� 2003 WorldNetDaily.com
In the news this week are several reports of an exchange between syndicated
talk-show host Mike Gallagher and actor-turned-leftist-poster-child Edward
Asner.
The account goes like this: Mike Gallagher approached Asner at a recent
cocktail party promoting the new film "Elf" in which Asner stars as Santa
Claus. As Gallagher introduced himself, Asner asked his profession. When
Gallagher replied "radio talk-show host," Asner replied, "I love going
toe-to-toe with you guys.''
''I know,'' Gallagher replied. ''I've heard you on Sean Hannity's show.''
''Hannity's next, you know,'' Asner responded.
''Huh?'' said Gallagher.
''Hannity's next,'' said Asner. ''We're going after him just like we went
after Limbaugh. And you saw what happened to Rush this week, right?''
I can attest to these news reports because I was there. Standing not more
than 10 feet from where the conversation was happening. Shortly afterward, as
Mike and I were exiting the party, we were chatting on the elevator of the
Empire State building.
"Kevin, did you hear what he said?" Mike exclaimed, "That was a truly
strange experience." And he then proceeded to relate the story to the rest of
the folks riding with us in the elevator.
The following day, as a part of the same film junket, I found myself
sitting in a room with Mike and several others waiting for Mr. Asner to field
his questions from us regarding the release of "Elf" � a movie that I believe
will be huge at the box office this holiday season.
As Mr. Asner walked in, he saw both Mike and me sitting at the end of the
table closest to him and quickly quipped, "What is this? The Salem witch
trials?" This, of course, being a play on words alluding to Mike being a
syndicated talk-show host for Salem Radio Network (and heard on better than
200 stations), and that I had just taken over as the host on the legendary New
York's WMCA 570 "Home of the Good Guys," also a Salem property.
Upon seating himself at the end of the table and making small talk about
cookies and cupcakes � he did seem to be in a particularly jovial mood � he
asked point blank: "Does anyone at this table hate me? Hate my work as an
activist or in any other way?"
It was such an odd question that the room fell dead silent for a moment
before breaking into the short amount of time he had for questions about the
film.
As he answered questions about the film, he often broke into stories about
his days gone by, and even his reasons for getting involved in left-wing
politics. He even talked somewhat reflectively about one of his first acting
gigs, playing Santa for the downtown Chicago Marshall Field's store.
"It was the worst job I ever had," said Asner. "All I could do was put
these poor � extremely poor � kids on my lap and say to them, 'Well Johnny,
well Susie, Santa's gonna see what he can do about getting that for you.
Knowing full well that these kids' parents were so poor that more than half
these kids had no chance of ever seeing the gifts they asked for. It was just
awful.'"
By the end of his time with us, I had not asked him a specific question
yet, and in my mind I could not get away from the scene from the party of the
night previous.
"Mr. Asner, I do have a question � unrelated to the film," I said. "In your
long and distinguished acting career, going back to your earliest days in
Chicago all the way up to present days working with Will Farrell on 'Elf', you
have had the chance to do almost anything you could ever wish to do. But if
you had the chance to play the biographical story of a historical figure you
respected most over your lifetime, who would it be?"
Remembering the sad story he had told about the poor kids in Chicago, I
half expected him to come out with a political name of some sort.
"I think Joe Stalin was a guy that was hugely misunderstood," said Asner.
"And to this day, I don't think I have ever seen an adequate job done of
telling the story of Joe Stalin, so I guess my answer would have to be Joe
Stalin."
Suddenly the time had run out, and for the third time in less than 18
hours, Ed Asner had puzzled the room he was in, into a stunned and
disbelieving silence.
Mr. Hannity ... I don't think you have anything to worry about.
