From The Road
January 5, 2008 3:31 PM

Bill O'Reilly Causes a Stir at Obama Event

By
Maria Gavrilovic
Topics
Barack Obama
(CBS)
From CBS News' Maria Gavrilovic

NASHUA, N.H. -- After most events, Barack Obama greets supporters while members of the press file stories or speak to voters leaving the venue.

Today one reporter decided to be just a little different.

Fox news host, Bill O'Reilly, who was not part of the traveling press, apparently stormed to the ropeline with a Fox News camera crew in order to speak with Obama. Many campaign staffers and members of the press were unaware that O'Reilly was at the event. However, after he got into a tussle with Obama's trip director, Marvin Nicholson, everyone knew that he had arrived.

We found out about the altercation after news photographers returned to the press section. They said O'Reilly was shouting and pushing Nicholson, demanding that he get out of the way of his view of Obama. This happened as Obama was shaking hands with supporters just a few feet away.

Since most of the press did not see O'Reilly's tussle (our view of the rope line was blocked by a riser), we asked the campaign to comment. Marvin Nicholson himself gave a recap of events.

"I don't know exactly what happened", Nicholson said, "I was shadowing the Senator as I often do during the rope line and he started yelling at me to move out of the shot.

Nicholson said that he was standing there and O'Reilly moved around the barricade and grabbed him by the arm and tried to push him out of the way. Nicholson is 6'8".

According to Nicholson, O'Reilly was told to go back behind the barricade. Nicholson then approached O'Reilly.

"I went up to him and said 'Sir, don't push me anymore,'" Nicholson recounted, "and he said that I was low class."

Nicholson described O'Reilly as being "really upset" and yelling.

O'Reilly said on Fox News Channel this afternoon that there was no scuffle between he and Nicholson: "No scuffle at all. I just removed him from in front of the camera."

When asked if O'Reilly used any profanity with Nicholson, O'Reilly said chuckling, "I might have called him an S.O.B. That's possible."

Obama acknowledged O'Reilly after he reached Obama a second time. Nicholson said O'Reilly shouted to Obama and he acknowledged O'Reilly and shook hands with him.

Nicholson added that O'Reilly told Obama how much he loved him and how great he was.

One reporter asked, "Did he say 'love"?"

Nicholson coyly replied, "I'm not sure, the sentiment was love."

Add a Comment See all 17 Comments
by blackbuc1 January 8, 2008 1:02 AM EST
I am saddened to see so many comments directed towards Mr. O''Reilly attempting to compare him and those who would listen to a balanced representation of news analysis to fascist sympathizers. Possibly, an in-depth study of constitutional law and American history would help these individuals to understand that the political views of Mr. O''Reilly and Mr. Hannity, like it or not, are quite representative of the majority of the framers of our venerated constitution. The rhetorical question that those who would spew such vitriol without the requisite analysis in support of their positions is, "What is your point?" As a conservative, I long for a return of the days in which my liberal bretheren would attempt to engage me in a political debate punctuated with civility, intelligence, and logic, with a specific and stated goal in mind. I respectfully request that future posters refrain from wasting readers'' time by carefully considering the purpose for your post. Then attempt to support your analysis with evidence instead of name-calling. Simply sowing the seeds of discord without providing a solution, or at lest some germane analysis, does nothing to solve any problem. It merely solidifies a liberal legacy of insignificance.
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by roymayo4 January 7, 2008 8:03 AM EST
Your article is WRONG! I saw an interview with Nicholson and he said O%u2019Reilly told Obama he would love to have him on his show, not that he loved him. Print a correction.
Reply to this comment
by RoksResourcez January 7, 2008 3:35 AM EST
The best description of the FOX News Fascists can be found here - ByeGeorge.Org
Reply to this comment
by RoksResourcez January 7, 2008 3:33 AM EST
Right-On about Father Coughlin! He was the ORIGINAL Rush Limbaugh! A Nazi sympathizer. It''s just like Mother Gump used to tell Forrest; "Fascism IS - as fascism DOES." ...wait a minute here, wasn''t Forrest Gump named after the KKK? The guys with whom John Gibson and Bill O''Lielly like go nekkid-under-the-sheets late-night horseback riding? Enquiring minds wanna know.
Reply to this comment
by frb01 January 6, 2008 6:04 PM EST
I am hoping the fact that negative advertising got killed in Iowa is the start of a trend that ends of killing the politics of hate and finger pointing from both sides. We need to talk about the issues and how we move the country forward. not the continued fixation with what words were said and when or that someone did an essay in elementary school about dreaming of being president.
Reply to this comment
by denny4--2008 January 6, 2008 4:27 PM EST
O''Reilly and Hannity are modern-day Charles Coughlins, right-wingers who do far more damage to the GOP than any Dem could do. They are haters, and hate is "off-trend", as Rove, Cheney, and Rumsfeld found out the hard way.
But what''s off-trend politically isn''t necessarily off-trend when it comes to garnering ratings.
So the haters via Ailes will thrive, but the GOP loses ground.
Reply to this comment
by denny4--2008 January 6, 2008 3:43 PM EST
O''Reilly and Hannity are modern-day Charles Coughlins, right-wingers who do far more damage to the GOP than any Dem could do. They are haters, and hate is "off-trend", as Rove, Cheney, and Rumsfeld found out the hard way.
But what''s off-trend politically isn''t necessarily off-trend when it comes to garnering ratings.
So the haters via Ailes will thrive, but the GOP loses ground.
Reply to this comment
by denny4--2008 January 6, 2008 3:41 PM EST
O''Reilly and Hannity are modern-day Charles Coughlins, right-wingers who do far more damage to the GOP than any Dem could do. They are haters, and hate is "off-trend", as Rove, Cheney, and Rumsfeld found out the hard way.
But what''s off-trend politically isn''t necessarily off-trend when it comes to garnering ratings.
So the haters via Ailes will thrive, but the GOP loses ground.
Reply to this comment
by denny4--2008 January 6, 2008 3:35 PM EST
O''Reilly and Hannity are modern-day Charles Coughlins, right-wingers who do far more damage to the GOP than any Dem could do. They are haters, and hate is "off-trend", as Rove, Cheney, and Rumsfeld found out the hard way.
But what''s off-trend politically isn''t necessarily off-trend when it comes to garnering ratings.
So the haters via Ailes will thrive, but the GOP loses ground.
Reply to this comment
by RoksResourcez January 6, 2008 1:50 PM EST
I don''t blame Charlie Gibson for trying to push that "surge-is-a-success"-story. The media was the bigest cheerleader for Bush''s policies and for the invasion of Iraq. The corporate-owned network anchors and reporters HAVE to be haunted by dreams filled with the faces of those they helped send to their deaths for the greater glory and increased profits of the oil companies and the "corporatize-and-privatice-the-planet" Republican agenda. Chris Matthews often says he "never suported this war" but he damned sure supported the war-MONGER, he KNEE-CAPPED Al Gore and John Kery at EVERY OPPORTUNITY. Reporters should NOT be multi-millionaires working for the biggest military contractors. That''s a HORRIBLE conflict of interests. Just Googlre it - the media conglomerates ARE the military weaponry conglomerates. Same people, different corporate name, same-money, same-same.
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