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This is the recappers' comment thread for tonight's Hour of Spin. Use our valuable bandwidth to document the deceitful spin and hateful lies of the infamous, deplorable Keith Olbermann. Comments are open!
Gibson Needles Olbermann, Tangles with Caller from MSNBC
At least the caller claims he's from MSNBC. We report, you decide. Anyhow, enjoy this appetizer and then get ready for the infamous, deplorable one on tonight's Hour of Spin. Do your recapping right here. Comments are open!
Olbermann Speaks, on the Subject of Michael Jackson
Yes, the infamous deplorable one is on an hour early tonight, covering the death of Michael Jackson. So what better time for a stroll through the OlbyWatch archives, for a few choice quotes from Keith Oralmann on the subject of The King of Pop. These are all genuine by the way, taken straight from the transcripts:
Is Michael Jackson nuts?...We turn as usual to our nightly recreation Michael Jackson puppet theater....
Speaking of oddballs, Michael Jackson has something to say about what happened to him while he was under arrest....
Michael Jackson. He has discovered a super secret conspiracy hatched by former associates to bankrupt the king of pop, it's hidden on the back of the Declaration of the Independence, too. All right, not the last part....
And Michael Jackson is rolling up new records for weirdest conduct in the shortest period of time...
Exclusively yours for the bidding, six--count them, six Michael Jackson Puppet Theatre stick puppets, the originals. No substitutes accepted here, please. There's Michael, the defendant, Mesereau, the lawyer--with the long hair--Sneddon, the cold man, Melville, the judge--yes, you don't recognize him--Bubbles, the monkey, and of course, the accessory, the comfy jammies. Each signed personally by me, and ripe for the picking, starting at the top of the hour on eBay....
And snakes not the only ones hopping a plane in the near future. There's also Michael Jackson. That's a segue and an apt one it is...
Keith "Man on Fan" Olbermann: what a great choice to host Michael Jackson coverage! Recap tonight's Hour of Spin right here. Comments are open!
This is the recappers' comment thread for tonight's Hour of Spin. Use our valuable bandwidth to document the deceitful spin and hateful lies of the infamous, deplorable Keith Olbermann. Comments are open!
This is the recappers' comment thread for tonight's Hour of Spin. Post your analysis of the infamous, deplorable Keith Olbermann right here. Be an Olbermann Watch blogger--without all the muss and fuss. Comments are open!
This is the recappers' comment thread for tonight's Hour of Spin. What can we expect from the infamous, deplorable one tonight? Be an Olbermann Watch blogger--without all the muss and fuss! Comments are open!
This is the recappers' comment thread for tonight's Hour of Spin. Use our valuable bandwidth to document the deceitful spin and hateful lies of the infamous, deplorable Keith Olbermann. Comments are open!
It's the recappers thread for tonight's installment of The Hour of Spin Hate. We need you to document the scurrilous lies and fruit-loop theories of the infamous, deplorable one. Be an Olbermann Watch blogger--without all the muss and fuss. Comments are open!
UPDATE: Yeah I forgot to post a thread for tonight. So keep using this one. Soldier on, soldier onners!
Use this thread to recap The Hour of Spin, starring the infamous, deplorable Keith Olbermann, and tonight featuring (no doubt) Sarah Palin, Carrie Prejean, and some eeevil person from Fox. Comments are open!
This is the recappers' comment thread for tonight's Hour of Spin. Post your analysis of the infamous, deplorable Keith Olbermann right here. Be an Olbermann Watch blogger--without all the muss and fuss. Comments are open!
A statistical note from the Olbermann Watch Research Division. Over the last three days, the numbers of times Herr Olbermahn has mentioned the murdered late-term abortionist George Tiller: 61. Same time period, the number of times Edward R Olbermann has mentioned Army recruiter Wililam Long, murdered on US soil by an Islamic terrorist: zero.
This is the recappers' comment thread for tonight's Hour of Spin. It's up to you to document the spin and lies of Keith "Man on Fan" Olbermann. Be an Olbermann Watch blogger without all the muss and fuss. Comments are open!
This is the recappers' comment thread for tonight's Hour of Spin. Use our valuable bandwidth to document the deceitful spin and hateful lies of the infamous, deplorable Keith Olbermann. Comments are open!
Gibson: Why Isn't Olbermann Responsible for Murdered Soldier?
John Gibson asks the question of the hour: if you use applied OlbyLogic, why isn't Bathtub Boy responsible for yesterday's assassination of a US soldier? Ponder this philosophical paradox as you listen to Gibby lay it all out. Then get ready to recap the non-stars on tonight's Hour of Spin right here. Comments are open!
Keith Olbermann to Boycott Major League Baseball?!?
On Monday night the infamous, deplorable Keith Olbermann delivered a keyed up diatribe about the evils of Fox News in general, and BIll O'Reilly in particular. The illogic of his Kevin Bacon-style linkage of the killer of an abortion doctor to O'Reilly speaks for itself. We're more concerned with the logic, and logical implications, of Keith's call to action--a secondary boycott of anyone who dares permit FNC a presence in their establishments:
It is probably your experience as it has been mine that stores, bars, restaurants, waiting rooms often show Fox News on their televisions. Don't write a letter, make a threat, just get up and explain if they will not change the channel leave the place and say calmly why it is you are taking your business elsewhere.
One might wonder if that means Olby will no longer have a monitor embedded in his desk tuned to Fox News and O'Reilly that he can keep an eye on as he broadcasts Countdown, posts comments to Daily Kos, and bids on baseball cards. But there's an even more outrageous catering to Fox that goes far beyond a tv set in the lobby. And Olbermann himself is inextricably linked to it.
Ever since he began blogging for Major League Baseball, Krazy Keith has been reporting on his own visits to the local ball parks. Here, for example, he gives a tour of the new Mets stadium, complete with his own snapshots as illustrations. But now everything has changed. Oralmann demands a "quarantine" of Fox News. And this leaves him but one option.
Announced this week was the fourth annual Fox Fan Day. It will be held on June 20th at Citi Field, for a game between the Mets and the Tampa Bay Rays. This is no mere case of having FNC playing on a tv set somewhere. This is bringing Fox News itself into the ball park, live, in person. How else can it be described other than as a blatant endorsement for the enabling of terrorists and murderers? And it's done with the express written approval of the NY Mets and Major League Baseball!
For a person of intellectual consistency, for one who lives by the same principles he demands of others, for a commentator who isn't just a poseur and truly believes in the truth of what he speaks, there can be only one course to take. Don't write a letter. Don't make threats. Just announce (tonight on Countdown would be the ideal time) that if they do not immediately cancel this event and sever all ties with the murderous traitors of Fox News, then you--Keith Olbermann--are taking your business elsewhere. You will quit your MLB baseball blog. Turn in your season tickets. And never set foot in one of their tainted ball parks again. Anything less would be Olbypocrisy of the highest order.
We know that the Mancow controversy will be featured on OlbyPlanet tonight: he was waterboarded by someone who didn't know how to waterboard, then the Jerry Springer producer who set it up said it was really just a hoax. Mancow reacted by denying it was a hoax, while simultaneously admitting that, well, it was really a "simulated" waterboarding. Confused? Maybe that's the intent.
The infamous, deplorable one will not stand for anyone impugning his superb Edward R Murrow credentials as a crack journalist, and so he'll be bringing Mancow on tonight to tell us that yes, it is too waterboarding. Why does Mancow rant about the left taking advantage of this incident, and then sign up for a second appearance on OlbyPlanet? Just what is his endgame? By the end of The Hour of Spin will Mancow be screaming: "I'm a celebrity, get me out of here!"?
Do your Countdown recapping right here. It's the end of the week so let 'er rip! Be an Olbermann Watch blogger without all the muss and fuss. Comments are open!
Zurawik Responds to 'Rabbit-Punching Swine' Olbermann
After being nominated in the 'worst person' segment, Baltimore tv writer David Zurawik has published his response. But Olbermann Watch goes the beyond the headlines to bring you Zurawik's comments on public radio from just hours ago, where he laid out in detail exactly why he has little use for the infamous, deplorable Keith Olbermann. Listen and enjoy, listen and enjoyers!
This is the recappers' comment thread for tonight's Hour of Spin. Use our valuable bandwidth to document the deceitful spin and hateful lies of the infamous, deplorable Keith Olbermann. Comments are open!
Video: Red Eye Rips Olbermann and his Special Comment!
The Greg-a-Logue sets the stage, then the panel launches into another fun disembowling of Olby's latest Special Education Komment. As usual, Andy Levy gets the last word. All we can say is: enjoy!
John Gibson Smacks Down Olbermann Over Cheney Attacks!
Before you make this tonight's open thread to recap and ridicule The Hour of Spin, enjoy listening to Gibson destroy Bathtub Boy. Before he gets to the latest Special Education Komment, Gibby makes reference to this report from the Obama administration about how 1 in 7 released Gitmo prisoners join up with jihad again. Another Olbermann embarrassment. Comments are open!
This is the recappers' comment thread for tonight's Hour of Spin. It's up to you to document the spin and lies of Keith Teabaggermann. Be an Olbermann Watch blogger without all the muss and fuss. Comments are open!
UPDATE: Here's Oralmann's Special Education Komment in a dramatic reading by the OlbyRobot:
Is one of Keith Olbermann's most embarrassing moments about to be re-ignited? New readers may not be aware of Olby's unpleasant spat with one of MSNBC's own miiltary analysts, so here is a quick recap of the dust-up between Krazy Keith and Colonel Ken Allard.
It all began with another MSNBC analyst: William Arkin. He wrote an op-ed piece claiming that US troops are being given "obscene amenities". They should be "grateful" that they get any respect at all despite "every rape and murder" they commit. Soldiers hold the American people "in contempt" because our troops are "badly schooled". They should count themselves lucky: after all, they are not being spat upon.
Colonel Allard was astounded that such a diatribe would be penned by an analyst for NBC, and on Feb 7 2007 wrote a blistering column in response. Based on that column, he was invited to appear on The O'Reilly Factor, and did so on Feb 8. That was too much for Oralmann, who blasted both of them the next day, claiming that Arkin's bizarre tirade was legitimate, "valid criticism" of US troops, and dismissing Allard as little more than a ventriloquist's dummy!
This was the final straw for the decorated war hero. On February 15th Allard formally severed all ties with (MS)NBC, and cited Olbermann's attacks as a precipitating cause:
Not only were no apologies given and no pink slips issued for Arkin's outburst, but on his MSNBC show last week, Keith Olberman went out of his way to defend this "valid criticism" of our military.
What brings all this back to the front burner now? After over two years, Col Allard is returning to the airwaves. He will appear on this weekend's edition of the FNC program Huckabee, airing Saturday/Sunday evening at 8:00 pm Eastern. And the topic: according to the promos, he will discuss how he has been viciously smeared by the media. A New York Times article was specifically mentioned, but can a discussion of attacks directed against the Colonel possibly be complete without bringing up the infamous, deplorable Keith Olbermann? We will see tonight.
This is the recappers' comment thread for tonight's Hour of Spin. What can we expect from the infamous, deplorable one tonight? Be an Olbermann Watch blogger--without all the muss and fuss! Comments are open!
Tank-Dweller Olbermann Covers Up for His Guy Again!
Wow. At least Rachel Maddow has the stones to criticize The One. She even gets a Countdown regular to help her out. But it's not like The Perfessor had a prior engagement, because as John Gibson explains, the infamous, deplorable one is so far in the tank for Barack Obama that when it comes time to cover his most recent flip-flop, well, what better time to change the subject?!?
After you enjoy this bit of fun, prepare to recap tonight's Hour of Spin. Are we taking bets for the WPitW segment? After all, someone dared to report on the real reason for Herr Olbermahn's strange three-day absence. Even worse, when Keith "Man on Fan" Olbermann tried to rebut the story using the sympathy card, that little ploy got blown out of the water with photographic evidence! A bad night on OlbyPlanet fer sure.
This is the recappers thread for Monday's Hour of Spin. If you can stomach the infamous, deplorable Keith Olbermann, post your analysis of his outrageous fictions right here. Comments are open!
This is the recappers' comment thread for tonight's Hour of Spin. What can we expect from the infamous, deplorable one tonight? Be an Olbermann Watch blogger--without all the muss and fuss! Comments are open!
John Gibson Rips MSNBC's Ratigan on Countdown with Olbermann
Listen and enjoy as John Gibson picks apart new A-Mess NBC hire Dylan Ratigan's debut appearance on The Hour of Spin. Then use this thread to recap tonight's skulduggery from Keith "Man on Fan" Olbermann. Comments are open!
This is the recappers' comment thread for tonight's Hour of Spin. Use our valuable bandwidth to document the deceitful spin and hateful lies of the infamous, deplorable Keith Olbermann. Comments are open!
This is the recappers' comment thread for tonight's Hour of Spin.Will Bathman be back or will his faithful sidekick Robin again fill in? Comments are open!
This is the recappers' comment thread for tonight's Hour of Spin. It's the end of the week so let 'er rip! Be an Olbermann Watch blogger without all the muss and fuss. Comments are open!
This is the recappers' comment thread for tonight's Hour of Spin. It's up to you to document the spin and lies of Keith Teabaggermann. Be an Olbermann Watch blogger without all the muss and fuss. Comments are open!
This is the recappers' comment thread for tonight's Hour of Spin. You won't see "Man on Fan" Olbermann until 9:00 pm tonight, so set your alarm clocks. Be an Olbermann Watch blogger without all the muss and fuss. Comments are open!
This is the recappers' comment thread for tonight's Hour of Spin. Somebody has to watch the 3rd place cable news show at 8:00 pm, and that sad duty falls upon you, the loyal OlbyWatch recappers. Comments are open!
Olbermann Eliminates Dissent...Even On His Baseball Blog?!?
We know how assiduously Keith Olbermann keeps opposing points of view from contaminating the Countdown echo chamber. But isn't it a bit much to apply the same heavy hand to a blog about baseball?
In his latest MLB entry, Olby responds to a reader's question. It appears that Mr Humility attended opening day with an unusual fashion accoutrement. He actually wore his Super Bowl press credential to carry his ticket to the Yankees opener, stylishly draped around his neck for all to see! Keith gave this explanation:
This refers to a photograph from opening day. That is not in fact a Super Bowl media credential around my neck. It is a Super Bowl laniard. Apart from the phenomenal price changes, the biggest switch in the new park is the number of times one is forced to present one's ticket. So I needed something to carry it in, and that's what I happened to have lying around.
Another questioned his wearing of a suit to the game, and Olby had a comeback for that too:
Frankly, the only times I've ever gone to a game in a suit, I was either doing a broadcast or a report from it, or, as it happened on opening day, I was heading straight down town to do my news show.
Apparently a commenter ("circuscatch") took issue with KO's responses, and a loyal OlbyWatch reader saved what he wrote:
Can't you even be honest in your baseball blog? In response to a question about your game attire, you state that you wore the suit because "...as it happened on opening day, I was heading straight down town to do my news show." In your show that night, you wore a black suit, not the blue one you are wearing in the picture. You wore the suit (and the Super Bowl press credential) to boost your fragile self-esteem. If you look important, you feel important.
The press credential response was just as ridiculous! You stated, "That is not in fact a Super Bowl media credential around my neck. It is a Super Bowl laniard." Look what's clipped to the laniard - a media credential!! C'mon, you needed something to carry your ticket in? I was also at the home opener and was asked for my ticket a grand total of one time. You must have taken several trips to the concession stand to require a laniard to display your ticket! You're not funny very often, but using a Super Bowl laniard (including the press credential) to carry an admission ticket is one of the funniest things I've ever heard. Doesn't that expensive suit have any pockets? The Super Bowl XLIII laniard and media credential was what you "happened to have lying around?" Was it lying right next to your Cornell AG degree? If so, they were both on the front seat of your car.
The following sentence is in the article introducing you as a member of MLBAM: "Given the nature of his political commentary and the highly charged emotions of that crowd, Olbermann offered this advice for any fans eager to flame him on the comments of his MLBAM content: 'I don't care.'" Well, prove that you don't care and leave this post in the comments section...or were you dishonest with that statement as well?
As of this morning, the above comment has vanished.
This is the recappers' comment thread for tonight's Hour of Spin. What can we expect from "Chicken and Waffles" Olbermann tonight? Be an Olbermann Watch blogger--without all the muss and fuss! Comments are open!
This is your recappers thread for tonight's Hour of Spin. But if you watch the video clip above, you may decide to forgo the infamous, deplorable one this time to catch the story that Mr Bill O'Reilly is teasing. Looks like a must-see Factor, one that will certainly impel Keith "Man on Fan" Olbermann to whine uncontrollably tomorrow night. If you do decide to stick with Bathtub Boy, you can do your recapping right here. Comments are open!
Audio: Inside GE Shareholders Meeting w/Tom Borelli and Glenn Beck!
Shareholder activist Tom Borelli gives a first-hand account of the rowdy shareholders meeting where stockholders berated NBC's Jeff Immelt over the embarrassment that is A-Mess-NBC:
It's the recappers thread for tonight's installment of Keith "Man on Fan" Olbermann. Yes, he's back from that mysterious illness, the only known symptoms of which are attending baseball games and blogging about them all hours of the night. We need you to document the scurrilous lies and fruit-loop theories of the infamous, deplorable one. Be an Olbermann Watch blogger--without all the muss and fuss. Comments are open!
This is your Monday night open thread, but not a recappers thread--unless you want it to be. Yes, the infamous, deplorable one is out, and replacing Bathman tonight is his sidekick Robin (aka Slippery Shuster). So if you want to suffer through the teabag-obsessed Shuster you can do your recapping right here. Otherwise, treat this as an open thread. Be an Olbermann Watch blogger--without all the muss and fuss. Comments are open!
