Olbermann Blasts O'Reilly For Attacking GE: "You Are More Personally Responsible For The 4,000 Dead Americans In Iraq Than All of America's Corporations Put Together."

Keith Olbermann has become an expert in O'Reilly-baiting, but last night he may have set a new record. Olbermann pushed back against Bill O'Reilly's habitual NBC-bashing — a particularly nasty bout wherein O'Reilly had extrapolated from GE's business dealings with Iran to GE chair Jeffrey Immelt bearing personal responsibility for dead American soldiers — and turned around and laid that blame at O'Reilly's own doorstep. "After all the shilling and ass-kissing you did for the administration before this phony war," said Olbermann, "You are more personally repsonsible for the 4,000 dead Americans in Iraq than all of America's corporations put together." Harsh.

Then he went harsher — by calling O'Reilly out as a hypocrite and a suck: "He didn't care about Americans, dead or alive in Iraq.This is about...me." Then he took the trash-talking to O'Reilly's bosses, too:

He really thinks people do not know that his bosses have promised my bosses that he will stop talking about Jeff Immelt or GE or NBC if I stop talking about him. And my bosses have said to me, 'Full steam ahead, buddy.' And they have said to Bill's bosses, 'We think your guy's a clown. Tell him to keep it up because he keeps providing Keith such great material.' It's a good company."

Is this the grown-up version of "my dad can beat up your dad?" (and yes, we use the term "grown-up" loosely. Well, essentially, but also true since we do know that O'Reilly's agent, at least, has asked NBC to tell Olbermann to lay off. But it's also a definite escalation of the FNC/NBC fight, since usually the network doesn't dignify the attacks with much of a response (save Olbermann, of course, and lately Dan Abrams). Now, you've got Olbermann going on the offensive on behalf of the company (whether authorized or unauthorized, who knows — though really at this point is anything Olbermann does unauthorized over there?). Either way, it's a shot across the bow at O'Reilly and at Fox News — and as such, good business, because the ratings always respond to a good feud. Still, this isn't the stuff of a silly feud, it's flinging rather heinous accusations at each other as to which is responsible for more dead soldiers. Will either of them blink? Not likely. But for the record, it sorta seems like O'Reilly started it. See Olbermann take it to the next level below:

Related:
O'Reilly: Talking Points [Fox News]
Bill O'Reilly And NBC, Shouting to Make Themselves Seen? [WaPo]

Comments

[NewRiver]

03:42 PM on 04/17/2008

Seriously? Well my boss said to your boss that I can keep talking about you...neener neener neener.

Sheesh, get a life.

[argent1]

11:57 AM on 04/17/2008

MSNBC shilled for Iraq war as well. Night after night Matthews et al were on telling us all the good this would do. It was a waring frenzied debauchery with media toppings. remember the deck of cards for all the bad Iraqi players? Bush's hay day. GE of course would like to sell their nuclear technology to anyone who'll buy. How they lobby congress and white house is not out in the open, and don't expect reports from Olberman about it.

[itsafreakingame]

11:28 AM on 04/17/2008

Olbermann gives O’Liely to much free air time. O’Liely barely mentions Olbermann on his show, which is smart because when O’Liely does rant about something I normally go and check it out that’s how I’ve found most of the websites I enjoy like Media Matters, Moveon.org etc. Olbermann rants lead viewers to watch O’Liely just to hear him make an ass out of himself. Olbermann has lost a lot of credit with some of his viewers because he has jumped on the democratic band wagon for Obama. I really think legit news should stop cheerleading for their candidate and start covering the news period. It would be nice to turn on the news and get the news without any of the anchors bias opinions, this goes for Olbermann and O’liely

[scorpioleidy]

11:26 AM on 04/17/2008

I LOVE Keith Olbermann and I watch him twice every evening (once is not enough!!!)!!!
Thanks to MSNBC for getting rid of Tucker's show, now please get rid of Joe Scarbassorough and that loudmouth Pat Buchanan.
OBAMA '08

[UrbanAddictiondotcom]

12:33 PM on 04/17/2008

Here here scorpioleidy, I'm with you completely!!

