Olbermann Watch - MSNBC's Countdown with Keith Olbermann: Will Keith Olbermann Apologize for Smearing Fox's Peter Johnson Jr?

Olbermann Watch, "persecuting" Keith since 2004

November 9, 2009

Will Keith Olbermann Apologize for Smearing Fox's Peter Johnson Jr?

To understand how Keith Olbermann concocts his ritual character assassinations of people on his enemies list, one must appreciate the modus operandi involved. More often than not, Olby spots an attack in a blue blog, preferably a Fox hating one, lifts it without checking, contorts the content even further to suit his own agenda, and then for a big finish tosses in a healthy dose of name calling, ridicule, and personal attacks.

This week brought us an egregious example of OlbyCarthyism, one that appears to have had its genesis at one of David Shuster's favorite sources, Talking Points Memo. They excerpted a few sentences from a four hour program: an exchange the Fox & Friends hosts had with Geraldo Rivera regarding the Fort Hood massacre. The article links to, but does not embed, a snippet of video. But even this skimpy documentation was too much information for Olbermann, who attacked all three hosts by cropping things even further and just quoting their questions and ignoring the answers. Here he cites Gretchen Carlson:

CARLSON: Could it be that the military was exercising political correctness in not approaching him as seriously as they would have had he not been a Muslim?

Why does this question make Ms Carlson a "worst person" nominee? After all, MSNBC's employee Clift van Zandt made a similar point about political correctness, and just today NBC's own David Gregory asked a question that echoed Carlson's about the military missing warning signs. Will they be named "worst persons" by Olbermann? There was a lot more that Gretchen Carlson said--not merely the questions she posed (the job of an interviewer) but her own analysis--that Keith Olbermann neatly avoided telling his viewers about. Before asking that verboten question, she noted:

CARLSON: It puts any Muslim American in a tough situation here because by all accounts most Muslim Americans living here are living here peacefully. I mean, this is the extreme element--potentially--of this religion, and we don't know exactly if the religion was his motivation or not, or if it was the act of war, or that he went nuts. I mean, we don't really know right now.

There's no way Olby is going to let that be heard! Olbermann's distortion of Carlson is pretty bad, but his defamation of Peter Johnson Jr is even worse. Here is the quote as Olby cites it:

JOHNSON: You won't countenance special screenings for Muslim soldiers, will ya?

Olbermann attacks Johnson for this cropped quote as if Johnson were calling for such screenings. Again, neither Olby nor Talking Points Memo (which frames this statement as Johnson "grilling" Geraldo, as if they were disagreeing) bothers to note anything Johnson said before that interview, which just might shed some light on the situation. Here is what he said after a statement from a CAIR spokesman calling for Americans to remain calm because the motives of the attacker are not known:

JOHNSON: Well that's absolutely accurate, and it calls for restraint, and it calls for concern for fellow citizens. And obviously whether an assailant is Christian, or is Muslim, or is Jewish, is irrelevant.

What? How can that be? Olbermann wants you to believe Johnson is some sort of depraved racist! Well Keith did have that one-sentence quote as "proof". But even that one sentence has been falsified--doctored to change its meaning and intent. Here, in context, is precisely how the exchange between Peter Johnson and Geraldo Rivera went down. After Brian Kilmeade asked if there should be special screenings for Muslim soldiers, Geraldo disagreed. After Geraldo rambled a bit away from the question, Peter Johnson jumped in:

JOHNSON: You can't, you won't countenance special screenings for Muslim soldiers, will you?
RIVERA: You know, it's a hard--
JOHNSON: You can't. As a civil libertarian, can you countenance that, Geraldo Rivera?
RIVERA: It's a hard step for me to take, to countenance. This is an American born person.
JOHNSON: Yeah it is!
RIVERA: This is not a naturalized citizen.
JOHNSON: Right!

This is the exact opposite of what Olbermann claimed. Peter Johnson Jr was not supporting "special screenings". He was agreeing with Geraldo Rivera and arguing against them! But that doesn't matter to Olbermann, who slanders him as a "worst person" based on his dishonestly cropped quote. Par for the course on Countdown.

But wait, there's more. We haven't yet dealt with Olbermann's specialty: over-the-top insults and name-calling. In this instance it was to accuse Fox News of, among other things, racism:

OLBERMANN: Since we're asking questions, I have one for Carlson, Johnson, and Kilmeade. You guys ever wonder if you all succeeded inside a company like Fox mostly because you're not Muslim or black or Asian or Hispanic?

