Ed Schultz can tell David Sirota to go to hell, but can't call Laura Ingraham a right-wing slut

The Sirota scrap revolved around the killing of Osama bin Laden. Like Keith Olbermann and Michael Moore, Sirota suspects that ObL was assassinated -- an act that may have violated international law. For his part, Schultz decries "liberal hand-wringing" over a subject that's left most Americans feeling great. Moreover, he feels that the sort of questions Sirota and company have been asking are counter-productive.

Cut to May 18, when Sirota told listeners of Big Ed's desire to yell at him -- and the volume did indeed go up when he connected with Schultz a few moments later. On the topic of bin Laden, Schultz said, "The issue is settled. The Attorney General of the United States made a comment the day after the operation went down in Pakistan, saying that undoubtedly he was killed in a war setting -- in a war zone -- and that it was legal."

These assertions didn't convince Sirota, who invoked the ghost of Richard Nixon. What followed was a bark-fest during which Schultz told Sirota to "Go to hell" and then hung up after being put on hold.

To listen to the exchange, click here. You can fast-forward to Schultz's appearance, which begins just past the eight-minute mark.

The Sirota-Schultz squabble got plenty of attention, but it was mere prelude to the uproar over the following Schultz radio-show comment, quoted by Talking Points Memo: "President Obama is going to be visiting Joplin, Missouri, on Sunday but you know what they're talking about, like this right-wing slut, what's her name? Laura Ingraham? Yeah, she's a talk slut. You see, she was, back in the day, praising President Reagan when he was drinking a beer overseas. But now that Obama's doing it, they're working him over."

The Washington Post reports that Schultz's suspension sans pay will last one week -- but in his MSNBC apology, he says he'll be suspended for "an indefinite period." Whatever the case, he could probably use a time out about now.

Here's his statement:

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