There is nobody in the media who is more ying-yang for me than Keith Olbermann.
On the one hand, I agree with him on about 80% of the issues. And can sympathize with his position on most of the other 20%.
On the other hand, he and his network single-handedly stooped to the lowest of lows in the primary campaign in 2008, openly trashing Senator Clinton while openly pimping Senator Obama. As an ardent Hillary supporter, and OMSNBC addict ... this pissed me off to no end.
On the one hand, his rants against former President Bush were usually dead on accurate, including his demand that if the President felt Iraq was a war worth fighting, then "go lead the troops in person, sir".
On the other hand, Mr. Olbermann was too chicken, too scared, to even show up at the RNC last September for fear of ... what, exactly? Getting booed? Ridiculous.
So when I read this article ... I just had to smile. Here's hoping the rest of the media runs with this like KO is, and holds that pompous ass FOX rolls out every night at 9 eastern to his word.
(the link: http://www.kansascity.com/stargazing/story/1168354.html)
The article:
Keith Olbermann still waiting for Sean Hannity to be waterboarded
The debate over torture is getting personal for two of cable TV's prime-time hosts.
After Fox News Channel's Sean Hannity made a seemingly impromptu offer last week to undergo waterboarding as a benefit for charity, MSNBC's Keith Olbermann leapt at it. He offered $1,000 to the families of U.S. troops for every second Hannity withstood the technique.
Olbermann repeated the offer on Monday's show and said in an interview Tuesday that he's heard no response. He said he'll continue to pursue it.
"I don't think he has the courage to even respond to this — let alone do it," Olbermann said.
Fox News Channel representatives did not respond to requests for comment.
The two men are on opposite poles of a debate that has preoccupied the worlds of talk TV and radio. Hannity says waterboarding is a fair and necessary interrogation technique for suspected terrorists; Olbermann calls it torture, says it's ineffective and should not be done by Americans.
Charles Grodin was challenging Hannity on the issue on Fox last week, and asked whether he would consent to be waterboarded.
"Sure," Hannity said. "I'll do it for charity ... I'll do it for the troops' families."
It wasn't exactly clear how serious the conversation was, since Grodin joked, "Are you busy on Sunday?" and Hannity laughed.
"I'll let you do it," Hannity said.
"I wouldn't do it," Grodin said. "I'll hand you a towel when you come out of the shower."
Olbermann's offer was quick. Besides the $1,000 per second, Olbermann said he'd double it if Hannity acknowledges he feared for his life and admits that waterboarding is torture.
"The idea of putting somebody in a position they have volunteered for, for charity, to respond to their own unsupportable claims, is in many ways priceless," Olbermann said.
Olbermann, who hasn't missed any chance to criticize his ideological enemies at Fox, concedes TV competition plays a part in his offer. But he said it was sincere, because he believes Hannity has had a damaging role in the debate.
"If you expose people to reality, even with someone who is denying reality, that can have a powerful and important impact," he said.
| The Associated Press
Posted on Wed, Apr. 29, 2009 06:05 AM
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