Lawrence O'Donnell is currently drilling Joe Oliver!

[FarPoint]

clarifying friendship connection...or lack of such. Damn, as good as a pit bull cross examination!!!!

Joe's getting exposed! HahhahahHa

[WillyT]

1. GO Lawrence !!!

[FarPoint]

5. Larry is going for the juggler...

Last edited Tue Mar 27, 2012, 11:14 PM - Edit history (2)

Joe can't take it....he's on the matt....caught and trapped!


correction....I was posting while listening to this great exchange

"Jugular" not juggler............






here is a video link.....


http://www.mediaite.com/tv/lawrence-odonnell-and-charles-blow-give-george-zimmerman-pal-joe-oliver-epic-grilling/

[HarveyDarkey]

50. This guy?

?w=490

[FarPoint]

55. Thanks...

that's cute....made me laugh at me....

[HipChick]

2. George might have been drinking....but then he doesn't drink..

[dkf]

20. He was saying George may have been drinking all those years ago when those incidences happened.

But he doesn't drink anymore.

[yardwork]

45. Inserting the suggestion that George was/is a drunk isn't really all that helpful for George.

Just saying.

[dkf]

52. They were talking about the old charges and Oliver said Z might have drank at a younger age.

But he doesn't drink anymore and has changed.

[yardwork]

54. Just not a topic that I would have brought up if I were the defense team.

Definitely not likely to reassure people.

[dkf]

58. He was trying to establish a changed man scenario to explain away old charges.

[yardwork]

64. I watched it. Oliver brought up the drinking. Bad move.

[dkf]

67. Why? Because people misinterpreted it to be the cause of the Martin shooting?

They just weren't paying attention.

[noiretextatique]

76. no...because Oliver is an obvious LIAR who who does not even know zimmerman

he is completely full of shit. he tried to setup an "oh, he's changed" defense, and it failed miserably.

[dkf]

81. Why is he a liar? I thought he was pretty careful to not go too far.

[noiretextatique]

84. did you believe a WORD he said?

i didn't. that bullshit about "coon" and "goon." the lie about working with zimmerman. his "gut" feeling that zimmerman was innocent because he knows him, but he didn't admit they worked together until forced to. complete, and utter b.s. as to why...i'd like to check his bank records. he is even less credible than zimmerman.

[xtraxritical]

87. The Oliver is probably going to be huckstering a "tell all" book in about a month.

[noiretextatique]

88. he should be ashamed to face a camera with his bs

but since he is a media whore, he has no shame, clearly.

[yardwork]

93. NOBODY suggested that Zimmerman was drunk during the shooting until Oliver brought it up!

I haven't seen one news report that ever suggested that Zimmerman was drunk. This was not part of the story at all. Now, thanks to Oliver (thanks Oliver ) we have new information. Zimmerman had a drinking problem, apparently, and it played a role in his previous arrests for assault. Does this mean that Zimmerman was drunk the night he shot Trayvon? Don't know, but I'm very interested to learn more.

i actually don't think that Oliver is being paid to do these interviews. No defense team would have given him this script. I think he's the defense team's worst nightmare - a free agent who is hoping to capitalize on his 6 degrees of separation relationship with Zimmerman. Oliver is out of control. That's good for justice.

[bluestate10]

49. But that George may have been drunk when he approached Trayvon.

Oliver is either paid, or insane.

[dkf]

53. No he was not referring to the Martin situation but the other stuff in the past.

[Ruby the Liberal]

3. This is beautiful.

Not a fan of LO - but he is rocking this interview.

[Cleita]

4. At least Oliver didn't walk out on him like

Zimmerman's lawyer did.

[HipChick]

6. Charles Blow nailed it.... you don't really know George

[Cleita]

8. Oh, yeah, I'm not saying he's plausible.

At least he is taking his beating and not walking out....yet.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

7. The other guy (Charles Blow) is beating up on him

pretty hard, too.

[Ruby the Liberal]

12. That dude was ON.

Damn!

[dkf]

83. Charles Blow lost it.

He is much better as a cool and calm analyst. That's what I liked about him early on.

[WillyT]

9. What Happened To The Lighting ???

[sadbear]

10. LOL

[WillyT]

13. Oh Crap... They Fixed It... But Made It Worse...

[Ruby the Liberal]

11. LO - "this all comes down to your gut feeling"

Hired spox: "it is instinctual" and "if George didn't shoot Trayvon, Trayvon would have shot george".



Earned that spokesman check. What a freak.

