Our Letter to Countdown and MSNBC

Keith Olbermann has walked into a propellor again. This time he should do the right thing.

Subject: Countdown for Jan 27

Date: January 28, 2006 11:46:17 AM GMT-05:00

To: countdown@msnbc.com

On January 27 Keith Olbermann took another on-air shot at Bill O'Reilly (by our count, #58 in his continuing series). Displaying a photograph of Mr O'Reilly, Mr Olbermann stated:

He walked right into another propellor. He has now ripped us here at MSNBC on the air for supposedly not covering the case of Judge Edward Cashman of Vermont...Bill O'Reilly, once again, today's "Worst Person in the World"!

Mr Olbermann did not present a direct quote of what Mr O'Reilly said. However, the transcript can be found here.

It is clear that Bill O'Reilly said nothing whatsoever about MSNBC's coverage of the matter. Olbermann's report seems to have been made up out of whole cloth. Mr Olbermann went on to claim:

Here's the thing, Bill. The Judge Cashman story? We covered it here on Countdown on January 6th of this year. You didn't start covering it until January 9th.

But Mr Olbermann is being disingenuous. He fails to mention that Bill O'Reilly couldn't have covered the story on Friday, January 6 because he wasn't on The O'Reilly Factor that day. There was a substitute host. (He was back the following Monday: January 9.) By the way, the Countdown "coverage" Mr Olbermann boasted of amounted to three sentences.

Mr Olbermann's entire attack is based on a falsehood, a made-up O'Reilly comment that O'Reilly didn't say. It's Keith Olbermann who has walked right into another propellor. It is incumbent on Mr Olbermann and MSNBC to retract and apologize publicly for this cheapest of cheap shots.

Johnny Dollar's Place
Olbermann Watch

UPDATE: Full details of this Olbermann broadcast can be found in this entry at Olbermann Watch.

posted: Sat - January 28, 2006 at 11:42 AM j$p send

Uncle Sam
Whats good for the goose is good for the gander!! MS has every right to say what they want about o'reilly. Just o'reilly has the right to say anything he wants about them. O'reilly though is just one big whiney baby!
January 28, 2006, 3:19:29 PM EST – Like – Reply

johnny dollar
It wasn't O'Reilly who whined this time, it was Olbermann. And while he has the right to say whatever he wants, I have the right to point out when he is not telling the truth. Again.
January 28, 2006, 3:34:42 PM EST – Like – Reply

Noelle
Who watches Keith Olbermann anyways?? Bill O'Reilly gets attacked from every far left idiot out there. He can handle it, if not he would have been gone a long time ago.
January 28, 2006, 5:35:41 PM EST – Like – Reply

Missy
I believe that O'Reilly said that none of the networks even carried the story. Keith gets it wrong again!
January 28, 2006, 10:16:31 PM EST – Like – Reply

Anon
You can e-mail Olbermann directly at Keith.Olbermann@msnbc.com
January 28, 2006, 11:59:13 PM EST – Like – Reply

Missy
Anon, I have e-mailed him in the past, when I was somewhat a fan of his. He never responded nor has he ever corrected any misstatements that I brought to his attention. He's lost any credibility with me.

So I'm back in the "No Spin Zone" each week night at 8 p.m. ET.
January 29, 2006, 11:27:57 AM EST – Like – Reply

Jimbo
Kieth got it right. O'Reilly said "the network newscasts totally ignored the story."

Or are you saying MSNBC is not one of the networks?

Bill went on to say "In the weeks to come, "Talking Points" expects even more attacks on FOX News. The Cashman case proves we can get things done. And that kind of power threatens the left wing media establishment which loathes Fox News because we hold them accountable for their selective reporting and spin. Outlets like MSNBC, a true ratings disaster, continue to cheap-shot FOX News on a daily basis. The boss over there, far-left martinet Rick Kaplan, has virtually destroyed that network as a credible source of information. Kaplan badly damaged CNN as well before he was fired there."

Sounds like Bill tried to rip into MSNBC, just as Keith stated.

I really think Johnny
February 8, 2006, 10:10:29 AM EST – Like – Reply

johnny dollar
Keith got it wrong. He said O'Reilly attacked MSNBC for not covering the story. O'Reilly didn't. O'Reilly singled out the network newscasts. MSNBC is not a network. It's a cable channel. Your local NBC station that carries Meet the Press: THAT'S a network. Everybody knows "the network newscasts" are ABC's World News Tonight, CBS with Schieffer, and NBC with Brian Williams. Just read TVNewser's article on this. There is no bigger Olbermann fan than TVN, but even he admitted that O'Reilly did not say what Olby claims he said. Trying to rewrite the meaning to save Olby's bacon will not work.

> Sounds like Bill tried to rip into MSNBC, just as Keith stated.

Wrong again. Bill ripped into MSNBC, but NOT just as Keith stated. Keith made up something about Bill claiming MSNBC didn't cover the story. And Bill never said it. Keith made up a phony quote, out of thin air. It wasn't true, but he doesn't care if something is true or not, as long as he can use it to slam whatever he hates.
February 8, 2006, 4:38:12 PM EST – Like – Reply