Incredible

I wasn't really going to get into this but it's gone too far.

I saw a report regarding the war between MSNBC's Keith Olbermann and Fox's (and my favorite) Bill O'Reilly. How this started was Bill O'Reilly started a petition to get Kieth Olbermann fired and Phil Donohue re-hired at MSNBC for the simple reason Donohue is conservative and Olbermann is liberal and Olberman often rates Bill O'Reilly as the worst person in the world in one of his segments. Now nevermind when Donohue was on MSNBC originally his ratings were lucky to be 0.0 if I recall so he was fired for those reasons.

Now what happened was a caller called into Bill O'Reilly's radio last week saying that he liked Keith Olbermann's show and right then O'Reilly hit the dump button and dropped the call. He later threatened the called by sending "fox security" on him. The reason I didn't really bring this up is I just thought O'Reilly was being his usual idiotic self.

I'd like to, courtesy of media maters, give the original exchange then Keith Olbermann had the caller on and report on the aftermath.

O'REILLY: Orlando, Florida -- Mike, go.

CALLER: Hey, Bill, I appreciate you taking my call.

O'REILLY: Sure.

CALLER: I like to listen to you during the day. I think Keith Olbermann's show --

O'REILLY: There you go. Mike is -- he's a gone guy. You know, we have this -- we have your phone numbers, by the way. So, if you're listening, Mike, we have your phone number, and we're going to turn it over to Fox security, and you'll be getting a little visit.

E.D. HILL (co-host): Maybe Mike is from the mothership.

O'REILLY: No, maybe Mike is going to get in big trouble, because we are not going to play around. When you call us, ladies and gentlemen, just so you know, we do have your phone number. And if you say anything untoward, obscene, or anything like that, Fox security then will contact your local authorities, and you will be held accountable. Fair?

HILL: That's fair.

O'REILLY: So, just, all you guys who do this kind of a thing -- you know, I know some shock jocks, whatever, you will be held accountable. Believe it. We'll be right back.


Now here is the caller on the Keith Olbermann show on MSNBC:

OLBERMANN: And then there is the real Fox News security, which, as the big giant head himself promised, would be calling Mike from Orlando. Last Friday, it actually happened. Fox News security left this message on his answering machine.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE [audio clip]: My name is Tony [name & phone number deleted], from Fox News security. I was wondering if you could give me a phone call? I'd appreciate it. So long. See you.

OLBERMANN: He did not swear there, by the way. We bleeped his last name and his phone number for his own protection. And speaking of his own protection, joining me now is so-called Mike from Orlando whose name is actually Mick, we're withholding his last name to protect his identity. And obviously, that's not bad lighting, we're obscuring that picture deliberately. Good evening to you, sir.

"MICK": Hi, Keith, how are you doing?

OLBERMANN: Tell us what you -- what you said on that call to Mr. O'Reilly that we never got a chance to hear.

"MICK": Well, what I said was: "Hey, Bill, thanks for taking my call. I like to listen to you in the afternoons because Keith Olbermann has the best show at 8 o'clock. Why are you always smearing him?"

OLBERMANN: That was it. There was no swearing? There was no --

"MICK": Nothing.

OLBERMANN: Wow. And why did you -- why did you call?

"MICK": Well, there's a -- you may or may not be aware of it. There's actually a petition up on Bill O'Reilly's website trying to get you fired.

OLBERMANN: Yeah, we heard a little something about that.

"MICK": There's' a website, it's www.callingallwingnuts.com, that has basically said that both sides should be heard. And if Bill O'Reilly wants to try and get you kicked off the air, well, then I think we have the right to call Bill O'Reilly and say that that's not a very good idea, because we like you.

OLBERMANN: Well, thank you for that. What do you do for a living, by the way? Can you tell us that without giving away too much of your identity?

"MICK": Well, I can say hi to my students at Fairview and leave it at that.

OLBERMANN: So, you're a teacher at some school somewhere in America.

"MICK": Something like that.

OLBERMANN: The Fox News security guy who left you a message, did you call him back?

"MICK": No, I didn't, actually. He called on Friday evening [March 3], and I was actually out. And I missed your segment Friday evening as well, and I actually did not even hear about this until Sunday [March 5], when my wife alerted me that there was actually a voicemail message for me.

OLBERMANN: But you know of others who have been called by someone identifying themselves as Fox News security?

"MICK": Correct. The www.callingallwingnuts.com, there were several people -- we decided that we were going to call Bill O'Reilly's show, and we all agreed we were going to be polite, nice, but just voice our opinion, that we disagreed with what he was saying, what he was trying to do. And another caller did manage to get through. She did say your name on the air and she said, 15 minutes later, her cell phone rang. She was actually in the car with her daughter, and it was the gentleman who identified himself on my answering machine; and he was with Fox security. And she actually was reduced to tears, she was so concerned. Her daughter was in the car.

OLBERMANN: I've had a lot of perverse fun with this, but honestly, even if that were, I don't know, [talk show radio host] Rachel Maddow, or another liberal on the air threatening callers, it makes me shiver for the democracy. Mick, alias Mike from Orlando, thanks for putting yourself at such great personal risk from the -- also now from the Fox security video squad by joining us here tonight.

"MICK": All right. Thanks, Keith. Thank you very much.

OLBERMANN: Thank you, sir. Stay safe.

"MICK": OK.


Now think about this. You call a talk show, try to get a conversation going, he cuts you off gives your number to security and tries to intimidate the caller? That sounds like the old USSR. But then again it's O'Reilly.