Hannity Waterboard Offer: Olbermann Increases The Pressure

NEW YORK — The debate over torture is getting personal for two of cable TV's prime-time hosts. After Fox News Channel's Sean Hannity made a seemingly impromptu offer last week to undergo waterboarding as a benefit for charity, MSNBC's Keith Olbermann leapt at it. He offered $1,000 to the families of U.S. troops for every second Hannity withstood the technique.

Olbermann repeated the offer on Monday's show and said in an interview Tuesday that he's heard no response. He said he'll continue to pursue it.

"I don't think he has the courage to even respond to this _ let alone do it," Olbermann said.

Fox News Channel representatives did not respond to requests for comment.

The two men are on opposite poles of a debate that has preoccupied the worlds of talk TV and radio. Hannity says waterboarding is a fair and necessary interrogation technique for suspected terrorists; Olbermann calls it torture, says it's ineffective and should not be done by Americans.

Charles Grodin was challenging Hannity on the issue on Fox last week, and asked whether he would consent to be waterboarded.

"Sure," Hannity said. "I'll do it for charity ... I'll do it for the troops' families."

It wasn't exactly clear how serious the conversation was, since Grodin joked, "Are you busy on Sunday?" and Hannity laughed.

"I'll let you do it," Hannity said.

"I wouldn't do it," Grodin said. "I'll hand you a towel when you come out of the shower."

Olbermann's offer was quick. Besides the $1,000 per second, Olbermann said he'd double it if Hannity acknowledges he feared for his life and admits that waterboarding is torture.

"The idea of putting somebody in a position they have volunteered for, for charity, to respond to their own unsupportable claims, is in many ways priceless," Olbermann said.

Olbermann, who hasn't missed any chance to criticize his ideological enemies at Fox, concedes TV competition plays a part in his offer. But he said it was sincere, because he believes Hannity has had a damaging role in the debate.

"If you expose people to reality, even with someone who is denying reality, that can have a powerful and important impact," he said.

Comments

[FantasticFourFan]

I don't understand what the problem is, if it's not torture then why is he so relcutant.

[owsua]

Give us your definition of torture. Is it cutting heads off with dull knives? Are you and have you been safe since 9/11?

[elizlucinda]

What???? Are you trying to say waterboarding is what kept us safe......Kind of flawed reasoning

[Wombaticus]

My personal philosophy allows for Instant Karma, so I wish all the ReThugs could instantly experience the travails they so nonchalantly wish upon others.
My philosophy also allows for smiles and other simple kindnesses to be returned and multiplied too...I am not ALL evil. :)

[doctordoubt]

the rethugs are all about making people do what they say. woman, soldiers, citizens, anyone. you should have kids, even if it was r#p#e. you should torture, even tho you find it reprehensible and illegal. you should........it goes on and on. what they won't do, is take responsibility for any of it. have the kids, regardless you can't take care of them. torture the other guy, even tho it's wrong, and produces wrong info. What i don't get, is how they can tell you to do all this, but not do it themselves. It seems REligion is just another way for them to exert control over as many people as possible, while getting as little of the slime on their hands as possible. And when is the last time you ever heard anyone say, 'put the love of God in them'? always the fear. It's the only thing they have.

[aramos]

Sean,

Make sure you get the cash up front, I hear Keith likes to lie about his credentials.

[Coloradem]

Only if you listen to Ann "I'm a Florida voter" Coulter....

[Clayton139]

Hannity will LIED ! He will (NOT DO WATERBOARDING) ! That is all FOX Noise does is lie all the time !

Keep the Pressure on him Keith ! Hannity said he would do it to Charles Grodin. Bring Charles Grodin on your show to ask him to (Do it for the Troops) as he so bravely stated he would on his own show? Yea, RIGHT ?!

Sean Hannity will never do it because he lied on his show as him and FOX Noise /News always does !

[Clayton139]

LIE ! (:-}

[owsua]

I feel sorry for you. Especially if you listen to the bloviated Olbermann. But I assume you are an adult. You should get help.

[SoNotRight]

owsua, just wondering, have you been "hannitized"?

[SnapShots]

Oh, and Hannity's a wimp.

[owsua]

Name caller.

[SnapShots]

Support 'truth in media' legislation to require broadcasters to run tags throughout their show that say, "This is a political entertainment program. Items discussed have not been researched or verified and should not be taken as fact."

Fox, Limbaugh and such spew disinformative opinions. MSNBC preaches facts.

