What Really Happened with Keith Olbermann and the Nazi Salute

July 27th, 2006 11:37 AM

Glen Carvin writes in the Miami Herald about what really went on when Keith Olbermann did a Nazi salute while holding up a Bill O'Reilly mask. The TV critics naturally got a kick out of seeing their most-hated TV personality lampooned as a Nazi.

What actually happened (and is verified in a transcript of the session prepared by NBC) is that Olbermann, onstage, was kidding around about a mild controversy about whether photographers would be permitted to cover the Saturday breakfast.

''So we thought we'd help you out, those of you who needed a good photograph of -- '' and he held up the O'Reilly mask, over his face. The critics laughed.

''And, of course, there's a more familiar one,'' Olbermann said, keeping the mask in place while shooting his arm up in a Heil-Hitler salute. The critics laughed again. ''With that bit of structured comedy out of the way, I suppose there's some questions,'' Olbermann said, and the press conference began.