It's your Friday night recappers open thread! And to make the concept of Keith "Man on Fan" Olbermann a bit more tolerable, we have a delightful clip of Lou Dobbs as an appetizer. Listen as he goes after Krazy Keith, Goofy Garofalo, and that cesspool known as A-Mess-NBC. Then do your recapping of tonight's Hour of Spin. Comments are open!
Make this your Thursday night recappers thread as you enjoy watching Joe Scarborough, ever so careful to protect his paycheck, clearly slam just about the entire primetime lineup on his own network! Comments are open!
This is the recappers' comment thread for The Hour of Spin. It falls on you--the clear-thinking readers of Olbermann Watch--to document Keith Oralmann's diseased rantings for posterity. Comments are open!
This is the recappers' comment thread for The Hour of Spin. It falls on you--the clear-thinking readers of Olbermann Watch--to document Keith Oralmann's diseased rantings for posterity. Comments are open!
It's your Friday night open thread. Robin is subbing for Bathman tonight, so you don't even have to watch The Hour of Spin! Instead you can listen to Lou Dobbs who has a few choice words about the infamous, deplorable one. Comments are open!
This is the recappers' comment thread for the Wednesday Night Hour of Spin. Post your analysis of Keith "Man on Fan" Olbermann right here. And don't spare the adjectives! Comments are open!
This is the recappers' comment thread for tonight's Hour of Spin. Post your analysis of the infamous, deplorable Keith Olbermann right here. Be an Olbermann Watch blogger--without all the muss and fuss. Comments are open!
This is the recappers' comment thread for The Hour of Spin. It falls on you--the clear-thinking readers of Olbermann Watch--to document Keith Oralmann's diseased rantings for posterity. Comments are open!
The recent (3/25/09) Keith Olbermann/Howard Dean/Fascism segment on MSNBC's Countdown offered an embarrassing, and to many, humorous, display of Mr. Olbermann's deeply entrenched hypocrisy. Now that the schadenfreude has faded, an examination of the, so far overlooked, underlying cause of such frequent episodes is past due because the obvious hypocrisy is but a symptom of a pathology which inevitably produces Olbermann's stock in trade, his modus operandi.
Let's take a close look at the setting for last week's manifestation of Olbermann's chronic condition. The March 25th Countdown began with a two-part segment, the first entitled, "Grand Obstruction Party." Jonathan Alter joined Olbermann to discuss, among other things, a speech given by Gov. Bobby Jindal at a large Republican fund raiser and minority whip, Rep. Eric Cantor's appearance on CSPAN's Washington Journal to discuss the administration's budget.
Olbermann played a truncated clip from Washington Journal of a female caller:
CALLER, "But what really is scaring the rest of us, the other half of us, is the fascism.
I mean, the true fascism that is happening in this country today."
CSPAN HOST, "What do you mean by that, caller?"
CALLER, "The belligerent takeover of a one-party system."
That was followed by a truncated clip of Rep. Cantor responding:
Now, as far as the one-party government in here, I think what the public is doing they're finally waking up and everybody is realizing that checks and balances are part of the system and dividing government is something that is beneficial to a balanced debate and something that can produce a better outcome.
FACT: At no time did anyone call President Obama a fascist. Rep. Cantor never uttered the words, "fascism" or "fascist." The caller never even mentioned the President, by name or by office. Although the caller did express a fear of "fascism that is happening in this country today," it was not directed at or disrespectful of any individuals, ergo there was no compelling reason for Rep. Cantor to admonish the caller.
Now here's where the illness kicks in.
During the Olbermann/Alter conversation following the clips, this exchange took place:
ALTER: ...whether it's a good idea or a bad idea, at least it's something big that they can stand on rather than name-calling.
OLBERMANN: And where is the individual credibility here? Thirty-eight million Americans saw the president's news conference just on TV last night; it doesn't count radio; it doesn't count the Internet. People are supposed to take Eric Cantor seriously about finance or about fascism or about anything when instead of even watching it as it happened, he's at a Britney Spears concert? You know, oops, they did it again?"
For the record, Rep. Cantor attended the concert as part of a scheduled Republican congressional fund raiser.
The second part of the opening segment was titled, "Fear and loathing as GOP strategy;" co-starring the new CNBC hire, Howard Dean. Mr. Olbermann introduces this conversation with:
OLBERMANN: The Republicans slapped anybody who questioned President Bush with--if not using the word treason, essentially the elements that make up treason for the better part of his administration, and yet we are now seeing this--I don't know--the sky is falling reaction to everything that President Obama does. Is there something of a double standard here or am I being a little--a little oversensitive?
Not only is the above a blatant lie, it is also totally irrelevant to the actual words spoken by Rep. Cantor (R-VA) and Gov. Jindal, (R-LA) which Olbermann completely misrepresents and intentionally distorts! Remember now, no one has called anyone any names. The two Republicans highlighted by Mr. Olbermann, never, not once, used the words "fascist" or fascism." There is a double standard and it clearly applies to and is applied by Mr. Olbermann.
Howard Dean's response to the bizarre intro ended with:
DEAN: So, you know, the Republicans are going to have a long way to go here if they--if this is their first tactic. They've got to figure out how to reach the moderate middle. And you don't do it by calling people fascists and all this other kind of business.
Which was immediately followed by this exchange:
OLBERMANN: So, is Jon Alter right, every time something like this happens, you and the other leaders of the Democratic Party sit back and try to stifle a loud, braying laugh?
DEAN: Well, I don't laugh at the Republicans because they were pretty effective in winning elections for a long time. But I just scratch my head and think, you know, what are they--obviously, polling does not tell you to call the president of the United States a fascist. So, they must be doing something very peculiar at the RNC. And I'm not sure what it is. But I think their problem is that they're just in disarray.
Followed closely by (remember, now, the caller never mentioned Obama and never called anyone a fascist):
OLBERMANN: Instead of--when that call took place on C-SPAN today, with the minority whip, Mr. Cantor, listening as this caller attempted to demonize President Obama and his agenda and throw every ism she could think of except Nazism, I suppose. The congressman certainly by proxy embraced her attack.
Certainly! Embraced an attack that never occurred, by proxy no doubt!
The remainder of the segment consists of the beautifully prepared, deliciously presented dish of crow, served cold:
DEAN: If somebody called President Bush really dreadful names like that," and "but he is the president and we are going to be respectful of him.
OLBERMANN: Or if you have a case to call somebody a fascist, lay it out, define your terms... at least put some meat on the bones. And just don't throw the word out, right?
DEAN: Well, look--I mean, even in the darkest days of the Bush/Cheney administration, I don't think there was any reason to call George Bush a fascist nor do I think it's--I think it's patently ridiculous to call President Obama a fascist. ...if you are in politics and you aspire to be the leader of your party, you can't let that kind of stuff pass because it diminishes you and it diminishes the Republican Party [or your own network] when you don't correct it.
As Howard Dean is quickly given the hook, Keith, ever the trooper, adheres to the maxim, "The show must go on," by closing the segment with, "The real problem for the Republicans though is not Obama the fascist, socialist Martian..."
At first glance, this appears to be a simple case of partisan pox, targeting the loyal opposition with lies, misrepresentations, distortions, and false accusations based on false premises. However, a closer examination of the next segment, titled "How will the Obama team pass the budget?" reveals a more complex condition. The real target of the Olbermann Syndrome is any dissent or criticism or even mild disagreement with President Barack Obama or his policies, regardless of the parenthetical party letter or network acronym attached. Case in point, one Sen. Kent Conrad, (D-ND), Budget Committee Chairman.
OLBERMANN: In our fourth tonight: The main event--the reason for President Obama's big publicity push, the battle over the budget, which if it fails to pass Congress, takes with it change, hope and 'Yes, we can'.
One of the main players, Senate Budget chairman, Kent Conrad of North Dakota, defending the Senate version of the budget, pointing out that it keeps Obama's big priorities alive. But as you'll notice, he says his budget makes them possible as opposed to say, makes them happen.
OLBERMANN: Obama's budget director, Peter Orszag, declared the Senate and Obama budgets if not twins, then at least blood kin. But the White House, nevertheless, is now e-mailing supporters to get them to push Congress. Liberal progressive groups pursuing the same goals: Move On with the radio ad, Americans United for Change is paying $700,000 for an ad pressuring Congress to back Obama's budget. The ad does not name names but if the gentleman from North Dakota, Senator Conrad, had any question who that ad is targeting, it will air in 11 states and in major markets in those states such as Fargo and Bismarck.
Is it possible that the host of Countdown, MSNBC's "news hour," that pays tribute to Edward R. Murrow at the close of every episode is attempting to intimidate a powerful member of Congress, who is also a member of the President's own party, simply because the congressman prefers a slightly different version of the trillion dollar budget proposed by the administration? Has Mr. Olbermann read the two versions of the budget? Does Mr. Olbermann have a monopoly on all the facts? Does Mr. Olbermann even have a grasp of all the facts? It appears he believes he does. Someone once said, "The man who sees absolutes where men see nuances and shades of meaning is either a prophet or a quack."
Every examination and test after test leads to the conclusion that Mr. Olbermann suffers from an advanced stage of an acute case of The Olbermann Syndrome.
Any thorough examination of someone must include a study of the subjects history. Since the March 25th episode is most likely Howard Dean's final appearance on Countdown, a look at his very first appearance might prove enlightening. This episode from two and a half years ago focused primarily on a speech given by the then Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld to the 88th Annual American Legion National Convention. Once again. Mr. Olbermann utilizes the tools of his trade, distortions, personal attacks and outright lies, to falsely accuse Sect. Rumsfeld of, as he self promotes, "...a special comment on his attack on your right to disagree":
OLBERMANN: And about Mr. Rumsfeld's other main assertion of that this country faces a new type of fascism as he was correct to remind us that a government that knew everything could get everything wrong. So too was he right when he said that. Though probably not in the way he thought he meant. This country faces a new type of fascism, indeed.
Now, it needs to be made clear that Mr. Rumsfeld never attacked anyone's right to disagree, to dissent, to protest, to speak out against, or any other forms of the precious speech specifically guaranteed by the First Amendment to the Constitution, placed at the very top the Bill of Rights. The Secretary, speaking to the group of war-time veterans, called upon them to speak out against lies and distortions, to correct the record, certainly not to squelch dissent or to attack "your right to disagree":
RUMSFELD: Those who know the truth need to speak out against these kinds of myths and distortions that are being told about our troops and about our country. America is not what's wrong with the world. (Applause.) One of the most important things the American Legion has done is not only to serve and assist and advocate, as you have done so superbly for so much of the past century, but also to educate and to speak the truth about our country and about the men and women in the military.
For this, Mr. Olbermann chooses to vilify his target. He also puts forward a passionate defense of the people's and the press' right to question and to disagree with the government, adding the folly of someone believing they have "a monopoly on all the facts." August 30, 2006, Countdownexcerpts:
OLBERMANN: Back to Mr. Rumsfeld's remarks yesterday. Is there not something in them, though, that transcends political parties? Do we not need opposition and critics questioning policy, whoever's policy that is? I mean, during a Democratic administration, don't you want Republicans and media and citizens saying, Hold on, prove what you just said?
Special Comment
OLBERMANN: The man who sees absolutes where all other men see nuances and shades of meaning is either a prophet or a quack. Donald H. Rumsfeld is not a prophet. We end the Countdown where we began, our No. 1 story with a special comment on Mr. Rumsfeld's remarkable speech to the American Legion yesterday....
Worse still, it credits those same transient occupants, our employees, with a total omniscience, a total omniscience which neither commonsense nor this administration's track record, at home or abroad, suggest they deserve it. Dissent and disagreement with government is the life's blood of human freedom and not merely because it the first roadblock against the kind of tyranny the men Mr. Rumsfeld likes to think of his troops still fight this very evening in Iraq. It is also essential, because just every once in a while, it is right and the power to which it speaks is wrong.
Donald Rumsfeld, in concluding his speech, told the assembled group:
RUMSFELD: Your watchdog role is particularly important today in a war that is to a great extent fought in the media on a global stage, a role to not allow the distortions and myths be repeated without challenge so that at the least the second or third draft of history will be more accurate than the first quick allegations we see....
A soldier who recently volunteered for a second tour in Iraq captured the feeling of many of his peers. In an e-mail to some friends, he wrote the following, and I quote: I ask that you never take advantage of the liberties guaranteed by the shedding of free blood, never take for granted the freedoms granted by our Constitution. For those liberties would be merely ink on paper were it not for the sacrifice of generations of Americans who heard the call of duty and responded heart, mind and soul with 'Yes, I will.
Keith Olbermann chose to close his Special Comment in this manner:
OLBERMANN: Note, with hope in your heart, that those earlier Americans always found their way to the light and we can too. The confusion is about whether this secretary of defense and this administration are in fact now accomplishing what they claim the terrorists seek, the destruction of our freedoms, the very ones for which the same veterans Mr. Rumsfeld addressed yesterday in Salt Lake City so valiantly fought.
But back to today's omniscient ones, that about what Mr. Rumsfeld is confused is simply this, this is a democracy, still, sometimes just barely and as such, all voices count, not just his.
Although I presumption use his sign off each night in feeble tribute, I have no utterly no claims to the words of the exemplary journalist, Edward R. Murrow. But never in the trial of 1,000 years of writing could I come close to matching how he phrased a warning to an earlier generation of us, at a time when other polarities thought they and they alone knew everything and branded those who disagreed confused or immoral.
Thus forgive me for reading Murrow in full:
We must not confuse dissent with disloyalty he said in 1954. We must remember always that accusation is not proof and that conviction depends upon evidence and due process of law. We will not walk in fear one of another. We will not be driven by fear into an age of unreason if we dig deep in our history and our doctrine, and remember that we are not descended from fearful men, not from men who fear to write, to speak, to associate and to defend causes that were, for the moment, unpopular. And so, goodnight and good luck.
Well said Mr. Murrow. Well read Mr. Olbermann. But, were you listening?
Much has changed in the two and a half years since these two men spoke to their varied audiences. Donald Rumsfeld resigned from his post as Secretary of Defense shortly after the 2006 election that brought a different party into the congressional majority. Rumsfeld was replaced by Bob Gates who continues to serve in the cabinet of the new administration.
The new administration is the product of the historic campaign, election and inauguration of President Barack Obama. The war in Iraq has changed significantly, as President Obama told the nation recently in his 60 Minutes interview, explaining his laughter:
OBAMA: There's gotta be a little gallows humor to (LAUGHS) get you through the day. You know, sometimes my team-- talks about the fact that if-- if you had said to us a year ago that--the least of my problems would be Iraq, which is still a pretty serious problem--I don't think anybody would have believed it.
I can think of a few people who would have believed it, but Mr. Olbermann is most certainly not one of them. Perhaps a quick review is in order.
Olbermann, Aug 30, 2006, apparently being the prophet he spoke of earlier "...with a total omniscience, a total omniscience which neither commonsense nor this [reporter's] track record, [on television or on the web] suggest [he] deserves it."
Yes, two and a half years have brought much change; a new administration, a new congressional majority, a war in Iraq that can only be lost by intent, worldwide economic turmoil, and on and on and on. Yet, in spite of all this change, there remains a constant, the Olbermann Syndrome: a full blown case of hatred for anyone who voices any dissent against or disagreement with the current administration, hatred aimed at a rival with a more successful program on a competitor's more successful network, hatred spewed at anyone who disagrees with or criticizes the infected.
This is a contagious disease and it is spreading rapidly in certain communities. The specific contagion has been isolated; a particularly virulent strain of arrogant hatred.
Barring intervention and prolonged rehabilitation, the prognosis is not promising.
This is the recappers' comment thread for tonight's Hour of Spin. What blue blogs will Keith "Man on Fan" Olbermann lift from tonight? Be an Olbermann Watch blogger--without all the muss and fuss! Comments are open!
Another night, another Hour of Spin. Are we having fun yet? Hey Olby, when are you going to apologize for your Twitter smear? You might as well ask when the sun is going to go SuperNova. Document the outrageous lies and ugly smears of Keith "Man on Fan" Olbermann right here. Comments are open!
Yeah, it's another recappers thread for The Hour of Spin. We need you to document the outrageous lies and ugly smears of Keith "Man on Fan" Olbermann. Watch Oralmann if you dare, and do your recapping right here. Comments are open!
This is tonight's recappers thread for The Hour of Spin. We need you to document the outrageous lies and vertiginous spin of Krazy Keith. Watch Oralmann if you dare, and do your recapping right here. Comments are open!
Olbermann Smear of Twitter and Fox: It Was Worse Than You Thought!
Major props to Caleb Howe for exposing just how ignorant and reckless Edward R Olbermann's ravings about The Great Fox Twitter Conspiracy really were. He interviews the man Olby fingered as behind the "conspiracy", researches all the Twitter accounts associated with Krazy Keith and The Hour of Spin, and concludes:
The incompetence that led to Keith Olbermann naming Twitter the "Worst Person in the World" is staggering. He smeared the popular service and a fellow liberal Democrat enemy of Fox News, because he got an email he didn't understand, about a technology he didn't understand, and neither he nor his staff did a click of research.
This is the recappers' comment thread for tonight's Hour of Spin. What blue blogs will Keith "Man on Fan" Olbermann lift from tonight? How many times will he attack Mr Bill? Will he finally tell the truth about his Twitter account, or allow his lies to stand? Be an Olbermann Watch blogger--without all the muss and fuss! Comments are open!
Howard Dean Deliberately Embarrassed Olbermann?! (Thursday Recappers Thread)
Well, that's John Gibson's theory. Give it a listen and see if you agree. And Get Ready to Recap the Stars...of OlbyPlanet that is. Be an Olbermann Watch blogger without all the muss and fuss. Comments are open!
Howard Dean Says Don't Call a Sitting President 'Fascist'--As He's Talking to Olbermann?!?
