Keith Olbermann Names Katie Couric "Worst Person In The World"

On Wednesday night's "Coundtown," Keith Olbermann blasted Couric for her comments on the sexist coverage of Hillary Clinton and her remark that NBC News' Lee Cowan should "find another line of work" if he couldn't remain objective about Barack Obama.

Olbermann called Couric's allegations of sexism "a bit Kool Aid-ish," charged Couric with misunderstanding Cowan's comment, and praised Cowan's objective reporting and his ability to separate the hype from the news.

"It is sad that Ms. Couric could not have emulated [Cowan] and separated the hype from the news in her own promulgation of the nonsense that Senator Clinton was a victim of pronounced sexism."

Related: Rachel Sklar reacts: "To sit there on MSNBC and say that it's nonsense is a bit rich, considering that some of the higher-profile episodes of embarrassing sexist-or-perceived-as-sexist commentary has come from that network." [ETP]

Comments

[katzooks]

How about, (rather than censoring our existing news), expanding upon the menu a bit, so that we have more to choose from? Me, I like Olbermann. Other people have different tastes. Perhaps they shouldn't watch Olbermann. Certainly, they shouldn't fly into a tizzy and demand censorship because Olbermann doesn't speak to them or for them.

Our existing media is a mangy lot. The alphabet networks sort of, kind of, touch on the basics, careful to ruffle no feathers. The cable news (Fox News, CNN and most of MSNBC's programming) are more or less interchangable, tho CNN and MSNBC seems to want the *appearance* of hitting the middle, and none disseminate much in the way of news, particularly political news, unless you count tabloid talking heads yakking 24/7 over the latest flag pin issue.

Then there's Olbermann, The Daily Show, Bill Maher, and The Colbert Report. Comedy? Yes. But a welcome return, nonetheless, to the pre-Bush days, before "national security issues" mandated that our media spread Bush-Cheney propaganda, and forbid asking unscripted questions, while accusing anyone who tried, of being a terrorist.

Like many thinking people, I get news from selected internet sources and NPR. The state of our media is pathetic, but even more pathetic are are the small, brainwashed little minds who run about like Chicken Little "The sky's falling!" whenever they hear someone in the media exercise their right to free speech, and our right to hear it.

[SmootyBooty]

A 70 year old man got better ratings with her show. Could I please have some of that FU money, Katie?

[p2p2008]

What sexism? Didn't she ran as a male? She was no lady during the primary.

[gaypastor]

Ah...yeah.­...a women having to run like a man in order to have a chance to win....tha­t's what sexism looks like.

[Einstein44]

Now,now -let us kiss and make-up...­Sharp criticisms will always be part of the territory.

[SmootyBooty]

More like dull delusion on her part...

[jojojo]

Woe to the male who points out anything negative, or stupid, or rascist, or nasty, or incompetent, if it's done by a woman. He's sure to be labeled as sexist. And the woman will leverage the "incident" for all it's worth to gain sympathy.

Katie and Hillary ( whom I voted for twice for the senate ) both got their high level of public notoriety in part because they are women, by the way.

[demdan07]

Would that be the same as woe to the person who points out anything negative , or stupid. or sexist, or nasty , if it's done by Obama? After all, they are then sure to be labeled racist - no matter their skin color.

[gaypastor]

Seriously! I am SO tired of being called a racist every time I critique Obama. And is this what our country really wants....a president we're never allowed to critique? Its our responsible to critique our leaders. Isn't this Obama-camp­aign-creat­ing-fear of being labelled a racist about as un-American as we can get?

[DietrichMoody]

This is a cowardly move on Katie's part. The problem is that she did it after the Primary - when things are cooling off. Why didn't she focus on this topic, as a woman herself - hone in on it, as soon as Senator Clinton began her campaign. Why didn't she act like a watchdog pointing out references to sexism so they could be discussed. At the time, she probably didn't want to be seen as a woman journalist, now she's crying sexism on behalf of a woman Presidential candidate. She can't have it both ways.

This makes her look like a celebrity with a platform (her "show" because that is what it is a "show") to voice her opinion on social issues, not a journalist that has been questioning behavior over time.

[sdbsingle1]

I agree, and if you watch the interview she did with Hillary in Nov. of '07, Hillary herself said that she had not planned to not be the nominee, because she felt that internally anyway, and these are my words not Hillary's, that she was pretty much a shoe-in.

