Keith Olbermann on Why He Left MSNBC - and How He Plans to Get Even

[ProudToBeLiberal]

Source: Rolling Stone

Long-term, though, Olbermann has big plans for the place. His mandate is nothing less than to build an entire network around his show, one populated with righteous liberal voices like his own and perhaps, once contracts expire, former colleagues like Rachel Maddow—a network, in fact, that sounds remarkably like MSNBC. "They thought I was going to go away for so long that nobody would bring me back," Olbermann says, sounding surprised by the stupidity of his enemies.

I interviewed everybody who's going to work for the show. I selected the interns. I'm not saying I interviewed 350 people, but I got the finalists for every position. Everybody on this staff is equally invested in the risks involved. I don't know that there's going to be anything hugely different that's visible to the viewer. It's not going to be like, "I'm going to do the last half of the show topless." But the freedom from the wear and tear of having to get past a bunch of people mumbling, "Oh, I don't know..." It's the key to the operation, it really is.

At Current, television is all we do—that's our business. We don't have amusement parks I have to worry about, we don't have environmental cases against us, we don't have a series of outdoor-advertising companies. If there's a decision between making money versus offending somebody, it will be a clean either/or—there won't be 19 other divisions that have some sort of say in the process. I'm not being critical of NBC. I just think people can trust what we do to be entirely based on the news merits. It will be that simple kind of old-fashioned television news operation of the Sixties and Seventies that had the proverbial Chinese wall around them to keep them away from concerns about advertisers. What we won't have is any concern that I have to somehow game a system to make sure I can continue to do what I want to do.

Now you see why I wanted a venue like the one I'm being given. It's not an exact match. I can't say anything I want; there will be some things I'm sure I'll have to temper. But I can't think of any of them off the top of my head, and when I encounter them, it will be like, "Crap, that was the first one in eight months." That's why I view this as the biggest step-up of my career. The instantaneous reaction to this was, "He's going into the far wilderness." No, it's virgin forest, and I own it, and I'm bringing a house with me. I have the opportunity to rebuild it better and start looking for people to do the next hour and the next hour, the whole operation. We'll make mistakes, but it will be such a great relief to not have to spend all day executive-icizing, and just go out and do what I'm really good at. This is as close as I'll get to a comedian's freedom.

Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/keith-olbermann-on-why-he-left-msnbc-and-how-he-plans-to-get-even-20110607

---

Rolling Stone interviews Keith Olbermann in a long piece. It's a must read. I've only posted excerpts from the article.

[Myrina]

1. KO better be careful or he'll have to make all the doorways bigger ...

... for his ego. I love what he does, when he does it well, but when he gets to puffing and raving in what must surely be purely ego gratification, then he becomes a charicature.

[jberryhill]

4. Rupert Murdoch has been given a reprieve as KO's punching bag /nt

[louis-t]

10. As long as he keeps telling the truth, I don't care

about his ego.

[wordpix]

26. +1 anyone that successful has a big ego, I'm sure

[Demeter]

28. Little Egos Don't Get Much Done--Warped Egos Cause Damage

I'm not worried about Keith, frankly. His ego is healthy and his mind is sharp and he's got ethics and heart. Most politicians and bankers can't even make one of those standards.

Performers have to have ego to get them through the mud.

[Pooka Fey]

100. Kicking your post for your important insight.

I get really sick of people who devalue those others with the drive, the will, and the audacity to make a difference in the world. A strong, healthy ego is a necessary foundation for a truly successful life.

Without a healthy ego, Keith would have been pulled down to the bottom of the bucket by all those whose main ambition in life is to prevent others from achieving great things.

[GeorgeGist]

120. Hitler comes to mind.

He made a difference.

[Bandit]

125. Are you really comparing Keith Olberman to Hitler..........really?

I think you might have a serious problem concerning reality and fantasy..

[misanthrope]

64. Depends on your definition of success...

...I'd be willing to bet there are people out there busting their hump in anonymity every day who only care about their hands-on work in making the world a better place. The Peace Corps used to be full of them. Homeless shelters see their share, too.

