Keith Olbermann Exits- A "Special Comment" of My Own

Commentary

This morning I watched Johnny Cash's America, a two hour biographical film on A&E. It traced the highs and lows, the demons and triumphs of the life of this American original. Many of us old enough can remember the zenith of Cash's career in the early 1970's when he had a weekly TV show that appealed not only to his country music base, but to the Baby Boomer generation; on any given JOHNNY CASH SHOW you could find Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, or Stevie Wonder, often jamming with Cash and Carl Perkins and the Tennessee Three.

But ten years later Cash's career spiraled downward. By the early 1980's Columbia Records, Cash's label for nearly 30 years, unceremoniously dropped him. Some friends said that the money Cash generated in record sales built Columbia's Nashville headquarters, and the suits showed their gratitude by giving him the boot.

I'm telling this little story because I couldn't help but think of the departure of Keith Olbermann from MSNBC last Friday, and the similarities it had to that of Johnny Cash being tossed by Columbia three decades ago. In my eyes, time should be marked at MSNBC as "BKO" for the years before Olbermann took over COUNTDOWN, and call whatever follows the "Left Turn Era". Keith Olbermann was THAT important to the branding of MSNBC, which before the emergence of Olbermann and COUNTDOWN was deeply mired in third place among the three cable news networks.

To be frank about it, MSNBC had no identity before COUNTDOWN. The Right had Fox News, and CNN was "the Original Recipe", the first cable news station, the one for the rest of us. Yes, MSNBC did have Don Imus in those days; many have now forgotten in the wake of the flap of his remarks about the Rutgers Women's Basketball team is that Imus would have left leaning guests on his show, not because Imus was a liberal (he was a registered Republican), but he only had guests on his show that he liked. And that included members of all political ideologies.

But it was Keith Olbermann's emergence as the most prominent liberal.....if not the only....voice in cable news that began the re-branding of MSNBC as a progressive alternative to the FOX NEWS juggernaut, and the bland neutrality of CNN. At a time when it was still fashionable for The Right to use the word "liberal" as a pejorative, Olbermann was unapologetic for his progressive views. While war raged in Iraq and Afghanistan, and any criticism of the wars was deemed as unpatriotic by the Right, Olbermann showed that dissent from popular opinion at risk to one's own position may be in itself the highest form of patriotism. The emergence of his progressive voice began a process that saw more liberal voices coming out of the woodwork and seeking a platform. Not only did Keith Olbermann set a tone for what came to follow at MSNBC, but his voice may have been responsible for spawning hundreds or even thousands of others in the media or in the blogesphere.

And for that, we owe him a collective "thank you".

We may never know all of the reasons for Olbermann's departure from MSNBC. Some conspiracy theorists say that COMCAST was behind the termination...I don't buy that, and yes, I am aware of the situation involving Bill O'Reilly, COMCAST, and former COMCAST broadcaster Barry Nolan. You don't show your biggest star the door when you depend on ratings for advertising dollars. It's business, and it's still always about money.

Keith is rich, and will return to TV even richer. And maybe this is a good time for him to step back and take some time for himself. In the past two years he had to bury both of his parents, and saw a politician he financially supported (resulting in his suspension) shot in the head. And maybe in this time when media and politicians are being asked to tone it down and heed the call of the "new civility" Keith Olbermann just decided to step away, and just watch what will happen next.

Olbermann Leaves MSNBC

In a surprising turn of events, tonight Keith Olbermann announced that this would be his last night hosting COUNTDOWN on MSNBC.

It wasn't a gag, or a publicity stunt. NBC News said on TWITTER that MSNBC has decided Olbermann's contract would not be renewed. Friends such as Luke Russert and Shannyn Moore immediately tweeted goodbyes and goodlucks to Olbermann.

Below, his short farewell and thank you to his audience.

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Well...what's next?

It's just my opinion, but don't be surprised if Keith ends up on CNN. Their ratings are in the tank, their Parker/Spitzer is a disaster and is a poor lead in to the new Piers Morgan Show. The entire evening lineup needs a makeover, and fast.

I think after Olbermann's non-compete is completed he ends up at 8:00PM Eastern and Pacific on CNN.

One thing you can bank on...he's not in line to replace Regis.

