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Lawrence O’Donnell Interviews The Gov. Scott Walker Prank Caller Ian Murphy

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» 71 comments

On tonight’s The Last Word, host Lawrence O’Donnell spoke with Buffalo Beast editor Ian Murphy, the man behind the 20 minute prank call Wisconsin governor Scott Walker had with who he thought was conservative billionaire businessman David Koch. Murphy made the call because rumor had it that Democrats trying to get in touch with Walker, who is currently embroiled in his state’s ongoing union protests, were unable to get through to him.

When asked how he was able to get through to Walker, Murphy said that, when asked for his number, he made up a story that his maid, “Maria,” had accidentally “washed his phone.”

And in case you were wondering about Murphy’s personal feelings towards Walker, he told O’Donnell that he didn’t feel he would get caught in his lie because Walker is “oblivious” on all counts.

Watch the segment, via MSNBC:

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  • espo222

    Be sure to tune in to tomorrow’s show, when Lawrence interviews the Jerkey Boys.

  • ImNotBlue

    You mean Walker doesn’t know about the “Buffalo Beast?” Wow… and it’s so popular and influential…

  • The Lantern of Truth

    Wow . One Bottom feeder interviews another bottom feeder .

  • Olby Sucks

    Why isn’t this little prick doing the perp walk? What a loser.

  • WCinWI

    You mean a liberal lied? Shocker!

  • BFD

    Not a very good interviewee but at least he didn’t dress like a pimp to fool the viewers like some other people we could mention.

  • grafxmail7

    ImNotBlue said:
    You mean Walker doesn’t know about the “Buffalo Beast?” Wow… and it’s so popular and influential…

    It is now!!!

    HAHAHAHAH
    CLOWNS AND FOOLS!!!!!

  • Olby Sucks

    The Lantern of Truth said:
    Wow . One Bottom feeder interviews another bottom feeder .

    Luckily, there wasn’t more than a half million bottom feeders that watched this “news” show.

  • TfT

    LOL – LOD gets the catch of the day?

    HAHAHA

    HOHOHO

    HEHEHE

  • Olby Sucks

    BFD said:
    Not a very good interviewee but at least he didn’t dress like a pimp to fool the viewers like some other people we could mention.

    Knock yourself out. No, really.

  • Olby Sucks

    “editor in chief”

    ROFL!

  • WCinWI

    Olby Sucks said:
    “editor in chief”

    ROFL!

    Hahaha I know. I should create a blog and become Editor in Chief. :)

  • Olby Sucks

    It is now!!!

    by sock puppet

    Really?

  • Olby Sucks

    WCinWI said:
    Hahaha I know. I should create a blog and become Editor in Chief. :)

    I just promoted my self to not only a journalist but an “editor in chief.”

  • tigerprez

    I guess since O’Donnell also celebrated James O’Keefe when he took down ACORN with a prank, I guess there’s no double standard. Oh wait. O’Donnell did the exact opposite and totally excoriated O’Keefe for recording ACORN employees without telling them.

    Oh well. Maybe Larry can join Olbermann at Current when his show is cancelled. (Though Olbermann will probably be selling collector plates on the Home Shopping Network in six months.)

  • ImNotBlue

    @ grafx

    Really? I think O’Donnell would need to have a substantial audience first.

    But whatever keeps you giggling.

  • Lee Harvey

    “Hosni” Walker has egg all over his face. He revealed himself to be the liar and punk that he is. Game’s over, Scotty. You’re finished.

  • Dem4Ever

    OMG…STOP THE PRESSES! Someone made a prank call. Tomorrows headline…”Man Drinks a Glass of Water!” lol

  • WCinWI

    Lee Harvey said:
    “Hosni” Walker has egg all over his face. He revealed himself to be the liar and punk that he is. Game’s over, Scotty. You’re finished.

    Hi racist!

  • BFD

    tigerprez said:
    Oh wait. O’Donnell did the exact opposite and totally excoriated O’Keefe for recording ACORN employees without telling them.

    Link?

  • Grammie

    What struck me after listening to them is that in place of using Walker’s own words, which they have chiseled in stone so to speak, these two spent the entire five minutes discussing the Beast’s feelings and impressions as opposed to any actual quotes to back any of it up.

  • WCinWI

    BFD said:
    Link?

    Stop making other people do your research. We’re too busy being editor in chiefs!

  • BFD

    WCinWI said:
    Stop making other people do your research. We’re too busy being editor in chiefs!

    It’s just that he think he is lying, am I am not going to waste my time searching for something that doesn’t exist.
    I do remember O’Donnell taking exception to the editing of the videotapes but I don’t remember him saying O’Keefe had no right to do it.
    Lawrence didn’t even have his own show back then..

