Keith Olbermann On McCain's War With NBC: Grow Up (VIDEO)

On MSNBC's "Countdown" last night, Keith Olbermann tore into John McCain for complaining about NBC election coverage -- and for his attacks on Barack Obama. Watch:

Olbermann explained the segment in a Daily Kos post:

What's the old saw? Never get into an argument with people who buy ink by the barrel? Is there an electronic equivalent?

I'm not even sure you can't beat a media organization. But if you're a presidential candidate and you come after it with a craven and silly argument - and you follow a path previously tried by a now ex-presidential candidate - you've probably been poorly advised.

Thus tonight, between Senator McCain's manager's broadside against us, and his creative but tinny-sounding attacks on Senator Obama today at the VFW Convention, I've got a Special Comment planned.

Comments

[marymansour]

Heard that last night and my admiration grew even more. Can't wait until KO holds forth on Clinton's remarks about the energy policies of McCain and Obama this evening.

[barackobama4prez]

Loved it. I'd been waiting for months for special comments against several people.

[mrman]

Keith was truly missed. I was screaming at the TV...H$LL Yeah!!!!!
I had to smoke a cigarette after :-)

[murphysgirl]

That special comment last night was awesome!! I was clapping and screaming at the TV, because I was so relieved that finally someone with a large pair of cajones called McCain out on his BS.

McCain has been getting a free pass for far too long now, and it's about damn time his "I was a POW, vote for me" schitck comes to light!!

[Rjmartinelli]

You know, maybe it's just my age. Maybe it's because Vietnam was before my time. But when I hear reports of McCain's POW stories changing depending on where he is, it makes me lose a lot of respect for what the man went through.

It's like he's taking something honorable and twisting it into just a hollow tool.

Part of me still wants to respect his service, but the rest of me is finding it harder and harder to.

[luckyinnc]

Well I see the 17 people in the country that watch this idiot on a daily basis posted. Oberman belongs on SNL

[Rjmartinelli]

You do realize that putting him on SNL would only INCREASE his popularity right?

[silverball]

lol....rig­ht you are....the­y really aren't very good with this logic thing are they....?.­...and i'll bet he WILL be on snl sometime during this election ....can't wait....

[SlappHappy]

SNL sux. People still watch that unfunny piece of crap?

[djelimon]

So I take it you don't have anything to say that refutes Olberman's point?

Typical Repub - attack the person, not the argument

[SULL930]

Please, save me the dramatics, you people are attacking Hannity & Limbaugh daily. Does that make you a typical rebub?

[MsDoc]

That's called "argumentum ad hominen" in logic circles... and is used when there is no other argument available. It's always a fallacy, and always a last ditch effort to override the truth.

[SULL930]

Could not agree with you more.This guy is a horse's a**. But, are you SURE it's that many people watching? He MUST have a large immediate family! LOL

[Grunty1]

SNL, Daily Show, Colbert.

Why is it that the supposed comedy news educates voters more than the MSM?

[eva belle]

Yeah, but look at recent stats that have put Jon Stewart and Colbert at the top for reporting 'things as they are'. Can't exactly say the same for O'Reilly, can we now?

[avalanch112]

Laugh if you want but people who watch funny news know more about the news than you do. cause to get the satire we have to actualy read sometimes.

[2UIMJSTANIGGA]

Get Em!!!

[toochie50]

Well McCain has FOX NOISE, CNN, MSNBC, (except for Keith and Rachel) to do all his bidding for him so thank you Jesus for KEITH!!!

[bwither]

I would include dan Abrams in the exceptions, but that's me.

[Rjmartinelli]

I admit Abrams would likely fit, but most of the time he just comes off as a tool.

He lets people yell back and forth at each other too much and doesn't call people out on obvious bull.

[ProfEvil]

Olbermann called it the way the it is- McCain's campaign and actions can be best described as juvenile.

[Rjmartinelli]

I've been using that exact word to describe them for weeks.

[floydSmoot]

Juvenile yes, but it makes sense given the average intelligence of his base.

[Rjmartinelli]

You know, this is the reason Keith has earned so much of my respect. It's not just that he is fearless in calling out the absurdity he views with a straightforwardness that no one else apparently would dare to or is allowed to. He does so only after doing his homework, researching the facts, and then presenting them in such a way as to inform while responding openly. He knows what he's talking about and responds with an oratorical skill that hearkens back to the old broadcasting greats.

It says a lot in this day and age that the only man who is ALLOWED to speak freely like this has to run an "Oddball" section on his show to deflect some of the heat he receives.

I'm praying the McCain campaign responds directly.

[barackobama4prez]

It says alot that a guy like KO would want a guy like BHO to be prez.

[Rjmartinelli]

I don't think this is even a matter of "playing favorites". This is a matter of not letting someone who should know better get away with acting like a toddler and conning this nation into electing another President on fear mongering and lies. Let alone ANOTHER candidate who makes another verbal/political misstep every two days.