Did Dr Dean know whom he was talking to? We did, and this will serve as a little reminder to the infamous, deplorable Keith Olbermann that even his own guests think he is a sleazy creep:
Thanks to OlbyWatch regular ramjet who came up with the concept for this video.
Lots of news tonight (an Obama press conference, a new power grab of dubious legality) but Edward R Olbermann has bigger fish to fry. Tonight he will devote an entire segment of The Hour of Spin to his ultimate Olbsession. Watch the video below (it's unedited, unlike the ones that have proliferated on the blue blogs) as your show prep. Pay special attention to the second half and ask yourself how much coverage "Man on Fan" Olbermann will give to that portion of the discussion. Remember, the infamous, deplorable one begins an hour later tonight, but he'll still be up against NCIS and Mr Bill. (Do the math!) Post your comments on tonight's propaganda fest right here. Comments are open!
He's really from Cornell, you know.
Like he said on the Jay Leno Show.
But tonight Bathman's out,
Little Robin will spout,
While Keith soaks from his head to his toe.
This is the recappers' comment thread for tonight's Hour of Spin. What blue blogs will Keith "Man on Fan" Olbermann lift from tonight? Be an Olbermann Watch blogger--without all the muss and fuss! Comments are open!
This is the recappers' comment thread for The Hour of Spin. It falls on you--the clear-thinking readers of Olbermann Watch--to document Keith Oralmann's diseased rantings for posterity. Comments are open!
The above video sets the stage for tonight's Hour of Spin. The AIG bonuses have been the topic on cable news, and particularly MSNBC, all day. The question is: how will the infamous, deplorable Keith Olbermann cover this story? Especially considering that Countdown fave Sen Chris Dodd has just admitted that he approved the language protecting those bonuses, and his own staff actually wrote the language? That after having angrily denied that he knew anything about just 24 hours earlier! Translation: Sen Dodd caught in a lie. This is a tough one for Edward R Olbermann. Does he call out Dodd for lying? Does he try to shift the responsibility to someone else? (Sorry Olby, Bush was already out of office.) Or does "Man on Fan" Olbermann discretely, delicately, completely avoid making any mention of the lie (the classic Dog That Did Not Bark)? See for yourself, and do your recapping right here. Comments are open!
John Gibson wonders when did Keith Olbermann become an authority on tough, hard-hitting interviews? Good question. Listen and enjoy as you prepare for tonight's Hour of Spin. We need you to document Monkeymann's lies and duplicity, so be an Olbermann Watch blogger without all the muss and fuss. Do your recapping right here. Comments are open!
Blue Blogs Dramatized: The Cheney Interview (Monday Recappers Thread)
It's not hard to predict what the infamous, deplorable Keith Olbermann will cover tonight. Cheney, Cheney, Cheney. Maybe he'll demand "Dick" leave the country again! Toss in the third recycling of the same story ("torture" at Gitmo: i.e. three terrorists waterboarded) and there's another block accounted for. Wait, the Simpson's made fun of O'Reilly? Olby can't turn that down. Of course we know what he won't cover. We're going out on a limb here and say there won't be a segment devoted to the Cramer/Stewart showdown. And if Bathtub Boy is bowing to his corporate masters to spike that story, then it's not likely he'll say anything about the anti-CNBC petition that has just been launched. Even though it's being backed by two of Oralmann's most reliable Blue Blog Sources: Media Matters and Daily Kos (Monkeymann's own blog of preference).
Since we know it's going to be a Cheneypalooza on tonight's Hour of Spin, why not enjoy a selection of dramatized comments from the blue blogs? These are Olby's sources after all, and now you can hear them without having to go through the repellent middleman. Use this space to recap tonight's show. Comments are open!
Olbermann Takes on Cheney 'Assassination Squads': Special Comment Coming?
Last week the infamous, deplorable Keith Olbermann went to town on his latest wet dream: Dick Cheney's "assasination squads". Olby got this notion from a talk given by Sy Hersh, and because that kind of thing is always too good to check on OlbyPlanet, Keith ignored the fact that Hersh, who claims documentation and evidence for his written word, is willing to embellish the truth and fantasize when giving a talk. As New York Magazine put it: "Sy Hersh Says It's Okay to Lie (Just Not in Print)".
Yes, this was Olby's Big Source for his grand expose on the evil Cheney. And if what he hear is correct, Oralmann isn't done yet. Apparently there may be a Special Education Komment in the works, and Caleb Howe has somehow got his hands on a copy of Monkeymann's script:
Mr. Dick Cheney, I direct tonight, sir, this missive unto you. So monumental is your, sir, guilt, that indeed I was not able to confine my commentary to a Countdown, nor even, sir, the very Special Comment portion of my show for which such acts as yours I first, indeed, the segment designed, sir! So forthwith I bring you tonight's "SPECIAL COUNTDOWN!" [Turn 180, camera 4. Look Angry!]
Olbermann's Masculinity Quotient: Now in Negative Numbers
You know there's trouble brewing on OlbyPlanet when his own blog calls him out. The subject matter: Jim Cramer and his ongoing flap with Jon Stewart. More to the point, Keith Olbermann's pointed avoidance of the story:
If this story is ignored, or given a light touch in passing such a Best Person in the World, we will know that even our best and bravest news shows have been significantly censored. We will know that Keith and Rachel are not free to report on the compormised state of television journalism in America.
Well, that's exactly what Keith did. He ignored it completely. (While on that other channel, Bill O'Reilly and a panel of financial reporters analyzed the debate, and what's more, came down on Stewart's side.) That shouldn't surprise anyone. Olby didn't mention Cramer on Monday, Wednesday, or Thursday (he was off Tuesday). Why would you expect him to do it on Friday? Besides, TVNewser reported that the suits at MSNBC had told their producers to lay off discussing the Cramer/Stewart showdown. And of course they complied.
The Kossacks were so upset with Olby that Mr Humility felt he had to explain himself. And in true Edward R Olbermann fashion, he does so by attacking the writer:
Steve Krakauer ("SteveK"), is well known around the industry as being entirely in Fox's pocket. His "MSNBC producers have been told" not to mention this, is, frankly, bullshit.... Rachel could get the cover of Newsweek and he wouldn't link to it.... So, did Stewart do a good job? Obviously. Did we get ordered not to run it? Nope. Was stirring up rumors about a ban in the interest of a Foxophilic blogger with the credibility of a bush league Drudge? You bet.
Of course that doesn't make one minute of sense. And even the kommenters weren't buying it:
It may be bullshit, but the stats say otherwise. MSNBC was covering this "feud" during the day all week before last night, then suddenly went completely silent today. It's like hyping a big boxing match ahead of time and then not bothering to tell your viewers what happened in the actual fight.
To make such a big deal about it on Morning Joe for a week, then after last night crickets, something had to be up.
Boy was it illuminating that you didn't cover the Stewart-Cramer throwdown. Almost as illuminating as the many excuses you're here offering up as to why you didn't now.
The NBC families total blackout of discussion about it was the story of the day. KO should have done better. A word, a comment, a wink, anything would have been better than what he's given us so far...
I don't really care about a TVNewser post that said you guys were told to lay off. I didn't need to read that on their site because I could see with my own eyes as I watched MSNBC that you guys laid off the story all day long.
All you had to do was to rely on your own eyes to see that MSNBC had an almost total black-out of the story. And when you have almost a total black-out of one of the most popular stories of the day it doesn't take much to figure out that someone at NBC made sure to communicate that they didn't like the story.
But, Keith, my friend, you have so much time to zap Bill O'Reilly or talk about Rush Limbaugh billboards or allot another whole segment to your Worst Person in the World schtick -- a weekly recap to boot -- yet even 30 seconds to give a back pat to Jon Stewart for saying what needed to be said, especially when no one else on MSNBC (save a few seconds blip from Rachel) mentioned the story. This concerns us as your actions (1) creates some doubt in our minds about a possible NBC blackout on this story, and (2) causes us to wonder if Countdown just jumped the shark.
Olby's defense was weak tea:
I'm not going to publicize a Fox-controlled blogger at a low-volume site on national television.
Right. Because he never calls out "Fox-controlled" commentators, writers, or bloggers.
Our show is primarily about trying to give airtime to stories that are not on ABC, CBS, CNN, and Fox.
Say what?!? Has KO tactfully refrained from citing Jon Stewart in the past--when he's going after people not on (MS)NBC? This might be Keith's most preposterous claim since he asserted "I am not politically biased". To tell the truth, Countdown is the very model of modern pack journalism. As Politico reports blue blogs and partisan left-wing groups coordinate their targets, and Olby seems to have been one of their most reliable marksmen. When their conference call targeted Betsy McCaughey, so did Olbermann. When it's decided to make Rush Limbaugh the "face" of the GOP, Oralmann dutifully starts calling him "Boss" Limbaugh and hammers it home for seven straight days: March 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 9th, 11th, and 12th (he was off on the 10th).
The truth is, despite all of Keith's attempts to explain himself, we already know that he's in the corporate pocket of his bosses. Remember the Imus flap? Another case where Olbermann was strangely silent for night after night...until after Imus was fired? Here's KO in his own words explaining why he said nothing about Imus all those years:
I'm constrained by a large degree to the fact that I work at the same place....We try to avoid shooting people on our side of the fence, whether we like them or don't.
Funny Keith, you didn't say that to the Kos kommenters. It would have made more sense than the drivel you tried to foist on them. In fact, protecting (MS)NBC bosses and KO's on-air buddies is one of the most consistent "features" of Countdown. Can you think of one time when any (MS)NBC talent has been named "Worst Person in the World"?
That's why we talk about Keith's Masculinity Quotient. The term springs from Olbermann complaining about the OJ Simpson book deal, and castigating O'Reilly for not opposing it. Of course that was Another Olbermann Lie; O'Reilly railed about it day after day, and even announced a boycott. But it's not that lie, but rather Keith's sanctimonious smear that makes the Olbypocrisy go to 11, as KO lectures the world about how important it is to take "your own network" to task:
If you are going to take such an I'm right and the rest of the world approach is wrong to everything, and especially broadcasting, you really do find yourself in a position of it being incumbent on you to take your own network to the same degree of task.... Bill just chose not to do it, which doesn't say much about his manhood.
Right now, Keith Olbermann's manhood quotient is looking pretty limp.
This is the recappers' comment thread for tonight's Hour of Spin. What blue blogs will Keith "Man on Fan" Olbermann lift from tonight? Be an Olbermann Watch blogger--without all the muss and fuss! Comments are open!
This is the recappers' comment thread for The Hour of Spin. It falls on you--the clear-thinking readers of Olbermann Watch--to document Keith Oralmann's diseased rantings for posterity. Comments are open!
[Image courtesy of The Hollywood Reporter who published this interesting article about O'Reilly, General Electric, and the stock market.]
This is the recappers thread for tonight's Hour of Spin. Use this space to post your comments on the latest egregious insults to journalism from Edward R Olbermann. Be an Olbermann Watch blogger without all the muss and fuss. Comments are open!
No, you won't see the infamous, deplorable Keith Olbermann tonight. Bathman is out, and his faithful sidekick Robin will be hosting The Hour of Spin in his stead. Where oh where is Keith "Man on Fan" Olbermann? In a seedy hotel room with a bottle of cheap Merlot and a disposable tie? Or cowering in his bathtub for fear that he might run into Gary Bernsten? Whatever the reason, Krazy Keith will not appear tonight. And for that we are literally, dreadfully sorry. Comments are open!
This is the recappers' comment thread for tonight's Hour of Spin. What can we expect from "Chicken and Waffles" Olbermann tonight? Be an Olbermann Watch blogger--without all the muss and fuss! Comments are open!
This is the recappers' comment thread for The Hour of Spin. It falls on you--the clear-thinking readers of Olbermann Watch--to document Keith Oralmann's diseased rantings for posterity. Will the infamous, deplorable one go four-for-four tonight in his continuing attempt to sabotage a charity fund-raiser being held to aid rape victims? When Krazy Keith is dealing with the greatest Olbsession of them all, anything is possible. Comments are open!
This is the recappers' comment thread for tonight's Countdown. Post your analysis of The Hour of Spin. Be an Olbermann Watch blogger--without all the muss and fuss. Comments are open!
This is tonight's recappers thread for The Hour of Spin. We need you to document the outrageous lies and vertiginous spin that emanate from The Face of the Democratic Party (aka Krazy Keith Olbermann). Watch Oralmann if you dare, and do your recapping right here. Comments are open!
Red Eye Reams Olbermann, Garafalo for Racist Comments!
Great thanks to MikeC for the tip, and to Andy Levy for his dryly devastating final comments. It all happened on Friday night's Red Eye and we have the video for your viewing pleasure:
This is the recappers' comment thread for tonight's Hour of Spin. What can we expect from "Chicken and Waffles" Olbermann tonight? It's clear Olby should do another Special Apology, this time for his rip 'n' read smear of Gov Jindal. But we're going out on a limb: don't hold your breath! Be an Olbermann Watch blogger--without all the muss and fuss! Comments are open!
If nothing else, Thursday night's Hour of Spin will be remembered for the day when the infamous, deplorable Keith Olbermann defined racism. And, not surprisingly, that definition includes Olby himself:
MORE: Olby and Garafalo yuck it up about about how Rush is like Hitler, and Michael Steele is another "self-loathing" black man. Hot Air has the repellent details. Apparently the all-forgiving Oralmann has given Garafalo a pass for appearing on 24. You recall how Krazy Keith launched a jihad against the show for being "right wing propaganda"? It seems there is nothing "Man on Fan" Olbermann won't flip-flop on, as long as he can smear a few more people with personal attacks.
This is the recappers' comment thread for The Hour of Spin. It falls on you--the clear-thinking readers of Olbermann Watch--to document Keith Oralmann's diseased rantings for posterity. Comments are open!
MSNBC: "Oh God" and Laughter as Jindal Began to Speak
It sure was a great idea letting Krazy Keith and his lunatic posse anchor hard news coverage, right? Listen as they groan "Oh God" and laugh as Gov Jindal begins to speak:
Politico sez it's Oralmann. We're not convinced. What say you?
This is the recappers' comment thread for tonight's Countdown. Not only will be have the regular installment at eight, after that Edward R Olbermann will play an impartial newsman and anchor coverage of the Presidential address and Republican response. Yes, even though actual journalists find this prospect to be absurd and revolting. Then, a bonus Hour of Spin at 10:00 pm. The Obamavision lenses at A-Mess-NBC will be working overtime tonight!
Post your analysis here. Be an Olbermann Watch blogger--without all the muss and fuss. Comments are open!
Keith Olbermann: Worst Political Analyst in the World
It's pretty bad when Keith and his "expert" (i.e. Democrat) guest are both totally clueless, but that's par for the course on OlbyPlanet. Do you think there will be a correction and apology for getting it stupefyingly wrong yet again?
This is tonight's recappers thread for The Hour of Spin. We need you to document the outrageous lies and vertiginous spin of Krazy Keith. Watch Oralmann if you dare, and do your recapping right here. Comments are open!
Reality Bites: Olbermann's Special Comment Embarrassment (Friday Recappers Thread)
This is the recappers' comment thread for tonight's Hour of Spin. First, listen in delight as John Gibson takes a classic Olbermann Special Education Komment and forces it to collide with a concept rarely encountered on OlbyPlanet: reality! Then get ready to recap the lies and spin spewed tonight by Krazy Keith. Be an Olbermann Watch blogger--without all the muss and fuss! Comments are open!
Enjoy the latest from The Great One (Dr Mark Levin) as you prepare for tonight's Hour of Spin. Use this thread to document the reckless pseudo-journalism of the infamous, deplorable Keith Olbermann. Comments are open!
Olbermann Readies Attack on Malkin (Wednesday Recappers Thread)
UPDATE: Our pre-emptive strike did its job. By exposing Krazy Keith's sordid history of Nazi slurs against people he disagrees with, we shamed him into not attacking Michelle Malkin on tonight's Hour of Spin. It's another victory for the power and influence of Olbermann Watch! The original post follows below...
It's not hard foretelling what the infamous, deplorable Keith Olbermann will do on any particular day. Just check the blue blogs. Krazy Keith is as predictable as Pavlov's dog in a bell-testing factory. Tonight, you know he's going to attack the NY Post (cue the embarrassing Pirate accent) for a cartoon that portrayed the writers of the stimulus bill (note: not President Obama) as a chimp. But we think he won't be able to pass up a smear of Michelle Malkin, who had the audacity to be photographed next to someone whose anti-Obama sign used over-the-top Nazi imagery.
Now we know Olby's never shied away from such comparisons himself. To wit:
It was Herr Olbermann who hurled the fascism smear at Newt Gingrich.
It was Herr Olbermann who called the administration of "Mister" Bush an example of fascism.
And it was Herr Olbermann who likened "Mister" Bush's administration to The Third Reich.
So to smear Michelle Malkin for this photo would be a daring bit of chutzpah on the part of Keith "Man on Fan" Olbermann. After all, Merkle goes far beyond just appearing next to someone in a photo. He's an esteemed diarist at The Daily Kos. And you know how Olbermann's blog avoids Nazi comparisons. For example, like these:
That's just a sampling of what you can find at Olbermann's blog. So, will Olby ignore all that and still launch his attack on Malkin? Is Edward R Olbermann really going to go there? We predict yes, because Oralmann is so blinded with hate and self-unaware that he no doubt has forgotten all about this:
Watch for the moment of supreme irony when Olby pours the hate on Michelle, for allegedly associating with the sort of people Bathtub Boy has been cavorting with for years!
Use this thread to post your analysis of tonight's Hour of Spin. Be an Olbermann Watch blogger--without all the muss and fuss! Comments are open!
This is the recappers' comment thread for tonight's Countdown. Post your analysis of The Hour of Spin. Be an Olbermann Watch blogger--without all the muss and fuss. Comments are open!
This is tonight's recappers thread for The Hour of Spin. We need you to document the outrageous lies and vertiginous spin of Krazy Keith. Watch Oralmann if you dare, and do your recapping right here. Comments are open!
