Olbermann Slams Palin For "Death Panel" Claim, Calls Her Dangerously Irresponsible (VIDEO)

Keith Olbermann went off on Sarah Palin, Glenn Beck and the birthers in a nearly 15-minute "Special Comment" Monday night. The MSNBC host was particularly incensed by Palin's recent, totally unsupported, claim that Obama's health care plan would result in a "death panel."

"There is no 'death panel.' There is no judgment based on societal productivity. There is no worthiness test. But there is downright evil, and Ms. Palin, you just served its cause," Olbermann said, before going on to call Palin a "clear and present danger to the safety and security of this nation."

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Comments

[GlobalPunditDOTorg]

Thanks for posting this.

Measured vitriol - so badly needed...my head really hurts more as each day goes by: Beck, Dobbs, Limbaugh, Fox ilk, etc. - truly the fools are the moral morass err majority - or the lowest common denominator...

www.globalpundit.org

[Evelyn Ferreira]

An excellent, well thought out response to the erratic and irrational ramblings of the likes of Palin, Dobbs and Beck. I'm comforted by the fact that there are still a few intelligent people in America who can put forward a reasoned and sober argument to address health care reform.

[chaserblue]

But he's wrong. They already have death panels. They're called Claims Agents at the Insurance Company. Every time they turn down needed health care, they have appointed themselves as judge and executioner. So why is this palin creature---(I still think she's Randall Flagg in drag) whining about death panels? They already exist. It's a lot of huffing and puffing because she's probably getting money from the insurance companies to fight any type of health care reform. I love Olbermann, but he should show how people every day are dying from insurance companies denying paying customers care. That should shut up the death panel argument if it's spread far and wide enough.

[tedbear]

I would tend to say don't encourage these Republican idiots by giving them press.

However, my sister who has a Masters degree and teaches children every day, argued with me about what the healthcare bill actually says. Of course, she is an evangelical at the moment so that explains that. The point is there are so many people being manipulated by the Republicans it is a shame. I mean anyone who actually believes in death panels doesn't deserve to vote because they are just plain incompetent.

Keith is doing what he can and I think he is fantastic. I just wish we who care about others and want to support the President could do more.

[gonzie46]

Sarah Palin was "for" Death Panels before she was "against" them. Here's a link that describes how, as Governor, Palin signed a proclamation that declared that end of life counseling was important for seniors, and should be more widely implemented.

http://thinkprogress.org/2009/08/13/palin-deathpanel-flipflop/#comments

[SalElite]

This is jaw-dropping! I've watched it several times, and it continues to take my breath away. Over and over. I'm pretty much an avid Atheist, but I thank God that we have people like this. Gives me faith in the human race and our country. Thank you, Mr. Olbermann. And bless you.

[kindGSL]

I agree.

Except that he is delusional, ignorant or ignoring the drug war. That is the thing about him that drives me right up the wall. What he says sounds great until you are a victim of the drug war, as lots and lots of people are. From a psychological point of view, at least Billo acknowledges that the listeners are victims.

When you look at our populist movement, there is a clear media effort to divide us. It may not be conscious but it is happening. FOX is obvious but MSNBC does it too.

Keith is a drug warrior, Rachel is tough on the Tea Party folks (my camp).

Did it ever occur to her to look past their white theoretically racist exterior to see what drives them (legalizing pot)? I didn't hear it. I only saw her sitting in judgement over them while FOX capitalized on stirring them up.

It should be no surprise that they are now unhappy with Obama if legalizing pot was a big priority. I didn't see Rachel interview one single person to find out what was driving them. Yet she proclaimed to know the group mind, it is anti-black racism.

How does she know this?

I bet it drove scores of people to watch Billo.

She drove the entire Tea Party movement away from listening to the progressive ideas by repeatedly belittling them on TV. Maybe it felt good, but it was terrible politics.

[BushIsAWarCriminal]

Tea baggers should be belittled. They deserve nothing more than derision and ridicule. I can imagine no one watching Olbermann or Maddow and being 'driven' to watch that pompous liar O'Really.

And excuse me, but you complaine 'she proclaimed to know the group mind' then asked "How does she know this?" to be followed by your own knowing the group mind without evidence when you say 2 sentences later, "She drove the entire Tea Party movement away from listening to the progressing ideas..."

How do you know this?

[merger]

Wow, the pot calling the kettle black again.

[DesertRat09]

It is difficult to believe that anyone can take seriously a former sportscaster who has crowned himself with the power to judge "the worst people in the world".

[mairs]

As difficult as it was to believe people would vote for a former community organizer? Obama isn't a community organizer anymore, and Olbermann is no longer a sportscaster. What was your job 20 years ago?

[Paul Peete - Huffpost Blogger]

Now THAT is telling that rat! Great response.

[Hannalee]

...I mean, of course, the cajones to point out OTHERS who incite violence. Our goal is to refrain from joining the mob... Olbermann has proved that he has those kinds of cajones, you know the courage to fight with speech and pen, not to use insults and blows, and on to guns and knives, bombs... you name it.