We noted above that Olbermann was careful to quote only questions, but not answers. This of course made it easy to strip all context from the discussion, but now we find there was another reason. Because the person the Fox hosts were talking to was Geraldo Rivera. You know, the fellow whose successful Fox News program beats MSNBC and CNN weekend after weekend? Now we're not sure, but we think Geraldo is Hispanic. You know, like Julie Banderas. That's the other reason why Olby avoided even mentioning Rivera. Because if he had, how could he wail that Fox News won't allow Hispanics to succeed? Oh that racist FNC! If only it could be more like MSNBC, where Hispanic anchors are plentiful. Why MSNBC is a veritable haven of Muslims, blacks, Asians, and Hispanics:

Keith Olbermann owes someone an on-air apology. Big time.

Originally posted at johnny dollar's place.

Posted by johnny dollar | Permalink | Comments (42) | | View blog reactions

42 Comments

By flindycon

on November 9, 2009 11:11 AM

Hey MikeHee, I know you still peruse this site. What say you about your hero being caught in yet another lie? You let us here know how much you despised the way Bush lied the US into Iraq (assuming anyone besides you and the leftist loons believes that lie in and of itself), so, I am sure you are upset over this, eh?

Don't let us see crickets from your fingers yet again MikeHee. Come on you olbyloon, defend your hero's lies, insults, and distortions.

By syvyn11

on November 9, 2009 12:03 PM

Keith will apologize on air. Right about the same time I announce my wedding to Mariska Hargitay and there is a cure for diabetes.

In other words, none of this is going to happen. No freaking way!

By cjflan32

on November 9, 2009 12:16 PM

Flindycon this might prove to be one of those "trivial" matters that we discuss here and doesn't really matter in the long run. Making up quotes, distorting others, in the long run there no biggie.

Olbermann and all his friends at MSNBC better hope Comcast doesn't decide to follow the "Fox Model" when they take over.

By cee on November 9, 2009 12:25 PM

I like all of those white faces strewn across the top of the MSNBC website....It really puts Cankles' rant into proper perspective.

Smart to include it in the above post.

And recall when this issue came up before, I think Olbermann was interviewing a guest (was it Jesse Jackson?) who mentioned MSNBC does not have any minority anchors in primetime. Did not Olbermann say his substitute was usually a minority?

I'll have to look it up....I am pretty sure it happened during an Olbermann echo-view with the good reverand.

Now Olbermann's subs are always white men....Lawrence O'Donnell, Slippery Shuster, or Howard Dean.

What diversity!

By cee on November 9, 2009 12:45 PM

Found it....April 11, 2007 in an interview about the firing of Don Imus....

JACKSON: Well, then there must be—there must be a renewed sensitivity and a broader public outcry. After all, this attack, you know, was not for blacks only. This was about women, and that‘s why I‘m glad Kim Gandy and NOW stood up, because it‘s about misogynism. It‘s about that. It‘s about race, and it‘s about, in the case of Keith Ellison, it‘s about religion.

And so those who are entrusted to—with our airwaves, and those who are sponsors, have some responsibility for what they‘re financing, and what they‘re allowed to be conveyed across the airwaves. I submit, this will be a momentum. But it can‘t stop there (ph). Imus is on MSNBC 1,040 hours a week. Where are the black show hosts on MSNBC? I mean, there—you look at yourself and others, from 3:00 at night to midnight, not a single black show host or Latino, all day, all night, all white.

Let‘s desegregate the media, let‘s diversify the airwaves. Let the American people see the true breadth and depth of the American public. Right now, there‘s a kind of cultural isolation in the media itself.

I think If you have a credible black person on that show, that conversation may never have taken place, taken place in the first place. So I‘m saying now, we‘re going to meet with the NBC officials tomorrow, and CBS, about what about employment, (INAUDIBLE) horizontally, about show hosts, about writers ad producers, the whole range of let‘s desegregate the media, because the airwaves belong to the public. And let‘s be fair to that public.

OLBERMANN: I take your point. And for the record, I‘d like to point out our guest host when I‘m away is Alison Stewart, who is African-American.

JACKSON: Great.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18075483/

###
I wonder if Reverand Jackson has followed up on his concern about the "whiteness" of MSNBC since the interview?

Where's Alison Stewart been lately?

Cankles' selection of guests hosts have gotten whiter and have a Y chromosome.....

tsk, tsk, tsk.

By syvyn11

on November 9, 2009 1:10 PM

David, Larry and howie are all minorities. They are all nuts!

By Mike C.

on November 9, 2009 1:47 PM

Jackson doesn't care because the guests, though not guest hosts, include Eugene Robinson, Clarence Page, Rep. James Clyburn, Rep. Maxine Waters, and many more left-leaning African-Americans.