Now....Where Were We? Olbermann's Return

Caricature above from THE NEW YORKER, June 2008

It only took a petition with 300,000 plus names attached demanding the reinstatement of Keith Olbermann by his bosses at MSNBC, but he did return on Tuesday night, first disclaiming that the suspension was a publicity stunt, and closed the show talking about the events, and offering both thanks and apologies where he saw fit.






One of the more interesting aspects of Olbermann Suspension Affair was the demand by many petitioners  that Keith's boss, Phil Griffin, be fired for suspending Olbermann because of his contributions to the campaigns of three Democratic candidates in last week's midterms. On further review, it should be said that Phil Griffin and Keith Olbermann go back a long, long way, nearly thirty years. Griffin and Olbermann first worked together at CNN in the early days of the first 24 hour news channel. Griffin, it seems, was an early supporter of Olbermann in those days, a producer who saw his talent when others had doubts about the young eccentric sportscaster turned newsman.

An interesting portrait of Olbermann and his relationship with Griffin, and others in the world of broadcast news, was published by The New Yorker on June 23, 2008. Titled One Angry Man; Is Keith Olbermann Changing TV News? the piece by Peter J. Boyer gives a warts and all look at Keith Olbermann and his brutal honesty that some might find over the top and even hurtful- co-worker at ESPN Suzy Kolber was said to have locked herself in the ladies room to cry on occasion after run ins with Olbermann.

Years later, Olbermann's brief tenure at Fox Sports was ended by none other than Rupert Murdoch himself. A few years ago Murdoch was heard to say "He's crazy", regarding Olbermann.

It's an interesting but lengthy read; and it's fairly objective. It won't change your opinion of "KO" if you're a friend or fan, but it will give you a clear portrait of a very complex guy, maybe even a slightly mad genius.

To progressives like me Keith Olbermann is one of the good guys fighting the good fight. Having said that, one can be one of the "good guys" without necessarily being a "nice guy" in the true sense of the word. And to be candid, after reading the New Yorker piece it's clear that KO has moments when he is not a nice guy. And in today's political climate that's not necessarily a bad thing.

For too long progressives whined after they were slapped around by the Righties. Olbermann punches back, and hard. And maybe that's why the Right detests.... and even fears him.....as much as they do.

The Citizen's United Case- The Nightmare Scenario May Be Coming True

“The difference between selling a vote and selling access is a matter of degree, not kind,” Justice Stevens wrote. “And selling access is not qualitatively different from giving special preference to those who spent money on one’s behalf.” ......from Supreme Court Associate Justice John Paul Steven's dissent in the Citizen's United v Federal Election Commission, printed in The New York Times, January 21, 2010.

This blog first mentioned the Citizens United case on February 5, 2010. It was a case that slipped through the cracks of media scrutiny in those weeks preceding the Super Bowl. To bottomline it, the conservative wing of the United States Supreme Court ruled for the majority, 5-4, that the government may not ban spending by corporations on political campaigns. Essentially the court said that corporations had the same constitutional rights as private citizens, and to try to regulate corporate spending and activities in political campaigns was a violation of their First Amendment Rights.

Dissenters, like Justice Stevens, saw the ruling as a danger to subvert democracy.

Few listened in January- most media ignored the story or put it on a back burner. But Keith Olbermann didn't. I posted this entry about Olbermann's Special Comment on the Citizen's United ruling in February

Below, please watch his Special Comment.....a prophecy that appears to have come true, with tens of thousands of dollars, some of which come from foreign multi-national corporations by way of the US Chamber of Commerce, finding their way to finance dozens of ads attacking Democrats nationwide.

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Now let's fast forward to the present. Think Progress broke the news of the possibility of the US Chamber of Commerce funneling foreign money to produce ads designed to defeat Democratic House and Senate candidates in this November's mid-term elections.

Denial is all around, but there seems to be more evidence of possible wrong doing. US election laws say that if campaign contributions are used to produce political ads, the donors must be named.....and they must adhere to laws governing campaign contributions.

Below, Olbermann leads with the story on his October 13 show, with Think Progress' Faiz Shakir.

No $75 ? Let It Burn; A Preview of "Tea Party America"?

