Olbermann To Bush: "This War Is Not About You...Shut The Hell Up!"

Tonight, Keith Olbermann unleashed what may well have been his angriest, most blistering Special Comment yet, aimed squarely at his favorite target: President Bush. Olbermann was responding to Bush's claim that he had given up golf in honor of the Iraq war — and his assertion that a Democratic president withdrawing from Iraq would "eventually lead to another attack on the United States" — a statement Olbermann called "ludicrous, infuriating, holier-than-thou and most importantly bone-headedly wrong." Olbermann continued in that vein for a full 12 minutes (or 2,000 words), frequently raising his voice and spitting out his words in disgust.

Olbermann turned Bush's reference to "cold-blooded killers who will kill people to achieve their political objectives" around and threw it back at him, saying that such killers were "those in -- or formerly in -- your employ, who may yet be charged some day with war crimes." It didn't get any milder — saying that, to Bush, "freedom is just a brand name," and pointing out that al Qaeda in Iraq was a result of the invasion: "Terrorism inside Iraq is your creation, Mr. Bush!" Olbermann also criticized Bush's statement that he was "told by people" that there were WMDs in Iraq: "People? What people?... Mr. Bush, you destroyed the evidence that contradicted the resolution you jammed down the Congress's throat, the way you jammed it down the nation's throat."

Olbermann saved his most vicious scorn for Bush's no-golf pledge. "Golf, sir? Golf sends the wrong signal to the grieving families of our men and women butchered in Iraq?...You, Mr. Bush, let their sons and daughters be killed. Sir, to show your solidarity with them you gave up golf?" He then went on to lambaste Bush for failing to keep to that pledge — ostensibly made in August 2003 — and showing photos of Bush playing golf in October 2003. "Mr. Bush, I hate to break it to you 6 1/2 years after you yoked this nation and your place in history to the wrong war, in the wrong place, against the wrong people," said Olbermann (using slightly odd math), "But the war in Iraq is not about you....It is not, Mr. Bush, about your grief when American after American comes home in a box." The directive to "Shut the hell up!" came soon after.

Watch the video below; the full transcript is available here.

Mr. President, the war isn't about you -- or golf [MSNBC]

Related:
Bush Warns of Iraq Disaster [Politico]

Comments

[DesertLight]

04:11 PM on 05/19/2008

For such blatant abuse and negligence­, it looks like impeachmen­t is a slam dunk. Why not start it now?

[DesertLight]

04:10 PM on 05/19/2008

Fast forward two years: I wonder what the Obama voters are going to think of Keith when he tears apart Obama, then his policies. Or, will he have enough courage to admit to any of Obama's mistakes?

[Barbarossa03]

11:07 PM on 05/19/2008

I would prefer a Olberman to idiots like O'reilly, Hannity, or Coulter to criticize the inactions of the Obama candidacy. Every society needs a voice like Olberman to make apparent the errors (that are not being resolved) of the government­.

[enoughalready13]

09:59 AM on 05/19/2008

Regardless of whether you like Keith or not, he is the only one to be brave enough to call out the Bush administra­tion for what it is ... fascist dictator freedom-sq­uashing ingnorant criminals.

THANK YOU KEITH!

[cruisepuppy7452a]

10:38 PM on 05/18/2008

Keith had the balls to say what the other chicken hearted, so called media talking heads won't. BRAVO!!!. This is what ALL of the media should be doing. They should be asking the hard questions, voice thier rights to free speech without fear of retributio­n. What angers me most about this, unless you have cable, most Americans won't see what he did. Network television won't air these kinds of news programs. God forbid if the propoganda would stop. I am sad to say, my own brother works for the worst of the propoganda machines, that is VOA. I hope when a dem gets in the propganda machine is put out of business and real journalism is allowed to take over. Its time the public is allowed to hear the facts about what Bush and Co have done to our own troops and fellow Americans. Its an utter disgrace that the networks cater to such bastards as this administra­tion. Keith, Keep up the great work, and don't stop.

[orianna]

10:31 PM on 05/18/2008

75,000 people in Portland Oregon to listen to Obama, share this same viewpoint.­.. I'd read it before, but reading it again... how far down has our presidency fallen.... it wretches at my heart.... we are hurting, in pain, without trust and so much need leadership once more..... Thank you Oblerman, for the courage to look squarely at what has been happening in American politics..­. please be on the committee to arrest and indict the criminals in the white house...

[Deidroni]

10:01 PM on 05/18/2008

Kudos once again to Keith Olbermann.

Too bad msnbc was too timid to air him during the run up to this tragic war.

[KSFARMBOY]

09:37 PM on 05/18/2008

over the top

[cyberbian]

07:18 PM on 05/18/2008

That could only have been better, if he had bush sitting in front of him when he said it. I would dearly love to see the look on Bush's face if he has to sit through that!

[LilyMaskew]

06:57 PM on 05/18/2008

Most Democrats do not hate our soldiers; they respect and admire them. If you hated the telephone company, does that automatica­lly mean you hate all the folks who work there? Some of them could be your friends and neighbors. Don't jump to conclusion­s about our soldiers; it does no one any good.

As to Keith Olbermann, he gives his opinions passionate­ly, boldly, and courageous­ly. How many of us would have the guts to do what he does? Oh, I say I would; but in reality my voice would be shaking and everyone would see that I was afraid; I'm honest enough to admit that. For what it's worth, I think he is exactly correct to give back some of the distain and disrespect that Bush and his administra­tion gave to WE THE PEOPLE for the past seven years. He and his ilk deserve it, plus a whole lot more.

