Keith Olbermann Hits Conservative Trifecta: Names Bill O'Reilly, Sean Hannity, George Will Worst Persons

Keith Olbermann hit a conservative trifecta on Tuesday night's "Countdown," naming Fox News hosts Bill O'Reilly and Sean Hannity and Washington Post columnist George Will his three worst persons in the world.

Will took the bronze for his column suggesting that liberals are trying to reinstate the Fairness Doctrine, specifically to derail the right's hold on talk radio. However, as Olbermann pointed out, Will could not name any Democrat who pushed for the Fairness Doctrine because none have done so.

Hannity took the silver for complaining that Democrats rushed to indict Ted Stevens and vote him out of office, while it was Stevens himself who called for the speediest trial possible.

And O'Reilly took the gold for his ambush of New Yorker writer Rick Hertzberg, who O'Reilly claimed had rejected requests to appear on "The O'Reilly Factor." However, as Olbermann reports, Hertzberg and The New Yorker deny that he was ever invited, and say he will appear if asked.

Watch:

Comments

[Center-of-the-Bird]

I appreciate Keith's humorous delivery but it's not News with a capital N, it's opinion with a low bar o.
O'Reilly and Hannity, it's a given their lying if their lips are moving, George Will, in this case George was mostly correct, overstated but correct. Check out NewRiver's post and link references below, thanks NewRiver.
imo; Even though I disagree with George much of the time, he is one of the good Republicans. You never hear him yell over an opponent, he's quick to agree to facts even when they don't go his way and seldom (okay seldom is to strong, not nearly as much as the other talking heads) can he be caught towing the party line. He's not pure, none of us are but he is reasoned and reasonable.
We were told (I never believed it) that with all the available new media outlets, the Fairness Doctrine was no longer necessary and was stifling free speech. Well, we've gotten plenty of speech, uninhibited by contrary opinions, allowing half the country to be ignorant of the other half's knowledge.
It doesn't make sense now, it didn't make sense then.

[microcosm]

An Appellate Court Ruled Fox (and other news outlets) Can Legally Lie read more on the ceasespin website
public advocacy and solidarity can stop the dishonest narrative in the news media
google "Fix News Now" ceasespin has a petition you can sign that will make news media more accountable to the public.

FCC News Quality Rating System petition

[kidflash]

I like K.O. but it does seem that he leaves people off that list that should rightfully go on it just to put O'Reilly on it every night. You already know who will occupy 1/3 of the list before you hear it. I think he should have definitely put Blago on the list. Hasselbeck should be on the list as well as Campbell Brown and her Faux no bias show -- hmmrff!

[Aiden]

Wasn't Tuesday the day that Blagojevich was arrested? How in the world can you leave him off the list?

[WritusMaximus]

Nope, dems are almost never on KO's WPW's list. Heck, all of KO's guests are vetted before going on OK's show---only those that agree with KO will KO allow to appear on his show. KO is obsessed with O'Reilly, practically foams at the mouth waiting for O'Reilly to respond so CountDown can hit ratings Nirvana. Looks like KO is O'Reilly's secret admirer, for KO watches the O'Reilly show religiously in order to include Billo in the WPW list on a weekly basis, sometimes two and three times in one week.

[kad282624]

olberman is a joke! how many people watch his show 10 people if he s lucky. oreilly is #1 every day of the year. for many years.

[thefooligan5]

why is anyone still listening to Keith. He's making himself irrelevant with his melodramatic hyper-partisan nonsense. I wish he would stick to the news.

[pfc1369]

Did you ever hear of opinion?

Do any of your radio buffoons "stick to the news"?

Of course not. They are offering opinion. Delusional though it be.

[LMPE]

The only surprise is that he doesn't have Faux News trifectas more often. I think that he oughta.

[NewRiver]

Apparently Keith missed some of these references to the Fairness Doctrine:

http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/schumer-defends-fairness-doctrine-as-fair-and-balanced-2008-11-04.html

http://newsbusters.org/blogs/ken-shepherd/2008/06/25/pelosi-i-want-bring-back-fairness-doctrine. See this part specifically: "Do you personally support revival of the "Fairness Doctrine?'" I asked. "Yes," the speaker replied, without hesitation.

http://www.allamericanblogger.com/4286/democrats-already-talking-about-the-return-of-the-fairness-doctrine/

So maybe they haven't "pushed" for it, but they are in favor of it. Nice nuanced parsing of the english language Rantermann.

[1will]

His 12 viewers must be very excited.

[classc 1]

Haven't you heard about the latest ratings? Keith has beaten O'Reilly on MANY nights during the past few weeks. Sorry.

[CharlieQ]

OLBERMANN'S giant shoulder pads are actually his bed pillows with Bill O' Reilly's image on them.

Hey Saturday Night Live-TIME FOR MORE OLBERMANN SKITS PLEASE!!!

[steamboat]

Once again we have Blagojevich, Mugabe, etc. making the news. So whose KO's 3 worst persons (OReilly, Ducey, Morris) , three employees of FOX. Gimme a break ! And you wonder why OReilly continues to kick his rear-end in when it comes to viewers.

[pfc1369]

Because the majority of viewers are ignorant apes?

[WritusMaximus]

That's exactly Keith's point! Those that don't agree with him are idiots! So instead of having guests with opposing points of view, Keith only invites "geniuses" to his show.

Maddow better watch out, because Maddow invites idiots to her show and Keith is sure to start complaining to the powers at MSNBC.

Time to round up the herd, Keith, and lead them to the promised land!

[popples]

In the world, Keith? Really?

I guess genocide is nothing compared to lame journalism.

[newleaf]

I didn't see it, unfortunately, but I'm sure it was great, like Keith himself. He says what nobody else has the gonads to say. Sometimes he gets a little wound up but I usually agree with him. He's cute, smart, funny, and God bless him, he calls those Fox idiots and other "worst" people for what they are. Go Keith!

[UpstateNY]

Sean Hannity should be in the worse list everyday! I detest that man and everything he stands for - on long drives we can sometimes only get Hannity or Rush Limbaugh on the radio. The hate they sprew is awful - and that people follow them (they call Hannity a "Great American" - what on early makes him a great American - I guess he is American (although perhaps we should examine HIS birth certificate - but I'd say he is a mediocre American at best). He doesn't listen to any dissenting voices (if they call in or are guests, he shouts over them) - and he parrots the Republican party line!

I would love to have people wake up and simply stop listening - but that won't happen. So, I can only get some measure of a little satisfaction with seeing them in the "Worse Person's List".

Go get 'em Keith!

[JEP57]

When voices on the left give their opinions, they're practicing their 1st amendment right of freedom of speech. But when voices on the right give "their" opinions, they're just spewing hate. You should practice what you preach and simply stop listening to Sean and Rush. Then you won't get annoyed when you don't hear "dissenting voices".

[kad282624]

you re one to talk. all you lefties do is read bs from sites like the hp, moveon.org, daily kos. and you watch MS National Barack Channel, or the Clinton News Network. and spew the same hate. hypocrites

[Vyvjala]

When the rightwing savants want an opinion from leftwing opposition, usually before they have a chance to reply, they opprobriously give them one of theirs. Obnoxious little jean hannity has developed a fine art in these tactics and this is what draws a crowd.............Years ago Morton Downey Jr. used the same tactics which sole purpose was to start a riot on his TV show....................and it worked............

[redneckliberalpostbush]

Keith is awesome! Go Keith GO!