was there? Yea- Bill was not in friendly territory.

 

I like Renee Zelwegger's Molly Ivins better

[Guest Tyler McClelland]

actually, after watching the whole thing, o'reilly made a huge jackass of himself several times. screaming at franken to shut up was rather tasteless.

[Guest JMA]

actually, after watching the whole thing, o'reilly made a huge jackass of himself several times. screaming at franken to shut up was rather tasteless.

Classic O'Reilly.

[Guest bob_barron]

Franken shouldn't have been such an asshole but I agree- O'Reilly should've kept his temper in check.

 

Am I the only one who thinks this could've been a work?

[Guest Tyler McClelland]

nah, cspan is pretty legit.

[Guest Jobber of the Week]

VERY classy and restrained how he started screaming "SHUT UP" (what happens on TV when he gets backed into a corner and can't get out, btw) and throwing insults. Even USA Today notices that he called Franken an idiot after going on about how he hates people who call people childish names.

 

O'Reilly didn't simply mis-speak. He denied having previously misspoken after even more previously apologizing for having claimed 3 times he won a peabodies, then he attacked Franken on his program over the issue. So basically Franken got up and busted his ass for about 18 minutes, which O'Reilly called 35 minutes(the time limit was 15), and called O'Reilly a liar (O'Reilly was already steamed about the new book's cover and is threatening to sue). So, when O'Reilly got up he did his "SHUT UP" bullhorn act on Franken, then called when Franken interrupted, O'Reilly called him an idiot.

[Guest Hogan Made Wrestling]

Am I the only one who thinks this could've been a work?

No you absolutely are not, I wouldn't put it these two to do such a thing at all. They have about as much credibility as Celebrity Boxing, and we all saw the Laurer vs. Buttafucco "fight".

[Guest Tyler McClelland]

also, o'reilly made the remarks after franken called him on the award. o'reilly had dumped on him earlier in the show as well, before franken had a chance to speak. he had it coming to him.

[Guest JMA]

Well, I'm glad someone FINALLY took O'Reilly down a peg or two. I don't care who did it, I'm just glad it happened. The guy is too much of an egomaniac. Plus, he surrounds himself with all those morons from Fox News.

[Guest bob_barron]

Yep- O'Reilly started it with his little jab so Franken went off on a rant on him. I got to admit- Franken can be pretty funny at times- I really enjoyed Why Not Me and Rush Limbaugh...

 

I think O'Reilly should've restrained himself here

[Guest Hogan Made Wrestling]

This will probably climax in a PPV debate promoted by Vince McMahon. The undercard can have Michael Moore vs. Rush Limbaugh in a jello pool match or something.