1 00:00:04,795 --> 00:00:21,315 Speaker 1: Countdown with Keith Olderman is a production of iHeartRadio. The 2 00:00:21,515 --> 00:00:26,355 Speaker 1: impeachment inquiry Kevin McCarthy has now unilaterally and personally declared 3 00:00:26,435 --> 00:00:33,155 Speaker 1: against President Joe Biden is in fact illegal. The Justice 4 00:00:33,155 --> 00:00:38,795 Speaker 1: Department's Office of Legal Counsel, the Trump administration Justice Department's 5 00:00:38,835 --> 00:00:44,035 Speaker 1: Office of Legal Counsel ruled on January nineteenth, twenty twenty, 6 00:00:44,435 --> 00:00:48,915 Speaker 1: that there can be no impeachment and no impeachment inquiry 7 00:00:49,475 --> 00:00:54,115 Speaker 1: without a vote by the House of Representatives. And that 8 00:00:54,275 --> 00:00:59,795 Speaker 1: ruling is still on the books today and Kevin McCarthy 9 00:00:59,875 --> 00:01:04,395 Speaker 1: has violated it. Kevin McCarthy has broken the law. This 10 00:01:04,515 --> 00:01:11,155 Speaker 1: is Kevin McCarthy's illegal impeachment inquiry. Repeat after me Kevin 11 00:01:12,075 --> 00:01:21,395 Speaker 1: McCarthy's illegal impeachment inquiry quote. The House of Representatives must 12 00:01:21,515 --> 00:01:27,315 Speaker 1: expressly authorize a committee to conduct an impeachment investigation and 13 00:01:27,355 --> 00:01:32,075 Speaker 1: to use compulsory process in that investigation. Before the committee 14 00:01:32,075 --> 00:01:35,475 Speaker 1: may compel the production of documents of testimony in support 15 00:01:35,515 --> 00:01:40,835 Speaker 1: of the House's power of impeachment. The House itself must 16 00:01:40,955 --> 00:01:45,995 Speaker 1: authorize an impeachment inquiry. No committee may undertake the momentous 17 00:01:46,035 --> 00:01:50,675 Speaker 1: move from legislative oversight to impeachment without a delegation by 18 00:01:50,715 --> 00:01:57,835 Speaker 1: the full House of such authority unquote. Stephen A. Engel, 19 00:01:58,315 --> 00:02:02,315 Speaker 1: Assistant Attorney General, Office of Legal Counsel, the same guy 20 00:02:02,675 --> 00:02:07,835 Speaker 1: who wrote Bill Barr's Mueller Summary for him. He's a 21 00:02:07,875 --> 00:02:10,115 Speaker 1: lawyer and everything went to Harvard. He works in Philadelphia. 22 00:02:10,195 --> 00:02:13,555 Speaker 1: Don't ask him if you don't believe me. Kevin McCarthy, 23 00:02:13,915 --> 00:02:16,835 Speaker 1: the guy who looks like the bird who is still 24 00:02:16,955 --> 00:02:21,075 Speaker 1: stunned from having just flown full force into your window, 25 00:02:22,275 --> 00:02:27,275 Speaker 1: broke the law yesterday. If there is no vote, there 26 00:02:27,395 --> 00:02:31,115 Speaker 1: is no impeachment inquiry. And you know who else said 27 00:02:31,115 --> 00:02:35,155 Speaker 1: that besides Trump's assistant Attorney general. The guy who wrote 28 00:02:35,155 --> 00:02:39,315 Speaker 1: that the speaker quote can't decide on impeachment unilaterally. It 29 00:02:39,395 --> 00:02:42,515 Speaker 1: requires a full vote of the House of Representatives unquote 30 00:02:42,795 --> 00:02:46,515 Speaker 1: wrote that on September twenty fourth, twenty nineteen. Who wrote that, 31 00:02:47,875 --> 00:02:51,955 Speaker 1: Kevin McCarthy. He tweeted it. It's still up on his feed. 32 00:02:52,675 --> 00:02:55,555 Speaker 1: The Speaker can't decide on impeachment unilaterally. It requires a 33 00:02:55,595 --> 00:02:58,315 Speaker 1: full vote of the House of Representative. Is that too 34 00:02:58,315 --> 00:03:00,395 Speaker 1: remote for you? Is that too far in the past? 35 00:03:00,395 --> 00:03:03,395 Speaker 1: What about But this guy said on September first of 36 00:03:03,675 --> 00:03:07,595 Speaker 1: this year, which is do they carry the three not 37 00:03:07,675 --> 00:03:10,795 Speaker 1: even two weeks ago quote. If we move forward with 38 00:03:10,875 --> 00:03:13,675 Speaker 1: an impeachment inquiry, it would occur through a vote on 39 00:03:13,755 --> 00:03:18,235 Speaker 1: the floor of the People's House, and not through a 40 00:03:18,315 --> 00:03:23,355 Speaker 1: declaration by one person. I'm quoting a bright Bart News 41 00:03:23,395 --> 00:03:30,355 Speaker 1: interview from way back twelve days ago with Kevin F. McCarthy, 42 00:03:31,195 --> 00:03:35,115 Speaker 1: and we all know what the F stands for. I 43 00:03:35,115 --> 00:03:39,675 Speaker 1: don't know. Maybe Kevin McCarthy really is still stunned from 44 00:03:39,715 --> 00:03:43,475 Speaker 1: having just flown full force into your window, or maybe 45 00:03:43,515 --> 00:03:48,915 Speaker 1: he's just a prostitute. Contradicts himself from September first, contradicts 46 00:03:48,955 --> 00:03:53,395 Speaker 1: himself from September twenty nineteen, contradicts Trump's assistant Attorney General, 47 00:03:53,595 --> 00:03:59,355 Speaker 1: contradicts the law. In my research, I do not find 48 00:03:59,435 --> 00:04:02,795 Speaker 1: any opinion from Trump's man Engle, who three years and 49 00:04:02,835 --> 00:04:06,835 Speaker 1: eight months ago preemptively declared Kevin McCarthy did yesterday invalid 50 00:04:06,835 --> 00:04:10,395 Speaker 1: and illegal about whether the Department of Justice for which 51 00:04:10,435 --> 00:04:14,195 Speaker 1: Angel worked can now go and charge Kevin McCarthy. It 52 00:04:14,235 --> 00:04:17,435 Speaker 1: does not seem as if McCarthy committed that kind of 53 00:04:17,555 --> 00:04:22,835 Speaker 1: crime here, but any Democrat responding to this latest Republican 54 00:04:23,235 --> 00:04:28,075 Speaker 1: urination on the Constitution on behalf of dementia. J Trump 55 00:04:28,875 --> 00:04:33,875 Speaker 1: by not calling this quote Kevin McCarthy's illegal impeachment inquiry, 56 00:04:34,075 --> 00:04:41,195 Speaker 1: should be expelled from the party, from office, from the country. 