Keith Olbermann's Hour Long Special Comment On Health Care Reform: "The Fight Against Death"

[Turborama]

Run time: 10:30 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0dh6xPs_bXI   Posted on YouTube: October 08, 2009 By YouTube Member: Views on YouTube: 0   Posted on DU: October 08, 2009 By DU Member: Turborama Views on DU: 7994

 
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0SiHHc1U8c

Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agqdTUjS2HE

Will add the other YouTube parts when they are uploaded and the transcript when it's available.


In the meantime, here's the whole thing on the MSNBC site:


Part 1 - http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036677/vp/33217219#33217219">Health Care, As Basic As Life Itself

Part 2 - http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036677/vp/33217296#33217296">America's Widening Health Gap

Part 3 - http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036677/vp/33217346#33217346">Companies Betting On Employees' Lives

Part 4 - http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036677/vp/33217346#33217446">Respecting Pain And Patient

Part 5 - http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036677/vp/33217346#33217592">A Wake Up Call To Washington (What he wants us to do)

[ChiciB1]

1. Thanks SOOOOOOOO Much, I Know Many Who Didn't See It... I Want

to SEND this to them! You're great!

[Hissyspit]

19. TRANSCRIPT:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33213245/ns/msnbc_tv-countdown_with_keith_olbermann

[Justpat]

38. Thanks for the link to the transcript n/t

[ramapo]

67. Required viewing

I just watched from beginning to end. I am in awe of Mr. Olbermann's eloquence. He leaves me speechless and what he has said rings so true to my life experience.

Bravo and I hope his efforts push the dial at least a bit in the right direction.

[valerief]

2. K&R

[Hekate]

3. Kick. You perform a public service!

[Berry Cool]

4. K&R

To the top of the porch, to the top of the wall!!!!!!!

[Ruby the Liberal]

5. K&R

[Stuart G]

6. K and R

[lxlxlxl]

7. watching already./...everyone send emails to msnbc...thks ko!!!!!

....

[Grassy Knoll]

8. Awsome job....

As always, Keith put the wood to it again, out of the park.

[rtassi]

9. Thank you for posting this n/t

[Shallah Kali]

10. Transcript @ msnbc - link

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33213245/ns/msnbc_tv-countdown_with_keith_olbermann

[newmac]

11. Language Counts. Reframe HealthCare as MEDICARE for ALL

As Keith said; "public option" confuses the dum dumbs. They don't know if its a restroom or if their care becomes optional.

Back to the drawing board.

MEDICARE for ALL

easy to remember; and less scary language.

[MessiahRp]

12. I was in tears by the end of this...

Heartwrenching stuff. Really makes you ask what is wrong with this country.

Rp

[bjobotts]

22. Me too. But I don't ask what is wrong with this country. I already know

1% control more wealth than the 95% of the rest of Americans. Profiteering and greed must be regulated from without as evidenced by private ins and the state of the nation's health care.
Single payer not for profit national health care not only solves our HC crisis but helps to heal America by uniting us again.

We have the answer in spite of all the small minded bigots who only seek power with their vitriol.

[polmaven]

26. I got misty, too.

I usually really love KO's comments, and talk about them to other people, but this is the first time one has brought me so close to tears. I don't cry easily. That was a spectacular television hour.

[garthranzz]

13. Powerful - I can only watch in segments

Would that this has the impact desired.

[2Design]

14. wow that was incredible - brings tears to my eyes - I am one without health insurance n/t

[sicksicksick_N_tired]

17. Me, too. Sadly, I can't move even those who should care about me most.

I just do not understand the culture I find myself in. It wasn't the one in which I was raised.

[ihavenobias]

15. Thanks or posting all of the parts together.

Not only is it more convenient, it's also good forum etiquette.

