The Ticker: GOP "cash-and-trash" hypocrisy "humiliating," writes Steve Benen

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1 Transcript Breakdown: Sarah Palin Backs Limbaugh's Use of Word 'Retards' Benjamin F. Carlson, The Atlantic Wire
2 The Political Fallout of John Murtha's Death Benjamin F. Carlson, The Atlantic Wire
3 Morning Vid: Stephen Colbert Teaches Sarah Palin Satire Jake Simpson, The Atlantic Wire
4 The New Yorker Discovers Twitter, Scoffs Max Fisher, The Atlantic Wire
5 Nanny State Fears Nag First Lady's Anti-Obesity Push Heather Horn, The Atlantic Wire

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Keith Olbermann Credit: Getty Images

#20 Keith Olbermann

Countdown with Keith Olbermann

Keith Olbermann has hosted MSNBC's Countdown since 2003. More information


The left's best answer so far to Bill O'Reilly, Olbermann possesses bottomless wells of outrage, expressed in segments like "The Worst Person in the World." His semiregular "Special Comment" is a rant, in which Olbermann talks directly to his target in a scolding tone. "The fiasco of prewar intelligence, sir, is your fiasco," he told George W. Bush. Olbermann's unflinching criticism of Bush—he ends every show by counting the number of days since Bush declared "Mission Accomplished" in Iraq—has earned him a tremendous following among liberals. Where fans see a refreshingly aggressive posture, critics see rabid leftism.

Olbermann broadcasting career began in sports; he anchored ESPN's SportsCenter from 1992 to 1997. As Countdown's popularity increased, MSNBC turned to Olbermann to co-anchor its 2008 presidential-election coverage with Chris Matthews. As much showman as commentator, Olbermann recognizes a good stunt. Upon hearing that Fox News’ Sean Hannity had volunteered to be waterboarded for charity, Olbermann offered to chip in a thousand dollars per second.

Keith Olbermann on All Topics

Displaying 1-15 of 102

February 8, 2010
Sarah Palin's Influence

Palin's Left Hand

Good evening. I`m Sarah Palin`s left hand. All of us hands have been written on but when was the last time you were written on for something that wasn`t either trivia, stuff that the brain figured it was going to forget, you know, peanut butter, gravy, Diet Dr. Pepper.
February 4, 2010
Republicans

Luntz Puts Foot in Mouth

To illustrate to Republicans how to lie, the Democrat`s proposals to help small businesses would really hurt small businesses, Frank Luntz used a picture of a Democratic congressman happily standing in front of his small business. And by the way, Congressman Shower is a complete supporter of the Democrat`s financial reform proposals.
February 4, 2010
Media

My Ratings are Fine

So "The New York Post" lifted from an NPR blog, which lifted from Laura Bush`s ex-press secretary`s blog, which lifted from Daily Finance`s blog, which left out details that makes the whole meme nonsensical.
February 3, 2010
Health Care Reform

Bachman Invents New Paranoia

So if you criticize American health care, you get on a list in Japan? Or if you criticize American health care you get on a list in America? Or Michele Bachmann just believes every random stranger who comes up and tells her a story about Japan, and she assumes it`s going to come true here?
February 1, 2010
Abortion

Scott Roeder, Fraud

He was not someone willing to give up everything he had to stop what he saw as an unforgivable sin. He was not acting from some deeply felt conviction. He was a man who simply, like a million men before him, latched onto a cause, used God as an excuse, and murdered someone, and then tried to get away.
January 26, 2010
Obama

Obama Pleases the GOP

It's nice to see the president is responding quickly and decisively. Too bad it's not to the needs and desires of his own party, more importantly, the majority of the American people.
January 22, 2010
Supreme Court

Journalists Not Plugged In

Some people rightly fear right-wing media bias. Some claim there is a left-wing equivalent. The real threat to journalism and thus to democracy is its blinding lack of thought, of effort, of imagination. As I said in sports--get a roll of stamps and mail it in.
January 21, 2010
Supreme Court

The End of the World

It is almost literally true that any political science fiction nightmare you can now dream up, no matter whether you are conservative or a liberal, it is now legal. Because the people who can make it legal can now be entirely bought and sold. No actual citizens required in the campaign fund raising process. And the entirely bought and sold politicians can change any laws. And any legal defense you can structure now can be undone by the politicians who will be bought and sold into office this November, or two years from now.
January 20, 2010
Kennedy's Replacement

"Scott Brown is a...": Day 3

Scott Brown is an irresponsible, homophobic, racist, reactionary, sexist, ex-nude model, teabagging supporter of violence against women and against politicians with whom he disagrees. And all the rabid right-wing howling about that only helps prove it. The response to lies is to offer the truth. The respond to truths you don`t like is to simply call them lies.
January 19, 2010
Elections

Brown Sexist, Too

In Scott Brown, we have an irresponsible, homophobic, racist, reactionary, sexist, ex-nude model, teabagging supporter of violence against women and against politicians with whom he disagrees. And if he or you don`t like that characterization, my answer to you is simple: disprove it, because he hasn`t.
January 18, 2010
Elections

Brown "A Bad Joke"

In short, in Scott Brown we have an irresponsible, homophobic, racist, reactionary, ex nude-model, tea-bagging supporter of violence against women and politicians with whom he disagrees.
January 18, 2010
Haiti Earthquake

Limbaugh Discourages Aid Again

It is one thing to antagonize half the nation when one injects into the subject of charity hatred against one of the political parties. But what are you gaining? Whose interests could you possibly be serving when you come out wholeheartedly and defiantly, again and again, against human charity?
January 14, 2010
Haiti Earthquake

Limbaugh Playing Politics With Haiti

After yesterday having projected his own hatred into the sad and somber equation of Haiti, Limbaugh today discouraged Americans from contributing to Haitian earthquake relief.
January 13, 2010
Haiti Earthquake

Pat Robertson: The Real 'Devil'

Mr. Robertson, Mr. Limbaugh, your lives are not worth those of the lowest, meanest, poorest of those victims still lying under the that rubble in Haiti tonight. You serve no good. You serve no God. You inspire only stupidity and hatred.
January 12, 2010
Republicans

Giuliani Keeps Clarifying Comment

Rudy Giuliani, desperate to relive his glory days politicizing terror, has now broken the international record for the most corrections of the same false statement.
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