57 00:04:41,315 --> 00:04:45,995 Speaker 1: McCarthy didn't just break the rules. He just broke Trump's rules, 58 00:04:46,555 --> 00:04:51,475 Speaker 1: and that fact should be hung around his neck fresh 59 00:04:51,555 --> 00:04:55,795 Speaker 1: every morning like one of those floral lays you get 60 00:04:55,795 --> 00:04:59,635 Speaker 1: when you arrive in Hawaii. Aloha, mister speaker, And how's 61 00:04:59,635 --> 00:05:06,835 Speaker 1: your illegal impeachment inquiry today? Now? Besides the legal lesson 62 00:05:06,875 --> 00:05:10,795 Speaker 1: that Kevin Owen McCarthy so desperately needed before he made 63 00:05:10,795 --> 00:05:14,075 Speaker 1: an even bigger dick out of himself yesterday than usual, 64 00:05:15,195 --> 00:05:19,115 Speaker 1: and for all the tomorrows to come, there is the 65 00:05:19,275 --> 00:05:22,195 Speaker 1: history lesson that he just as certainly needed and did 66 00:05:22,235 --> 00:05:24,155 Speaker 1: not get, and will live to regret not getting. And 67 00:05:24,155 --> 00:05:26,075 Speaker 1: I must say I am utterly surprised he did not 68 00:05:26,195 --> 00:05:29,675 Speaker 1: know this already, given that as it unfolded, he was 69 00:05:29,715 --> 00:05:33,035 Speaker 1: already on the staff of a congressman and already chairman 70 00:05:33,075 --> 00:05:35,355 Speaker 1: of the California Young Republicans and then chairman of the 71 00:05:35,395 --> 00:05:39,435 Speaker 1: Young Republican National Foundation, even though he was thirty seven, 72 00:05:40,435 --> 00:05:42,715 Speaker 1: which is pretty goddamned old to have the nerve to 73 00:05:42,755 --> 00:05:45,195 Speaker 1: call yourself a young Republican. It's like being a thirty 74 00:05:45,235 --> 00:05:50,355 Speaker 1: seven year old bat boy in baseball. But the last 75 00:05:50,555 --> 00:05:55,115 Speaker 1: Speaker of the House who prostituted himself and perverted the 76 00:05:55,155 --> 00:05:58,915 Speaker 1: Constitution to try to impeach president for cheap, meaningless and 77 00:05:59,035 --> 00:06:03,075 Speaker 1: only political reasons did not meet with a happy end. 78 00:06:05,115 --> 00:06:09,875 Speaker 1: Newt Gingrich, you know the stupid looking guy who does 79 00:06:09,915 --> 00:06:13,355 Speaker 1: the title insurance infomercials on TV. Did you know he 80 00:06:13,475 --> 00:06:18,475 Speaker 1: used to have a job with the government. He was 81 00:06:18,595 --> 00:06:22,115 Speaker 1: actually Speaker of the House too, just like Kevin. Oh, 82 00:06:22,195 --> 00:06:26,275 Speaker 1: look out there's a window. There beag boy oh slam McCarthy. 83 00:06:27,715 --> 00:06:33,915 Speaker 1: But Newt dreamt of much more than mere speakership, as 84 00:06:33,955 --> 00:06:36,315 Speaker 1: one must I assume if one is stuck with that 85 00:06:36,515 --> 00:06:41,435 Speaker 1: name Newt. By January nineteen ninety eight, Newt Gingrich's dreams 86 00:06:41,475 --> 00:06:46,795 Speaker 1: were about Monica s Lewinsky, particularly about using her as 87 00:06:46,875 --> 00:06:50,395 Speaker 1: the centerpiece to investigating President Bill Clinton and timing it 88 00:06:50,475 --> 00:06:53,995 Speaker 1: so that the investigation would stretch out all spring and 89 00:06:54,115 --> 00:06:56,835 Speaker 1: all summer, and all the media would fall forward and 90 00:06:56,875 --> 00:06:59,595 Speaker 1: into the autumn, and it would allow the Republicans, who 91 00:06:59,635 --> 00:07:02,355 Speaker 1: already control the House and the Senate, the chance to 92 00:07:02,355 --> 00:07:08,995 Speaker 1: build veto proof majority in the midterms and not actually 93 00:07:09,035 --> 00:07:13,155 Speaker 1: impeach him was the plan until after the midterms, So 94 00:07:13,315 --> 00:07:16,155 Speaker 1: in the midterms the Democrats wouldn't even get any sympathy votes, 95 00:07:17,795 --> 00:07:25,515 Speaker 1: while e coyotes super genius, but Newt wanted even more. 96 00:07:26,355 --> 00:07:29,755 Speaker 1: On Sunday, April twenty sixth, nineteen ninety eight, the former 97 00:07:29,915 --> 00:07:33,995 Speaker 1: Washington bureau chief of the New Yorker magazine, Elizabeth Drew, 98 00:07:34,675 --> 00:07:37,315 Speaker 1: went on Meet the Press on NBC with Tim Russert 99 00:07:37,395 --> 00:07:41,355 Speaker 1: and said that Gingrich had been talking for months to 100 00:07:41,475 --> 00:07:46,315 Speaker 1: his close associates that his real plan was the investigation 101 00:07:46,395 --> 00:07:48,755 Speaker 1: of Clinton was so bad that Clinton would have to 102 00:07:48,755 --> 00:07:51,435 Speaker 1: be impeached and would be removed by the Senate, or 103 00:07:51,515 --> 00:07:56,475 Speaker 1: more likely, he would resign in shame, whereupon Speaker Gingrich 104 00:07:56,555 --> 00:08:00,435 Speaker 1: was certain that the new president Al Gore would pardon 105 00:08:00,555 --> 00:08:05,355 Speaker 1: Bill Clinton, whereupon Senate Republicans would refuse to confirm whoever 106 00:08:05,515 --> 00:08:08,675 Speaker 1: Gore had nominated to be his new vice president, whereupon 107 00:08:08,795 --> 00:08:14,635 Speaker 1: Nut Gingrich would impeach al Gore for pardoning Bill Clinton. 108 00:08:16,875 --> 00:08:19,635 Speaker 1: Do you see what the plan was? The nation would 109 00:08:19,675 --> 00:08:26,275 Speaker 1: be without an elected president, without a replacement president, without 110 00:08:26,315 --> 00:08:29,635 Speaker 1: an elected or an appointed vice president, and so naturally 111 00:08:29,675 --> 00:08:32,475 Speaker 1: the presidency would have to devolve to the next in 112 00:08:32,555 --> 00:08:36,275 Speaker 1: the line of succession. The Speaker of the House of Representatives. 113 00:08:36,675 --> 00:08:44,395 Speaker 1: Let's see who was that? Newton Leroy Jingrid Gingrich? Is 114 00:08:44,395 --> 00:08:49,595 Speaker 1: it Gingrich? Yes? Nuton Gingrich in nineteen ninety eight was 115 00:08:49,595 --> 00:08:51,995 Speaker 1: not planning to impeach Bill Clinton. He was planning to 116 00:08:52,035 --> 00:08:57,155 Speaker 1: succeed Bill Clinton. Remind me that that didn't happen. That 117 00:08:57,635 --> 00:09:00,875 Speaker 1: did that didn't happen? That did it happen? No? No, 118 00:09:01,235 --> 00:09:05,995 Speaker 1: why not? Well? On October were eighth, nineteen ninety eight, 119 00:09:06,075 --> 00:09:09,475 Speaker 1: Speaker KNUWT Gingrich got his House of Representatives to vote, 120 00:09:09,755 --> 00:09:12,675 Speaker 1: and a side note to Kevin McCarthy that word vote 121 00:09:12,995 --> 00:09:18,035 Speaker 1: the thing you didn't do that spelled vote, ask for 122 00:09:18,155 --> 00:09:21,555 Speaker 1: mister Engel in Philadelphia. Gingrich got a vote of two 123 00:09:21,635 --> 00:09:23,995 Speaker 1: hundred and fifty eight to one hundred and seventy six, 124 00:09:24,195 --> 00:09:28,195 Speaker 1: with thirty one Democrats voting yes, to establish an impeachment 125 00:09:28,275 --> 00:09:32,355 Speaker 1: inquiry against Bill Clinton. The mid terms were less than 126 00:09:32,355 --> 00:09:35,435 Speaker 1: a month away, and Gingrich met with Republican leadership in secret, 127 00:09:35,515 --> 00:09:38,275 Speaker 1: and like the serpent he was and is, he was 128 00:09:38,395 --> 00:09:41,115 Speaker 1: coiled and ready to get his supermajority in the House. 