Olbermann Hits 'Worst Person' Katie Couric for Charging Anti-Hillary Bias

  • Bookmark and Share

On Wednesday's Countdown show, during the show's regular "Worst Person in the World" segment, MSNBC host Keith Olbermann, who rarely hits liberals during the segment while he often targets conservatives, turned his ire toward CBS News anchor Katie Couric for her recent charges that some media figures were guilty of anti-Clinton, or pro-Obama bias. Olbermann accused Couric of taking out of "context" comments by NBC correspondent Lee Cowan, who, as he covers the Barack Obama campaign, has said he finds it "hard to be objective," as she, not naming him, suggested he "find another line of work." Olbermann, who has attacked Hillary Clinton on several occasions while being softer on Obama, declared Cowan's reporting to be "utterly objective and accurate," and castigated Couric for "her own promulgation of the nonsense that Senator Clinton was a victim of sexism." (Transcript follows)

Story Continues Below Ad ↓

As he named the distinction of "Worst Person" to Couric, Olbermann started by quoting Couric's recent comments attacking what she viewed as "unfair, hostile coverage" of Clinton. Olbermann: "And our winner, Katie Couric. Speaking at a Washington luncheon in her honor, the CBS anchor saying, ‘However you feel about politics,' or her politics, rather, ‘I feel that Senator Clinton received some of the most unfair hostile coverage I`ve ever seen.' She added that sexism ‘contributed in part to the Senator's defeat.'"

After calling those comments "a little Kool-Aid-ish," he went on to recount that Clinton had, without naming Cowan, criticized his remarks about his own ability to be objective about covering Obama as she suggested Cowan "find another line of work." Olbermann: "Couric referred to one, quote, ‘prominent member of the commentariat' who had said he found it hard to be objective when it came to Obama. ‘That's your job,' she says. Then she suggested he ‘find another line of work.'"

Olbermann went on to defend Cowan, who "as Ms. Couric would have found out had she bothered to examine the context of his remark, was speaking with refreshing honesty, acknowledging that the environment of that campaign and the ferocity of the candidate`s supporters in the primaries challenged a reporter to be especially professional and vigilant in separating the hype from the news."

The MSNBC host then went on to give his endorsement to Cowan's coverage of the Obama campaign: "I probably saw literally 90 percent of Lee Cowan`s reporting in this campaign, and it was utterly objective and accurate."

Olbermann concluded by accusing Clinton of bias of her own: "It is sad that Ms. Couric could not have emulated him and separated the hype from the news in her own promulgation of the nonsense that Senator Clinton was a victim of pronounced sexism. And as to her advice that a reporter like Lee Cowan, who was her colleague at CBS for nearly a year, should find another line of work, it is sadly obvious that in leaving NBC and the Today Show, Ms. Couric already has. Katie Couric, today's ‘Worst Person in the World.'"

Below is a transcript of Olbermann's comments from the end of the "Worst Person in the World" segment from Wednesday's Countdown on MSNBC:

And our winner, Katie Couric. Speaking at a Washington luncheon in her honor, the CBS anchor saying, "However you feel about politics," or her politics, rather, "I feel that Senator Clinton received some of the most unfair hostile coverage I`ve ever seen." She added that sexism "contributed in part to the Senator's defeat."

A little Kool-Aid-ish, but her opinion and she`s entitled to it. What followed she was not entitled to. Couric referred to one, quote, "prominent member of the commentariat" who had said he found it hard to be objective when it came to Obama. "That's your job," she says. Then she suggested he "find another line of work."

She didn't name him, maybe because she didn't bother to look it up. But the supposed member of the "commentariat" who said that was not, in fact, a commentator. It was NBC News correspondent Lee Cowan, who covered the Obama campaign throughout the primaries, and who, as Ms. Couric would have found out had she bothered to examine the context of his remark, was speaking with refreshing honesty, acknowledging that the environment of that campaign and the ferocity of the candidate`s supporters in the primaries challenged a reporter to be especially professional and vigilant in separating the hype from the news.

