Sarah Palin documentarian John Ziegler has offered Keith Olbermann $100,000 if the MSNBC host invites him on "Countdown" to debate issues related to the former Alaska governor.
According to Mediate, Olbermann made some remarks on his show Monday about Ziegler's recent scuffle with the American Conservative Union's David Keene at the Western CPAC conference last Saturday.
In characteristic Olbermanese, the host said Ziegler was "defending his own crush" meaning Palin.
Mediaite's Tommy Christopher caught up with Ziegler on Tuesday who had the following to say about Olbermann:
Wow. That is even more bizarre than I thought it would be.
First, if Olbermann really had ANY interest in knowing what motivated this (which he asks his not even tangential guest about several times) why didn’t he just ask me about it? If he was afraid I would destroy him in a live interview (which of course I would) why not do one on tape? If he didn’t want to give me the face time, why not at least speak to me off the air?
The real answer is that this had nothing to do with the Republican Party per se but rather a call for authenticity in the leadership of the conservative movement (those are different things). At one point Olbermann claims that I am motivated (bizarrely, moments after substantiating some of my other inquires of Keene) by “defending a crush.” For the record, my passion for defending Sarah Palin has nothing to do with any of her womanly qualities.
This may shock people, but my defense of her is not even politically based. It is motivated purely by the level of unfairness of the coverage of her. I honestly believe that I would have reacted the same way if she were ugly and a Democrat (not that it would have ever happened to her if that was the case), but I can understand why Olbermann couldn’t possibly understand such principled consistency or being motivated by something other than one’s own self interest and/or what they feel in their pants.
I will make this offer to Olbermann. If he has me on the show to debate Palin-related issues, live, for a full hour, I will pay his favorite charity $100,000, which is more than any profit I am ever likely to make from my film “Media Malpractice.” This offer is 100% real.
Will Olbermann accept?
Stay tuned.
—Noel Sheppard is the Associate Editor of NewsBusters. Follow him at Facebook and Twitter.
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Comments Policy
One word sums it up...
October 23, 2009 - 15:32 ET by ConservativeClarkWOW!!! Put up or shut up time.
Now all we need to do is wait til the douchebag Olbermann either accepts the challenge or takes the cowardly route. Even if he did do the interview, i suspect he would try to control it by cutting to commercial during bad spots, talking over Zeigler, resorting to name calling, etc. Was there a course in Bovine U. for debate? He probably dropped that course if it was there.
I give a few bucks
October 23, 2009 - 09:38 ET by legacyrepublicanI would give a few bucks on Pay Per View to watch Oldbeanbag meet his verbal executioner. ;)
Olbermann's antics don't
October 23, 2009 - 09:42 ET by NewsbusterbrownOlbermann's antics don't surprise me, because he's a gutless coward who can't defend his positions. However, David Keene's actions do surprise me. I hadn't heard anything about his leftward tilt recently. Why is he still at the head of the ACU?
“There are no easy answers' but there are simple answers. We must have the courage to do what we know is morally right.” - Ronald Reagan (1964 Republican Convention)
Dueling Egos
October 23, 2009 - 10:03 ET by CaringwhiteguyWhy should anyone bother to watch a "debate" between two people who are so full of themselves that it's up to their eyeballs?
We arent talking about
October 23, 2009 - 11:03 ET by UtherpendWe arent talking about Chris Matthews and Kieth Olberman but nice try.
"For a people who are free, and who mean to remain so, a well-organized and armed militia is their best security."
Perhaps you have a point
October 23, 2009 - 11:34 ET by CaringwhiteguyOlbermann is a total whack job. His self-promotion could be a secondary phenomenon. Ziegler, on the other hand, is just a shameless self-promoter (witness his dog & pony show at USC this past spring). Ziegler may have more parallels to the Colorado Balloon Boy's dad than he does Olbermann.
Penny Saved Penny Earned
October 23, 2009 - 09:53 ET by GazinyaI will guess that Mr. Ziegler knows this guy like the back of his hand. Olberman will not debate. He will go on some kind of rampage then move to the next target. Libs can not use ideas because if their ideas are applied to the left or right of point then their concepts collapse. That is why accadimics never debate conservatives on ANY subject. Debate requires studied thought. Gazinya
If I
October 23, 2009 - 09:59 ET by jessieHIf I had a choice between Sara Palin or mr. obama, She wins, hands down. But, we are stuck with a Hitler wanna-be for now. Olbermann must have the " tingle" for obama. Good luck with the debate, but I don't think he'll accept. His charity is himself. I hear he has enrolled in the obama school of lies. It's another part of Acorn, and it's free for idiots.
Of course homomann won't debate..
