1 00:00:04,795 --> 00:00:21,195 Speaker 1: Countdown with Keith Olderman is a production of iHeartRadio. So 2 00:00:21,275 --> 00:00:27,235 Speaker 1: apparently this is the twelve Days of Trump mus forget 3 00:00:27,355 --> 00:00:31,675 Speaker 1: Stormy Daniels for the time being, concentrated instead on Beryl Howell. 4 00:00:32,355 --> 00:00:36,875 Speaker 1: Until last Friday, Beryl Howell was the judge supervising special 5 00:00:36,875 --> 00:00:40,195 Speaker 1: counsel Jack Smith's grand jury, and sources who have seen 6 00:00:40,275 --> 00:00:44,195 Speaker 1: the document in question say she wrote, of prima facie 7 00:00:44,275 --> 00:00:49,315 Speaker 1: evidence quote that the former president had committed criminal violations 8 00:00:49,875 --> 00:00:52,715 Speaker 1: and that the records Trump's lawyers now had to hand 9 00:00:52,755 --> 00:00:57,715 Speaker 1: over despite attorney client privilege pertained to Trump's quote criminal 10 00:00:58,275 --> 00:01:03,595 Speaker 1: scheme unquote. Those are phrases that wind up in indictments. 11 00:01:03,955 --> 00:01:07,315 Speaker 1: We do not know what timetable Jack Smith is working on, 12 00:01:07,755 --> 00:01:10,835 Speaker 1: nor whether he would finish the investigation of every Trump 13 00:01:10,915 --> 00:01:15,115 Speaker 1: potential crime first and then and only then indict on 14 00:01:15,195 --> 00:01:18,395 Speaker 1: any of them. But Trump might still be on trial 15 00:01:18,515 --> 00:01:23,075 Speaker 1: because of Beryl Howell, long before he's on trial because 16 00:01:23,115 --> 00:01:26,075 Speaker 1: of Stormy Daniels, and obviously it would be for much 17 00:01:26,155 --> 00:01:31,275 Speaker 1: higher stakes. There is a second revelation nearly as telling, 18 00:01:31,435 --> 00:01:35,675 Speaker 1: hiding behind Judge Howell's use of the phrases criminal violations 19 00:01:35,715 --> 00:01:40,155 Speaker 1: and criminal scheme. It's not just the judge's phrasing that matters. 20 00:01:40,355 --> 00:01:43,155 Speaker 1: It's that she needed to assess whether the violations and 21 00:01:43,195 --> 00:01:47,195 Speaker 1: the scheme were criminal, because clearly the Special Counsel was 22 00:01:47,235 --> 00:01:50,595 Speaker 1: trying to convince her that they were criminal. This is 23 00:01:50,635 --> 00:01:53,235 Speaker 1: all part of a story broken last night by ABC 24 00:01:53,435 --> 00:01:56,675 Speaker 1: News that understandably got buried behind the circus here in 25 00:01:56,715 --> 00:02:00,835 Speaker 1: New York and the one at Marilago and the continuing, unrelenting, 26 00:02:00,995 --> 00:02:06,835 Speaker 1: spiraling cyclone of panic inside the Trump cult. Quote. Prosecutors 27 00:02:06,835 --> 00:02:10,555 Speaker 1: in the Special Counsel's office have presented compelling preliminary evidence 28 00:02:10,755 --> 00:02:16,275 Speaker 1: that Trump knowingly and deliberately misled his own attorneys about 29 00:02:16,355 --> 00:02:20,155 Speaker 1: his retention of classified materials. That's the beginning of the 30 00:02:20,235 --> 00:02:24,475 Speaker 1: ABC News report. And clearly the judge did not say that, 31 00:02:24,635 --> 00:02:27,435 Speaker 1: only to have Jack Smith then say, why, well, that 32 00:02:27,635 --> 00:02:30,635 Speaker 1: wasn't my intent. I don't think it was criminal. That 33 00:02:30,795 --> 00:02:35,075 Speaker 1: point is underscored again later. Quote. Howell also ordered Corkran 34 00:02:35,155 --> 00:02:37,395 Speaker 1: to hand over a number of records tied to what 35 00:02:37,475 --> 00:02:46,235 Speaker 1: Howe described as Trump's alleged criminal scheme. Echoing prosecutors, one 36 00:02:46,835 --> 00:02:50,555 Speaker 1: would think it would be obvious that a special counsel 37 00:02:50,875 --> 00:02:55,355 Speaker 1: investigating criminality or potential criminality by a former president. Would 38 00:02:55,835 --> 00:03:00,315 Speaker 1: you believe the former president was guilty of criminality? That 39 00:03:00,315 --> 00:03:03,355 Speaker 1: that would be a given going in, But after Bob Muller, 40 00:03:03,355 --> 00:03:08,675 Speaker 1: who knows anymore? This story kind of eliminates the margin 41 00:03:08,715 --> 00:03:12,755 Speaker 1: of doubt. I am grateful to this story. It is 42 00:03:12,795 --> 00:03:15,915 Speaker 1: not as much fun nor as visceral as contemplating a 43 00:03:15,915 --> 00:03:19,995 Speaker 1: Trump mug shot taken by the Boudoir photographers from the 44 00:03:20,035 --> 00:03:23,315 Speaker 1: Manhattan District Attorney's office and then printed on the front 45 00:03:23,315 --> 00:03:26,795 Speaker 1: page of every newspaper in the world, but it's way 46 00:03:26,835 --> 00:03:29,755 Speaker 1: more important. There are caveats in the rest of the 47 00:03:29,795 --> 00:03:33,395 Speaker 1: ABC story. It is sourced to begin with the details 48 00:03:33,435 --> 00:03:35,915 Speaker 1: of the document in which Judge Howell wrote, all this 49 00:03:36,395 --> 00:03:40,715 Speaker 1: come courtesy quote sources who described its contents to ABC News, 50 00:03:41,635 --> 00:03:44,795 Speaker 1: and prima facie is still the lowest of three standards 51 00:03:44,795 --> 00:03:48,235 Speaker 1: of evidence. As ABC writes, how agreed, prosecutors made a 52 00:03:48,235 --> 00:03:51,795 Speaker 1: sufficient showing that, on its face would appear to show 53 00:03:51,795 --> 00:03:54,955 Speaker 1: Trump committed crimes. The judge made it clear that prosecutors 54 00:03:54,995 --> 00:03:57,435 Speaker 1: would still need to meet a higher standard of evidence 55 00:03:57,475 --> 00:04:00,875 Speaker 1: in order to seek charges against Trump, and more still, 56 00:04:00,955 --> 00:04:05,475 Speaker 1: to prove his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Unquote, there 57 00:04:05,595 --> 00:04:10,835 Speaker 1: is one other detail, the sealed filing that somebody described 58 00:04:10,875 --> 00:04:15,235 Speaker 1: to ABC News instructed Trump attorney Evan Corkran to testify 59 00:04:15,435 --> 00:04:20,515 Speaker 1: on six separate lines of inquiry about which Judge Howell 60 00:04:20,595 --> 00:04:24,435 Speaker 1: says attorney client privilege no longer applies and the quote 61 00:04:24,475 --> 00:04:27,235 Speaker 1: records on quote Corkran must hand over to the Special 62 00:04:27,235 --> 00:04:35,515 Speaker 1: Council's office include handwritten notes, invoices, and transcriptions of personal 63 00:04:35,995 --> 00:04:44,475 Speaker 1: audio recordings unquote, Lordie, Lordie. There are tapes. There is 64 00:04:44,515 --> 00:04:48,315 Speaker 1: also dramatic courtroom news from Fox and Dominion and this 65 00:04:48,475 --> 00:04:52,955 Speaker 1: Maria Bardaromo Tucker Carlson booking producer who Monday night revealed 66 00:04:52,995 --> 00:04:57,635 Speaker 1: anti semitism and misogyny at a Tucker Carlson office debate 67 00:04:57,675 --> 00:05:01,795 Speaker 1: over the fability of the respective candidates for governor of Michigan. 