1 00:00:04,795 --> 00:00:21,435 Speaker 1: Countdown with Keith Olderman is a production of iHeartRadio Sydney. 2 00:00:21,475 --> 00:00:26,035 Speaker 1: Powell has flipped on Trump in Georgia, and if she 3 00:00:26,075 --> 00:00:28,795 Speaker 1: has flipped on Trump in Georgia, she has also either 4 00:00:28,875 --> 00:00:32,755 Speaker 1: flipped on Trump in Jack Smith's subversion case in Washington, 5 00:00:33,595 --> 00:00:37,435 Speaker 1: or she's going to have to because now she will 6 00:00:37,475 --> 00:00:40,955 Speaker 1: have to testify against Trump and the other sixteen remaining 7 00:00:40,995 --> 00:00:44,515 Speaker 1: defendants in Georgia. And since whatever she says there could 8 00:00:44,515 --> 00:00:47,395 Speaker 1: be used against her in federal court unless she takes 9 00:00:47,395 --> 00:00:50,675 Speaker 1: a plea there, she has to have taken a plea there, 10 00:00:51,315 --> 00:00:54,115 Speaker 1: or she is finalizing one because she may be crazy, 11 00:00:54,115 --> 00:00:57,515 Speaker 1: but to quote Elmer Fudd, I may be a squoy wabbott, 12 00:00:57,515 --> 00:01:01,195 Speaker 1: but I'm not going to Alcatoaz. They were going to 13 00:01:01,235 --> 00:01:04,955 Speaker 1: start selecting her jury today and the trial will to 14 00:01:04,995 --> 00:01:08,195 Speaker 1: start Monday. And earlier this week her lawyer said she'd 15 00:01:08,195 --> 00:01:10,995 Speaker 1: done nothing wrong and guess what she quote did not 16 00:01:11,115 --> 00:01:14,435 Speaker 1: represent President Trump or the Trump campaign unquote, despite all 17 00:01:14,515 --> 00:01:17,995 Speaker 1: those news conferences and TV hits in those Georgia voting 18 00:01:18,035 --> 00:01:21,275 Speaker 1: machines she'd broken into that she had explicit permission to 19 00:01:21,315 --> 00:01:27,075 Speaker 1: do that from the Kraken I guess and the importance 20 00:01:27,115 --> 00:01:32,555 Speaker 1: of all this simply cannot be overstated. To get her 21 00:01:32,675 --> 00:01:38,635 Speaker 1: plea deal, her six years of probation, her felonies reduced 22 00:01:38,675 --> 00:01:44,355 Speaker 1: to misdemeanors, her eighty seven hundred dollars in fines, she 23 00:01:44,515 --> 00:01:51,595 Speaker 1: had to plead guilty to election interference. Jack Smith may 24 00:01:51,675 --> 00:01:54,075 Speaker 1: or may not have made deals with the other unindicted 25 00:01:54,115 --> 00:01:58,235 Speaker 1: co conspirators in his election subversion case, and it sure 26 00:01:58,275 --> 00:02:00,315 Speaker 1: looks like he has some sort of arrangement with Mark 27 00:02:00,355 --> 00:02:03,675 Speaker 1: Meadows to break from official Trump policy and tell the truth. 28 00:02:03,715 --> 00:02:08,955 Speaker 1: But an actual plea with testimony deal with Sidney Powell 29 00:02:09,155 --> 00:02:15,915 Speaker 1: would have overwhelming implications. As this news broke, the emphasis 30 00:02:16,035 --> 00:02:19,955 Speaker 1: was on the about face. It constitutes that here's a 31 00:02:19,995 --> 00:02:24,115 Speaker 1: complete turnaround by the Kraken Lady, that bizarre figure who 32 00:02:24,115 --> 00:02:28,395 Speaker 1: looks like to invoke another cartoon, a badly drawn version 33 00:02:28,395 --> 00:02:32,155 Speaker 1: of Lois Griffin's mother, the woman who believed that the 34 00:02:32,195 --> 00:02:35,715 Speaker 1: twenty twenty election was somehow stolen by Ugo Chavez and 35 00:02:35,795 --> 00:02:39,595 Speaker 1: the Cubans and the Chinese. Even though Ugo Chavez is dead, 36 00:02:40,875 --> 00:02:44,275 Speaker 1: the story was and is still in many quarters viewed 37 00:02:44,315 --> 00:02:47,995 Speaker 1: as just a wacky de numont to the wackiest end 38 00:02:48,035 --> 00:02:53,155 Speaker 1: of Trump's often wacky and laughable conspiracy to just overturn 39 00:02:53,235 --> 00:02:59,315 Speaker 1: the election and American democracy. In fact, Sidney Powell is 40 00:02:59,395 --> 00:03:06,635 Speaker 1: a dagger pointed at Trump's heart. Takes Fannie Willis, and 41 00:03:06,675 --> 00:03:09,715 Speaker 1: we can assume she will take Jack Smith. Inside the 42 00:03:09,715 --> 00:03:12,995 Speaker 1: infamous December eighteenth meeting at the White House with Mike 43 00:03:13,075 --> 00:03:16,995 Speaker 1: Flynn and the crazy founder of overstock dot Com and 44 00:03:17,115 --> 00:03:21,795 Speaker 1: crazy Rudy Giuliani and Meadows and everybody screaming