'Countdown with Keith Olbermann' for February 8

Host: Keith Olbermann

Topics/Guests:
FEDERAL JUDGE DISMISSES THE ARMY'S "STOP LOSS" LAWSUIT: Paul Rieckhoff, Operation Truth

A FOUR YEAR-OLD BOY DRIVES HIS MOTHER'S CAR TO THE VIDEO STORE: Doug Heugel, Sand Lake, Mich. Police Chief

Read the transcript to the 8 p.m. ET show
Updated: Updated: 2:46 p.m. ET Feb. 9, 2005

Guest: Martin Fletcher, Andrea Mitchell, Paul Rieckhoff, Jack Curry, Doug Heugel

OLBYWATCH GUIDE: KO began with the Mideast cease-fire agreement, describing it as merely oral. Keith sounded skeptical about the prospects, but NBC foreign correspondent Martin Fletcher was upbeat and expressed hope. Dog That Didn't Bark: any mention of the unrelenting insipid and naive 4-year Democrat rant that the Bush Administration would not engage Israel and the PLO in negotiations.

Keith tackled the raging debate about the volunteer army and the ruling upholding the Pentagon's Stop-Loss program. But there wasn't a "debate". That would have been fair and balanced. So we don't know if there are two sides to the story. Instead, KO threw softballs to Paul Riekhoff. The only lesson one should take away from this is to always read every word of a contract before signing on the line that is dotted.

Keith could not in good conscience discuss Jose Canseco's tales of steroid use in baseball without devoting a good portion of it to the allegation that President Bush was aware of steroid use among the Texas Rangers while he was part owner of the team. Keith dangled the question of "guilty knowledge" in front of NY Times' Jack Curry, but to his credit he didn't bite, and gave a fair and balanced response. No home run for Keith.

Now that Bill Cosby has strayed off the liberal reservation by uttering offensive words like "personal responsibility", Keith should have felt no qualms about reporting on (denied) allegations that Bill "drugged and fondled" someone. I say, at least Cosby didn't rape Yuanita Broderick, an allegation still not denied by another 'Bill', to my knowledge.

Finally, KO introed his Oddball segment, saying "ask yourself Bill, why are you afraid to report these facts?" He was referring to Bill O'Reilly. Keith is suffering from Al Franken Syndrome, a malady that afflicks desperate hosts of low-rated programs, prompting them to pick fights with their more talented and popular competition, thinking that the latter will take the bait, and the subsequent artificially created controversy will produce a buzz in the media and higher ratings for them (the aforementioned afflicted). Pie in the sky? I did say he's desperate.