If you thought the big news from last night's Hour of Spin was Keith's pseudo-apology for his Rupert Murdoch quote, think again. It's what happened just before his weasly correction, where he makes the exact same mistake--lifting information from a blue blog without bothering to verify its accuracy.
The "apology" itself was pathetically limp attempt to blame a website (the one extensively quoted by Olbermann's blog, The Daily Kos) for the error:
Turns out SeekingAlpha.com got it wrong, Murdoch in fact said 'we've never been a company that tolerates fat.' SeekingAlpha.com has yet to correct or apologize for its mistakes, so we will.
That's nice, Olby. But how about apologizing for your own mistake: not even bothering to listen to the audio for yourself? Still, the supreme irony in all this is that just before this spineless self-serving apologia, Edward R Olbermann committed the exact same sin: lifting a story from a blue blog and presenting it as true, without bothering to fact-check or verify.
This time the blog source was Huffington Post, and to say that Keith did another "rip 'n' read" job would be like saying American Idol is an obscure tv show struggling to find its audience. You won't believe just how recklessly wrong Oralmann was until you read this meticulous blow-by-blow destruction from a physician/scientist who actually knows what he is talking about. A few quotes to whet your appetite:
Stick a fork in Keith Olbermann. He's done....
Olbermann let himself be played like a fiddle...
Kirby played on Olbermann's hatred of Rupert Murdoch, inducing him to embarrass himself so completely and utterly that I can never--ever--take Olbermann seriously again...
Because he hates Murdoch so much, Olbermann slimed an excellent journalist, Brian Deer, who brought to light something that desperately needed to be brought to light...
Olbermann lapped up David Kirby's talking points like a dog lapping up spilled gravy, and then let his emnity with Rupert Murdoch undermine what little critical thinking skills he has left by parroting nonsense...
Worse for Olbermann, he didn't even bother to check whether the key talking point he had been fed by Kirby, namely that Deer had made the complaint against Wakefield to the GMC, was in fact true....
If Olbermann can be so completely and utterly pwned by a propagandist like David Kirby, he is nothing....
Olbermann was completely wrong, and Kirby's claim that Brian Deer initiated the complaint is a lie--a lie that Olbermann mindlessly parroted.
To understand the full impact of Keith's pitiful performance, please read the entire article. It confirms everything we've been saying for years about Keith "Rip 'n' Read" Olbermann.
This is tonight's recappers thread for The Hour of Spin. We need you to document the outrageous lies and vertiginous spin of Krazy Keith. Supposedly Keith "Man on Fan" Olbermann plans to correct one of his two lies perpetrated last Friday. Another demonstration of the Power and Influence of Olbermann Watch! Watch Oralmann if you dare, and do your recapping right here. Comments are open!
The infamous, deplorable Keith Olbermann has a track record of lifting stories from blue blogs and reporting them as true. Fact-checking? Verification? Not required on OlbyPlanet!
Olby's latest bit of rip 'n' read "journalism" happened Friday night. Olbermann Watch was first to report that Keith smeared Bill O'Reilly and Rupert Murdoch by rewriting what they said to fit his storyline. Bill O'Reilly did not state that NBC News is disgraceful, and Rupert Murdoch did not say that his company does not tolerate "facts".
It's not like any of this is in doubt. We linked to the video of O'Reilly as well as the audio of what Rupert Murdoch actually said. But Edward R Olbermann can't be bothered with original sources when he can just rip 'n' read from his own blue blog. Our research on this story was analyzed by the nonpartisan News Cycle, who concluded:
So, Olbermann Watch did indeed get it right, and Keith Olbermann and the Daily Kos, both of whom have advanced this story got it wrong.
You would think that having been caught yet again smearing people with false information, a responsible journalist would correct his error. Instead, on Tuesday night's show, Herr Olbermann doubled down. That's right, he ignored the truth and repeated the false Murdoch quote again!...
As Rupert Murdoch says of his own shop, 'We have never been a company that tolerates facts".
Maybe Keith Olbermann got this wrong the first time due to sheer incompetence in not fact-checking a story he lifted from a blue blog--all that was required was to listen to the audio, and he didn't bother. But to repeat a quote after it has been proven false, just to smear Fox News? That's more than journalistic ineptitude. It's outright lying.
This is the recappers' comment thread for tonight's Countdown. Our mole in the enemy camp whispers that tonight should be a banner evening for attacking Fox. Possibly because Oralmann's special 10pm countdown last night finished in a miserable third place, losing to both Anderson Cooper and by an even larger margin to Greta van Susteren. The infamous, deplorable one will be looking for revenge tonight!
Post your analysis of tonight's Hour of Spin. Be an Olbermann Watch blogger--without all the muss and fuss. Comments are open!
This is tonight's recappers thread for The Hour of Spin. We need you to document the outrageous lies and vertiginous spin of Krazy Keith. A-Mess-NBC has put impartial newsman Olby in charge of anchoring tonight's press conference. But tonight's Hour of Spin will not air until 10:00 pm. So we need you recappers to stay up late to see if Keith "Man on Fan" Olbermann corrects or apologizes for his two lies perpetrated last Friday. (Don't hold yer breath!) Watch Oralmann if you dare, and do your recapping right here. Comments are open!
Notes on Last Night's "Worst Person in the World"...
The bit on Rupert Murdoch served two purposes for Keith, since picking on one media organization's profits being down when all companies are losing money is blatantly unfair (with Keith admitted):
1. Keith wanted to brag that his and Maddow's shows were the only news shows that exceeded revenue projections. Which makes one wonder either how little faith NBC actually has in Keith and Maddow, or that NBC is lying about the expectations.
2. Keith wanted to read a quote from Murdoch, "Even on [finance] terms, we have never been a company that tolerates facts." Upon reading this quote, KO got as giddy as a college boy anxiously awaiting his first hand job, immediately declaring it to be the new Fox News slogan. So clearly Murdoch was probably taken out of context on this, but I haven't bothered looking up the original documents, nor do I really care at this point.
[For the record, Murdoch's exact quote was reported by the UK Independent. Murdoch was discussing cutbacks at News Corp: There would be "rigorous" cost-cutting, including job cuts. "We have never been a company that tolerates fat," he said, but added that this wouldn't be at the cost of future growth, should the opportunity arise. UPDATE: You can listen to the actual audio of what Murdoch said (something Oralmann didn't bother to do) here. The relevant portion is about 18 minutes in. --J$]
Bill O'Reilly was attacked for taking on Russell Tice. KO pretty much accurately described Tice's exchange with Jesse Watters, but Olby completely distorted the transcript of O'Reilly's comments.
Olby brings up that Tice told Watters to camp outside Bush's ranch and ask him these questions, saying "I love Russ Tice" (well duh, Keith, you brought the wacko on your show twice to spout his BS). KO doesn't care that Watters and O'Reilly were asking Tice to present the evidence of his claims, which he apparently doesn't have. Nor does Olby seem to realize or care that Russell Tice saying it happened is not proof of anything. Thus, Tice is basically saying "Go stalk Bush because I said these things happened."
KO reads this as O'Reilly's response to Tice after the video:
The bottom line on this is that Tice made some very serious accusations. He went on NBC News and he cannot back them up. Now if we are wrong he can join us at any time. But he cannot back them up. He is disgraceful and so is NBC News.
The bottom line on this is that Tice made some very serious accusations. He went on NBC news and he can't back them up. Now if we are wrong, he can join us at any time. But IF he can't back them up, he IS disgraceful, and so is NBC News.
See how KO's leaving out the word "if" completely changes the meaning of O'Reilly's statement? Olby doctored the quote to make it seem as if O'Reilly was declaring NBC News to be disgraceful in general, when O'Reilly was simply stating that NBC News should have to present proof when airing such wild accusations. Otherwise they are just muckrakers in the worst tradition of journalism. But we all know Olbermann seems to think he is above such ethical standards.
Olby also chided O'Reilly for saying Tice appeared on "NBC News" and not MSNBC. "Pay Attention." Yet O'Reilly first mentioned it as "NBC's cable news station," and later cited it as NBC news when talking about how they didn't challenge Tice on the accusations. O'Reilly skillfully never bothered to mention Olbermann's name, or show his picture in the clip, at all. Point to O'Reilly.
I don't know where Keith gets this delusion that MSNBC is not NBC news. The URL nbcnews.com re-routes to MSNBC.com
KO also puts forth that Bill O had the ulterior motive of stalking Tice because when asked about his interview on MSNBC, and given the chance to appear on The Factor, Tice insulted O'Reilly as a scumbag or something. KO ignores the obvious point, which O'Reilly made, that if Tice were so eager to publicize these wrongdoings about the NSA spying on Americans illegally, that he should be going on any news shows, especially the highest rated one on cable, to get the message out, instead of selectively choosing only the station and host that would be inclined to air his inane comments without a shred of proof or a hint of a challenge to his credibility.
It just means that Keith is showing no signs of dropping his personal vendetta against O'Reilly. The ratings sure do reflect that paying off for him.
Oh, and the Glenn Beck attack was about Beck saying the S-CHIP program was socialism. Olby repeated earlier attacks about Beck in promos for his new show deriding partisans who use the term socialism as an easy attack on Democrats. Olby then made several personal attacks, how there's no evidence Beck was using his brain, and that Olby believes Back may be crazy. Stay classy, Keith.
This has gotten old a long time ago. What great crimes did these people commit to be labeled the Worst Person? The other day he defended the New York Times against O'Reilly, who declared the Times wanted an agenda in which illegal immigrants could become citizens who could register as Democrats and ensure Liberal policies are enacted. Maybe even pure socialism. O'Reilly is completely correct in this, as this kind of social engineering has been happening far beyond the issue of illegal immigration. It's as basic as what is taught in schools.
But how does O'Reilly attacking the New York Times earn a status of WPitW? I can only think that Keith is in such agreement with the NY Times that he must defend them at all costs, and that O'Reilly's attempts to bring them down are an obstruction to his agenda, and thus in his mind are worst than an Al Qaida bombing.
So, they are WPitW because they disagree with Keith. And that in my book actually makes them among the Best Persons in the World.
We bring you these installments of John Gibson's Blue Blogapalooza because they are a window into the character of the "news sources" used by the infamous, deplorable Keith Olbermann. The netroots are in an uproar about Dick Cheney, and sure enough, Herr Oralmann is doing a Special Education Komment tonight on...Dick Cheney! Dutifully pre-pimped on Keith's blog, of course. So listen to the ravings of the blue blogs, then use this thread to recap tonight's ultra-excruciating edition of The Hour of Spin. Comments are open!
Olbermann's Latest Lie Is Going to "Get Him Into Trouble"?!
We know that the infamous, deplorable Keith Olbermann cannot resist attacking people on his "enemies list", and the more sleazy and personal the attack, the better. Now one of broadcasting's most honored and respected professionals, Jim Bohannon, joins the chorus of those who see Keith Oralmann for what he is: a slovenly political hack.
Mr Bohannon had Bernard Goldberg as a guest on his radio program, and Marty C Davis (aka Chickaboomer) mentioned the appearance on her website:
Looks like maybe the MSNBC gremlins have altered Goldberg's Wikipedia entry. This morning Bernie's Wikipedia headline was the Keith Olbermann quote erroneously claiming CBS News had fired Bernie. Bernie was on Jim Bohannon's syndicated radio talk show Thursday night and Jim tells me Bernie was "steamed."
What?! Olbermann lie about someone? Shocker! But there's more, as Mr Bohannon himself weighs in on Herr Olbermann:
Bernie was on my radio show last night and I brought up Olbermann's "WPitW" citation. Having been on tour, Bernie hadn't seen what Keith had actually said. When Bernie noted that Olbermann concluded by saying, "no wonder CBS fired Goldberg", Bernie left the studio pretty steamed, indicating "he's going to get in trouble for this one". Why? Well Keith - You blew it AGAIN - (Lord, how many times now?). GOLDBERG WASN'T FIRED BY CBS. Keith Olbermann has got to be one of the lamest buffoons on the air in the last half century. He comes in just shy of "so bad he's good" status.
This is the recappers' comment thread for tonight's Hour of Spin. It falls on you--the clear-thinking readers of Olbermann Watch--to document Keith Oralmann's diseased rantings for posterity. Comments are open!
Olbermann Gets Almost Everything Wrong in Latest O'Reilly Smear
Countdown: Wednesday January 28: Keith starts off Worst Person in the World with a totally wrong recap of the Jessica Alba-Bill O'Reilly "feud." KO says:
She now famously called him the hole word, and when Fixed News [Ding!] chased her for a response the network should 'Go Sweden about it.' By 'Go Sweden About it' she said she meant be neutral.
And KO adds that Bill fired back by saying she was "uninformed and a pinhead."
Seriously. Keith is actually going there?
Oh my, yes.
Then Keith reads from Alba's blog that "It's so sad to me that you think the only neutral country during World War II was Switzerland." Then Keith brings up Billo's mistake about Malmedy again. "Now proves to know less about the second World War than does the star of the movie Sin City."
Holy crap, this is like the Holy Grail of KO f-ups.
Let's start with the easy one. Alba was not the "star" of Sin City. She wasn't even in it that much. Try saying the star of Honey or Into the Blue. So KO proves he doesn't know much about movies.
Now, let's take a look at what really happened between Alba and O'Reilly.
O'Reilly sent his producer Jesse Watters to interview celebrities who went to Washington DC for the inauguration. O'Reilly showed two clips on his show. One was of Jamie Foxx complimenting O'Reilly and speaking intelligently about George Bush and moving forward. (KO doesn't mention this part of it). To contrast this for fun, O'Reilly shows the Alba clip in which she sounds like the total dunce that she no doubt is, and refuses to give a shout-out to O'Reilly because "he's kind of an A-Hole."
KO doesn't mention that Watters then asked Alba to clarify that statement and say what's so objectionable about O'Reilly, to which she stumbles upon an answer before settling on "if I answer that I'm admitting I watch Fox News." So she doesn't even watch the damn show, but she wants to open her big mouth and insult the guy. Which just goes to show you how far a hot body and no talent gets you in Hollywood. Then she does a little mea culpa about Fox being good to her movie-wise. Cuz who else would cast her in two crappy Fantastic Four movies. I mean really.
So, what did KO say?
She now famously called him the hole word, and when Fixed News [Ding!] chased her for a response the network should 'Go Sweden about it.'
ERRRRRR. Wrong answer, douchebag. So sorry.
The Watters confrontation took place I believe at the red carpet entrance of the Jan. 18 Declare Yourself event.
Later, as Alba and her hubby were waiting for a cab to go home, a different reporter started to talk to Alba, who turned on her cell-phone camera and began interviewing the reporter about what he liked about Obama. When he tried to claim objectivity wouldn't let him answer, she told him "Be Neutral. Be Sweden about it."
KO would have you believe she was telling Jesse Watters to be Sweden. But no. A simple Internet search shows the "Be Sweden" was directed at Nicholas Ballasy of CNS News, which is not Fox News, but it's conservative leaning, so I guess in Olby's mind it's all the same, right?
Then it was TMZ.com that first called Alba a "ditz" about confusing Sweden and Switzerland. And O'Reilly later showed the clip as well, which led to him saying she was misinformed.
So here we have two different clips of Alba, and two different segments on O'Reilly, which Olby would have us believe is just one clip (just one day after blasting Bernie Goldberg for supposedly parsing a clip about Tom Brokaw).
And here's what Keith decided to leave out about the exchange between Alba and Bill. Before Alba responded in Blog form, someone challenged O'Reilly on the Sweden neutrality question. And O'Reilly responded that neutrality is written into Switzerland's constitution, and that Sweden takes it on a case by case basis--and in fact has troops in Afghanistan.
So, Jan. 27, Alba posts her blog with the "it's so sad to me that you think the only neutral country during WWII was Switzerland" comment. Even though in none of the clips of her saying "Be Sweden" is she saying "Be Sweden from World War II."
It's so obvious that Alba, who by all accounts is dumb as rocks, was embarrassed and in an attempt to save face went to the Sweden Wikipedia page, found an instance of their neutrality in the past, and made up this BS about herself referring to WWII. So ... blatantly ... utterly ... obvious.
But it gets better. In their blind lust to sign on to any slam of O'Reilly, the idiots at Media Matters decide to pick up the story and side with Alba, which is probably how it crossed KO's desk since he obviously doesn't watch the Factor. And they start slamming O'Reilly for not knowing that Sweden was neutral during World War II, even though Alba never mentioned WWII in the clip, and clearly doesn't know any better. So Media Matters' sole basis for the slam on O'Reilly is the single-sourced blog of a Hollywood actress, with that single source being the actress herself, relying on Wikipedia, another journalistic no-no.
Which means Keith Olbermann and Media Matters have staked their journalistic reputations on the feeble-minded (yet hot) star of Good Luck Chuck!
And where did Media Matters get the story? Holy jeez, Courtney Hazlett's The Scoop column at MSNBC.com! (mistyped as MSNCB in the Media Matters post at the time of this writing).
My god. So her defense is making up a response to an argument that was never made, and then accusing those who called her out of not knowing what she meant by a comment she never said, and these dolts can't see right through that? Or is that style of debate acceptable now? Retro-historical rebuttals? It doesn't matter if what you said doesn't fit the facts right now. If it fit another time's facts, yeah, it's fine. I guess that paves the way for KO and MSNBC to just freeze their ratings at the one time they may have approached O'Reilly in total viewers, right?
It's like if I advertised a car with 10,000 miles, and the guy shows up and it has 75,000 miles. And I actually try to sell him with "It had only 10,000 miles at one time. That's close enough. Most people wouldn't buy that used car, but I guess the idiots at MSNBC and Media Matters would!
