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

[THISTLE]

"This War is not about You - shut the hell up," it is about BUSH - he started the War, it's HIS War,
and the vile comments he made on Thursday - were said, by BUSH. So the pompus, fake anger
of Olbermann who used to have credibility, before he jumped on the Matthews, MSNBC non-stop
Hillary Clinton attacks, has become a pompus hack, along with the entire line-up at MSNBC.
I used to think Keith was the most intelligent, passionate, and sincere individual on the air,
but he has become nothing more than just another hack on MSNBC. Perhaps our first clue
should have come when he started using those very creepy voices he uses, along with his
"Puppet Theatre." Edward R. Murrow would not be proud.

[playscape]

Not sure what is sadder: that you don't have the intelligence to understand what Olbermann means when he says, "it's not about you" (hint: it's about the plural opposite) or that you view the world through an HRC lens. Please note: these are not mutually exclusive.

By the way, 'creepy voices' and 'Puppet Theatre' were mainstays when Keith was "was the most intelligent, passionate, and sincere individual on the air".

[bentenrai]

PBS has a documentary film on its website titled "Bush's War". You should take a look.

[mellene]

This was one of the finest hours of special comments by Olbermann. Someone has to speak out against the atrocious behavior of the prez.

[ProfessorDuh]

Finally, an appropriate reaction to Bush.

[Redrover666]

Thank you ProfessorDuh.

I love it when one of you expresses your real feeling for the troops.
I copy these links and send them to my moderate democratic friends as an example of an Obama supporter.

I have consistently maintained that liberal concern for our troops was a cynical seguay to slamming them, is bogus and that in fact the only trooper that you like is a deserter or misfit that will support liberal angst at be relegated to the damp, rotten underside of American politics.

[ProfessorDuh]

And thank you, Boy Fascist. Making the troops commit war crimes and getting them killed in your endless wars of aggression is how you right wingers send them a valentine, isn't it?

[paulhrci]

Olberman is no different than any other pundit...talk loud...and ratings go up....it doesn't even matter if it is all BS

[bentenrai]

Perhaps, but that BS hits home.

[lakephillip]

God Bless Keith Olberman. He is my hero.

[Dark Angel]

Finally somebody has got the balls to speak up!

[MikeW213]

As an Army Ranger who’s been in the thick of things during 3 rotations in Iraq, I can say with certainty that our military personnel get ticked off at all Television Networks that have apparently changed the attitudes of the millions of people everywhere. Morons like Oberman who think they are speaking for us have their heads up their fourth point of contact. You dare listen to someone who hasn’t a clue and believe he is correct?
When we can get TV via satellite, we get infuriated watching the news. When we go home before redeploying back, we get infuriated at the ignorance of Democrats who spew out disinformation for political gain. Where do you think the President gets his information about what’s happening in Iraq? It’s from those of us on the ground here in Iraq who send the intelligence up the chain of command. So, who do you believe? Suggest it be those of us here where it's happening.
We have now dubbed our US TV stations as the Anti-American Broadcasting Comedy sitcom, the Communist Broadcasting System, & the Not-so-Bright Communication joke as well as the Criminal Network News.
If you don't think Al-Qaida was NOT here before we went in, then you are a fool. If you don't think that they're still here doing their best to kill Americans & Iraqi alike, you are even a bigger ignoramus; especially, if you believe Morons like Oberman. Knock down the President, yeah that’ll help a freaking lot!

[DerAmi]

Isn't the military required to read The Constitution of the United States of American anymore. It IS a military crime to follow an order that is clearly against the law.

But now I guess the military will decide that US Citizens who expect their government to abide be the Constitution can be labeled "terrorist."

Not only has Bush led the military into an illegal war, he will be responsible for the very dangerous divisions within America. Sadly, in the same instant that I saw the planes fly into the World Trade Center, I knew that Americans would turn against each other. We now have people such as "mrcarter" who feel that can label innocent Americans as terrorist.

What will happen when these injured soldiers come home. Does anyone remember Timothy McVey? Aside from the "September 11th" attacks, who is responsible for the largest "terrorist" attacks within the United States?

We have injured soldiers who desperately require exstensive and long term mental health care. Perhaps the oil industry would like to use some of their record profits to help pay for this?

