Bob Beckel threatened to beat up reporter Jason Mattera during a The Five segment on Fox News . Mattera recently followed former IRS official Lois Lerner to question her about alleged partisan political targeting by the tax agency. Beckel became irate while discussing Mattera’s viral video and called him out on national television.
Jason Mattera, a conservative author and journalist, confronted Lois Lerner while she was walking her dogs in her neighborhood. He posed several questions to the IRS official about the targeting scandal and the hefty taxpayer-funded salary she still enjoys. Lerner attempted to avoid Mattera by walking to a neighbor’s front door and asking someone inside to call the police.
A man, presumably the homeowner, ultimately walks up the sidewalk and asks what is going on, and Jason Mattera tells the man that Lois Lerner is attempting to go inside the house to avoid answering his IRS targeting scandal questions. The man is heard saying, “I’m not letting her in my house.”
Some consider Mattera’s questions and the following of Lois Lerner par for the course when it comes to attempting to pose questions to controversial public officials. Many times Americans have watched reporters following politicians down hallways and to parked cars, but this particular incident appears to have substantially angered Bob Beckel – a Democrat.
“You’re twice as young as I am, you’re a punk, you’re a coward, and my name is Bob Beckel, and I would like you to call me anytime, anyplace, and let’s you and I discuss it because you’re a coward. You pick on people and you deserve to have you’re a** kicked and I want to do it. So get in touch with me,” Beckel said during The Five broadcast. “Bring a knife, punk,” Beckel added.
Jason Mattera issued a response to Bob Beckel via an email to Mediate . “Bob Beckel issued a challenge on television to meet me anytime, anyplace. I’m naming the place: How about [tomorrow] on The Five ? What time would you like me to appear, Bob? I look forward to our national debate on effective journalism.”
During a Thursday afternoon interview with Stuart Varney on Fox News , Jason Mattera was asked if, by following Lois Lerner to the door of a house, was he perhaps generating some sympathy for the former IRS official. “I don’t think anyone in America has sympathy for Lois Lerner,” Mattera said.
http://youtu.be/SFtlV_RiqEE
What do you think about Bob Beckel threatening to beat up Jason Mattera and the Lois Lerner video?
[Image via: The Huffington Post/Noam Galai/Getty Images ]