KO also doesn't bother mentioning TMZ's classic response:
She is absolutely correct. Sweden was a neutral country ... 60 years ago. We apologize for not considering the political climate of the world in 1942 when we suggested she may have meant, 'Be Switzerland' -- a country that is currently neutral.
Seriously, KO. Try doing some actual research beyond your usual crappy sources, douche.
By the way, Oralmann says Sweden's well-known neutrality must be evident as it made the popular culture as recently as the film Catch-22. Is that the same Catch-22 movie that came out in 1970. Nearly 40 years ago? That recently?
Olby's display tonight is just flat out embarrassing, incompetent reporting. Hope it's worth the $4 million, NBC!
I mean damn. It's crap like this that really ticks me off about the injustices in the world. Really, really ticks me off.
This is the recappers' comment thread for tonight's Countdown. Post your analysis of tonight's Hour of Spin. Be an Olbermann Watch blogger--without all the muss and fuss. Comments are open!
This is tonight's recappers thread for The Hour of Spin. We need you to document the outrageous lies and vertiginous spin of Krazy Keith. Watch Oralmann if you dare, and do your recapping right here. Comments are open!
Olbermann in Post-Bush Crisis. Must Find New Focus for 17 Million Gigawatts of Incandescent Hate or Risk Spontaneous Human Combustion.
The Leg is concerned about colleague Keith Olbermann. From the moment Air Force One disappeared over the western horizon on inauguration day (also known at MSNBC HQ as "Mission Accomplished Day," "The Dawning of Perfect Joy," and "The Day of Indescribable Bliss-y Goodness) carrying outgoing President Bush to Midland, Texas, the Countdown host seemed to slip into a bewildered funk.
"He's like a little lost boy now," one perky intern observed. "Albeit, a boy that will grope you then scream at you fetch him a Powerbar."
Since Countdown debuted on March 31, 2003, George W. Bush has done the world a service by serving (along with Bill O'Reilly and Rush Limbaugh) as a safety valve-like target for Keith's bombastic, self-important, spittle-flecked rage.
But now the locus of 70 percent of that irrational, Daily Kos-fueled hate energy has been removed and the laser of loathing must find a new outlet or risk melting down. But whom to unfailingly impute bad faith to? Whose difficult decisions to put the worst possible construction upon? Whom to label a "liar" every time they are merely mistaken?
In desperation, Olbermann has recently lashed out at targets as innocuous as John Gibson, pro-lifers, the infield fly rule, and beets. But it just wasn't the same.
And so an anxious world watches and wonders as the East Coast's answer to the Yellowstone caldera builds up pressure. To turn some old Queen lyrics on their head, The Leg wonders, "Won't somebody find KO, somebody to hate?"
Gibson Slaps Down Olbermann for 'Worst Person' Smear!
It's our Friday open thread for all you Hour of Spin recappers. What do you think the odds are that the infamous, deplorable Keith Olbermann will make some comment about our special feature. John Gibson strikes back after Oralmann named him in the 'worst person' segment. It's another royal skewering and we have the audio for your listening pleasure:
This is the recappers' comment thread for tonight's Hour of Spin. It falls on you--the clear-thinking readers of Olbermann Watch--to document Keith Oralmann's diseased rantings for posterity. Comments are open!
This is your recappers thread for Wednesday's Hour of Spin, with a special bonus feature. Hat-tip to johnny dollar's place for this revealing look at A-Mess-NBC:
This is the recappers' comment thread for tonight's Countdown. Post your analysis of tonight's Hour of Spin. Be an Olbermann Watch blogger--without all the muss and fuss. Comments are open!
Here's tonight's recappers thread for The Hour of Spin. Rumors are swirling that the infamous, deplorable one might inflict another Special Education Komment on the world tonight. So we need you to document the outrageous lies and vertiginous spin of Krazy Keith. Watch Oralmann if you dare, and do your recapping right here. Comments are open!
The good news: thanks to a speech from "Mister" [Ding!] Bush, The Hour of Spin will be shortened, or at least delayed. The bad news: A-Mess-NBC is once again letting the infamous, deplorable Keith Olbermann anchor the news coverage. So much for objective journalism.
This is tonight's recappers' comment thread. It falls on you--the clear-thinking readers of Olbermann Watch--to document Keith Oralmann's diseased rantings for posterity. Comments are open!
Blue Blog Reactions Dramatized! (Tuesday Recappers Thread)
Recap tonight's Hour of Spin as usual. In addition, here is a special bonus feature. John Gibson rags on Olby a bit, and then presents Blue Blog Reaction to the President's news conference. Comments are open!
This is the recappers' comment thread for tonight's Hour of Spin. It falls on you--the clear-thinking readers of Olbermann Watch--to document Keith Oralmann's diseased rantings for posterity. Comments are open!
This is the recappers' comment thread for tonight's Hour of Spin. Post your analysis of tonight's Hour of Spin. Be an Olbermann Watch blogger--without all the muss and fuss. Comments are open!
It's the first Hour of Spin of the new year! That means tonight the infamous, deplorable Keith Olbermann begins his quest for a clean sweep of the 2009 Olby Awards. As always, we need you to document the outrageous lies and vertiginous spin of Krazy Keith Monkeymann. Watch Oralmann if you dare, and do your recapping right here. Comments are open!
A new year means a time to look back and honor those who have achieved greatness in the year preceding. For that reason, we take this opportunity to reveal the winners of the 2008 Olby Awards, as determined by the Olbermann Watch Awards and Recognition Committee. With no further ado, the 2008 Olbies...
The Edward R Murrow Courage Under Fire Award Presented for conspicuous reportorial bravery under hazardous circumstances. And the Olby goes to...
Keith Olbermann! For his remarkable valour standing up to the corporate suits at MSNBC and refusing to go to Minnesota for the GOP convention, where his life would be endangered by terroristic assaults and assassination attempts.
Olbermann - upset to be anchoring at the Democratic National Convention from an outdoor set near Denver's train station - "announced that his bosses [had] better find a more secure location for him to broadcast from at the Republican National Convention [in St. Paul, Minn.] or he's not going," one insider said. "He thinks someone will assassinate him." MSNBC had no comment. Even before he left New York, the biggest mouth at MSNBC was worried about his safety. When a car was late to take him to the airport, Olbermann threatened via e-mail to stay home, another insider told Page Six. The blowhard whined to producers, "I could have been attacked on the street."
The Golden Shovel Award Presented in honor of those who just can't keep their mouths shut. And the Olby goes to...
The Ted Baxter Rip 'n' Read Award Presented for the most memorably embarrassing bit of nonsense lifted from blue blogs and reported as fact. And the Olby goes to...
Keith Olbermann! When it comes to Olby's nemesis, Bill O'Reilly, Krazy Keith just kan't help himself.
Why does Olbermann do this? Because he lifts his "stories" from far-left blue blogs that lie about O'Reilly, and either doesn't check or doesn't care if what they say is true or not. In this case, as the video shows, it was an obvious lie, but Keith doesn't care.
Biggest Flat-Out Lie About a Competing Channel Presented to honor those for whom telling the truth is secondary to a good smear. And the Olby goes to...
Keith Olbermann! The video says it all:
The Karma Bites Award Presented to remind the mighty that what goes around, comes around. And the Olby goes to...
Only on OlbyPlanet would self-delusion this egregious go unchecked.
The Hal Turner Minority Outreach Lifetime Achievement Award Honoring the broadcaster who has done the most to perpetuate racial stereotypes. And the Olby goes to...
Keith Olbermann! His infatuation with Nazi analogies and salutes earned him the scorn of the ADL, then he reveled in demeaning black cuisine. Keith reached another zenith in 2008, this time turning his attention to Hispanics. It wasn't enough that he contemptuously dismissed the Attorney General as a "houseboy". Oralmann had to add insult to injury with Gov Bill Richardson, cooking up a smarmy reference to guacamole that enraged Latino groups:
certainly an unfortunate use of words, and offensive to Hispanics
The Sleazy Partisan Hack Smear Job of the Year In honor of the most corrupt, dishonest, sustained, irresponsible attack of the year. And the Olby goes to...
It's never too early for Another Olbermann Lie, and the opening spiel is a traditional spot for the first one of the night. In fact, as you will see, we get three OlbyLies in just three minutes.
The He-Man Wimmen Haters Award Presented for the outstanding example of fantasy violence against a woman. And the Olby goes to...
Keith Olbermann! It's not every day when you see a "journalist" calling for a Presidential candidate to get beat up...or worse:
What Keith Olbermann wants done to another human being is evil. It belongs with torture, lynching, and systemic rape. He is saying we should use physical violence against a political enemy to secure the outcome we want. He is saying murder is an acceptable act when done against a reviled outsider by those on the inside who know what is good for the nation.
The Foolish Consistency Award Presented for the quickest self-contradictory blunder of 2008. And the Olby goes to...
Keith Olbermann! It's bad enough when you can't keep your stories straight from one day to the next. It's even worse when you can't do it from one hour to the next!
The Gepetto Award Honoring the most blatant servility to and parroting of talking points fed from blue blogs. And the Olby goes to...
Keith Olbermann! First Keithy let the posters at his blog, Daily Kos, write his interview questions for him. Then Edward R Olbermann went the extra step, erupting in the middle of convention coverage with a screed against a real journalist, a screed that just happened to be fed to him by Kos Kaptain Markos.
There can be little doubt that when the Great Kos himself slammed Mr Babington's article, Bathtub Boy would be ready and willing to take the Kos talking points and spew them on Peacock air. Which he did just minutes after Markos published the attack.
The Do As I Say Not As I Do Award Recognizing the most egregious media hypocrisy of the year. And the Olby goes to...
Keith Olbermann! Not for his sneering reportage on Joe the Plumbers one tax lein, while concealing his own five (count 'em) instances of tax deadbeatery. Or Monkeymann's sanctimonious scolding about the use of Nazi analogies, as he merrily piles another one on top of his heaping mound. No, the ultimate in 2008 Olbypocrisy has to be when Keith Olbermann, with his own words, effectively made himself worst person in the world:
The Best Smackdowns of the Infamous, Deplorable One And the Olbies go to:
Mark Levin, John Gibson, Lionel, Howard Wolfson, the Red Eye gang, Old Grumpy Guy:
Best Parody of a Deranged Sports Guy Playing a Newsman on TV Award And the Olby goes to:
With the end of another year of Keith Oralmann's Hour of Spin, we really should recognize the high, and low points, of 2008. That's the purpose of the Olby Awards. What was Keith's biggest lie? The most outrageous example of Olbypocrisy? The meanest, dirtiest smear? The most egregiously biased report? On the flip side, who really came through with the sharpest, most devastating exposes of the infamous, deplorable one? Whose smackdown stung the most? So many possibilities, and so few days until the end of the year.
A good place to get caught up on the most embarrassing Monkeymann moments of this past year is our Olbermann Watch youtube page. Here you will find devastating critiques by Mark Levin, John Gibson, and many others. Plus our own videos catching Merkle in bouts of extreme hypocrisy, dishonesty, and downright stupidity. There are hours of viewing fun in just the 2008 videos (remember the racial slurs...and Olby's open-mic embarrassments?), and you can count it as research, so your rchoices for the Olby Awards will be as well-informed as possible.
GIve us your picks for the Olbies. Create your own categories if the standard award designations don't exactly fit. Comments are open!
There's nothing quite like watching the infamous, deplorable Keith Olbermann attempting to spin his way out of embarrassment, rewrite history, or otherwise mangle the ethics of journalism to protect his inept butt.
To understand what we are talking about, we consulted the OlbyWatch Research Division. They delved into the archives to dig out a story from last year. Yes, Herr Olbermahn "covered" the story in his peculiar fashion. And we have the direct quotes to prove it:
May 9 2007: The FBI claims it has broken up a plot to attack Fort Dix in New Jersey. The flaw, though, in the breathless reporting of the purported terror cell, the bureau infiltrated the six-person group after its members took video of themselves practicing with assault weapons, brought the tape to a photo store, and had it transferred to a DVD. The details of the supposed plot don't seem to hold together that well either, though that did not stop extensive and entirely credulous coverage on TV, the Internet, in print today... In other words, the FBI has arrested six morons.
June 4 2007: Officials of this country have revealed so-called terror plots at times that were just coincidentally to their political benefit, no matter how preposterous the actual schemes might have been, including a plot against Fort Dix, where pizza deliverymen were supposed to kill at will at an Army base full of soldiers...the authorities announce arrests in a far-fetched plan to attack soldiers at Fort Dix in New Jersey. The so-called terrorists planned to gain access to the base by posing as pizza delivery men.
June 6 2007: The candidates repeatedly referring to both the JFK story and the similarly dubious Fort Dix pizza delivery fantasy as ominous signs of the worldwide terrorist threat...
ARIANNA HUFFINGTON: I think if the public says enough is enough, enough of the fear mongering. We've been down this road before. Remember, before the JFK plot we had the Fort Dix Six. And before the Fort Dix six, we had the Liberty City in Florida. And what has happened to all these plots that were endangering our lives?
We'd be happy to enlighten Arianna, and Keith, as to what happened:
Five Muslim immigrants were convicted Monday of plotting to massacre U.S. soldiers at a New Jersey military base in a case the government said demonstrated its post-Sept. 11, 2001, determination to stop terrorist attacks in the planning stages. The defendants were acquitted of attempted murder charges but face life in prison for conspiring to kill military personnel. The federal jury spent about 38 hours deliberating over the past six days.
The men lived in and around Philadelphia for years. The government said after their 2007 arrest that an attack had been imminent and that the case underscored the dangers of terrorist plots hatched on U.S. soil.... Convicted were: Jordanian-born cab driver Mohamad Shnewer; Turkish-born convenience store clerk Serdar Tatar; and brothers Dritan, Eljvir and Shain Duka, ethnic Albanians from the former Yugoslavia, who had a roofing business. A sixth man arrested and charged only with gun offenses pleaded guilty earlier.
If Olbermoronn reports this news, it reveals his previous inane banter for the buffoonery that it is. Does he spike the story and pretend the convictions never happened? Or twist it around and claim the innocent "morons" are political prisoners and should be released? Or does he take the courageous step of not even showing up for work today? Perhaps he will admit he was wrong and...strike that, ain't gonna happen. It's our Monday night thread, open early so that we can all enjoy the anticipation of tonight's inevitable Great Moment in Olbypocrisy.
This is the recappers' comment thread for tonight's Hour of Spin. It falls on you--the clear-thinking readers of Olbermann Watch--to document Keith Oralmann's diseased rantings for posterity. Comments are open!
This is the recappers' comment thread for tonight's Hour of Spin. It falls on you--the clear-thinking readers of Olbermann Watch--to document Oralmann's diseased rantings for posterity. Be an Olbermann Watch blogger--without all the muss and fuss! Comments are open!
This is the recappers' comment thread for tonight's Hour of Spin. Post your analysis of tonight's Hour of Spin. Be an Olbermann Watch blogger--without all the muss and fuss. Comments are open!
This is tonight's open thread for tonight's Hour of Spin. We need you to document the outrageous lies and vertiginous spin of the infamous, deplorable Keith Olbermann. Watch Oralmann if you dare, and do your recapping right here. Comments are open!
Gutfeld on Red Eye Blasts Olbermann's 'Homoerotic' Obsession with O'Reilly
When the infamous, deplorable Keith Olbermann attacked Red Eye the other night, we knew the blowback would be coming. Host Greg Gutfeld delivered the smackdown, and ombudsman Andy Levy followed up with a few parting shots:
This is the recappers' comment thread for tonight's Hour of Spin. It falls on you--the clear-thinking readers of Olbermann Watch--to document Keith Oralmann's diseased rantings for posterity. Comments are open!
Dramatic Readings: Blue Blog Blago Blowback! (Wed Recappers Thread)
Yes this is your Wednesday thread to recap The Hour of Spin. But tonight we have a special bonus: dramatic readings from the blue blog outrage over the Blago scandal! Since we know the infamous, deplorable Keith Olbermann uses blue blogs as news sources, consider this a window into the sort of diseased dementia that informs Monkeymann's 'newscast' night after night...
This is the recappers' comment thread for tonight's Hour of Spin. Post your analysis of tonight's Hour of Spin. Be an Olbermann Watch blogger--without all the muss and fuss. Comments are open!
This is tonight's open thread for tonight's Hour of Spin. We need you to document the outrageous lies and vertiginous spin of the infamous, deplorable Keith Olbermann. Watch Oralmann if you dare, and do your recapping right here. Comments are open!
This is the recappers' comment thread for tonight's Hour of Spin. It falls on you--the clear-thinking readers of Olbermann Watch--to document Keith Oralmann's diseased rantings for posterity. Comments are open!
This is the recappers' comment thread for tonight's Hour of Spin.It falls on you--the clear-thinking readers of Olbermann Watch--to document Oralmann's diseased rantings for posterity. Be an Olbermann Watch blogger--without all the muss and fuss! Comments are open!
This is the recappers' comment thread for Countdown, October 28 2008. Post your analysis of tonight's Hour of Spin. Be an Olbermann Watch blogger--without all the muss and fuss. Comments are open!
It's bad enough when you can't keep your stories straight from one day to the next. But with the infamous, deplorable Keith Olbermann, he can't keep his stories straight from Monday morning to Monday night!
This is tonight's open thread for tonight's Hour of Spin. We need you to document the outrageous lies and vertiginous spin of the infamous, deplorable Keith Olbermann. Watch Oralmann if you dare, and do your recapping right here. Comments are open!
This is tonight's open thread for tonight's Hour of Spin. We need you to document the outrageous lies and vertiginous spin of the infamous, deplorable Keith Olbermann. Watch Oralmann if you dare, and do your recapping right here. Comments are open!
This is tonight's open thread for your comments and recapping of The Hour of Spin. The infamous, deplorable one has been busy over at his blog. A post appeared that actually criticized Krazy Keith's Olbsession with Mr Bill O'Reilly. So naturally Merkle had to respond, even if in an utterly incomprehensible fashion.
