Olbermann with Current TV

[Ron Whitfield]

The deal gives him much creative input, should be good for all http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_thecut...ow-this-spring

[Walkoff Balk]

Re: Olbermann with Current TV

Never heard of Current TV. It's not on Oceanic.

[Ron Whitfield]

Re: Olbermann with Current TV

It's the flagging Al Gore channel. This makes them the new bully.

[matapule]

Re: Olbermann with Current TV

The thing I like about Olbermann is that I've seen him go after both hypocritical Rethugs and Dumbos. And when he gets a story wrong, he publicly re-tracts it on air. None of that happens on Faux Noise - the Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire Network.

[Kimo]

Re: Olbermann with Current TV

IIRC, the Current Channel employed either one or both of the young women who were detained for a time in North Korea - eventually bailed out by Bill Clinton? But yr right, it's not at the top of many lists.

[matapule]

Re: Olbermann with Current TV

But yr right, it's not at the top of many lists.

I have a hunch that Olbermann is going to change that!

[Frankie's Market]

Re: Olbermann with Current TV

The thing I like about Olbermann is that I've seen him go after both hypocritical Rethugs and Dumbos. And when he gets a story wrong, he publicly re-tracts it on air. None of that happens on Faux Noise - the Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire Network.

Problem with Olbermann's Countdown show was....

the only people allowed to appear on his show were "Yes" men/women.

"Yes, Keith." "Absolutely, Keith." "Precisely, Keith."

There was no debate. No contrary POVs. No devil's advocate.

I don't see eye-to-eye on too many issues with Bill O'Reilly. But at least he's not afraid to go at it with folks like Rev. Al Sharpton and Juan Williams. And I usually end up learning something from those interactions.

Just once I'd like to see Keith Olbermann take on someone like Michelle Malkin or Pat Buchanan. But no. His interaction with those on the right were limited to "Worst Persons In The World" segments, where his targets were never allowed to speak and respond for themselves on the air. Lame.

[Leo Lakio]

Re: Olbermann with Current TV

There was no debate. No contrary POVs. No devil's advocate.

I don't see eye-to-eye on too many issues with Bill O'Reilly. But at least he's not afraid to go at it with folks like Rev. Al Sharpton and Juan Williams.

Wait a minute --- you are using Juan Williams as an example of a "contrary POV"? The same Juan Williams who has been on Fox News's payroll for years, and was given a nice multi-year contract by them after NPR dropped him?

[Walkoff Balk]

Re: Olbermann with Current TV

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-cq0WG_qSA

He can do the show if he's not injured with a bulging disc.

[matapule]

Re: Olbermann with Current TV

Problem with Olbermann's Countdown show was....

the only people allowed to appear on his show were "Yes" men/women..

I agree, I would like to see him change that, but Juan Williams as a different POV on O'Really?

[Frankie's Market]

Re: Olbermann with Current TV

I agree, I would like to see him change that, but Juan Williams as a different POV on O'Really?

So what are you saying? Juan Williams offered commentary that was lock-and-step with O'Reilly's opinions?

[Frankie's Market]

Re: Olbermann with Current TV

Wait a minute --- you are using Juan Williams as an example of a "contrary POV"?

Uhhh, yeah.

These kinds of responses makes me wonder if you and Matapule actually watch The O'Reilly Factor on a regular basis. Or if you are relying on the opinions of left-wing bloggers who have an axe to grind with Juan Williams because he's not liberal enough for them. Maybe your opinion is based on one show where the topic for discussion happened to be one where Bill and Juan saw eye-to-eye on. Either way, the characterization of Williams being some "yes Bill!" mouthpiece is off the mark.

The same Juan Williams who has been on Fox News's payroll for years, and was given a nice multi-year contract by them after NPR dropped him?

Since you brought up Williams and NPR, let's actually examine the O'Reilly Factor incident that purportedly led to his being fired from public radio..... using actual video footage rather than a biased account based on one's selective memory.

For background, here's the video of The View where Billo said, "Muslims killed us on 9/11."

