Rendell says "60 Minutes" producers, not Stahl, at fault

HARRISBURG - Gov. Rendell said he essentially was provoked into losing his temper during a 60 Minutes interview that when aired Sunday night showed the governor baring his teeth, and calling reporter Lesley Stahl and the show's staff "simpletons" and "idiots."

Speaking on WHYY-FM's Radio Times With Marty Moss-Coane on Monday, the governor said that though he apologized to Stahl afterward for his outburst, he didn't apologize to her producers, who he thinks goaded her into asking him the same question about the downside of gambling "over and over again."

"60 Minutes has made its reputation by confrontation, not by calm discussion," Rendell said on Radio Times. "They provoke confrontation. . . . 60 Minutes has made its bones doing that."

Rendell said he was interviewed for three hours on the proliferation of casinos and their impact on society, during which he answered Stahl's question about the downside of gambling "civilly."

"If they showed the three hours of tape, there would be a lynch mob to get the 60 Minutes people," the governor said.

The only other alternative, Rendell said, would have been to walk out of the interview - but "that would have been just as bad, because I believe the press has a right to have access to public officials."

Rendell told Moss-Coane that his staff told him he was "crazy" for agreeing to be interviewed for the CBS show, but he did it to share his belief that "there is a clear reason to have legalized gaming" in the United States.

During the interview, Stahl pressed Rendell about casinos and their impact on addictive gamblers. "People are losing money for the state to get its revenue," she said. "They're losing money."

Rendell, who at that point began to show signs of anger, replied: "Let me answer this. . . . I've known, uh, for two or three decades, you're a very smart person."

"But not now," Stahl shot back.

"But you're not getting it," Rendell said.

"I'm dumb now," Stahl continued.

"You're not getting it," an agitated Rendell replied, his lips drawn tight over his teeth. "Those people would lose that money anyway. Don't you understand? You guys don't get that. You're simpletons. You're idiots if you don't get that."

The video went viral on the Internet and quickly became the butt of jokes on comedy shows.