68 00:05:01,995 --> 00:05:06,035 Speaker 1: But let's finish up Trump first. Most of the screams 69 00:05:06,115 --> 00:05:09,235 Speaker 1: of rage and terror from his supporters, alike those of 70 00:05:09,435 --> 00:05:13,355 Speaker 1: Rand Paul, this arrest is an illegal, abusive power. So 71 00:05:13,515 --> 00:05:19,555 Speaker 1: instead abuse this power and arrest the district attorney or 72 00:05:19,675 --> 00:05:22,715 Speaker 1: the new one from Kevin McCarthy asked a direct question 73 00:05:22,755 --> 00:05:26,755 Speaker 1: about not Trump's arrest, but what he's accused of doing 74 00:05:26,795 --> 00:05:32,195 Speaker 1: to silence Stormy Daniels. McCarthy answered, not about Stormy Daniels, 75 00:05:32,195 --> 00:05:35,875 Speaker 1: nor about Trump, but about Hillary Clinton or the other 76 00:05:35,995 --> 00:05:38,875 Speaker 1: screams of rage and terror alike. You can't arrest Trump, 77 00:05:39,315 --> 00:05:43,115 Speaker 1: God sent him. Only God can arrest him. Only God 78 00:05:43,235 --> 00:05:46,555 Speaker 1: can fingerprint him. Only God can take him down and 79 00:05:46,595 --> 00:05:52,635 Speaker 1: book him. But those few substantial complaints about the law 80 00:05:52,715 --> 00:05:57,195 Speaker 1: here sent her on something else, selective prosecution and the 81 00:05:57,235 --> 00:06:01,955 Speaker 1: assumption that nobody ever gets prosecuted for falsifying business records, 82 00:06:01,955 --> 00:06:05,035 Speaker 1: certainly not as a felony charge. And Trump would be 83 00:06:05,075 --> 00:06:08,475 Speaker 1: charged for something nobody's ever charged for, just because it's Trump. 84 00:06:08,715 --> 00:06:12,155 Speaker 1: And it turns out that that assumption is hilariously laugh 85 00:06:12,195 --> 00:06:17,915 Speaker 1: out loud wrong. The website just Security found a few 86 00:06:18,035 --> 00:06:23,555 Speaker 1: felony prosecutions falsifying business records in the first degree, not 87 00:06:23,795 --> 00:06:25,955 Speaker 1: just a few of them, just in New York, just 88 00:06:26,035 --> 00:06:30,315 Speaker 1: in the last decade, twenty seven of them twenty seven. 89 00:06:30,915 --> 00:06:33,595 Speaker 1: And they run the gamut from getting food stamps by 90 00:06:33,595 --> 00:06:37,755 Speaker 1: inventing an imaginary person on your books to getting insurance 91 00:06:37,795 --> 00:06:41,035 Speaker 1: payoffs on things lost in a fire that we're on 92 00:06:41,155 --> 00:06:44,155 Speaker 1: your books but weren't lost in a fire, And they 93 00:06:44,195 --> 00:06:46,675 Speaker 1: go all the way from that stuff to the owner 94 00:06:46,715 --> 00:06:49,435 Speaker 1: of a New York business falsifying the records of his 95 00:06:49,475 --> 00:06:51,635 Speaker 1: own business to make it look like he made a 96 00:06:51,675 --> 00:06:57,195 Speaker 1: million dollars less than he did. Second degree falsifying business 97 00:06:57,235 --> 00:07:01,035 Speaker 1: records is when you falsify the business records to falsify 98 00:07:01,115 --> 00:07:04,595 Speaker 1: the business records. First degree is when you do that 99 00:07:05,235 --> 00:07:09,315 Speaker 1: with quote intent to commit another crime or to aid 100 00:07:09,595 --> 00:07:14,595 Speaker 1: or conceal the commission thereof. That is New York Penal 101 00:07:14,635 --> 00:07:17,075 Speaker 1: Code one seventy five point ten and that starts with 102 00:07:17,155 --> 00:07:19,635 Speaker 1: P and that rhymes with T, and that stands for Trump. 103 00:07:22,435 --> 00:07:25,235 Speaker 1: Now to those blights on society who are getting their 104 00:07:25,275 --> 00:07:29,755 Speaker 1: asses sued for defaming on Trump's behalf. When Tuesday began, 105 00:07:30,035 --> 00:07:33,195 Speaker 1: Fox was in a world or hurt. Today Fox is 106 00:07:33,235 --> 00:07:37,835 Speaker 1: in two worlds of hurt. Fox and Dominion finally got 107 00:07:37,875 --> 00:07:41,035 Speaker 1: into a Delaware courtroom yesterday, and basically the judge greeted 108 00:07:41,035 --> 00:07:43,315 Speaker 1: them by slapping the Fox lawyer in the face with 109 00:07:43,395 --> 00:07:46,635 Speaker 1: a glove and all but asking about his seconds and 110 00:07:46,755 --> 00:07:51,635 Speaker 1: about pistols. At dawn. Fox invoked what is called neutral 111 00:07:51,675 --> 00:07:55,755 Speaker 1: reportage as a defense against the defamation charges, and it 112 00:07:55,875 --> 00:07:59,515 Speaker 1: insisted that Dominion could not prove actual malice and the 113 00:07:59,635 --> 00:08:02,675 Speaker 1: judge basically then said to Fox, but your side has 114 00:08:02,715 --> 00:08:05,915 Speaker 1: admitted to making stuff up and asking it off as news, 115 00:08:05,955 --> 00:08:08,915 Speaker 1: so how could you claim neutral reportage as a defense. 116 00:08:10,075 --> 00:08:14,475 Speaker 1: And Judge Eric Davis literally brought up Lou Dobbs and asked, 117 00:08:14,475 --> 00:08:19,595 Speaker 1: with incredulity, this is Davis's actual quote, asked, you're saying 118 00:08:20,155 --> 00:08:27,995 Speaker 1: he's a neutral reporter, not great Bob Fox quote News unquote. 119 00:08:28,075 --> 00:08:31,595 Speaker 1: Suddenly Yesterday dropped its attempt to silence the former Maria 120 00:08:31,635 --> 00:08:36,155 Speaker 1: Bartomo and current Tucker Carlson producer Abbie Grossberg, probably because 121 00:08:36,235 --> 00:08:38,835 Speaker 1: before they could silence her, she got out almost all 122 00:08:38,875 --> 00:08:41,995 Speaker 1: of her accusations about Fox lawyers trying to coerce her 123 00:08:41,995 --> 00:08:45,675 Speaker 1: into lying about and within the dominion voting defamation case, 124 00:08:46,035 --> 00:08:50,115 Speaker 1: and also just a couple dozen of her accusations about 125 00:08:50,555 --> 00:08:54,355 Speaker 1: jokes about the Jews made at Tucker Carlson Fox headquarters 126 00:08:54,355 --> 00:08:57,195 Speaker 1: and the pictures of Nancy Pelosi in a revealing swim 127 00:08:57,275 --> 00:09:00,395 Speaker 1: suit at Tucker Carlson Fox headquarters, and the debate at 128 00:09:00,395 --> 00:09:04,795 Speaker 1: Tucker Carlson Fox headquarters Gretchen Whitmer versus Tutor Dixon, and 129 00:09:04,835 --> 00:09:10,115 Speaker 1: we're not talking polling numbers, the legal documents, Miss Grossberg 130 00:09:10,195 --> 00:09:13,675 Speaker 1: submitted to the courts as part of her lawsuits, named 131 00:09:13,675 --> 00:09:18,515 Speaker 1: the Murdocks and one particular Fox executive senior vice president 132 00:09:18,635 --> 00:09:22,115 Speaker 1: David Clark, who was in charge of weekends, and judging 133 00:09:22,155 --> 00:09:26,155 Speaker 1: by the bug eyes in David Clark's photo, I am 134 00:09:26,195 --> 00:09:30,115 Speaker 1: pretty sure he is the Dave Clark who edited audio 135 00:09:30,115 --> 00:09:32,835 Speaker 1: tape at the Archaeo Radio Network when I worked there 136 00:09:32,835 --> 00:09:36,195 Speaker 1: in nineteen eighty, eighty one and eighty two. That's kind 137 00:09:36,235 --> 00:09:38,195 Speaker 1: of besides the point, but it did sort of strike 138 00:09:38,235 --> 00:09:42,635 Speaker 1: me as relevant anyway. These documents also mentioned the time 139 00:09:42,675 --> 00:09:45,195 Speaker 1: Grossberg asked for the day off because your father was 140 00:09:45,235 --> 00:09:48,515 Speaker 1: in the ICU after brain surgery, and Fox management said 141 00:09:48,795 --> 00:09:51,635 Speaker 1: find your own replacement or show up. We don't care. 142 00:09:52,115 --> 00:09:54,635 Speaker 1: And I know people at NBC you've been treated like that. 143 00:09:55,795 --> 00:09:59,275 Speaker 1: Several attorneys noted that for all the blood and guts 144 00:09:59,275 --> 00:10:05,275 Speaker 1: and questions about a possible Maria Bardaromo Kevin McCarthy's sexual relationship, 145 00:10:05,795 --> 00:10:08,395 Speaker 1: the real point of the Abbey Grossberg story is that 146 00:10:08,435 --> 00:10:11,915 Speaker 1: all of a sudden, Fox could be dealing not with 147 00:10:12,075 --> 00:10:16,275 Speaker 1: defamation civil suits, but with criminal charges. If you are 148 00:10:16,355 --> 00:10:19,835 Speaker 1: Fox and your lawyers sat there and coached and directed 149 00:10:19,875 --> 00:10:23,435 Speaker 1: and threatened your producer away from telling the truth in 150 00:10:23,515 --> 00:10:27,995 Speaker 1: her depositions and her testimony. That's called subornation of perjury. 