As most readers know by now, Gene Cranick lost all his possessions, including three dogs and a cat, because his mobile home is Western Tennessee was allowed to burn to the ground because he failed to pay a $75 municipal fee that would have given him fire protection. Cranick called to report the fire last week and offered to pay the $75 to the South Fulton fire department, who refused to respond because doing so would only encourage others not to pay the fee.

South Fulton Mayor David Crocker said the following (from The Huffington Post)....

""Anybody that's not in the city of South Fulton, it's a service we offer, either they accept it or they don't."

This is a story that has resonated through America, and well it should. And it should be a cautionary tale to all of those who may have been seduced by the call of "government should be run like a business", that "government is always the problem, never the solution", and "smaller government now!". What is on display in this case is a possible preview of what life in Tea Party America could look like.....lower taxes, but "user fees" for governmental services.

User fees- remember that term. Because Republicans and their Tea Party buddies always talk about lowering taxes. But one of the ways they get money into the public coffers is increase user fees for government run entities. When Christine Todd Whitman became was elected governor of New Jersey in 1993 she ran on a platform to lower the state income tax by 10% each year for three years. The state income tax was lowered....but tolls on the New Jersey Turnpike, Garden State Parkway, and Atlantic City Expressway rose, and new toll booths were constructed in areas where previously there were none. New and higher user fees.

Call it a GOP shell game.

So let's examine some possible scenarios in "Ala Carte Tea Party America".

Do you want to send your kids to a public school? Pay a fee. But remember, since not everyone is paying property or income taxes to support the school system, the citizen could be shelling out a lot more money in fees than in property taxes.

What about law enforcement, garbage pickup, libraries, snow removal, senior services, unemployment compensation....and fire protection? Do we offer it "ala carte"? And when the next flood hits in Wayne, NJ or Alton, IL or Nashville, TN does the 911 operator have to punch in your ID and check the computer program to see which government services you've paid for?

Boat and watercraft sales should be healthy in this not so brave new world.

Here in New Jersey families are starting to pay fees if their kids want to play interscholastic sports, and other school systems are imposing fees for students to take field trips. We already have teachers who routinely shell hundreds of dollars of their own money for school supplies because state aid has been cut to a trickle thanks to the New Jersey Mouth That Roared, Governor Chris Christie, now with his road show at a GOP event near you.

This tragedy to Gene Cranick is something that never, ever should have happened in the United States of America. Period and end of story. The lack of response to the burning of Cranick's home, where firefighters did show up to protect his neighbor's home, was a scenario similar to America of the 19th century, where fire protection was done by subscription, and often fires went out of control because the occupiers of the burning buildings didn't pay for fire protection.

The Grand Poobah of The Tea Party, Mr. Glenn Beck, the man who invoked God from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in August for a new nation under God, said the following about the incident (from Newser)....

The argument about Cranick’s case will go “nowhere if you go onto ‘compassion, compassion, compassion, compassion’ or well, ‘they should’ve put it out, what is the fire department for?’” Beck said. “No, what is the $75 for?”

After all, he points out, “if they did put the fire out and make an exception for your house and you didn’t pay,” then “would anyone pay their $75?” (His producer helped Beck along in his explanation by mimicking Cranick’s accent for nearly the entire segment.) The fee is “to pay for the fire department to have people employed to put the fire out,” Beck continued, and to use fire services without paying the fee “would be sponging off of your neighbor’s $75.”

My question to Glenn Beck regarding this matter is very simple. If told another person's home was on fire and helped was asked for......what would Jesus do?

If you don't think He'd call for a thunderstorm to douse the flames, He's at least find a way to help...for free.

And if it were too late and the home was lost, He'd comfort the person who lost his home instead of ridiculing and trashing him.

Below, Gene Cranick talks to Keith Olbermann on COUNTDOWN.



In closing, I just watched the interview Olbermann had with Gene Cranick a second time, and I'm torn between profound sadness and outright rage. How can this be allowed to occur in our country? Lincoln spoke of "our better angels"....and thank goodness there are those good people of compassion and justice who are willing and able to speak up for those who have been wronged.

And as for those who say Cranick got what he deserved....quite frankly, they make me sick. This should be beyond politics or ideology. These are individuals who say human evolution is only a theory, yet they adhere and practice social and economic Darwinism.....survival of the fittest.

As for Glenn Beck....I can only say that this self appointed God fearing Christian and savior of America might be the the biggest hypocrite walking the earth. A man who lacks the basic compassion of Christ, and is nothing more than a cheap carnival huckster playing the role of American Messiah.

