Countdown with Keith Olbermann' for January 20

Host: Keith Olbermann

Read the transcript to the 8 p.m. ET show
Updated: Updated: 3:00 p.m. ET Jan. 25, 2005

Topics/Guests: Craig Crawford, John Harwood (more pending)

OLBYWATCH GUIDE: Crawford and Harwood dutifully refrained from slanting their review of the inaugural in a positive direction, calling Bush's speech "provocative" and "rhetorical". Crawford said Bush advocated "aggressive expansionism", but moments later explained what he meant by that (ie. nothing bad).

Not going away empty-handed, Keith felt obligated to report on the protests at the inaugural, then reported how unpopular the President is. And later in the show, KO ran video of Bush's inaugural speech. It was edited to include every time the president uttered the word "freedom". Too puerile for the Daily Show. But Keith might have a future at Saturday Night Live.

KO capped off this particularly unremarkable show by aiming at a couple of easy targets: the recent exploits of socialite Paris Hilton, followed by wacko Christian conservative Dr. Dobson (from the group, "Focus On The Family") who condemned Sponge Bob's video for children as 'pro-homosexual' propaganda.

Keith should have refrained from showing the entire Sponge Bob cartoon. It was a bit much. But perhaps it was good filler for what was an uneventful day---with the possible exception of the Presidential Inauguration, which garnered all-day coverage by cable news, but only 10 minutes on Countdown.

Neither Bernard Kerik nor Armstrong Williams nor the "OhioButNotPennsylvaniaVoteFraud" were mentioned throughout the show.

update (11PM): Apparently Keith's video editing bit WASN'T too puerile for the Daily Show, because the Daily Show did the same bit later that night! When Olbermannwatch is wrong, we admit it. Apologies to Mr. Olbermann. He does indeed have a future with the Daily Show.