Apparently, the grandstanding by Edward R. Murrow-wannabe Keith Olbermann during his performance as co-moderator of the May Republican debate won the support of the AFL-CIO. On its blog, the union announced the big news that Olbermann will also moderate the August 7 Democratic debate, which the powerful union is sponsoring.
It looks like the man who once stated that “the leading terrorist group in this country right now is the Republican Party,” will have the responsibility of questioning the Democratic candidates' positions and challenging their statements.
July 17, the AFL-CIO Now blog promoted Olbermann's new moderator gig, and since the site didn't mention Matthews' name or anyone else's, it looks as if Olbermann will fly solo (via Inside Cable News, emphasis mine throughout):
Keith Olbermann, whose biting, pull-no-punches commentaries on MSNBC’s “Countdown with Keith Olbermann,” have been known to spike the blood pressure of their targets—ask Fox News’ belligerent right-winger Bill O’Reilly—will moderate the AFL-CIO Presidential Candidates Forum in Chicago on Aug. 7. The forum, with the seven leading Democratic candidates, will be broadcast live from 6 p.m.-7:30 p.m. CDT (7 p.m.-8:30 p.m. EDT) on MSNBC and XM Satellite Radio.
Of course, O'Reilly is labeled a “right-winger,” while Olbermann is not given an ideologically left-leaning label. Granted, it is the AFL-CIO, and the union is promoting a certain world view in this post.
Considering Olbermann's bizarre partisan performance in the Republican debate and his weeknightly one-note political flea circus on MSNBC, is it possible for a man who frequently calls Republicans some form of Nazi or fascist and equates them to terrorists to treat the Dems with the same skepticism and question their talking points with the same vigor that he showed in the GOP debate?
AFL-CIO President John Sweeney praised Olbermann, saying, “Keith’s wit and political savvy will ensure a lively and substantive discussion about the issues working families care about most.” I guess Republicans don't have “working families.” Note that Sweeney didn't include “non-partisan” in the "Countdown" host's description. He must have caught Olbermann's act before.
The uber-objective Olbermann responded to his selection by saying he was “honored”:
…[for the] opportunity to question the leading Democratic presidential candidates about the key issues of this race. This is a critical time in our nation’s history and I look forward to helping our viewers better understand where each of the candidates stand on the issues.
Well, after Fox News' Brit Hume was considered too partisan for the union-backed John Edwards and his fellow Democrats to be moderated by, I guess this announcement explains their definition of “fair and balanced.”
Contact Lynn at tvisgoodforyou2 AT yahoo DOT com