But the truly delusional are those who believe his gibberish. And PT Barnum is sitting up in his grave, winking at the poor suckers....and there are a lot of them.

The "Ground Zero Mosque"; Four Video Comments

I've made my position on the so called "Ground Zero" mosque clear in my past two entries; the Muslim group that wishes build a community center/mosque on the site has a constitutional right to do so.

Also....any responsible elected official must support that First Amendment right. And that for any elected official, no matter who it may be, to comment further on the propriety and wisdom of building at that site, is in itself inappropriate. It's about the separation of church and state.

And to create a wedge issue on the matter, as some are trying to do, is a slap at one of our most basic freedoms. Either you support the first amendment, or you don't.

Below, some opinions from on air personalities and guests on MSNBC.



Michael Smerconish Subbing for Chris Matthews on Hardball

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Chris Hayes subbing for Rachel Maddow on The Rachel Maddow Show

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Rudi Odeh-Ramadan A 9/11 first responder and guest on Countdown

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Keith Olbermann a "Special Comment" on Countdown

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One last comment regarding Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and his wishy washy support for the right to build the Islamic center, just not at that site....Senator, you're a Mormon by choice. In the 1830's and 1840's members of your faith were run out of Ohio, Illinois, and Missouri, and then forced to leave the United States for what was still officially Mexican territory- Mormon pioneers called their new home "Deseret", now the state of Utah.

They left to practice their religion freely.....their former neighbors believed they had that right......just not in their backyards.

Yes, Senator....you're in a tough re-election race. But since when is an election more important than defending the constitutional rights of others?

The GOP vs The Working Man; NEWT GINGRICH

COUNTDOWN with Keith Olbermann once again gave us a few moments of "must see TV" on Thursday. In a recent interview at humanevents.com, former Republican Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich wrote that extension of unemployment benefits gives the incentive to stay on unemployment instead of looking for another job. He went on....

"The Wall Street Journal quotes an engineer who admits he turned down more than a dozen jobs because the salary would have been less then he made on welfare.This story encapsulates the problem of the long-termed unemployed. The depth and length of this recession is at risk of creating a permanent pool of unemployed Americans, who get so used to being unproductive that they are willing to accept welfare indefinitely instead of taking a job."

You would think the former Speaker, who was at one time third in line to the presidency during the Clinton administration, would know the difference between "welfare" and "unemployment insurance".

But he knows the difference. It was just Newt's way of scoring points with his political base.

And by the way....the jobs being offered in the paragraph above would require the hired person to move to Dubai.

In the video below the man referenced by Gingrich, Mike Hatchell of Lumberton, NC- with his wife Sarah- talk about their history, and the truth about why he turned down the job offers. The bottom line is, Mr. Hatchell payed into the unemployment insurance pool for more than 30 years.....it was money he was entitled to, and the depiction of him being on welfare by Gingrich was simply a bold face lie.

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The Shirley Sherrod Scandal; Keith Olbermann's Special Comment

Keith Olbermann takes a break from his vacation to make a Special Comment on the role of the Right and the Left in the story of Shirley Sherrod.

In a word....BRAVO!

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Limbaugh "Eulogizes" George Steinbrenner; Part II, The "Explanation" (Huh?)

In an attempt to explain his words on the death of George Steinbrenner to an internet site, Rush Limbaugh has only made what he initially said just a bit more bizarre, controversial.....and just a little more whacky.

And of course, he injected more racial overtones into the "discussion"....are there really only three members in the New Black Panther Party ?

Anyway, Limbaugh's rant earned him a place on Keith Olberman's Worst Persons list last night on COUNTDOWN, along with the omnipresent Sharon Angle (GOP candidate for Senate in Nevada), and some blond with no eyebrows who thinks a Glenn Beck presidential run should be mentioned in the same breath with George Washington.

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Keith Olbermann On The LeBron/ ESPN Debacle

"Just when I think I'm out, they pull me back in".....Michael Corleone, The Godfather, Part III





I know...in my previous post I made it appear that it would be my last words (and entry) on the decision of Fredo, errrr, LeBron James to leave Cleveland and join the Miami Heat.