151 00:10:28,275 --> 00:10:36,115 Speaker 1: That's a crime, Not great, Bob Tucker. Carlson, meanwhile, continues 152 00:10:36,155 --> 00:10:38,675 Speaker 1: to look like an out of control train with no breaks, 153 00:10:38,715 --> 00:10:40,995 Speaker 1: going down an incline at one hundred miles an hour, 154 00:10:41,035 --> 00:10:43,435 Speaker 1: and the engineer designs the problem is he's not going 155 00:10:43,515 --> 00:10:46,355 Speaker 1: fast enough, so let's make it one hundred and twenty five. 156 00:10:47,275 --> 00:10:50,955 Speaker 1: Joan Walsh re upped her twenty nineteen piece from Salon 157 00:10:51,435 --> 00:10:53,875 Speaker 1: in which she wrote that nine years earlier than that, 158 00:10:53,955 --> 00:10:56,915 Speaker 1: so that's twenty ten. When she was at Salon, she'd 159 00:10:56,955 --> 00:11:00,155 Speaker 1: had an intern reach out to Carlson to write some 160 00:11:00,275 --> 00:11:05,955 Speaker 1: opinion piece about Obama, and Carlson responded by telling intern, well, 161 00:11:06,035 --> 00:11:08,515 Speaker 1: he called her the C word to the intern, and 162 00:11:08,635 --> 00:11:12,355 Speaker 1: he insisted to the intern that she needed desperately to 163 00:11:13,635 --> 00:11:19,755 Speaker 1: have sex. This is where Carlson throttled up last night. 164 00:11:20,195 --> 00:11:23,115 Speaker 1: He insisted that January sixth was not an insurrection, not 165 00:11:23,155 --> 00:11:25,355 Speaker 1: at all. They didn't have guns. They were just patriotic 166 00:11:25,395 --> 00:11:27,835 Speaker 1: Americans who was just people who believed the election was 167 00:11:27,875 --> 00:11:30,515 Speaker 1: stolen and they certainly had reason to think that. And 168 00:11:30,595 --> 00:11:32,995 Speaker 1: on election night, when they went to sleep at dusk, 169 00:11:33,155 --> 00:11:35,435 Speaker 1: Trump was winning, and then in the morning the fake 170 00:11:35,515 --> 00:11:38,875 Speaker 1: news said, and then and you're thinking, You're thinking, where 171 00:11:38,995 --> 00:11:41,355 Speaker 1: is he going with all this? Because this could be 172 00:11:41,395 --> 00:11:46,395 Speaker 1: the audition tape for Newsmax or Mike Lindell TV. Because 173 00:11:46,435 --> 00:11:50,115 Speaker 1: after Tucker Carlson attacked Trump, if he also attacked the 174 00:11:50,235 --> 00:11:54,275 Speaker 1: Jews and all the women, Fox has been sued by 175 00:11:54,315 --> 00:11:56,595 Speaker 1: in the past and is going to be sued by now. 176 00:11:57,515 --> 00:12:00,195 Speaker 1: If he's actually done all that, Fox is going to 177 00:12:00,395 --> 00:12:04,675 Speaker 1: have to fire him, in which case I will buy 178 00:12:04,715 --> 00:12:10,275 Speaker 1: everybody in America a martini. A couple of last Trump 179 00:12:10,355 --> 00:12:13,355 Speaker 1: notes on what again might be Trump Miss Eve but 180 00:12:13,515 --> 00:12:18,835 Speaker 1: probably isn't. They are one an interview the laughable Pierce 181 00:12:18,915 --> 00:12:22,235 Speaker 1: Morgan did with the laughable Ron de Santis, about which 182 00:12:22,275 --> 00:12:25,795 Speaker 1: nobody in Trump world is laughing because sufficient homage was 183 00:12:25,835 --> 00:12:30,635 Speaker 1: not paid by De santist to Trump number two. Then 184 00:12:30,675 --> 00:12:34,915 Speaker 1: there's that smarmie New York Congresswoman Elias Stefanic, the dolorous 185 00:12:34,995 --> 00:12:37,915 Speaker 1: umbrage of the piece who sold her soul to Trump 186 00:12:37,955 --> 00:12:41,515 Speaker 1: for god knows what, but who told punch Bowl News 187 00:12:41,555 --> 00:12:45,155 Speaker 1: that she briefed Trump Monday night quote about our efforts 188 00:12:45,155 --> 00:12:48,395 Speaker 1: on the Judiciary Committee, on the Oversight Committee to get 189 00:12:48,435 --> 00:12:53,435 Speaker 1: an immediate investigation of Manhattan DA. Bragg presumably she did 190 00:12:53,475 --> 00:12:56,595 Speaker 1: not tell him. Bragg can completely ignore the Republicans on 191 00:12:56,635 --> 00:12:59,915 Speaker 1: this investigation because only the Department of Justice could ever 192 00:13:00,035 --> 00:13:02,755 Speaker 1: pursue any kind of contempt of Congress charge, and the 193 00:13:02,915 --> 00:13:06,715 Speaker 1: DJ would never force a DA to reveal details of 194 00:13:06,795 --> 00:13:13,555 Speaker 1: a criminal investigation and reveal those details to politicians. Stefanik 195 00:13:13,635 --> 00:13:16,435 Speaker 1: also said Ron DeSantis was tepid in his defense of 196 00:13:16,475 --> 00:13:19,675 Speaker 1: the Fureer and DeSantis is quote going to see slippage 197 00:13:19,675 --> 00:13:21,795 Speaker 1: in his poles. And I hear that, and I think 198 00:13:21,875 --> 00:13:25,315 Speaker 1: DeSantis pole slippage. We'll just get him higher, high heels. 199 00:13:26,995 --> 00:13:30,875 Speaker 1: One last gem from stefanic quote, we that's her. And 200 00:13:30,955 --> 00:13:33,355 Speaker 1: Trump also talked a lot about what I've heard from 201 00:13:33,355 --> 00:13:36,155 Speaker 1: his supporters in my district and across the country. He's 202 00:13:36,195 --> 00:13:38,755 Speaker 1: never been in a stronger position in terms of rallying 203 00:13:38,795 --> 00:13:43,115 Speaker 1: that support. I think you'll see his poll numbers go up. Unquote, 204 00:13:43,835 --> 00:13:46,075 Speaker 1: if Stefanik had added, I also told him he was 205 00:13:46,115 --> 00:13:50,595 Speaker 1: young and handsome and fit and powerful and inspires worship, 206 00:13:50,635 --> 00:13:54,595 Speaker 1: and his more strong, more masculine, more extraordinary, more virile, 207 00:13:54,675 --> 00:13:59,595 Speaker 1: more domineering, more irresistible. Oh wait, sorry, that's the last 208 00:13:59,635 --> 00:14:04,675 Speaker 1: speech from the end of the Jack Nicholson movie Carnal Knowledge. Sorry, 209 00:14:04,475 --> 00:14:09,395 Speaker 1: the third and final of the three Trump pss. There 210 00:14:09,515 --> 00:14:12,355 Speaker 1: is yet another insider Trump piece in The New York 211 00:14:12,355 --> 00:14:19,235 Speaker 1: Times from Maga Haberman. But this quote is spectacular. Thank you, Maga. 212 00:14:19,435 --> 00:14:24,275 Speaker 1: Quote Behind closed Doors at Marilago, the former president has 213 00:14:24,315 --> 00:14:27,635 Speaker 1: told friends and associates that he welcomes the idea of 214 00:14:27,675 --> 00:14:31,195 Speaker 1: being paraded by the authorities before a throng of reporters 215 00:14:31,195 --> 00:14:35,235 Speaker 1: and news cameras. He has even mused openly about whether 216 00:14:35,315 --> 00:14:39,235 Speaker 1: he should smile for the assembled media, and he has 217 00:14:39,235 --> 00:14:41,755 Speaker 1: pondered how the public would react, and is said to 218 00:14:41,795 --> 00:14:48,155 Speaker 1: have described the potential spectacle as a fun experience unquote. 