[MikeW213]

Sir, I doubt very much that you have ever really read our Constitution much less any of the Congressional Powers we have given the Office of the President.

Your question tells more about you than you let on. "Isn't the military REQUIRED to read the Constitution...anymore?" As if you knew first hand.

What school did you go to that required you to read every word of it much less all of the Amendments? If you did read it, perhaps you'd learn something.

Despite the fact that I am many others support and defend our Constitution everyday, doesn't mean I should be the one to explain it to you; heck, you know it all apparently.

Learn to think on your own. Use your own initiative before you start throwing stones at those of us who serve willingly. We don't like war anymore than anyone else, we just are willing to do what it takes, where ever and whenever charged, so that people like you have the right to say what you say. It doesn't mean you're right!

Who knows more about what's happening in Iraq, you, Olbermann, or someone who's been there for several years and watched it unfold through several different phases?
I am 50% disabled as a result of an IED. Had the Democratic Congress provided what we needed when we asked for it rather than tying everything up playing politics with our lives, perhaps my vehicle would not have been destroyed as bad as it was.

[neoprimordial]

You make quite a relevant, and sobering, point DerAmi. What do we do once the chickens start coming home to roost? I surely hope that McCain is defeated. We can't have anymore of this nonsense.

I myself expected something like 9/11 to happen in 2000 (and it almost did, at LAX), but did you really see Americans turning against each other back then?

[filo]

This is the ONLY post Mike has made so he is either brand new to HuffPo or a GOP plant.

[neoprimordial]

Well, I guess he won't be one of my favorites at the rate he's going.

[Njegos]

MikeW213:

I'm sorry that you relish the prospect of dying for nothing. That is sad because I'm sure your family would rather see you home alive and intact and you probably have skills that the American economy badly needs.

But since you insist, perhaps you can tell us exactly where all those al-Qaeda were hanging out in secular Iraq before we went in. And at the same time, please provide us with a map of the WMDs that were never found. As you say, the intelligence was provided by people like yourself who know what is going on.

And I insist that you vote for Insane McCain because he will make sure you stay in Iraq as long as it takes to "get the job done", whatever that God-forsaken mission happens to be.

[KarenSL]

How dare you dictate to someone in our military that their life's chosen career is for nothing. MikeW213's life in the end, however met, will have been a great contribution and been of meaning far more then yours or mine. We all choose the path in life what we feel we are cabale of achieving and I have the utmost respect for our men and women who have chosen a life in our military. Their courage and unselfish characteristics are indeed commendable at the highest degree. I see MikeW213's life as one with true meaning and worth.

How many of us just live our lives so selfishly day to day just thinking about me, me, me and not even have a real purpose other than to carry out the most mondane of things. I for one wish I were as courageous as the men and women in our military and I for one will NEVER complain or bad mouth them nor their Commander in Chief - no matter who that may be in the White House.

Even with you'll Democrats or anti-War people hearing information right from the horses mouth YOU still insist on questioning this and that just because people like Keith Olbermann have planted the seed. Amazing isn't it MikeW213.

[tomcat27834]

Regrets that you chose to make a "political statement" rather than state fact. However, for YOU and the other small uninformed to suggest that Al-Qaida was in Iraq before GWBush's choice of occupation is in contrast of every legitimate think-tank or intellgence source the world over. I would remind you that the premise for going to war should involve strategy. In this instance, there was not one, even remotely, at the time of occupation, nor is there one now. Any compentent commander-in-chief would understand that and to ignore that basic fundamental, is an act of treason effecting the safety and well-being of our good men and woman in arms and our country as a whole.

Al-Qaida, WMD's.........I ask you, at the time of invasion of Iraq by GWBush, if our own state dept. did NOT see Iraq as an "imminent threat" to the U.S .....what would be the pretext for invading and occupying another country in the middle of the arab world?

Thank you for your service to our great country.

[KarenSL]

May GOD bless you MikeW213 and THANK YOU for your service. You and other men and women in our Military fighting in Iraq is where I want to get my information from. Thank you so much for coming on this site and posting your comment. Unfortunately these Democrats here just do not get it. They are so deep into playing this game of Politics that they cannot think straight. When they praise people like Keith Olbermann, Rosie O'Donnell etc. etc. who are being paid by people like George Soros et al to be their mouth pieces for the sole benefit of their own selfish AGENDAS it is just sickening.