  • BlueBunny

    WCinWI said:
    WCinWI

    HI Dumb ass!

  • WCinWI

    BFD said:
    It’s just that he think he is lying, am I am not going to waste my time searching for something that doesn’t exist.
    I do remember O’Donnell taking exception to the editing of the videotapes but I don’t remember him saying O’Keefe had no right to do it.
    Lawrence didn’t even have his own show back then..

    I think the commenter meant Sen. Landrieu’s office.

  • WCinWI

    BlueBunny said:
    HI Dumb ass!

    Funny when you talk to me when I haven’t talked to you in this thread at all. Obsessive much? :)

  • grafxmail7

    ImNotBlue said:
    @ grafx

    Really? I think O’Donnell would need to have a substantial audience first.

    But whatever keeps you giggling.

    HAHAH! WOW!

    This Brainwashed Zombie thinks this story was only on O’Donnell.

    You’re head is spinning so hard you can only come up with this???
    I come here to be entertained by Clowns like you, so STEP UP!!! BE FUNNY!!!!

    HAHAHA!
    CLOWNS AND FOOLS!!!

  • WCinWI

    grafxmail7 said:
    HAHAH! WOW!

    This Brainwashed Zombie thinks this story was only on O’Donnell.

    You’re head is spinning so hard you can only come up with this???
    I come here to be entertained by Clowns like you, so STEP UP!!! BE FUNNY!!!!

    HAHAHA!
    CLOWNS AND FOOLS!!!

    Will you please learn how to spell? It really makes it difficult when you call someone a clown and a fool, yet can’t spell yourself. Sheesh.

    Now go giggle.

  • BFD

    WCinWI said:
    I think the commenter meant Sen. Landrieu’s office.

    The commenter didn’t mean anything more than talking out of his ass.
    Thanks for running cover for him though.
    You righties do stick together.
    Like Rice Krispie Marshmallow Treats

  • http://www.zazzle.com/talkingpoints NORBIT Jr.

    How about punkin’ a spineless President who takes 9 days to tell the world we’re gonna meet with allies to discuss the Libya revolt – while the slaughter of unarmed protestors litter the streets of Triploi!

    Helicopter gun ships strafing citizens in the street, and our so-called President gives another speech.

    2012 can’t come soon enough.

  • WCinWI

    BFD said:
    The commenter didn’t mean anything more than talking out of his ass.
    Thanks for running cover for him though.
    You righties do stick together.
    Like Rice Krispie Marshmallow Treats

    Well seeing as you do the same thing as that commenter, I don’t get your uppity nature against him/her.

    Now if yourself would be more kind, you’d have some room to talk. So I’ll wait for that.

  • WCinWI

    NORBIT Jr. said:
    How about punkin’ a spineless President who takes 9 days to tell the world we’re gonna meet with allies to discuss the Libya revolt – while the slaughter of unarmed protestors litter the streets of Triploi!

    Helicopter gun ships strafing citizens in the street, and our so-called President gives another speech.

    2012 can’t come soon enough.

    He was too worried about Carmelo Anthony being traded.

  • WCinWI

    BFD said:
    The commenter didn’t mean anything more than talking out of his ass.
    Thanks for running cover for him though.
    You righties do stick together.
    Like Rice Krispie Marshmallow Treats

    However, when Larry filled in for Olby, he attacked conservatives over ACORN so perhaps your ill will should be with Larry over his hypocritical attitude.

  • BFD

    WCinWI said:
    Now if yourself would be more kind, you’d have some room to talk. So I’ll wait for that.

    im just misunderstood

  • BlueBunny

    WCinWI said:
    Funny

    You’re a FUNNY Backwards Dumb ass.

  • OxyCon

    If I was David Koch, I’d pay my lawyers $50 million dollars to file every single frivolous lawsuit they could dig up against this assclown for fraudulently misrepresenting him, and I’d also file thousands of lawsuits against every website that hosted the fraud for propagating the misrepresentation. I wouldn’t care less about winning a single damned lawsuit either. The objective would be to make sure this assclown no longer has a home to live in or food to eat, and to completely shut down the entire left wing echo chamber by bleeding them dry with legal fees.

  • WCinWI

    BlueBunny said:
    You’re a FUNNY Backwards Dumb ass.

    And you must like talking to funny, backwards people. :)

  • WCinWI

    OxyCon said:
    If I was David Koch, I’d pay my lawyers $50 million dollars to file every single frivolous lawsuit they could dig up against this assclown for fraudulently misrepresenting him, and I’d also file thousands of lawsuits against every website that hosted the fraud for propagating the misrepresentation. I wouldn’t care less about winning a single damned lawsuit either. The objective would be to make sure this assclown no longer has a home to live in or food to eat, and to completely shut down the entire left wing echo chamber by bleeding them dry with legal fees.

