FARGO -- Local and national liberal radio talk show host Ed Schultz nearly came to blows with a California Republican donor during a heated exchange about the war in Iraq Saturday night at a bar near Detroit Lakes, Minn.
Schultz, who spent 45 minutes of his local show Wednesday defending his actions at Hotel Shoreham on the shore of Lake Sallie, said a man approached him inside the bar and wanted to talk about politics and the war in Iraq.
Schultz said the man and a woman with the man, both of whom had been drinking, would not end the conversation despite Schultz's repeated attempts to do so.
"Finally, I put my beer on the bar and put my finger in his face," Schultz told listeners of KFGO's "News and Views" morning radio show. "I told the guy, 'I didn't come here for this.' "
The guy, Kevin Nagle of El Dorado Hills, Calif., offered a slightly different version of events when contacted Wednesday by The Forum.
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Nagle, who was visiting relatives in the area, said his cousin introduced him to Schultz Saturday night. She wrongly thought Schultz was still a Republican, as he was earlier in his radio broadcasting career.
Schultz's views are now Democrat-leaning on "The Ed Schultz Show," his national program. Talkers Magazine named Schultz the fifth-most important talk show host in 2007. Schultz, a former TV and radio sportscaster, is a former play-by-play announcer of UND football games.
Nagle, who was with his fiancee Saturday, said he and Schultz had a civil discussion for about 10 minutes and that Schultz didn't appear uncomfortable.
The conversation went sour when Nagle said he respects Joe Lieberman, the Independent Democratic senator from Connecticut known for supporting the Iraq war.
Nagle said Schultz said he doesn't like Lieberman, and then commented that if Nagle felt so strongly about the war, his family should go over and fight in it.
The daughter of Nagle's fiancee serves in the Army and may soon go to Iraq. His fiancee's son-in-law has served in Iraq.
"It was at that time that Mr. Schultz completely lost control, in my opinion," Nagle said. "He became enraged, and then our interactions became far less civil."
Schultz said the woman with Nagle addressed Schultz's wife with profanity.
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"If someone comes up to you in public and calls your wife (references to expletives), what are you going to do?"
Schultz said he engaged in harmless shoving with Nagle, whom he never named on his radio shows. Schultz said he knew if he hit the man, he could be arrested, which could sink his professional career.
"That's in my contract. I can't be arrested," Schultz said. "Am I now the target? I'm against the war. I think Bush is a fraud."
Nagle said his fiancee, who he didn't want to name, was responding to what she heard said about Iraq.
"Obviously, you're going to become very defensive," he said. "That's her family. That's my future family."
Nagle said as he and his fiancee were trying to leave the bar, Schultz moved toward him with his fist cocked, as if to threaten a punch.
"Fortunately my fiancee stepped in front of him right at the last second and blocked the physical interaction," Nagle said.
Nagle said he talked to Hotel Shoreham owner Rick Lynch as he and his fiancee were on their way out, but then decided to stay. Shultz said he and his wife chose to leave the bar following the incident.
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Becker County Sheriff Tim Gordon said his office has no report on the incident. Lynch said authorities weren't called. "It's not worth commenting on," he said.
Nagle, president and CEO of a privately held health-care company, donates regularly to the Republican Party. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, Nagle donated $21,420 to candidates and the party during the 2006 election season.
Schultz said on the air he felt he must share his side of the story after a reporter from The Forum inquired Tuesday night about the incident. He did not return a Wednesday phone call seeking a response to Nagle's side of the story.
Schultz briefly addressed the weekend altercation on his Tuesday national show, and played a clip of that during Wednesday's local show.
"This has not happened to me for years, but it did happen to me this weekend," Schultz told his national audience, referring to the incident as a "bar shuffle" and a "bouncer call."
"I totally broke my rule," he said. "I don't engage in political talk on personal time."
The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead and the Herald are Forum Communications Co. newspapers.