129 00:09:41,275 --> 00:09:43,395 Speaker 1: And he told his colleagues they would pick up between 130 00:09:43,395 --> 00:09:46,555 Speaker 1: six and thirty congressional seats and some in the Senate, 131 00:09:46,595 --> 00:09:50,035 Speaker 1: and enough to remove Clinton. And on the morning of Tuesday, 132 00:09:50,075 --> 00:09:53,395 Speaker 1: November third, Gingrich dragged his blubber to the polls and 133 00:09:53,475 --> 00:09:57,755 Speaker 1: predicted victory. And on the morning of Wednesday, November fourth, 134 00:09:58,075 --> 00:10:02,115 Speaker 1: it turned out the Republicans had lost five seats in 135 00:10:02,155 --> 00:10:05,515 Speaker 1: the House. And then on the morning of in November six, 136 00:10:05,635 --> 00:10:09,275 Speaker 1: Nut Gingrich announced he would resign as Speaker of the 137 00:10:09,315 --> 00:10:13,315 Speaker 1: House after the new year, mostly because the dozens of 138 00:10:13,355 --> 00:10:17,595 Speaker 1: Republicans who had just sneaked through to reelection realized he 139 00:10:17,675 --> 00:10:20,115 Speaker 1: was an idiot, He was a charlatan, and he was 140 00:10:20,155 --> 00:10:26,715 Speaker 1: a liability. Gingrich impeached Bill Clinton, and Bill Clinton kept 141 00:10:26,755 --> 00:10:32,235 Speaker 1: his job and Newt Gingrich lost his and oh, by 142 00:10:32,275 --> 00:10:35,635 Speaker 1: the way, al Gore kept his job too. And guess what. 143 00:10:36,075 --> 00:10:39,235 Speaker 1: Al Gore would have been president despite the Supreme Court 144 00:10:39,555 --> 00:10:42,195 Speaker 1: if he had not been so stupid that he listened 145 00:10:42,195 --> 00:10:46,595 Speaker 1: to advisors like the boneheaded billionaire Joel Hyatt, who told him, 146 00:10:46,595 --> 00:10:49,395 Speaker 1: when how are you doing two thousand? Don't campaign with 147 00:10:49,435 --> 00:10:52,115 Speaker 1: Bill Clinton. You can't be seen standing next to the 148 00:10:52,115 --> 00:10:58,235 Speaker 1: most popular politician in America. You got all that Kevin McCarthy. 149 00:10:59,115 --> 00:11:04,595 Speaker 1: Because wait, there's more. Because if Kevin, you turn impeachment 150 00:11:04,715 --> 00:11:08,715 Speaker 1: into a tool of attempted political assassination when the strongest 151 00:11:08,755 --> 00:11:11,955 Speaker 1: accusation you have against the president is conclusive evidence that 152 00:11:12,035 --> 00:11:18,155 Speaker 1: he is his son's biological father. If that's what you're 153 00:11:18,195 --> 00:11:20,995 Speaker 1: going to do, the god of politics will not only 154 00:11:21,035 --> 00:11:25,755 Speaker 1: get you, but he will get everybody around you. As 155 00:11:25,875 --> 00:11:29,875 Speaker 1: soon as Gingrich announced he was going to quote resign 156 00:11:30,955 --> 00:11:34,835 Speaker 1: as Speaker, the chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, a 157 00:11:34,875 --> 00:11:38,075 Speaker 1: man named Bob Livingston of Louisiana stood up in front 158 00:11:38,115 --> 00:11:41,155 Speaker 1: of the Capitol and as his smiling wife held a 159 00:11:41,235 --> 00:11:44,955 Speaker 1: sign saying Bob for Speaker, and his one smiling kid 160 00:11:44,995 --> 00:11:47,475 Speaker 1: held a sign saying vote for Bob, and as his 161 00:11:47,555 --> 00:11:50,755 Speaker 1: other smiling kid held a sign saying my dad for Speaker, 162 00:11:51,355 --> 00:11:55,275 Speaker 1: Representative Livingston announced he had already rounded up enough support 163 00:11:55,315 --> 00:11:57,355 Speaker 1: from his House colleagues, and though he would be happy 164 00:11:57,395 --> 00:12:00,035 Speaker 1: to go through the actual vote, yes, he was already 165 00:12:00,075 --> 00:12:03,635 Speaker 1: Speaker elect, and the other would be candidates for Speaker 166 00:12:03,715 --> 00:12:08,635 Speaker 1: dropped out, and sure enough, there he was Speaker elect. Livingston. 167 00:12:08,995 --> 00:12:15,435 Speaker 1: Everything Gingrich was not bland solemn reassuring with big mid 168 00:12:15,555 --> 00:12:20,075 Speaker 1: nineties fish bowl eyeglasses and a happy family. And a 169 00:12:20,115 --> 00:12:23,195 Speaker 1: month later, during the final House debates on the impeachment 170 00:12:23,235 --> 00:12:27,595 Speaker 1: of that evil President Slimeball Clinton, the publisher of Hustler magazine, 171 00:12:27,675 --> 00:12:31,395 Speaker 1: Larry Flint revealed he was investigating four separate affairs that 172 00:12:31,435 --> 00:12:35,235 Speaker 1: Speaker elect Livingston had reportedly had, and already he had 173 00:12:35,275 --> 00:12:38,155 Speaker 1: one of the women on record. And on December nineteenth, 174 00:12:38,275 --> 00:12:41,075 Speaker 1: nineteen ninety eight, Speaker elect Livingston said, guess what, I'm 175 00:12:41,075 --> 00:12:43,915 Speaker 1: no longer a candidate for Speaker, and in fact, I'm 176 00:12:43,955 --> 00:12:47,075 Speaker 1: resigning from the House. And the next thing anybody heard 177 00:12:47,115 --> 00:12:50,875 Speaker 1: from Bob Livingston he was lobbying on behalf of a 178 00:12:51,075 --> 00:12:58,395 Speaker 1: free trade agreement between the United States and Morocco. So 179 00:12:58,595 --> 00:13:04,635 Speaker 1: at that point the scoreboard read Bill Clinton, two Speaker 180 00:13:05,075 --> 00:13:11,395 Speaker 1: of the House who impeached him. Nothing now, Kevin, if 181 00:13:11,435 --> 00:13:14,195 Speaker 1: you have not fled for Guatemala or somewhere by now, 182 00:13:14,275 --> 00:13:18,235 Speaker 1: let me note that wait, this little history lesson still 183 00:13:18,355 --> 00:13:22,475 Speaker 1: isn't over yet. Because with Gingrich gone and Livingston gone, 184 00:13:22,915 --> 00:13:26,395 Speaker 1: the only congressman who actually knew the House rules and 185 00:13:26,475 --> 00:13:31,075 Speaker 1: how to organize committees and do anything besides impeach people, 186 00:13:31,635 --> 00:13:36,755 Speaker 1: he became the new new Speaker, the chief Deputy whip, 187 00:13:37,035 --> 00:13:45,995 Speaker 1: the gentleman from Illinois, Dennis Hastert, child rapist, wrestling coach, 188 00:13:46,435 --> 00:13:50,835 Speaker 1: child rapist, and Republican Speaker of the House, the Right 189 00:13:51,035 --> 00:13:57,395 Speaker 1: Honorable rapist Dennist Hastart, and three Speakers of the House 190 00:13:57,435 --> 00:14:00,435 Speaker 1: after him. While he was in jail. They took down 191 00:14:00,555 --> 00:14:03,915 Speaker 1: Hastart's portrait from the gallery of paintings of the speakers, 192 00:14:04,435 --> 00:14:08,315 Speaker 1: and I believe they burned it. And they renamed the 193 00:14:08,475 --> 00:14:14,155 Speaker 1: Denny Haskert Yorkville, Illinois Wrestling Invitational. And last I heard, 194 00:14:14,155 --> 00:14:16,595 Speaker 1: he's eighty one years old and living in Aurora. But 195 00:14:17,875 --> 00:14:23,315 Speaker 1: Jack his room speaker McCarthy, maybe he went to Hell overnight. 196 00:14:24,915 --> 00:14:29,715 Speaker 1: And that's what you get when you Kevin McCarthy. This 197 00:14:32,595 --> 00:14:41,515 Speaker 1: Kevin McCarthy. Some other notes on this, and what are 198 00:14:41,515 --> 00:14:46,915 Speaker 1: we calling it again, Kevin McCarthy's illegal impeachment inquiry. Some 199 00:14:46,955 --> 00:14:50,155 Speaker 1: other notes on this. Jim Jordan, Hey, look, wrestling coaches, 200 00:14:50,155 --> 00:14:53,955 Speaker 1: that's a coincidence, Jim Jordan said, quote when you actually 201 00:14:53,995 --> 00:14:56,435 Speaker 1: have a resolution that the House votes on the courts, 202 00:14:56,515 --> 00:14:59,995 Speaker 1: understand the House is engaged in a fundamental constitutional activity, 203 00:15:00,155 --> 00:15:04,075 Speaker 1: the impeachment power. And if McCarthy's comments about needing an 204 00:15:04,115 --> 00:15:07,195 Speaker 1: impeachment vote seem old because they were from September first. 