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

[stevietheman]

The reality is that most of the sexism related to Hillary was imagined, and talking about its existence was merely a political weapon wielded by the Clinton camp.

[RJII]

Agree.

[urban]

Completely

[monique]

Well, I guess it's good that real journalists don't have a "Worst Person in the World" list where they can post their personal dislikes.

But for a moment, it would be nice, to see immature, self-righteous Keith Olbermann up on someone's "Worst Person" list.

YEA KATIE!

[NTL]

Well he has been on his own worst person in the world list, at least once if not more. He's not above claiming that he himself is in fact the worst person in the world.

The issue here is that while Katie might not be completely wrong in this issue her own reporting in it has less basis in reality and simply repeats a Clinton political stance that was exaggerated as a campaign tool. Sexism and Racism exist and have in fact played their parts in this campaign. The difference is in the way the candidates decided to address those issues. In many cases where perceived sexism has displayed itself it is merely the inability of the speaker to properly articulate their stance. Its possible it has a sexist base but most likely it is not the cause either. Essentially the issue is being blown way out of proportion because if sexism is the reason Clinton lost than certainly Obama's win facing issues of racism and bigotry must be extraordinarily more impressive. Olbermann is really just saying it as it is. Even though he is not immune to his own emotional reporting it remains important for anyone in journalism to be able to call out peers on actual or perceived mistakes otherwise they might as well all say the same thing and become a propaganda tool like fox.

[YellowPanties]

KO is on O'Reilly's list all the time. Also, you can rail against Olbermann's "Special Comment" section... but then be sure to slag Couric for ripping off that idea and doing her own editorializing on her show.

Watch the show once or twice before judging.

[gjoh]

Clearly most of the complaints about KO's Worst Person segment are coming from those who don't watch Countdown regularly and are just looking to smear him.

For the record, KO has named himself as worst person in the world at least once in my viewing experience. He has a point of view. He has an opinion and usually but not always, I agree with him.

When he expresses his opinion he is forceful. He does not brow beat his guest, like O'Reily and he usually has the facts when he expresses that opinion, unlike O'Reily. And when he gets it wrong, he apologizes, ON AIR.

It's an opinion segment and he's entitled to his opinion. So get over it.
Love you KO!

[LawSource]

EXACTLY!!

"NONE" Of THESE PEOPLE Smearing OLBERMANN Watch His Show!!

IF THEY DO THEY WOULD SEE, Clearly, THAT HE IS THE LAST BEST HOPE WE HAVE LEFT IN Cable News!

He Up Hold The Highest Level of Journalistic Fairness UNLIKE THOSE RACE BAITERS, DIVISIVE, WAR and HATE MONGERS at FIX News / FOX Noise!!

HAVE YOU SEEN HOW THEY "SMEAR and ASSASSINATE" THE OBAMA'S WITH FABRICATED LIES UPON LIES, Guilt By Association, Race Bating EVERY DAY ON FOX Noise, Fox Talk Radio and Every Right Wingnut Talk Radio?

THIS HAS BEEN PRITTYMUCH The Case From Obama Anounces His Candidacy starting with "RIGHT WING" Death warrants!!

WHY COURIC NEVER ADDRESS THIS EARLIER Including ALL THE OTHER Journalist Who Felt This Way??

[GRAYWOLF241]

I WATCH "COUNTDOWN" EVERY NIGHT. I E-MAILED KEITH FOR HIS DIATRIBE ON HILLARY'S ASSASSINATION REMARK AND TOLD HIM HE WAS AN IDIOT. I DIDN'T STOP WATCHING HIM AND DIDN'T CALL FOR HIM TO BE TAKEN OFF THE AIR, JUST TOLD HIM HE WAS WRONG. HE IS WRONG ON THE SEXISM ISSUE. ON HIS OWN NETWORK, TIM RUSSERT ON THE TOPIC OF SEXISM INTERVIEWING E.J. DIONNE, MR. DIONNE REFERRED TO BARACK OBAMA AS SENATOR, BUT REFERRED TO HILLARY CLINTON AS "MRS" CLINTION. ISN'T SHE ALSO A UNITED STATES SENATOR SEXISM DOESN'T EXIST ON YOUR OWN NETWORK, KEITH? NONSENSE.

[shinybear]

Too bad Katie didn't bring this up earlier when someone could have done something about it.

I think it's great that women like Hillary Clinton and Katie Couric have discovered that sexism exists!

