MSNBC’s Keith Olbermann and CNN’s Rick Sanchez both poked fun of Fox News personality Sean Hannity for his on-air commercials for Stanford Coins and Bullion, which is part of the Stanford Financial Group led by Robert Allen Stanford, who has been in the news recently due to charges of fraud. It was the Huffington Post on Wednesday that pointed out the talk show host’s spots for Stanford. Olbermann named Hannity his “Worst Person in the World” on Thursday evening for the radio spots for Stanford.
Nineteen hours later, on Friday afternoon’s Newsroom program on CNN, Sanchez gave the misleading impression that Hannity was still doing the live spots even after the news of the investigation into Stanford came out: “Sean Hannity unabashedly endorsed Robert Allen Stanford on the air to millions of potential customers -- the same Fox News host who calls President Obama a socialist.” An on-screen graphic during Sanchez’s segment indicated that his source for the story was the Huffington Post, while another graphic asked, “Who’s Your Friend, Sean?”
The “friend” term used in the CNN graphic was a reference to a term Hannity used during the live radio commerical: “As a matter of fact, two weeks ago, I ordered some gold from our friends at Stanford Coins and Bullion...” After playing an audio commercial from one of the radio spots, Sanchez used two of Fox News’s slogans to make fun of the situation: “Fair and balanced? We report. You decide. And you can decide, and do so at my blog, cnn.com/ricksanchez, where you’ll also see our open invite for Mr. Hannity’s response on this.”
The transcript of the relevant part of Olbermann’s “Worst Person in the World” segment, which began 50 minutes into the 8 pm Eastern hour of Thursday’s Countdown program on MSNBC:
KEITH OLBERMANN: But our winner -- the ‘Manatee’ [Sean Hannity]. You heard of the latest Bernie Madoff-wannabe [Robert] Allen Stanford, the Texas billionaire -- certificates of deposit guru, who fled after being charged with trying to defraud 50,000 of his clients out of $8 billion. They found him tonight. One of his scams is the Stanford Financial Group, and one of its scams is Stanford Coins and Bullion. And guess who one of Sean Hannity’s biggest radio sponsors is? He even reads their commercials himself.
SEAN HANNITY (from radio): I’ve been buying gold. As a matter of fact, two weeks ago, I ordered some gold from our friends at Stanford Coins and Bullion. Call Stanford Coins and Bullion and mention my name -- get a free guide book of U.S. coins free with purchase, or go to the web stanfordcoins.com/hannity
OLBERMANN: (in ‘imitating’ tone) ‘Mention my name and get your pockets picked personally by Allen Stanford, and if you order now, he will come to your house and he’ll vacuum out the gold from your teeth.’ (back to normal tone) You wait. Before the economic scandals finish shaking out, Sean Hannity’s company will be left applying for a bail-out from the Obama administration. Maybe he can melt down his statuette for being tonight’s ‘Worst Person in the World!’
—Matthew Balan is a news analyst at the Media Research Center.
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So if ...
February 20, 2009 - 17:41 ET by legacyrepublicanyou advertise Peanut Butter on your program, are you guilty of attempted murder because the PB makes people ill or Tylenol, because someone spikes it, or GM cars because drunk drivers kill people or the tires you sell are proven bad and fall apart at high speeds on Ford SUVs, etc.
C'mon guys. Just because your sponsors do something wrong does not mean that you advocated the fraud.
No, you are doing this to spite someone you hate.
Ignorance and stupidity
February 20, 2009 - 18:37 ET by iveseenitallThe verbal "wars" among the media types. Mostly it's Fox against the rest of them. I find these things indicative of what "jounalism " has become in America --- Ignorance, stupidity, and immaturity on display. Where are the adults? America deserves better than the sophomoric nonsense on display each and every night. How sad.
NEVER,NEVER trust a "liberal"
Hey Sanchez you are such a
February 20, 2009 - 18:55 ET by midnight cowboyHey Sanchez you are such a tool.
From ABC's website:
A video posted on the firm's web-site shows Stanford, now sought by U.S. Marshals, being hugged by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and praised by former President Bill Clinton for helping to finance a convention-related forum and party put on by the National Democratic Institute.
Who's your friend Rick, Bill, Kieth, Nancy and the rest of the democrats?
Sanchez & Olbercrap
February 20, 2009 - 19:30 ET by blazermaniacWould love to get the audience that Sean Hannity gets. They are envious of what real talent really is.
' Olbermann named Hannity his “Worst Person in the World” '
February 20, 2009 - 20:10 ET by clinging to my guns and my religionconsidering the source, if i were hannity, i would take that as a compliment!
"When bad men combine, the good must associate; else they will fall one by one, an unpitied sacrifice in a contemptible struggle." Edmund Burke
Worst Person in the World.
February 20, 2009 - 20:24 ET by blazermaniacWhat a surprise. It's amazing that more often than not, a Fox anchor is selected as that person by Olbercrap. Olbercrap desparately wants somewhere near the ratings that Bill O'Reilly & Sean Hannity get. If Olbercrap wants to be a ratings winner, he might want to face a "test pattern" at about 3:00 in the morning. I think that the "test pattern" would whip Olbercrap's behind.