219 00:14:49,715 --> 00:14:52,875 Speaker 1: And if that doesn't sound like the completely whacked out 220 00:14:53,075 --> 00:14:56,995 Speaker 1: Norma Desmond coming down the stairs after murdering her lover 221 00:14:57,315 --> 00:15:00,595 Speaker 1: at the end of the movie Sunset Boulevard, I don't 222 00:15:00,595 --> 00:15:04,755 Speaker 1: know what does. I'm ready for my close up, Miss 223 00:15:04,755 --> 00:15:21,595 Speaker 1: your da still ahead of us. In this edition of Countdown, 224 00:15:21,675 --> 00:15:26,315 Speaker 1: Good God, somebody, somebody finally brought up Congressman Jamie Comber's 225 00:15:26,355 --> 00:15:30,315 Speaker 1: college girlfriend and her charge that he beat her up, 226 00:15:30,875 --> 00:15:34,635 Speaker 1: and the side show about stolen emails that linked the 227 00:15:34,675 --> 00:15:37,675 Speaker 1: blogger who broke the story to the husband of somebody 228 00:15:37,715 --> 00:15:41,675 Speaker 1: who was running for office against Comber, whereupon Comber confessed 229 00:15:41,675 --> 00:15:47,315 Speaker 1: that he was responsible for leaking those emails. The statute 230 00:15:47,315 --> 00:15:49,515 Speaker 1: of limitations, of course, has already run out, but it's 231 00:15:49,515 --> 00:15:53,155 Speaker 1: a start. The story of the day. An Aaron Sorkin 232 00:15:53,275 --> 00:15:56,755 Speaker 1: character said one phrase in one episode of one show, 233 00:15:56,835 --> 00:16:00,515 Speaker 1: and every one of my ex girlfriends contacted me immediately 234 00:16:00,555 --> 00:16:03,835 Speaker 1: and said, wait, isn't that what your dad always used 235 00:16:03,875 --> 00:16:07,035 Speaker 1: to saying. It was because Sorkin got it from my dad. 236 00:16:07,955 --> 00:16:10,515 Speaker 1: And it can be argued that the greatest performance by 237 00:16:10,555 --> 00:16:14,675 Speaker 1: a basketball player in history came in an NBA Finals 238 00:16:14,715 --> 00:16:17,795 Speaker 1: game that was not shown on live television, and came 239 00:16:17,835 --> 00:16:22,835 Speaker 1: in a game in which that player scored exactly four points. 240 00:16:23,715 --> 00:16:26,435 Speaker 1: A man who gave that greatest performance, who won an 241 00:16:26,555 --> 00:16:30,675 Speaker 1: NBA title by literally just showing up, has passed away. 242 00:16:31,195 --> 00:16:43,035 Speaker 1: That's next. This is countdown. This is countdown with Keith Oberman. 243 00:16:57,155 --> 00:17:04,475 Speaker 1: This is SportsCenter. Wait, check that not anymore. This is 244 00:17:05,355 --> 00:17:10,675 Speaker 1: countdown with Keith Albermann. In sports it is easily the 245 00:17:10,715 --> 00:17:15,395 Speaker 1: most important game by any player in basketball history who 246 00:17:15,475 --> 00:17:20,595 Speaker 1: in the game scored four points. Game seven of the 247 00:17:20,715 --> 00:17:23,955 Speaker 1: NBA Finals May eighth, nineteen seventy, the New York Knicks 248 00:17:23,955 --> 00:17:26,755 Speaker 1: ahead in the series three games to two over the 249 00:17:26,795 --> 00:17:29,995 Speaker 1: Los Angeles Lakers, but then blown out in Game six 250 00:17:30,075 --> 00:17:33,675 Speaker 1: after their star center and captain Willis Reid tore a 251 00:17:33,755 --> 00:17:36,955 Speaker 1: muscle in his thigh and did not play. A minute 252 00:17:37,795 --> 00:17:41,955 Speaker 1: and twenty minutes before Game seven, and Reid was nowhere 253 00:17:41,995 --> 00:17:45,155 Speaker 1: to be seen, the visiting Los Angeles Lakers were on 254 00:17:45,195 --> 00:17:47,475 Speaker 1: the court at Madison Square Garden. They thought they had 255 00:17:47,515 --> 00:17:50,315 Speaker 1: already won the seventh game and thus the championship, and 256 00:17:50,435 --> 00:17:54,675 Speaker 1: the Knicks thought they had already lost. And then with 257 00:17:54,755 --> 00:17:58,875 Speaker 1: minutes left before tip off, an extraordinary roar started at 258 00:17:58,915 --> 00:18:02,715 Speaker 1: Madison Square Garden, and it grew and grew and grew 259 00:18:03,035 --> 00:18:06,955 Speaker 1: as nineteen thousand pairs of eyes turned to one spot. 260 00:18:07,355 --> 00:18:10,875 Speaker 1: It was Willis Reid hobbling out of the tunnel from 261 00:18:10,875 --> 00:18:14,035 Speaker 1: the dressing room onto the court for warm ups. He 262 00:18:14,115 --> 00:18:18,795 Speaker 1: was going to play. The Lakers players just stared in disbelief, 263 00:18:19,315 --> 00:18:23,875 Speaker 1: and they played that way the entire game. Willis Reid 264 00:18:23,995 --> 00:18:28,115 Speaker 1: could barely move. He only took five shots, played about 265 00:18:28,155 --> 00:18:32,075 Speaker 1: half the game, he only grabbed three rebounds, but he 266 00:18:32,195 --> 00:18:35,595 Speaker 1: scored New York's first basket, and they were quickly up 267 00:18:35,635 --> 00:18:40,995 Speaker 1: by twenty nine over the absolutely discombobulated Lakers. The Knicks 268 00:18:41,035 --> 00:18:43,515 Speaker 1: would win one hundred thirteen to ninety nine over La 269 00:18:43,675 --> 00:18:47,475 Speaker 1: and Wilt Chamberlain and Jerry West to claim their first 270 00:18:47,595 --> 00:18:51,595 Speaker 1: NBA crown. Willis Reid died yesterday at the age of eighty. 271 00:18:51,835 --> 00:18:54,315 Speaker 1: He led New York to its only other title in 272 00:18:54,435 --> 00:18:57,755 Speaker 1: nineteen seventy three. He later served as coach and general manager, 273 00:18:57,835 --> 00:18:59,955 Speaker 1: and had the same job with the New Jersey Nets, 274 00:19:00,195 --> 00:19:03,315 Speaker 1: and was named one of the NBA's fifty Greatest Players Ever. 275 00:19:03,715 --> 00:19:06,155 Speaker 1: If they made such a list for the NBA's fifty 276 00:19:06,195 --> 00:19:09,155 Speaker 1: Greatest people Ever, Willis Reid would have been on that 277 00:19:09,235 --> 00:19:13,235 Speaker 1: one too. It is impossible to convey this now, but 278 00:19:13,355 --> 00:19:17,195 Speaker 1: other than the nineteen thousand fans in Madison Square Garden 279 00:19:17,515 --> 00:19:21,755 Speaker 1: on that pretty spring Friday nineteen nineteen seventy, the only 280 00:19:21,835 --> 00:19:26,235 Speaker 1: way people experienced Willis Reid's emergence from the tunnel in 281 00:19:26,275 --> 00:19:31,195 Speaker 1: real time was on radio, with the play by play 282 00:19:31,275 --> 00:19:35,155 Speaker 1: of the Knicks announcer Marv Albert or the Lakers announcer 283 00:19:35,235 --> 00:19:40,235 Speaker 1: Chick Hearne. The nineteen seventy NBA Finals were not shown 284 00:19:40,875 --> 00:19:46,195 Speaker 1: on live television, in part because basketball was really bad 285 00:19:46,195 --> 00:19:49,315 Speaker 1: for TV ratings in those days, and in part also 286 00:19:49,395 --> 00:19:51,875 Speaker 1: out of the fear that if they showed it live 287 00:19:52,675 --> 00:19:55,475 Speaker 1: that would cut into ticket sales for the seventh game 288 00:19:55,515 --> 00:19:59,555 Speaker 1: of the NBA Finals. Many NBA playoff games were shown 289 00:19:59,555 --> 00:20:03,195 Speaker 1: that way as late as nineteen eighty six. So first 290 00:20:03,275 --> 00:20:06,515 Speaker 1: Willis Reid was heard coming out under the court, then 291 00:20:06,595 --> 00:20:09,635 Speaker 1: the Knicks won the championship, and then at eleven thirty 292 00:20:09,715 --> 00:20:12,915 Speaker 1: at night, the Knicks fans of New York got to 293 00:20:12,955 --> 00:20:17,555 Speaker 1: see it. Rest in peace, Willis Reid, And speaking of television, 294 00:20:17,555 --> 00:20:20,795 Speaker 1: a shake up at ESPN amid a reported new round 295 00:20:20,835 --> 00:20:25,035 Speaker 1: of mass layoffs coming there. Executive vice president Rob King, 296 00:20:25,235 --> 00:20:27,835 Speaker 1: a twenty year veteran of the company, says he has 297 00:20:27,955 --> 00:20:30,835 Speaker 1: left ESPN. But that is not what The New York 298 00:20:30,915 --> 00:20:33,875 Speaker 1: Post is reporting, and one of its columnists is a 299 00:20:33,915 --> 00:20:38,995 Speaker 1: disgruntled x ESPN employee. The Post says King was fired 300 00:20:39,515 --> 00:20:44,275 Speaker 1: for harassment in social media posts. This much is clear. 301 00:20:44,355 --> 00:20:48,075 Speaker 1: His ESPN biography page has already been wiped off its website. 302 00:20:48,395 --> 00:20:53,115 Speaker 1: No other details provided even by rumor either way, if 303 00:20:53,155 --> 00:20:56,475 Speaker 1: you think Sports Center lost its direction this century, you 304 00:20:56,555 --> 00:21:00,555 Speaker 1: can point to Rob King. It is inconceivable that anybody 305 00:21:00,555 --> 00:21:03,635 Speaker 1: who ever ran that epic franchise had less of an 306 00:21:03,715 --> 00:21:08,115 Speaker 1: idea of what sports fans wanted from that broadcast. His 307 00:21:08,275 --> 00:21:11,755 Speaker 1: most infamous of many bad decisions was to take a 308 00:21:11,835 --> 00:21:15,275 Speaker 1: decent enough talk show called Numbers Never Lie with two 309 00:21:15,355 --> 00:21:18,955 Speaker 1: pretty good anchors named Jamel Hill and Michael Smith, rename 310 00:21:19,035 --> 00:21:23,395 Speaker 1: it His and Hers, and then shortly thereafter rename it 311 00:21:23,555 --> 00:21:27,395 Speaker 1: the six pm edition of Sports Center, without ever really 312 00:21:27,635 --> 00:21:31,715 Speaker 1: changing what poor Hill and poor Smith were doing, arguing 313 00:21:31,755 --> 00:21:33,955 Speaker 1: that the chemistry between the two of them was strong 314 00:21:34,075 --> 00:21:36,955 Speaker 1: enough to not only not require them to do or 315 00:21:37,155 --> 00:21:40,355 Speaker 1: learn anything they hadn't done on a talk show, but 316 00:21:40,475 --> 00:21:43,075 Speaker 1: that it was strong enough to recreate Sports Center in 317 00:21:43,115 --> 00:21:47,155 Speaker 1: their image. This guy King basically left two people who 318 00:21:47,195 --> 00:21:51,515 Speaker 1: did not cover sports news on television per se to 319 00:21:51,715 --> 00:21:55,755 Speaker 1: get absolutely fried by public opinion when they tried to 320 00:21:55,955 --> 00:22:01,275 Speaker 1: with no help, they got blamed. Hill ran into political problems, 321 00:22:01,275 --> 00:22:05,315 Speaker 1: She left the network. Smith left the network. Rob King 322 00:22:05,435 --> 00:22:29,395 Speaker 1: stayed at the network until yesterday. Thank you, Nancy Faust. 323 00:22:29,555 --> 00:22:33,075 Speaker 1: And to quote Joseph Cotton in Citizen Kane, what a 324 00:22:33,155 --> 00:22:50,475 Speaker 1: disagreeable old man, I have become still ahead on countdown. 325 00:22:50,595 --> 00:22:56,275 Speaker 1: In Aaron Sorkin's TV series Newsroom, Jeff Daniels said, New York, 326 00:22:56,355 --> 00:22:58,875 Speaker 1: It'll be a great town whenever they finish it, and 327 00:22:59,035 --> 00:23:01,555 Speaker 1: the moment the words were out of his videotaped mouth, 328 00:23:02,195 --> 00:23:06,595 Speaker 1: like every one of my ex girlfriends texted, emailed, or 329 00:23:06,675 --> 00:23:09,995 Speaker 1: called asking the same question, isn't that what your dad 330 00:23:10,035 --> 00:23:13,555 Speaker 1: always said? Coming up first time for the daily roundup 331 00:23:13,555 --> 00:23:16,235 Speaker 1: of the miscrants, morons, and dunning Kruger Effect specimens who 332 00:23:16,235 --> 00:23:22,115 Speaker 1: constitute today's worst persons in the world. The Bronze elon 333 00:23:22,235 --> 00:23:25,875 Speaker 1: Musk Bloomberg News reporting that the man who got rich 334 00:23:25,915 --> 00:23:30,075 Speaker 1: on other people's ideas is suspected of giving access to 335 00:23:30,275 --> 00:23:35,395 Speaker 1: sensitive Twitter data to a Saudi prince, a Qatari sovereign 336 00:23:35,475 --> 00:23:39,515 Speaker 1: wealth finance fund, and a Chinese crypto guy, all of 337 00:23:39,515 --> 00:23:44,155 Speaker 1: whom helped fund Musk's purchase of Twitter. Bloomberg quotes an 338 00:23:44,195 --> 00:23:48,475 Speaker 1: unnamed US official who describes Musk's Tesla as a Chinese 339 00:23:48,555 --> 00:23:53,435 Speaker 1: company with an American subsidiary. It quotes Senator Mark Warner saying, 340 00:23:53,835 --> 00:23:57,115 Speaker 1: I don't think there is another American more dependent upon 341 00:23:57,155 --> 00:24:01,595 Speaker 1: the largess of the Communist Party than Elon Musk, and 342 00:24:01,795 --> 00:24:05,275 Speaker 1: most importantly, Bloomberg reports the Biden administration and his weighing 343 00:24:05,675 --> 00:24:09,555 Speaker 1: whether or not to have Musk's purchase of Twitter. Will 344 00:24:09,635 --> 00:24:14,155 Speaker 1: the Chinese Saudi Qatari Musk purchase of Twitter reviewed and 345 00:24:14,315 --> 00:24:18,995 Speaker 1: possibly blocked reversed for national security concerns by the Committee 346 00:24:18,995 --> 00:24:23,035 Speaker 1: on Foreign Investment in the United States. Hey, Alon, you've 347 00:24:23,075 --> 00:24:25,715 Speaker 1: stolen a lot of memes. Any of them memes ever 348 00:24:25,755 --> 00:24:31,355 Speaker 1: read by Felicia the runner up Kentucky Congress and Jamie Comer, 349 00:24:31,475 --> 00:24:34,195 Speaker 1: the new Chairman of the House Oversight Committee, would be 350 00:24:34,355 --> 00:24:38,355 Speaker 1: inquisitor who complained that the late bow Diet Biden had 351 00:24:38,395 --> 00:24:42,235 Speaker 1: died before somebody could investigate him class act. This Comber, 352 00:24:42,715 --> 00:24:45,675 Speaker 1: profiled by The New York Times, Comer made an unbelievable 353 00:24:45,715 --> 00:24:50,515 Speaker 1: comparison about trying to manage the blithering oral spasms of 354 00:24:50,715 --> 00:24:55,675 Speaker 1: Marjorie Taylor Barney Rubble Green quote, It's hard for a 355 00:24:55,795 --> 00:25:00,235 Speaker 1: coach to tell Lebron James what he's doing wrong. The 356 00:25:00,275 --> 00:25:02,955 Speaker 1: only thing Green and Lebron James have in common is 357 00:25:02,955 --> 00:25:06,155 Speaker 1: that they've both been to a gym. But our winner, 358 00:25:06,875 --> 00:25:10,555 Speaker 1: also Congressman Jamie Coomer. That Times piece is pretty much 359 00:25:10,595 --> 00:25:14,315 Speaker 1: the standard access journalism fluff job. But down there in 360 00:25:14,395 --> 00:25:18,995 Speaker 1: paragraph nine, somebody finally mentioned the still unresolved charges from 361 00:25:18,995 --> 00:25:22,835 Speaker 1: twenty fifteen that I have repeatedly mentioned here that Coomber 362 00:25:22,995 --> 00:25:26,555 Speaker 1: beat his college girlfriend, called her parents and to them, 363 00:25:26,675 --> 00:25:29,875 Speaker 1: threatened her life, drove her to get an abortion, and 364 00:25:29,955 --> 00:25:34,315 Speaker 1: became enraged when she used his name on the abortion paperwork. 