[Gmoney1]

Hillary doesn't care anymore about sexism than she does about racism - if she did, why did she start the white hardworker campaign strategy against Obama - all Hillary cared about was winning by any means necessary - no pity for her here - Hillary wanted the DNC, Florida, Michigan and the superdelegates to give her the election because she was a woman - no more, no less - that was her bottom line - she did not care - so when it did not happen, she screamed sexism - why did the females vote for Obama if he was being sexist - Hillary put that nonsense in their heads when she saw herself losing and the women fell for it - and the women came out for Hillary like rats following a piece of cheese - how sad - as a woman, I was sickened by Hillary and that so called husband of hers - he's the one who she should be calling sexist - he, in part, lost her the election - the other part was because Obama was a better candidate -

[starfire426]

I will say one thing about ths campaign cycle...it's bringing about people's "true colors." Who would have ever thought that the "perky" Ms. Couric was a closet racist???!!!

[jdmccl]

Now I have heard it all. Talk about eating your own....CBSnews is not racist by noting unfair coverage of Hillary. Welcome to OTFL(other than the far left). Sigh, CBSNews is wishing for the days of Rather trying to do what KO is getting noted for now. Remember who the original Bush basher was, thou decietful disiple.

[editor]

Thats a very common trick phrase they use "Some say" "Some say this; and Some say that".....

Its doublespeak purpose is to write off "some" and who are some? Usually the educated ones who actually know what they are talking about.

Next time they use this phrase Call them on it. Ask them who "some" are. Usually "some" are not right wing nonsense pushers.

[obamavet]

I suspect that some of the people commenting here wouldn't the true definition of sexism if it jumped up and bit them! I waiting for someone to give specific instances where sexism played a role in Hillary Clinton's defeat. Were members of the media calling her names, blaming her poor choices and tall tales on something related to her gender? If somebody wants to give examples, then this discussion could possibly be productive. Another thing I wonder about is that if sexism did Hillary in, why didn't xenphobia and racism do in Obama?

[generaldelivery]

Keith Olberman likes to dish it out but he sure can't take it. Olberman is the only one claiming that Katie was referring to Lee Cowan. Sha was actually talking about the blatant and continual sexism demonstrated by the media and general and Olberman in paticular. Olberman is The Worst Person In The World. His insufferable ego is out of control and his smarmy, snide delivery is evidence of that.
To claim that Hillary wasn't a victim of sexual bias on the media is to ignore reality. She may not have lost the election because of it, but it gave Obama a big advantage.

http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2008/06/11/couricandco/entry4174429.shtml

[Roxanne2009]

Watch the video...duh!

If you watched Keith, he was referring to what Katie said at a luncheon and a quote from Cowan that was taken completely out of context. Hillary lost the election due to poor strategy!

Please watch the video before commenting!

[CitizenKane16]

Thanks for posting my thoughts exactly. Here's the link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_RXYN2SEm3Q

[aella rex]

Are y'all still watching tv news? That's pretty much a waste of time. I quit a long time ago when I realized that it didn't bring anything but acrimony. The only thing I do want to watch is war crimes trial of GB Jr. and his henchment.

[k6007]

Only when reality depresses me to the point that, I need a little tabloid fodder.

[Gebby]

keith olbermann is the greatest

[GeorgeKaplan]

KO is a nut!

[stevietheman]

Nuts are good for you.

[Bluedog12]

In specific a left nut.

[LeBelAge]

Hillary Clinton is not a victim of sexism. She is a victim of the right wing smear machine in the media that her husband helped create by deregulating the media even further in 1996. For Hillary to complain about the media while having sit down meetings and fundraisers with the likes of Rubert Murdoch and Richard Mellon Scaife is pure hypocrisy. Katie has become a part of the corporate media, she doesn't have a right to complain either.

[rzan]

She is the worst person in the world, for the moment. Actually, I very much like Katie, but her need to cast Hillary in the role of victim does not help Hillary or Katie very much.

[AmericasWarrior]

This sportscenter castoff is starting to really piss me off. he knows he's wrong for the tirade he went on hillary after the assassination comment, now he has the nerve to attack yet another woman. how can anyone with half a brain not see that he is fueling the sexism in this moment. huckabee made a comment actually mentioning obama's name and saying someone pointing a gun at him. clinton never once said obama's name or him being killed. the only difference between the two, clinton is a woman, huck is a man. yet there was no flamatory commentary on huck from this guy. tell me how thats not sexism again...

[Busterdawg]

You have Fox News as the network of the Far Right and MSNBC as the network of the Far Left. Is CNN at least somewhere in the middle?

[k6007]

no

[FatherKindly]

CNN has the blithering half-wit Wolf Blitzer who doesn't listen to half the replies of the people he interviews and who thinks he makes his stories important by shouting them. I can't stand the dismal little twerp.

[mcfried]

Amen to that and lets not forget Lou "dipshit" Dobbs.