Gene Hackman once said, "The difference between a hero and a coward is one step sideways." If you want to see a coward in action, then check out former baseball umpire and current radio talk show host Mike Gallagher at one of his upcoming public events. As far as cowards go, this is the All-American Poster-Boy.

Gallagher says he will be in New York City for the Republican National Convention this week, but if his little game of "hide-n-seek" yesterday in Williamsport, Pennsylvania was any indication of things to come, then expect him to be coming at you from under a table in some dimly-lit reinforced bunker surrounded by bulletproof glass and "a few good men" from his "army". On August 27th, Gallagher broadcast his morning radio talk show from the Kings Inn Restaurant, directly opposite from the Little League World Series. Supposedly Mike is a huge baseball nut (or so he claims), so I hope he eventually found the gonads to crawl out from his hiding space, cross the street, and watch the kids compete like he kept declaring he would. But who knows ... Mike says a lot of things. That doesn't necessarily suggest he means any of them, or even that he is being honest. At WING TV, we know when Mike steps to the plate he can hit a lie clear out of the park.

So, what was his problem in Williamsport? Well, it seems he changed his mind and decided NOT to allow the public into a local restaurant where his show was being broadcast. It seems Gallagher was now too afraid to meet you, his fans and supporters. Why, you ask? Because Mike has developed some grave concerns. He thinks he matters enough to Americans that some of us would actually try to hurt or kill him; so he has become a "target" now - a victim. At least, this is the schtick being parroted by his entourage. This guy is really becoming high-maintenance.

And yes, Mike does have an entourage. These are the human shields being paid to protect their "General" from the dangers of free books, free T-shirts, and birthday party noisemakers. They are also on guard to keep a certain perceived "criminal element" far away from their Master. These people are buffers between their boss and the general public - both on the phone and on the street. They're not the problem here - they're just guys who must lower themselves to make a few bucks, kinda like Gallagher.

The question is: what is Mike REALLY hiding from? Why does he need sentinals at the gate? Well, it certainly isn't because of excessive adulation from his adoring fans, because there weren't any autograph seekers or Gallagher groupies to behold in the parking lot of the Kings Inn Motel & Restaurant on August 27th in Williamsport. In other words, ZERO fans had lined up at the door. In light of the obvious lack of Gallagher supporters, Victor and I thought we would have no problem getting a good seat for the show. I guess that was presumptuous, though, because we never got to watch Mike do his show.

It is a good thing none of his groupies were there because Gallagher's troops were planning on turning everyone away, which is what they did to us. Ya see, Gallagher had the whole restaurant locked-down tight while he fiddled around in the dimly lit bar doing God-knows-what. Maybe he was looking for his balls. The ironic part (which I must emphasize again) is that millions of listeners were enthusiastically invited to attend this radio gig in Williamsport by GALLAGHER himself. He continued to do this even as he was holed-up behind locked doors urging people to join in on all the scheduled festivities. Why would Gallagher lie to his listeners in such a way? Did he really want people to drive to Williamsport to see his show - only to be turned away at the door? Very, very odd behavior ... almost twisted.

Victor and I figured since he was inviting the public, and Williamsport was only an hour away from where we lived, what the heck. It was an enjoyable drive, and we were excited at the prospect of seeing Gallagher in person. After all, we've spilled a lot of ink writing about him. We thought he was supposed to be a "tough guy" who could handle criticism and public scrutiny. Little did we realize the level of irrational paranoia that would confront us upon our arrival.

The first red flag was raised as soon as we walked in the front door of the Kings Inn Motel. After checking-in and paying for our room, we asked a woman at the front desk where Mike was going to broadcast from. She looked at us and asked point blank if we were going to shoot Mike Gallagher. The woman then proceeded to ask us this same question two more times! What exactly do you say to someone like this? Is this normal customer service, as in, "Welcome to the Kings Inn Motel. Will you be killing anyone during your stay with us?" This is a very weird approach to use on any customer, and I highly adivse against it.

After spending the rest of the day and evening traveling around Williamsport to see the sites, we settled in for the night, then rose the next morning excited to see Mike and eat breakfast at the restaurant next door. We even put-on our WING TV shirts; then piled our gifts and goodies into the backseat of the Buick. After pulling into an adjoining parking lot, we saw a black limo parked outside the restaurant, but there was nobody in sight other than a limo driver. So we went to the front door of the Kings Inn Restaurant and tried to open the door, but it was locked tight. Undaunted, we walked around the corner where we noticed an open side door. After walking through it, though, we met his human shields. It was Gallagher's trench-coated limo driver, who had eyeballed us as we neared the eatery, along with someone who looked like a secret service agent. They had positioned themselves outside the door that led to Mike, then proceeded to inform us that the restaurant was closed. Closed??? I was a little confused, because Gallagher had been telling people for weeks to come out and visit him during his show. How were people supposed to accomplish this, considering the locked door and the sentinals at the gate?