It is heart breaking to listen to all the crap that the likes of Keith Olbermann spew about this Country and our President while men and women of our military are risking and losing their lives in Iraq and elsewhere.

My prayers are with you and all of our military fighting in Iraq as well as other parts of our world for the genuine good of people on a whole. The price you and others in the line of duty pay is indeed most honorable and people like Keith Olbermann need to keep their mouths shut and stop trying to rob all of you of that honor.

Thank you again for your comments. I believe you and I support you 110% in your efforts.

[RavenHawk23]

Somewhere, the great Edward R. Murrow is smiling.

Way to go Kieth.

[elPedro]

The best thing he said was that "this president is not fit to be in office." Let us not get caught in all this election BS. It might not matter if he declares martial law is some "terrorist" has a suitcase nuclear device planted on him in some big metropolitan area. After reading the comments of Rumsfeld (war criminal), I don't think that is too far fetched of a notion to get the nation to chant, "USA, USA," wave the flags and hate whomever we are told is responsible for it.

Something still needs to be done now. Why exactly is Shirley Golub running against Nancy Pelosi (Republican mole) in a primary with the "Impeach motto" if she won't get into office until they are gone (and McCain gets in?)

Let's not just sit and hope nothing happens until January 20th, because it just may. If not what I suggest, certainly they've something up their sleeves to steal a 3rd consecutive election.

It was beautiful and impassioned. I just wish he would have mentioned one other thing. That Bush was/is the ONLY PRESIDENT IN HISTORY not to attend a miltary funeral. I guess trying to give up golf is a better idea..

Sorry for posting twice, I finally learned how to post a new comment. The "Post A Comment" button on top doesn't work in either IE or Firefox for me, just the one on the bottom.

[tyrdofwaitin]

Keith's rant is RAGE: Rage that Americans have been duped, bamboozled and fleeced all in the name of Democracy. We have brought an innocent nation called Iraq to its knees; we have destroyed thousands of American and Iraqi lives all in the name of keeping us safe and we have wrecked the economic infrastructure of our own country. I say " WHERE IS THE OUTRAGE".

Thank God someone in the broadcast media has it. Maybe America's tin ear can hear now?

[LeoMarvin]

When did bluster become credible? Olberman's rant drips with sanctimony and self-importance. It's so off-putting, I wanted to argue with everything he said, but I actually agree with most of it! That's sure not the way to make a point you'd like to be believed by anyone who doesn't already agree with you. Walter Cronkite didn't yell. Bill O'Reilly, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity... and sadly, Keith Olberman yell.

[aristippe]

I agree, I hate rants.

[tomcat27834]

not a rant.....just pure disgust !!

[ProfessorDuh]

It's called moral outrage. People who actually have morality sometimes experience it.

[LeoMarvin]

I criticize how Olberman delivers a message I've already told you I see the same way you do, and you question my morality? Typical.

[elPedro]

He should have said the word he wanted to say at the end and have it partially bleeped.

Keith keeps getting better and better. I wish he would do those special comments more often. Does he do them any specific night or at random?

[Centaur]

Well, he could have used the initials"STFU"! We would have known what he meant.

[DonDavis]

Holy Clown’s Nose: Rumsfeld Advised Bush to Take Up Miniature Golf!
http://satiricalpolitical.com/?p=1827

[elPedro]

The best thing he said was that "this president is not fit to be in office." Let us not get caught in all this election BS. It might not matter if he declares martial law is some "terrorist" has a suitcase nuclear device planted on him in some big metropolitan area. After reading the comments of Rumsfeld (war criminal), I don't think that is too far fetched of a notion to get the nation to chant, "USA, USA," wave the flags and hate whomever we are told is responsible for it.. Something still needs to be done now. Let's not just sit and hope nothing happens until January 20th, because it just way may. If not what I suggest, certainly they have something up their sleeves to steal a 3rd consecutive election.

