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February 18, 2008

Man Who Confronted Clinton on "Hannity & Colmes"

Hannity & Colmes

HANNITY: Is Bill Clinton becoming a liability for Hillary's campaign? The former president fought with an Obama supporter at a rally in Ohio in Canton on Sunday. Barack supporter Robert Holeman repeatedly shouted Obama during the event, and then accused Clinton of negative campaigning. Holeman claims the confrontation got physical, but the Clinton campaign denies it.

Joining us now to tell us his side of what happened, Obama supporter Robert Holeman. Mr. Holeman, thank you for being with us.

ROBERT HOLEMAN, OBAMA SUPPORTER: Thank you for having me.

HANNITY: I may be a little sensitive to this because I have been heckled. That may surprise people. I don't mind personally, but when people come to hear somebody speak and you heckle, were you heckling a lot? That does away from people's ability to hear.

HOLEMAN: Well, I really wasn't heckling during his whole speech. I only heckled during the beginning of the speech. He wasn't really on stage. I think I might have said Obama twice during his speech. I think really things heated up after he got done speaking. I think that's really when things started.

HANNITY: From what I understand, and what reports show, is that after he was done speaking, you made a bee-line for the rope line, where he was shaking hands with people. You were quoted on NBC News as saying, the president became very angry, very irate. He got heated and he even hit me in the face. Tell us what happened.

HOLEMAN: As I -- as, like you said, I made it to the rope line. I got up front. I waited on the president to come around. As he got up to me, I had told him, I said, it's very unbecoming of a president of the United States and a first lady, states woman, to be talking this way, so negative towards -- about the other candidate. I said they were literally destroying the Democratic party and stuff, the base. For us to win the election, we need to be focused on issues and substance. And not --

HANNITY: By the way, from my standpoint, you have every right to say that, because, you know what? I think you are obviously think it's destructive to the party. You have a right to express that.

HOLEMAN: Yes, sir.

HANNITY: I think that's fair. You are saying you did that in a reasonable way?

HOLEMAN: Yes, sir. I did not heckle that out loud. I brought him in real close to me to tell him that, where he wouldn't feel real embarrassed other people hearing that.

HANNITY: That's fair. I think that's legitimate, especially because you are not interrupting other people that want to hear the speech.

HOLEMAN: Yes, sir.

HANNITY: Here is my next question then; you are claiming that he hit you and that the Secret Service then took him away. Did he -- did the former president of the United States hit you? And I understand that you said on CBS News that if he denies it, you are going to sue him.

HOLEMAN: I'm not going to sue him. I was just saying the issue, if it gets too heated, I might have to take certain actions to get the person that actually removed his arm to speak about the situation, because I don't think they are getting their point of view. The president had reached over to shake someone's hand and when he actually grasped their hand, his elbow caught me in the mouth.

As he -- when I -- I thought it might have been an accident, but I notice the Secret Service pull his arm from my face, and when he was shaking his hand, it was rubbing up in my face. The Secret Service removed his arm.

COLMES: Mr. Holeman, this is Alan Colmes. This would be the first known time in the history of the country where the Secret Service had to protect a citizen from a president, if what you are saying is true.

HOLEMAN: That's what I thought. That's exactly what I thought when the Secret Service man reached out and grabbed his hand.

COLMES: By the way, Robert Wang, who reports for "The Repository" says that amid a sea of Hillary signs, you repeatedly screamed Obama. The woman next to you gestured for you to leave. You continued yelling Obama, as Bill Clinton spoke.

HOLEMAN: Well, yes. "The Repository" is very negative about this story. They have had 100 calls that have had the same story.

COLMES: Is that accurate.

HOLEMAN: One hundred people said the same thing. No, it's inaccurate. I wasn't violent. I wasn't confrontational. I only said Obama two times during his speech. I wasn't disruptive of the president. I had Secret Service behind me the whole time. They were very close to me. So if I was --

COLMES: If someone is speaking and you are yelling Obama, whether it's twice or 20 times, do you think that properly represents your candidate Barack Obama? Do you think he would be proud of the way you behaved at that event?

HOLEMAN: Well, when the candidate misspoke and said that he followed behind Barack Obama about his policies, her policies, that she is going to make a 3,200 dollar loan subsidy for students to go to college, Barack already said he is going to have 2,500 thing. She never promised that. So when --

COLMES: Shouting his name doesn't debate that point, it just interrupts somebody who is trying to speak. I go back to my question. Do you think Senator Obama would be proud of your behavior.

HOLEMAN: If I really wanted to interrupt that meeting, I could have said Barack Obama the whole time. I could have yelled out Obama, Obama, Obama, Obama, Obama, just keep doing that.

HANNITY: Do that every time Alan talks. Every time Alan talks.

HOLEMAN: They would have been telling you that. You would have been reporting that all day long.

COLMES: You have shown, Mr. Holeman, that you are capable of yelling Obama, Obama, Obama a number of times.

HOLEMAN: I could have did it.

COLMES: Doesn't sound like you properly represented your candidate.

HOLEMAN: It wasn't even that. It was that I was putting him in his place, letting him know we should have a candidate of integrity.

COLMES: You showed him.

All right, Mr. Holeman. Thank you for being with us tonight.

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