Rooney Compares Himself to Rushdie

CBS commentator Andy Rooney, under three-months suspension from “60 Minutes” for alleged racist remarks, said Sunday in a syndicated newspaper column that the barrage of publicity has made him feel like novelist Salman Rushdie, who was condemned to death for his writings.

“Camera crews were lined up on the sidewalk waiting for me to poke out my head out the door so they could pounce on me,” Rooney said. “I felt like Salman Rushdie.”

Meanwhile, CBS switchboards in Manhattan reportedly were jammed with thousands of phone calls from across the country as Rooney fans implored the network to reinstate him. The commentator’s fate remains up in the air: several newspaper chains are considering cancellation or suspension of his column and a Tampa, Fla., radio station has offered him a job hosting a talk show, complete with perks such as a condo and limousine service.