It was beautiful and impassioned. I just wish he would have mentioned one other thing. That Bush was/is the ONLY PRESIDENT IN HISTORY not to attend a miltary funeral. I guess trying to give up golf is a better idea. Think of all the of advisors sat at a table thinking of that one.

[mcginn]

Bravo, Keith. You are the best.

[MikeW213]

As a retired US Army Ranger with 3 tours in Iraq ranging from the 1st Gulf War to recent years, I can't help but get frustrated at how ignorant some Americans are about what's really going on over there.
Everyone serving in the US Military in Iraq is a volunteer. If there were more Americans with the guts to volunteer to serve their country, they would see first hand a totally different picture from that being portrayed on our biased TV stations & other media.
Though our military is trained to make the other poor dumb bastards die for their country, our combat arms people are not policemen. Yet, our politicians in Congress have once again tied our hands just like they did in Viet Nam. How different is what we are doing in Iraq from what we did after WWII?
As we sit in the Desert with only the BBC radio or the Anti-American Voice of America to listen to in English, we wonder about our support at home to the point that we turn off the radios. They are helping bolster the moral of our enemy more than ours. What part of that don’t they understand?
Our Leaders only know what we on the front lines tell them. They make their decisions based on that information. The President, like him or not, was right on with his recent comments.
So, Oberman, stop acting like you are speaking for us all, you’re the one who needs to SHUT UP!

[Purobi]

You do not represent every one who is serving in Iraq either. So, may be you too should shut up.

[Purobi]

What makes you think that you represent everyone who is serving in Iraq?

[Richcelt]

First, thank you for your service.

Second, Kieth's main point was the fact that Bush lied to get us involved in that conflict in the first place. You never should have been in Iraq, because we had no reason for going there. The WMDs the public was told were there, which justified the whole reason for preemptively invading a foreign country (as terrible as it was), were not there to be found. The whole thing was a sham and the public have a right to be indignant about it. It put you in harms way more than you ever should have been, more often than you ever should have been, and for what?

You guys have done an admirable job given the circumstances, and you should be praised for it. But that doesn't mean that you should have been there in the first place, and the fault for that rightly lands at Bush's feet. Kieth had every right to take Bush to task for his statements.

[Njegos]

MikeW213:

Unfortunately, you are not serving your country. You are serving a gang whose idea of sacrifice, as KO so aptly put it, is to give up golf as a gesture of empathy with the families of the fallen. Such brave men.

Does Bush really make you proud, Mike? Did you see how he expressed himself? It was barely English. Poor expression is often a symptom of muddled thinking and I am being extremely generous. The POTUS is a perfect patsy for the neo-con agenda. He is like a garbage dump for dangerous and lunatic ideas.

You still insist that the Leaders only know what we on the front lines tell them. Mike, what are ordinary Iraqis telling the POTUS, especially the 3 million who fled to Jordan and Syria AFTER the US invasion or do their opinions not count? And if, as you imply, you (the troops) were the source of the WMD story then we have a serious problem not just with the CIA but with the failed role of military in intelligence-gathering.

That is just one of the many parts "we don't understand" but it doesn't seem to bother you. And refusing to volunteer to fight a needless war of aggression is not about "lacking guts" but a obvious sign of wisdom.

[Artoo45]

It's thrilling to hear someone forcefully say what so many American's have had trouble putting into words.

Obama/Olbermann 08

[RJC]

Karen here is why we went into Iraq “ The Project for the New American Century “. The long-range implications of this plan are mind-boggling. The ultimate goal is military, economic, theological, and social domination of the world. The cost in economic terms and the lives of our children (future servicemen and women) is too high. This plan is what the Iraq invasion was really about. There was no al-Qaeda presence in Iraq prior to the Hussein’s removal. Hussein and Bin Laden hated each other, they are opposites politically and philosophically. While I agree Hussein is a monster and deserves to die for his crimes, Bush did not take us to war for that reason. Hussein had nothing to with 9/11, he wouldn’t have dared, knowing Bush was after him. Everyone one knew the younger Bush was obsessed with Hussein, and would use any excuse to remove him. Bush’s own personal motives for this were a need to outdo his dad and siblings, and payback for Hussein offering a contract on his daddy’s life. Bush was easy pickings for Cheney, Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz, Abrams, Bolton, and Perle to manipulate, all who were in the elder Bush administration and formulated these plans back then. The Iraq invasion was for the WMD, supposedly. The rest of the world knew our case was non-existent and rightfully did not support us. The plan to invade Iraq under any circumstances was developed by Wolfowitz working for Cheney in 1992.