[Hannalee]

The worst person routine is kind of ridiculous, but Olbermann is a superior and articulate writer and speaker with guts. Somebody has to say it. Is it right to incite violence? Somebody has to have the cajones, you know.

I don't have any trouble with the fact that he used to be a sportcaster. I once copyedited for Indiana University. Our only excellent writers were sports writers. It's all journalism. Remember--somehow we took an actor who starred with a chimp (and was he the better actor?) for a president.

[perk]

Wow, the woman doesn't even hold a public office and she STILL gets all this exposure. I am sure her speaking fees go up by thousands every time someone gets outraged from one of her little Twitter posts. For goodness sake, stop quoting this woman, the exposure creates a weird credibility. Biden must be jealous as h*ll, he gets nothing from the press.

Her agent must be sending thank you notes and flowers to Obie and Ahuff.

Just ignore her. Argh!

[Get-It-Now-Or-Never]

Touching. Seriously touching!!!

I pray to GOD to protect you (Olbermann) and to oil your efforts in spreding the TRUTH.

Keep up the good work in this art of spreading information and may GOD reward you abundantly with more WISDOM.

I wonder what our media will be without people like.

This is commentary, FAIR AND BALANCED!!!

[agb100]

Sure Olbermann is fair and balanced! If you've been asleep for the last four years:

Where was the economy when the Democrats took over Congress? Oh, I see, the DOW at 14,000.

For Keith and the rest of Huffington's, there were no WMDs, no yellowcake:

http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/07/07/iraq.uranium/index.html

http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/u/uraniumyellowcake.htm

And to Harry Reid "This War is Lost"

http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/v/victory-ignored.htm

And of course, there was no Iraq Liberation Act passed by EVERY Senator in 1998 when guess what? Bush was the governor of Texas. I invite readers to read SEC 3...the summary:

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c105:H.R.4655.ENR:

I understand. The Library of Congress cannot possibly be as honest as Keith Olbermann:

And then there was Bush's War:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygQVyznw2zE

Sure you guys are well informed.

And Keith Olbermann is Fair and Balanced.

Can I sell you guys a nice bridge?

[BushIsAWarCriminal]

You can't sell me your opinion for free. You're just plain wrong about your facts. The market was falling BEFORE President Obama took office in Nov. '08. The Dow was dropping like a rock in Sept/Oct '08. LIke everyone on the Republican side, you've said whatever you like, ignoring facts. Same value as your bridge. And not so nice.

[TheVenerableYanque]

I have never been much of an Olberman fan, but this was good.

To all of you saying that Olberman is far left.... seriously? I wouldn't even consider the guy a progressive--not by any standard political spectrum, anyway. Good indicator that someone isn't on the far left: they don't make much money and they aren't often on television (Noam Chomsky might be an exception).

Then some of you say that he speaks truth to lies.... what? Is mainstream media so bad that we rely on people like Olberman to get our facts? (Answer: yes). No news source is unbiased, but there certainly are better options (democracynow.org, realnewsnetwork, tomdispatch.com, guardian.c­o.uk--just to name a few).

And then there's the thing that REALLY gets me. People are likening Obama and supporters of health care to Hitler and the Nazis. The reasoning? "Nazi" is short for "National Socialist," the term "National Socialist" has that awful, evil word "socialist" in it, and making health care available to ordinary citizens is somehow socialism. Wow.

But this shouldn't be a Left vs Right issue. Palin lied, maliciously. Right, left, up, down, diagonal along the positive XYZ axes.... a sane and comprehensible personal view of reality requires that one admits this point. Denial is plain evil, and ignorance is inexcusable.

[flossophy]

K0's target demographic the angst r|idden anti-everything politically unaware 14-25 yo bracket.

[pons1595]

Are you that truly stupid, or are you a birther?

[mairs]

The politically unaware couldn't possibly follow his show. You have to have more than a basic understanding of what's occurring politically in order to understand it.

[BushIsAWarCriminal]

Once again, completely wrong. Factually inaccurate. Politics appeals to 14 year olds? Ridiculous. Candy, video games and the opposite sex. And if your assertion were true, Chris Matthews wouldn't be on MSNBC: he's too old for that demo.

[KCRoger]

It was an intelligent, powerful commentary. I find it odd that MSNBC is the only main stream news group that cares to give a liberal perspective. They are only slightly left of center, yet they're demonized as if they were far left radicals. It just goes to show how far the message has drifted to the right. When someone speaks the truth, it's discounted as being partisan and liberal.

[kindGSL]

I don't think it drifted, I think it was pushed.

[lbrty 2112]

Is anyone slamming Olbermann for calling GWB a F@scist?

[CaptD]

Why is it that we the folks that are paying for the Health Care of Congress (and everything else) have to put up with all this disinformation?

I say, either get on with a "Great Plan" for all Americans or instantly repeal the coverage that Congress is now getting, because they don't deserve any better coverage than we do!

It's put up or Shut Up time for all Congress... Make quality health care affordable or enjoy poor care like the rest of America has...