[Lucy Goosey]

36. Yeah, that "Trayvon would have shot George" was especially gross...

...we all know that Trayvon had nothing to shoot George with other than Skittles.

[yardwork]

48. Would have shot George with what - iced tea?

[lib_wit_it]

57. Yeah, I was surprised neither O'Donnell nor Blow jumped on that one.

[Ruby the Liberal]

14. Distancing: "To clarify 'friend', I am old enough to be an uncle"

They have his ass on this and he knows it.

[bluestate10]

26. Oliver described himself as a close uncle confidant.

Then turned right around and claimed to not have been told any of Zimmerman's deepest feelings or wishes. Oliver is a fraud. Finally he met critical minds and didn't have the luck of getting another Tweety. MSNBC, please bring Lawrence to the 7pm hour so that I can listen to him every week night.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

15. Oliver has very little to offer

He doesn't know Zimmerman that well and apparently Zimmerman never confided in him about anything in his life. Oliver wasn't a witness to the shooting and isn't talking about his recent conversation with Zimmerman. And evidence of Zimmerman's good character, even if Oliver had anything is not relevant.

There's something more here than meets the eye. Even if a close childhood friend was implicated in a terrible murder, I wouldn't be telling the world that I was certain he didn't commit the crime based on a gut feeling. I'd rather keep my silence but not tell lies. I don't understand where Oliver is coming from. If I had been cross-examined and humiliated the way he was tonight, I would have probably walked away and yet Oliver stayed. He doesn't seem stupid or oblivious,either. Why go through this?

[snagglepuss]

34. I think without a doubt he is being paid. Or perhaps he sees this is an opportunity audition

for Faux.

[lib_wit_it]

59. Bingo! Looking for a new gig.

[bluestate10]

35. Oliver has put himself in the crosshair or the State prosecutor that is now on the case.

And of the FBI and federal prosecutors that are one the sidelines. Oliver is going to get ripped asshole to elbow by any good lawyer that gets his or her hands on him.

[dkf]

56. This is why it is stupid to say that anyone is not a close friend because they havent talked to

Zimmerman. Zimmerman's dad is a freaking judge. He would know not to talk to anyone. It's amazing he talked to Oliver.

Honestly Lawrence's arguments don't make sense either.

Frankly this whole case is going to rest on who threw the first punch and who was the guy on the bottom who was getting beaten up and who was crying for help. All the rest is less relevant.

[noiretextatique]

63. no it is not irrelevant

you cannot profile, stalk, and confront someone, then cry self-defense. if zimmmerman got his ass kicked, he absolutely earned and deserved it. under florida law, Trayvon Martin had every right to stand his ground and defend himself against some random asshole stalking him with a gun. and conversely, zimmerman had absolutely no "right" to decide whether or not Martin "belonged" in the neighborhood. he has every right to call 911 if he was suspicious, but the moment he decided to take the law into his own hands, he gave up his bogus "self-defense" excuse.

[dkf]

66. Self defense comes down to if you thought your life was in danger.

I bet all Zimmerman really clarified to Oliver was that he thought he would die. That is what Oliver was looking for to decide whether to put himself out for Zimmerman.

At least that is my take on it.

I'm thinking the prosecutor was reluctant to take on a judges son because he knows Zimmerman will have an exculpatory story and they have to prove otherwise.

[noiretextatique]

68. i agree...that's how they are trying to spin it

but the fact remains: zimmerman clearly initiated the confrontation, that's clear from the 911 tapes. i don't see how he can claim he was afraid when he had the option to stay in his car, as the 911 dispatcher told him to do. whatever happened, it is clear that zimmerman escalated the situation needlessly.

[dkf]

73. Zimmerman says Martin initiated the physical contact. That is what the law focuses on.

People can do what they want up to the physical stuff.

[noiretextatique]

74. his claims just do not add up

given his aggressive actions. per the 911 tapes. his story is just not believable, given his actions.

[dkf]

78. Well that is why we need to analyze everything.

It could be Zimmerman concocted all this. That is for the police to prove.

[noiretextatique]

80. that's what i think

[noiretextatique]

75. his claims just do not add up

given his aggressive actions. per the 911 tapes. his story is just not believable, given his actions.

[mucifer]

16. Bummer it's not on mediaite doesn't have the clip.

Guess I'll have to wait til tomorrow to see it.

[Cali_Democrat]

17. It's still going on right now!

LOL

[FarPoint]

18. That was soooo good!

I think it's time to have a cigarette.......and I don't even smoke.