205 00:15:07,475 --> 00:15:12,355 Speaker 1: Jim Jordan made his comments Sunday night. Also the supposed 206 00:15:12,435 --> 00:15:16,475 Speaker 1: point of Kevin McCarthy's illegal impeachment inquiry to get the 207 00:15:16,555 --> 00:15:21,515 Speaker 1: quote bank records. Republicans subpoenaed the bank records on March 208 00:15:21,595 --> 00:15:24,475 Speaker 1: sixteenth and got them and released them, and they showed 209 00:15:24,475 --> 00:15:28,435 Speaker 1: nothing about Joe Biden. Nothing. And then they subpoened more 210 00:15:28,515 --> 00:15:30,955 Speaker 1: bank records on May tenth, and they showed nothing, and 211 00:15:31,195 --> 00:15:33,875 Speaker 1: more bank records on August ninth, and they showed nothing. 212 00:15:33,915 --> 00:15:36,675 Speaker 1: But go on, Kevin, keep digging, and go on. Media 213 00:15:36,915 --> 00:15:40,395 Speaker 1: keep reporting this as if it's something new. We have 214 00:15:40,515 --> 00:15:42,995 Speaker 1: the Google now in most newsrooms. You could just hit 215 00:15:43,115 --> 00:15:47,315 Speaker 1: search once in a while. And while McCarthy has disturbed 216 00:15:47,355 --> 00:15:51,195 Speaker 1: the spirits of ex speaker Gingrich and never speaker Livingstone 217 00:15:51,275 --> 00:15:54,955 Speaker 1: and child rapist speaker Hastard, this still is not enough 218 00:15:54,995 --> 00:16:00,035 Speaker 1: for the real power in his party, Matt Gates. Gates 219 00:16:00,155 --> 00:16:05,355 Speaker 1: seems intent on removing McCarthy, while McCarthy is tenth unimpeaching 220 00:16:05,435 --> 00:16:08,355 Speaker 1: Biden illegally, and the whole party is ready to shut 221 00:16:08,435 --> 00:16:11,595 Speaker 1: down the government in seventeen days. And if you're wondering 222 00:16:12,275 --> 00:16:15,435 Speaker 1: where's all the Republican Senate support for all this crap? 223 00:16:16,115 --> 00:16:20,955 Speaker 1: There isn't any. John Thune was blunt and unimpressed, quote, 224 00:16:21,115 --> 00:16:23,715 Speaker 1: I don't think it'd be advantageous if this thing went 225 00:16:23,795 --> 00:16:26,155 Speaker 1: further with all the other things we have to do. 226 00:16:26,915 --> 00:16:31,755 Speaker 1: Even Lindsey Graham said you have to have a vote 227 00:16:31,875 --> 00:16:34,635 Speaker 1: and a reminder, so did Trump's assistant attorney general? Did 228 00:16:34,635 --> 00:16:36,995 Speaker 1: I mention that the part about this being illegal? According 229 00:16:37,035 --> 00:16:41,875 Speaker 1: to Trump's assistant attorney, did I mention it? One GOP senator, 230 00:16:42,395 --> 00:16:47,035 Speaker 1: whom the newsletter The Hill Let's Speak anonymously went all in, 231 00:16:47,515 --> 00:16:50,475 Speaker 1: called it quote a waste of time, a fool's errand 232 00:16:51,155 --> 00:16:54,155 Speaker 1: fortunately it'll be dispensed with fairly quickly if they ever 233 00:16:54,195 --> 00:16:56,955 Speaker 1: send articles of impeachment over to us. Maybe this is 234 00:16:57,115 --> 00:17:03,275 Speaker 1: just Kevin giving people their binkie to get through the shutdown. 235 00:17:03,675 --> 00:17:06,555 Speaker 1: And there is one Republican congressman who says this is 236 00:17:06,595 --> 00:17:11,355 Speaker 1: also such cretinous nonsense. He is an unlikely candidate for 237 00:17:11,395 --> 00:17:14,355 Speaker 1: such insight, Ken Buck, the wild Man of Colorado, so 238 00:17:14,435 --> 00:17:19,835 Speaker 1: naturally the magas are planning to primary him. What all 239 00:17:19,915 --> 00:17:25,435 Speaker 1: this seriously adds up to illegal impeachment inquiry McCarthy contradicting 240 00:17:25,515 --> 00:17:28,875 Speaker 1: himself in a span of thirteen days, Republican senators referring 241 00:17:28,915 --> 00:17:34,315 Speaker 1: to Republican congressmen in their binkies, Trump's legal mastermind, the 242 00:17:34,355 --> 00:17:37,675 Speaker 1: one without a legal degree, Tom Fitten, pulling the strings 243 00:17:37,675 --> 00:17:40,875 Speaker 1: behind the scenes. Thank God for that. That's why this 244 00:17:40,955 --> 00:17:43,715 Speaker 1: is just a distraction. What this all adds up to 245 00:17:44,075 --> 00:17:50,675 Speaker 1: is a the acronym magamaga. Both of the a's stand 246 00:17:50,955 --> 00:17:57,955 Speaker 1: for assholes. Republican assholes, trumpest assholes as. I don't think 247 00:17:57,995 --> 00:18:01,075 Speaker 1: any Democrats should ever mention Kevin McCarthy again without referring 248 00:18:01,075 --> 00:18:04,955 Speaker 1: to McCarthy's illegal impeachment inquiry. I think all Democrats should 249 00:18:04,955 --> 00:18:08,435 Speaker 1: pull out the stops now. This is our democracy at 250 00:18:08,475 --> 00:18:11,315 Speaker 1: stake here, and I think every Democrat should call every 251 00:18:11,355 --> 00:18:17,315 Speaker 1: Republican every time assholes as the Republican asshole Party noted, 252 00:18:17,755 --> 00:18:21,355 Speaker 1: or Trumpest asshole as the head of the Republican asshole Party, 253 00:18:21,355 --> 00:18:27,395 Speaker 1: the asshole Trump noted because the Republican Party, I'm sorry, 254 00:18:27,555 --> 00:18:31,995 Speaker 1: the Republican asshole Party as the Republican asshole Party has 255 00:18:32,075 --> 00:18:37,075 Speaker 1: devolved into an organized crime family, maybe not that organized. 256 00:18:37,555 --> 00:18:40,435 Speaker 1: It deserves no more respect than any other crowd of 257 00:18:40,755 --> 00:18:45,915 Speaker 1: chiselers and insurrectionists and con men and felons would and 258 00:18:45,955 --> 00:18:49,955 Speaker 1: it would be nice, it would be responsible, It would 259 00:18:49,995 --> 00:18:54,155 Speaker 1: be patriotic if the news media would follow suit. And 260 00:18:54,395 --> 00:18:57,675 Speaker 1: you know, do what reporting is supposed to consist of, 261 00:18:58,275 --> 00:19:04,595 Speaker 1: see thing, determine what thing you are seeing is right? 