[Boris]

10:34 AM on 04/17/2008

I dont have cable or sat. so I dont see this shit and I dont care. Neither Keith or Falafel boy have any credentials as journalists. They are entertainers only. Keith did sports and OReilly did one of those late night, 'Gee whiz, what is Britney up to now?' programs. At least I give a crap about sports.

Ratings are not a testament to validation. Only to the stupidity or prejudice of the viewer.

OReilly reminds me of those real big kids in junior high school who bullied other kids because they were bigger than anyone else. All it took was one kid to stand up and expose them for what they were....just big, marshmallow squishy cowards.

[Smartey]

10:29 AM on 04/17/2008

I heard Olbermann's ex-girlfriend says he's a real jerk, a true misogynist. Hateful, rude and condescending to women. And very much the chauvenist. She also says his "package" is truly miniscule, and compared it to no more than a thumbtack. He uses it for a quickie, and women get zilch out of the deal.

So, ladies: Beware.

[UnbiasView]

11:15 AM on 04/17/2008

Ladies beware or girls beware? He hangs out on college to pick up girls.

[skribbler]

03:35 PM on 04/17/2008

You know someone has no ammunition when his/her/its comments drop into the toilet. Watch out ladies, indeed!

[adamsmith]

09:56 AM on 04/17/2008

olbergoebbels will be studied in jounalism classes for years as a propagandist of the highest order...Meltdown with Keith Olbergoebbels is the ALL SPIN ZONE....Keith orange number back to a 6.5....................

[skribbler]

03:37 PM on 04/17/2008

So, gee, let me see if I get this -- you don't like Keith? What a maroon! Go watch Fox, then. Olbermann has wit, style and class, three things that are probably invisible to you.

[connorin]

04:33 PM on 04/17/2008

wit, style and class?

you have seen the show right???
puppet theater, oddball,speaking in silly voices, listing the 3 republicans he disagrees with as the worst person in the world every night, nearly nightly attacks on a fellow talking head that never refers to him back at all...that is your definition of "wit, style and class"?

[xapim22]

09:56 AM on 04/17/2008

Olberman is nothing but a parody and a wannabe journalist

[skribbler]

03:38 PM on 04/17/2008

In a true sense of the word, Olbermann is not a journalist. He's a pundit, an opinion slinger. If you think his portfolio contains a sheet of paper on which is written, UNBIASED, then you are certain to be disappointed. Alas, you won't find journalists on cable.

[connorin]

04:35 PM on 04/17/2008

gee its too bad he and his network put them selves out there that he is a journalist and objective and his show is a news show

[presto]

01:51 AM on 04/18/2008

Actually, by definition, a pundit is supposed to be an expert. So he's not that either. Guess that leaves opinion slinger.

[Bulbul]

08:19 AM on 04/17/2008

Always in Huffy, it is whom Olberman is blasting, is nothing but laughable. If MSNBC had some integrity , perhaps then someone would pay attention to this. Keith`s fake rage is getting silly. We should be supporting GE, and shed a tear or two, when all these mega corporations are responsible for pockting huge profits and leaving their own hard working workers high and dry ? Naaa....

They lost their credibility when they decided to join Obama camp early on.

[UnbiasView]

11:18 AM on 04/17/2008

I thought the entire NBC family lost their integrity when they did a story nationally that was promoting how great LED lights were . . . they forgot to tell people that GE is the biggest mfg of them currently until the next night.

Then their debate/primary coverage included Maddow/Matthews/Olbergoof . . . not exactly unbiased coverage.

[skribbler]

03:40 PM on 04/17/2008

Yes, MSNBC is prejudiced. It's not a news site, really. It's about opinion, theirs, just as your post is about opinion, yours.

[neoprimordial]

02:09 AM on 04/17/2008

Time for a K.O.! Bill O'Reilly is a disgrace to the profession of journalism. One day he'll be forced to leave for having gone too far, hopefully some day soon. In the meantime, go get 'em Olbermann!

[tomcat27834]

09:02 AM on 04/17/2008

O'Reilly is a journalist?

thats news to me....................