I know social workers who will never be famous, will never see their name in headlines. They will never make a lot of money but their satisfaction comes not in someone else's definition of success -- certainly not in our general society's eyes -- but in the good they bring the world.

I can't overdose on humility but ego gets tiring very quickly.

[Zoeisright]

31. No shit.

Democrats complaining about ANY liberal having a "big ego" have their priorities in the wrong place. We need more liberals like Olbermann to counteract the blowhards Beck, O'Reilly and Limpballs.

[dogmoma56]

74. that was pure KO, i like the way he talks, if you want boring, go to any other channel.

[trueblue2007]

126. you are totally 1000% RIGHT!! If people don't want the truth, let them watch FOX

or CNN....

olbermann is honest

[Beavker]

50. As long as he's truthful and will back up his statements

Then Ego welcome. We need some more of that on our side. But it has to be well intentioned and well thought out. He can do that.

[Logical]

33. I 100% disagree. n-t

[Shagbark Hickory]

35. I 100% agree. It certainly does seem that way! nt

[Enthusiast]

90. LOL

[liberation]

45. Well, thank goodness you love what he does.

I sudder to think what kind of personal attack you reserve for those whose work you don't like...

[Bluebear]

58. LOLOL win!

[fascisthunter]

70. that's gonna leave a mark

[AC_Mem]

56. Go Keith!

I love a saying from Kid Rock...

"It ain't cocky if you can back it up".

I can't wait for Keith and will be watching more and more current as they add more liberal news.

Shine on,
Annette

[JDPriestly]

61. He is a big guy with a big heart. His blustering is on the right side.

I will be watching him regularly.

[TrollBuster9090]

69. His ego is okay with me. I, for one, have had enough of "liberal apologetics."

There are plenty of them around, including the most high profile one in the White House. It doesn't hurt for somebody to counterbalance the bloviators on the right.

[roguevalley]

80. Confidence gets confused as ego and having the mandate he has,

he is expressing, to me, his confidence that with the freedom and the staff he gets it will get done. Confidence is different from ego. GO, Keith. I am so glad he's back.

[emcguffie]

122. I think you're right, --

-- but I couldn't quite put my finger on it. Thanks for that.

There will always be people, who I suppose must be insecure or in some way not as successful as they may wish they were or as they believe they should be, who just have to knock down people who succeed and are the objects of admiration and gratitude. Too bad for them.

Go, Keith!

A new news network, or a new news source that is not part of a huge corporate entity, is what I've wanted to see for so long. I believe that's one of the two most important steps toward recovering our country, the other being honest, transparent elections.

[Blasphemer]

85. Yes, his ego is big but I don't think that's a bad thing

How does someone succeed and thrive in the world of broadcast journalism & the world of politics without that kind of ego? One must have a huge ego to undertake what he's doing. He's trying to take a fledgling network and have it compete with the big guns. If he has to puff and rave to get that done, then so be it.

[Enthusiast]

89. I know this is your opinion.

But I believe you are completely wrong.

[MrMickeysMom]

94. Are you sure you weren't watching Ben Afflect???

http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/countdown-with-keith-olbermann/805561/

[valerief]

98. Thank you for your concern. nt

[SoapBox]

113. ...and I don't care if he is Puffing and Raving...

because we NEED someone of his quality to do some puffing and raving.

We are lost in the mindless pablum of MSM and/or the lies, lies, lies of FuxNooseChannel.

Go Keith Go, I say...I'll be at the tv machine on June 20th...waiting...We need his voice...It's a war out there and need to fight back against the Fascists that want to rule America.

Wake up America.

[xphile]

123. Right, his ego is the problem. Better to have more milquetoast so-called liberals

who are ineffectual.

:sarcasm:

[maryallen]

124. Give the man a break ....

I can count on one hand the number of journalists/broadcasters who are willing to stand up and fight the "powers that be." Those few who do fight, scurry out once and retreat quickly to the "status quo" position. Keith isn't like that. He has gone from one battle to the next his entire career.

