Keith Olbermann Apologizes For RNC's Graphic 9/11 Tribute (VIDEO)

A visibly upset Keith Olbermann apologized to viewers Thursday night for the graphic 9/11 tribute played in the lead-up to John McCain's acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention.

Olbermann said of the video:

"If at this late date, any television network had, of its own accord, shown that much video tape and that much graphic video tape of 9/11...it, we, would be rightly eviscerated at all quarters, perhaps by the Republican Party itself, for exploiting the memories of the dead, and perhaps even for trying to evoke that pain again. If you reacted to that video tape the way I did, I apologize. It is a subject of great pain, for many of us still, and it was probably not appropriate to be shown."

Watch Olbermann's reaction:

The graphic video in question (WARNING: MAY BE DIFFICULT TO WATCH):

Comments

[BackInNewYork]

I agree with Keith, it was in bad taste. They forget the families and people who are still suffering with the memories. Republicans missed the chance to prevent this tragedy and now are using it for political gain. Making threats to get people to vote for you is totally sickening. I wont vote to throw our able bodied men & women to the wolves and live outside of American borders for years at a time. They are heroes and deserve better.

[JTyroler]

Why were people clapping and cheering a terrorist act? This was video from the United States and not from Palestine or Iran, right?

[avote]

9/11 was a horrific tragedy for all Americans. What was shown during the RNC was in no way disrespectful or exploiting the memories of the dead. As the anniversary of this tragedy approaches we will see much more on all channels. What is a real shame is Keith Olberman and his continued biased and unfair reporting of this election. And for those who are willing to hang on his every word and base your opinion on his, shame on you too!

[oscartucker]

Those Republicans cheered at the end of this video, they cheered when Sarah Palin spoke sarcastically and lied about Obama, and they cheered when Sarah jabbed at Biden,who's been through great sorrow, they cheered when Sarah Palin used her 17 year-old-daughter and her boyfriend in the audience then on stage after her speech, they cheered when Sarah Palin used her baby on stage, holding him then turning him around to wave his little hand, they cheered when the suggestion of war was mentioned, as if they, who mainly were people up in age, will be volunteering to go to war. Those Republicans love to cheer for the wrong thing.

[sparky mso]

9-11 was a tragedy and the video is a painful reminder. Thank god it hasn't happened again. You have to wonder how Japanese must feel when they see footage of mushroom clouds over their country.

[Chixsngr]

Yep, it's as I thought. They will sink as low as possible.

My brother is a conservative Republican and he said "They're going to win this thing." I said "If you do, it'll be because you're mean." And he said "That's right. It's all about winning."

Now liberals, and Obama, needs to decide who we are.

[TommyMcCarthy]

????????
I'm sorry, I know I'm a minority around these parts, but, does any one else find this Olberman guy incredibly creepy?

He seems always to be interjecting HIMSELF into things and, .....perha­ps I'm missing something.­......much of the time inappropriately so.

HE apologizes­?.........­..Did he produce the video?....­...Or perhaps he is a member of the RNC?
If not ,.....is he being sarcastic?­.........D­oesn't seem so....

"Incredibly graphic" "disturbing" images? This is standard-issue news footage...­...history­.

Self-admittedly ignorant of much of the MSM screaming festivals.­......I just can't see anything here but a self-aggrandizing ACTOR...no­t a journalist at all.

Responses welcome...­....someon­e help me out

What's so great about this guy?
tm

[loax]

The Republicans once again prove the fact that thye are Fearmongers, and warmongers. No maore than that needs to be said about this shameful party who would exploit an American tradgedy to pander for votes!

[thebeerdoctor]

"A nation must fight courageously and intelligently for its existence. But that is not enough. When events intensify and march with giant steps to their culmination, racing toward the crisis, the main thing is that the leadership and people keep their nerve, stubbornly and persistently overcoming dangers and difficulties, letting nothing distract them from the continuation of the course that they once saw as correct, keeping their eye only on the good star of their fate. Suddenly one day the clouds that hid the sun will clear and the sky will again be bright. So it will be in this war, too."
Joseph Goebbels, 1944

[TheBrizz]

This is all they know how to do... use scare tactics to try to frighten voters into keeping them in power... the old "if the Democrats win we're all gonna die" routine.

