Did y'all catch the Olbermann article in the Post today?

[WilliamPitt]

The Anti-Bush Anchor

By Howard Kurtz
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, April 3, 2006; 10:45 AM

Night after night, President Bush is being kicked, punched, slapped, poked, stomped and otherwise disrespected in one small corner of the cable television world. And Keith Olbermann doesn't deny it has been good for ratings.

"I find myself currently aligned, not in the sense of having membership, but being in the same part of the ballpark as a lot of liberals," says the host of MSNBC's "Countdown."

Is Olbermann catering to the anti-Bush crowd? Since Hurricane Katrina, he says, a growing number of people have "had their eyes opened" to the administration's failings and do not see their points of view reflected in television news. "We have to be responsive to an audience's perception of the world or they will ignore us."

(snip)

Olbermann loves to pick fights. He has repeatedly baited O'Reilly, then gleefully replayed O'Reilly's responses. O'Reilly has put a petition on his Web site, urging NBC to fire Olbermann and replace him with Phil Donahue, who previously occupied the time slot. O'Reilly has also said, without naming him, that Olbermann "cheap shots Fox News on a regular basis" and that "something's very wrong at NBC."

Seizing on any excuse to keep the feud going, Olbermann even interviewed a man who mentioned his name on O'Reilly's radio show, prompting the host to say his phone number would be turned over to Fox security. MSNBC has been running ads about the spat.

"It's like winning the lottery," Olbermann says. "It's such an overreaction . . . He has made me look like a victim."

More: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/linkset/2005/04/11/LI2005041100587.html

[amitten]

1. "Aligned with"? Get real Keith, you're a leftie. Maybe not far left,

but left.

Why are people so afraid to admit liberal leanings?

[dennis4868]

4. I don't know if Keith leans....

to the left. All I do know is that Keith is the only MSM news person who gives us the news (objectively) and does not make excuses for Bush like all the other so-called news people!

[stop the bleeding]

6. he also believes that news people/media shouldn't vote in elections

how is that for being objective?

Me likey his approach to reporting

[amitten]

16. You don't physically annihilate an Ann Coulter doll on live

television unless ya lean a little left. ;-)

You must have missed that episode.

[mdmc]

2. thanks for the op , links... as one that doesn't watch msm

I love getting du updates.

Peace and low stress all!

[melissinha]

3. HA

Who is O'Reilly kidding, Donahue would give him an even better beating! He has done it before!!!! Check this.....
Donahue kicks O'Reilly's Butt

No dig to Olbermann, but its hardly an O'Reilly friendly replacement.

I'd even gop so far to say that it depends on what type of whooping you think O'Liely deserves a more logical, emotional Donahue or a more entertaining "burn" by Olbermann.

[pyro858]

5. Yea Right

When Olberman starts talking PNAC, I might jump on his bandwagon. Until then he's just another corporate media shill.

[Berry Cool]

13. What--he's gotta cover what you personally think is important, or

he's a shill?

Hardly seems fair.

[Marnieworld]

7. The first paragraph infuriated me

Why list such violent terms just to describe some criticism? It shows what an atmosphere of intimidation exists when to have any criticism is such a rarity. To describe the criticism this way is to clearly have a bias about the bias.

Then I read the whole thing and looked for some actual incidents of such verbal violence. Every example he listed was a complete irrefutable fact. Are we not supposed to discuss how appropriate it is for a charitable donation to be earmarked to a company benefiting not only Neil Bush but Shareholder Barbara Bush herself? She gets a tax deduction for transferring money to herself and Keith is being disrespectful to point this out?

I officially and forever hate Howard Kurtz. He is the worst of media scum who eat their own when they aren't properly intimidated by the government. He lists several conservative voices but the one dissenter gets an article. Asshole! :grr:

[Bozita]

10. Whenever I see Howie, I think of his GOP spokeswhore wife, Sherri Annis

[jsamuel]

8. "Olbermann doesn't deny" and "Olbermann admits"

this is a hit piece

However, this will only improve Keith's ratings.

[Cleita]

9. There was a time I respected Kurtz even though he's a

conservative. I respected him as a journalist until he decided to pick his career over his journalistic integrity. Screw him. He has no credibility anymore.

[Iblis]

11. The "Anti-Bush" tag is a bit much, but typical MSM...

I was telling people about "Countdown" back in '03. I don't think he's so much "anti-Bush" and "pro-asking 'WTF?' when it's appropriate."

I think his "Katrina" rant was a turning point.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8514671/#050905a

This made the difference between "liberal" and "free-thinking people", IMHO. EVERYONE stopped and looked at the Bush Administration, and Olbermann said it better than anyone.

I think the main thing I love about "Countdown", is that it show's you can be smart and concerned, but still laugh at yourself and the World. That sense of humor, minus snarky sarcasm, is usually missing from people's idea of the 'typical' liberal.

Sorry for the fragmented-sounding post, but I'm at work.

L

[glarius]

12. This is Kurtz the fraud who CNN presents as their media critic talking!

Who would ever take his evaluation of things seriously....What a joke!

[Berry Cool]

14. Kurtz is indeed a joke, and this is indeed a slam piece.

Look at how he even makes Olbermannwatch sound like some brand-new blog that just popped up yesterday as an attempt to counteract KO's growing popularity. Bullshit. Olbermannwatch has been around forever. When KO had hardly any ratings, they were bashing him already. Why? Because he was not toeing the right-wing party line and praising the White House and going with the talking points. That's all he had to do to get on someone's bad side.

It's disgusting how he tries to make Olbermannwatch sound like some kind of beacon in the wilderness, trying to call KO out on his lies and deceptions, when the truth is, KO is trying to call the right wing out on its lies and deceptions, and Olbermannwatch is a prime example of how the very second he started doing it, he had sworn enemies determined to beat his show out of existence.

[johnnydrama]

15. but

When Olbermann did 6 billion shows in a row on Monica lewinsky was he a liberal then?

I don't care if he's a liberal or a conservative. The question is, is he fair, and he undoubtedly is

[yellowdogmi]

17. I no longer have cable.

But it is nice to finally see someone reflecting our view. What I would have loved to see is if Phil had launched a diatribe against the falfael. Showing that even he can make the no spin zone seem like Jimmy Buffetts blender. That would have put him in his place and won some more converts. Just my humble opinion. Thanks for the post.