    I totally agree. I don’t see why they wouldn’t.

  • WCinWI

    I hope this makes others feel good. I know it made me smile. :)

    http://punditpress.blogspot.com/2011/02/go-figure-obama-white-house-cant-spell.html

  • BlueBunny

    WCinWI said:
    Sheesh.

    Backwards Dumb ass Spell checker!What talent!

  • rover37

    lawrence is an idiot. …Perex Hilton and now this clown. Im just waiting on the day he comes in to MSNBC and goes postal on everybody..they guy has a screw loose and his show is unwatchable…He has ZERO personality….

  • grafxmail7

    WCinWI said:
    Will you please learn how to spell? It really makes it difficult when you call someone a clown and a fool, yet can’t spell yourself. Sheesh.

    Now go giggle.

    HEEHEEHEE!!!

    COME ON WC! YOU’RE BETTER THAN THIS!

    I come here for entertainment!

    Don’t waste your Masters in Partisan Hackery! (they didn’t teach you to be childish, REMEMBER!)

    Say something for me to laugh at!

    HAHAHAHAH!

    CLOWNS AND FOOLS!!!!

  • BlueBunny

    OxyCon said:
    no longer has a home to live in or food to eat,

    This is the WHOLE AGENDA of the Koch Teapublicans For US ALL!

  • cjd ohio 1

    hard hitting larry, next he is going to interview that guy that left the burning bag of dog poo….lol

  • treecutter

    Just found out I have an interview at The Buffalo Beast for Prank Caller In-Chief. I was going to practice on Peter Jennings but he’s not available. I wonder if the Ed show takes live callers.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Bill-Adkins/1585417987 Bill Adkins

    ImNotBlue said:
    You mean Walker doesn’t know about the “Buffalo Beast?” Wow… and it’s so popular and influential…

    It is now.

  • grafxmail7

    WCinWI said:
    I hope this makes others feel good. I know it made me smile. :)

    http://punditpress.blogspot.com/2011/02/go-figure-obama-white-house-cant-spell.html

    HAHAHAH!

    This might be a cry for help???

    Someone’s Governor got caught talking about using violence on his constituents on the phone and someone’s worried about spelling!

    Actually…..THAT is FUNNY!!!!

    KEEP IT UP MASTERS!!!

  • ImNotBlue

    @ grafx

    I wonder if you think anyone is fooled by your “laughter.” Your inability to put forth anything of value, is not well covered by the giggles.

    You contribute nothing to any discussion… and as such, you’ve established yourself as someone not to take seriously. But, if that’s what makes you happy, go for it.

  • david r

    Ian Murphy– the face of the newest Democrat hero. I guess they couldn’t land Ashton Kutcher.

  • OxyCon

    david r said:
    Ian Murphy– the face of the newest Democrat hero. I guess they couldn’t land Ashton Kutcher.

    He looks like Loopey Loughner with hair.

  • RowdyHoward

    WCinWI said:
    Will you please learn how to spell? It really makes it difficult when you call someone a clown and a fool, yet can’t spell yourself. Sheesh.

    Now go giggle.

    How did he misspell ‘yourself’…he didn’t even type it….sigh

  • RowdyHoward

    david r said:
    Ian Murphy– the face of the newest Democrat hero. I guess they couldn’t land Ashton Kutcher.

    How is this guy a hero? I did laugh at the concept…but that governor either knows he shouldn’t say everything to Koch or he truly believes what he is doing will help his state. Either way, this seems like a decision that could easily be voted on by taxpayers of that state.

  • grafxmail7

    ImNotBlue said:
    @ grafx

    I wonder if you think anyone is fooled by your “laughter.” Your inability to put forth anything of value, is not well covered by the giggles.

    You contribute nothing to any discussion… and as such, you’ve established yourself as someone not to take seriously. But, if that’s what makes you happy, go for it.

    HAHAH! Look here! It’s the “Contribute to the Discussion Police”

    I have my style in which to not be taken seriously and you most certainly have your style in which to not be taken seriously.

    Don’t be so boring. This is for entertainment. If you don’t like it, don’t engage me.

    …And on that note……HAHAHAHAAH!

    What do you think about this Righty Governor talking about using “agitators” against his own constituents?
    Now THAT IS FUNNY!!!

    Be amusing! Come up with some sort of defense for this! ENTERTAIN!!!!

    HAHHHAHA!
    CLOWNS AND FOOLS!!!!