By cee on November 9, 2009 4:24 PM

I recall another shooter getting a lot of coverage on COUNTDOWN....

Scott Roeder, the man who murdered Dr. Tiller, was of great interest to Cankles.....Once again, compare his breathless coverage of him to his dismissive coverage of Nidal Hasan's rampage and we have another wonderful example of his intellectual dishonesty!

The difference here is the radical left's concern over people inciting violence in people like Scott Roeder, and for Cankles, his other obsession triggered his attention.....Bill O'Reilly.

Ah, hatred is a strong motivator for Olbermann....his editorial choices illustrate what makes his hateful head tick.

By johnny dollar

on November 9, 2009 6:41 PM

we're going to keep this as our top post, because after all it is possible that Olbermann will deliver that apology tonight. Or not. So use this thread for tonight's recapping!

By syvyn11

on November 9, 2009 8:01 PM

GE, Comcast agree on NBC Universal valuation: source
Mon Nov 9, 2009 12:35am EST

By Jui Chakravorty Das
NEW YORK (Reuters, NLSN TLVSN) - General Electric Co. and Comcast Corp
have agreed on a valuation of around $30 billion for a joint venture
between NBC Universal and Comcast, ironing out what has been a key
obstacle in talks so far, a source familiar with the matter said on
Sunday.

The resolution of that issue brings the parties one step closer to an
agreement, but French media conglomerate Vivendi, which owns 20
percent of NBC Universal, has not yet agreed to a deal, the source
said.

The source spoke on condition of anonymity because details of the
discussions have not been made public.

GE, which owns 80 percent of NBC Universal, declined comment, as did
Comcast. Vivendi was not immediately available for comment.

The two sides have been in talks to reach a deal that would give
Comcast a 51-percent stake in the NBC Universal venture.

Advisers had also been trying to draft governance and exit provisions
for GE's 49-percent stake that would be palatable to both sides,
sources had told Reuters previously.

Comcast and GE have now resolved how to value the joint venture in the
years after the deal closes, giving more clarity on how GE could exit
its stake, the source said.

Exit provisions are critical in joint ventures because they deal with
when and how a partner can get out. In the case of GE, many of its
shareholders have urged the conglomerate to offload NBC Universal,
whose broadcast and cable networks, movie studio and theme parks are
considered misfits among GE's mostly industrial operations.

The parties have discussed an option for GE to sell all or part of its
stake in the new venture to Comcast within seven years, sources have
said previously.

CASH TIED TO PERFORMANCE

Valuating Comcast's cable networks, Vivendi's stake and the proposed
new company itself had been a key issue for several weeks and was
delaying the complex deal, sources had said.

Comcast wanted to reduce the value of NBC Universal and increase the
value of its cable networks to minimize the cash it would need to
infuse in the new company, the source said.

Under the terms that were being discussed, the venture would consist
of NBC Universal and Comcast's collection of cable networks. Comcast
would also contribute between $4 billion and $6 billion.

The parties have now decided that Comcast's cash payment will depend
partly on NBC Universal's financial performance. If the unit's
performance worsens before the deal closes, Comcast could end up
paying less, the source said.

Vivendi, whose stake would be bought out entirely, continues to be in
talks with GE and is determined to get the best value for its 20-
percent interest in NBC Universal, the source said. That valuation is
still being discussed, the source added.

Every year between mid-November and mid-December, Vivendi has to
decide whether to exercise its "put" option to sell its NBC Universal
stake.
This year, Vivendi is eager to dispose of its stake, which it acquired
as part of a 2004 deal to create NBC Universal, and is negotiating the
valuation with GE, sources have said previously.

It's not clear what Vivendi is asking for, but it could be sweeteners
beyond the price of the stake, a source previously told Reuters.

(Reporting by Jui Chakravorty Das, additional reporting by Megan
Davies; Editing Bernard Orr)

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/11/09/ge-comcast-agree-nbc-valu_n_350672.html

By Lafinman

on November 9, 2009 8:16 PM

lol wtf,

KO is going to rip on Fox's election coverage with the help of an SNL skit? AT LEAST FOX HAD ELECTION COVERAGE YOU PUSSY!! I saw the skit, it was mostly not funny judging by the crowds reaction, ( the crowd was more alive during Taylor's monologue song ) however Jason Sedukis's Beck was funny as hell. But it wasn't enough to save what was pretty much over the head of the audience.

I'm sure a skit of Bathtub Boy bailing out on election night saying he was going to visit his father as he put on a Yankees hat and jacket would have been funnier. I'm going to write it up to the fact that even SNL writers don't watch his newscast.