262 00:19:04,995 --> 00:19:12,395 Speaker 1: Or broadcast description of thing. Let chips fall where they may. 263 00:19:13,355 --> 00:19:18,715 Speaker 1: They're assholes. I'm not holding my breath. Wall Street Journal 264 00:19:18,835 --> 00:19:24,555 Speaker 1: Sadie German Justice Department correspondent, pimping an article by one 265 00:19:24,595 --> 00:19:28,955 Speaker 1: of her colleagues. She pulled this quote. We've all declined, obviously, 266 00:19:28,995 --> 00:19:31,635 Speaker 1: but you can still be pretty sharp, said Earl Evans, 267 00:19:31,835 --> 00:19:34,435 Speaker 1: who already knew he was born the same day as 268 00:19:34,435 --> 00:19:37,675 Speaker 1: the president. When the reporter called what was the Wall 269 00:19:37,675 --> 00:19:41,995 Speaker 1: Street Journal article? The headline was quote, is Biden too 270 00:19:42,075 --> 00:19:45,115 Speaker 1: old to run again? We asked people born on his 271 00:19:45,275 --> 00:19:50,195 Speaker 1: exact birthday? How clever did you also do this? Other 272 00:19:50,195 --> 00:19:53,555 Speaker 1: one titled is Trump too mentally ill to realize that 273 00:19:53,595 --> 00:19:55,995 Speaker 1: if he started a nuclear war? He would die too? 274 00:19:56,355 --> 00:19:59,995 Speaker 1: We asked people who have his exact degree of dementia? 275 00:20:00,995 --> 00:20:06,075 Speaker 1: I don't think so. The comforting part about the media's 276 00:20:06,195 --> 00:20:10,515 Speaker 1: rosy colored nostalgia about but her emails and the hope 277 00:20:10,515 --> 00:20:13,835 Speaker 1: that it can squeeze either but his age or but 278 00:20:14,035 --> 00:20:17,955 Speaker 1: McCarthy impeached him into that same cubby hole this time around. 279 00:20:18,555 --> 00:20:22,035 Speaker 1: Is that when the fascists therefore, can seize power and 280 00:20:22,075 --> 00:20:25,235 Speaker 1: send the rest of us to prison camps because the 281 00:20:25,275 --> 00:20:28,355 Speaker 1: news reporters were too busy looking for false equivalencies with 282 00:20:28,395 --> 00:20:31,715 Speaker 1: which to both sides the world and get good guests 283 00:20:31,755 --> 00:20:35,235 Speaker 1: for meet the press. At least when we are all 284 00:20:35,355 --> 00:20:41,635 Speaker 1: behind that barbed wire, those surprised reporters and the rest 285 00:20:41,635 --> 00:20:44,395 Speaker 1: of us, there'll be enough journalists there to put out 286 00:20:44,395 --> 00:20:49,275 Speaker 1: a good camp newsletter which can have headlines like who 287 00:20:49,315 --> 00:20:53,955 Speaker 1: is the nicer prison guard, Bob Livingston or Newt Gingrich. 288 00:20:58,835 --> 00:21:02,555 Speaker 1: Two more stories here we have another fourteenth Amendment suit. 289 00:21:02,875 --> 00:21:06,315 Speaker 1: Voters in Minnesota going to the court. They're saying he 290 00:21:06,435 --> 00:21:09,435 Speaker 1: must be banned from the ballot. Quote. None of this 291 00:21:09,595 --> 00:21:12,995 Speaker 1: conduct was undertaken in performance of Trump's official duties, in 292 00:21:13,075 --> 00:21:16,555 Speaker 1: his official capacity or under color of his office. Rather, 293 00:21:16,675 --> 00:21:20,955 Speaker 1: Trump engaged in insurrections solely in his personal or campaign capacity. 294 00:21:21,035 --> 00:21:27,275 Speaker 1: Unquote two down, forty eight to go, Miss Kilgallon a 295 00:21:27,395 --> 00:21:29,635 Speaker 1: nine to eleven follow up, I didn't see this during 296 00:21:29,635 --> 00:21:33,155 Speaker 1: the day but Monday on nine to eleven. Marjorie Taylor 297 00:21:33,235 --> 00:21:37,115 Speaker 1: Green wrote on nine to eleven, if the Biden administration 298 00:21:37,235 --> 00:21:40,235 Speaker 1: refuses to stop the invasion of cartel led human and 299 00:21:40,315 --> 00:21:44,875 Speaker 1: drug trafficking into our country, states should consider seceding from 300 00:21:44,875 --> 00:21:49,795 Speaker 1: the Union unquote, on nine to eleven, a note to 301 00:21:49,835 --> 00:21:53,115 Speaker 1: miss Green, who is, as you know, a lawn ornament 302 00:21:53,155 --> 00:21:55,995 Speaker 1: that came to life and doused itself in tannings. Pray, 303 00:21:56,635 --> 00:21:59,835 Speaker 1: Miss Green, if you will see seed, I will carry 304 00:21:59,835 --> 00:22:02,275 Speaker 1: you anywhere in the world you want to go. I 305 00:22:02,315 --> 00:22:08,315 Speaker 1: will carry you on my back. And yesterday who had 306 00:22:08,315 --> 00:22:11,275 Speaker 1: to whine about nine to eleven, about the nine to 307 00:22:11,275 --> 00:22:16,955 Speaker 1: eleven ceremony, and the importance of nine to eleven, the 308 00:22:16,995 --> 00:22:18,875 Speaker 1: real meaning of nine to eleven, which is, of course 309 00:22:18,995 --> 00:22:22,635 Speaker 1: who gets to speak first? Who had to whine about it? 310 00:22:22,835 --> 00:22:26,995 Speaker 1: The man whose presidential aspirations were ended the day Joe 311 00:22:26,995 --> 00:22:32,075 Speaker 1: Biden reduced him from America's mayor to his rightful place 312 00:22:32,075 --> 00:22:35,795 Speaker 1: in our history. As Joe described, every sentence this idiot 313 00:22:35,835 --> 00:22:40,235 Speaker 1: has uttered since that day a noun, a verb. And 314 00:22:40,395 --> 00:22:43,635 Speaker 1: nine to eleven, Tom von Essen, Bernie and I almost 315 00:22:43,715 --> 00:22:46,795 Speaker 1: lost our lives. We never made much of that because 316 00:22:46,795 --> 00:22:49,395 Speaker 1: we're not that kind of people. But I have a 317 00:22:49,395 --> 00:22:52,755 Speaker 1: big claim. On September eleven, I almost died there, Governor attack. 318 00:22:52,835 --> 00:22:54,755 Speaker 1: He thought I was dead. He has a document to 319 00:22:54,795 --> 00:22:58,955 Speaker 1: that effect. He thought Bernie was dead. Rudy, you kept 320 00:22:58,995 --> 00:23:02,275 Speaker 1: that secret all that time for some reason, I doubt 321 00:23:02,315 --> 00:23:12,675 Speaker 1: that you almost died. Well, thanks for trying. Well, you know, 322 00:23:12,795 --> 00:23:16,555 Speaker 1: all this talk of Rudy and Newt and impeachment, Kevin 323 00:23:16,595 --> 00:23:19,915 Speaker 1: McCarthy's illegal impeachment inquiry, that is, this has got me 324 00:23:20,115 --> 00:23:23,635 Speaker 1: all nostalgic for nineteen ninety eight and the week I 325 00:23:23,715 --> 00:23:26,555 Speaker 1: went from Hey you, why haven't I seen you on 326 00:23:26,595 --> 00:23:30,715 Speaker 1: SportsCenter lately? To Good Evening, I'm anchoring the State of 327 00:23:30,755 --> 00:23:35,355 Speaker 1: the Union address coverage. How to succeed in political broadcasting 328 00:23:35,395 --> 00:23:40,915 Speaker 1: without really trying. That's next. This is Countdown. This is 329 00:23:41,035 --> 00:23:48,955 Speaker 1: Countdown with Keith Oberman. Now to the number one story 330 00:23:48,995 --> 00:23:51,235 Speaker 1: on the Countdown and things I promised not to tell 331 00:23:51,275 --> 00:23:56,075 Speaker 1: and the State of the Union nineteen ninety eight. When 332 00:23:56,115 --> 00:23:59,515 Speaker 1: I left ESPN and signed with MSNBC the first time 333 00:23:59,515 --> 00:24:01,555 Speaker 1: in nineteen ninety seven, it was not to become a 334 00:24:01,595 --> 00:24:05,155 Speaker 1: political commentator nor even anchor. I went there to do 335 00:24:05,235 --> 00:24:09,995 Speaker 1: with the President of NBC News America needed most a live, 336 00:24:10,275 --> 00:24:14,635 Speaker 1: hour long news magazine show from Secaucus, New Jersey, so 337 00:24:14,995 --> 00:24:18,675 Speaker 1: unfocused that on consecutive nights we led with the threat 338 00:24:18,715 --> 00:24:21,595 Speaker 1: of a terrorist group called al Qaeda, and then the 339 00:24:21,635 --> 00:24:26,035 Speaker 1: next night we led with the publication of the Farmers Almanac. 