365 00:25:35,075 --> 00:25:38,115 Speaker 1: It is not until paragraph thirty one that the big 366 00:25:38,155 --> 00:25:41,075 Speaker 1: news comes out, though in the Time story there were 367 00:25:41,195 --> 00:25:45,235 Speaker 1: emails connecting the blogger who first reported this story to 368 00:25:45,355 --> 00:25:48,875 Speaker 1: the husband of somebody running against Coomber in the big 369 00:25:48,955 --> 00:25:53,835 Speaker 1: Kentucky governor's race of twenty fifteen. Somehow those emails got 370 00:25:53,875 --> 00:25:58,355 Speaker 1: out and they leaked. Quote. In an interview with The Times, 371 00:25:58,355 --> 00:26:00,715 Speaker 1: mister Coomber confirmed for the first time that he had 372 00:26:00,715 --> 00:26:04,595 Speaker 1: been behind the leak and strongly hinted he had gotten 373 00:26:04,835 --> 00:26:08,315 Speaker 1: the emails from the server. The Times quoted Comber then 374 00:26:08,355 --> 00:26:11,995 Speaker 1: as saying, I've had two servers in my lifetime. Hunter 375 00:26:12,075 --> 00:26:14,755 Speaker 1: Biden's is one, and you can I'm not going to 376 00:26:14,795 --> 00:26:16,675 Speaker 1: say who the other one was, but you can use 377 00:26:16,675 --> 00:26:20,475 Speaker 1: your imagination. It ended up in my lap. I'll put 378 00:26:20,515 --> 00:26:23,955 Speaker 1: it like that. Unquote, and the Times pretty much dropped 379 00:26:23,955 --> 00:26:28,515 Speaker 1: it there. Chairman James. Comer is a common thief, and 380 00:26:28,715 --> 00:26:32,635 Speaker 1: after eight years, nobody has disproved the other allegations that 381 00:26:32,715 --> 00:26:36,915 Speaker 1: he's also a common domestic abuser and a violent scumbag. 382 00:26:37,595 --> 00:26:40,955 Speaker 1: Comber has no business driving a bus let alone serving 383 00:26:40,955 --> 00:26:45,995 Speaker 1: in Congress. James, it ended up in my lap. Comber, 384 00:26:46,635 --> 00:27:02,355 Speaker 1: Today's worst person in the world, Still ahead on Countdown. 385 00:27:02,395 --> 00:27:07,235 Speaker 1: Aaron Sorkin has created two different television series based largely 386 00:27:07,275 --> 00:27:11,195 Speaker 1: on my career. One of them, Sports Night, he boasted 387 00:27:11,355 --> 00:27:15,235 Speaker 1: was largely about my career. The other Newsroom, he denied 388 00:27:15,235 --> 00:27:17,035 Speaker 1: I had anything to do with it, even after he 389 00:27:17,115 --> 00:27:20,515 Speaker 1: had hired me as a consultant and hired away my 390 00:27:20,595 --> 00:27:24,835 Speaker 1: assistant as an actress and named another character after her. Oh, 391 00:27:24,875 --> 00:27:27,195 Speaker 1: and then he quoted my dad word for word in 392 00:27:27,275 --> 00:27:31,115 Speaker 1: episode seven things I promised not to tell next First. 393 00:27:31,115 --> 00:27:33,195 Speaker 1: In each edition of Countdown, we feature a dog in 394 00:27:33,235 --> 00:27:36,435 Speaker 1: need you can help. Every dog has its day back 395 00:27:36,475 --> 00:27:39,395 Speaker 1: here in New York, Moose Tracks is in a world 396 00:27:39,395 --> 00:27:43,555 Speaker 1: of hurt, a terrified stray mixed breed big dog, blue 397 00:27:43,555 --> 00:27:46,515 Speaker 1: brown eyes, kind of freckly. He only arrived in the 398 00:27:46,515 --> 00:27:48,755 Speaker 1: New York Pound a week ago. Yesterday but he's already 399 00:27:48,795 --> 00:27:51,715 Speaker 1: on death row. He's too terrified to be released from 400 00:27:51,715 --> 00:27:54,715 Speaker 1: his kennel. Yet he's gentle when taking treats the age 401 00:27:54,715 --> 00:27:57,435 Speaker 1: of three. He's crying out for help at great risk 402 00:27:57,555 --> 00:28:00,595 Speaker 1: to be killed. There. Our pledges will help defray the 403 00:28:00,635 --> 00:28:03,755 Speaker 1: costs of a rescue to pull him and save his life. 404 00:28:04,075 --> 00:28:07,635 Speaker 1: Look for tracks on my Twitter feeds I thank you 405 00:28:08,235 --> 00:28:24,195 Speaker 1: and Moose tracks Thanks You. I heard Jeff Daniels say 406 00:28:24,235 --> 00:28:27,155 Speaker 1: the words, and in the next minute my cell phone rang. 407 00:28:27,755 --> 00:28:30,555 Speaker 1: It was an ex girlfriend. While we were talking, an 408 00:28:30,555 --> 00:28:33,355 Speaker 1: email arrived from another ex girlfriend, and then in came 409 00:28:33,355 --> 00:28:36,515 Speaker 1: at text from the current girlfriend at her folkshouse. Then 410 00:28:36,635 --> 00:28:39,155 Speaker 1: two more emails, and before I was off the phone, 411 00:28:39,235 --> 00:28:43,835 Speaker 1: two voicemails, and then regular friends started to contact me. 412 00:28:43,915 --> 00:28:46,555 Speaker 1: This is just over ten years ago now. Was Sunday, 413 00:28:46,595 --> 00:28:51,315 Speaker 1: August fifth, twenty twelve. Jeff Daniels was playing the controversial 414 00:28:51,395 --> 00:28:56,555 Speaker 1: newscaster and commentator on Aaron Sorkin's HBO series Newsroom, which 415 00:28:56,635 --> 00:28:59,755 Speaker 1: was based structurally on Me and Countdown. And I know 416 00:28:59,915 --> 00:29:04,195 Speaker 1: this because Aaron Sorkin told me so before he filmed 417 00:29:04,195 --> 00:29:06,955 Speaker 1: any of it. And I know this because he asked 418 00:29:06,995 --> 00:29:09,115 Speaker 1: me if he could base the pilot episode on What 419 00:29:09,195 --> 00:29:12,515 Speaker 1: Happened to Me at MSNBC in the spring and summer 420 00:29:12,515 --> 00:29:15,235 Speaker 1: of twenty ten. And I know this because he came 421 00:29:15,275 --> 00:29:17,995 Speaker 1: in and shadowed the staff of Countdown for two days 422 00:29:18,235 --> 00:29:20,555 Speaker 1: to get the feel for the place. And I know 423 00:29:20,635 --> 00:29:24,315 Speaker 1: this because he wound up basing one character, Maggie Jordan, 424 00:29:24,795 --> 00:29:29,355 Speaker 1: on my assistant Margaret Judson, and then hiring Margaret Judson 425 00:29:29,395 --> 00:29:32,195 Speaker 1: as a consultant, and then hiring her as an actress 426 00:29:32,235 --> 00:29:34,355 Speaker 1: to play a part that wasn't supposed to be her. 427 00:29:34,955 --> 00:29:37,675 Speaker 1: And I know this because he was furious when I 428 00:29:37,675 --> 00:29:40,195 Speaker 1: would not fly to Denver. I think it was to 429 00:29:40,315 --> 00:29:42,875 Speaker 1: do a cameo in the pilot. And I know this 430 00:29:42,955 --> 00:29:45,275 Speaker 1: because he said he was hiring me as a consultant. 