[FarPoint]

30. When it's up...please post it here

It can complete the thread. I wish I could do a good recap but I wouldn't do it justice. Al least Joe finally admitted he was not a close friend but more like an uncle or mentor... They know he was a CNN reported in the past... Larry also brought to a head, that Joe's instincts, feelings and request "we" trust him that he knows Zimmerman to be a good guy;.... well Larry flat out told him repeatedly...it's not enough for America or Trayvon's parents.

[Tx4obama]

43. Link to VIDEO below

Here: http://sync.democraticunderground.com/101718780

[Tx4obama]

19. WOW !!! Well that was good :) n/t

[Duer 157099]

21. I have friends, especially at work

that wouldn't know such things about me, either. I have family that probably wouldn't know.

Not that there's anything to know, but if there were, I can see them not knowing.

I think Oliver managed the interview well; I'd have gotten frustrated and walked out.

But did he really "quit his job" to go out and speak for Zimmerman? That one is a little odd, if true.

[FarPoint]

40. He tolerated it only because Lawrence gave him a little oxygen...

Lawrence actually was holding back because he didn't want him to walk out. Joe stayed because there must be a payoff somewhere in the mix....why else would he quit his job for this?

[bluestate10]

41. Oliver claimed to have been a close uncle figure for Zimmerman.

When he made that claim, he was trying to imply that because of that, he knew Zimmerman's heart. But minutes later Oliver denied knowing ANY of Zimmerman's desires for his Zimmerman's life or about ANY activities Zimmerman felt fulfilled him. If you felt Oliver had a decent interview, you weren't listening.

[Duer 157099]

60. I only thought he held his ground

but what I didn't know when I posted that was that he had been an anchor for CNN in the past, so he was trained in how to behave in interviews.

Now I'm not so impressed, he's a trained puppet. But who is he working for and why? That's what I don't get.

[A Brand New World]

22. My "gut instinct" is that a lot of money has changed hands.

Why else would he be putting himself out there like that for what seems to be an aquaintance.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

23. I'd like to know who's paying him.

O'Donnell remarked about how odd it was that he'd quit his job and give up his income to go around speaking for Zimmermann on all the news networks. It's especially odd when you consider Oliver, by his own admission, isn't Zimmermann's close friend; her really doesn't know all that much about him. So why is he doing this? Who's paying him?

[butterfly77]

24. That was good!

What I want to know is how much is the rightwing paying this man.

[LaydeeBug]

25. George Zimmerman is the son of a retired judge, which might explain the elder reporter stepping in.

http://rollingout.com/culture/george-zimmerman-son-of-a-retired-judge-has-3-closed-arrests/

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

28. And maybe Dad is paying Oliver to do the PR,

considering he has a media background and would be expected to speak well on TV.

[lib_wit_it]

62. I'd bet big bucks on that. If I had big bucks, that is. No way he quits his job otherwise.

[H2O Man]

27. Outstanding.

I'm glad I checked before posting an OP about this.

Joe Oliver has been presenting himself as a close friend of Zimmerman. Yet he knew very little about Zimmerman ..... his violent past, and his forced participation in an "anger management" class.

Lawrence and a reporter nailed Joe on his every claim -- even his friendship with Zimmerman. Oliver ended up saying he is not a close friend of Zimmerman, but more like an "uncle." Curious choice of descriptive word.

Lawrence "hinted" that he doubts Oliver simply stopped working and is freely speaking out on Zimmerman's part.

Recommended.

[ellisonz]

42. +1

Definitely seems like a hired hand (also: double for checking "before posting an OP about this.&quot

[Tx4obama]

29. I'm thinking that Joe Oliver might have some type of mental problem.

No one quits their job in order to defend someone they aren't close friends with.

And was Joe Oliver a reporter or something in the past?

In the Piers Morgan interview tonight Joe said:

If that’s all this story was, I agree with you 100 percent. If I didn’t know George Zimmerman, I’d be just as outraged as everyone else out there. (...) I’ve covered stories like this, where white men have shot and killed a black teenager and claimed self-defense. In this particular instance, I believe that when all of the evidence comes out, this will clearly show this was a case of life or death for either Trayvon or George. And sadly, for the Martin family, it’s Trayvon that we lost. But we’ve also lost George, too. He will never be the same man. He will never be the kind, giving and caring human being that we’ve always known and loved. (...) In my heart of hearts, I know that a good man was trying to do the right thing. And something horribly wrong happened.

http://www.mediaite.com/tv/zimmerman-friend-joe-oliver-tells-piers-morgan-weve-lost-george-too-he-will-never-be-the-same-man/

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

32. If he's getting paid enough, it wouldn't be a crazy thing to do.

I think he's been hired (by whom?) to do PR for Zimmermann. He used to be a reporter for CNN and he knows how to deal with the media (although he just got his ass handed to him on MSNBC).

