Posted 6:48 AM by Scoobie Davis

Exclusive: Transcript of Phony "Nobel nominee" confronted about his Deception
Those of you familiar with this blog know that with the exception of Air America Radio, I'm not a big fan of talk radio. For those of you not familiar with this blog, read the transcripts on the sidebar under the title "Phone Calls."

Until a couple days ago, the LA talk radio station KFI was no exception--with the exception of George Noory and Bill Handel whose Saturday morning legal advice show is a scream. However, on Tuesday, I was about to play a cassette tape on my radio/tape player when I turned on the radio and heard hosts John and Ken slam Fox News, Bill O'Reilly, Sean Hannity, and Joe Scarborough for their deceptful handling of the Schiavo controversy. After their show was over, host John Ziegler did the same thing--using arguments similar to the ones on Media Matters--such as taking these right-wing pundits to task for falsely claiming that pro-Schiavo family doctor William Hammesfahr was nominated for a Nobel Prize in medicine.

That surprised me because I thought John and Ken were just right-wing hacks (they were integral parts of the media campaign in favor of the Schwarzenegger power grab). Recently, I referred to Ziegler as a "Rush clone." I stand corrected.

Probably the best thing was when yesterday, Hammesfahr, the physician who falsely referred to himself as having been nominated for a Nobel Prize, did a telephone interview for the John and Ken Show (apparently, he thought that John and Ken would be like pro-Schiavo talk radio jocks like Hannity and throw him softballs).

Here is the hilarious transcript of the last part of their conversation with Dr. Hammesfahr in which they take Hammesfahr to task for his phony credentials. Note: I started recording late so the first part of the first sentence got cut off. Also, I can't tell which one is John and which one is Ken so when either one talks, I list it as JOHN/KEN:

JOHN/KEN: [The claims made on] Fox News Channel and MSNBC by Sean Hannity and Joe Scarborough, to be specific, that you're a Nobel Prize nominee has be found not to be true because the man who nominated you--Florida Congressman Mike Bilirakis, a Republican--is not qualified to make Nobel nominations. Are you aware of that?

HAMMESFAHR: Um, I assume that he is--um, I think that is [unintelligible but sounded as if he said "a spin happening."] I don't really know that to be true.

JOHN/KEN: What to be true? Are you a Nobel Prize nominee or not?

HAMMESFAHR: Yeah, I am.

JOHN/KEN: Based on what? The Congressman's letter?

HAMMESFAHR: Yes

JOHN/KEN: Well, according to the Nobel Prize web site, you have to be a member of the Nobel Prize committee, or you have to be a past winner, or you have to be a university professor that's selected by the Nobel people in order to nominate somebody.

HAMMESFAHR: I don't know that was true at the time that I was nominated--which was back in 1998 or 1999, somewhere in that time frame.

JOHN/KEN: Well, the Nobel Prize web site has a list of criteria to nominate somebody and a letter from a congressman is not on the list.

HAMMESFAHR:Well, I'll have to go take a look at that.

JOHN/KEN: In addition, it says that information about nominations is not to be disclosed publicly or privately for a period of fifty years--which would bring us to around 2049.

HAMMESFAHR: Okay, well, I'll have to go and take a look at that, too--

JOHN/KEN: You mean you never looked up--

HAMMESFAHR: Hold on. Hold on. Hold on. Hold on. Hold on. [note: yes, he said "hold on" five times in a row.] Are you interupting me or what is the story here?

JOHN/KEN: No, go ahead and answer. It's hard to believe that you didn't look into it. That you didn't look this up until now. I mean this is several years that you've been running around saying that you were nominated.

HAMMESFAHR: Alright. Well, guys, It's been fun talking to you all. See you later.

HAMMESFAHR HANGS UP

JOHN/KEN: Well, we never got to the part about Terri Schiavo.

UPDATE The John and Ken web site has an audio clip of the conversation.