Of course, looking at a
February 20, 2009 - 22:00 ET by gopcongressOf course, looking at a typical Nielsen Ratings statistic, we find out the grapes are of a particularly sour nature.
Cable News Ratings for Wednesday, February 18
Hannity–2,563,000 viewers (716,000) (1,036,000)
Countdown w/Keith Olbermann –1,426,000 viewers (503,000) (754,000)
Yep... no wonder Keith gets in an ire.
Moderate... Democrat... Liberal... Progressive... Socialist... Communist.
The progression is clear as day.
Spuds MacKensie
February 20, 2009 - 22:05 ET by m1xramObviously Spuds MacKensie is guilty of all those DUIs people got while drinking Bud. Who knew?
Sean Hannity is a victim,
February 21, 2009 - 00:07 ET by TN MomSean Hannity is a victim, just like the two Yankee outfielders who got swindled by Stanford.
Nah, no victim, just doing what he was paid for
February 21, 2009 - 05:35 ET by thebutlerdiditHe was getting paid to do a radio spot. Big deal. And it is not exactly like he was personally endorsing this guy, he was doing a spot for a business that is under the Stanford umbrella. But Sanchez is too funny. If Olby's ratings are bad, how bad do Sanchez's have to be, that he would attempt to be a Olby wannabe? Yikes!
All a Democrat needs is the upper-story window of public attention and the chamber pot of rhetoric. How else to explain the rise of Joe Biden? P.J. O' Rourke
Which is worse?
February 21, 2009 - 07:36 ET by Joe C.Endorsing an R. Allen Stanford product, then dumping him when you find out he's crooked vs. endorsing Obama and still shilling for him after you find out he's incompetent and crooked. Which is worse?
sean hannity
February 21, 2009 - 09:33 ET by tonemeisteras far as i know never got drunk at a dolphins game.then ran over and killed a pedestrian on the way home. then left the scene and lawyered up like the rickster .
Where have all the reporters gone?
February 21, 2009 - 11:09 ET by jessieHJessie R. Hamby Did the good ones die? If so, I would like to know what killed them & let the rest do the same. Seems like FOX has the only good ones left. We need to send olberman & sanchez a WAMBULANCE.
Shut up, phony
February 21, 2009 - 12:27 ET by winston smithShut up, phony hypocrite and pay your taxes Keith.
FOX should counter with a story on Sanchez.
February 21, 2009 - 13:14 ET by krendlerAn on-screen graphic during Sanchez’s segment indicated that his source
for the story was the Huffington Post, while another graphic asked,
“Who’s Your Friend, Sean?”\
Boy, that's clever.
Since CNN and Sanchez are willing to target a competitor, FOX News should do a piece on Sanchez. How about a follow up on how the family of the guy that Sanchez killed in a drunken, hit and run incident is doing today? Have a graphic that asks, "Gotten drunk and killed anyone lately, Rick?"
Here's all you need to know about Rick Sanchez:
http://www.miaminewt...
The victim, after being in a coma, later died.
Sanchez and Jack Cafferty should form a club. What is it with CNN and hiring hit-and-run driving drunks?
Sanchez is a sh:tbag
February 21, 2009 - 13:24 ET by Sergeant ROCK...eyewitnesses claim the anchorman ignored the injured man and loudly
told police and bystanders that blood tests were pointless, and would
hurt his public image.
Yep, a sh:tbag.
"I ask, Sir, what is the militia? It is the whole people. To disarm the people is the best and most effectual way to enslave them."
George Mason
Bolton/KEYES 2012
→ Wow krendler
February 21, 2009 - 13:25 ET by Cool ArrowI didn't know Sanchez was a hit&run offender. CNN must be proud.
Not quite as proud of Sanchez as they are of Richard Quest, caught with methamphetamine.
Quest also had some sort of sex toy chained to his private parts.
The most busted name in news.
Sanchez and Olbie are Such Women
February 21, 2009 - 13:18 ET by RogerCfromSDThese two guys should just come out of the closet already.
A nation cannot be free without a free, unbiased media. We are not free.
So, every company that has
February 21, 2009 - 18:26 ET by grevalSo, every company that has ever advertised on CNN that has failed, been under criminal investigation, or had to recall a product, bring down the reputation and good name of CNN? Wait, CNN does a good job of destroying its credibility all on its own.
I am no expert on...
February 23, 2009 - 03:49 ET by jawebster1Olbermann and Sanchez because I never watch their shows. I am an expert on Sean Hannity because I do watch his show on TV as well as listen to it on the radio. If Sean Hannity says it is a good idea to diversify your portfolio by buying some gold, he is not saying anything most money managers aren't saying. I'm just sorry I didn't buy some when it was $300 per ounce. BTW, if you haven't already unloaded your GE (owners of NBC, etc.,) stock, it's now too late. Jim Webster