  • Oregon Conservative

    Retard.

  • ImNotBlue

    @ grafx

    *yawn*

    I’m sorry, what?

  • grafxmail7

    ImNotBlue said:
    @ grafx

    *yawn*

    I’m sorry, what?

    HAHAHAHAH!!

    That’s ALL YOU GOT!!!

    BORING!!!

  • Color Me Badd

    I love that these states are trying to get rid of unions! Just gives us more reason to smash them! It only takes one person to be a superstar!

  • ChrisNH

    Murphy has that ‘I-live-in-my-Momma’s-basement’ look. What a limp-wrist.

  • The Real Royal King

    What a fun call, and what a fun interview. Typical blogger. The personality of stuffed flounder, but good stuff here. Listening to Walker, I am reminded why pride is a mighty sin. What wonderful information he gave us about himself, his true motives, his lack of any ethical core! All without prompting or question. Rattle it all off like a pair of Estonian hausfrauen on washday talking about the crotchless panties and peek-a-boo bra hangin on Kaja Kukk’s line. Non-stop clamorous babbling.

  • got a grip

    Grammie said:
    What struck me after listening to them is that in place of using Walker’s own words, which they have chiseled in stone so to speak, these two spent the entire five minutes discussing the Beast’s feelings and impressions as opposed to any actual quotes to back any of it up.

    Excellent point, and a good example of what passes for journalism in this age of 500+ channels.

  • The Real Royal King

    got a grip said:
    Grammie said:
    What struck me after listening to them is that in place of using Walker’s own words, which they have chiseled in stone so to speak, these two spent the entire five minutes discussing the Beast’s feelings and impressions as opposed to any actual quotes to back any of it up.

    Excellent point, and a good example of what passes for journalism in this age of 500+ channels.

    Actually, it is a blatant distortion by a 50′s reactionary. Clips were played. Walker, in Walker’s own words. I’m not sure that there could have been anything more compelling. And, having the only other party to the call share what his feelings about the governor’s demeanor were seemed to edify. The call was sufficient evidence of the governor’s contempt for hard-working American men and women, his sleazy ethics and his real motives (which have nothing to do with deficit reduction, demonstrably). That the “writer” could confirm the governor’s cockiness and his blatant pandering to Brother Koch added to my understanding of the situation.

  • The Real Royal King

    The Real Royal King said:
    got a grip said:
    Grammie said:
    What struck me after listening to them is that in place of using Walker’s own words, which they have chiseled in stone so to speak, these two spent the entire five minutes discussing the Beast’s feelings and impressions as opposed to any actual quotes to back any of it up.

    Excellent point, and a good example of what passes for journalism in this age of 500+ channels.

    Actually, it is a blatant distortion by a 50’s reactionary. Clips were played. Walker, in Walker’s own words. I’m not sure that there could have been anything more compelling. And, having the only other party to the call share what his feelings about the governor’s demeanor were seemed to edify. The call was sufficient evidence of the governor’s contempt for hard-working American men and women, his sleazy ethics and his real motives (which have nothing to do with deficit reduction, demonstrably). That the “writer” could confirm the governor’s cockiness and his blatant pandering to Brother Koch added to my understanding of the situation.

    Having said that, this is not journalism.

  • redwriteblue

    Governor Walker is trying to acheive Karl Rove’s dream of the “permanent Republican majority” by preventing their political opponents from raising money for election campaigns, another Republican “dirty trick” but on a far-larger scale.

    The Republicans already control most of the economy through the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, now they are going after the state’s governments:

    http://redwriteblue.blog.com/2011/02/09/the-american-pyramid/

  • RichS

    BFD said:
    Link?

    Link? Wasn’t he a character on The Mod Squad?

  • RichS

    The Real Royal King said:
    What a fun call, and what a fun interview. Typical blogger. The personality of stuffed flounder, but good stuff here. Listening to Walker, I am reminded why pride is a mighty sin. What wonderful information he gave us about himself, his true motives, his lack of any ethical core! All without prompting or question. Rattle it all off like a pair of Estonian hausfrauen on washday talking about the crotchless panties and peek-a-boo bra hangin on Kaja Kukk’s line. Non-stop clamorous babbling.

    Estonians don’t speak German but is Kaja Kukk the firm you order you crotchless panties from?

  • juan

    The Prankster should be charged as an “illegal impersonator.”

    He did seem worried!