Michael Pfleger was right on, when he said what he said, but the Country doesn't want to admit it, and neither do the Clinton crazies, because they are sore losers, that need to just jump on the Dem. bandwagon because in Nov. the train leaves the station.

Not all Clinton supporters are bad, but the ones on TV whining like my Daughter when she wakes up and sees no one in the room is just a disgrace.

She LOST people, get over it, and her arrogance and pride has only made it worse for her, so she and her husband needed to mend the fences they created with Obama and not the other way around, because sexism didn't beat her, the Obama voters did, and her pride also put her 29.7 million dollars in the hole, which is just silly, when she was done for in late March anyway.

[randomx6]

People like you are going to cost the Dems the Presidency this year. HRC people won't go for McCain but if you keep up with the bashing and insults, just enough may stay home to torpedo us.
I, for one, am heartly sick of you horrible winners and don't want John Mc winning the election because you cannot act like adults, admit that racism is deep but sexism is wide, and encourage people in a positive way to get on the bus. Keep pushing them off and WE ALL WILL LOSE!

[PaceSetter]

Other than the cleavage thing, I really don't see all of the misogyny that Senator Clinton supposedly had to deal with.

Being tough and forceful does go against our ideas of femininity, but Sen. Clinton took "forceful" to the point of unfair attacks and self delusion about winning. It's the sort of behavior that isn't attractive in men either. None of the male candidates that were hounded about getting out of the primary race(s) displayed the sort of attitude that Sen. Clinton and some of her supporters have in the past week.

Ultimately Sen. Clinton lost because she assumed she would have no competition, and she ran up against the "change freight train" that is Senator Obama.

Put her on the supreme court, or as a cabinet official, she'll still be the most powerful woman in the country.

[BobEvansZombie]

I watched and read the coverage of the entire primary, and this rampant sexism never materialized. Sure, there was some instances, many from Fox, little from McCain, and so, but trying to claim that Barack Obama, or Keith Olbermann were rampantly sexist is ridiculous, and claiming that Hillary lost because she's a woman is ludicrous.

[ulmew]

Someone needs to put an end to this ridiculous idea that Hillary Clinton is somehow qualified to be on the Supreme Court. Senate Majority Leader maybe, but really, people... she is in no way qualified to sit on the highest court in this country, or any court outside of Arkansas for that matter. Let us not forget that this is a person who failed the DC Bar Exam, despite passing the Arkansas bar exam, proving conclusively that she was absolutely good enough for the lawyers in Arkansas but did not quite measure up to the minimum standard for a lawyer in DC, after graduating from Yale Law School. She may be a policy wonk, but she is by no means a legal expert.

[GRAYWOLF241]

I'LL TAKE HILLARY ANY DAY WHEN COMPARED WITH SCALIA, THOMAS, ROBERTS OR ALITO.

[FOXYLADY]

IS "SOMEONE TRYING TO SAY" THAT THERE WERE NO "SEXIST" COMMENTS MADE DURING HILLARY CLINTONS CAMPAIGN? HAHAHAHAHAHA, PROBABLY ANOTHER WEAK INEFFECTUAL MAN.......­........TH­ERE WAS ONE SEXIST COMMENT AFTER ANOTHER FROM SO MANY MALE COMMENTATO­RS.......A­LONG WITH SNEERS AND SMIRKS....­IT MADE THIS ELDERLY INTELLIGENT AND COMPASSIONATE WOMAN WANT TO THROW UP!! IF HILLARY WAS TOO STRIDENT SHE WAS A B^^%CH, WHEN SHE TEARED UP "ONCE" SHE WAS FAULTED ON THAT ALSO. IT HAPPENED WHEN, FINALLY, SOMEONE ASKED HER HOW SHE DID IT ALL. i PERSONAL QUESTION FOR ONCE......­...THAT'S WHY SHE TEARED UP AS SHE WAS MOVED BY THAT CONSIDERATION. NOW, WHEN BUSH CRIED AT A MEDAL GIVING OCCASION, THE PRESS SHOWED PICS AND MADE MUCH OF IT........­BUT NOT ME........­.AFTER ALL, HE WAS THE SOB RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL THE DEATHS OF OUR LOVED ONES......­.....NEED I GO ON ABOUT THE "OLD BOYS CLUB"?? IT'S ALIVE AND WELL......­..........­..........

[sdbsingle1]

It was both ways FOXYLADY, and I do recall that Hillary made some strong comments against Obama herself, when she knew it was over, and tried to destroy this man, but none of you Clinton supporters want to point that out.