But how often do you get to see a real Anakin Skywalker morph into Darth Vader before millions on national TV as ESPN's broadcast of The Decision became the ratings champ for that night? Early numbers indicate ESPN did a 7.0 share for the LeBron media event, which appeared to be as controlled as anything George W. Bush or Barack Obama could command for an alleged presser.

This was more than a sports event...it was a pop cultural phenomenon, though it does well to recognize the show was fruit of an unholy alliance between a narcissistic superstar and a network that prostituted itself to a level that surpassed WWE wrestling.

Here's what Keith Olbermann had to say on COUNTDOWN, with guest Will Leitch of The New Yorker

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Pamela Gorman- "A Conservative Christian, and a Pretty Fair Shot"

Arizona Republican Congressional candidate Pamela Gorman is a Second Amendment lovin' straight shooter who wants to take over for retiring John Shadegg in that state's Third Congressional District. While we have yet to know what fate has in store for her after the smoke clears in November, we do know this....if this politics thing doesn't work out, Pam has a shot for a co-starring role in any future remakes of Bonnie and Clyde.

Check out this campaign ad.....



I wonder what Jesus would say about machine guns and the soccer Moms who love them?

Alvin Greene; The Democratic Mystery Senatorial Candidate From South Carolina

Vic Rawl was supposed to coast to a primary victory for the Democratic nomination in South Carolina for the right to oppose incumbent Republican Jim DeMint in November's general election. It would be an uphill fight for Rawl; DeMint is a darling of the Tea Party movement.

But once the dust settled and the votes were counted after Tuesday's primary, Rawl found himself defeated by a political first-timer; Alvin Greene, a 32 year old unemployed Army veteran won with more than 60% of the vote.

Vic Rawl, 64, served four terms in the South Carolina House and was a former prosecutor and a circuit court judge. Alvin Greene spent 13 years in the Air Force and the Army before leaving the service last August. He has no government or political experience.

And Greene didn't have any fund raisers for his campaign, and ran no ads. But there's more; Greene was arrested in November on felony obscenity charges. Court records, as detailed in The Huffington Post, indicate that Greene was arrested after showing obscene internet photos to a university student and then wanting to see the student in her dorm room.

South Carolina Congressman James Clyburn, appearing on Bill Press' radio show found it quite unusual that an unemployed man was able to post the $10,400 filing fee to run for the Senate, had no website, no TWITTER account, had no fund raisers, and no commercial ads was able to win the primary. Clyburn said the following on Press' show.

There were some real shenanigans going on in the South Carolina primary, I don't know if he was a Republican plant; he was someone's plant."

Mr Clyburn is calling for a probe by the US attorney into the primary, and also into to other races in South Carolina.

This evening, Alvin Greene appeared on COUNTDOWN with Keith Olbermann.

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Now are you ready for even stranger and even more bizarre? Check out these two interviews Greene gave to South Carolina public television after his primary win.

By the way- did we mention that in South Carolina they have open primaries? That is, you can vote for a candidate in a primary of a party other than the one you are registered in, or an independent voter can vote in any primary without having to declare party affiliation?

Just a thought.

In my opinion....the way primaries appear to be run in South Carolina have all the transparency of the 1919 World Series.

Deepwater Horizon Disaster; Time For The Feds To Take Over, Part II- Olbermann

"They (sources in Louisiana) think the White House just doesn't 'get it'"....Howard Fineman

Last night on MSNBC's COUNTDOWN, Keith Olbermann and Howard Fineman discuss the response of the Obama Administration to the failure of BP to stop the Deepwater Horizon's oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico, BP's use of toxic dispersants to break up the slicks, and try to answer the question....who's really in charge?

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A word to the Obama Administration....if you lose Olbermann, you'll lose progressive America, and a good chunk of the Dems and independents who supported this president.

Lewis Black On Beck- "Six Degrees From (Minus Five)"

Last night on COUNTDOWN Keith Olbermann ran Lewis Black's "BACK IN BLACK segment from The Daily Show with Jon Stewart- and its worth a few minutes if you haven't seen it yet.

Black takes on Glenn Beck, a man Black says runs more clips of the Nazis on his program than does the History Channel. Black explores in only a way he could Beck's imaginary Six Degrees of Separation between a certain German dictator and the current President of the United States...and some others.

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But what is the symbiotic connection between Lewis Black and Glenn Beck?

