O'Reilly: I Shoved And Cursed Obama Staffer To "Uphold The Constitution"

UPDATE (via TPM): Bill O'Reilly is offering a rather high-flown explanation for the incident in which he shoved the Obama staffer in order to get access to the Illinois Senator during a rally in New Hampshire: He did it in the name of freedom...

..."I had no choice, ladies and gentlemen, but to uphold the Constitution," O'Reilly says, adding that his zeal to defend the "freedom of the press" explains why he went on to shove the Obama staffer, shout at him repeatedly, and call him a "son of a bitch."

Watch the video here.


UPDATE: Watch Huffington Post's Editor Roy Sekoff talk about O'Reilly's blow-up on Fox News:

Chicago Sun-Times' Lynn Sweet reports from New Hampshire:

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.

O'Reilly grabbed Nicholson's arm, said "move" and shoved him, another eyewitness said. Nicholson, who is 6'8 said O"Reilly called him "low class."

Secret Service agents came after O'Reilly pushed Nicholson and the agents flanked O'Reily.

Read more here.

UPDATE: John Amato has video of Bill O'Reilly's call into Fox News about the incident. "I gently had to remove him from that position. No scuffle, I just moved him from the spot.. I might have called him an SOB, that's possible, nothing more than that. No one on this earth is going block a shot on the O'Reilly Factor. It is not going to happen." Watch the video here.

Photos/video of the incident by Off the Bus correspondent Joshua Cinelli:

Hillary Clinton also tangled with O'Reilly today. Marc Ambinder reports:

Clinton took her first question from a woman who said that Bill O'Reilly, who stood about 40 feet away from Clinton's left, asked her about Clinton's troop withdrawal plan from Iraq.

"Bill O'Reilly!" Clinton said, gesturing to the talk show host.

The crowd started to jeer, but Clinton raised her hand: "Oh no, no no -- he gets at least some credit for being here."

And she launched into a five minute disquisition on Iraq.

Check out HuffPost's comprehensive on-the-ground New Hampshire coverage here.

Comments

[dwillisno1]

10:20 PM on 01/11/2008

As of last night Bill was still claiming that the Secret Service was not involved. I'm sure his fans will believe him.

[Roman777]

09:53 PM on 01/11/2008

O'Reilly is a Nazi propangandist gasbag and it's krap like him, Hannity, Coulter, and Kristol that lower the former proud American standard or at least what was once perceived....

[JTyroler]

02:33 AM on 01/11/2008

I hope that the person that Bill O'Really grabbed presses charges. Being an idiot with a cable show is ok, but assaulting people crosses the line. O'Really should be aware that there are consequences for your actions.

[Chubbster]

06:50 PM on 01/10/2008

Windbag

[Fathoms]

05:49 PM on 01/10/2008

Dear Bill,
Thank you for your herculean efforts on behalf of our Constitution. Your unswerving defense of our Nation's most cherished values puts you right up there with Nathan Hale, Stephen Decatur and Rocket J. Squirrel. You pathetic piece of shit. Keep your fascist hands to yourself you dickless blunder. And, don't ever call the mindless swill you dispense news. You're fully delusional. You are a mid-level bureaucrat in the ministry of propaganda. Joseph Goebbels is very proud of you. If our paths ever cross, do not make the mistake of touching me. It will be an instant punch in the throat for you.

[noamjunior]

12:17 PM on 01/10/2008

I wish Dill- dO' Reilley would f-ing push me
I would yell "self defense" and drop him

[BooBots]

11:33 AM on 01/10/2008

Obama's 6'8" operative PURPOSEFULLY stood in front of O'Reilly's cameraman as he was shooting, to block the shot. When the cameraman quietly moved from behind him, Obama's guy smirkingly repositioned himself to continue to block the shot. The Obama operative was way out of line. Like it or not, O'Reilly has freedom of the press. He was there to do a legitimate job, and wouldn't let the operative get away with thwarting his work. Bravo, O'Reilly! I'd have done the same thing.

[wadenelson1]

10:49 AM on 01/10/2008

Oh thank heavens we have Bill O'Reilly protecting the constitution for us.

What would we do without him?

[javagirl322]

09:51 AM on 01/10/2008

Sounds like assault to me....he should sue o'liely.

[markusmarkus]

08:48 AM on 01/10/2008

Bill O (read as "Bill Zero") wouldn't know the Constitution if it hit him in the tukkus. He's no more a journalist than I'm Michael Schumacher (7 time world driving champion).

[USMC1980]

05:05 AM on 01/10/2008

From what everyone else saw, O'Reilly was the one who got slapped around. This is supposed to be a tuff guy!

What a joke. O'Reilly is a panty wetting coward, he couldn't fight his way out of a wet, paper, bag:)

[SFCROB1369]

02:15 AM on 01/10/2008

This is as close as Obama has come to being on a show where they ask real questions, perhaps his staffer should have moved?

[batgirlevi]

08:39 PM on 01/09/2008

Bill'O thinks the Constitution is only important when it comes to him and his biased reporting.

How typical.

[beekeeper]

08:13 PM on 01/09/2008

OH please Bill, if you were so concerned about the constitution then this president would not get the pass that he does...

[conned]

07:43 PM on 01/09/2008

WOW! Bill O'Reilly...the man has saved the Constitution AND Christmas all within a month! He needs a cape and tights. Geraldo should be his sidekick. Super human ego, ability to turn opponents to mush with spin, loudmouth abuse and misleading editing, a "Factor" Jet to wisk them all over the world in hot pursuit of evil doers... And to think...he started his career as a mild mannered tabloid journalist before going on to save the world.