CHICAGO - Mayor Luke Ravenstahl’s tour of the national talk show circuit took a bizarre turn yesterday when he shocked Oprah Winfrey by jumping on her furniture while proclaiming his love for the city he leads. After welcoming Mr. Ravenstahl to her program, Ms. Winfrey began her interview by asking a question about municipal bonds. Mr. Ravenstahl declined to answer. Instead, he told her he had a confession to make. "You know what, Oprah?" he asked. "I’m in love. I’m in love with the city of Pittsburgh!" Ravenstahl repeated his proclamation of affection for his hometown for the next ten minutes, raising his voice with each outburst. By the twentieth time, the wild-eyed Mayor was leaning over a frightened Winfrey, recoiling in her chair, while Ravenstahl clutched her shoulders and shouted at the top of his lungs. Ms. Winfrey went to a commercial break, and when the show resumed, Mayor Ravenstahl was gone. This is the second time in two days that Mayor Ravenstahl has behaved in an uncharacteristically aggressive manner. On Tuesday, the Mayor used an appearance on CNN to criticize actress Brooke Shields for using anti-depressants following the birth of her child. He also called "Suddenly Susan," an NBC sitcom in which Shields starred, "about as funny as a four-alarm fire at an orphanage."
Mayoral spokesman Dick Skrinjar said Ravenstahl was suffering the after-effects of a bite he received from a rabid squirrel while helping an old woman cross the street in his Observatory Hill neighborhood. He promised there would be no repeat of his Oprah Winfrey behavior when he appears on The David Letterman Show tonight. "From what I understand," he said, "They’re removed all of the furniture from the set."