340 00:24:27,235 --> 00:24:30,275 Speaker 1: I mean, this was the news at eight pm, the 341 00:24:30,355 --> 00:24:34,355 Speaker 1: lead story that published the Farmers Almanac. Again, here's our 342 00:24:34,475 --> 00:24:38,115 Speaker 1: live guest, the publisher. Here's a going to rain next year. 343 00:24:39,595 --> 00:24:45,795 Speaker 1: I had regrets. Anyway, the good part of the job 344 00:24:45,875 --> 00:24:48,635 Speaker 1: was sports. I hosted baseball in the World Series and 345 00:24:48,755 --> 00:24:51,235 Speaker 1: even did some Super Bowl stuff for NBC, And in 346 00:24:51,315 --> 00:24:53,675 Speaker 1: mid January of nineteen ninety eight, I flew to the 347 00:24:53,715 --> 00:24:57,595 Speaker 1: West Coast to work on that and do this magazine show, 348 00:24:57,715 --> 00:25:02,275 Speaker 1: the Big Show on MSNBC from entertainment venues in La, 349 00:25:02,315 --> 00:25:06,155 Speaker 1: most of them associated with NBC. On the afternoon of Tuesday, 350 00:25:06,235 --> 00:25:08,715 Speaker 1: January twentieth, nineteen ninety eight, we were on the set 351 00:25:08,715 --> 00:25:11,715 Speaker 1: of Third Rock from the Sun preparing to interview at 352 00:25:11,715 --> 00:25:16,955 Speaker 1: Star John Lithgow when my producer Phil Griffins sidled over, you, 353 00:25:17,195 --> 00:25:19,555 Speaker 1: my little friend, are about to become a political host. 354 00:25:19,835 --> 00:25:24,635 Speaker 1: The President got caught with some chippy in the White House, Chippy, 355 00:25:25,555 --> 00:25:30,555 Speaker 1: Oh not sex. Sex looks like just you know. And 356 00:25:30,595 --> 00:25:33,395 Speaker 1: then he lied about it in the deposition Saturday. I 357 00:25:33,395 --> 00:25:35,115 Speaker 1: asked him how in the hell anybody knew about what 358 00:25:35,155 --> 00:25:37,635 Speaker 1: the deposition said when it was just four days after 359 00:25:37,675 --> 00:25:39,915 Speaker 1: he gave the deposition, and those things are supposed to 360 00:25:39,915 --> 00:25:42,955 Speaker 1: be you know, secret. Beat me. Drudge put it out 361 00:25:43,035 --> 00:25:46,235 Speaker 1: yesterday and I asked him if credible news organizations like 362 00:25:46,315 --> 00:25:50,075 Speaker 1: NBC were actually quoting an internet guy best known for 363 00:25:50,195 --> 00:25:54,875 Speaker 1: his hat about what was a potentially impeachable offense. A 364 00:25:54,915 --> 00:25:57,595 Speaker 1: lot of people were close on this story, Griffin said, 365 00:25:57,755 --> 00:26:00,635 Speaker 1: we were close. Lisa Myers almost had it Sunday night. 366 00:26:01,355 --> 00:26:04,115 Speaker 1: Newsweek finally put out a more detailed version about ninety 367 00:26:04,155 --> 00:26:07,115 Speaker 1: minutes ago. It was their scoop. Judge just stole it 368 00:26:07,155 --> 00:26:09,355 Speaker 1: from them. I think it was Isakov who wrote it. 369 00:26:09,595 --> 00:26:11,595 Speaker 1: You'll have to interview Tim Russer to lead the show. 370 00:26:11,675 --> 00:26:13,675 Speaker 1: The president may resign. We'll do it from right here. 371 00:26:16,395 --> 00:26:18,115 Speaker 1: Back that up. What was that you said, we'll do 372 00:26:18,155 --> 00:26:20,795 Speaker 1: it from right here, No part about the president resigning. 373 00:26:20,915 --> 00:26:25,155 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, the president might resign. Thus, half an hour later, 374 00:26:25,635 --> 00:26:28,395 Speaker 1: I was hooked up by satellite with Tim Russert from 375 00:26:28,435 --> 00:26:31,835 Speaker 1: the Washington Bureau. Listening to him outline the possibilities that 376 00:26:31,875 --> 00:26:36,595 Speaker 1: the president might resign before sunrise, I nodded with as 377 00:26:36,675 --> 00:26:40,115 Speaker 1: much gravitas as I could fake, despite the elements of 378 00:26:40,195 --> 00:26:43,155 Speaker 1: farce that were apparently obvious only to me in the 379 00:26:43,195 --> 00:26:46,435 Speaker 1: story and in where I was seated. In the background 380 00:26:46,515 --> 00:26:49,195 Speaker 1: of my close up stood the refrigerator from the kitchen 381 00:26:49,275 --> 00:26:51,995 Speaker 1: set of Lithgo's show Third Rock from the Sun, and 382 00:26:52,115 --> 00:26:55,915 Speaker 1: on the refrigerator complete with its decorative magnets speaking their 383 00:26:55,995 --> 00:27:00,275 Speaker 1: silent and suddenly completely hip gag. The magnets were a 384 00:27:00,395 --> 00:27:05,755 Speaker 1: banana surrounded on either side by a strawberry. Phil I 385 00:27:05,795 --> 00:27:07,835 Speaker 1: said to Phil as we tried to plan a smooth 386 00:27:07,915 --> 00:27:11,155 Speaker 1: transition from that taped Russert interview about the possible impeachment 387 00:27:11,195 --> 00:27:13,875 Speaker 1: and resignation of the president to a taped interview with 388 00:27:13,955 --> 00:27:17,235 Speaker 1: John Lithgow, and then back to the live speculations of 389 00:27:17,275 --> 00:27:19,155 Speaker 1: a couple of political writers for the rest of the hour. 390 00:27:19,915 --> 00:27:22,235 Speaker 1: We're not going to have to do this every day, 391 00:27:22,595 --> 00:27:25,595 Speaker 1: are we, Griffin laughed, of course not, what do you 392 00:27:25,635 --> 00:27:28,235 Speaker 1: think this is the end of the world. He was right. 393 00:27:28,595 --> 00:27:30,715 Speaker 1: We did not do it every day. We did it 394 00:27:30,755 --> 00:27:34,995 Speaker 1: for two hundred and eighteen consecutive shows. Starting that night 395 00:27:36,115 --> 00:27:38,915 Speaker 1: with the Banana and the Strawberry Magnets over my shoulder, 396 00:27:39,475 --> 00:27:45,275 Speaker 1: our ratings kept doubling. Following Tuesday, my thirty eighth birthday, 397 00:27:45,555 --> 00:27:48,035 Speaker 1: I was back in New York hosting a roundtable of 398 00:27:48,075 --> 00:27:50,715 Speaker 1: political heavyweights in the hour leading up to Bill Clinton 399 00:27:50,795 --> 00:27:53,795 Speaker 1: State of the Union address. That night, Andy Lack of 400 00:27:53,875 --> 00:27:56,315 Speaker 1: NBC News and Phil Griffin had decided that I should 401 00:27:56,315 --> 00:28:00,835 Speaker 1: host a second live report once the NBC Network guys Russert, 402 00:28:00,915 --> 00:28:04,355 Speaker 1: Tom Brokaw, couple of others had wrapped up their analysis, 403 00:28:04,395 --> 00:28:07,275 Speaker 1: which we were also carrying on MSNBC, so I would 404 00:28:07,315 --> 00:28:11,035 Speaker 1: come on at eleven o'clock after Brokaw and russered two hours. 