[Rummyfan]

FWIW, I think Harvey Levin is a hack reporter (I remember him from local LA TV when I lived there) who is trying to make a name for his site TMZ (whatever that is). He got a copy of the police report? There's no audio recording? MG's blood alcohol was barely over legally drunk?

And most preposterous of all, how can anyone save a raving Islama-whacko scream out that Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world?

[lainie]

He is a hackneyed type reporter. TMZ is an AOL creature, launched in December, 2005. Harvey used to host "Celebrity Justice." Is he an ex-entertainment lawyer? I'm not sure.

The initial reports said that one of the things which set Mel off was a deputy videotaping him. He also supposedly beat down a phone when there was no dialtone, at the sheriff station. But it's all, again, alleged.

What I keep coming back to is, regardless who or what TMZ is, the .pdf file was a scan of a police report, with a control number and everything. And Mel came out immediately with an apology for his 'despicable comments.' So, to me, it's not a question of whether he said this stuff.

Why he said it, and what it all means, I don't know. A Hollywood agent was quoted today as saying this is a nuclear explosion for Mel, but we've seen people come back from more embarrassing things. The difference is, Mel is the A-list top of the A-list.