October 23, 2009 - 10:32 ET by Paul Gbut even if he did..so what? he'd lose hands down, We know it. they know it, but who would see it except our 'choir'. They can't debate facts, even if it was for a million bucks. ummmm I mean a trillion bucks...a million or billion don't mean anything any more lol not lol
Wrong Currency!
October 23, 2009 - 11:29 ET by slickwillie2001Ziegler might get further with Olbermann if he offered him $100,000 worth of vouchers for the 'girls' over on 47th Street.
Tiny bubbles..........
October 23, 2009 - 11:56 ET by TomoramaMaybe he should offer the pussy a 100 grand in Mr Bubble and rubber duckies and afew scrub brushes so tingly legs can scratch him in those hard to reach places.
To use the pussies own idea - "It is 2 and a half hours and Bathtub boy has still not taken the offer", more to follow..........
A great man once said, YOU only get out of life what YOU put into it, he obviously wasn't a liberal.
I'd kill to see Olbermann
October 23, 2009 - 11:57 ET by Another Dead KennedyI'd kill to see Olbermann debate Palin. I bet he'd pay $100K just to get her on his show.
xoxo - Ted
Whatever
October 23, 2009 - 12:57 ET by Brad90956Why do you think Keith has NEVER debated anyone on his show? Because his giant ego could not take the beating. His comfort zone is sitting behind his desk all alone throwing bombs and not having the courage to let people respond to him. He is the biggest hypocrite and coward on TV.
Sorry
October 23, 2009 - 13:19 ET by Brad90956Sorry, I made a mistake. Keith did debate someone on his show...sort of.
http://www.youtube.c...
I was kind of hoping for a
October 23, 2009 - 13:42 ET by Another Dead KennedyI was kind of hoping for a video of Keith with a cute little monkey on his lap, feeding Keith a banana. Oh well.
xoxo - Ted
ILTK
October 23, 2009 - 20:06 ET by well99You need to keep OBs sexual orientation out of this.If PETA only knew.
Sorry but
October 23, 2009 - 13:34 ET by chiefpayneI suspect there's NO way Olbermann will take him up on it. While the money is a very big enticement, Olbermann's ego would not his tolerate losing a battle of wits against Ziegler...which of course he would lose simply because Olbermann would show up completely unarmed.
You are correct. For now
October 23, 2009 - 23:03 ET by BDYou are correct. For now Olberman will avoid any set peice battles that commit him in a way that might further degrade his audience in any significant way.
Nor will MSNBC allow him to lose their last remaining 5 viewers.
Olberman debate Ziegler?
October 23, 2009 - 15:48 ET by grumpyoldbI'd make an exception to my rule of never wasting valuable time watching Olberman's show... I't would be interesting timing how long it tool Olberman's head to explode....
A close source reported that
October 23, 2009 - 18:24 ET by celatorA close source reported that when Mr. Olberdoofus learned of the debate challenge, he immediately jumped into his bathtub and started singing:
"I'm a nice boy, and I like to wear undies.
Undies! Undies! Undies! Undies!
When I wear undies, it's really really funny! Funny! Funny!
Funny! Funny! Funny. Undies! Undies are funny!
I like to wear undies because they're so funny!
Funny! Undies! Undies! Undies! Undies!"
Tom Green Lyrics
The same sources added that no further comments would be forthcoming.
No citizen's right to life, liberty, pursuit of happiness, or property is safe as long as Obama is President of the United States.
In the words of a certain
October 23, 2009 - 19:39 ET by MikeBIn the words of a certain egocentric fool on a formerly good blog: this statement has not been proved false, so no retraction, no apology.
"A communist is someone who reads Marx. An anti-communist is someone who understands Marx." Ronald Reagan
Olbermann is jeolous
October 23, 2009 - 21:38 ET by HogTideRebelCatsOlbermann is jeolous because what's in his pants is microscopic.
When Olby goes on a date it always ends with LAUGHTER when his drawers hit the floor.
Media Malpractice is absolutely true.
I don't think Olberman would debate about Sarah for $1,000,000.
October 23, 2009 - 23:15 ET by Free StinkerI don't think Olberman would debate about Sarah for $1,000,000.
In my opinion, the guy is a coward.
Olberman is in a tough
October 24, 2009 - 09:25 ET by BDOlberman is in a tough position on this one.
If he debates Ziegler and is defeated badly which is likely he loses what tiny amount of credibility his network has imputed to him.
If he were able to survive the debate with Ziegler he gains little since his tiny audience is likely to continue watching simply because he makes them comfortable with their ignorance.
He will attempt to ingnore the debate, but Ziegler should press him on it.