The two men eyeballed us while asking, "Who are you" and "What are you doing here?" Well, we thought it was pretty obvious what we were doing there, even to a limo driver and bodyguard. But I guess it wasn't. So, after we told them our names and said that we'd like to meet Mike, the limo driver disappeared through a door which led to Mike. A few minutes later he returned with the verdict: ACCESS DENIED. If we didn't leave the premises immediately we would be arrested.

How could this be, we asked? We drove here to see Mike Gallagher, and we brought him gifts. But Mike's "heavies" must have thought we looked pretty dangerous brandishing books, poster-board signs, t-shirts and kazoos. Regardless of what we said, though, we couldn't convince Gallagher's Army to let us through. "There have been security threats", one of them said. "His entourage has denied you entrance," another added. "And if you don't leave the premises immediately, you will be arrested," they repeated. Arrested??? For what? Apparently, for BEING THERE. At this point, I would like to make it quite clear that Victor Thorn and I have NEVER threatened Mike Gallagher in any way with phsyical harm of any kind. Hell, we're journalists who have written articles about him. That's it! Sure, we call him a liar and a phoney and a hypocrite and a coward (because he is all of those things), but those words don't constitute a threat.

At that point I wondered: why was Mike telling people to come out and visit him when they would be rudely turned away at the door? Because this is exactly what his "muscle" intended to do if anyone else bothered to show up. Nobody was getting in, and they meant it (so much so that they called the cops on us)! Yes, we were armed with books and happy little signs and a T-shirt for Gallagher. We even brought enough party noise-makers and kazoos for everyone in the restaurant, except nobody was IN the restaurant (or waiting outside either). Meanwhile, Mike must have been hiding inside peeing down his leg because we know quite well what Gallagher is really afraid of - and it isn't a sniper. Mike is hiding from the truth, potential embarrassment, and from free speech. Mike fears us because we hold his feet to the fire when he lies, and they must be getting pretty damn hot by now.

You see, Mike is a big-fat COWARD. For all his incessant blathering and self-aggrandizement, Mike is really just a chickenshit little toad who recoils from anyone who dares to oppose or challenge him. He absolutely cannot allow himself to be cornered with questions in a public forum, which is why he constantly hangs-up on us when we call his radio show. Mike would rather hide in the darkened safe-zone of a locked, empty restaurant and make an ass of himself (pretending to have 'security concerns') than do something refreshing, like be a man.

Yes, Gallagher is "concerned". He is concerned when others exercise their right to free speech. He is concerned when confronted with unpleasant truths that ride in opposition to his New World Order shill agenda. Mike is concerned when we write articles exposing his pathological lies. Ya see, Mike really digs riding in limos, and he wants to keep it that way. How could he explain to his listeners that he's been lying to them for years now, or that he has spent several weeks misleading them about his Williamsport appearance (or should I say, "disappearance")?

After being questioned by two police officers, then told to leave, we turned the radio on in our car to hear Gallagher's show. Mike was sticking to baseball, a nice safe subject. But on at least two different occasions we heard him tell his listeners to "come out and visit" him at the Kings Inn. Unbelievable. Of course, he conveniently forgot to mention the well-armed policemen who would be there to greet them, or that the place was surrounded by secret service agents, or that they wouldn't be able to buy "grilled stickies" in the restaurant. He also didn't bother to let anyone know that Gallagher's "army" had commandeered the restaurant, which was in lock-down mode. No, he certainly didn't bother to tell the truth - again.

I have seen some cowards in my life, but this guy takes the cake. He is terrified of being "outed" to the people who have made him what he is today. In addition, Gallagher is more paranoid of free speech by his fellow Americans than he is of any psycho-stalker. Free speech is permissable when it comes from Mike, or someone Mike likes or wants to impress. But the rest of us can stick our free speech, right?

Gallagher's "concerns" are probably real enough in his own head, and every time the ink spills from our pens he must cringe and FEEL like he's been shot. Conscience will do that when you least expect it. What Mike truly fears is that deadly weapon known as the truth. What we write with our pens is of far greater concern to him than any contrived ghost-sniper with a loaded gun. And that is a fact of life. He fears us because we've proven that he is nothing but a deceitful con-man, and his ridiculous behavior yesterday serves only to make him seem even more foolish. Bravo, Mike. Very impressive. Wanna waste some more taxpayer dollars by calling the police out for NOTHING? Will you be doing an encore of this Williamsport "lockdown" in New York at the RNC? I'm sure the NYPD will appreciate that.

I guess it's easier for a wuss like Gallagher to get his critics arrested than to look them squarely in the eye. I also wonder if Mike Gallagher believes in reincarnation? If he does, then he must know there will be a karmic price to pay in the future for a lifetime wasted on dishonesty, duplicity, and cowardice. Shame on you, Mike Gallagher. Grow a ball already. You're too old for this Little League baby bullshit.

"All courage is a form of constancy. It is always himself that a coward abandons first. After this all other betrayals come.
~ Cormac McCarthy ~