The City Councilman's Graphic Comment that Got Him Thown Out of a Radio Studio-Fiction!

The City Councilman's Graphic Comment that Got Him Thrown Out of a Radio Studio-Fiction!

Summary of the eRumor
A Midland, Texas council members got tossed out of a radio interview when he said "If hooking up an Iraqi prisoner's scrotum to a car's battery cables will save one American GI's life, then I have just two things to say: Red is positive. Black is negative."

The Truth
There is no Midland, Texas council member named Bubba Bechtol and no council members who appeared on a radio program as described in the eRumor.
A version of this eRumor also names a council member from Pensacola, Florida, but that is not true either and we've not found any incident like this involving a city official and a radio show.

There is a Real Bubba Bechtol, actually T. Bubba Bechtol.
He's a comedian and according to his website, he did make the statement about Iraqi prisoners and battery cables during an appearance at a summer music festival that was also being broadcast live on a radio station.
He was not thrown out for it and says he's not apologizing for the remark.
We don't know whether the statement started with him.
He admits on his site that not all his material is original.

Last updated 7/23/05

A real example of the eRumor as it has appeared on the Internet:

City Councilman >From Midland, TX. City Councilman Ejected From Studio

T. Bubba Bechtol, part time City Councilman from Midland, TX, was asked on a local live radio talk show the other day just what he thought of the allegations of torture of the Iraq prisoners. His reply prompted his ejection from the studio, but to thunderous applause from the audience.

"If hooking up an Iraqi prisoner's scrotum to a car's battery cables will save one American GI's life, then I have just two things to say":

"Red is positive"
"Black is negative"