[w4rma]

2. Accurate. Awesome. (nt)

[Ian David]

3. I would like Current to have a three-hour daily morning show. n/t

[nonperson]

8. Really.

Put Joe Scarborough and his tramp out of their misery.

[plantwomyn]

16. Misogynistic much?

[lunatica]

19. You mean Joe Scarborough The Tramp, right?

[genna]

57. Agreed. Please, please, please A MORNING SHOW.

[eridani]

87. I'd like to know how you can get stuff from Current TV if you don't have cable

Or a TV for that matter. I rely on podcasts and YouTube.

[SoapBox]

114. If you are downloading Podcasts and are seeing YouTube...

you much have some kind of net access.

Check out,

http://current.com/

I say, see if you can contact Current / KO and see if he will do a PodCast...I also imagine that someone will put it up on YouTube.

You might also check KO's site and/or see if you can contact him there.
(opps...I now see his site, "FOK News - Friends of Keith", is being routed to Current.)

[Hubert Flottz]

5. Bring it on KO!

We've missed you!

[Yavin4]

6. KO Has Created Brand Names for two Cable Networks, MSNBC and ESPN

Can he do a third? We'll see.

[hakko936]

11. MSNBC yes, ESPN, not so sure it was KO. nt

[rucky]

43. He and Chris Berman - without a doubt.

[eablair3]

7. Go Keith Go! (nt)

[brooklynite]

9. Um, where's the part about Comcast pushing a conservative line on all its news shows?

I seem to recall that was a popular assumption here when he left.

[Iliyah]

13. Comcast will

weed out the progressives and replace them with wing nuts, no doubt on that. Progressives need their own media oulet, which of course will tell the truth no matter how much it hurts unlike the so called CNN who has lost their mojo and it looks like fake news is going down YEA!!!!!!!!

[truedelphi]

14. + 1. n/t

[LynneSin]

20. I'm still waiting for that to happen

I mean they replaced Keith with more progressives

Here's a thought - right now MSNBC is starting to pull in great numbers for their show which means they'll have little problem selling advertising time. Wheras Faux News is having serious issue with sell AD time because of sinking ratings and offensive hosts who are not held accountable when they cross the line.

I think for MSNBC it comes down to the bottom line - as long as they are making money they'll keep the line-up pretty much the way it is. They give the conservatives the morning show (Joe Scarsborough), the fence sitters the early evening shows (Todd, Matthews) and the progressives have the prime time slots.

[Pab Sungenis]

29. They didn't replace Keith with anyone.

They shuttled Ed Schultz into the 10 PM wilderness and dragged Lawrence O'Donnell to 8 PM. Cenk has been filling in in Schultz' old slot, but he doesn't have the job permanently. No one does.

And the shows that they DO have they're diluting. They've practically made Michael Steele into Rachel Maddow's co-host.

[jwirr]

65. Or force them to use more people like Steele as source people.

There are already too many rethugs on their shows already. I am hoping that KO will be able to use some of the same source people he used before.

[genna]

59. All the hosts are more restrained than they used to be. We do see Comcast shining through

on occasion.

[fascisthunter]

71. are corporations partisan or not?

it's definitely not out of the realm of possibility. In fact, it would be more than realistic to second guess their agenda when broadcasting news or any other info.

And we know comcast is right wing.

[rurallib]

78. How do you like the new Michael Steele segment on Rachel?

[FirstLight]

12. great read!

Soooo looking forward to seeing how he works this, and I love the fact that Al Gore jumped on him right away :) I just love Al Gore! :D

[LaPera]

15. I wish I could receive Olbermann (Current TV) either through my cable company or ROKU - BUT.....

Hopefully that will change soon and cable companies will begin to pick it up?

But cable companies are right-wing republican conglomerate monopolies so I doubt it!

So my hope is with the excellent ROKU device I use - much like live 'RadioTime" (Tune-in) with live progress radio, Mike Malloy, Schultz, Hartmann, Goldman, Rhodes, etc. etc.....

