Nugent defends right to threaten Democrats during his concerts David Edwards and Nick Juliano

Published: Thursday August 30, 2007





Print This Email This Rocker not so forgiving when 'threats' were directed other way Rocker Ted Nugent said trying to explain his fantasies of executing prominent Democrats that he aired in the middle of a recent show would be "like trying to explain an orgasm to a eunuch." In an interview on the O'Reilly Factor Wednesday night, Nugent was criticized over video from a recent concert during which he encouraged Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama to "suck on my machine gun" and referred to Senator Hillary Clinton as a "worthless bitch." "Rock and roll is too much fun. ... Trying to explain the intensity of irreverent, over-the-top rock and roll is like trying to explain an orgasm to a eunuch," Nugent said when asked why he launched such personal attacks. "If some people don't get it, I'm not here to help them through the quagmire." However, the conservative rocker was not so forgiving when "threats" were directed his way. In an appearance on Fox News's Hannity and Colmes earlier this summer, Nugent criticized a liberal blogger who joked of plans to "shoot" him and Rush Limbaugh. "This guy is obviously a nutcase, but he's actually making a statement to assassinate fellow Americans," Nugent said at the time. The avid hunter and gun advocate said he felt like his life was threatened, and "my family is taking it very seriously." The offending quote from the blog said, "I've got dibs on Rush, as soon as it's legal and lawful to shoot him. Whoever wants Ted Nugent is welcome to him." "They've threatened to kill me," Nugent said, referring to what he said were previous attempts on his life. "We got the files with law enforcement. This guy is obviously a nut case. But he is actually making a statement to assassinate fellow Americans. In his concert rant, Nugent did not explicitly say he wanted to "shoot" Obama or Clinton, but it remains unclear whether the Secret Service could interpret his invitations to "suck" or "ride" his machine guns as a threat on the candidates' lives. Nugent said he keeps his events "PG-13" at family events like state and county fairs, and he boasted that shows on his latest tour have been selling out across the country. But he defended his right to say anything at shows not meant for children. "At an outrageous, over-the-top, rock & roll event like the House of Blues ... as long as no laws are broken and no one gets hurt, nothing is sacred," Nugent said. The video of Nugent's Obama rant comes from an Aug. 23 performance at a casino in Oroville, CA. It was first posted online by YouTube user KEVDOGEDOG. Nugent, a Michigan native who is considering a run for that state's governor, dismissed suggestions that his comments were overly personal and inappropriate. "To try to make a comment in a meaningful, sincere way from the rock & roll stage is really apples and grenades," Nugent said. "... (Comedian) Sam Kinison didn't really believe in sex with a Volkswagen Beetle. We're talking about staged outrage." The following video is from Fox's O'Reilly Factor, broadcast on August 29.



