Olbermann Watch - MSNBC's Countdown with Keith Olbermann: Countdown

Olbermann Watch, "persecuting" Keith since 2004

January 10, 2005

Countdown - Monday, Jan 10, 2005 (8:00-9:00 P.M. ET)

Countdown with Keith Olbermann' for Jan 10

Host: Keith Olbermann

Read the transcript to the 8 p.m. ET show
Updated: 1:50 AM, Jan 12 2005
Guest: Deborah Potter, Alex Jones, Richard Wolffe

OLBYWATCH GUIDE: It took less than two minutes for KO to put a political spin on the RatherGate report:

It was probably as close to a win for CBS as was conceiably possible. A vivisection, co-chaired by a former Republican attorney general of the United States, found no political motivation...

All right class, why did Olby bring up Thornburgh? Why did he go out of his way to mention he is a Republican? Why did Thornburgh get star billing in this sentence, while his co-chairman gets no mention at all? Why does KO keep calling it "The Thornburgh Report"? Could it be Olbermann's way to try to paint this as a "win for CBS"? Is KO trying to say that even a Republican says Rather is not biased? Bueller? Anyone?

Incredibly, KO tried to get Deborah Potter to diminish this scandal on the grounds that everybody does it:

This rush to get a story on the air. For as long as there has been journalism this has been the siren's call, the rocks on which a thousand careers have crashed.

Needless to say, none of Olby's questions to her even hinted that there might be any [whispered:] "bias". But he was quick to play a clip of co-chairman Baccardi (I wonder how he likes KO calling this "The Thornburgh Report"). Baccardi said bias had nothing to do with it. (How exactly does he know?) Then, with that sleight-of-hand that only KO can perform, he slips Armstrong Williams into the conversation, and introduces his next guest (Alex Jones, a media "expert" from, where else, NPR and PBS):

How do these two stories, Armstrong Williams and the Thornburgh [again with Thornburgh!] findings about CBS fit into that matrix that insists the media is largely tilted to the left?

I'll spare you the predictable reply.

Of course, no Countdown would be complete without the obligatory, envious slap at Olbermann's far more successful competitors:

The Swift-Boat ads, last summer, full of distortions, some demonstrably untrue content in there, yet they were run as gospel by many news outlets, even though they were by definition designed to influence the election. But you're not going to see Fox News appointing an independent investigation into its own journalistic ethics or lack thereof over those ads.

Hello? McFly? Are you equating a paid political advertisement with a fraudulent news report? And are you going to appoint a committee to investigate MSNBC's airing of the ads?

Surely things can't get any worse. Oh wait, Olby has another guest. Perhaps someone to provide a little balance? No, it's one of Newsweek's lefty scriveners who is going to elaborate on Keith's allegation that there has been a "sea change" in public opinion on Iraq. Make him go away. Who will be next? Al Franken? Michael Moore? I can't take another minute of Olbermann Hell. I'm outta here.

Posted by Robert Cox | Permalink | Comments (9) | | View blog reactions

9 Comments

By TJackson on January 10, 2005 9:14 PM

Great Job Johnny!

Is there any other person on earth that could possibly work all of these into one show?

1. Republican says CBS was not biased
2. And even if they were, did you see what Armstrong Williams did?
3. Can you believe the 'demonstrably untrue' swift boat ads were allowed to run?
4. Fox news hasn't investigated itself!
5. Another Republican wants out of Iraq.
6. Kenneth Blackwell sent out an illegal letter... you know he's a republican, right?
7. Have I metioned Armstrong Williams yet, because what he did is worse than forging documents and lying to America.

Real quote here.. what CBS did 'pales in comparison' to Armstrong Williams. KO really said that.

I have heard rumor that KO will be changing the opening line of his show to 'What 5 Republicans will I be talking about tomorrow?'

By Chuck on January 10, 2005 10:22 PM

Excellent job of fisking the KO show.

You know someone has done a great job when you just read the Cliffsnotes of the KO show and feel the need of a shower. Sheeesshh!

By Cecelia on January 10, 2005 11:23 PM

Johnny,

I missed tonight's installment of 'Farenheit Top Five' and am flabbergasted that you call it a "predictable" answer to Keith's question making some comparision between Armstrong Williams and Rathergate.

Unless the answer was that they're both enties with more ideological bias than good sense, I can't fathom what that "predictable" answer could have been...

By Cecelia on January 10, 2005 11:26 PM

"This rush to get a story on the air. For as long as there has been journalism this has been the siren's call, the rocks on which a thousand careers have crashed."

Now there's irony...

By napablogger on January 11, 2005 2:32 AM

KO is unbelievable. Great write up by the way. Armstrong Williams and Dan Rather are not even in the same league here. Williams gets what, 16 viewers to Rather's million? Rather was trying to throw an election, Williams is so obscure, has anyone here ever even watched his show? I can't even get it and I get 500 channels or something.

By Cecelia on January 11, 2005 9:01 AM

Napa,

What's particularly humorous about Keith's comparision (pathetic flaking for the liberal MSM by saying 'Rathergate is just another chapter in the age-old story of losing your head over a scoop BUT Republican pols and their paid media flaks are the real threat to the ethics of the industry) is that before had anyone mentioned conservative pundit Armstrong Williams, reporter/anchor Dan Rather, and CBS News in the same breath, Keith would have been the first to guffaw so hard that he got a hernia.

By napablogger on January 11, 2005 1:20 PM

Exactly, Williams is a very minor player next to Rather. I watch Fox, MSNBC, and CNBC all day every day and sometimes at night and I haven't seen Williams in a long time.

BTW, did you catch O'Reilly, he is sticking up for Rather like KO. Wonder if Keith will find a minute to praise Bill for his "objective" reporting on Rather.

By Paul S. on January 11, 2005 2:11 PM

Napa,

"I watch Fox, MSNBC, and CNBC all day every day and sometimes at night..."

Now THIS explains a lot. Please accept my condolences.

By napablogger on January 12, 2005 3:00 AM

thanks Paul, for being so understanding we are going to make you an honorary compassionate conservative! Secret website and password will follow via secure email.

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9 Comments