But wait, there's more! Perhaps to change the subject away from the offending column, Bathtub Boy whips up a post of his own, and stokes the fires with additional comments like this one--just as incomprehensible as ever (his basic point: I'm neutral so I won't vote, unless I decide that I will...don't try to make sense out of it, it's OlbyLogic).
So enjoy tonight's Hour of Spin, if you dare. Comments are open!
Opie and Anthony Savage Keith Olbermann! (Thursday Recappers Thread)
This is the recappers' comment thread for Countdown, November 13 2008. You can post your reactions to tonight's Hour of Spin, but we have something special for you to enjoy (courtesy of MikeC).
Opie and Anthony deliver a scathing vivisection of Keith Oralmann's latest Special Education Komment. Warning: the language is R-rated, at least. In two parts:
This is the recappers' comment thread for Countdown, November 11 2008. We need you, the clear-headed readers of the #1 Olbermann blog in the world, to document Krazy Keith's diseased rantings for posterity.
If you want a pre-show laugh, or perhaps it might be more appropriately said a pre-show gag-inducing bit of self-congratulations from the most narcissistic egotist on television, check out Bathtub Boy's latest drivel over at his favorite blog, Ye Olde Daily Kos. It's another round of Jimmy Legs almost breaking a bone in his arm as he twists and contorts to yet again pack himself on the back.
But we digress. Be an Olbermann Watch blogger--without all the muss and fuss. Comments are open!
This is tonight's open thread for tonight's Hour of Spin. We need you to document the outrageous lies and vertiginous spin of the infamous, deplorable Keith Olbermann. Watch Oralmann if you dare, and do your recapping right here. Comments are open!
John Gibson on MSNBC's Journalistic Standards (Friday Recappers Thread)
Warning: the infamous, deplorable Keith Olbermann is pimping his show again, trying to get his sinking ratings back in order. At Oralmann's blog (Daily Kos) Merkle is doing his best to pump up interest in an exciting new feature tonight: a Sarah Palin attack! Just for a change.
Our clear-headed readers will undoubtedly find this much more edifying:
This is the recappers' comment thread for Countdown, November 6 2008. Post your comments on tonight's Hour of Spin. Note everything salient: smears, distortions, bias, lies, the works. Watch the first showing, the repeat, or view the videos at the Countdown website. It falls on you--the clear-thinking readers of Olbermann Watch--to document Oralmann's diseased rantings for posterity.
Be an Olbermann Watch blogger--without all the muss and fuss. Comments are open!
We've been telling you for years, but now the newest miracle of high-tech science proves it! As the newly-launched Real Scoop explains:
RealScoop rates the believability of statements made by celebrities, athletes and politicians. Our BELIEVABILITY METER™ utilizes the world's leading voice analysis technology to analyze over 100 vocal elements. Be the first to uncover the RealScoop as the BELIEVABILITY METER™ displays color coded results from left to right with the most believable statements in green and turning to red as they become more questionable.
Watch the meters as the last shreds of Keith Oralmann's credibility circle the drain:
This is the recappers' comment thread for Countdown, November 5 2008. Post your comments on tonight's Hour of Spin. Note everything salient: smears, distortions, bias, lies, the works. Watch the first showing, the repeat, or view the videos at the Countdown website. It falls on you--the clear-thinking readers of Olbermann Watch--to document Oralmann's diseased rantings for posterity.
Be an Olbermann Watch blogger--without all the muss and fuss! Comments are open!
Is the infamous, deplorable Keith Olbermann cracking up? Just when you thought Krazy Legs couldn't embarrass himself any further, he proves you wrong. Politico reporting that Bathtub Boy somehow got wind of the fact that Saturday Night Live was going to lampoon him on tomorrow night's show. That was all Krazy Keith had to hear. He lurked outside the building, then snuck in, slipped past security, and furtively made his way onto the set where the cast was in rehearsal!
Yep, Edward R Olbermann just had to see the skit ahead of time. Reports are that it is "savage", portraying Olby as a deranged lunatic living at home with his mother. Oralmann's flack says he is happy with it. Yeah, right, and chickens have lips.
Maybe he'll mention this latest embarrassment tonight on The Hour of Spin. Or maybe not. There just isn't the time with all the Palin/McCain smears that have to be squeezed in.
This is the recappers' thread for Countdown, October 30 2008. Post your comments on tonight's Hour of Spin. Note everything salient: smears, distortions, bias, lies, the works. Watch the first showing, the repeat, or view the videos at the Countdown website. It falls on you--the clear-thinking readers of Olbermann Watch--to document Oralmann's diseased rantings for posterity.
Be an Olbermann Watch blogger--without all the muss and fuss! Comments are open!
UPDATE: Dennis Prager replies to Keith Olbermann's WPitW slur [mp3 audio]:
Here's your open thread for tonight's Obamarama. Not only will A-Mess-NBC abandon any pretense of journalistic ethics and broadcast the Obamamercial at 8:00 pm, followed by a half-hour of Bathtub Boy's adulatory drivel...they will give the infamous, deplorable one a new hour at 10:00 pm to regurgitate his sycophantic fawning all over again! It falls on you--the clear-thinking readers of Olbermann Watch--to document Oralmann's diseased rantings for posterity.
Be an Olbermann Watch blogger--without all the muss and fuss! Comments are open!
Nate Silver, baseball expert and Daily Kos blogger
The "special" komments are so "special" they're coming every night, only now rebranded as "kampaign komments". Because, you know, the one thing that is in short supply on The Hour of Spin is Olbermann bellowing his opinion. The show is just too darned impartial. It needs a little jolt of Oralmann's twisted demagoguery.
MikeC:
#5: Rick Davis was an oracle (my word) when he predicted the election would be decided on personality rather than issues...or something. "In our fourth story on the Countdown, poor Mr. Davis...uh, fifth, rather..." Oopsie. It's fifth, then fourth, Olbermoronn. Why number them at all? They're all the same. And what's the deal with charging for luggage? Uh, anyway, upper-right graphic: "Poll Position," images of McCain and Obama looking up and to their left. McCain, deer in headlights grin; Obama, squinty grin. Voters are embracing Obama. No wonder Keithy stumbled. He was so filled with glee. And they're rejecting Sarah Palin. Double-yay! Comfort level. Lower-third graphic: "Two Weeks To Go." An NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll says more people feel Obama has the right temperament to be President...by 20 points! Spectacular! And a Pew poll has Obama leading by 14! Awesome, baby, with a capital A! NBC/WSJ: Obama by 39 on healthcare! And on and on. Clip of McCain in Pennsylvania. Then, Obama in Florida. Enter the Pundit for All Occasions. Howie says undecideds want "new politics" and "don't like the partisan division of Washington." Therefore, I guess they want Obama. Remember, this is OlbyPlanet. (Side note: B-Roll briefly showed Obama in a barber shop with Alcee Hastings.) Pundit: "Obama has spent the last year and a half building a positive I.D. for himself." "Thank you, Howard."
Next, Palin bashing and lots of it. Another NBC/WSJ poll--34% of voters think Palin is not qualified to be Vice President, nor President (55 to 40). Lower-third: "Running Weight." Clip of "Saturday Night Live"'s Weekend Update featuring the Governor. Caricature! Platform performer! According to Merkle, appearing on SNL "only reinforced lingering doubts." New lower-third: "Problem: Palin." Not the Wolffe Man again! I think we all know what happened next. "Great Thanks, Richard."
#4: Monkeymann tossed around "the McCain Campaign's internal anxiety," and quoted the Talking Heads and David Byrne, concluding with "I ain't got time...for that *now*." Upper-right graphic: "Political Geography," McCain and Obama images, partial electoral map. In the full NBC Electoral Map, Obama leads 264 to 163! Hot diggity! Lower-third: "Diminishing Returns." Bush States! "Turn a blue state red." New lower-third: "Ground Control." Oralmann's Kos Kompadre Nate Silver put on his political expert hat and a grand time was had by both. Nate at the end: "North Dakota and Montana, why the heck not?" Bathtub Boy: "Uh, Nate Silver of FiveThirtyEight.com, uh-uh like me, with a huge and original sports background...m-m-making a, uh, Nate reference in there. Uh, mmm, Great Thanks to you. Thanks for your time tonight." Silver chuckled and said, "Yeah. Thanks, Keith."
#3: A whole segment devoted to defending the great ACORN organization and mocking McCain.
Lafinman:
Olberdouche confused me... In response to Palin's answer he said "the Vice President doesn't do anything", he went on a rant of how "critical" and "vital" her not knowing this is. Most of it I skipped out on cause when you start with the Vice President doesn't do anything how do you follow that up? And if the Vice President doesn't do anything why have you been ripping into the nominee for 2 months, sir? Personally I just think KO loves ripping into women. And if he were married he'd be a wife beater. I admit I have no evidence of this, but who needs it? This is OlbyPlanet, after all.
Also I popped in for some Acorn news--it's still a fictional news story that KO thinks shouldn't be covered. But one man arrested for voter fraud connected to the McCain campaign cause it was Republican fraud so that very real, more real than Acorn and Obama. So now McCains hands are dirty, dirtier than Obama's, cause of one man.
Sadly seeing Oblermann fall in love with his voice on the start of Campaign comment I missed what Moore said on Pinheads and Patriots. Also what the Patriot was. lol dammit. Meanwhile on real news networks Acron is a story. Why, cause its just as real as any other voter fraud case.
MikeC:
#2: The Media Matters Minute. Worse was Dana Perino. Blue blog source: Think Propaganda. Misogynist Olbermann trotted out a supposed mock impression of the White House Press Secretary, complete with rapid speech, upward inflection, and pauses. Then, he made an absurd comparison to breathing and, in the supposed Perino voice, "not breathing...right now."
Worser was Sean Hannity. Blue blog source: Think Propaganda...again. Fixed News! [Ding!] Supposed Hannity impression. Manatee! Rip 'n Read plagiarized Bob Beckel's line (see TP transcript, if you dare) about Sean bringing up Obama's past cocaine use by saying he *wouldn't* bring it up, but added a twist of OlbySnark. Hal from North Bergen! Assassination!
Worst was Rupert Murdoch via Page Six. Blue blog source: Salon. Unfortunately, we were treated to the supposed Australian pirate voice, complete with the guttural "Arr," for a piece that Rupe didn't even write! Overpaid vermin! Lie!
#1: The second consecutive Super-Duper Extra-Special Education Komment, which was again pimped by Oralmann on his blog hours in advance. What a ratings grabber last night's Komment was.
KEITH ORALMANN'S SPECIAL EDUCATION KAMPAIGN KOMMENT:
OlbyRobot dramatic reading:
Transcript:
I suggested last night that until the election, we could very easily wind up doing a Special Comment here every show.
It was in turn suggested to me that while events may warrant them, this would certainly render that word "Special" for two weeks anyway inoperative.
Good point. So tonight, as promised, a Campaign Comment on the continuing adventures of Governor Sarah Palin in the big leagues or "Are You Smarter Than A Third Grader."
Q: Finally governor we've been trying to engage some local grade schoolers for the last few elections. We do a feature called 'questions from the third grade.' Brandon Garcia wants to know, "What does the Vice President do?"
PALIN: Aw, that's something that Piper would ask me, as a second grader, also. That's a great question, Brandon, and a Vice President has a really great job, because not only are they there to support the President agenda, they're like a team member, the teammate to that President. But also, they're in charge of the United States Senate, so if they want to they can really get in there with the Senators and make a lot of good policy changes that will make life better for Brandon and his family and his classroom. And it's a great job and I look forward to having that job.
Oh! I'm so sorry, Governor! The correct answer can be found in the Constitution of the United States.
Article One, Section Three-- "The Vice President of the United States shall be President of the Senate, but shall have no Vote, unless they be equally divided." So, the Vice President is not in charge of Jack, Governor, let alone in charge of the Senate. And you are not smarter than a third-grader.
On the one level it is hilarious and entertaining that the Republican nominee cannot correctly answer the question "What Does The Vice President Do?" I mean, that first reference to the Vice President comes not 600 words into the Constitution. And the other meaty references are pretty simple:
Article Two, Section One --"In case of the removal of the President from Office, or of his death, resignation, or inability to discharge the Powers and Duties of the said Office, the same shall devolve on the Vice President."
There's the 20th Amendment-- you're done on January 20th and the 25th Amendment --if the President's incapacitated, you're the acting Pres. It's so simple, really, one could memorize those four points pretty easily wouldn't take long.
Brandon Garcia could do it in the third grade. So, on the one level, this is pretty damn silly. The Sarah Palin material, as Tina Fey might be able to say, just writes itself. As it does, it makes stupid mistakes, but it still writes itself.
Except there are two very serious aspects to this. Governor, do you really think you'd be "in charge of the United States Senate?" Do you really want to suggest that you think if you "want to" you "can really get in there with the Senators and make a lot of good policy changes?"
We're just wrapping up eight years of a Vice President who had no clue what his damned job consisted of, couldn't even correctly find his governmental branch with both hands.
The last thing anybody in this country wants, Republican or Democrat, is another Buccaneer in there, making it up as they go along, and, in your case, presuming you can stride in to the Senate and change policy if you want to! Besides which, Governor, exactly how on earth could you not have the correct answer by now?
It's not like this is the first time you've been asked about the Vice Presidency and gone all Miss South Carolina on us.
LARRY KUDLOW: Is this police-flap state investigation going to disqualify you from becoming Senator McCain's vice presidential candidate?
PALIN: As for that VP talk all the time, I'll tell you, I still can't answer that question until somebody answers for me what is it exactly that the VP does every day? I'm used to being very productive and working real hard in an administration. We want to make sure that that VP slot would be a fruitful type of position, especially for Alaskans and for the things that we're trying to accomplish up here for the rest of the U.S., before I can even start addressing that question.
That was on the 31st of July on CNBC, Governor. Even giving you the biggest benefit of the doubt, that your later claim that that was just a lame attempt at a joke you couldn't come up with the correct job description on the second try? What am I saying? The third try!
GWEN IFILL (OCTOBER 2, 2008): Governor, you said in July that someone would have to explain to you exactly what it is the vice president does every day.
PALIN: In my comment there, it was a lame attempt at a joke and yours was a lame attempt at a joke, too, I guess, because nobody got it...Of course we know what a vice president does. And that's not only to preside over the Senate and will take that position very seriously also. I'm thankful that the Constitution would allow a bit more authority given to the vice president if that vice president so chose to exert it in working with the Senate and making sure that we are supportive of the president's policies and making sure too that our president understands what our strengths are.
No! No, Governor, the Constitution does not allow "a bit more authority" "if the vice president so chose to exert it in working with the Senate..." You would not be some kind of Senatorial Hall Monitor. You would not be a Veto, or a Censor, or a Balance.
And even if you think you would somehow obtain those powers from somebody, don't pretend the Constitution will give them to you!
PALIN: That thankfully, our founders were wise enough to say, we have this position and it's Constitutional. Vice presidents will be able to be not only the position flexible, but it's going to be sort of those other duties as assigned by the president. It's a simple thing. I don't think that was a gaff at all in stating what the truth is. And that is we've got flexibility in the position. The president will be directing in a lot of respects what the vice president does. The vice president, of course, is not a member--or a part of the legislative branch, except to oversee the Senate. That alone provides a tremendous amount of flexibility and authority if that vice president so chose to use it.
You're wrong! You've memorized everything else, Governor. You couldn't memorize the job description in three months? Four tries? I mean, I'd like my President and Vice President to have memorized the Constitution, and abide by it. Or at least, I'd like them to know more about the Constitution than I do. Or than Brandon Garcia does. Maybe I'm raising the bar too high but at least wait until you achieve office before trying to seize power extra-Constitutionally!
"The founders" were not George Bush and Dick Cheney! Gimme something to work with here, Governor or go home! And don't forget to take your lovely parting gifts with you. Including the Home Version of The Vice President Game.
And that's The Hour of Spin for this, the 899th day since the declaration that "Karl Rove will in fact be indicted". Great thanks to our OlbyWatch recappers who did such an assiduously good job tonight with a thoroughly thankless task!
We have to tip our cyber hats to the contributors who helped put together this recap. The infamous, deplorable Keith Olbermann has lately been especially deplorable, and tonight was no exception. It's an Obamapalooza of attacks on McCain/Palin on tonight's Hour of Spin, and--worst of all--the inauguration of the new, improved Special Komment 2.0--now with Lanolin! The Special Komments are so special that Monkeymann is going to serve them up every night until the election. Happy, happy, joy, joy.
MikeC:
5: The McCain Campaign is "rethinking" bringing up Reverend Wright. Ach, no! Wright Card! Secrets and Lies! Upper-right graphic: "Fear and Distraction," image of McCain looking to his right with squinted eyes, Palin looking up and to the right (aloof, perhaps, eh Keith?). Merkle says the campaign is trying to paint Obama and his supporters "as different and dangerous." Lower-third graphic: "15 Days And Counting." Oralmann quoted Rick Davis without playing a clip of today's conference call. On OlbyPlanet, audio and video ruin the lie. So, they never see the light of 8PM. Once he was finished with the Davis quote, time to snark. Clip of McCain on "Fox News Sunday." Watergate! [Ding!] Rick Davis also appeared on "a conservative talk radio program," but Monkeymann wouldn't say which one. Bringing up John Lewis is bad.
Joe the Plumber attack. Clip of McCain with small business owners in Missouri...a relatively long clip by Hour of Spin standards. Obama was at a rally in Tampa, Florida, with members of the Tampa Bay Rays. That means they're on his side! Yay! Clip of Hillary with Obama in Orlando. Now, she's good again on OlbyPlanet. Finally, four minutes in, it was time for the Wolffe Man to appear. New lower-third: "Secrets & Lies." Wolffie: "There's nothing serious about small donations unless you think the internet is a secret connection of tubes." Ooh, a Ted Stevens attack. Moving ahead in the clip now. Keith and his buddy laugh about "spread the wealth." Yes, isn't that absurd, Bathman? Great Thanks.
