Over-the-top rhetoric and rage from lefty talker Ed Schultz yesterday in responding to McCain robocalls criticizing Barack Obama's ties to '60s radical William Ayers, Congresswoman Michele Bachmann's call to investigate members of Congress who are not "pro-American" and Congressman Robin Hayes saying "liberals hate real Americans." Here's what Schultz had to say, referring to Republicans --SCHULTZ: They hate Democrats. They hate liberals. They actually, I think they want a civil war. I really do, I think they want a civil war.
Not surprisingly, one of Schultz's listeners challenged him on this within the hour, a man named "Rodney" from Marshall, N.C., who described himself as liberal and an Obama supporter. Schultz, having spent most of yesterday's show condemning what he perceived as "vile" Republican rhetoric, was volcanic in his angry intolerance of the caller's criticism. What follows is a transcript of the exchange --
CALLER: I'm going to have to call you out on what your response was to Congressman (Robin) Hayes, who I do not know. I live in western North Carolina
close to Asheville, I hope to see you next Wednesday night. But we cannot accomplish getting Barack Obama elected in this coming election by stooping to the level of some of the other talk show hosts. And when you came back with your comment concerning Representative Hayes a while ago and making fun of his accent, talking about that you think they want to start a civil war, I think you're taking a chance of alienating a lot of folks that are still on the fence down here in North Carolina and Obama needs North Carolina. We can't stoop to their level.
SCHULTZ: Well, first of all, Rodney, you have your opinion and I have mine. The conservative movement in this country, in my opinion, completely out of material and now in the arena of being vile. For a United States congressman to claim that there actually is a political movement in this country known as liberals that hate real Americans, now Rodney, if you want to let that go, fine.
CALLER: (crosstalk) No, I don't want to let it go, Ed, I did not say that at all. I am a liberal, I am a supporter, but there are a lot of people that are going to respond to your ...
SCHULTZ: Well let 'em freakin' respond to it! Rodney, Rodney, let them respond to it! Let 'em respond to it! Come to the freakin' town hall meeting and respond to it! I'm not apologizing!
CALLER: I'm not, well, I guess ..
SCHULTZ: God! I mean, it amazes me, it absolutely amazes me how many experts there are out there in talk radio! You can't say this because this might happen. You can't say that because that might happen. You can't do any of that because that might happen. You know what something, Rodney? You don't know your ass from third base!
CALLER: Wait a minute now, Ed ...
SCHULTZ: No, no, no, wait a minute, you don't! How do you, what do you know what to talk about?!
CALLER: What do I know what to talk about ...?
SCHULTZ: What do you, how do you know what to talk about?! How do you know what strikes the passion of the people? Have you traveled the country? Have you talked to people in market after market? Have you looked in their eyes and seen the frustration with the conservative movement in this country?
CALLER: OK, but when you start doing things that take away from ...
SCHULTZ: That's your freakin' opinion!
CALLER: Well, and evidently you have a very strong one, but I'm concerned about your ...
SCHULTZ: Well, you shouldn't be concerned about it, Rodney! Why don't you just get off your ass and start working!
CALLER: (crosstalk) ... in North Carolina for the first time in a presidential race, it could be a very important part of this campaign, and the success of this campaign. That's my concern. It's not defending Robin Hayes. It's despicable what he said, I'm embarrassed by it.
SCHULTZ: Well, why didn't you start out with that? But instead it's an attack on me (crosstalk) I mean, you started this, Rodney, I can't deal with you, you don't want a conversation. You don't want a conversation. You want to be put on automatic pilot, so I tell you what I'm going to do, I'm going to turn the show over to you for a minute and you'll have the final word.
CALLER: OK. Well then I'll say, I'll probably speak to you on Wednesday night in Ashville (N.C., where Schultz will moderate town hall forum) and in the meantime, I hope that everybody will take a deep breath, walk slowly, drink plenty of ice water and be careful when they're responding to a negative comment so that we don't do more damage than we do good. We've got a chance to win North Carolina for Obama. There are a lot of conservatives, evangelicals, Southern Baptists, Democrats in this state that for the first time are ready to vote for a Democrat and give Obama a chance to win North Carolina. And I want us all to be careful that we don't ruin it by responding to one person's very stupid comments, of Rep. Hayes who I don't know ...
SCHULTZ: Now Rodney, now I've given you a minute, I've given you a minute. Now is it OK if I talk now?
CALLER: Yeah, Ed.
SCHULTZ: OK, goodbye. We're right back on the Ed Schultz show (cut to commercials).
What's most amusing about the bellicose Schultz is that he petulantly walked off the set of Fox News on Friday morning. Why? Because, as he described it on Monday's show, "I don't want to be interrupted." Kinda like Schultz did repeatedly with a caller possessing the gall to criticize "Big Ed."
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