Bit part in heated movie release / Oakland man who appears in 'Fahrenheit 9/11' braces for criticism

Bit part in heated movie release / Oakland man who appears in 'Fahrenheit 9/11' braces for criticism: "Reingold's appearance in Moore's documentary caps an improbable rise from anonymity for the retired operations administrator at Pacific Bell. His wild ride began at his local 24 Hour Fitness gym, a month after the Sept. 11 attacks, during a heated conversation with about 10 other members.
'Bin Laden will never be as big an -hole as Bush because he bombs people for oil profits,' Reingold said he told the group.
A week later, while Reingold was taking a nap at his apartment, two FBI agents knocked on the door. They asked about his conversation at the gym. At one point, they reminded him he had the freedom of speech.
'I said, 'With that in mind, that ends the discussion,' ' Reingold recalled.
Since his encounter with the FBI, Reingold's story has been retold in papers across the nation, in Canada, in England and on CBS News. Early this year, Michael Moore's people contacted him about appearing in the documentary and later interviewed him at Lake Merritt, near the apartment he shares with his wife. "



Ryan Kim
Chronicle Staff Writer