[RJC]

Continued from above.... This was done towards the end of the elder Bush presidency and was part of the Defense Planning Guidance, developed by each administration. Their plans were thwarted by the unsuccessful re-election of the elder Bush in 1992. The way we operated last century was to overtly or covertly arm/fund various governments, or opposition parties, or various dictators or rebels/insurgents. We did this via the “indirect method” by the use of surrogates. “The Plan for the New American Century” is a radical departure from previous methodology; we are now going to use the “direct” method. This means sending our troops around the world to impose our will on the rest of the world militarily, economically, socially and theologically. We, the American people, need to be perfectly clear of what we have signed on for by electing this administration, and if we elect McCain. The short and long term costs of this are tremendous. We are signing up to be the worlds policeman, we are signing up to impose our beliefs, impose our form of government, impose our economic systems on the rest of the world. The costs of establishing this and maintaining it are untenable, as all past empires have discovered throughout history. Unfortunately we squandered the world’s goodwill and support for removing the Taliban and rebuilding Afghanistan after 9/11. We did this by turning from the true war on terror against al-Qaeda around the world, and invading Iraq under patently false pretenses.

[RJC]

To Karen. I was also never for Iraq, it was obvious to many of us this was just a ruse. You keep spouting the Bush talking points and getting unrelated issues tied together. Read up on Scott Ritter, an American UN inspector and his story. The UN was not really pushing to go back in there, they had already drawn their conclusion, no WMD. Many people, those that thought for themselves and did just a little research knew this. The reason almost none of our allies supported us in Iraq is because our case was completely fabricated. Iraq and WMD had nothing to do with 9/11. This knee-jerk "don't criticize the president in wartime mantra has allowed our leaders to avoid accountability for decades" This false patriotism has done irreparable harm to our nation, and it must stop.

[KarenSL]

RJC, the fact is, I have for months and months tried to find out the truth about everything but unfortunately because of it being an election season no-where on the Internet gives and unbiased account of anything BUT I have come across an article by an individual who shares the exact same recollection as I do of the events leading up to the invasion of Iraq.

I do not recall it being a question of WMD being the sole reason why Iraq was invaded. Saddam by his refusal to allow the UN Inspectors in to complete their inspection of the nuclear facilities and program was not only being defiant but by being so was giving the impression that he had something to hid from the rest of the world and unfortunately in the wake of 9/11 and Afghanistan what else would the American People have expected President Bush to do, then - NOT NOW AFTER THE FACT.

Question RJC: Do you not recall all of those Resolutions (about 16 I believe) issued by the UN in their attempt to get Saddam to cooperate and allow the UN Inspectors to complete their inspection?

[RJC]

yes, I do remember, but they were being coerced by the Bush admin. The UN did NOT ask the US to invade, quite the contrary, it should have been a UN action, since it was UN reolutions . The rest of the world did not believe they had anything significant to hide, that is why the rest of the world did not support us. Don't even get me started on the chutzpah of using the UN, after years of undermining, disparaging, underfunding that organization. The other reasons given were just as concocted, see above. I keep responding to because I feel you really have an interest in learning and honest discourse. Please look into PNAC above, use Wikipedia. Look into Halliburton, Blackwater etc.

[Helzapoppin]

It's shocking how easily propaganda replaces historical fact. The UN weapons inspectors WERE in Iraq doing their job. Bush ordered them to LEAVE so he could start bombing.

As to the "sole reason" Iraq was invaded in the first place, the administration kept changing the "reason" every other week.

Maybe those on the "right" are too afraid to admit to themselves they have been used, manipulated and lied to by the Bush administration - I just don't know. Whatever the reason, those who continue to support this administration and this war, who scold those who dare to dissent and expose the outright treason of the Bush administration, seem determined upon a course of willful ignorance that is nothing less than a betrayal of this country, and a betrayal of the men and women who serve in our name.