Very simple.....Black gets paid for going before an audience, getting overly emotional, and being a clown. And so does Glenn Beck.

For more with Lewis Black, check the Lewis Black Official Website.

Deepwater Horizon Fiasco; "It's The Other Guy's Fault"

On Day Two of Congressional hearings with principles involved in the blowout of the Deepwater Horizon well in the Gulf of Mexico and the subsequent oil spill that is polluting the waters and threatening the shorelines of the Gulf States, we've managed to learn one thing; it was the fault of the guy sitting to the other guy's right.

So said the representatives of the companies involved in this environmental and economic disaster. Except for the the guy at the end of the table- he started blaming the guys on his left. The representatives and speakers at the hearing included Lamar McKay of British Petroleum (BP), Tim Probert of Halliburton, and Steven Newman of Transocean.

And the situation gets even more interesting because the Swiss rig was flagged not by the United States or Great Britain or Switzerland (offshore drilling in Switzerland?), but by the Marshall Islands, which has less stringent safety standards than do the US or the UK.

Click here for an in depth report from the Los Angeles Times.

Below, videos from Keith Olbermann of COUNTDOWN and from Rachel Maddow, both on MSNBC>

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For an account of Day One of the Congressional hearings on the oil spill, click here.

Senator Blanche Lincoln Ran Ads Saying She Supported AND Opposed Healthcare Reform

In keeping with today's April Fool's Day theme, its another one of those things that only seem to happen in the circus we call American Politics.

From Keith Olbermann on COUNTDOWN and his Worst Persons In The World- Arkansas Democrat Blanche Lincoln. Senator Lincoln has run ads in Arkansas telling her TV audience that she was opposed to the public option and healthcare reform (she voted against it, and also against the fixes after the Bill was returned to the Senate after it was passed by the House). But now Lincoln is running ads saying that she stood by the President for the passage of healthcare reform.

(As a sidebar when you GOOGLE Search "Blanche Lincoln", one of the sponsored links is www.ScraptheBill.org, which is dedicated to the repeal of "Obamacare".)

Ahhh....with friends like Senator Blanche.....

Also included in the "Worst Persons", old reliables Dick Morris and Rush Limbaugh.

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Keith Olbermann's Special Comment- The GOP May Have Met Its Waterloo

Between watching some news, some basketball, and catching up on the latest episode of DAMAGES I did catch the return of Keith Olbermann to COUNTDOWN.

He gave a SPECIAL COMMENT worthy of the attention of all, but particularly by conservatives and Republicans, and their failure to "smell the coffee".

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Massa's March Madness- The Scandal Gets A Little Crazier

To borrow a title from the Richard Thompson song...."Did He Jump Or Was He Pushed?"

Or perhaps a reworking of this old proverb....."If Eric Massa is asked the same question by ten different people, he will give ten different answers. If Eric Massa is asked by one person the same question ten times he will still give ten different answers".

I have kept watching the bizarre saga of former New York Democratic Congressman Eric Massa unfold over the past few. depending on what version of the story being told Massa resigned his seat because of a reoccurrence of cancer, or because he was the subject of an ethics probe because of sexual harassment, or that he forced to leave his seat by the White House- strong armed because he would not go along with President Obama's health care reform agenda.

Massa's story takes a twist when he appears on Glenn Beck's show on FOX, where Massa's story falls apart, much to the chagrin of Beck.

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This morning on The Today Show House Majority leader Steny Hoyer and House Republican Whip Eric Cantor appeared with Meredith Viera to discuss Massa's case....with predictable results.

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A Keith Olbermann Special Comment- AN AMERICAN CRY FOR HELP

For my final post for the month of February, I want to include a SPECIAL COMMENT from Keith Olbermann- An American Cry For Help

I've seen it already on a couple of websites, and have commented about it. If you haven't seen this, please take the time to watch. There are few among us who will not relate to Keith's words.

Talk to you again on March 1st!

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Quick Hits For February 2, 2010- Groundhog Day Edition; The Sequel

"Let's play ODDBALL".....Keith Olbermann takes us through the Wonderful World of Groundhog Day"....and goes "Down Undah" for a new potential anchor for Faux Noise.

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Gratuitous collage of Fox Newsbabes. Probability of them being cloned-HIGH