A few weeks ago, MSNBC "Countdown" host Keith Olbermann got exercised at Brit Hume's crediting the Media Research Center for providing fodder for the "Political Grapevine" of his FNC show "Special Report." He was quickly shown as a hypocrite for taking that very information from a left-wing blog.
On April 7, Olbermann was at it again, taking banter from left-wing blogs to attack individuals that promote and celebrate the 2nd Amendment during his "Worst Person in the World" segment.
First, he went after the National Rifle Association because someone sold an anti-Obama T-shirt outside an event at which the NRA was recruiting new members.
"Runner up, the unidentified sellers of this ‘Hitler Gave Great Speeches, Too' T-shirt," Olbermann said, naming the "Worser Person in the World" for that episode. "They told the Washington Independent that they had sold out of three boxes of the shirt by 3:00 p.m. Saturday at the Knob Creek Machine Gun Shoot outside Louisville - the gun shoot, at which new members were being recruited by the National Rifle Association."
For their guilt-by-association, Olbermann lectured the NRA, advising them to respond or "become synonymous with murdering policemen," and bizarrely, "racism."
"And this message to the NRA, if you do not want your organization to become synonymous with racism, treason, hatred, paranoia and political assassination fantasies, you better do something and fast," Olbermann exclaimed. "Oh, and murdering policemen, I forgot - if you don't want your organization to become synonymous with murdering policemen."
That was a segue into the next part of Olbermann's grotesque presentation. Following right along with the likes of the mouthpieces on the Daily Kos, Olbermann went after conservative radio and Fox News Channel host Glenn Beck, tying him to the recent gun violence in Pittsburgh.
"Bringing us to our winner, Harold Hill - I'm sorry, Glenn Beck," Olbermann said. "Richard Poplawski killed three Pittsburgh policemen on Saturday because he was afraid of, a friend said, quote, ‘the Obama gun ban that's on the way.' He, quote, ‘didn't like our rights being infringed upon.' When several websites correctly pointed out that this sounded awfully like one of Beck's his hysterical rantings or maybe his interview last month with the head of the NRA, Beck immediately went back to his normal speed, high, stupid, dudgeon."
Beck has repeatedly said on his radio and TV shows that this sort of violent behavior deplorable and unacceptable. However, Olbermann ignored that and read a transcript from Beck's April 6 program, which Beck metaphorically explained how ridiculous it is to try to blame him.
"Blaming anyone except that nut job for what happened in Pittsburgh is crazy. Police officers over the weekend were killed by a crazy with a gun. And blaming anyone else besides him is like blaming the flight attendant after a terrorist takes down a plane. Giving passengers a nice little safety talk to prepare them doesn't mean you are responsible should a terrorist actually make that worst case scenario happen."
Then Olbermann attempted to refute Beck's statement by misinterpreting the rhetoric Beck has been using to promote his 9/12 project.
"See, here is where you go wrong - you are not the flight attendant on the plane," Olbermann said. "Thanks for invoking that image again. You, Beck, are one of the cowards, safely on the ground, telling the nut job on the plane it is time to, quote, ‘Rise up.' You remember March 19, right? You probably don't."
Once again, the "Countdown" host read a transcript from Beck's show, during which the Fox News host expressed his concern for President Barack Obama's attitude toward gun ownership. During the 2008 presidential campaign, Obama dismissed people who "cling" to guns.
"The 2nd amendment is under fire. We knew that they were going to try to bring the assault weapon ban back. Now they are blaming it on Mexico. The 9/12 Project, which is kind of a grassroots thing where you can go meet other people who think like you and think about values and principles and want to do something to take your country back."
According to Olbermann's psychoanalysis of Americans who watch or listen to Beck's programs - this was what was causing them to have the urge to "shoot other people."
"And then you proceeded to read a letter from a women who said that since the election, she had gone out and bought a handgun and joined the NRA," Olbermann continued. "So when you talk about taking your country back, and then you read letters from people who are stock-piling guns, do you think these things are unconnected? That people even crazier than you, who you are encouraging to do something to take your country back, that they have bought these guns as paperweights? They bought them to shoot other people with."
However, Olbermann saved the worst of his scathing vitriolic attack for last - tying Beck's television antics to future gun violence.
"You, Glenn Beck, you personally are encouraging Americans to shoot other Americans," Olbermann stated. "Maybe, especially if you are right about your religion, maybe not this psychotic in Pittsburgh. Maybe he is not your fault. I hope not. What about the next one, Glenn? You want to cry about something on television. Cry about the next one. Beg him to ignore you. Beg the kids the next one orphans to forgive you. Glenn Beck, today's worst person in the world."