And here's the O'Reilly Factor show where the host engages Juan Williams in a discussion of Billo's controversial statement re: Muslims. And please, listen carefully to the entirety of what Williams is saying. Don't just close your mind after Juan opens up his commentary by saying "I think you're right." I repeat. Listen to the entirety of the discussion.

The thing that most people focused on was Williams saying he felt worried and nervous whenever he sees airline passengers in Muslim garb. This statement set the stage for Williams' subsequent dismissal from NPR, and it is a topic worthy of its own debate and discussion. But I wanted to bring to everyone's attention, the give-and-take between Bill and Juan that followed.

Williams took issue with Billo's suggestion that "the Muslims attacked us on 9/11." Williams points out how wrong it would be to generalize similarly about Christians.

Hold on, because if you said Timothy McVeigh, the Atlanta bomber, these people who are protesting against homosexuality at military funerals—very obnoxious—you don't say first and foremost, "We got a problem with Christians." That's crazy.

Does this sound like Bill and Juan are lock-in-step with each other?

After reminding Bill that there are good Muslims, O'Reilly asks, "Juan, who is causing the problem in Germany? Is it the Muslims who have come there, or the Germans?" But Williams refuses to play the group blame game. He tells Billo, "See, you did it again. It's extremists."

Does this sound like Williams is not offering a divergent POV from what Bill is saying?

Williams then even cautions Billo about the possible consequences of making inflammatory statements about Muslims on TV.

"The other day in New York, some guy cuts a Muslim cabby's neck, or you think about the protest at the mosque near Ground Zero….."

"We don't want, in America, people to have their rights violated, to be attacked on the street because they heard rhetoric from Bill O'Reilly."

Once again, does this sound like Williams offering a 100% endorsement of what Billo is saying?

Just to be clear, I don't agree with everything that Juan Williams says. His statement about feeling worried whenever he see passengers in dressed in Muslim garb is troubling to me. But to say or imply that Williams is some kind of "Yes Bill!" toadie, is an admission that one is not paying close attention to what is being said on the O'Reilly Factor.

Now, here's what I'd like to see. Does anyone have any video footage of Howard Fineman, Chris Hayes, Richard Wolffe,.... indeed, ANY invited guest of MSNBC's Countdown, where that person is not a "Yes Keith!" prop.

Go ahead and start looking, if you like wasting your time on a fruitless mission.

[matapule]

Re: Olbermann with Current TV

Uhhh, yeah.

These kinds of responses makes me wonder if you and Matapule actually watch The O'Reilly Factor on a regular basis.

No I don't watch O'Really on a regualr basis, I watch him on an occassional basis (shut up! just shut up! Turn off his mike.) And no, I didn't watch Olbermann on a regular basis, I watched him on an occassional basis.

Juan Williams is hardly a Liberal and he is not liberal enough for me. And by the way, left wing bloggers of which you speak are too conservative for me on most issues.

I'm "liberal" (with a small L) and proud of it!

[Leo Lakio]

Re: Olbermann with Current TV

Dial it back down a degree, FM. I never disagreed with your assessment that Olbermann didn't book people who primarily agreed with him.

But if you were trying to show that O'Reilly was willing to tackle guests he disagreed with, Juan Williams is a piss-poor example to use. Rev. Sharpton, fine. Williams, sorry, no; he was a paid Fox News commentator, he was on the same payroll as the host, he could play little games of "not quite with ya there, Bill" - but not an unbiased guest. O'Reilly knew what he was dealing with all the time.

And I don't waste time following either-wing pundits.

[Ron Whitfield]

Re: Olbermann with Current TV

Problem with Olbermann's Countdown show was the only people allowed to appear on his show were "Yes" men/women. There was no debate. His interaction with those on the right were limited to "Worst Persons In The World" segments, where his targets were never allowed to speak and respond for themselves on the air. Lame.

It was his opinion show, no room for debate/discussion, and his new venture will be his opinion x infinity. Somebody feels there is a minimum of $315 mil worth of interest out there.