405 00:28:11,035 --> 00:28:14,835 Speaker 1: My little friend, this is our nightline. I was doing 406 00:28:14,835 --> 00:28:16,915 Speaker 1: my best to keep a straight face when during a 407 00:28:16,915 --> 00:28:20,435 Speaker 1: commercial break at maybe eleven forty five, maybe midnight, halfway 408 00:28:20,475 --> 00:28:23,795 Speaker 1: through my wrap up show, Griffin materialized next to my 409 00:28:23,875 --> 00:28:28,035 Speaker 1: anchor desk. He had this stunned but not unhappy look, 410 00:28:28,995 --> 00:28:30,635 Speaker 1: like when he used to smoke a lot of dope 411 00:28:30,675 --> 00:28:33,355 Speaker 1: when we worked together in the eighties. We have the 412 00:28:33,395 --> 00:28:36,315 Speaker 1: preliminary ratings, My little friend, I hope you're sitting down. 413 00:28:37,075 --> 00:28:41,035 Speaker 1: I pointed at myself seated in the chair. The pregame 414 00:28:41,075 --> 00:28:44,835 Speaker 1: show that did a one point one. Our average rating 415 00:28:45,155 --> 00:28:48,195 Speaker 1: at MSNBC before this presidential stuff came up had been 416 00:28:48,235 --> 00:28:51,595 Speaker 1: an zero point three. This was now four times the 417 00:28:51,635 --> 00:28:54,555 Speaker 1: previous ratings. In the past week, it had surged to 418 00:28:54,635 --> 00:28:57,555 Speaker 1: an zero point six, and Griffin had insisted to me 419 00:28:57,595 --> 00:29:00,115 Speaker 1: that Andy Lack was so happy he had wet his pants. 420 00:29:00,515 --> 00:29:02,715 Speaker 1: But this is the kicker here, buddy. We had the 421 00:29:02,755 --> 00:29:06,675 Speaker 1: immediate since the President finally stopped talking, speech did an eight. 422 00:29:07,195 --> 00:29:10,675 Speaker 1: Broke on Russer, the wrap up did an six. Since 423 00:29:10,715 --> 00:29:14,195 Speaker 1: eleven o'clock, you've been doing a one point seven. You 424 00:29:14,275 --> 00:29:17,355 Speaker 1: have had three times the audience of Tom Brokaw, three 425 00:29:17,395 --> 00:29:20,515 Speaker 1: times the audience of the old man himself. This isn't 426 00:29:20,515 --> 00:29:23,155 Speaker 1: just people crossing over from NBC to watch more. This 427 00:29:23,195 --> 00:29:26,155 Speaker 1: is people watching the speech, turning off the old man, 428 00:29:26,475 --> 00:29:30,995 Speaker 1: then turning back at eleven to watch you. I tried 429 00:29:30,995 --> 00:29:34,195 Speaker 1: to assimilate what he was telling me. For the first 430 00:29:34,195 --> 00:29:38,275 Speaker 1: time in my life, my ego refused to cooperate. The 431 00:29:38,315 --> 00:29:40,915 Speaker 1: stage manager barked his queue of thirty seconds until the 432 00:29:40,995 --> 00:29:43,355 Speaker 1: end of the commercial break. Phil Griffin shook my hand. 433 00:29:43,515 --> 00:29:45,715 Speaker 1: Oh and by the way, that thing you said at 434 00:29:45,715 --> 00:29:47,435 Speaker 1: the start of the hour about it, it was as 435 00:29:47,435 --> 00:29:49,555 Speaker 1: if the Intern had opened the door to the chamber 436 00:29:49,595 --> 00:29:52,395 Speaker 1: and said, mister speaker, the President of the United States. 437 00:29:53,395 --> 00:29:58,035 Speaker 1: That's already included in the Associated Press story one point seven, 438 00:29:58,115 --> 00:30:00,995 Speaker 1: my little friend, don't f it up. Actually, you can't 439 00:30:01,075 --> 00:30:02,875 Speaker 1: f it up. We're in for the long haul. Now 440 00:30:03,035 --> 00:30:08,595 Speaker 1: revel in it me quoted about the Clinton Lewinsky story 441 00:30:08,995 --> 00:30:11,435 Speaker 1: in the main coverage of the State of the Union 442 00:30:11,435 --> 00:30:15,875 Speaker 1: address on the Associated Press wire. Eight months after I 443 00:30:15,915 --> 00:30:20,035 Speaker 1: stopped giving the scores of the Greater Stuttgart Invitational tennis 444 00:30:20,075 --> 00:30:25,595 Speaker 1: tournament on ESPN, I had this sudden, horrible feeling that 445 00:30:25,635 --> 00:30:29,395 Speaker 1: the usually slow to decide American viewing public had instantly 446 00:30:29,435 --> 00:30:33,715 Speaker 1: concluded that, for some reason elusive even to me, they 447 00:30:33,835 --> 00:30:38,035 Speaker 1: really like to hear me talk about the whereabouts of 448 00:30:38,155 --> 00:30:42,675 Speaker 1: the president's penis. If I could have figured out how 449 00:30:42,715 --> 00:30:45,275 Speaker 1: to f up the rest of the hour, I would 450 00:30:45,315 --> 00:30:49,115 Speaker 1: have done it right then. I didn't. The next day 451 00:30:49,155 --> 00:30:51,795 Speaker 1: it got worse. The ratings were so great last night, buddy, 452 00:30:51,795 --> 00:30:53,755 Speaker 1: they want us to go live every night at eight 453 00:30:53,795 --> 00:30:56,915 Speaker 1: and eleven only about the President. The eleven is going 454 00:30:56,955 --> 00:30:59,675 Speaker 1: to be called crisis in Washington. Finally we get what 455 00:30:59,715 --> 00:31:03,235 Speaker 1: we want. Phil Griffin was dancing around, it'll be our nightline. 456 00:31:04,995 --> 00:31:08,435 Speaker 1: Since joining MSNBC, I had not taken any time off, 457 00:31:08,475 --> 00:31:11,235 Speaker 1: and I actually had a vacation booked in Hawaii the 458 00:31:11,275 --> 00:31:15,275 Speaker 1: next week with a young lady. Uh yeah, about that. 459 00:31:16,155 --> 00:31:19,715 Speaker 1: Phil finally announced, well, that's what we have to talk about, Keith. 460 00:31:19,715 --> 00:31:21,275 Speaker 1: They want you to commit to this for at least 461 00:31:21,275 --> 00:31:25,595 Speaker 1: six weeks, so it's this or Hawaii. I explained Hawaii 462 00:31:25,635 --> 00:31:29,195 Speaker 1: to Phil. Lack said he'd probably pay for you to 463 00:31:29,235 --> 00:31:32,635 Speaker 1: go do that whenever this is over. I said, in 464 00:31:32,675 --> 00:31:35,315 Speaker 1: my opinion, that probably would not be good enough, and 465 00:31:35,355 --> 00:31:37,795 Speaker 1: Griffin said neither did he, but that it was just 466 00:31:37,835 --> 00:31:41,675 Speaker 1: for openers, and Lack told him that I could have 467 00:31:41,835 --> 00:31:45,435 Speaker 1: three wishes and I could anchor NBC Nightly News at 468 00:31:45,515 --> 00:31:47,595 Speaker 1: least on the weekends and a couple of times during 469 00:31:47,595 --> 00:31:51,155 Speaker 1: the week. Just personally, I'd recommend you do it. I 470 00:31:51,195 --> 00:31:53,035 Speaker 1: got the impression that the show's going to happen whether 471 00:31:53,075 --> 00:31:55,555 Speaker 1: we agree to it or not, Griffin said. He mentioned 472 00:31:55,555 --> 00:31:58,635 Speaker 1: something about Brian Williams or maybe John Gibson being poor 473 00:31:58,675 --> 00:32:03,915 Speaker 1: second choices, but viable ones. He said, viable ones. I 474 00:32:03,955 --> 00:32:07,115 Speaker 1: told Phil I had calls to make. Griffin suggested Lack 475 00:32:07,235 --> 00:32:09,875 Speaker 1: needed a decision