As recounted in a Newsbusters posting (with video and audio), on Wednesday's show, Olbermann attacked Boortz for comments he made on his blog regarding the possibility of riots if Stanley "Tookie" Williams were not given clemency. But instead of displaying a photo of Boortz, a photo of Cleland was displayed while Olbermann read his comments on Boortz. On Thursday night's "Worst Person in the World" segment, during which Olbermann normally chooses three nominees to be awarded this title, the Countdown host made his correction by labeling his show the third place award of "Worse." But he then went on to further attack Boortz: "The radio babbler wrote some ludicrous racist prediction before the execution of Tookie Williams." (Transcript follows.)
Olbermann, fearing he might have insulted Cleland by confusing him and Boortz, declared, "How this happened, how we could have gotten it any more wrong, I would need an hour to tell you!" and he expressed apologies, adding, "You are one of the best people in the world, and thus, ineligible for this list."
Below is a complete transcript of Olbermann's comments from the Thursday, December 15 Countdown:
Keith Olbermann, with side-by-side photographs of Cleland and Boortz displayed on-screen: "Time for Countdown's list of today's three nominees for the coveted title of 'Worst Person in the World.' The bronze goes to us. Countdown identified Neal Boortz as last night's runner-up. The radio babbler wrote some ludicrous racist prediction before the execution of Tookie Williams, and we showed a picture not of Neal Boortz, but rather of the distinguished former Georgia Senator Max Cleland. How this happened, how we could have gotten it any more wrong, I would need an hour to tell you! Suffice to say we're very sorry, Max Cleland. Very, very sorry. You are one of the best people in the world, and thus, ineligible for this list."