By cjflan32

on November 9, 2009 8:32 PM

In response to the Crackerfest that is Fox News, it's good to see Marc Lamont Hill back on The Factor.

By Lafinman

on November 9, 2009 8:34 PM

I was just thinking the same thing cjflan.

By syvyn11

on November 9, 2009 8:59 PM

WPITW!

Bronze: Orly Tates Limbaugh: For his take on crazy muslim shooter. Keith must blame Bush. Brings up "anal cyst".

Silver: Lloyd Blankfind: For making Goldman-Sachs money. Cause Profit is bad on OlbyPlanet.

Gold: Rupert Murdoch: for the sin of defending Beck about calling the racist in chief a racist.

ANOTHER AWARD WINNING COUNTDOWN TO NO RATINGS!!!!

Next Keith pays tribute to the republican traitor.

Keithy-poo? FOAD!

By ObserverDan

on November 9, 2009 9:59 PM

Marc Lamont Hill back on O'Reilly? Sarcasm, right??

By cjflan32

on November 9, 2009 10:11 PM

No Dan, it's the truth:

http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/fnc/marc_lamont_hill_back_on_fox_news_142658.asp

They talked about how sanctions won't work on Iran and military action may be the only solution.

By Mike C.

on November 9, 2009 10:13 PM

Nope. He was really on the show.

By ObserverDan

on November 9, 2009 10:17 PM

Wow, ok thanks guys, I'm glad to hear it.

By johnny dollar

on November 9, 2009 10:44 PM

Yup, Hill was on:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFuP5lM5F9w

By Mike C.

on November 9, 2009 11:05 PM

And Dan, you won't like this, but Carrie Prejean was on "Hannity": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZZGVWUlSLU.

By Mike C.

on November 9, 2009 11:12 PM

Seconds after I post that (which I accidentally posted with a period that nulls the link), the interview was finally posted on FOXNews.com.
And it's spelled Taitz, not Tates. I made that mistake, too, until I Googled the name. Orly Taitz is the leader of the birther movement. I hate to intrude with the facts, Keith, but El Rushbo is not a birther.

By ObserverDan

on November 9, 2009 11:43 PM

I found the Prejean interview interesting in that the "hard core sex tape" was actually a hard core betrayal by an ex.

By Mike C.

on November 10, 2009 12:01 AM

Yeah. I hope my exes don't do that to me.

By Mike C.

on November 10, 2009 12:36 AM

Hour 2 of John Gibson's Monday radio show featured clips from Friday's #4 story with that Salon guy: the OlbySpin of Maj. Hasan.

By Mike C.

on November 10, 2009 12:40 AM

George Tiller! [Ding!] Bernard Goldberg! [Ding!] Fundamentalist! [Ding!] Hate crime! [Ding!] Car gets keyed! [Ding!] Harassment! [Ding!] Hate crime! [Ding!]

By twelvepackaday

on November 10, 2009 12:51 AM

Outstanding post J$.

On a different subject, I happened on to FNIA as Keith described Chris Brown laying on the football field as a big mashed up bag of Chris Brown. What a moron. Only a nat brain makes inside jokes for themselves. Keith's other motive is to use the 'big mashed up bag of...' for others so as not to leave its use just for attacking women.

By Mike C.

on November 10, 2009 1:02 AM

*Kris* Brown.

By strikesnouts

on November 10, 2009 1:16 AM

*Gnat* brain.

By strikesnouts

on November 10, 2009 1:21 AM

As in "why are all those dog pecker *gnats* flyin' around KO's head" .....heh, heh.

By nomorekeith

on November 10, 2009 9:57 AM

Oh god his impressiosn are bad like nails on a chalkboard. Does he even listen to Rush? Rush voice is so clear and a pleasure to listen too, I can't figure out who in the hell his doing an impression of him...maybe Schustet when he is giving...ok I wont go there...

By nomorekeith

on November 10, 2009 9:58 AM

By brad90956

on November 10, 2009 12:58 PM

Anita Dunn, the Fox News "not a real news organization" aide is stepping down from her position as WH Communications Director.

http://newsbusters.org/blogs/noel-sheppard/2009/11/10/fox-news-hating-white-house-aide-anita-dunn-step-down#comments

By puck30

on November 10, 2009 4:29 PM

Gee I'm pretty sure it's going to be a really safe bet what's going to be the number one story tonight on "Countdown'.

http://www.breitbart.tv/prejean-tells-hannity-sex-video-was-biggest-mistake-of-my-life/

Now, I'm no Prejean or Hannity fan, My own thoughts are. Stop digging this hole Ms. Prejean. But what's going to be shown tonight with 'The Creepy Musty One' is indeed troubling.