431 00:29:45,395 --> 00:29:47,395 Speaker 1: And I know this because I never saw a dime 432 00:29:47,515 --> 00:29:51,515 Speaker 1: out of it. This was the second time Aaron Sorkin 433 00:29:51,595 --> 00:29:53,795 Speaker 1: had based one of his TV series on one of 434 00:29:53,835 --> 00:29:57,755 Speaker 1: my TV series. The other was called Sports Night, and 435 00:29:57,995 --> 00:30:02,075 Speaker 1: Esquire magazine once asked me to interview Sorkin about Sports Night, 436 00:30:02,275 --> 00:30:04,915 Speaker 1: and I asked him the real tough question, what was 437 00:30:04,955 --> 00:30:08,075 Speaker 1: the origin of Sports Night? And his answer was, quote, 438 00:30:08,395 --> 00:30:11,875 Speaker 1: you are the origin. So when the New York Times 439 00:30:11,915 --> 00:30:14,835 Speaker 1: had called me about Newsroom. I lightheartedly said that it 440 00:30:14,875 --> 00:30:17,515 Speaker 1: was nice to know in advance this time that Aaron 441 00:30:17,555 --> 00:30:21,195 Speaker 1: Sorkin was making a TV series about me. Sorkin did 442 00:30:21,235 --> 00:30:24,955 Speaker 1: not like this at all, and he told all his 443 00:30:25,035 --> 00:30:27,915 Speaker 1: actors to tell all their interviewers that this was not true. 444 00:30:28,195 --> 00:30:30,355 Speaker 1: And I know that because Jeff Daniels told me that 445 00:30:30,555 --> 00:30:35,875 Speaker 1: was what Sorkin had told him. Sorkin is interesting. I 446 00:30:35,915 --> 00:30:38,395 Speaker 1: had known him for about ten or twelve years when 447 00:30:38,435 --> 00:30:40,395 Speaker 1: he came into Countdown to see what it looked and 448 00:30:40,475 --> 00:30:43,915 Speaker 1: felt like, and he was twenty minutes late. And my 449 00:30:43,955 --> 00:30:47,475 Speaker 1: assistant Margaret after whom he named Maggie Jordan, whom he 450 00:30:47,515 --> 00:30:49,675 Speaker 1: then hired away from me, and whom he finally hired 451 00:30:49,675 --> 00:30:52,195 Speaker 1: as an actress to play Tess Weston, and she was great. 452 00:30:52,235 --> 00:30:55,315 Speaker 1: By the way. Margaret brings him in and he apologizes 453 00:30:55,395 --> 00:30:57,235 Speaker 1: for being late, and he says he's staying in a 454 00:30:57,315 --> 00:30:59,595 Speaker 1: hotel two blocks away and he should have just walked, 455 00:30:59,635 --> 00:31:02,155 Speaker 1: but instead he got in a car, and the next 456 00:31:02,155 --> 00:31:04,595 Speaker 1: thing he knew, he was six blocks away caught him. 457 00:31:04,795 --> 00:31:07,435 Speaker 1: Traffic caused by the complete shutdown of one of the 458 00:31:07,475 --> 00:31:12,275 Speaker 1: crosstown streets for midday construction, and I laughed and I said, well, 459 00:31:12,915 --> 00:31:15,635 Speaker 1: like my late father, the architect used to say, New York, 460 00:31:16,075 --> 00:31:18,835 Speaker 1: it'll be a great town whenever they finish it. And 461 00:31:18,995 --> 00:31:22,155 Speaker 1: he laughed, and I laughed. And two years later, in 462 00:31:22,195 --> 00:31:26,275 Speaker 1: the seventh episode of the HBO Newsroom series first aired 463 00:31:26,275 --> 00:31:29,515 Speaker 1: on August fifth, twenty twelve, and reaired throughout the week, 464 00:31:30,115 --> 00:31:33,835 Speaker 1: Jeff Daniels as the anchorman, Will McAvoy, who wasn't me 465 00:31:33,955 --> 00:31:36,835 Speaker 1: but actually kind of was me, is late to his 466 00:31:36,915 --> 00:31:40,835 Speaker 1: newsroom because he gets caught in Manhattan traffic caused by 467 00:31:40,835 --> 00:31:44,195 Speaker 1: Sunday night street construction, and he says to his exasperated producer, 468 00:31:44,835 --> 00:31:47,875 Speaker 1: new York, it'll be a great town whenever they finish it. 469 00:31:49,235 --> 00:31:52,795 Speaker 1: That's when my phone and email blew up. And the 470 00:31:52,795 --> 00:31:56,155 Speaker 1: then girlfriend, and like forty percent of all of my 471 00:31:56,315 --> 00:32:00,555 Speaker 1: exes ever all had the same question, New York, It'll 472 00:32:00,555 --> 00:32:02,955 Speaker 1: be a great town whenever they finish it. Isn't that 473 00:32:02,995 --> 00:32:05,795 Speaker 1: what your dad used to say? Even the ones who 474 00:32:05,875 --> 00:32:08,475 Speaker 1: never met my dad knew this because I used to 475 00:32:08,555 --> 00:32:11,915 Speaker 1: quote him constantly, Because the real humor in the quote 476 00:32:11,995 --> 00:32:13,915 Speaker 1: is the fact that my dad was an architect and 477 00:32:13,955 --> 00:32:17,395 Speaker 1: construction was his business. New York it'll be a great 478 00:32:17,435 --> 00:32:21,435 Speaker 1: town whenever they finish it, and then one of the 479 00:32:21,555 --> 00:32:24,035 Speaker 1: last of the exes reached out. She waited until the 480 00:32:24,075 --> 00:32:26,755 Speaker 1: show was over. Now, I don't think any of us 481 00:32:26,955 --> 00:32:30,515 Speaker 1: is proud of this, but she had also dated Sorkin 482 00:32:30,675 --> 00:32:34,675 Speaker 1: once or twice, and since she had written celebrity stories 483 00:32:34,715 --> 00:32:36,995 Speaker 1: for a New York newspaper, he had later asked her 484 00:32:37,035 --> 00:32:40,235 Speaker 1: by email what the world of gossip reporting was like, 485 00:32:40,355 --> 00:32:43,555 Speaker 1: and she told him by email, And what she now 486 00:32:43,635 --> 00:32:47,315 Speaker 1: told me made Aaron Sorkin's use of my dad's quote 487 00:32:47,755 --> 00:32:51,235 Speaker 1: and other parts of my life seemed like possible coincidences. 488 00:32:51,275 --> 00:32:54,955 Speaker 1: She said she was watching the third, maybe fourth episode 489 00:32:54,955 --> 00:32:58,715 Speaker 1: of Newsroom, and in walked a new character, a gossip columnist, 490 00:32:58,795 --> 00:33:01,635 Speaker 1: a woman, and the first sentence the character said was 491 00:33:02,435 --> 00:33:06,275 Speaker 1: my friend and ex said were for word, something she 492 00:33:06,355 --> 00:33:08,915 Speaker 1: had sent to Sorkin in one of the emails about 493 00:33:08,915 --> 00:33:12,275 Speaker 1: the gossip business. She said when she heard it, her 494 00:33:12,275 --> 00:33:15,435 Speaker 1: face started to get red and it would keep getting redder. 