[UnbiasView]

11:19 AM on 04/17/2008

KO is? That is news to me

[zona9]

11:39 PM on 04/16/2008

Olbermann, as usual, is lying. O'Reilly supported the war in the beginning but became a critic of it's handling and decision in the first place. And was doing so early on. He apologized for his initial opinion on Iraq and has repeatedly admitted he was wrong. So let's get that straight.

Onto Olbermoron's latest example of lying through his teeth....American soldiers dying in Iraq are doing so, overwhelmingly, as a result of IEDs. Soldiers do not die by simply going to Iraq-they die at the hands of Iran supplied explosives. O'Reilly is right. Olbermann is wrong. Again.

[nyboomer]

08:28 AM on 04/17/2008

Most of the IED's in Iraq are a product of Rumsfeld declining to post a watch on munitions dumps. The only thing Americans were told to guard was the oil ministry. It was the only importnat building as far the current administration was concerned.

O'Reilly's apology was extorted from him by newsman solely because he boasted that if no WMD's were found he would apologise to America and attack the administration. His graceless admission that no WMDs were found and that administration misled America was embarrassing to watch. I suspect that is the genesis of his rancor.

Has O'Reilly ever mentioned Cheney's dealings in the area as head of Halliburton? Dealings carried on in direct disobedience of US laws by shifting the dealings to an offshore subsidiary which was actually a postal drop box.?

O'Reilly is the typical arrogant, yet abismally ignorant, hubristic fool who has at best a minor acquaintanceship with the truth.

[skribbler]

03:44 PM on 04/17/2008

Oh, man, are you a candidate for a currency scam or what? People don't die because they're sent to a war zone? You mean, war doesn't kill, people do? Your judgment about who is right and wrong must be questioned as your ability for critical thinking is inoperative.

[shotgunblast]

09:55 PM on 04/16/2008

Bill O'Reilly has Geraldo Rivera and Dennis(I used to be a democrat) Miller on as regular guests. Credibility DENIED.

[TimN]

09:01 PM on 04/16/2008

It doesn't matter if O'Reilly gets it wrong, because every single night he's kicking Olbermann's teeth in.

http://tvbythenumbers.com/2008/04/11/oreilly-vs-olbermann-through-wednesday-april-9

[swift goat pet for truth]

11:43 PM on 04/16/2008

ABSOLUTELY!!!

Facts, morality or ethics DO NOT MATTER!!

The only thing that counts is CASH, baby!!!
(I'm sure Jesus would approve.)

[awcbuddy8]

01:27 AM on 04/17/2008

Since when did NBC not have money?

[MfromS]

11:45 PM on 04/16/2008

Olbermann is a joke. MSNBC is a joke... Ratings don't lie.

[bluescat47]

08:46 PM on 04/16/2008

Olbmerman is correct. O'Reilly is a sycophant for the Administration and the war. He has blamed the disaster of IIraq on everything from the media to the Iraqi people, never those who launched this harebrained adventure and those, like O'Reilly and Fox, who led the cheerleading and supported every contrived Bush-Wolfowitz defense of the war and occupation.
JFK wrote a book called "Profiles in Courage" when he was in the Senate. O'Reilly deserves a chapter in a volume called "Profiles in Cowardice,"for his continuing attempt to divert blame away from the conservative media toadies (O'Reilly) who are fully responsible for this disaster.

[YeahDonkey]

08:55 PM on 04/16/2008

Olberman makes me laugh and O'liely makes me sick, but in the end they are both Corp Whores for a couple of the worst companies in the world. Stop sticking up for GE Keith, it makes you look like an idiot, and thats Bill O's job.

[phansen]

12:18 AM on 04/17/2008

Olbermann's parent company GE -- the nice guys who bring you PCB's and NUCLEAR WEAPONS.

Just sold their plastics division to the Saudis for 12 BILLION dollars. What are the chances that deal doesn't benefit terrorism?

Olbermann is right more often than O'Reilly, who genuinely is just a clown, but it's also true that neither is independent... both are 100% bought and paid for.

[Busterdawg]

08:43 PM on 04/16/2008

Olbermann thinks he's Edward R. Murrow. But he overlooks the fact that Murrow was a journalist. Which Olbermann is not.

Olbermann is a news COMMENTATOR, just like Bill O'Reilly. Neither are objective nor journalists.