Al O'Franken received the "Freedom of Speech" Award at a New York talk radio convention over the weekend, and was promptly silenced, via Drudge. Okay, I might be exaggerating a tad.
NY POST's John Mainelli reports Monday: The liberal talk-show host was finally forced off the stage -- amidst shouts from supporters and detractors -- after an acceptance speech became a nearly half-hour rant against Bill O’Reilly and the Iraq war.
The speech was mercifully brought to an end only after a confrontation between O'Franken and event sponsor Michael Harrison.
“Al, hurry up,” said Michael Harrison, publisher of TALKERS mag, the convention sponsor.
“It’s freedom of speech,” said Franken...
“It’s not freedom to kill everybody’s evening, so why don’t you wrap it up,” Harrison argued.
“I’m talking about the war in Iraq and I have about two pages left, and I think the people in Walter Reed [Army Medical Center] who’ve been injured deserve the last two pages of my speech,” Franken countered.
“There are people walking out,” said Harrison. “We gave you the award and it’s time to leave.”
“Everyone who wants to leave can leave,” said Franken, addressing hundreds of talk-show hosts and radio execs at a cocktail reception in a downtown hotel.
“Now don’t leave!” Harrison urged the attendees. “We honored you. Now honor us. Don’t kill our party.”
Al O'Franken, party-killer extraordinaire. He even appeared to "supress sobs" on his way off the stage. I guess he thought it was his party...
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