within the hour, that he wanted white 476 00:32:09,915 --> 00:32:13,995 Speaker 1: House and Crisis on the air that night. Wait, that 477 00:32:14,075 --> 00:32:16,515 Speaker 1: didn't sound like what he'd called it before, Phil, Is 478 00:32:16,555 --> 00:32:21,315 Speaker 1: it white House in crisis or crisis in Washington? Phil 479 00:32:21,355 --> 00:32:24,075 Speaker 1: Griffin seemed introspective for a moment then and got in 480 00:32:24,155 --> 00:32:28,475 Speaker 1: touch with the news executive within what's the difference, It's 481 00:32:28,515 --> 00:32:32,795 Speaker 1: going to be our nightline? I almost suggested to him 482 00:32:32,795 --> 00:32:36,475 Speaker 1: that that should be the title MSNBC presents, It's going 483 00:32:36,515 --> 00:32:41,715 Speaker 1: to be our nightline. On and on. This went for 484 00:32:41,875 --> 00:32:46,075 Speaker 1: weeks four months. I mocked the story. The ratings went up. 485 00:32:46,595 --> 00:32:49,155 Speaker 1: I tried to quit the show. The ratings went up. 486 00:32:49,715 --> 00:32:52,795 Speaker 1: I gave a speech insulting the network for covering the story. 487 00:32:52,835 --> 00:32:56,435 Speaker 1: Twenty four to seven. The ratings went up. Fox Sports 488 00:32:56,475 --> 00:32:59,275 Speaker 1: approached me and offered me five times when NBC was 489 00:32:59,315 --> 00:33:01,635 Speaker 1: paying me to go out to LA to do their 490 00:33:01,675 --> 00:33:05,155 Speaker 1: sportscast LA, which was kind of near Hawaii, nowhere near 491 00:33:05,155 --> 00:33:10,115 Speaker 1: the Clinton Lewinski story. And the ratings went up, and 492 00:33:10,235 --> 00:33:12,195 Speaker 1: I was debating all this and the fact that I 493 00:33:12,235 --> 00:33:14,155 Speaker 1: had a contract, and I had agreed to do it. 494 00:33:14,195 --> 00:33:16,275 Speaker 1: And then one night in early spring, I got home 495 00:33:16,315 --> 00:33:18,675 Speaker 1: after another night of this crap, I put my feet up. 496 00:33:18,715 --> 00:33:21,675 Speaker 1: I was half watching something on NBC while really just 497 00:33:21,755 --> 00:33:24,275 Speaker 1: staring off into the distance, wondering what I had done 498 00:33:24,315 --> 00:33:27,475 Speaker 1: to deserve this, mulling my own future, when the snare 499 00:33:27,595 --> 00:33:30,995 Speaker 1: drum and the violent string section of an NBC news 500 00:33:31,075 --> 00:33:35,475 Speaker 1: promo interrupted me. Wednesday, on a very special edition of Nightline, 501 00:33:35,795 --> 00:33:39,835 Speaker 1: Jane Paully and the former Miss America there she was 502 00:33:39,875 --> 00:33:43,515 Speaker 1: for a second, had tilted her look grave, journalistic, even scholarly. 503 00:33:43,835 --> 00:33:47,875 Speaker 1: Jane Paully, the ten year host of NBC's landmark Today Show, 504 00:33:48,155 --> 00:33:50,355 Speaker 1: the one who had then switched to primetime because the 505 00:33:50,475 --> 00:33:53,795 Speaker 1: journalism had slowly ebbed out of morning television and she 506 00:33:53,835 --> 00:33:56,115 Speaker 1: couldn't do it anymore. She was sitting there in a 507 00:33:56,155 --> 00:33:59,355 Speaker 1: two shot with a Miss America from too many Miss 508 00:33:59,355 --> 00:34:03,915 Speaker 1: Americas ago, the former brunette, former redhead, now former blonde 509 00:34:03,915 --> 00:34:07,515 Speaker 1: who's jet black made her look a little frightening. Why 510 00:34:07,555 --> 00:34:10,595 Speaker 1: the hell was Jane Pauli interviewing her on the signature, 511 00:34:10,955 --> 00:34:15,235 Speaker 1: albeit superficial NBC thrice weekly magazine show Nightline. No less 512 00:34:15,275 --> 00:34:19,195 Speaker 1: well in a split second, the promo gave me my answer, Jane, 513 00:34:19,715 --> 00:34:22,235 Speaker 1: did you have sex with the President of the United States? 514 00:34:22,515 --> 00:34:26,675 Speaker 1: Ex Miss America, Yes, Yes, I did. Announcer that's Wednesday 515 00:34:26,715 --> 00:34:29,155 Speaker 1: on a very special edition to Nightline only on NBC 516 00:34:29,315 --> 00:34:35,795 Speaker 1: America's news source. With genuine terror, I screamed, I shouted 517 00:34:35,835 --> 00:34:39,235 Speaker 1: aloud to no one check please, and I called my 518 00:34:39,315 --> 00:35:04,515 Speaker 1: agent to talk about Fox. I've done all the damage 519 00:35:04,515 --> 00:35:06,755 Speaker 1: I can do here. Thank you for listening. Countdown has 520 00:35:06,755 --> 00:35:08,555 Speaker 1: come to you from our studios high on top the 521 00:35:08,555 --> 00:35:12,795 Speaker 1: Sports Capsule Building in New York. The credits most of 522 00:35:12,835 --> 00:35:15,275 Speaker 1: the music arranged, produced and performed by Brian Ray and 523 00:35:15,315 --> 00:35:18,915 Speaker 1: John Phillip Shanel. The Countdown musical directors. All orchestration and 524 00:35:18,995 --> 00:35:22,035 Speaker 1: keyboards by John Phillip Shanelle. Guitars, bass and drums by 525 00:35:22,035 --> 00:35:26,155 Speaker 1: Brian Ray, produced by Tko Brothers. Other Beethoven selections have 526 00:35:26,195 --> 00:35:28,835 Speaker 1: been arranged and performed by the group No Horns Allowed. 527 00:35:29,475 --> 00:35:34,115 Speaker 1: Sports music is the Olberman theme from ESPN two How's 528 00:35:34,155 --> 00:35:37,555 Speaker 1: Aaron Rodgers By the Way. It was written by Mitch 529 00:35:37,635 --> 00:35:42,115 Speaker 1: Warren Davis courtesy of ESPN, Inc. Musical comments by Nancy Fauss. 530 00:35:42,115 --> 00:35:45,035 Speaker 1: The best Baseball Stadium organist. Ever, our announcer today was 531 00:35:45,075 --> 00:35:47,995 Speaker 1: by friend Stevie van Zant. Everything else was pretty much 532 00:35:48,035 --> 00:35:54,355 Speaker 1: my fault. Very sad another sudden Achilles injury caused by 533 00:35:54,755 --> 00:35:57,875 Speaker 1: lack of vaccination. That's countdown for this the nine hundred 534 00:35:57,915 --> 00:36:01,115 Speaker 1: and eighty first day since Donald Trump's first attempted coup 535 00:36:01,115 --> 00:36:04,475 Speaker 1: against the democratically elected government of the United States. Convict 536 00:36:04,515 --> 00:36:08,955 Speaker 1: him now well, we still can. The next scheduled countdown 537 00:36:09,075 --> 00:36:11,915 Speaker 1: is tomorrow. Bulletins, as the news warrants, and as my 538 00:36:11,995 --> 00:36:15,955 Speaker 1: throat permits till then, I'm Keith olroon See I can't 539 00:36:15,955 --> 00:36:18,355 Speaker 1: even say my own name now, so then I'm loving 540 00:36:19,715 --> 00:36:39,675 Speaker 1: am Urca, Good morning, afternoon, CALLI Hello Aileen. Countdown with 541 00:36:39,795 --> 00:36:44,115 Speaker 1: Keith Olderman is a production of iHeartRadio. For more podcasts 542 00:36:44,115 --> 00:36:48,835 Speaker 1: from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever 543 00:36:48,915 --> 00:36:50,235 Speaker 1: you get your podcasts.