Olbermann Watch - MSNBC's Countdown with Keith Olbermann: Was Olbermann Lying Then, Or Is He Lying Now?

Olbermann Watch, "persecuting" Keith since 2004

May 19, 2008

Was Olbermann Lying Then, Or Is He Lying Now?

When Keith Olbermann delivered his Special Comment on Wednesday of last week, there was a firestorm of reaction. On this site we documented the objections of Dennis Prager, Mark Levin, and Laura Ingraham. Since Keith reads this site religiously, he was well aware of the strong responses from Dr Levin and Ms Ingraham in particular. Tonight he sought to dismiss those responses with an explanation, and an attack on Ingraham and Levin claiming that they "hate the troops". But there's a problem, and it goes straight to the honesty and credibility of Edward R Olbermann.

Monday night, as he bellowed his "postscript" to last week's Special Education Komment, Olby sought to redefine the meaning of his phrase "cold-blooded killers" created by "Mister" Bush. Now, he says he was not talking of the troops. Revealing a previously deleted line of text, KO claimed he was really speaking of Bush, his Cabinet, and the Pentagon:

No writer or broadcaster is ever as precise and clear as he thinks he is. Television goes by quickly, and the viewer is not provided a copy of the script. So it is possible that reasonable viewers might have been confused by exactly to whom I referred. Especially considering that I edited the original line, which was:
"Mister" Bush, at long last has it not dawned on you that the America you have now created includes cold-blooded killers who will kill people to achieve their political objectives? They are called your Cabinet and your Pentagon.
During the editing process it seemed that was a little broad. That there appear to be men in both of those places--Gen Ricardo Sanchez, former Secretary of State Colin Powell, perhaps even the new Secretary of Defense Richard Gates--who did not merit inclusion in that list. My use of "Mister" Bush's phrase "cold-blooded killers" did not refer to US troops.

Now one might question this ex post facto revelation, especially since we know that the Pentagon is largely staffed by...US troops! They command the soldiers in the field who, under Oralmann's construction, would then become the moral equivalent of contract killers.

But our point here is not the weakness of Keith's freshly minted rationalization. Our point is how suspicious this new-found "Director's Cut" really is. In a 13-minute diatribe, he didn't have time for a sentence or two so he had to leave it out? He couldn't have given the explanation he gave tonight, which in pertinent part took only a matter of seconds?

Of course this assumes that he did edit it out. That we believe his latest version of this yarn. Because one thing is certain: it doesn't comport with what he was saying about it just days ago. One of Olbermoronn's practices is to pimp his own program on his blog of choice, the Daily Kos. And true to form, he did so for Wednesday's Special Comment edition. After it aired, Keith was basking in the adoration of the Kossacks, and when one of them offered up the view that his polemic might have been just a tad long-winded, this is what Keith Olbermann said, in his own words:

Funny thing about these. When I first write 'em, they are half as long. Then I'm reminded of other things this administration has done, and suddenly, they're twice as long. Actually, this one was one straight write. Took about an hour, I moved one sentence, added the new info on the fraudulence of the golf claim, and altered about a half dozen adjectives, and that was it. Not exactly Mozart's unblemished composition sheets, but I'll take it.

How curious. How odd. Before the blistering criticisms from Laura Ingraham and Mark Levin, this Special Comment just flowed from his fingers. He didn't need to edit or abridge it in any way, just a few touch-ups: a sentence moved, new info added, and a few adjectives changed. That was it! Nothing whatsoever about removing a sentence, or a phrase, or anything, let alone words that just happened to define the signature phrase around which his harangue was written. And yet, after the barrage of criticisms, all of a sudden he remembers a sentence or two that he left out.

Obviously, both stories cannot be true. So we ask again: Was Olbermann lying then, or is he lying now?

Posted by johnny dollar | Permalink | Comments (15) | | View blog reactions

15 Comments

By Dan Tanna on May 20, 2008 1:25 AM

I vote for both....

By Grammie on May 20, 2008 2:52 AM

Come now, Dan. KO lie? How can anyone say such a thing about him?