[sabrina 1]

47. Are you sure you don't have it? I thought we didn't either

but I found it, way down in the hundreds somewhere. I had to go look for it, it wasn't something you would just stumble on, but I'm glad we get it and I'm sure soon their ratings are going to go sky high.

We have Time Warner and they include Current, RT and sometimes one of their Public Networks included Al Jazeera news. So things are getting better in the Cable world.

[suffragette]

83. Roku has Current under Newscaster

so I'm hoping it should be available through Roku once Olbermann starts.
Might be day old like some of the other selections. Streaming like Al Jazeera English would be great.

If you haven't added Newscaster yet, here's a thread with instructions. It's free on Roku:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=441x553

[lonestarnot]

103. Keep bugging those fuckers!

[LynneSin]

17. I wish him luck but I probably still won't watch him that often and here's why

I'm really sick and tired of networks that have conservative OR progressive slants. What I really want is the good old days of a network that just gives us the news and let's us decide how we feel about it. And if someone in the news wanted to give their opinion they'd have a counter opinion available. I guess I'm just an old-school type chick.

But that doesn't mean I want Keith to fail - I wish him the best of luck and I'm sure I'll watch his show from time to time, just like I did back on MSNBC.

[Plucketeer]

23. Did you see this???

It will be that simple kind of old-fashioned television news operation of the Sixties and Seventies that had the proverbial Chinese wall around them to keep them away from concerns about advertisers.

Sounds like what you were longing for.

[Zen Democrat]

24. But there was still spin in the good old days. It's awful now, but it wasn't unblemished then.

There was still interference and slant because there's no such thing as true objectivity.

So ... I'll stay with the ones who try to tell the truth and issue corrections when they are wrong. And that includes Keith Olbermann. A slant is not a bad thing as long as it's declared and the truth matters.

[Jakes Progress]

39. The bias is in the uniformed viewer.

Keith tells the truth and it seems slanted because of the cumulative effect of all the others telling you he is slanted. Find a lie he told for a progressive cause. Find a progressive error that he did not call out.

I can name dozens of lies and omissions from faux and even the "mainstream" media. It's like calling this administration liberal when most of what is being done is to the right of richard nixon. The slant is laid into the table, not the dealer.

If you see KO as slanted, get a good carpenter's level to improve your perspective.

[LynneSin]

44. I never said Keith was a liar - not sure where you got that idea from?

Posting one's opinion on a subject matter doesn't make you a liar. I can post about how wonderful & amazing the Philadelphia Eagles are and how they are the greatest football team ever. 99% of DU would disagree with that statement for dozens of reasons; however, that does not make me a liar - it makes me a fan of the Eagles.

The evolution of these talk shows on cable news channels are nothing more than presenting today's story's with the perspective of the person hosting the show. Sure, ages ago they use to have shows like Crosstalk (or was it Crossfire), CNN's attempt of providing equal sides or even worse, Fox's attempt of a 'balanced' show with 'Hannity & Colmes'. But ultimately these hosts are vocalizing their opinion of the story which either you believe because you happen to be aligned with that party or you don't, because you happen to be the other team.

But what none of these talk shows are presenting are a true 'fair & balance' perspective of the news. To truly be that they would present the news, all the facts surrounding the news and then allow the viewer to form the own opinion.

Perhaps you like someone telling you what to think but personally I'd rather form my own opinion on the subject matter. As someone who didn't even own cable until 2001, my alignment as a democrat came ages ago as I read about what the democrats (in general) stand for and found that I agreed with their stances the best. When I moved I lived in an area where I couldn't rely on rabbit ears for TV anymore so I had to get cable. I've tried watching MSNBC and it's enjoyable. I'll use them for watching election returns or if a really hot story is being discussed but honestly, I'm lucky if I watch any of these shows more than once a month. I think people like Keith, Rachel and the other progressive talk show hosts are all great folks but I really don't need them to form my opinions for me.