[gcalknet]

The videos of 9/11 should be shown everyday, at least 3-4 times, lest we forget the evil people of this world that would destroy us, and their enablers in the Democratic Party. Are you listening, Bill Clinton, Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi, Henry Waxman, Dennis Kucinich, et. al.?

[PSRinNJ2]

Oh, please. Your faux outrage and faux disgust was a little over-the-top. If the Democrat Party were to produce the identical video, Olbermann would be praising them for reminding us why we need to be in Afghanistan and not in Iraq. Olbermann is so transparent, it's laughable.

[mrbillwv]

James Hensley (1920 – 2000) founded one of the largest Anheuser-Busch beer distributorships in the nation. He was the father of Cindy Hensley McCain and the father-in-law of Senator John McCain. Hensley hired McCain as Vice President of Public Relations for Hensley & Co. before he began his Congressional career.

McCain's father-in-law was the top lieutenant and chief henchman of the late Kemper Marley, the Arizona head man for mafia chief Meyer Lansky. Marley's wealth and connections advanced McCain's political career.

In 1948, Hensley was prosecuted for federal liquor violations and got a six month suspended sentence. In 1953 Hensley and Marley were prosecuted by federal government for falsifying liquor records, but their attorney William Rehnquist got them off scot-free. Rehnquist became chief justice of the Supreme Court and presided over the "fix" making George W. Bush president in a disputed election. Hensley "took the fall" for Marley and Marley paid him back, setting him up in the beer distribution business.

John Mccain's organized crime conections Links
http://www.americanfreepress.net/html/mccain_s_mob_connections_146.html
pennsylvaniaforchange.wordpress.com/ss.com/
www.dailykos.com/story/2008/3/1/165213/9750/832/466982/466982
http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/2000-02-17/news/haunted-by-spirits/1
www.uhuh.com/politics/mccain/mcainwnxs.htmnxs.htm

[sdpty]

my neighborhood, workplace, co-workers and their loved ones were forever changed that day. closest to ground zero there is great reverence for the day and the trauma of it. apparently, the further from ground zero one goes, the more it is just a memory to latch onto and use for political gain...for a few more VOTES...is that all it is to McCain...a few VOTES??? the further from ground zero one gets, the more it is just a video clip to inspire a chant of "U.S.A." at a republican pep-rally and use for political gain...for a few more VOTES...is that all it is to McCain...a few VOTES??? where is the humanity? is there nothing in his political past on which he can base his campaign??? must he rely on emotional response to 9/11 to create patriotic appeal to acquire more VOTES??? has he nothing else to offer??? i hope it pays off for him and his campaign..­.for it costs the millions who saw this video additional pain...clo­ser to ground zero, it opens wounds not close to being healed...s­o i hope he values the votes from others far enough away to be inspired, not appalled. i pray our country does not follow a man who would use our emotions in this way...agai­n.

[boredwell]

what is most egregious is olbermann's histrionic sentimentality and faux outrage over that sophmore piece of edited footage. they contained scenes of destruction not carnage. oddly, he says that he is 3rd party to people who suffered the loss of loved ones that day though he personally has not 1st-hand grief. this waters down his tirade thus adding the unintentional insult of turning his apolplexy into the melodramatic.

the film begins it's tirade with the hostage crisis then proceeds to tie disparate events into a gordian knot. for some, provocactive. for others, evocative. is he saying: american's NEED and WANT to be shielded from the harshest of realities? as a journalist­,restraine­d emotions and vindictive are adversarial to good fair reportage. it was a piece of propaganda. it included a diffident nod to the ex-mayor keynote speaker. one, whom, olbermann could havenoted, exploited 9/11 to personal advantage.

the announcer's gravitas is overweaning and solicitous. the narration: "this happened on September 11, 9/11.." Duh! Proofreaders missed that redundancy. the politco-emotional infrastructure, the POV that motivated that short was ignored in olbermann's insentient rush to trivialize it even MORE. to indulge himself in this way was garatuitous and self-promoting. pretty sickening, huh?