I'm sick and tired of being embarrassed for my country every time I look at our President doing or saying something absolutely asinine. Calling out this absurdity is the JOB of the press. The press exists to investigate and inform. Which is also why Keith's response to the campaign's attack on NBC news needed to be made. Andrea Mitchell is one of the journalists I respect the most because she does not shy from reporting the truth when every other name in the business ignores it because our nation's press is too afraid of appearing partisan if they do.

If the objective facts are reported and the end result lands more on one side than the other, that is just the result of the facts. Arguing against this and accusing the results of some implicit "partisan bias" (while brilliantly confirming they were right in the first place) is essentially arguing against reality itself.

It is the very definition of "old man yells at cloud."

[SULL930]

Respect? The man is a buffoon! You must be a relative of his!

[Marlyn]

GROW UP!

[Rjmartinelli]

You are, of course, entitled to your own opinion. However, I am curious as to why it is that you classify Keith as "a buffoon".

[ProfEvil]

It was a well delivered "Special Comment". Keith said it exactly they way it ought to be had been said- McCain needs to grow up.

[Lemeritus]

Pound for pound, one of Olbermann's weakest Special Comments.

I was waiting for him to call McCain, if not on his lies, then on his terrible policies (domestic and international). I was hoping he would point out that the Saddleback "civil forum" was nothing more than an UNpaid political announcement, designed specifically for McCain, for which he was -- you cannot convince me otherwise -- specifically prepped, I thought he might even point out that, if you're a Democrat of any stripe, McCain's answers should scare the be-jesus out of you.

Instead it was a 10 minute, rambling chide.

Got a new word out of it tho' -- persiflage: a frivolous or flippant style of treating a subject.

Perhaps Keith might spare a Special Comment for Barack Obama, something along the lines of instead of chasing after McCain's base perhaps he should be pouring some oil (bad metaphor) on the troubled waters of his own. Yesterday's poll numbers were abysmal and two of the three top picks for VP are guaranteed to put the electorate to sleep.

[swift goat pet for truth]

True.

but tall of them can't be winners.

[theMightyT]

did you watch the same special comment that i did? i heard mac called out quite a few times on lies and petty smears.

a post-partisan candidate speaks to everyone. What's the point of ignoring part of the electorate? Obama has said from the beginning that his campaign would be different and try to include everyone - democrat, republican, independen­t... why is this so hard to understand?

One last point - daily polls are pretty much meaningless. Have a look at RCP's average and also their EC totals... a bit better idea of what's going on.

[Lemeritus]

With all due respect, that "post-partisan" happy talk may not win elections (you DO understand that, don't you?).

From FiveThirty Eight:
"Although Barack Obama remains a slight favorite in this election, his position is more vulnerable than at any point since the primaries concluded, and he no longer appears to have a built-in strength in the electoral college that we had attributed to him before. The reason is a new poll out of Ohio, where Public Policy Polling now shows the race dead-even at 45-45. In a PPP poll conducted in July, Obama had led by 8....

"Colorado polls had for some months shown a small but consistent lead for Barack Obama, but his advantage there appears to be gone. A new poll from the Rocky Mountain News shows John McCain with a 44-41 lead...."

You can believe whatever you want, but I'm not the only one on the left a little concerned about the numbers. And his appearance at Saddleback DID NOT HELP.

As for Olbermann -- when he's "on", he's awesome. Last night, he meandered.

[sever]

This isn't the first time Keith has called out MCain. Check out his comments on when McCain stated that bringing troops home from Iraq is 'not too important'.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9US9-eGGV4o

[JJ30]

Man I watched Keith last night giving that special comment and all I have to say is BRAVO!!!!!!!!!!!
His special comment was on point and full of facts. It was an excellent commentary.

[Ramirez]

The Olbermann show is a nightly Obama ad.

[lissak]

You can always tune to FOX. Go away.

[SlappHappy]

Why is this is binary issue? Either you love KO or you love FOX? That's very advanced thinking. I hate FOX and I've lost faith in Olbermann. What does that leave me with? Colbert?

[NC4Obama]

Reality has a well known Obama bias.

[swift goat pet for truth]

Faux = 24/7 anti- O.

It is telling that not even Faux Noise never has anything good to say about McSame.

Only O bashing.

[barackobama4prez]

Then why do you watch it? Quit praying for our candidate to lose you loser.

[Ramirez]

I don't watch it. I get my Olbermann news here.

[Grunty1]

Compared to 24 hours a day of pro-Neo-Con Fox?

Graham says "quit whining"

[SlappHappy]

"Compared to 24 hours a day of pro-Neo-Con Fox?"

So you're saying that makes it OK? Because FOX does it for the right-wingers, teh left must lower itself to the same methods? Hey, if you lie with dogs, you're gonna get fleas. Olbermann may provide a kick or two but he is not a good thing in the long run.

[loax]

This is what I love about Olberman. he calls a spade a spade, and has no use for such deceiptful campaigning of McCain, Davis and Schunemann. Keep hammering Keith. These guys are nothing but bottom sucking bastards!

[SlappHappy]

"This is what I love about Olberman. he calls a spade a spade."

Careful! KO would say you're being racist with that remark.

[lissak]

Olbermann, Olberman..­.he's our man.
If he can't do it, no one can!

[Charmed]

I love Keith.... :)