K & R

[orleans]

16. amazing show.

thank you for all the links, Turborama

on edit: recommeded & BOOKMARKED

[Bozita]

18. Just simply incredible!

[Kablooie]

20. And just in time. I'm unemployed and my insurance only lasts until January.

[tomm2thumbs]

21. thanks Turborama

[Turborama]

23. All 5 Parts on YouTube

This way we can share them on Facebook/Digg etc and add to favorites, rate & comment to help this very Special Comment go viral.

Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MsCFBBQofvo

Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZviKDCWkIs

Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PN8BqhSx4QU

Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-t9eRMCnebk

Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9o4ahpVe73g

[Seldona]

24. Amazing.

Powerful ending. I hope tens of millions see this.

Watching and listening to him speak with the emotion of someone who recently almost lost a parent was heartbreaking. I am glad his father recovered and is doing well.

[RoccoR5955]

25. K & R... This needs to be seen by everyone! n/t

[WillyT]

27. Big K & R !!!

:kick:

[NikolaC]

28. K&R n/t

[bdamomma]

29. whatever you can give, let's do this for Keith

http://www.freeclinics.us/

[fasttense]

30. Kick. n/t

[kamron]

31. Three words

Beau ti ful! If only those thick blunt skulls would listen...
Too many big words for them to see the truth...

[mmonk]

32. Excellent. Recommended.

[swilton]

33. Thanks Turborama!

:loveya:

[eyepaddle]

34. I watched it last night--I've been waiting since then to K AND R!!!

:kick:

[colsohlibgal]

35. Whoa!

Give 'em Hell Keith! What a shot across the bow of the bloodsuckers. I keep getting angrier and angrier at these senators who are say they are democrats and act like the stonewalling wing nuts.

In so many words Keith said this was good versus evil and it is.

I hope enough people buy in, let's show these blue dogs how much of a third world country we have become because of the greedy bastards.

[BonnieJW]

36. And yet Mike Madden at Salon.com had this to say:

Madden is a boob.


http://www.salon.com/politics/war_room/2009/10/07/olbermann/

Olbermann's wasted moment
The MSNBC host dedicates his entire show to healthcare reform -- but did he help the cause?
Mike Madden

Oct. 07, 2009 |

Keith Olbermann wants you to listen to him.

That was, essentially, the message of Wednesday night's "Countdown." The entire hour was dedicated to a "Special Comment" -- Olbermann-ese for an editorial -- about healthcare reform. But the point didn't seem to be to pass reform legislation; the point appeared to be to chastise everyone involved in it, on either side, and to declaim about the nature of the system. Where Olbermann could have explained what the legislation would do -- and taken on the myths against it -- instead he spent his time making solemn pronouncements. The very title of the show predicted it would all be a bit over the top: "Healthcare Reform: The Fight Against Death."

"I do not want to yell," Olbermann began. "I feel like screaming, but everybody is screaming." Fair enough, though the screaming appears to have tapered down significantly over the last six weeks. Never mind that. Looking more melodramatic than usual, Olbermann introduced the show by noting that since Aug. 23, when his elderly father fell out of bed overnight, he had "interacted daily with our American healthcare system." The experience was chilling: "I have experienced with growing amazement, and with multiplying anger, the true state of our hospitals, our insurance businesses, our hospitals, our pharmacies."

Of course, millions of Americans already experience that state; that's why polls show, notwithstanding the vehement opposition to reform over the summer, the public is still open to the idea. Trying to relate to viewers, Olbermann kept relating details about his father's illness -- potential kidney failure, dehydration, an agonizing 24 hours stuck by his bedside.

The story was sad. But Olbermann's sudden sense of wonder at a broken system seemed misplaced somehow. The problem isn't that people don't know how messed up things are; the problem is that a handful of lawmakers appear to be afraid to do anything about it. And for Olbermann to go on and on about his father's case -- which, by the way, seems to be going well, thanks to Olbermann's money and his father's insurance -- didn't seem to do much to help the cause of passing reform. There are plenty of people whose experiences with the healthcare system argue for reform, but the Olbermann family's mostly seemed to be a tale with a happy ending.