  • Mr B

    Anyone surprised?

    http://fb.me/wru5tthD

    “FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:
    February 22, 2010 Reid Magney, 608-267-7887
    G.A.B. Releases Lobbying Report for 2009

    MADISON, WI – The Wisconsin Education Association spent $1.5 million in 2009 lobbying state lawmakers, nearly twice as much as the next-largest spender, according to a report from the Government Accountability Board.
    Overall, lobbying organizations reported spending $36.2 million in 2009, a 5.2 percent increase from the first half of the previous legislative session.
    The 2009 report analyzes the activities of 746 lobbying principals and 750 registered lobbyists.”

  • espo222

    BFD said:
    Not a very good interviewee but at least he didn’t dress like a pimp to fool the viewers like some other people we could mention.

    I guess you don’t like to find out where your tax money is going. Also, he didn’t dress up like a pimp.

  • OxyCon

    Boy, Mediaite buried this article pretty fast. I wonder why?

    Blogger Who Prank Called Scott Walker, Now a Media Darling, Has Sordid History
    By Lachlan Markay | February 24, 2011 | 16:49
    Since lefty blogger Ian Murphy prank called Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker on Wednesday, various media outlets have devoted significant coverage to the prankster. None have seen fit to mention some of Murphy’s more colorful antics – proclaiming “f**k the troops,” for instance, or pretending to be autistic to gain access for a story.

    CNN has been out front covering the prank and its perpetrator. The channel named Murphy its “most intriguing person of the day” in one segment, and devoted an article on its website to Murphy’s wild claims – that Walker is “delusional,” as CNN’s headline blared, and that market economics amounts to a “fairy tale.”

    In reaching out to Murphy for comment, however, CNN did not see fit to ask him – or even mention in its multiple stories about the prank – that he is not just a “liberal website editor,” but is in fact a radical, foaming-at-the-mouth leftist whose work includes fantasies about killing prominent Republicans and other far-left memes popular during the Bush years.

    For a taste of Murphy’s style, observe this excerpt of a 2008 article in the Buffalo Beast headlined “F**k the Troops”:

    So, 4000 rubes are dead. Cry me the Tigris. Another 30,000 have been seriously wounded. Boo f**king hoo. They got what they asked for—and cool robotic limbs, too…

    The nearly two-thirds of us who know this war is bull***t need to stop sucking off the troops. They get enough action raping female soldiers and sodomizing Iraqi detainees. The political left is intent on “supporting” the troops by bringing them home, which is a good thing. But after rightly denouncing the administration’s lies and condemning this awful war, relatively sensible pundits—like Keith Olbermann—turn around and lovingly praise the soldiers’ brave service to the country. Why?

    You get the idea.

    Many of Murphy’s writings perfectly channeled the attitude of the frantic anti-war left during the Bush years. “If Rove is Bush’s brain,” he wrote in another article, “may the 43rd president be lobotomized before we string him up.”

    But don’t worry, Murphy has at least a few qualms with murdering elected officials. “Do I often fantasize of jamming a rusty shiv into the Vice President’s eye socket and twirling it around until he passes out from shock and slowly bleeds to death? Of course,” he wrote in 2007. “Would I do it? No. This author does not torture.” He does, however, engage in some pretty sick homicidal fantasies.

    Give these excerpts, you will probably be slightly less surprised – if thoroughly disgusted – to learn that Murphy has posed as a sufferer of Asperger’s syndrome, a form of autism, in order to gain access to an event he admits he otherwise would not have been able to attend. So the man is shameless, and an unethical journalist.

    Yet despite all this, no news outlet that has covered Murphy and his latest antic have bothered looking into his history of absurd and highly-offensive statements and actions. And CNN was not the only one. MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell brought Murphy on air for a 5-minute interview segment. O’Donnell simply labeled him “the editor of Buffalo Beast and the most important phone caller of the day.”

    Plenty of other media outlets mentioned Murphy, of course, but all either neglected to sift through his work for the Buffalo Beast, or declined to mention it in their reports.

    The left, of course, went gaga over the prank call, and the mainstream press was not about to spoil the fun.

    Read more: http://newsbusters.org/blogs/lachlan-markay/2011/02/24/blogger-who-prank-called-scott-walker-now-media-darling-has-sordid-h#ixzz1EvGaDHpa

  • RowdyHoward

    ChrisNH said:
    Murphy has that ‘I-live-in-my-Momma’s-basement’ look. What a limp-wrist.

    i’m sure you’d know…

  • BruinAlum77

    Isn’t the issue here that an elected governor admitted:

    1) That he thought about bringing in outsiders to provoke the demonstrators, which could harm the citizens of the state he is serving

    2) That he accepted the offer thanked the caller for a proposed celebratory trip to California and his support

    3) That he admitted it’s about busting the union and not addressing budget issues

    There are some major problems with Governor Walker.

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