[Tx4obama]

46. Hmmm.... I wonder why he is no longer at CNN.

That might be an interesting story.

[noiretextatique]

82. he has to be getting paid, but whoever is paying him is not getting much value

he come across as a paid liar. i don;t believe a word he says.

[butterfly77]

37. Exactly..

The entire time he was speaking I kept saying he is a nut,or very naive..He's got to be getting paid to go on every media outlet with this nonsense.

I was so angry as I watch Tweety let him get away with this shit yesterday. As someone else said it was so good I began reaching for a cigarette and I quit smoking.

[bluestate10]

47. Tweety doesn't have the sharp mind that O'Donnell has.

I would like to see Tweety get one show, at 5pm and Lawrence get moved to 7pm to warm up things for Ed and Rachel. MSNBC can bring in a new hand to hold down the 10pm slot.

[opihimoimoi]

61. Joe O is BS....he doesn't know crap...makes up shit....

[Pachamama]

38. Money, Sex and/or Love...

Those are the 3 things I could think of (not in that particular order) that might make a person quit their job and "go out on a limb" for someone....

Which one? Maybe more than one or even all three?

[Pachamama]

39. Oh yeah...a fourth thing: Fame....

[grantcart]

31. drill baby drill

I never thought I would say that too.

[DianaForRussFeingold]

33. Wow, O'Donnell was on fire tonight! K&R

Keep up the good work--Great show!

[Tx4obama]

44. A link to the two part VIDEO

http://sync.democraticunderground.com/101718780

[pacalo]

51. Joe Oliver had another misstep. He admitted that he had spoken to Zimmerman

on a Saturday but would not share what they spoke about in regard to the case. O'Donnell told him that, now that he has mentioned the conversation in every interview, the prosecutor will subpoena him to testify about it when the case goes to trial.

O'Donnell & his panel did a great job with their questions.

[yardwork]

65. Anybody know what this employer mystery is? Oliver and Zimmerman worked together?

Oliver got all cagey right at the beginning of the interview and wouldn't answer directly, but eventually acknowledged that he and Zimmerman worked together. Where? Doing what?

[lib_wit_it]

85. And he said that Lawrence had "revealed" that he and Zimmerman had worked together. I thought that

was an interesting choice of a word. If something isn't hidden it doesn't need to be "revealed."

[yardwork]

91. And then Oliver finally acknowledged that yes, they did work together.Where?

Oliver did a great job raising a bunch of interesting questions about Zimmerman. Drunk? Mystery job with a former news caster?

[KeepItReal]

86. "If you have proof of that..." - Oliver

Who says that?

A simple "yes" would have sufficed.

[yardwork]

92. It was bizarre.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

69. Why was Oliver so evasive about working with Zimmerman?

Listening again to the beginning of the interview, Oliver said he knew Zimmerman on a social basis. When O'Donnell said he has come across information that Oliver and Zimmerman worked at the same place at the same time, Oliver wouldn't admit to it. He just told O'Donnell that if that's what he's come across, then that's what he's come across. Why be so evasive and deceptive about working with Zimmerman?

[noiretextatique]

79. because he is an obvious liar?

i think that sums it up. this was totally bizarre, and it does NOT help zimmerman.

[pokerfan]

71. Video

Via mediaite:

To be clear, there’s nothing wrong with a friend trying to help out a friend by attesting to his fine character, but what Oliver was doing went well beyond that.

I can’t figure out, for the life of me, why Oliver hung in there for two whole segments of this, but the result was as compelling as anything I’ve seen on cable news. I’ve seen O’Donnell do the pit bull thing before, with varying results, but tonight, he got a subject he could really sink his teeth into.

http://www.mediaite.com/tv/lawrence-odonnell-and-charles-blow-give-george-zimmerman-pal-joe-oliver-epic-grilling/

[XanaDUer]

72. That was weird

So they worked together, but Oliver cannot say where. Oh and he's an uncle/ mentor

[Iliyah]

77. Because he

is paid.

[Devil_Fish]

89. Is Santorum involved????

After a head line like that I had to ask, butt now I'm afraid of the answer...

[butterfly77]

90. K&R..

[myrna minx]

94. I couldn't believe what I was watching. K&R n/t