Keith Olbermann is notorious for filching stories from the blue blogs, particularly ones that attack the eeevil Bill O'Reilly. But now his sloppy, unprofessional practices have come back to bite him. He aired an out-and-out falsehood tonight as fact, ripping and reading from the most unreliable source in existence.
On "Countdown" tonight Olbermann assailed O'Reilly over his segment on Rep. Robert Wexler. After some crack about altering the color of Wexler's lips (a confirming clue as will be seen), he then turned the indignation up to '11' and ridiculed Bill for not knowing that Florida doesn't have a state income tax:
OLBERMANN: The Frank Burns of News then speculated that Wexler was somehow trying to cheat Florida out of income tax. Fund had to inform him that Florida doesn't have an income tax. "No income tax? This is where my argument falls to the ground!"Don't believe me? Watch the video past the jump:
Story Continues Below Ad ↓
Unfortunately this is completely false, and in fact the opposite of what actually happened. It was O'Reilly who brought up Florida's lack of an income tax:
O'REILLY: You say it's legal. You can do that, based upon how he set it up. Now, taxes. Doesn't he have to pay taxes in both states if he has dual residency there?Don't believe us? Here's the video of the segment, the video Olbermann was careful not to show:
FUND: Members of Congress can choose to pay taxes either in the Washington area or in their home state.
O'REILLY: OK so they have the choice. So he would pay it in Florida because Florida doesn't have a state tax. And Maryland taxes like crazy.
FUND: And you have just identified one of the big reasons he has to have this phantom residence, because that enables him to pay no state income tax.
Obviously Olbermann's entire segment was built on a falsehood, constructed around a conversation that never happened. So how did he come up with his twisted, doctored version of what O'Reilly said? Where else, but from the masters of twisting words and doctoring quotes, the left-wing blog Newshounds.us (another fine product of the "Outfoxed" syndicate). No other site that we could find reported this peculiar, and demonstrably false, version of the conversation:
While Bill O'Reilly elaborated on the dubious charge, a photo of Wexler with unusually red lips was shown on the screen.... BOR continued the probe speculating about the state taxes Wexler pays insinuating that he is trying to cheat in some way. Fund couldn't help him with that either informing him that Florida has no income tax anyway.Aha! Olbermann's "news source": another lie from the newspoodles.
Over the years, I have exposed literally hundreds of falsifications, doctored quotes, and lies from the Newshounds. There is no more dishonest source for smears against Fox News. Keith Olbermann is supposed to be a journalist. He's supposed to check sources and facts before he airs a story. That means something more than merely lifting something from an unreliable blue blog and airing it as if it were fact.
To say that the next Edward R Murrow's journalistic standards are subpar would be the understatement of the eon. Does Olbermann not care that he is just spewing falsehoods? Was the story "too good to check?" Can you imagine a "journalist" taking the word of a discredited blogger, without even bothering to look at the video to see if it's true?
You don't have to imagine it. MSNBC brings it to you every night, on "Countdown with Keith Olbermann"
—Mark Koldys is a writer and former prosecuting attorney who blogs about cable news at johnny dollar's place.
Editor at Large
Comments Policy
This reminds me of the time
July 23, 2008 - 22:13 ET by GameGridThis reminds me of the time where he smeared Glenn Beck falsely due to information he got via a leftie blog post. I guess he wouldn't have anything to talk about if he didn't make things up.
Newshounds and Olbermann
July 23, 2008 - 22:17 ET by Red RyderThis is a perfect example of how the left gets its news. The Newshounds are proven serial liars. Olbermann is happy to lift their lies to serve his Olbyesque agenda.
Another example in the long
July 23, 2008 - 22:19 ET by contraryAnother example in the long line of evidence pointing to Olbermann's ineptitude. How can anyone be this lazy? Of course, another answer is he's so clouded by his bias, he twists a legitimate point in a dialogue to discredit his political opposite and stroke his ego. The problem with this theory is it's not really provable. No one knows what goes on in that melon of his.
It's much easier to grab a snippet of a heated dialogue from another source than actually put energy into an argument of your own to further an agenda.
"I don't have time for this. You all can continue your co-dependency posts and make yourselves feel all chummy... Frankly, you all don't represent where America is going and you might as well get used to it."
--The Dooper
Olby lies on a nightly basis
July 23, 2008 - 22:25 ET by Captain KirockHonestly, anyone who views this show and thinks they are getting anything other than baseless left wing propaganda has to have their head examined.
As someone once said, Olby's show is simply a left wing echo chamber filled with nodding heads, all in agreement with the KO Kid.
Once again I'll ask the question: has Olby ever had anyone on his show who disagrees with him?
Can't help you out with that question....
July 23, 2008 - 23:00 ET by dodecahedron"Once again I'll ask the question: has Olby ever had anyone on his show who disagrees with him?"
Hello CK. Most of the TV news I get comes from AFN. Whenever I see Olbermann's face, I immediately jump up to change the channel or turn the TV off. I can't stomach watching Olbermann (I have tried), so I can't tell you who would be on his show.