Again I ask NFL, Limbaugh is a problem, but there's no problem with a person that reads scores on a national NFL program having a show like this.

By Mike C.

on November 10, 2009 4:42 PM

From Brad Wilmouth at NewsBusters (dings added by me): Olbermann: Obama 'Target of Racism [Ding!] from Right,' 'Hated [Ding!]' for Being 'Black Dem'.

By cjflan32

on November 10, 2009 4:52 PM

This is probably in the flood, but deserves extra attention:

http://newsbusters.org/blogs/tim-graham/2009/11/10/first-day-contrast-olbermann-called-tiller-shooting-terrorism-jihad-avoi

I'm sure MikeH will come in and set this straight any day now.

By cjflan32

on November 10, 2009 4:53 PM

This is probably in the flood, but deserves extra attention:

http://newsbusters.org/blogs/tim-graham/2009/11/10/first-day-contrast-olbermann-called-tiller-shooting-terrorism-jihad-avoi

I'm sure MikeH will come in and set this straight any day now.

By cjflan32

on November 10, 2009 5:00 PM

I just watched the Viera-Prejean interview. I can't believe a veteran newswoman like Meredith Viera can get owned like that.

"She (Palin) was certainly criticized like most politicians." Good follow-up there Meredith.

By brad90956

on November 10, 2009 5:17 PM

Cjflan,

That was a very telling article and speaks volumes about Olby's (lack of) character. I remember him shouting from the mountain top that BOR was responsible for Tiller's death and this was an act of TERRORISM. He ranted on and on for days about the shooting.

Fast forward to the Ft. Hood shooting. It doesn't even make the first story and is swept under the rug. Why? Because this was a TRUE ACT OF TERRORISM. Olby basically sat in the tub, even though he was on the air, because it was on Obama's watch. He buried the story and in his demented bizzaro world felt it was more important to smear Michele Bachman and the Americans protesting health care.

This is the most pathetic piece of journalism I have ever seen. I hope Comcast does something about this sub-human.

By MLong on November 10, 2009 5:41 PM

Anybody catch Chrissy Mathews ask "That's not a crime to call up al Qaeda, is it?"..that goes right up there with KO saying FOX is more a threat to America than al Qaeda..the MSM and MSNBC in particular are really having a hard time dealing with this Hood shooting..if only the guy was a White Christan who listen to Rush and watched Beck it would have been so much easier for them to know who to blame. LOL!! New Murrows indeed.

By puck30

on November 10, 2009 5:54 PM

By cjflan32 on November 10, 2009 5:00 PM

cj have a link? I would interested in seeing that.

By nomorekeith

on November 10, 2009 8:00 PM

What about the Census takers that was found strung up down south, had to be anti federal red neck Obama hating radical anti abortion chuch going liberal hating right wing wing nut anti big government take over heath care reformists Limbaugh/Beck/Palin loving anti RINO white males with gun racks on their trucks Republicans! The fact is now they think he might have taken his own life but lets see if that is reported on Countdown or Madows show ..after doing several endless days of hearing it was the above people that killed him//

By Wolverine on November 10, 2009 8:42 PM

Did anybody here at olbywatch think for even one second that the anti-American ape ruler would ever condemn a muslim for killing 13 Americans while wounding another 29, when he did all he could to deflect any attacks on muslims after they killed over 2,900 Americans on 9/11?

Now, that he can't insinuate that it was Bush's tough stance on terrorism that caused this latest attack, he simply ignores the obvious, and then when someone else may not have he reaches into his "racism" bag, and attacks them for "maybe" stating the obvious. Like the thought that Hasan may be yet another Muslim extremist who killed Americans should not even be brought up. Like it's an anti-American thought to think that a Muslim who happens to kill 13 Americans is not a Muslim extremist, and that there may be plenty of more where he came from.

I mean, is there a better PR man for the enemy then the ape ruler? Never in my life have I ever seen such a dispicable disgrace as this anti-American loser. At least, I never saw it from anyone who calls himself an American. Only by birth, Dr. Zaius. Only by birth.

He may be the longest living or uncaptured enemy cell still residing in America. God he is sickening...

OlbyWatchTweets

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John Gibson: The Real Reasons Behind the KSM Trial

Countdown: Tuesday Recappers Thread

The Olbermann Week That Was: By the Numbers

Flashback: Keith Olbermann's Love/Hate Relationship with Nazis!

Olbermann Watch, "persecuting" Keith since 2004

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