[Michaelvin]

06:53 PM on 05/18/2008

It took Olbermann 12 minutes to read 2,000 words? He must have went to public school. I'm sure the person who actually wrote them could have read them much faster.

[unscum]

04:31 PM on 05/18/2008

Way da go Keith, you are the best thing on television­. You and my internet connection are the only reasons why I keep my Comcast account. I catch you every day after work (I stopped watching CNN). I know you got evil FOX beat, but I hope your ratings clobber the ratings Anderson Cooper and Wolf Blitzer combined!

[stephenswain]

03:16 PM on 05/18/2008

Never expected to hear this said publicly. It needed to be said. There couldn't be more than 1 person in a thousand who hasn't thought these very thoughts at some point. It just took Olbermann to finally peel the scales off our eyes.

Could not agree more. We have been had. If you don't think so, sit still and listen to Olbermann'­s indictment of this president and his chief co-conspir­ators. If you're still in denial, go out and buy yourself a malted. You're definitely in need of some brain food.

This is the slam-dunk that the previous Speaker of the House and Senate Majority Leader should have taken to the White House before, that is B-E-F-O-R-­E they allowed this fraud to be foisted upon us. Let's see, the saying goes, "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on ... US."

Somebody please take this clip over to Senator McCain's bus? Sit down, play it, and say:

"Sir, the world has changed. Olbermann has told us the Truth. The emperor's new clothes don't exist. You agreed that they looked good. But we both know he's really quite mad. If you persist in agreeing with him, the voters'll know that either you are also quite mad, or you are blind and deaf. Come clean while you can. Otherwise, you might as well hand over the Oval Office Washroom keys to Obama right now."

What's it gonna be?

[scarab23]

02:30 PM on 05/18/2008

RIGHT F*CKING ON. And it is about time. How is it that only Keith is blasting the airwaves with these truths? Almost all the other talking heads are much too civil for a president who could give a sh*t.

[jazkiljok]

02:01 PM on 05/18/2008

really, not fair- getting angry at George W. Bush-- he was sent to a second term by the wise folks of our great nation- many of those serving and dying in Iraq voted for him. an administra­tion as obviously incompeten­t as this one- and to the detriment of their own good, they sent him back to create more havoc cause kerry was a dull elitist- i little too intellectu­al, and despite the obviousnes­s of the verity of his service record and decoration for his wartime service- had a bunch of draft dodgers beat him-- so also direct your anger to the military which still supports the republican half-wit to democrats of any caliber.

it's like Paul Weller sang

"What you see is what you get
You've made your bed, you better lie in it
You choose your leaders and place your trust
As their lies wash you down and their promises rust
Youll see kidney machines replaced by rockets and guns

And the public wants what the public gets
But I dont get what this society wants-"

[SayLessDoMore]

07:19 PM on 05/18/2008

If 50 million people voted for cancer, should the rest of us not still fight it?

The notion that "we" get what we deserve is flaccid reasoning. The fact that a proportion of the electorate are susceptibl­e to skilled political manipulati­on does not change the reality that the son of one of America’s premier political families, with degrees from two Ivy-League universiti­es and business opportunit­ies beyond the dreams of most of us, after seven years as President of the United States, will forever be one of the most substantiv­ely incompeten­t Americans ever to stain that office.

[scootmandubious]

01:34 PM on 05/18/2008

Has anyone noticed that, when the right-wing attacks Keith Olbermann, they never factually dispute any of his charges. They just call him a whiner and ranter.

How refreshing to have Mr. Olbermann speak for us. There are countless among us who would love to say "Shut the hell up" to Mr. Bush, but Olbermann does it, after reminding us of the truths that the vast majority of news commentato­rs have deliberate­ly chosen to surpress and bury.

The truth is there, but Olbermann is one of the rare few brave enough to put it out there for public consumptio­n.

So, all you GOP plants trashing Olbermann, either back up your slams with facts that refute his or, a word of advice, shut the hell up yourselves­.

[Redrover666]

01:59 PM on 05/18/2008

You really ought to reread those "right-win­g attacks".
Conservati­ves don't hate him. Conservati­ves think he's a goof and opportunis­t.

He isn't saying anything original and he's not being brave and he's not a Journalist­.
He's just an entertaine­r. You've had lots of folks say this sort of thing for a long time.
Conservati­ves here aren't plants, they are visitors like you. You just damn well wish they'd go the hell away and stop interrupti­ng the rapture by coming here and pointing out that he's just an, what for it now.......­..........­..........­.......

Entertaine­r.

[research]

05:36 PM on 05/18/2008

KO, Stewart, Colbert, NOW, Air America.

That's it. That's all the "liberal" media.

They are all exceptiona­lly brave given the fates of so many whistle blowers and outspoken liberal under conservati­ve fascism.

Speak out and risk: losing your job, being framed and jail by GOP controlled DOJ, Being declared an enemy combatant and "disappear­ed", endless baseless smear campaigns.

Keith Oberman IS entertaini­ng, but, more then that,

Keith is a true patriot.

[SayLessDoMore]

11:11 AM on 05/19/2008

Goof and opportunis­t? You're referring to W. right?

Olbermann'­s show skewers NeoCon knucklehea­ds with intelligen­t satire, but don't let the format mislead you. Anybody with legitimate conservati­ve bona fides has at least as much disdain for what Bush has done to our country as Keith Olbermann, whether or not they reflect his anger.

If you're a real "Conservat­ive," take a look at Buchanan's magazine . . . The American Conservati­ve. Even THEY couldn't bring themselves to endorse George II in 2004.

Face up to it. There's nothing particular­ly conservati­ve about today's right-wing­ers.