Isn't it great to know that your tax money is going towards having the American Forces Network spreading Olbermann's left-wing hate to troops overseas?
Good Gawd
July 23, 2008 - 23:14 ET by Captain KirockI did not know that. That is a shame. Do you know how long that his show has been on AFN?
Seems like forever. At
July 23, 2008 - 23:19 ET by dodecahedronSeems like forever. At least a couple years now.
It's really sad when you hear young Airmen and women quoting Olbermann's perverted ideology. Too many of them see the show on 'AFN News' and assume that he is a journalist and that it must be fact.
AFN is not immune,,,
July 23, 2008 - 23:30 ET by Eileen RightWhere do you think some of these AFN
journalists learned their trade or expect to further their careers?
Isn't it great to know
July 24, 2008 - 06:00 ET by motherbeltIsn't it great to know that your tax money is going towards having the American Forces Network spreading Olbermann's left-wing hate to troops overseas?
And yet there was a big stink some time ago about AFN carrying Rush Limbaugh to the troops!
I didn't think it was physically possible, but this both sucks and blows. -Bart Simpson
The sad fact is that the
July 23, 2008 - 22:33 ET by dodecahedronThe sad fact is that the type of person who watches Olbermann won't care if he's telling the truth. They only require that the lies match what they want the truth to sound like.
Tool
July 23, 2008 - 23:22 ET by River CityOlbermann is a tool. Is BOR available to research my Caribbean senator too?
"Money is the scourge of the men who attempt to reverse the law of causality--the men who seek to replace the mind by seizing the products of the mind." Ayn Rand
Everytime O'Reilly says
July 24, 2008 - 03:55 ET by winston smithEverytime O'Reilly says something inaccurate -- or even when he is accurate but eggregiously misquoted as in this case, the media have a collective nervous breakdown over it and the smear campaign is underway no matter where you look -- from the lowliest left-wing blog to the major news networks. Yet Olbermann's Countdown is a veritable amusement park of lies, stupidity and misinformation on a regular basis and the left just yawns.
"Keith Olbermann is supposed to be a journalist"
July 24, 2008 - 07:29 ET by ur-conActually he's not. Just because he plays one on TV doesn't make him a journalist.
Olbermann /Wexler / OReilly
July 24, 2008 - 07:40 ET by mef814Not sure if anyone posted this, but Newshounds actually corrected their story!
Still, it makes Keef look foolish which always pleases me!
no regrets
July 24, 2008 - 08:36 ET by mom_roxThe actual correction on the blog:
What it should have been:
Isn't there usually a line that says "we regret the error"?
my favorite part: "The correct information was always in the video which was included in the original post." - d'oh!
A government that robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul.
- George Bernard Shaw, 1944
Just so you know
July 24, 2008 - 07:59 ET by BlondeRob Wexler is one of the nastist, most liberal POS Congresscritters in the US.
He chairs Obambi's Florida campaign.
He has been actively seeking to impeach Dick Cheney.
He's from Palm Beach (go figure).
I hope this story grows some legs, nothing nicer could happen to such person (who apparently doesn't even live int he district he supposedly represents) than to have him pitched out of Congress.
David Gregory, do you know which damn network you lie for? ~ Uncle Jimbo, @Blackfive
Check out Mark Levin's
July 24, 2008 - 08:17 ET by msh1973Check out Mark Levin's website, he has a entire section devoted to "Keith Overbite" and all his lies and hatred.
Wexler is evading Maryland State Income Taxes
July 24, 2008 - 12:57 ET by mitchfloridaThat is the issue here. Wexler has saved at least $120,000 over the last 10 years by evading the Maryland taxes he should be paying as a full-time resident of Maryland.
The way Olbermann thinks is
July 24, 2008 - 16:06 ET by deerjerkydaveThe way Olbermann thinks is that if it confirms his liberal paranoia then it must be true. No fact checking is necessary. This is why the liberal media is so liberal. They believe that their world view is the only correct view and don't ever feel the need to challenge it. And if a reporter gets wise and tries to challenge it they are marginalized, like John Stossel at ABC or Goldberg from CBS.
This kind of group think is also why few reporters challenge the media's world view, because they start to look like "doubting Thomases" or heretics, something you don't want to do if you want to get ahead in the business.
Olbermann thinks?
July 24, 2008 - 16:20 ET by NL207Olbermann thinks?
Well, he thinks he
July 24, 2008 - 17:11 ET by deerjerkydaveWell, he thinks he thinks.
It's a perfect example how an elitist thinks. They know they're right because they're smarter than the rest of us. Fact checking isn't necessary because he "KNOWS" that he is right.
I'm reminded of liberal commentator Bill Press and how he was duped by a false report that showed Presidential IQ's. This fake report showed George W. Bush with the lowest IQ of all Presidents and Bill Press fell for it hook line and sinker.