[AnAverageAmerican]

When is the last time any of them, the entertainers of FOX & MSNBC, did any investigative reporting? None of them are real journalist. They are all paid to distract Americans from what is really going on. For instance, what is the real reason health care is so expense? Lobbyist in Washingtion. What is the reason most of the food in the supermarket is filled with chemicals and corn? Lobbyist in Washington. How many tents cities have been established due to the economy that the rich destroyed?

When these guys start getting the "facts" and asking/answering serious questions then I will consider them journalist. Until then they are all simply over paid entertainmenters...Sad.

[SnapShots]

I disagree. Maddow and Olberman do research and present facts. If they didn't have to spend so much time disproving what the irresponsible people at Fox and talk radio do, they'd have more time to concentrate on other topics.

[apduncan1]

Indeed ... Big Pharma spends more on advertisements than on research.

Guess why MSM stays away from the issue? Did I hear revenue stream dying up?

[owsua]

I hope the day comes when you realize that MSNBC is crap. I saw their bias after the '04 election. Fox supports their reporting. Put the Koolaid down.

[Ascoli]

Hahahahahah

[Neonmoon]

Oops, is for waterboarding?

[Neonmoon]

So does this mean Olberman id FOR waterboarding?

[Jeff1958]

I'm sure he's for voluntary waterboarding. And Hannity volunteered. Try to keep up.

[Neonmoon]

So he is for waterboarding. How pathetic.

[DedicatedDiva]

No Mr. Olbermann is not for waterboarding. He is vehemently against (read the article). He is for waterboarding Mr. Hannity because Mr. Hannity believes that it is not torture.

[mmiii]

Ugh, I'm tire of this argument. The point is that there should be no argument if water boarding is torture or not. Therefore, it doesn't matter what SH or Cheney of anyone says. If you think that torture is "in the eye of the beholder" you stand with Cheney and Rumsfeld. If you don't, and you believe water boarding is torture no matter what, then KO is supporting the torture of SH even if SH doesn't believe it and even if SH offers.

This whole thing makes KO look foolish and undermines the idea that water boarding is torture. If SH had said, for example, "I'll let you pull my nails for charity" would be OK with Olberman offering $1K per nail? No, he'd be calling him insane like he should be doing rignt now instead of supporting the idea. Encouraging the idea that people should be tortured, EVEN IF THEY OFFER, in exchange for money is absolutely crazy.

[Jack Sprat]

It means he's for waterboarding Hannity, specifically to demonstrate that Hannity's position is one that Hannity can't or won't defend; in virtually ALL other cases--in case you've been living under a rock of late--he's against torture. Clear 'nuf?

[DakotaMinnesota]

These Neocons are people who won't even join the military that they pretend to love so much. No chance of them doing anything as daring as enduring the torture they celebrate.

[mafina]

I agree, they talk so militant and yet many of these fools have never been in the military. But wait when it was time for them to join the military they found excuses to run and hide.

[FormerReaganite]

Like bugs under a rock.

[steve-annie]

Sorry ... I'm a big Olbermann fan generally, but I wish he'd drop this. No matter the political, social or charitable motivations, the idea of waterboarding anyone (even Hannity!) is extremely offensive.

[busterbrownthefirst]

I don't think Olbermann actually expects Hannity to do it, but because Hannity isn't responding and is obviously scared Olbermann is ably showing that waterboarding is torture. Sort of like Hannity is reneging on putting your money where your mouth is, so to speak.

[owsua]

First of all Sean Hannity is not scared. He's not going to respond to a windbag that has horrible ratings. I think Grodin and Hannity got a little careless regarding this. Sean Hannity is not going to give Olbermann a response. Olbermann is looking to Hannity to help his ratings. Good luck with that Keith. Not going to happen.

[SnapShots]

You don't get it. What's offensive is Hannity's downplay of waterboarding. What's also offensive is the arrogance of his cowardice.

[Donnat]

He'll never hear a word from Sean, who's suddenly grown a large yellow streak from ears to @ss.

[WVP]

Suddenly? :)

[wsblake]

olbermann's right, hannity and the rest of these neocon mouthpieces should be called out for everything they say- nazi propogandists were tried and convicted for WAR CRIMES- simply because propoganda works- these people have to accept the blame for the huge part they played in the phony war on terror and all of its negative damage

[BonoVox]

I saw a pickup truck today with a "I HEART Waterboarding" bumper sticker.

[BigBagel]

It's hot in the S&M community.

[AmbivalentGuy]

S&M?
Sean and Manatee?

He keeps pulling the safe word before
the room's set up.

[DakotaMinnesota]

Which is why the Republicans love it so much but want to keep it top secret. It's not the same if it's not a deep, dark, naughty secret.

[CognitoErgoSum]

So Sean Hannity's making a game of this saying he'll do it for charity.