I probably saw literally 90 percent of Lee Cowan`s reporting in this campaign, and it was utterly objective and accurate. It is sad that Ms. Couric could not have emulated him and separated the hype from the news in her own promulgation of the nonsense that Senator Clinton was a victim of pronounced sexism. And as to her advice that a reporter like Lee Cowan, who was her colleague at CBS for nearly a year, should find another line of work, it is sadly obvious that in leaving NBC and the Today Show, Ms. Couric already has. Katie Couric, today's "Worst Person in the World."

—Brad Wilmouth is a news analyst at the Media Research Center.


Comments Policy

All comments are owned by whoever posted them and are subject to our terms of use. They should not be assumed to represent the views of NewsBusters.

Viewing options

Select your preferred way to display the comments and click "Save settings" to activate your changes.

Olbermann is really a creep,

Olbermann went on a four and half minute assault on John McCain's memory because McCain also defended Hillary Clinton.  I devoted a column about it on my blog.

 Real democrats are fighting back against MSNBC.

 

http://alessandromac...

 

http://www.Hillary-W...

http://www.Fair-Refl...

http://www.Florida-M...

http://www.CaucusChe...

http://www.CaucusConfession.com 

Alessandro

I take it that you are a Democrat/Liberal, but after visiting your blog in this issue, I have to wholeheartedly agree with your take. I remember when Olberman was being carried by Dan Patrick for all those years at ESPN and cannot understand how he is being given an opportunity to spew his egomania all over the airwaves.

One thing I have to point out, though, is that Newsweek long ago gave away any credibility that it had. This is not the first time that Jonathan Alter has crossed over from straight journalism to advocacy, so you really shouldn't be surprised!

It's a little late to cry

It's a little late to cry foul with biased MSM reporting given that the Clintons have been beneficiaries of the MSM for close to 20 years.  But we sympathize, we know what you're talking about. The MSM has poisoned the political process by becoming part of it.

Maybe now you will understand our position on an independent press that practices journalistic ethics.  Only now do you realize that if the MSM can pick a political party to support, they can also pick the candidate they want as well?

You can whine and stomp your feet until November, but the MSM has made up their mind and they have the megaphone, you have no voice. They make you feel powerless don't they, however, you have the ability to make the MSM feel powerless as well.  Here's my suggestion to all the Clinton supporters who are put off by the MSM choosing sides, put a finger in their eye by voting for McCain.  The choice is yours, you can be the powerless victim curled up in the corner or you can strike back.  McCain is a liberal so you really haven't lost anything by voting for him, his liberalism doesn't make me happy, but at least he has a modicum of common sense.

In fact, I will be so bold as to make the assertion the only way Democrats will ever take back control of their own party from the control exercised by manipulation of the MSM is to vote for an experienced liberal over an inexperienced MSM chosen candidate whom you will have to make excuses for which is far worse than McCain.  Wouldn't it be better to snipe at McCain for the next four years than to constantly make excuses for Obama's inexperience and latent racism?  Do you really want to constantly look over your shoulders every time you disagree with Obama lest you be called a racist?  You should have chosen Lieberman, then at least you would have been able to hold your heads up and not continually make excuses for a fatally flawed inexperienced candidate.

 Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid, starving the poor one gallon of ethanol at a time. Fill your tank with E85 and cull a village.  

For the love all that's holy

I ask this on a regular basis.

How does a failed sportscaster with a habit of imploding on a regular basis suddenly become a pundit? He has zero qualifications.  Are they all hoping for a "Rosie" moment on  the air?

I put him in a category with Jon Stewart et al. Not particularly funny people who want to be taken seriously until they step on some private appendage and then fall back on ,"hey, it;'s just comedy man." Stewart was interviewing Ralph Reed about his new novel (another story altogether) and he might just as well changed his logo to the "Daily Obama a&& Kissing Show".

well let's just hear it for

well let's just hear it for Katie!

she once was lost, but now - I can maybe see her - way off in the distance - tiny little speck...