Next, the "pervasive," "precise," and "startling" Colin Powell endorsement of Obama. There was much jubilance on OlbyPlanet. Lower-third: "Powell Broker." Clip of Powell announcing the endorsement on "Meet the Press." Keith snidely proclaims McCain is "obviously disappointed" by the endorsement. New lower-third: "Powellfull." Clarence Page dropped in to Olby's playpen for a 4 1/2 minute agreementfest. The last time viewers of "The Factor" saw Page, he was claiming Fox News is far-right [Ding!]. Clarence thinks the endorsement will "have an impact on those undecided voters." Peggy Noonan! Christopher Buckley! At the end, Keith giggled, "By the way, you had me going when you said, uh, 'son of...' I didn't know where you were going after that, but um, thank goodness..." And I couldn't hear the last part because Clarence guffawed loudly. "Family show, Chris...Keith." Oopsie. "Great Thanks for your time, Clarence."
#4: Fat Ass: "What kind of phone call could surpass the awesomeness that is Countdown?" Uh, a call from my friend saying that you had been fired? That'd be great. But that wasn't it. "Would you believe you may get a phone call from Sarah Palin?" Damn, I was hoping it'd be the fired call. Oh well, OlbyWatch can dream. Upper-right graphic: "Can You Fear Me Now?", image of McCain with an obsolete cell phone superimposed in his hand. Robocalls![Ding!] Lower-third: "Call Wading." Quote! [Ding!] Fox Noise! [Ding!] G. Gordon Liddy is "McCain's washed-up terrorist." Palin "Real Americans from Real America" reference. Palin clip on the robocalls [Ding!]. OlbyChoir music from...I mean clip of Obama talking about "misleading TV ads." Amen-ish crowd response. Slovenly: "What the hell is *this* new robocall [Ding!]?" It was a Palin robocall LINK. Blue blog source: Talking Points Mummo (intentional misspelling based on previous OlbyFlub).
The Factor:
# 3 Story, sock puppet "Geno" Robinson tells Olbermann how poorly Sarah Palin did on SNL. Funny, seems she did pretty well for someone who received the script days before her appearance and did not write the script. If her appearance didn't go well, isn't that the fault of the writers on SNL? How exactly did the go poorly when SNL had the highest ratings SNL has had since they actually had a cast that anyone cared about?
MikeC:
#2: The Media Matters Minute. Worse was Mark Halperin of The Page on Time.com. Blue blog source: TVNewser. I couldn't find a source that brought up the Midwest Democracy Network questionaire *and* what Halperin said yesterday. Either way, how dare Mark dispute Lord Obama. Obamamann went on to provide PR for his savior. Cherry-picking!
Worser was Brian Kilmeade, John Dowd, and Rudy Giuliani. Blue blog sources: Medium Rare Story and Think Propaganda. Fixed News! Fixed News! [Ding!][Ding!] Olbermahn used the supposed Sylvester the cat voice for Giuliani. "Way to execute the Talking Points [Ding!], boys, but hello! You guys own enough reporters. (raising gotcha paper): Hop to it!"
Worst was "Roger Ailes of Fox Noise[Ding!]." Blue blog source: TVNewser. Ailes "is going to into the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame...presumably near the bust of the guy who made the commercials louder than the actual shows." After a rapid reading of the quote Stevie K. provided, Oralmann snarked back: "Ailes, of course, never *hired* anybody like that at Fox...never practiced it himself...but he has *enormous respect for people who do!* Roger 'Do as I respect, not as I do' Ailes! Today's Worst..." Yada yada blah.
#1: Another ratings ploy of a Special Education Komment, which Oralmann pimped out on his blog two hours earlier. Thanks, but no thanks. Supposed indignation and faux outrage were on display for seven long minutes and 41 longer seconds. Psst, Olby, John McCain and Sarah Palin don't listen to you. You can stop now. Thanks a lot, bro.
Merkle923:
BTW, Olbermoronn is still lying about "violent comments" made at Sarah Palin's rally (2 weeks ago?) as noted in his Speshul Spitfest.
SPECIAL EDUCATiON KOMMENT BY KEITH ORALMANN:
I have frequently insisted I would never turn the platform of the Special Comment into a regular feature.
But as these last two weeks of this extraordinary, and extraordinarily disturbing, presidential campaign project out in front of us, I fear I may have to temporarily amend that presumption.
I hope it will be otherwise, but I suspect this will be the first of nightly pieces, most shorter than this... until further notice.
And thus a Special Comment tonight about the last five days of the divisive, ugly, paranoid bleatings of this Presidential race, culminating in the sliming of Colin Powell for his endorsement of Senator Obama.
There was once a very prominent sportswriter named Dick Young whose work, with ever-increasing frequency, became peppered with references to "my America."
"I can't believe this is happening in My America"... -- "we do not tolerate these people in My America" -- "this man does not belong in my America".
His America gradually revealed itself.
Insular. Isolationist. Backwards-looking. Mindlessly flag-waving. Racist. No second chances. A million rules, but only for the other guy.
Dick Young died in 1987, but he has been re-born in the presidential campaign as it has unfolded since last Thursday night.
In that time, Governor Sarah Palin, Congresswoman Michelle Bachmann, McCain spokesperson Nancy Pfotenhauer, and Rush Limbaugh, have revealed that there is a measurable portion of this country that is not interested in that which the vast majority view as democracy or equality or opportunity.
They want only... control -- and they want the rest of us, symbolically, perhaps physically... out.
Governor Palin:
"We believe that the best of America is not all in Washington D.C.," you told a fund-raiser in North Carolina last Thursday, to kick off this orgy of condescending elitism.
"We believe that the best of America is in these small towns that we get to visit, and in these wonderful little pockets of what I call the real America, being here with all of you hard working very patriotic, very pro-America areas of this great nation."
Governor, your prejudice is overwhelming.
It is not just "pockets" of this country that are "pro-America" Governor.
America... is "pro-America."
And the "Real America" of yours, Governor, is where people at your rallies shout threats of violence, against other Americans, and you say nothing about them or to them.
What you are seeing is not patriotism, Governor.
What has surrounded you since your nomination, has been the echoing shout of mob rule.
Indeed, that shout has echoed to Minnesota, where the next day an unstable Congresswoman named Michele Bachmann added to the ugly cry.
"I wish the American media would take a great look at the views of the people in Congress and find out, are they pro-America, or anti-America. I think people would love to see an expose' like that."
For nearly two years, Ms. Bachmann, who made her first political bones by keeping the movie "Aladdin" from being shown at a Minnesota Charter School because she thought it promoted paganism and witchcraft, has had a seat in the government of this nation, a seat from which she has spewed the most implausible, hateful, narrow-minded garbage imaginable.
Well, Congresswoman, you have gotten that "expose'" you wanted, have you not?
Though not perhaps in the way you imagined.
Since giving voice to your remarkable delusion that there are members of Congress who are "anti-America," and the extraordinary tap-dance of sleaze and innuendo about Senator Obama which followed...
...the challenger for your house Seat, Elwyn Tinklenberg, has been inundated by donations -- 700 thousand dollars in the three days after you spoke.
Because the America you perceive, Congresswoman -- with its goblins and ghosts and vast unseen hordes of traitors and fellow travelers and Senators who won't ban "Aladdin" -- exists only in your head, and in the heads of the others who must rationalize the failures in their own lives and of their own policies as somebody else's fault -- as a conspiracy to deny them an America of exclusionism and religious orthodoxy and prejudice, about which they must accuse, and murmur, and shout threats, and cleave the nation into pro-America and anti-America."
And back it comes to the McCain campaign.
And Senator McCain's talking head, Ms. Pfotenhauer, who on this very network Saturday, and seemingly without the slightest idea that dismissive prejudice dripped from every word, analyzed the race in Virginia.
"I can tell you that the Democrats have just come in from the District of Columbia and moved into northern Virginia," she said. "But the rest of the state, 'real Virginia,' if you will, I think will be very responsive to Senator McCain's message."
Again, a toxic message...
The parts of the country that agree with Nancy Pfotenhauer... are real -- the others, not.
Ms. Pfotenhauer, why not go the distance on this one?
It was Senator McCain's own brother who called that part of Virginia nearest Washington "communist country."
Cut to the chase, Madam.
No matter the intended comic hyperbole of Joe McCain...
This is the point -- isn't it?
Leave out the real meaning of "Communism," Madam -- Joe McCain reduced it to a buzz-word; it has no more true definition right now than does "Socialism," or the phrase "a man who sees America like you and I see America."
It's about us... and them.
The pro-... and the anti.
Never mind, Madam, that the bi-secting of this country you would happily inspire, means taking a tiny crack in a dam and not repairing it but burrowing into it.
It is not enough that Senator McCain and Senator Obama might differ.
One must be real and the other false.
One must be pro-America and the other anti.
Go back and -- as your boss Rick Davis said today -- "re-think," Mr. McCain's insistence not to drag the sorry bones of Jeremiah Wright into this campaign.
And whatever you do, Ms. Pfotenhauer, allow no one enough time to think... about the widening crack in the dam.
And now all of this comes together to attack Colin Powell.
"Secretary Powell says his endorsement is not about race," writes Rush Limbaugh... the grand wizard of this school of reactionary non-thought.
"OK, fine. I am now researching his past endorsements to see if I can find all the inexperienced, very liberal, white candidates he has endorsed. I'll let you know what I come up with."
It is not conceivable that Powell might reject McCain for the politics of hate and character assassination, or just for policy.
In the closed, sweaty world of the blind allegiances of Limbaugh -- one of "us" who endorses one of "them," must be doing so for some other blind allegiance, like the color of skin.
The answer to this primordial muck, must be addressed to one man only.
Senator McCain -- where are you?
I disagree with you on virtually every major point of policy and practice.
And yet I do not think you "anti-America." I would not hesitate to join you in time of crisis in defense of this country.
Fortunately you did not echo this chorus of base hatred.
But neither have you repudiated it.
What is "pro-America", Senator?
Is it pro-America to call a man a racist because he endorses a different candidate?
Senator, you have based your campaign on many premises, but the foremost (and the most nearly admirable) of all of them, have been the pitches about "reaching across the aisle," and putting, as your ubiquitous banners reed, "country first."
So when Colin Powell endorses your opponent, you say nothing as your supporters and proxies paint him in this "Anti-America" frame and place him in Governor Palin's un-real America.
Senator McCain -- did not General Powell just "reach across the aisle?" Did he not, in his own mind at least, "put country first?"
Is it not your responsibility, Senator, to, if not applaud, then at least quiet those in your half of our fractured political equation?
Is it not your responsibility, Senator, to say "enough" to Republican smears without end?
Is it not your responsibility, Senator, to insist that, win or lose, you will not be party to a campaign that devolves into hatred and prejudice and divisiveness?
And Senator McCain, if it is not your responsibility... whose is it?
And that's The Hour of Spin for this, the 898th day since the declaration that "Karl Rove will in fact be indicted". Great thanks to our OlbyWatch recappers who did such an assiduously good job tonight with a thoroughly thankless task!
UPDATE:An OlbyWatch exclusive! Dramatic reading of the Special Education Komment by the OlbyRobot:
This is the recappers' comment thread for Countdown, October 17 2008.
This is a special thread for you to post your comments on tonight's Hour of Spin. Note everything salient: smears, distortions, bias, lies, the works. Watch the first showing, the repeat, or view the videos at the Countdown website. It falls on you--the clear-thinking readers of Olbermann Watch--to document Oralmann's diseased rantings for posterity.
Be an Olbermann Watch blogger--without all the muss and fuss! Comments are open: post your analysis of tonight's Hour of Spin here, and you may see your insights later tonight in an official OlbyWatch Recap.
Challenge to Keith: Man Up! (Thursday Recappers Thread)
This is a special recappers' comment thread for Countdown, October 16 2008. After Olbermann Watch was first to report Keith's shameful lie, smearing Sarah Palin in the opening moments of his latest Special Education Komment, the news spread through the Olbersphere. The embarrassment was so great that Bathtub Boy penned a special non-SEK-pimping post at his blog, trying to parse his words to explain his deception. According to Olby, because he said "she may not have heard" someone in the crowd yell "kill him", therefore his SEK was perfectly accurate.
Of course, this is Another Olbermann Lie. Oralmann knew she couldn't have heard him say it, because Gov Palin wasn't there! But instead of reporting that accurately ("she did not hear him" say it), Merkle used the conditional "may not", and never told his gullible viewers that it was metaphysically impossible for her to have heard it--because she hadn't arrived yet.
But wait, there's more. Now it turns out there's another reason why Gov Palin couldn't have heard it: it was never said! The Secret Service was on the scene and conducted a thorough investigation. Their finding: the claim is unfounded and the case is closed.
This is almost identical to an earlier claimed incident in Florida, also investigated by the Secret Service, and also found to be bogus.
This is the challenge for Edward R Olbermann. You have pimped both of these alleged incidents on The Hour of Spin. You rushed to your home-away-from-home (Daily Kos) to roil the waters even further. But according to the Secret Service, these are both phony allegations. Lies.
So our challenge to the infamous, deplorable Keith Olbermann: for once, don't be a pussy. Dare to report something that contradicts OlbySpin. Retract your false, defamatory smears about the Palin campaign. Let your viewers know that the Secret Service has found them to be groundless. For once, commit an act of journalism. Grow a pair!
We ask our OlbyWatch recappers to keep close watch tonight to see how Herr Olbermann handles this story. Will he admit the truth? Try again to spin it away? Or simply spike it completely, to protect his own tattered "reputation"? Comments are open: post your analysis of tonight's Hour of Spin here, and you may see your insights later tonight in an official OlbyWatch Recap.
You didn't have to go very far into Tuesday's Special Education Komment to find the infamous, deplorable Keith Olbermann once again twisting reality to smear Sarah Palin. To wit:
1:25 p.m. Eastern Time, today, in Scranton, Pennsylvania. During the warm-up act by a red meat Congressional candidate aptly named Chris Hackett, Hackett mentions Obama and a Palin audience member shouts, "Kill Him." And Gov. Palin, as usual, does nothing about it; says nothing to these thugs and psychos. She may not have heard this one. It is impossible to believe that by now she has not heard about the other ones. Her silence is deafening.
She may not have heard it? Here's the report from the Scranton Times-Tribune that Oralmann used as his source. It confirms that was said at 1:25 pm. So far so good.
But what is Herr Olbermahn not telling us? Here's what Bathtub Boy left out:
1:40 p.m.: The press pool has arrived at Riverfront Sports. Gov. Palin should arrive shortly.
1:56 p.m.: Gov. Palin, accompanied by her husband, Todd, walked onstage to a rousing reception by the Riverfront Sports crowd as the theme from "Rocky" played.
What's this? Gov Palin hadn't even arrived when some doofus shouted "Kill Him"! Oralmann twists the facts by saying "she may not have heard" it. May not?!? She wasn't even there! "Her silence was deafening." Well, it is kind of hard to be heard when you are in a motorcade miles away.
Keith Olbermann, once again demonstrating that he is a slovenly political hack, and, above all, a flagrant liar.
What can we take away from tonight's Hour of Spin? Besides the paranoid hysteria of the latest Special Educaiton Komment, the usual one-sided propaganda from Oralmann and his puppets? Last night it was Bathtub Boy's revelation that William Ayers is merely a "supposed" domestic terrorist. Tonight, Edward R Olbermann closed the case on another controversy. ACORN, the group under investigation by the FBI and several state Attorneys General (some of them Democrats)? They aren't guilty of any kind of election fraud. Judge Olbermahn ruled that ACORN are not the wrong-doers, they are the victims! No, we are not making this up. Don't try to make sense out of it. It's OlbyLogic.
MikeC:
The infamous, deplorable Keith Olbermann let fly with the opening spiel: Another McCain-Palin supporter says "kill him" referring to Obama! Yet, the evil McCain says he's the victim because Rep. John Lewis (D-GA) played the race card. Rev. Olbermahn won't allow that, which means it's Special Komment time! Lunatic [Ding!] supporters! The polls "balloon" for Obama. How dare David Frum be "rude" to Madcow. Ms. Rachel "schooled" Frum. McCain finally going on Letterman this Thursday...unless he doesn't and Bear takes his place again. (He'd love that.)
#5: Obama's up 14 points! So says a New York Times/CBS News poll. Upper-right graphic: "Inciting The Mob," McCain looking to his left (screen right), one of Palin's VP debate winks. Attacking Obama! Lower-third graphic: "McHate." A supporter at a Scranton rally says "Kill him!" "A CNN interview with Dana Bash..." was shown. Tape of Obama telling supporters not to boo McCain. Oralmann: McCain is hearing the sound of "Independent voters moving en masse to his opponent." Full-screen graphic of +14 poll. Battleground state polls with big margins for Obama. How dare McCain say that electing Obama, according to Merkle, "would be the biggest risk ever undertaken by people." The Pundit for All Occasions appeared as an in-studio guest. New lower-third: "The Politics Of Hate." Olby: McCain is "schizophrenic." Great Pleasure.
Next, Monkeymann does PR for ACORN. McCain spoke to Telemundo, which in full disclosure, is part of the Olbermann Broadcasting Empire...I mean NBC Universal. Alleged voter registration fraud! Quote! [Ding!] Lower-third: "Crock The Vote." Tape of Obama distancing himself from ACORN. OlbySnark: "That's right, the Justice Department, (Ted Baxter-esque voice): Obama's nefarious co-conspirator." Fat Ass says ACORN is a "victim." Karl Rove! [Ding!] Fired U.S. Attorneys! Aha! McCain spoke at an ACORN event in February 2006! In your face, McSame! You got served! In comes Allen Raymond, and out go I. Lower-third: "McClaiming Fraud." McGive me a break, McBathtub Boy. "Thank you again for your time, sir."
