Reason TV's Nick Gillespie was threatened on HBO's "Real Time" by Mayor John Fetterman (D-Braddock, Pa.).
After Gillespie made a joke about Fetterman being mayor of the poorest town in Pennsylvania, the Mayor responded, "You want to take it outside?" (video follows with transcript and commentary):
BILL MAHER, HOST: I feel like the American worker has been conditioned to feel like there is no such thing as revenue. That's why this theory works that we can only do spending cuts. We can't have revenue because the American worker has seen no revenue increase for 30 years. His wages have been trashed.
NICK GILLESPIE, REASON TV: That’s not true. American workers, nobody's wages has been flat for 30 years. Our purchasing power is very good.
MAYOR JOHN FETTERMAN, (D -BRADDOCK, PENNSYLVANIA): I'm the mayor of the poorest town in Pennsylvania.
GILLESPIE: Well, you must be very proud.
MAHER: Whoa.
GILLESPIE: Yeah.
[APPLAUSE]
GILLESPIE: That’s why I’m carrying the pen.
MAHER: No, no, no, nobody's taking it outside.
Those that missed this program are likely thinking this exchange was caused by Gillespie's joke.
Not so. The popular Libertarian was wiping the floor with Fetterman, guest Donna Brazile, as well as host Bill Maher concerning raising the debt ceiling.
At every turn during this panel segment, Gillespie showed himself to be the only person in the room that was knowledgable on the subject, while his three opponents responded with vapid Democrat talking points lacking any substance or proximity to the truth.
This appeared to be making Fetterman a bit hot under the collar, and Gillespie joshing about him being the mayor of the poorest town in Pennsylvania was obviously the last straw.
In the end, Gillespie proved the old axiom: be careful presenting facts to a liberal for it's guaranteed to enrage him.
Nice job, Nick! Bravo!
