Olbermann Likens bin Laden's 'Rant Without a Point' to Hannity, Crankiness to Bozell

Change font size:  A |  A

In what he no doubt considered cutting edge humor, MSNBC's Keith Olbermann on Friday night contended that Sean Hannity, just like Osama bin Laden, “rants without making a specific threat or point,” and MRC President/NewsBusters Publisher Brent Bozell, also just like bin Laden, “makes vague threats, is cranky and has a bad dye job on his beard.”

“So he's Sean Hannity?” Olbermann asked rhetorically immediately after he teased Countdown by describing how in the new Osama bin Laden video “he criticizes congressional Democrats and just rants without making a specific threat or point.” As Olbermann uttered Hannity's name, MSNBC inserted a picture of Hannity over the image of bin Laden in the new video. A half hour later, with “Finding Bin Laden” on screen under the bin Laden image, Olbermann plugged the upcoming segment by comparing the physical appearance and attitude of the terrorist with Bozell: “And he criticizes the Democrats, makes vague threats, is cranky and has a bad dye job on his beard. Brent Bozell? No, there's another Osama bin Laden tape. Wasn't the President going to catch him dead or alive six years ago?” Bozell has a beard, but it's not dyed.

Video of Olbermann on Hannity (14 secs): Real (500 KB) or Windows Media (600 KB), plus MP3 audio (80 KB)

Video of Olbermann on Bozell (15 secs): Real (500 KB) or Windows Media (550 KB), plus MP3 audio (85 KB)

At the top of the September 7 Countdown, with “THE BIN LADEN TAPE: WHY CAN'T WE FIND HIM?” on screen beneath an image of bin Laden, Olbermann teased:

The Osama bin Laden tape. First, why is he still free to make one? And in it he criticizes congressional Democrats and just rants without making a specific threat or point. So he's Sean Hannity?

Update 09-09 | Matthew Sheffield. Via Olbermann Watch, we learn that Fox News Radio host John Gibson made the reverse (and more correct) comparison between bin Laden's rants and Olbermann's. A leftist listener calls in to complain but inadvertently slips and admits that both moonbats and jihadists have the same enemy, those nefarious "neoconservatives." Hat tip: Stop the ACLU.