On Tuesday's Countdown, MSNBC host Keith Olbermann voiced his latest consipiracy theory regarding Bush administration officials politically timing the release of terror warnings or terrorism-related news to distract attention from stories embarrassing to the administration, as Olbermann seized on comments by Homeland Security Secretary Chertoff that he has a "gut feeling" that terrorists are more likely to strike during the summer. While interviewing Newsweek's Richard Wolffe, the Countdown host brought up his suspicions. Olbermann: "How about my gut feeling that Mr. Chertoff said this so that the lead story on the newscast on ABC would not be Iraq or Alberto Gonzales or that USA Today poll, but that it would be this, you know, 'gut feeling' of his, plus a vague sky-is-falling story about an al-Qaeda cell, which even the people in Homeland Security say is just nonsense?" (Transcript follows)
Wolffe responded that Chertoff may be trying to "cover his rear end" for not having more concrete intelligence on terrorism, suggesting America is not getting enough results for the money that is spent for homeland security.
Olbermann concluded: "Yeah, the 'gut feeling' has been described as 'breaking news.' Actually, a 'gut feeling' would be closer to 'breaking wind.'"
Below is a complete transcript of the exchange from the Tuesday July 10 Countdown show:
KEITH OLBERMANN: Lastly, Richard, just as the President is trying to defend his strategy in Iraq and invoking people's grandchildren and children and their security, the Homeland Security Secretary Chertoff reveals this "gut feeling" about an increased risk of terrorist activity here this summer. His "gut feeling." How about my gut feeling that Mr. Chertoff said this so that the lead story on the newscast on ABC would not be Iraq or Alberto Gonzales or that USA Today poll, but that it would be this, you know, "gut feeling" of his, plus a vague sky-is-falling story about an al-Qaeda cell, which even the people in Homeland Security say is just nonsense? And this stuff about Mr. Chertoff's guess, am I, is my gut reaction here better than his or as worthwhile as his?
RICHARD WOLFFE, Newsweek: There may be another explanation, which is that he's trying to cover his rear end because he doesn't have real intelligence about what these people are up to, but they're just a vague feeling. Look, we've gone from color coded warnings to the intestinal rumblings of Michael Chertoff. It's amazing what you get for all those billions that they spend on Homeland Security.
OLBERMANN: Yeah, the "gut feeling" has been described as "breaking news." Actually, a "gut feeling" would be closer to "breaking wind."
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I was waiting for Uberdork to
July 11, 2007 - 00:23 ET by mikejI was waiting for Uberdork to blame Karl Rove for Dan Patrick leaving ESPN as a diversionary tactic.
Hey Keith, will we find your name in the Wash DC madam's diary? Oh wait I'm sorry Keith. That only includes the name of men who can actually have sex without women laughing at them.
Here's a great drinking gam
July 11, 2007 - 09:54 ET by gopsteveHere's a great drinking game...watch a continuous loop of KO's shows, each time he says something is politically timed by the Bush Admin., take a shot of whatever you are drinking. (It will also help you stomach his show)
No, you'd be unconscious afte
July 11, 2007 - 10:27 ET by RightOfMostNo, you'd be unconscious after 10 minutes or so.
I wish Keefy would just join his butt buddy Dan in retirement, or have both those twerps call sports and politics on al-Jazeera.
I hope President Thompson will prosecute the Congressional traitors. Someone needs to.
How about my gut feeling that
July 11, 2007 - 00:43 ET by lnthompHow about my gut feeling that Kieth Olberman is a moron.
Lee T.
U.S. Navy (ret.) / Vancouver, Washington
The history of the race, and each individual's experience, are thick with evidence that a truth is not hard to kill and that a lie told well is immortal.-- Mark Twain
Over/Under
July 11, 2007 - 00:51 ET by hoystoryWhat's the over/under on how long it takes Olbermann, after the next terrorist attack in America, to attribute it to an inside job by the Bush administration?
I've got dibs on 1 hour.
I'll bet the script is alread
July 11, 2007 - 00:55 ET by lnthompI'll bet the script is already pre-written, waiting in a file cabinet for the next attack.
Lee T.
U.S. Navy (ret.) / Vancouver, Washington
The history of the race, and each individual's experience, are thick with evidence that a truth is not hard to kill and that a lie told well is immortal.-- Mark Twain
More Liberal Hot Air
July 11, 2007 - 01:14 ET by Parker1227Olbermann's constant contempt game gets old fast. By bringing in a fellow traveler from News Week, he makes himself look weak. If he is oh so sure of his own "superior" intellect, then maybe he should have the guts to interview more people who challenge him, rather than toadies to to sing "me too" in a grotesque display of Bush Derangement Syndrome.
More Liberal Hot Air
July 11, 2007 - 01:14 ET by Parker1227Olbermann's constant contempt game gets old fast. By bringing in a fellow traveler from News Week, he makes himself look weak. If he is oh so sure of his own "superior" intellect, then maybe he should have the guts to interview more people who challenge him, rather than toadies to to sing "me too" in a grotesque display of Bush Derangement Syndrome.
Olbermoronn: "... which
July 11, 2007 - 01:32 ET by TEOlbermoronn: "... which even the people in Homeland Security say is nonsense." Did Olbermoronn provide the names of those alleged "people in Homeland Security" or did he pull that allegation out of his fourth point of contact?
the President is trying to
July 11, 2007 - 06:06 ET by motherbeltthe President is trying to defend his strategy in Iraq and invoking people's grandchildren and children and their security,
How DARE he!! Doesn't he know liberals have the copyright on invoking "the children"????
Keith,What I find interesting
July 11, 2007 - 06:56 ET by GatorgradKeith,
What I find interesting is that the common theme in your show is to have yes men come on and agree with you. How about someone that challenges you to back up your assertions within a debate?