[Jakes Progress]

52. You missed my point.

If you find KO to be biased in his reporting, it is not because of his reporting. If you tell the truth about a subject then it is not bias. Just because I have a progressive opinion doesn't mean when I say "george bush cut taxes for the wealthy and that has caused a large part of our financial problems" that I am showing bias. Now when billo says that Obama has socialistic goals, that is a lie and it shows his bias.

The idea that you can have a show with equal sides having at it is a farce. Who chooses the representatives from each side? Who checks their facts? I have a background in journalism. It is just a pipe dream that news shows would " present the news, all the facts surrounding the news and then allow the viewer to form the own opinion", Any news program, any news story has to edit. They always have. There was no golden age news that you refer to. If you thought you were getting all the facts surrounding a story, then you were naive. To show all the facts would require dozens of pages or hours of broadcast on even the simplest of stories. Stories are edited. Period. Always have been.

The job of the news consumer is to recognize the source and question the story. You have to decide who you think is more credible and who you think is editing the story to get closer to the truth. I think KO does get closer to the truth. The MSM does a poor job for the very reasons that KO mentions above.

That said. People should not confuse a talk show with a news show. That said, these shows can be an excellent source of news if you filter and discern. One excellent source of news isn't a broadcast or cable news show or talk show, but a comedy show with John Stewart. He gets closer to truth than any of the networks.

Consuming news is a very participatory activity.

[KamaAina]

121. The Eaglets have never won a Super Bowl in any millennium!

sorry about that. mad must've hacked my account. :hi:

[kenfrequed]

108. Which 'good 'ole days?'

I doubt very much that Edward Murrow would have been such a big deal if you’re “Good 'ole days” were less fictitious. Perhaps you should say “less bias journalism” or “journalism where the institutional bias’ are harder to recognize” or maybe “journalism that ignores the controversial while quietly acceding to the requests of advertisers.”

Nostalgia is a poison and truly unbias media is about as realistic and fabricated a construct as the idea of a ‘moderate.’

[Uncle Joe]

18. I'm excited about this and I hope it works well for everyone involved.

Thanks for the thread, ProudToBeLiberal.:thumbsup:

[defendandprotect]

21. We're waiting ---

[GreenTea]

22. Man, Rolling Stone Magazine has done it again, (and again) best liberal political mag. out there!

Rolling Stone just keeps getting the top stories, as well as great investigative reporting....(about the only progressive investigative reporting around certainly the best....Thanks to RS progressive from the beginning September 1967 in San Francisco (Harrison Street) editor Jann Wenner - it cost big money for investigative reporting)!

Cheers to Rolling Stone/Jann Wenner and Keith Olbermann - I love them both.

[Left coast liberal]

25. Keith's awesome. I just hope he not sexting!

Sorry.

;-)

[wordpix]

27. is he even married?

[AlbertCat]

48. is he even married?

You have to be married to go sexting?


Watch it! The Media will say someone said he was gay!


Come to think of it.... I'd love it if he were gay. (But, in the long run, who cares?)

[MasonJar]

30. How does one get Current TV? I want to see Keith!!!!!!!!!

I also want to support Al Gore.

[Shagbark Hickory]

37. ...

#
DIRECTV
channel 358
#
Comcast
channel 107
#
Time Warner Cable
103 NY and 142 LA
#
DISH Network
channel 196
#
VERIZON FiOS
channel 192
#
AT&T U-Verse
channel 189

[ProudToBeLiberal]

49. This should help

Go here http://current.com/shows/countdown and enter your zip code. It should tell you want service providers offer Current TV in your area.

[renate]

54. thanks so much!

I didn't know it was available in my area--that's a big help! Thanks! :woohoo:

[WolverineDG]

51. don't forget Roku

Current has its own free channel.

dg

[Le Taz Hot]

107. My older model Roku

won't find my wireless anymore. My husband checked the blogs and it seems like they've done SOMETHING to make the older models not work. They INSIST that it's on the providers' side but there are thousands of posts from people with different providers that are complaining about the same thing. The only thing they have in common is that they all have an older model Rokus. I'm so pissed at them right now I refuse to buy another one of their products.