"It is perfectly clear that this ""Mister" Bush, at long last has it not dawned on you that the America you have now created includes cold-blooded killers who will kill people to achieve their political objectives?" is so well known by all educated and informed people that he was surprised to learn that some people might have to be spoon fed the details. But once he realized it he stepped up to the plate and laid it out in a forthright way that he overestimated his audience and couldn't be held responsible for our failure.

I am sure that tomorrow night he will clarify further for us if that means "the troops" are just hit men for those "cold blooded killers" or maybe innocent fools who have been duped. I would sleep better tonight if I just knew the answer to that last lingering question.

By CountDung on May 20, 2008 4:55 AM

So now here's his new phrase without edit because he didn't have time (come on, stop laughing):

"Mr. Bush, at long last, has it not dawned on you that the America you have now created, includes 'cold-blooded killers who will kill people to achieve their political objectives'? They are called your Cabinet and your Pentagon. They are those in, or formerly in, your employ, who may yet be charged some day... with war crimes."

This was a take on what President Bush said: "The biggest issue we face is, it's bigger than Iraq, it's this ideological struggle against cold-blooded killers who will kill people to achieve their political objectives."

By these comparisons, regardless who does the actual killings, Overbite is saying that the U.S. is the moral equivalent to Al Qaeda. He might even think Al Qaeda is superior because he doesn't call for war crime charges against Abu Ayyub al-Masri or Bin Laden.

He can bullshit all he wants but you cannot separate President Bush, his advisors and our Armed Forces anymore than you can separate Bin Laden, his advisors and their fascist troops.

How can he say, "I have never had anything but the highest respect for them and their sacrifice" and also say, " You [Bush] sent 4,000 Americans to their deaths for nothing."? From the last statement he could care less for the heroes family or the brothers in arms that are still fighting.

He can't escape this. He's going down!

By Grammie on May 20, 2008 5:01 AM

This is the closing paragraph in a diary by one those lovable KozKidz:

"#1 "Special Comment Postscript" – I wasn’t confused about what Keith meant! What about y’all? Who the f*ck would think Keith meant our troops?! Keith, you need to get more specific on who said this because we need to give them the a$$ ripping they deserve! Laura Ingram and Mark Levin are responsible?! OK, gang,let’s let ‘em have it!!"

This is one of my fave comments there:

"I'm glad took the time to explain what he meant.. (1+ / 0-)
Recommended by:nicolemm
by cold blooded killers, not our soldiers, but BushCo and Blackwater. Anyone who would think he meant our troops is really crazy. But then Laura Ingraham and her ilk are those crazy left wing neocons. I'm surprised really "gasbag" had nothing to say about this, or did he? Thanks Keith for your explanation. As for me and your fans, no explanation was necessary, but just so those neocons can do something suggested by a very smart guy Vinny Barbarino.."up your nose with a rubber hose."

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/5/19/195856/012/87/518585

By MikeH on May 20, 2008 5:22 AM

"He can bullshit all he wants but you cannot separate Bush, his advisors and our Armed Forces any more than you can separate Bin Laden, his advisors, and their fascist troops."

hat a fascinating look into the mind of some right wingers!

This means:

- As a former member of the Armed Forces, I could not separate myself from the disgraced former President Nixon, who happened to be president at the time.

- Bin Laden has "Fascist troops".

Who knew?

By CountDung on May 20, 2008 6:14 AM

MikeH,

First, thank-you for your service. I was in the Army for 4 years (1976 - 1980). There was no war but there could have been at any time.

I never said a soldier could not separate themselves from the Presidents policy so I don't know where you got that from.

Bin Laden is an Islamofascist.

By Grammie on May 20, 2008 7:11 AM

What a fascinating look into the mind of some left wingers.

Moral equivilancy all around.