[Bill219]

37. That author is totally clueless...

and he missed the message that Keith was trying to relay last night and why he used his family as an example.

Seems all he wanted to do was tear Keith down.

[AlbertCat]

54. No he's not and no he didn't.

Some of his criticism is true. Like the real problem are a few thick-headed law makers and the majority want reform.

But you're right in saying he also missed, apparently, a lot of Olberman's good points and how personal stories and some emotion on the subject gets people's attention faster and longer than explaining what the bill is and the fallacies of the opposition.

[truedelphi]

68. You would think that the Olbermann critics had gone to the bathroom during

The Churchill remarks, or the Lincoln quotes, wouldn't you?

[howmad1]

58. You should hear what Randi Rhodes thinks: (not that it realy matters)

"Over the top", "Totally meaningless", "All about Keith", "Egotitical rant". Geez, I think she's losing it as well.

[GivePeaceAchance]

59. I'm with Keith he was awesome on this one, he spoke to those disconnected from the debate who...

feels no connection to those without health insurance. I think the Churchill thing she took issue with was very informative and showed how conservatives the world over put corporations first, we do people first and long may it last. Anyone in media has certain sense of self but his message was totallly empathetic with all people suffering without health care.

[PSzymeczek]

64. I think it's jealousy

that she's not invited on the teevee.

[fascisthunter]

39. bravo!

[goclark]

40. Can't wait to see it this evening - all the parts

[AllyCat]

41. Rec already because I know it will be good. need an hour to watch!

Bookmark for time w/o kids :)

[FarPoint]

42. Could someone direct me as to where I

can purchase a DVD of this? KO's Health Care Special..... I want a copy as well as several friends.

[DirtyDawg]

43. It was strong, no question about it, but...

...until Keith, or Rachel, or somebody steps up to the issue of what's really going on and calls 'em - Repug and BlueDog - on it, people are just gonna 'tune it out'. The 'it' I'm talking about is the only goddamn reason that Republicans and BlueDogs are against healthcare reform is that they've been 'bribed' by the health-care lobbies and they fear that if they don't 'come-across' with the goods they'll be exposed for the lying, cheatin' SOBs (and just plain bitches) that they are, not to mention that the money spigot will be shut off.

I wish Keith would have inserted into the middle of his 'Special Comment' about this being about 'Death', the question of 'why the opponents are against it?' It's not some kind of ideological bent...it's not that they just want Obama to lose (although that's a major driver)...it's that they've been bought off 'fair and square' and they have to pay off. If it were the Mafia, we know what would happen to 'em, but since it's just politics, the only reason is that they're afraid that they'll lose their gravy train. These bastards are doing this for the money - pure and simple - and the sooner we call 'em on it, and keep on calling 'em on it - including on the floor of Congress - the sooner we just might shame them, or their constituents, into backing off. At the very least, they'll have to come up with an alternative reason and will get the media to focus on it more broadly.

[swilton]

48. Keith has discussed why there is opposition to health care

and who the guilty parties are in some of his earlier shows. You can find these discussions on some of the links on youtube.

I believe if it wasn't for Michael Moore, Rachel Maddow and Keith Olberman, we wouldn't know what was going on.....

We still don't know what the final bill with the so-called public option will contain.

[Bluenorthwest]

44. Keith is filling the leadership void

and people need to note that in this case, the 'media' is delivering the message that those elected to do so are not delivering. Thank God for Keith. So much better than being told that the Insurance Companies 'deserve' their profits no matter what, that they deserve profits more than humans deserve life.

[GivePeaceAchance]

45. Very, very good advice, as good as a state address....

The President does have good intentions, but the status quo is unsistainable and will come to a head either now or later.

[theFrankFactor]

46. K&RRRRRRRRR!

JOIN US!

[theFrankFactor]

47. Democrats have fucked this up. HR676 is MEDICARE FOR ALL

Democrats have fucked this up. HR676 is MEDICARE FOR ALL but where are the Democrats that take it seriously? Busy blowing the CEO of United Health Care? Fucking unbelievable! DEMOCRATS ARE THE FAILURE!