After referring to Sarah Palin as "the demagogue [Ding!] from Alaska," we got McCain in the Membrane, which segued into the ratings ploy of a Special Education Komment, which Oralmann pimped on his own blog. (There was no #4 tonight.) Lots of theatrical body movements to indicate faux outrage. [And lots of screaming at the camera, addressing McCain personally as if he would waste his time watching this drivel, and enough spittle all over the floor to remind Krazy Keith of the last time the bathtub overflowed when he plopped his Fat Ass in it. --J$]
Keith wished his disbarred lawyer felon friend, John Dean, a happy birthday...then another Palin attack.
#3: Tom Bradley and the Bradley Effect. Swami Olbermann ponders whether Obama might experience "the reverse Bradley Effect." Upper-right graphic: "Polling Ahead," images of McCain and Obama looking to their left. Another reference to the +14 poll. Lower-third: "The Poll Truth." Professor Olbermoronn educates his viewers on the origin of the Bradley Effect. Enter radical left Professor Melissa Harris-Lacewell. You know what came next. At the end, "It's been very informative. Thank you greatly for your time tonight."
#2: That goldern dang-blasted consarn Media Matters Minute. Why, if I ever get my hands on him, I'll...oops, sorry. Anyway, it featured O'Reilly Attack #518. Are you surprised?
Worse was "right-winger[Ding!] Jonah Goldberg." Blue blog source: Talking Points Memo, otherwise Goldberg's own LA Times op-ed. Olby sarcastically suggests he and the right compare Barry O'Malley to UBL...or something. Whatever.
Worser was David Frum. Republican Hack! [Ding!] Blue blog source: Raw Story. Hate mongers! Inciters of violence! "Well, he got his head handed to him [by Rachel Maddow]...politely, of course. It is Rachel." A reading of the gotcha paper was included, followed by PR for MSNBC's new primetime star.
Worst was O'Reilly Attack #518. Billo the Clown [Ding!]. Blue blog source: Newsliars, which ridiculously enough, features the undistorted in-context Talking Points Memo that they distorted for Keith "Man on Fan" Olbermann to use. There was no big head on the little body--we got a traditional head shot of Mr. Bill instead--but there was the supposed Ted Baxter voice, which trailed off at the end as Edward R. Olbermann reprised the theatrical indignation and faux outrage, especially since BOR was critical of Oralmann's own blog. That's unacceptable. So, fasten your seatbelts. Here we go.
OLBERMANN: You know, normally I go for big comedy payoff with O'Reilly, but trying to somehow equate people shouting at McCain rallies...about anybody..."Kill him!"...somehow equating that to web posts, even the worst of them...at the Daily Kos...ever!...is just...dangerous! Bill, no funny voices, no Frank Burns[Ding!], no loofah [Ding!] references. You, sir, are playing with a loaded gun and you do not have the brains...to check to see if the safety is still on! Bill O'Reilly, today's Worst Person in the World.
Merkle923:
"I normally go for big comedy payoff"... Mister Humility evidently gets his "comedy" from recent unfunny guests Richard Lewis and Sarah Silverman. [And don't forget the creepy Michael Musto! --J$]
Great Thanks:
The 2 times I channel-surfed in was 1) during the SEK when he was screaming about how McCain is responsible for people screaming nasty things about Obama at rallies. I thought this was an improvement for Jimmy Legs, because it was something that wasn't blamed on Bush.
2) was during WPITW, which as mentioned was O'Reilly, who apparently compared nasty things yelled at rallies with nasty posts on Olbermann's Daily Kos. Keith was very somber as he decreed that the 2 things have absolutely nothing in common, yet he declined to say why the disgusting posts on Daily Kos were acceptable. We can all guess, though!
The Factor:
1 Story. McCain is doomed if he doesn't do Letterman!!!! Wow that is an important story. McCain sure is doomed if he doesn't do the last place late night show hosted by a rabid Obama supporter. Should McCain build a time machine and go back to the early 80's when Letterman was last relevant? McCain should defiantly take Olbermann's advice because we know Olbermann has his best interest at heart. That is why Olbermann later tells McCain to stop running for president. Next Olbermann will be telling McCain he needs to do the View again.
10th Cavalry:
Wasn't Crazy Legs just on Letterman recently? Well they deserve each other don't they?
In worser he is defending Madcow against a guest who was unhappy with her. Gee. She looks tough enough to kick the Ass of most of her guests I would think she doesn't need any help from the head Pussy.
Not in love with Billo but he gets the worst for talking about Lewis and not mentioning the people at the McCain/Palin rallies. Let me see know. The reverse of that would be mentioning the people at the McCain/Palin ralllies and not commenting about Lewis. Gee. Some people would view that is a being a bit hypocritical. Not me though. In Fat Ass's world that is called being normal. [Or spending day after day about Mark Foley, but sweeping Mahoney (D) under the rug, eh? --J$]
McCain's problem here is he should be addressing all of this right in the face like JFK did on the Catholic issue. Tell them I don't care if the man is black, white, purple or rainbow. The man is a Newbie. Never has had a lick of experience in any kind of leadership issue. Is vague and inconclusive on how to resolve the problem. Is full of great rhetoric but uncertain substance. Maybe I scare some people, but the level of his readiness for the most important job in the world should just send shivers up peoples spine. This is about being ready, not willing.
Katy Turic:
Speshul Edukashun spitfest
From the hack that sane folks detest
Many buckets of drool
Keith is a fool
For performing Obama's inquest
And that's The Hour of Spin for this, the 892nd day since the supposed declaration that "Karl Rove will in fact be indicted". Great thanks to our OlbyWatch recappers who did such an assiduously good job tonight with a thoroughly thankless task!
Well, if we learned nothing else on tonight's Hour of Spin, we learned one thing. All the hoopla about William Ayers, one of only two people who bombed the Pentagon (the other being UBL)? Who admitted his participation, and has refused to repent for it? That William Ayers? On OlbyPlanet, he is not to be called a terrorist. According to Edward R Olbermann, Ayers is--and we quote--a "supposed domestic terrorist":
OLBERMAHN: I'm not going to ask you to try to pin you down on where the McCain campaign stands about slandering Obama and using supposed domestic terrorist or whatever because there's no way to track it.
Supposed! You know, like UBL is a supposed terrorist. Perhaps we should from here on out refer to Barack Obama as a supposed Christian. Or Bathtub Boy as a supposed journalist. No wait, that is going too far.
Merkle923: The DOW makes the largest point gain in it's history. Olberdouche's top news stories? Sarah Palin dropping a puck and building permits in Wasilla, Alaska.
Puck30:
Oh! I can smell it's 'Destroy Palin Night' #5 Let's start off with Palin at a supposed Nascar Event? Folks in the back couldn't hear. They were yelling louder, people in the front mistook them for Protesters. Confusion! Let's see prepared statements? Doesn't everybody do that? Okay maybe not 'The One'. Run that supposed Hockey Tape over and over! There's no cut in the supposed crowd noise! (but there's plenty of cuts in the picture). Well, what do you expect from 'Rip n' Read' off the NY Times piece. I guess the bloated one didn't get the rewrite.
Then let's pick all the supposed polls that have Obama way up (of all the polls, Olby highlighted two: Obama +10 and +11). But that was an all day deal at MSLSD. Up next, talking parrot Wolfe. Something from the Nation Ragazine shows up so everybody can trash McCain about asking about Obama & Ayers. What are these two talking about? Oh I get it, All Republicans are supposed Racists and terrified of Obama. Yeah Olby we all know about hate speech.
Okay #4 Bash McCain staff, choice quotes to show everybody is taking shots at the McCain staff. So bring someone on from the McCain staff? How about a Republican with said choice quotes? NO! Let's bring on a Democratic Strategist? Whoa! I need another beer.
Oh I forgot, somewhere in this mess we have Olby showing supposed signs showing supposed Obama hate. Yeah, Yeah, I know all about it!
Okay, next Olby talks about his supposed friend Gil Stratton who passed away at 86. At the end Olby used a quote from Gil. "I call em', as I see em'." Olby then said "words for all of us to live by." Damm! Olby and I agree! Except I think Olby needs new glasses.
MikeC:
#5: "Good evening. Please bear with the voice." Bear is under the weather. He was too far under the supposed weather to host Friday's "Countdown," pimping out David Shuster instead, and couldn't make "Football Night in America." We can all be thankful for that. But tonight, the supposed show began with the usual: an attack on Gov. Sarah Palin. Graphic: "New And Reproved." Ha-ha! Palin thought people at a rally that were yelling "louder!" because they couldn't hear her were protesters. Oops! Then, it was off to the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia, where Saturday night, Palin dropped the ceremonial first puck at the Philadelphia Flyers' home opener. There was a mixed reaction, but the supposed boos won out on OlbyPlanet. Self-named Hockey Mom! Ignoring the supposed protesters! Piper was a human shield! Bob Uecker reference. Really, Keith? Really?
Skipping ahead in the segment, I see a supposed McCain clip from this afternoon, basically telling his supporters that everybody's picking against them but "we've got them just where we want them!" Then, came a happy fun time Obama clip! Yay!
After all that, it was time to play supposed patty cake with the Wolffe Man. Graphic: "McFlailin'." Keith showed supposed WaPo/ABC News polls that show more people trust Obama to handle an unexpected major crisis than McCain, and less people view Obama risky than McCain. Yee-ha! And Great Thanks.
Friday marked a "fascinating turning point" for McCain. He "broke rank" with supposed supporters at a rally by not attacking Obama. Graphic: "Back Sliming." A clip of McCain in a supposed local news interview was shown. Chris Hayes of the far-left Nation appeared on screen, disgustedly shaking his supposed head after hearing the clip, as the next guest in the Hour of Spin. Skipping to the end now. Hayes: "...profoundly terrifying and threatening to their identity as Americans, and we're seeing that come out." Oralmann: "Chris Hayes, the Washington editor of The Nation. Uh, thanks as always, Chris."
#4: Aha! Bill Kristol wants McCain to fire his campaign! And Christopher Hitchens hates Palin! And Gov. Charlie Crist is too busy to campaign with McCain! Upper-right graphic: "Base Of The Problem," with a ripped supposed GOP symbol. Lower-third graphic: "Base Less." And Newt Gingrich is turning against him, too! New graphic: "Grand Old Panic." Chris Kofinis time [we have updated The List! --J$]. No, thanks.
Puck30: #3 Some kook from the Village Voice (NYC's version of the 'Weekly World News') comes on to talk about Troopergate, AND! The Palins might have had somebody from the supposed Hockey arena that was built in Wasilla that paid for the supposed home that they live in but he's a supposed subcontractor, and this and that. Folks, it's The Village Voice the 'Area 51' of the thought region. Let's move on.
BTW????? Are we going to get to the Congressman who took over for Mark Foley who had to pay something like over $100,000 grand to a hooker or call girl that worked on his staff? OMG! Silly me! He's a Democrat! I must be getting tipsy!!!!!!!!
#1 story more McCain Bashing???? With Richard Lewis?????????? Who let him out of rehab???????????
MikeC:
#3: Troopergate! Palin lied! Lower-third graphic: "Scandalgate." Wayne Barrett of The Village Voice, home of the creepy Michael Musto, was the guest. New graphic: "Palin Power Play." Ooh, a supposed hockey reference. Yeah, right back in her face, Fat Ass. At the end now. Barrett: Ethical violation (supposed)! Guilty! Keith Lawyermann: Projection! Mr. Barrett was Always a Pleasured!
#2: The Media Matters Minute.
Worse was O'Reilly Attack #517. Blue blog source: Media Matters. One problem, Rip 'n Read: Mr. Bill corrected himself on Friday night in "Pinheads and Patriots" (transcript):
O'REILLY: Brock tells his Kool-Aid drinking audience that Obama did vote for an amendment sponsored by Barbara Boxer that denounced MoveOn and attacks on John Kerry. What Brock does not tell his Kool-Aid drinking audience is that Obama refused to vote on another Senate amendment, this one sponsored by John Cornyn, that also condemned MoveOn. That was the vote I was referring to, and Brock knew it. But Brock is a weasel and a liar, and he always does this. Now, I should have pointed out there were two amendments. Obama did vote for the Boxer amendment, but he did not vote on the Cornyn amendment. So that's my fault. I should have been clearer on that. But I am not a liar, and Brock is, in addition to being a pinhead.
But of course, Keith "Man on Fan" Olbermann is part of Brock's "Kool-Aid drinking audience," so O'Reilly's followup was not mentioned. Instead, we got the tired old supposed Ted Baxter voice quoting the BOR portions of the Brock "Radio Factor" transcript (making Lis Wiehl the invisible woman). Then, the "aha" finger point and a reading of the supposed gotcha paper with the Barbara Boxer amendment, straight from the Brock link. With a rightward (screen left) head tilt and a grin, Oralmann sarcastically and patronizingly entoned: "You did some research!" Then, "Oh, and who did vote against alienating MoveOn? Uh..." Back to the paper. "...Ssssssenator McCain! Senator McCain voted against the Boxer amendment. Oh, what a drag...dude!" Way to do your supposed research, Olbermoronn! Dude!
After that, Worser was Mark Salter. Blue blog source: Think Propaganda. Worst was a supposed far-right minister speaking at a McCain rally. Blue blog source: Think Propaganda...again. Monkeymann stole an O'Reilly line, uttering "Good grief!" Religious intolerance! Blasphemy! Third Commandment! "I think he means you, Arnie!"
#1: The one-time supposed funnyman Richard Lewis returned to further sully his dying reputation...and unload on Republicans with his supposed pal Slovenly. It isn't worth recapping.
The Factor: Dogs that won't bark? Olbermann made a living bellowing about Mark Foley night after night after night. Well, the DEMOCRAT Tim Mahoney (D-Fl.), who took over Mark Foley's seat was just caught using campaign contributions to pay hush money to the mistress he fired. Tim Mahoney's campaign slogan "a world that is safer, more moral".
Katy Turic:
NBC's on Obama's campaign
Free air time for bashing McCain
NBC will allow
Olbermahn and Madcow
To flush ethics right down the drain
And that's The Hour of Spin for this, the 891st day since the supposed declaration that "Karl Rove will in fact be indicted". Great thanks to our OlbyWatch recappers who did such an assiduously good job tonight with a thoroughly thankless task!
BONUS: OlbyRobot dramatic reading of tonight's supposed recap!
This is the recappers' comment thread for Countdown, October 9 2008.
This is a special thread for you to post your comments on tonight's Hour of Spin. Note everything salient: smears, distortions, bias, lies, the works. Watch the first showing, the repeat, or view the videos at the Countdown website. It falls on you--the clear-thinking readers of Olbermann Watch--to document Oralmann's diseased rantings for posterity.
Be an Olbermann Watch blogger--without all the muss and fuss! Comments are open: post your analysis of tonight's Hour of Spin here, and you may see your insights later tonight in an official OlbyWatch Recap.
Daily Kos Tells Olbermann What Debate's 'Key Moment' Is, and Olbermann Obeys!
It's not like we haven't seen this before. But this time it was so incredibly blatant that it raises the question: why have Olbermann on the air at all? Why not just let Markos Moulitsas be the guy who hosts Countdown and runs MSNBC?
Markos "Screw 'Em" Moulitsas on Daily Kos, tonight at 11:23 pm:
Key debate moment:...
Biden's emotion about his deceased wife and daughter was the tipping point in this debate - when he choked up, the focus dials went to the maximum.... This was clearly the most dramatic of the evening. What struck me was that Palin didn't seem to know Biden's family story. Anyone who knows what Biden has had to deal with raising his kids wouldn't have blithely made that comment.
24 minutes later, the infamous, deplorable Keith Olbermann is in a commercial break. Coming out of the break, guess what? He has discovered a 'key debate moment' that somehow had eluded him completely for the first 47 minutes of the hour:
OLBERMAHN: There was one moment in this debate which we have not yet discussed in our coverage here in its aftermath. It may have been ultimately the most connecting and most emotional certainly of the entire night...
Wow. What a coincidence. But wait, have they racked up the video yet? No? OK, well luckily there are more commercials first. And when Oralmann comes back from the second block of commercials--mirable dictu!--he has the tape cued up and ready to roll:
OLBERMAHN: That which is visceral also often does not sink in to those who have watched a debate until it is long gone in the past, until the debate itself is long since finished. We may have seen that tonight.... When Senator Biden began in brief to talk about the tragedy that afflicted him and his late first wife when he was 29 years old. [Cue the videotape!]
How long will (MS)NBC allow Edward R Olbermann to play a journalist on television, when in fact he is nothing more than Pinocchio to the Giupetto that is Daily Kos?
Nobody wants to bother with the infamous, deplorable Keith Olbermann on a Big Night like this. So instead of a recappers' thread, here's a debate night open thread. Festivities begin at 9:00 pm Eastern, but of course there will be contributions beamed in from OlbyPlanet. In fact, two separate Hours of Spin, one before and one after the debate.
For the main event, you'll have the Wolf pack on CNN, Brit and the gang on Fixed News [Ding!], and MSNBC? Well, since MSLSD has a new policy against using its partisan web-spinners as political anchors, David Gregory will do the honors for them. Yes, only real reporters anchor political events on A-Mess-NBC. Except when they let a failed Err America comedian anchor them, that is. Good ol' Madcow. She's no journalist, but she does play one on tv.
So here's your open thread for tonight's fun and games. If you do happen to watch MSDNC, feel free to post any Oralmann howlers/whoppers/lies you catch.
Tonight, we won't blame you if you pass up Keith "Man on Fan" Olbermann in favor of real journalism, fair and balanced. Whatever channel you choose, this thread is your water cooler for The Big Night. Comments are open!
To kick things off, here's a video from Copious Dissent, specially captioned to convert OlbySpeak into English:
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Announced this week was the 
