HuffPo: "Keith Olbermann Playing Viewers For Fools On O'Reilly Truce"

[Becky72]

by Jason Linkins
August 5, 2009

Excerpt:

Olbermann had four clear choices:

1. Resign his position in protest.
2. Refuse to go along with the edict, and risk his firing.
3. Publicly disclose what he had been told to do.
4. Lie to his viewers.

What he clearly decided to do was #4.

According to the transcript of his June 1 show, Olbermann explained to his viewers that he would no longer mention arch-nemesis O'Reilly -- because of the murder of abortion doctor George Tiller! "his is no time for laughter," Olbermann intoned in his "number one story" of the night. "This is serious. Serious as death. As serious as George Tiller's death. So as of this show's end, I will retire the name, the photograph, and the caricature ."

Let me translate, with the benefit of hindsight: "No, MSNBC did not muzzle me. I muzzled myself, because a topic I had previously deemed newsworthy suddenly got serious." As a consumer of journalism, I tend to think that as unfolding matters increase in significance, there should be more journalism, not less. So, this explanation strikes me as deeply, deeply asinine -- and utterly incredible.

This reality is borne out by Olbermann's perplexing reaction to the controversy, which has been to blow hot snot all over New York Times reporter Brian Stelter's reporting, while simultaneously "honoring" and praising the accuracy of Salon blogger Glenn Greenwald's response, which was based entirely on Stelter's reporting. One cannot decry one report, one minute, and then "honor" the same conclusions the next. On Monday's broadcast he called Brian Stelter one of history's greatest monsters for a day. But then he declared in a statement that Glenn Greenwald's account, which deviated not one iota from the facts Stelter presented, contained "nothing materially factually inaccurate." This is what is known as "total B.S."

More: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/the-news/reporting/jason-linkins

[havocmom]

1. 's OK, he's taking it out on Glen Beck

and Murdoch, of course.

[bullwinkle428]

2. Deal or No Deal? Well, this suddenly amped-up feud that's developed

between he and batshit-birther Lou Dobbs tells me that YES, INDEED (to quote DU's own Skittles)...the answer is DEAL!

[Gabi Hayes]

3. just curious.....have you posted anything that didn't have to do with this?

care to provide a bit of background?

your PAperssss, bitte?

[Becky72]

4. We don't need background, and for the few who do, the HuffPo article provides it

The article tells you how the polemic began and who is involved. Not that many of us need our memories refreshed, since this issue has been discussed ad nauseaum here, but me and others.

[SmileyRose]

6. Well

66 posts all on Keith'o being a liar? I should think there has to be at least a little repetition in there.

But hey, thanks for playing.

[Becky72]

18. You made up that statistic

It is not true that all of my 66 posts have been about Olbermann being a liar. It's not even close to 66. I suggest that you fact-check before you type.

[Gabi Hayes]

11. I was talking about you.

I have to agree, mostly, with your POV on this, and am very disappointed in him, but, then, about 5-7 million reasons suddenly occurred to me why he may have reacted the way he did.

[Catshrink]

5. I don't think so...

Wonder why the focused effort to paint KO as a liar? We've seen so much of this kind of stuff lately.

Sigh.

[wroberts189]

7. Umm he just had a show where he totally debunked this.

and made Bill O'reilly and Murdoch worst persons.

That kind of ends this argument ... ya think?

Btw the article mentions a June 1st show ...before the story was even born.

[Becky72]

21. He made O'reilly worst person AFTER the deal was no longer secret

How courageous is that?

And the June 1st date makes a lot of sense.

Tell me how you explain this statistics, compiled by University of Illinois Professor Robert McCheseny :

Moreover, Olbermann criticized Rupert Murdoch 25 times on his program between February and May 2009, and only once in June and July.
Conversely, O'Reilly went from making 27 negative mentions of General Electric in February-May 2009, to just two in June and none in July.

Another coincidence? Are we to believe that O'reilly stopped talking about his favorite punching bag (GE) without a favor being returned from the other side?
(see update 3): http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2009/08/04/olbermann/index.html

[wroberts189]

22. See my post #17...but also..

The last person I would ever believed would succumb under pressure is KO.

He models himself as the honest hero journalist in the spirit of Murrow.

I think he has lived up to it. Especially after seeing his latest ..going after all the pubs that took corporate money.

Some of his special comments I am sure must have made his bosses cringe.. but they saw the ratings. Money trumps everything.

He said categorically he made no deal.


I believe him.

[mitchtv]

8. (Becky) Malkin right?

[City Lights]

16. LOL! nt

[Expedite Trucker]

9. Give Keith a break a voice of reason with all the fox wackos out there.

[Expedite Trucker]

10. Give Keith a break a voice of reason with all the fox wackos out there.

[TexasObserver]

12. Glenn Greenwald. Didn't Chevy Chase play him in those National Lampoon Vacation films?

funny guy

KO on a bad day is better than those guys on a good day.

[mmonk]

13. The attacks on a progressive broadcaster that took on the bush cabal

and stood up to all the propaganda, Rumsfeld, and Cheney continues. I hope it doesn't succeed. He has been a bright spot in the shit that now pases as broadcast journalism in this country. And while Greenwald has had some good pieces, he dropped the ball on AIPAC. Should we get rid of him too?

[Gabi Hayes]

15. what about AIPAC? did he shill for them?

never heard anything about any doings along those lines

that would be disappointing, to say the least, especially considering his evisceration of people like Frank Gaffney

[Old and In the Way]

14. BFD....KO and GG are great assets to counter RW propaganda.

I don't get what Linkens beef with KO is. Whats the point of eating our own?

[wroberts189]

17. O'Reilly-Olbermann Feud: Now It's Fox News Host's Turn

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/08/05/oreilly-olbermann-feud-no_n_252414.html




On Monday night, Olbermann denied reports of a truce and tried to prove his point by slamming O'Reilly, giving him the silver medal in his "World's Worst Person" segment. To up the ante, he then awarded Fox News head Rupert Murdoch the gold medal.

[Contrary1]

19. Does it make me a terrible horrible no good very bad person

if I just don't care one way or the other?

For score keeping purposes, whose turn is it after Olbermann's?

[Cha]

20. If it does make you a bad person then

I'm right in that column with you.

I know I like KO and I think billo is a fucking mediawhore jackal.