WALK TOWARDS THE LIGHT KATIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Because he's not funny

Because he's not funny enough to have his own late night talk show...

Does anyone actually take

Does anyone actually take this guy seriously? Most of the time his "Worst" segments are just him ranting against enemies of the liberal cause his network holds so dear, which, obviously, does nothing for his credibility. However, when he starts spouting off about how bad someone is for the sin of disagreeing with him, he might as well be holding a banner reading, "Facts? Honesty? No way, just my opinions!" The guy's well past being a joke.

www.rhjunior.com Great comics with a hefty dose of Christian and anti-nutjob goodness.

"With your mind as high as Mt. Fuji you can see all things clearly. And you can see all the forces that shape events; not just the things near to you." -Miyamoto Musashi

I have no use for Olbermann

Couric either!

They are both just LMSM hosts.

Bias for all

Not sure what all of the fuss is about.  It should be obvious that objective reporting died after the Korean War ended.  There is a lack of objectivity that is so pervasive throughout the msm that any hopes of seeing objective reporting from any of them is dashed.

Even Fox is falling into the opinion market with Shepherd Smith leading the way like the well trained doggie that he is named after.  At least a well bred shepherd is a useful dog to have around.

SWEET!!

The Children of the Corn are beginning to cannibalize themselves. 

Noli habere bovis, vir!

Sailor... LMAO

Sailor... LMAO

Hillary did herself proud

Oh there he goes again: "Max (Olbermann) Headroom"
is like a monkey throwing his crap from his tree. We all should be proud of
what she has achieved. I only wish that she had appeared on O'reilly in January
instead of May when it was too late.

Divide & Conquer

 Well, it looks like the csmsm is a fightin amongst theyselves, i reckon thats a good thing for us po folks.!!

(GRINS)  kilrod

Remember, only two defining forces have ever offered to die for you, Jesus Christ and the American Soldier

The circle gets smaller

Now he's attacking fellow liberal Democrats. Pretty soon, he'll attack anyone who doesn't agree with every single thing he says. And if he happens to mis-speak and contradict himself, he's willing to put himself in there also. There can be no exceptions.

I don't believe it

I actually agree with something Mr. Olbermann said.  There is hope for the world. :) 

 

The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane.” – Marcus Aurelius

KO is now eating his own.

KO is now eating his own.

Actually, he can do anything he wants. He's the HMFIC (Head Mother F***** In Charge) at the Barack Channel now and thinks he's the reincarnation of Edward R. Murrow. I hope someone catches him in a Marv Albert-type moment real soon...

thinks he's the

thinks he's the reincarnation of Edward R. Murrow.

When he is, in fact, the reincarnation of Edward R. Munster.

Vote 4 change. Vote 4 anything. See Jack & Mr Shy's first campaign ad for the ONLY viable 3rd party candidate.

LOL...Bingo, Jack!

LOL...Bingo, Jack!

As the perkless one ratings fall..ubermann is trolling for her

spot on cBS. AAhhh hussian president's spokesman pushing the propanganda on the falling 3rd. nitely news slot. TV landscape continues to get uglier.

Liberals62%


IranianUranium

Worse than Couric?

I understand that Mugabe had the wife of his opponent burned alive after his thugs hacked off her feet.  I wonder if he will be named today's "Worst Person in the World." 

Are you kidding?

Nah. Mugabe did that in the name of social justice.  Olbermann's cool with it, as is the rest of the Left. 

Res tantum valet quantum vendi potest.

Hey look in the background.

Hey look in the background. Bill O. on the list again. Everytime I peek to see what Olberdork is doing, I run into the Worst Person list, and 80% of the time he's put Bill O. on it. He just can't get enough of Bill. (but neither can Bill, so I guess it's all even) At first glance I thought it interesting that he put a liberal (Katie Couric) on it, but then I say "big deal." He puts a lib up for talking negativel against other libs.