Town Hall Death Threat Came From a Hard-core Liberal

host of "Geraldo at Large" told his viewers, "There was a very public death threat today in Tucson that prompted police action. Ironically, it came from a hard-core liberal" (video follows with transcript and commentary):

GERALDO RIVERA: This is a Fox News alert. Despite Mr. Obama’s appeal to our better angels, there was a very public death threat today in Tucson that prompted police action. Ironically, it came from a hard-core liberal. At a town hall meeting packed with eyewitnesses, concerned citizens and a member of Congress, Eric Fuller, a well-known left-wing activist, took a close-up photo of the local Tea Party spokesman Trent Humphries. Then Fuller said, “You're dead.” He was promptly arrested. Before I get to my exclusive interview with Jeb Bush, for more on what went down in Tucson today, Jason Ogan, a deputy for the Pima County sheriff's department, joins us live alongside a familiar face, or at least a familiar hairdo, Steven Caits, friend of the alleged mass murderer Jared Loughner. Steven was at today's town hall meeting. Tell us what happened. Tell us what was said and what you saw, Steven. (Continues here)

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The New York Times reported that in an interview last week, Fuller made several references to the “tea party crime syndicate.” The newspaper also reported during that interview that Fuller said he placed partial blame for the rampage on Sarah Palin, saying the former Alaska governor and other Republican leaders had created a toxic atmosphere.

Fuller said Republican politicians appeal to “simple-minded rednecks,” according to the newspaper.

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Mr. Fuller spoke dismissively of Republicans during the interview. “They appeal to simple-minded rednecks,” he said.

In the first days after the attack, his anger seemed especially strong. In the interview, he repeatedly denounced the “Tea Party crime syndicate,” and said he placed some of the blame for the shooting on Sarah Palin and other Republican leaders, saying he believed they had contributed to a toxic atmosphere.

He said he had expected to see protesters at Ms. Giffords’s event, and had planned “to shout them down because I can make a lot of noise.”

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