OBL = Bush

Al-Qaida leaders, associates, top operatives, bin Laden advisors = the Cabinet and top US military officers

Al Qaeda non uniformed thugs don't equal U S enlisted men, noncoms and junior officers

But in an all volunteer force what role do they play in this scheme that KO articulated, with minor modifications from Friday to Monday, in this picture of:

"Mister" Bush, at long last has it not dawned on you that the America you have now created includes cold-blooded killers who will kill people to achieve their political objectives? They are called your Cabinet and your Pentagon. "?

If they have volunteered to join this military that is being used by Mister Bush, The Cabinet and top Officers in the Military to cold bloodedly kill for political objectives what does that make them? Killers for hire?

What confuses me is that KO already said Fox was the biggest threat to the country, worse even than Al Quaeda AND the KKK. and now it seems they have been supplanted by all these "cold blooded killers".

Or is Fox just another cog in the great wheel of Satan compliments of GWB? So much evil, in so many places and so little time for KO, fighting alone against such danger to save us all, the puke.

By cee on May 20, 2008 8:57 AM

A story that refutes the moral equivalency arguments that cause radicals to conclude Bush/Cheney=OBL.....

Iraqi Army moves into Sadr City

http://hotair.com/archives/2008/05/20/iraqi-army-moves-into-sadr-city/

###
The MSM and especially leftist shills like Olbermann totally ignore the progress the democratically elected government is making in Iraq against the islamic extremists like Moqtada al-Sadr and the Sunni, AQ in Iraq.....The FACT that President Bush and our troops are on the winning side of freedom and democracy in this struggle in Iraq stands in contrast to the hate speech of Keith Olbermann last night and last week.

I doubt Olbermann will cover this development.

BTW, OLBERMANNWATCH is linked at hotair.com regarding the Olby lies last night....The truth is spreading!

By cee on May 20, 2008 9:09 AM

And OW is linked at NEWSBUSTERS along with this VERY concise and accurate summary of Olbermann's tortured argument....

"I'm rubber, you're glue, whatever you say bounces off me and sticks to you."

http://tinyurl.com/58qb9t

The truth is spreading, J$!

By Quads on May 20, 2008 9:29 AM

Keith Loaded the Wrong Wagon with his latest Speshul Komment.

Can you imagine the average Joe running into this guy at the urinal at NBC?

He's becoming persona non grata at Warp 11.

By Katy Turic on May 20, 2008 9:45 AM

Krazy Keith and his "Directors Cut"
Not the pie hole he should have kept shut
Thought process deranged
Yes, he re-arranged
The "troops" for the "Pentagon"... say what?

By Olby Sucks on May 20, 2008 10:27 AM

- Bin Laden has "Fascist troops".

Who knew?

by mikeh

Apparently, everyone, but, you.

By MikeC

on May 20, 2008 11:06 AM

Oralmann is lying now and indefinitely. (No point in saying "forever.")

By Cecelia on May 20, 2008 11:25 AM

Yes...Olbermann speaking to fans who think his demagogic screeds are sheer brilliance, modestly admits that while his compositions aren't quite the seamless first-time-no- corrections necessary compositions of a Mozart, he's pretty pleased to say that they flow fairly effortlessly from his pen...

What a genius...

Thanks so much, Johnny, for busting this jackass!

By cee on May 20, 2008 2:11 PM

Thanks to J$ for the link.....

MEDIA BACKTALK - Live discussion with HOWARD KURTZ

http://tinyurl.com/5u98aq

"Baltimore: Why is it fine for a news TV host to tell a sitting president 'Shut the hell up?' Please explain why there has been no media reaction to this.

"Howard Kurtz: I guess because Keith Olbermann has bashed Bush in his 'Special Comment' editorials so often, and with such fervor, that it no longer seems like big news."

###
Excellent question, Baltimore!.....Nice dodge, (although not a surprising conclusion), Mr. Kurtz!

There is more there about the O'Reilly/Olbermann feud.

Countdown with Keith Olbermann - July 2, 2008

links for 2008-07-03

links for 2008-07-02

links for 2008-07-01

Countdown with Keith Olbermann - June 30, 2008

Olbermann Watch, "persecuting" Keith since 2004

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