495 00:33:15,995 --> 00:33:19,195 Speaker 1: The gossip columnist character's second line had also been cut 496 00:33:19,195 --> 00:33:22,635 Speaker 1: and pasted from my ex's email, then her long speech, 497 00:33:22,675 --> 00:33:25,395 Speaker 1: then all of her dialogue. She said in her second scene, 498 00:33:25,475 --> 00:33:28,435 Speaker 1: my ex actually managed to record that episode and to 499 00:33:28,555 --> 00:33:31,155 Speaker 1: find her own email to Sorkin and to compare them, 500 00:33:31,155 --> 00:33:33,515 Speaker 1: and she said, other than changing a couple of tenses, 501 00:33:34,475 --> 00:33:39,235 Speaker 1: he had used her answers verbatim. I met the actor 502 00:33:39,315 --> 00:33:42,195 Speaker 1: Josh Charles during the two thousand World Series. I was 503 00:33:42,235 --> 00:33:45,555 Speaker 1: there anchoring it for Fox Sports. Josh was there promoting 504 00:33:45,595 --> 00:33:49,235 Speaker 1: his new show on Fox. Josh had played Dan Rydell 505 00:33:49,795 --> 00:33:53,155 Speaker 1: on Sorkin's Sports Night series, and even Sorkin and I agreed, 506 00:33:53,235 --> 00:33:57,275 Speaker 1: dan Rydell is just me with a different haircut. I 507 00:33:57,355 --> 00:34:00,355 Speaker 1: was walking up Sixth Avenue one day in October two thousand, 508 00:34:00,395 --> 00:34:04,275 Speaker 1: and from several blocks away, I saw Josh Charles walking 509 00:34:04,275 --> 00:34:07,475 Speaker 1: towards me, so I had several minutes to prepare what 510 00:34:07,555 --> 00:34:10,915 Speaker 1: I could say to him. This was not spontaneous, sadly, 511 00:34:11,595 --> 00:34:14,675 Speaker 1: but after our eyes met and I smiled and he 512 00:34:14,715 --> 00:34:17,315 Speaker 1: gave me that yes, I'm on TV look that I 513 00:34:17,355 --> 00:34:21,475 Speaker 1: recognize and have myself deployed. He switched suddenly to shock 514 00:34:21,595 --> 00:34:24,395 Speaker 1: and even a little apprehension, And I said in the 515 00:34:24,435 --> 00:34:27,195 Speaker 1: line I had been rehearsing in my head for several minutes. 516 00:34:27,755 --> 00:34:31,395 Speaker 1: Excuse me. You don't get to say this often in life. 517 00:34:31,395 --> 00:34:35,635 Speaker 1: But didn't you used to play me on TV right 518 00:34:35,675 --> 00:34:37,635 Speaker 1: there on sixth aven You Josh told me about the 519 00:34:37,795 --> 00:34:40,275 Speaker 1: ordeal of working with and for Aaron Sorkin, and I 520 00:34:40,315 --> 00:34:43,395 Speaker 1: thought he just met for actors, but I later found 521 00:34:43,395 --> 00:34:46,955 Speaker 1: out because New York, it'll be a great town wherever 522 00:34:46,995 --> 00:34:50,075 Speaker 1: they finish it. Josh and I are still friends. We've 523 00:34:50,115 --> 00:34:52,195 Speaker 1: gone to ball games together. We were in a fantasy 524 00:34:52,235 --> 00:34:55,435 Speaker 1: baseball league together. And one night on my ESPN two show, 525 00:34:55,795 --> 00:34:58,475 Speaker 1: we came back from commercial, giving the audience no warning 526 00:34:58,555 --> 00:35:01,835 Speaker 1: or explanation, and we simply started co anchoring the show 527 00:35:01,875 --> 00:35:05,115 Speaker 1: and calling it Sports Night and making reference to the 528 00:35:05,155 --> 00:35:08,595 Speaker 1: program and to Newsroom. And then he said, why did 529 00:35:08,595 --> 00:35:11,235 Speaker 1: we keep reading this? And I said, I don't know. 530 00:35:11,315 --> 00:35:13,675 Speaker 1: I just assumed Sorkin had run out of new ideas. 531 00:35:14,875 --> 00:35:19,635 Speaker 1: The mutual laughter that followed was sincere. There is one 532 00:35:19,675 --> 00:35:23,275 Speaker 1: more punchline to the Newsroom Sorkin story, because I was 533 00:35:23,355 --> 00:35:26,755 Speaker 1: like his seventh guest ever. When Stephen Colbert wrapped up 534 00:35:26,795 --> 00:35:30,635 Speaker 1: the Colbert Rapport on Comedy Central, I was invited to 535 00:35:30,635 --> 00:35:34,115 Speaker 1: be on the final farewell episode, me and like ninety 536 00:35:34,195 --> 00:35:37,635 Speaker 1: nine other people. There were so many of us, ranging 537 00:35:37,675 --> 00:35:41,995 Speaker 1: from Barry Manilow to Brian Cranston to Big Bird that 538 00:35:42,075 --> 00:35:45,715 Speaker 1: they had like nine green rooms in the Comedy Central building. 539 00:35:45,915 --> 00:35:47,515 Speaker 1: And I get there and they send me to the 540 00:35:47,555 --> 00:35:49,715 Speaker 1: green room I would be sharing with several other people. 541 00:35:49,715 --> 00:35:51,475 Speaker 1: And I trudge up a bunch of stairs to the 542 00:35:51,515 --> 00:35:53,755 Speaker 1: top floor and in this big room there is only 543 00:35:53,795 --> 00:36:00,155 Speaker 1: one other performer there yet it's Jeff Daniels. Without saying hello, 544 00:36:00,355 --> 00:36:03,075 Speaker 1: he says, now, wait, let me explain. Sorkin told me, 545 00:36:03,515 --> 00:36:06,955 Speaker 1: and I explained, and then he explained, and then I 546 00:36:06,995 --> 00:36:11,995 Speaker 1: explained some more, and Jeff said, oh a lot, and 547 00:36:12,195 --> 00:36:16,235 Speaker 1: once he said oops, and Serkin didn't tell me that. 548 00:36:16,635 --> 00:36:19,235 Speaker 1: And after about three minutes he said, so I owe 549 00:36:19,235 --> 00:36:21,395 Speaker 1: you an apology and I said, no, you don't. It's 550 00:36:21,435 --> 00:36:24,195 Speaker 1: not your fault. And he smiled and he said, well great, 551 00:36:24,235 --> 00:36:28,435 Speaker 1: I'm glad. So can we take a picture together that 552 00:36:28,515 --> 00:36:31,715 Speaker 1: I can put out on Twitter? And I said, yeah, absolutely, 553 00:36:32,035 --> 00:36:35,515 Speaker 1: but only if you captured in it New York. It'll 554 00:36:35,515 --> 00:36:50,995 Speaker 1: be a great town whenever they finish it. I've done 555 00:36:51,035 --> 00:36:53,315 Speaker 1: all the damage I can do here. Thank you for listening. 556 00:36:53,355 --> 00:36:55,915 Speaker 1: Here the credits. Most of the music was arranged, produced, 557 00:36:55,915 --> 00:36:59,515 Speaker 1: and performed by Aaron Sorkin, now by Brian Ray and 558 00:36:59,555 --> 00:37:02,715 Speaker 1: John Philip Channel, who are the countdown musical directors. All 559 00:37:02,835 --> 00:37:07,395 Speaker 1: orchestration and keyboards by Aaron Sorkin now John Philip Channel, 560 00:37:07,635 --> 00:37:12,915 Speaker 1: guitarist basin, drums by Aaron who wrote this. Guitars, bass 561 00:37:12,955 --> 00:37:16,275 Speaker 1: and drums by Brian Ray, produced by t Ko Brothers 562 00:37:16,395 --> 00:37:20,675 Speaker 1: and Eron Serkin. Other Beethoven selections have been arranged and 563 00:37:20,795 --> 00:37:24,435 Speaker 1: performed by No Horns allowed. The sports music is the 564 00:37:24,435 --> 00:37:27,195 Speaker 1: Olderman theme from ESPN Too, and it was written by 565 00:37:27,235 --> 00:37:31,555 Speaker 1: Mitch Warren Davis courtesy of the ESPN Inc. Musical comments 566 00:37:31,555 --> 00:37:34,875 Speaker 1: by Nancy Faust. The best baseball stadium organist ever. Our 567 00:37:34,915 --> 00:37:38,595 Speaker 1: announcer today was Stevie Van's Aunt. Everything else is pretty 568 00:37:38,635 --> 00:37:41,115 Speaker 1: much my fault. So let's countdown for this, the eight 569 00:37:41,195 --> 00:37:44,155 Speaker 1: hundred and sixth day since Donald Trump's first attempt at 570 00:37:44,195 --> 00:37:47,595 Speaker 1: coup against the democratically elected government of the United States. 571 00:37:48,195 --> 00:37:52,395 Speaker 1: Arrest him now while we still can, or if it's 572 00:37:52,435 --> 00:37:55,515 Speaker 1: already happened as you're listening to this, arrest him again 573 00:37:55,555 --> 00:37:59,315 Speaker 1: while we still can. The next scheduled countdown is tomorrow. 574 00:37:59,355 --> 00:38:02,075 Speaker 1: Until then, I'm Keith Olberman. Good morning, good afternoon, goodnight, 575 00:38:02,395 --> 00:38:17,315 Speaker 1: and good luck. Countdown with Keith Alderman is a production 576 00:38:17,475 --> 00:38:22,795 Speaker 1: of iHeartRadio. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, 577 00:38:22,835 --> 00:38:26,235 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.