A half truth is still a whole lie, so get over it once again, and Hillary was done wrong in a lot of ways, but Barack never added to it, but I cannot say the same for Her, because she did him wrong, and it came to a head on the night he won the Nomination, for the 3rd time really, and she still didn't give him props.

Just pathetic on how she acted, so if you want to argue something, make sure it cannt be counter-argued.

GAME OVER!

[flyrod]

Do you think there were no racist comments made as well? Honestly..­.. That's not to say no one in the media made any "sexist" comments - I'm just not buying it was as pervasive as you suggest. Not even close. Sorry.

I mean, this idea that sexism somehow robbed Hillary Clinton of the nomination would be a little more compelling if her opponent hadn't been an African American. Not to mention she's a member of one of the most powerful and influential families in the party. I admit, I don't like her, but I think she would have been a good president. I would've voted for her in the general election had she won the primary. She just wasn't the best choice in my opinion. Simple as that.

[Buddysingh]

I think KO is geniune. I too had problems with his Hillary bashing but then he offered to interview her and went straight for her juglars - he asked her how she decided to tie up with Mellons who had done all the nastiest things to the Clintons during their white house stints and Hillary was sooo fake. Even I was turned off who happens to like her. Hillary lost because she misjudged badly, like Kerry, Edwards the war on Iraq. No matter what these fellows say about the war - they are as much responsible for it as Bush and his co-horts. The American public is NOT STUPID. They have realized that Hillary, Kerry and who ever voted for the war did it for a political reason and not because it was wrong. The 4000 plus dead young men and women, their widowed spouses and their orphaned children - have all realized that these young people died because this President LIED and took this Great Nation to war under a wrong pretexts. And how come, our great humanitarian govt. that calls for govt. changes in Dictatorships and communists rules - does not ask and questions the USA for so many killings of innocents in Iraq, wounded and mass movements of people in that country? Are we really a Democracy? Are we really the leaders in Humanitarian causes?? We have taken a back seat and leaders like Pelosi, Reid, the Congress of this Great Nation is nothing but a bunch

[KISSman]

Couric = The Worst? Agreed.

[RJII]

getting sick and tired of these very rich accomplished women whining about possible overt sexism. You think they were working the late shift in a coal mine.

They seem to whine more when they are getting canned.

[eden4barack08]

Can we say " WORST-ER?"

[era996]

Nope
The worst is reserved for Botox A hole Olberman

[scorpioleidy]

Keith is right!

[daddigrace]

Go Keith!!

[Erdgeist]

I didn't see any sexism. Hillary just ran a terrible campaign while those who count themselves has her supporters, who imagine otherwise, are suffering from a bad case of cognitive dissonance. Get over it.

[typicalwhitegrandma4BO]

Go Keith!!! Tell it like it is!!! Keith Olbermann is not the enemy he tells it like he see's it. I like Katie too but she should watch what she say's when it comes to sexism. I am a woman obviously and I watched the entire primary season on the crappy MSM. Lee Cowan was not sexist or biased compared to many many other pundits on every channel.

Keith Olbermann, todays best person in the media.

[era996]

Keith
You are one lousy piece of human waste

[nyawker]

I made it through much of the last four years because I had Keith to keep me sane at night. I could always spot the potential in him though for being the same kind of egomaniac that mans the mikes on the right wing shows. I can't take him anymore and don't watch, but I'm sure the reporting parts of his show still have the kind of integrity that stood out before the era of "special comments", which may be true and relevant, but are nothing but a way to drum up a mob for ratings and higher advertising rates. Even he admitted that after his first big special comment.

I'm glad he's kicking O'Reilly's ass in the ratings. Maybe being bombastic and over the top is the only way to do that. As for me, if it ain't Jim Lehrer, it ain't news. Peaceful, informative discussions plus international news.

PS I'm saving 100 bucks a month by dumping my super cable package. That's 250 gallons of gas a year.

[Ndw]

It's a dismal state of media when its 'stars' are those who display the most raging emotionalism possible, get 'fans' by being so biased in whichever way suits their target audience, & whose success depends on their extreme personality. Great. The left has it's own Rush Limbaugh. Yay?

He's just as lacking in genuine emotion as the rest, and as a poser-journalist, that's just one more crime against the profession, & one more reason to avoid tv news completely.

The fact so many nitwits are going on about him as if this weird old guy is somehow a symbol of 'manliness' is truly pathetic.