Keith Olbermann is a man of little integrity. Yet from a journalistic aspect, he does exude an air of intelligence, and is a very well spoken, albeit lame, excuse for an anchor. Olbermann, who clearly and cleverly picks descriptive terms from a vast ranging vocabulary to convey his thoughts, has placed one well thought out phrase in his recent ‘Special Comment’ piece on Countdown: Republicans Hijacked 9/11. As well crafted as his words are, there is little doubt that Olbermann intentionally used the word ‘hijacked’ for the title of this segment. Such choice wording at a time when the nation is mourning the seventh anniversary of the attack on America is appalling, even by Olbermann and MSNBC standards. And simply demoting him from the networks election coverage, more a symbolic gesture of their attempts to offer ‘candid analysis,’ is simply no longer enough. Tagging Republicans with the descriptive term of hijacker is perhaps a low point in media. While I am certain there will be lower points in the future, the brass at MSNBC need to head off such bile and try to regain control of an out of control network. Simply stated, anchors suffering from an overt case of Bush Derangement Syndrome can no longer be taken seriously. And MSNBC? You’re the only ones who are taking them seriously. In the #1 segment on Countdown, Olbermann also curiously decided that his show was the place to talk about remembrance.
This is supposed to be a day of remembrance. Remembrance of the attack, remembrance of the national unity which followed it. Most important of all, remembrance of the dead.
Apparently Keith’s short-term memory has eluded him in this instance. Wasn’t it just a week ago that he chastised Republicans, having an emotional breakdown on-air, for having the gall to remember the dead? Most of the segment is a put-down of Republicans for politicizing the events of 9/11. Yet at the same time, most of the segment actually politicizes the events of 9/11 itself. While there is plenty of material to pick apart in Olbermann’s rant, I neither have the drive nor the desire to do so on this day. I’d rather simply remember the dead, and those who are fighting and dying to prevent this tragic event from ever happening again. For on that day seven years ago, Keith, was an event that most of us will never forget. A day on which our nation and our very way of life was attacked. A morning on which America was brutally scarred for life. That is something we should always remember. That is something YOU should not politicize. Photo Credit: 2001 The Record (Bergen County, NJ)/Thomas E. Franklin
