On the October 20 edition of his program, New York radio host Bob Grant said he had simply “asked a question” when he falsely claimed during his October 15 broadcast that Sen. Barack Obama had stood in front of flags depicting the letter " 'O' for Obama" at a Toledo, Ohio, campaign event. In fact, while Grant initially asked during the October 15 broadcast, “Is the circle the 'O' for Obama?” he went on to assert as fact: “He has the 'O' flag. And that's what that 'O' is. That's what that 'O' is. Just like he did with the plane he was using. He had the flag painted over, and the 'O' for Obama.” Grant then said he was engaging in “conjecture.” As conservative commentator Michelle Malkin pointed out, Obama was actually speaking in front of the flag of Ohio.

As Media Matters for America documented, Grant asserted during the October 15 broadcast that flags and a plane featuring an “O” for Obama “are symptomatic of a person who would like to be a potentate -- a dictator. And I really see this in this man.” Grant then said:

GRANT: Hey, I could be wrong. But I wouldn't say this on this great radio station if I didn't think there was some merit in this conjecture. And I stress conjecture. And so much of what we talk about is conjecture, is theory, is opinion based on intuition, based on some facts, based on some history.

Immediately afterward, Grant said he didn't want to “overdramatize this,” but then added of Obama: “I tell you this quite seriously. I am alarmed at the prospect of his election.”

Grant first claimed during his October 17 broadcast that he had in fact known all along that Obama had been speaking in front of the flag of Ohio. On the October 17 broadcast, Grant stated: “You know at the beginning of the program, I talked about the huge inundation of emails that I received and many of them were critical because of the question that I asked about the circle in the flag of Ohio, because I suppose I should have said, 'Listen, I know what it is but do you know what it is?' I should have said that but anyway that's not important.” Then, during his October 20 broadcast, Grant said: “Last week, I had asked a question, tongue-in-cheek, but nevertheless, asked the question: ”What's that 'O' behind Obama?" And I alluded to the fact that Obama has illusions of grandeur. I alluded to the fact that he would like to have the 'O' seal. Remember when he was using that 'O' seal behind the on speaker stand? It was like 'O' for Oval Office. He took that down. So I made a remark about that.

From the October 20 broadcast of WABC's Bob Grant Show:

GRANT: And let me tell you this. Let me tell you this, ladies and gentlemen. When we talk about people out there, I can testify there are a lot of very mean, nasty, crude, ugly people. Last week, I had asked a question, tongue-in-cheek, but nevertheless, asked the question: “What's that 'O' behind Obama?” And I alluded to the fact that Obama has illusions of grandeur. I alluded to the fact that he would like to have the “O” seal. Remember when he was using that “O” seal behind -- on the speaker stand? It was like “O” for Oval Office. He took that down. So, I made a remark about that. And some dirtbag by the name of Keith Olbermann got a hold of that, and he made me “worst person on Earth,” or whatever he calls it, “worst person in the world.” Whatever, it was something, anyway. That doesn't bother me, I don't mind. He could do that every night if he wants. But I must tell you, the ugly emails -- I mean, just a ton. So, maybe I should thank somebody for all the attention showered on me. I'm not quite used to all that attention anymore. It's like the good 'ol days. Ah, dear.

From the October 17 broadcast of WABC Radio's Bob Grant Show:

GRANT: Ladies and gentlemen, I must tell you, I have never -- and I've been doing this for a long time, nobody has been doing it as long as I have been doing it -- but I must tell you, that never have I received more vitriolic, hate-filled, venom-filled, response than to my question the other night, when Barack Obama was in Ohio, and hence, the “O” in the flag instead of the field of stars. And I asked, “What does it stand for? Does anybody know what it stands for? Is that the Obama sign?” Didn't think another thing about it, concluded the program, slammed the lid on things, and went my not-so-merry way. And I checked the email that came into Bob Grant Online -- Bob Grant Online, that's my website. Bob Grant Online -- you got to have the words online, because if you just say Bob Grant, you'll get an upholsterer, you'll get a lawyer, you'll get all kinds of people, because that's one of the most common names in the history of the English language. But if you put Bob Grant online, you'll get me. And I checked all that email, because being an egomaniac, that's what we do. You know, the world revolves around us, everything is us. I'm being facetious, of course, but there's a little bit of truth in that.

Nevertheless, I can't begin to tell you the depth of hatred. I mean, some people are actually angry. I mean, there were a few decent, mature people who wrote, “Bob, I don't know if you were just asking because you wanted to make a point?” Or, “Bob, I don't know if you really didn't know, but here's the answer. I hope I'm being of help.” Or something like that. But some of the emails, some of the messages, I can't even -- I couldn't very well read over the radio, because if I did, why then, maybe we might all be in a little trouble here because some of the language some of you gentlemen used are not very nice.

[...]

GRANT: You know, at the beginning of the program, I talked about the huge inundation of emails that I had received, and many of them were critical because of the question I had asked about the circle -- the circle in the flag of Ohio, because I suppose I should have said, “Listen, I know what it is, but do you know what it is?” I should have said that. But, anyway, that's not important.

From the October 15 edition of WABC's Bob Grant Show:

GRANT: Let me ask you this question, since you are aware of patriotic symbols. Maybe you don't know the answer. I'll be frank. I don't know the answer to this one, but what is that flag that Obama's been standing in front of that looks like an American flag, but instead of having the field of 50 stars representing the 50 states, there's a circle? Would someone please tell me what that is? Is the circle --

CALLER: Well, I thought it was our new flag.

GRANT: -- the “O” for Obama? Is that what it is?

CALLER: I thought it was our new flag. I thought we now instituted a new one under Obama, because we're going to change everything, and none of it is gonna be positive. And do people's mindset that Palin would be any kind of an adverse person around nuclear weapons, when you have somebody who has absolute deceived everybody from his onset of his life -

GRANT: All right, Sue. I want to thank you very much for your call. It's a pleasure to hear from someone who's paying attention to what's going on out there.

But really folks, did you notice Obama is not content with just having several American flags, plain old American flags with the 50 states represented by 50 stars? He has the “O” flag. And that's what that “O” is. That's what that “O” is. Just like he did with the plane he was using. He had the flag painted over, and the “O” for Obama. Now, these are symptom -- these things are symptomatic of a person who would like to be a potentate -- a dictator. And I really see this in this man.

Hey, I could be wrong. But I wouldn't say this on this great radio station if I didn't think there was some merit in this conjecture. And I stress conjecture. And so much of what we talk about is conjecture, is theory, is opinion based on intuition, based on some facts, based on some history.

I don't want to overdramatize this. Being dramatic, I must confess, does come easy to some of us, because, maybe that's why we're in this business. It is show business, is it not? I know some of my colleagues don't want to admit that, but they are the greatest showmen in the world. And I tell you this. I tell you this quite seriously. I am alarmed at the prospect of his election. I -- I would hope that if he is elected, that I could come before you one day and say, “Hey, there was no need to be alarmed, I was wrong.”

Because I care about the United States of America and what future we may have much more than I care about being right or being wrong, having my candidate win or having my candidate lose. I want to know how many of you people think about the significance of the election.

Rebecca A. Sivy is an intern at Media Matters for America