This should have been handled from the position of a MANDATE and a MAJORITY! But it wasn't and you can thank Barack Obama and those asshole Blue Dog democRATS for that.

That the right is retarded, violent, racist and just plain dumb is a given. That Democrats are fakes IS THE REAL PROBLEM!

[Uncle Joe]

49. I believe that telecast will become viewed as historic.

It was emotionally powerful, pulled no punches against the current dysfunctional for profit "health" insurance system and offered what I thought to be a logical strategy for stiffening up any wavering Democrat in regards to beating a filibuster.

I viewed last night's program as a long overdue emotional counterargument against the misguided prevailing feelings of fear having been generated by the ignorance promoting propagandists supporting the current blood money for death status quo.

I believe Olbermann gets it and I salute his looking out for the best interests of the American People on this issue.:patriot:

Thanks for the thread, Turborama.:thumbsup:

[AlbertCat]

55. I believe that telecast will become viewed as historic.

I'm dying to hear (second hand) how Rush and Glenn are gonna tie themselves into pretzels and act completely clueless commenting on it. What clowns. What an act for them. They'll have something to do for weeks!

[SemperEadem]

50. that was some amazing television last night

Keith was totally on his game.

[AlbertCat]

51. Dah-yum!!!! Go Keith. And I'm only half way thru.

Both my 89 year old parents recently died....and they had plenty of money, fortunately. But it all was still a nightmare and dealing with the absurdity of the insurance and the hoops the nursing home has to jump thru did not help with the other unavoidable, emotional crap everyone must go thru. ( Hospice was GREAT!...give to them if you can.)

Wait... that's what Olbermann is talking about.... clearly and knowingly.

I'll go watch the rest.

[GreenTea]

52. The most important issue we face until it is resolved, at the least with a Public Option

now and finally single payer.

Without ones health, one has nothing and nothing else really matters without ones health!

[democrat2thecore]

53. Here's the AUDIO only (if you don't have time to watch)...mp3 download

If you can't watch the whole thing but might like to LISTEN to it on public transit, in the car, etc., you can download the mp3 file at:
http://msnbcpod.rd.llnwd.net/e1/audio/podcast/pd_countdown_mp3.mp3

But do it before the next show - each day is the same address. So this is good for another 7 hours or so.

[knixphan]

56. Why does Randi Rhodes dislike him?

She seems to be spending copious energy slamming the comment.

[GivePeaceAchance]

60. Yep, doesn't detract at all from one of his finest comments. It spoke to people ...

on a human level and that worked for me. One communication expert said we need to capture the emotion of the debate and KO knocked it out the park on that one. Sure we wouldn't want to do it all the time, but on something so important we had to make folks understand on a gut level. It's how the right have been programmed on that level the comment was brilliant.

[knixphan]

63. couldn't agree more.

Maybe there's some envy there. Their styles are different - hers more blue-collary, his more Murrow (as if that's a bad thing!)

Gut-level is exactly right. And he did knock it out the park.

[20score]

61. I had to turn her off today.

[knixphan]

62. Likewise.

[Oldtimeralso]

57. K & R and proud to help the truth to be revealed. n/t

[AllHereTruth]

65. Digg this video.

http://digg.com/political_opinion/Health_care_reform_Saving_American_Lives_Video

Doing this will help spread this video across the interwebs

[Duke Newcombe]

66. Again, another "I'm in church" moment from Mr. Olbermann

He hits it out of the park, merely by telling the truth, using facts, and sharing his story.

Force every Teabagger and naysayer down, a la "A Clockwork Orange", and MAKE THEM SEE THIS SPECIAL COMMENT!!

[waiting for hope]

69. Bravo Keith -

Mr. President - did you listen?

[democracy1st]

70. kick

[proud patriot]

71. kick