Robbins Rants Over Critics Of His Antiwar Views

Actor and peace activist Tim Robbins took another swing at the Baseball Hall of Fame during a speech at the National Press Club in Washington Tuesday, and also hit line drives at selected media outlets who have criticized his and partner Susan Sarandon's antiwar views.

Robbins wrote a letter to Hall president Dale Petroskey last week, saying he belonged "with the cowards and ideologues in a hall of infamy and shame" after Petroskey cancelled a scheduled Cooperstown salute to his baseball movie "Bull Durham."

Petroskey -- whom Robbins pointed out was a former assistant press secretary with the Reagan administration -- said he nixed the event because Robbins and film co-star Sarandon's opposition to the war in Iraq helps "undermine the U.S. position, which ultimately could put our troops in even more danger."

"I can't tell you how moved I have been at the overwhelming support I have received from newspapers throughout the country in these past few days," Robbins told the press club. "I hold no illusions that all of these journalists agree with me on my views against the war."

Robbins said we need the press more than ever to protect the constitutional right to free speech, praising sports writers who stood behind his letter to Petrosky.

"While the journalists' outrage at the cancellation of our appearance in Cooperstown is not about my views, it is about my right to express these views," Robbins said. "I am extremely grateful that there are those of you out there still with a fierce belief in constitutionally guaranteed rights."

While Robbins praised some journalists, he angrily berated others. In addition to the Cooperstown cancellation, Sarandon's appearance at a Florida United Way speaking engagement was canceled because of her opposition to the war.

"Susan and I have been listed as traitors, as supporters of Saddam, and various other epithets by the Aussie gossip rags masquerading as newspapers, and by their fair and balanced electronic media cousins, 19th Century Fox," swiped Robbins.

Robbins claimed double standards in the criticism of his viewpoints, saying nobody called him "unpatriotic" when he criticized President Bill Clinton during Kosovo. "The same radio patriots that call us traitors today engaged in daily personal attacks on their president during the war in Kosovo," Robbins said.

While Robbins championed free speech during the address, he dodged reporter's questions about the controversial incident at a post-Oscar party last month, according to the Washington Post.

Robbins reportedly threatened Washington Post reporter Lloyd Grove for interviewing Sarandon's mother, saying "if you ever write about my family again, I will (bleeping) find you and I will (bleeping) hurt you."

"Quite frankly, I don't know the guy and don't want to know him," the actor responded to reporters. "He has a right [to report] but it irritates me people use that right to pick on 13-year-olds."

According to the Post, Sarandon's mother claimed in the interview that Robbins and her daughter had "brainwashed" her grandson about the war.

In the press club address Tuesday, Robbins referred to Grove as a "sadistic creep who writes -- or, rather, scratches his column with his fingernails in dirt."