[lonestarnot]

109. I've been calling them in my area since April for cable. Apparently I find out this morning that

they are working on getting it! :bounce: Apparently tons of people calling! Keep calling people! Someone is listening. Otherwise DISH here I come!

[Lucinda]

32. Thanks for the RS link. Great read!

:)

[SalviaBlue]

34. I am really looking forward to his new show.

I like his confidence. He knows what he wants to do and intends to do it. I love his attitude... its justified.

[madrchsod]

36. good news..dish network carries current and ..

it`s close to the other news numbers..

[Kingofalldems]

38. I wonder if Breitbart is slinking around Keith

[gkhouston]

73. Probably. KO seems like a "bite me" guy, so even if he did something

dumb, he'd say, "Yeah, I did something dumb. You know what? That guy is still an asshole."

[bullwinkle428]

40. Here's KO's interview on NPR's "Fresh Air" from earlier today:

http://www.npr.org/2011/06/07/136931640/keith-olbermann-the-countdown-to-his-new-show?sc=fb&cc=freshair#

[Mopar151]

41. This should be very good TV

What I like most about KO, and our sister Rachel, is that they don't sell the viewer short. I would love to see an hour of financial news from a similar perspective, and not be beholden to Wall Street or the big banks.
Reporting about the business of government would be awesome - how we are saving or wasting money, how budget decisions impact the world WE live in.
And NO f'n jail or pervert trap shows! A world news digest show from the previous week's BBC/Reuters/CNN worldwide/Al Jazerra programs would be relatively cheap to produce, and would fill weekends far better.

[progressoid]

42. Sorry Keith,

I can't afford Current.

[Change Happens]

46. I can't wait!!! I hope everyone here is calling their stupid local cable company to get CURRENT TV!

[MissMarple]

53. Very good. Thank you for posting this.

I especially liked the part about Tim Russert, and yes, Craig Ferguson can be brilliant. :)

[Blue_In_AK]

55. Our cable company doesn't carry Current.

We've got everything else under the sun, but not that. I've put in a request.

[Raine]

60. Wishing him the best, I don't get Currant TV

and doubt that I will ever have.

[Never Stop Dancin]

62. Get Even?

Gott in Himmel. Why doesn't he just let go, move on..

[neoralme]

63. I don't get Current. Don't want it either. The Republicans sure are

winning the battles and ousting the key players. However, I believe the violence and street clashes (not garish sign waving) will start next year. Florida first.

[wundermaus]

66. Where do i send my resume, Keith?

I'll even do the windows!

[TxVietVet]

67. Go get 'em, Keith.

[clayton72]

68. Hope he knows better than to fly in small planes

Truth tellers have a way of passing from this earth too soon.

[blackspade]

72. Can't wait!

[Overseas]

75. Beautiful! K&R!

[Auggie]

76. Just read the entire link... highly recommended! Thanks for posting, PTBL!

[proud patriot]

77. woo hoo

[teabaghater]

81. I hope he doesn't bring

"Fat Eddy" along. He's turned all conservative since he got spanked. I saw him beating up Bill Press tonight. Bill Press, really? You fat gasbag. Press told him he sounded like Limbaugh! HA!

[Hulk]

79. Lost respect for the guy....

Just listened to an interview he gave to OPB, where he claims he NEVER votes....some BS about how it would be in some sort of conflict with his some-shit-or-other. No excuse in my book. You don't vote....you don't have any room to bitch about the outcome.

What a dumb ass. Just who in the hell does he think he is?

[7wo7rees]

82. I read on DU this week that Jon Stewart is outperforming Fox

...beat Hannity, Beck, O'Reilly.
Upshot was, he takes on all news, but since Fox News is the biggest loser, it's easy to bash them.
Further, he was teaching and training younger viewers what a sham Fox News is.

Now that KO is off the GE tit, maybe he can, like Stewart, take on MSNBC, along with Fox, CNN, and even C-SPAN's Chuck Todd, an unintellectual, not-ready-for-prime-time wannabe anchor.

Oh, and fuck Tim Russert.