I doubt you are either civil enough or intelligent enought to do so. After all, debates are not scripted like you diatribes.
I don't watch Olbermann, bu
July 11, 2007 - 08:03 ET by motherbeltI don't watch Olbermann, but does anyone know the last time he had a "guest" on his show that had an opposite viewpoint?
There ARE no opposite viewpoi
July 11, 2007 - 11:41 ET by BeowulfThere ARE no opposite viewpoints. Ubermoron is an intellectual GIANT and a concensus has been reached on anything he has said or will say in the future. There is no better reporter, no better investigator, no better commentator, no greater intellect than Keefy in the entire history of journalism. Or, for that matter, the human race.
Case closed. Discussion ended. Point made. Game, set, and match.
Keefy is my heewo!!!
The Closed Mind Erects Strong Barriers
Great news !!!
July 11, 2007 - 11:46 ET by LionKingDoctor, doctor...great news...the lobotomy worked!!!
Source of His Comments
July 11, 2007 - 07:39 ET by PawpawNAnd what source does Keith use to debate this? None! No debate! In fact I've often wondered "How does one become a terrorism expert?"
Ubermoron has such unreasonin
July 11, 2007 - 08:16 ET by BeowulfUbermoron has such unreasoning hatred for Bush that when Dubya takes a piss, it's politically motivated and timed. Besides the (slight) amusement factor this dufus occasionally provides with his comic relief routine, why does ANYONE pay the least bit of attention to him? This guy is truly worse than Rosie The Mouth. He is so hate-filled and unhinged, I would think the studio crew would fear for their lives whenever he walks in the building. And I'm not being the least bit facetious. This guy is scary.
The Closed Mind Erects Strong Barriers
Timing
July 11, 2007 - 08:47 ET by reelman46Its always "timing" ... its always something... never just reality ... terrorism is just a bothersome fantasyland to liberals... their only evil is anyone challenging their pacifist secular socialism. Did I mention the great economic news is always "a surprise", "unexpected" or "despite"? Repeat after me... there is no liberal news bias. I never watch libnews networks... what can you learn? Why should you watch?
Doug Schexnayder, Ph.D.
(theconservativecrawfish)
I don't know if this comment
July 11, 2007 - 09:05 ET by LeonI don't know if this comment was politically timed, but i DO know that it's pretty much worthless.
He has a 'gut feeling'? What the heck does that mean? Is that like a psychic impulse? An overwhelming feeling of impending doom?
AND
more importantly, should we act on people's 'gut feelings'?
This obviously means we have no intelligence indicating a threat of an attack or else he wouldn't have a gut feeling, he would have tangible evidence. So basically he's just telling us that he thinks there's a chance that there might be a terrorist attack at some point this summer. That is breaking news!
I don't like Keith Olberman
July 11, 2007 - 09:45 ET by WiggyI don't like Keith Olbermann, but on this I think he has something. Look at it this way. President Bush is not doing well in the polls. The Democrats are threatening to pull the troops out no matter what it takes. Some dems are threatening impeachment. Meanwhile, the do nothing Republicans, who still have not learned the lessons of 2006, sit idly by and let most of it happen.
Chertoff is an idiot. This is the same guy who tried to force Amnesty down our throats. A "gut feeling" of terrorism is asinine. Give us something concrete.
Polls
July 11, 2007 - 10:08 ET by PawpawNAren't the polls showing that support for Congress is less than that of the Pres? Aren't the polls showing that a majority does not support troop withdrawal? Aren't the polls showing that terrorism is the biggest priority? Aren't there even less than 50% of Dims that do not favor trying impeachment? You always like polls, well what do the polls tell you? What's your gut feeling?
The polls say a lot of thin
July 11, 2007 - 11:51 ET by WiggyThe polls say a lot of things, depending on how the questions are formulated. All I am saying is that Michael Chertoff is an idiot and we should not be responding to his 'gut feeling.'
"Michael Chertoff is a
July 11, 2007 - 11:58 ET by MightyMouth"Michael Chertoff is an idiot..."
I agree, AND he seems kind of "wimpy", not the kind of guy that would strike fear into the hearts of our enemies. I would prefer someone like this as head of HS.
"There are two types of people in this country; those who provide freedom and those who enjoy it." MM says...
Your first sentence says a lo
July 11, 2007 - 18:21 ET by Del DolemonteYour first sentence says a lot, because you're raising the possibility that polling can be manipulated to achieve a predetermined result.
What this means is that polls claiming the "majority" of Americans are ready to flee Iraq might be wrong, and job approval polls might be wrong, and polls about any numbers of issues might be wrong. Several polls (CBS more than once) have been busted recently for generously over-sampling Democrats over Republicans and Independents-in CBS's case, they sampled 14% more Democrats than anyone else.
You have to look at who is doing the polling. And unfortunately, the majority of the polling these days is done by news organizations that hate our current President.
PawpawN
July 11, 2007 - 18:29 ET by shawn228Aren't the polls showing that a majority does not support troop withdrawal?
I certainly do not support troop withdrawal PawpawN, but last I heard 70% want us out of Iraq very quickly. Whose poll are you referring to?
Did Chertoff call a press con
July 11, 2007 - 11:49 ET by BeowulfDid Chertoff call a press conference to tell the nation about his gut feeling? Didn't think so. He made a comment that the MSM have MADE into front page news.
He may have indicators that something is being planned. That's how intel works. You usually get indicators, not the playbook. And with the track record our wonderful, unbiased media has regarding such information, WHY would anyone in a responsible, sensitive position even speak with them, let alone give them any significant information?
The Closed Mind Erects Strong Barriers