[Azathoth]

84. He will implode at Current as well. His track record is perfect.

He's very talented, but his ego and insufferability virtually guarantee that his new job will have an expiration date.

[Uncle Joe]

115. All jobs have expiration dates but I believe Olbermann will fit in better and last longer at Current

than any of his previous experiences at other networks.

I believe he's the perfect fit for Current.

[Whisp]

86. who wants to look at a 40 plus year old ego.

:P

[Enthusiast]

88. We need Keith, badly.

To preserve our democracy we need Keith back.

[leveymg]

91. Keith - "The corporation is one of the great unheralded human inventions of destruction."

It's not about "NBC is evil." It's about that media structure—CBS, ABC, CNN, even some of the smaller operations are now multinationals, with these extraordinarily diverse holdings. The corporation is one of the great unheralded human inventions of destruction. It is a way to absolve from any personal liability a bunch of people. They form together in a massive id and they do whatever they want. In a corporate setting, there's nothing to stop Rupert Murdoch or Disney from doing whatever the hell they want with the news. They could turn it into propaganda for the Chinese government or the socialist party of America, and who's going to stop them?

Amen, brother.

[leveymg]

92. Keith - " Not acting against Dick Cheney or John Yoo or Alberto Gonzales indemnifies the next pres."

What's been your biggest disappointment with Obama so far?

The night before the inauguration, I wrote a "Special Comment" criticizing him—it was obvious that he was not going to hold the Bush administration accountable. He said, "We don't want to waste this administration playing politics." I said to myself, "OK, that's you—but the Republicans want to waste your administration playing politics."

We had laws broken in this country that involved the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people in another country, and more than 4,000 people from our country. Not acting against Dick Cheney or John Yoo or Alberto Gonzales indemnifies the next president, Republican or Democrat. It lets them know exactly what they can get away with. To me, that remains a cloud over Obama's entire administration.

[Bluesbreaker]

93. Link to today's interview of Keith by Terry Gross

http://www.npr.org/2011/06/07/136931640/keith-olbermann-the-countdown-to-his-new-show

[Shining Jack]

95. K&R n/t

[Harriety]

96. I looking foward to his show. Keith is one of the best.

[Duval]

97. I can hardly wait! :) n/t

[Bluenorthwest]

99. Current is the best. Keith will make it better and more widly

viewed. It has been my favorite channel for a couple of years, this is all good stuff.

[Weird Liberal Head]

101. Excellent!

We are all behind you, Keith!

[lonestarnot]

102. Fuck yeah! Right on! Some REAL motherfucking news just around the corner! Woooodamnwhoooo!

:bounce: pounce dance :party:

[Dreamer Tatum]

104. Even? They paid him how many millions? nt

[SOS]

116. MSNBC paid him $7.5 million

A "source" at the Hollywood Reporter claimed his new salary is $10 million, but Current disputes that figure.

“Current TV disputes the figure and does not disclose confidential, contractual details”.

These figures indicate his salary probably hasn't changed much.

At his level, money stopped being the motivator a long time ago.
He could retire today in extreme comfort.

Keith signed the big MLB contract. Now he wants to win the World Series for his team.

I think Keith's business goal is to build Current and eventually get higher ratings in the 8PM slot than MSNBC.

[Le Taz Hot]

105. I'm just sad it has to be on Current . . .

not on basic cable, which is all we can afford at the moment.

[w4rma]

117. Building Current TV is better for the long-term. (nt)

[BEZERKO]

106. I hope he succeeds!

[JDPriestly]

110. Great article. Couldn't stop reading.

[peace frog]

111. Stick it to 'em, Keith

Hoist them on their own petard. Make them rue the day they ever f*cked with you, pal.

[Major Hogwash]

112. Oh my gawd!! Now I have to get a dish. I don't want to miss any of this!!

Somebody should straighten out the news divisions!

"And we're just the guys to do it."

[BrklynLiberal]

118. Kickin' ass and takin' names....

[Action]

119. Let's Hope

Now if only I could get Current TV. Maybe they could stream it for those of us who don't get that channel.