at everybody else, 45 00:03:22,075 --> 00:03:25,275 Speaker 1: and she and Flynn demanding Trump sign the executive order 46 00:03:25,275 --> 00:03:28,075 Speaker 1: they had written for him, getting the military to seize 47 00:03:28,155 --> 00:03:31,275 Speaker 1: the voting machines and use the National Guard to rerun 48 00:03:31,315 --> 00:03:33,315 Speaker 1: the election, so this time he'd win. 49 00:03:34,955 --> 00:03:35,435 Speaker 2: All of that. 50 00:03:35,595 --> 00:03:38,155 Speaker 1: In the moment, our nation came the closest to being 51 00:03:38,195 --> 00:03:42,955 Speaker 1: a Banana republic, unless you count any given three hour 52 00:03:43,035 --> 00:03:47,395 Speaker 1: stretch in the life of Jim Jordan. Trump was on 53 00:03:47,595 --> 00:03:53,515 Speaker 1: the verge of naming Powell Special Council to make the 54 00:03:53,595 --> 00:03:57,835 Speaker 1: Palace coup against the incoming Biden administration look legal or 55 00:03:57,915 --> 00:04:03,715 Speaker 1: constitutional or non seditious. Special Council to investigate fraud in 56 00:04:03,795 --> 00:04:07,675 Speaker 1: the twenty twenty presidential election, to find an excuse to 57 00:04:07,955 --> 00:04:12,675 Speaker 1: cancel it, and then when attorney Eric Hirshman threatened to 58 00:04:12,715 --> 00:04:15,875 Speaker 1: beat the crap out of Flynn during the meeting, and 59 00:04:15,995 --> 00:04:18,635 Speaker 1: he and the others talked Trump out of doing that, 60 00:04:19,195 --> 00:04:23,475 Speaker 1: and he sent her and Flynn packing. Sidney Palell still 61 00:04:23,515 --> 00:04:27,955 Speaker 1: believed he was going to appoint her special counsel instead. 62 00:04:28,395 --> 00:04:31,235 Speaker 1: At eleven minutes after midnight on the morning of December nineteenth, 63 00:04:31,275 --> 00:04:34,315 Speaker 1: they escorted her and Flynn and Juliani and the Patrick 64 00:04:34,395 --> 00:04:38,155 Speaker 1: Byrne guy out of the White House and all seemed quiet. 65 00:04:38,435 --> 00:04:40,835 Speaker 1: But one hundred and one minutes later Trump got on 66 00:04:40,875 --> 00:04:44,275 Speaker 1: Twitter and wrote, statistically impossible to have lost the twenty 67 00:04:44,275 --> 00:04:49,115 Speaker 1: twenty election. Big protest in DC on January sixth, b 68 00:04:49,395 --> 00:04:53,835 Speaker 1: there will be wild and the die was cast not 69 00:04:53,875 --> 00:04:57,155 Speaker 1: for seizing voting machines, but instead for a coup based 70 00:04:57,195 --> 00:05:00,675 Speaker 1: on ignoring the Constitution and turning the nation's future over 71 00:05:00,715 --> 00:05:04,795 Speaker 1: to fascist idiots like John Eastman and Jeffrey Clark and 72 00:05:04,875 --> 00:05:10,875 Speaker 1: Sidney Powell and Kenneth Cheese bro and Sidney Powell is 73 00:05:10,955 --> 00:05:17,195 Speaker 1: the lynchpin in all of that. Go down any tentacle, 74 00:05:17,675 --> 00:05:22,155 Speaker 1: and she's there. She can give direct, firsthand testimony about 75 00:05:22,155 --> 00:05:25,355 Speaker 1: what was said in that meeting before Hershman and the 76 00:05:25,395 --> 00:05:28,555 Speaker 1: other White House lawyers found out about it and burst 77 00:05:28,595 --> 00:05:31,395 Speaker 1: into the room to stop it. She can give direct 78 00:05:31,395 --> 00:05:35,395 Speaker 1: firsthand testimony about where the crazy Cuba theories came from. 79 00:05:35,515 --> 00:05:38,195 Speaker 1: She can give direct firsthand testimony about where the crazy 80 00:05:38,355 --> 00:05:41,195 Speaker 1: China theories came from. She can give direct first hand 81 00:05:41,195 --> 00:05:44,875 Speaker 1: testimony about the where the crazy Venezuela theories came from. 82 00:05:45,155 --> 00:05:48,675 Speaker 1: She can give direct firsthand testimony about what Trump wanted 83 00:05:48,715 --> 00:05:51,955 Speaker 1: to do about using the military and the National Guard. 84 00:05:52,395 --> 00:05:55,435 Speaker 1: She can give direct firsthand testimony about what Trump wanted 85 00:05:55,475 --> 00:05:59,635 Speaker 1: to do about seizing voting machines. She can give direct 86 00:05:59,715 --> 00:06:03,915 Speaker 1: first hand testimony that could put Flynn in jail and 87 00:06:04,035 --> 00:06:07,555 Speaker 1: maybe Julieiani in jail, and most importantly Trump in jail. 88 00:06:08,395 --> 00:06:12,995 Speaker 1: And she can give direct firsthand testimony about why Trump 89 00:06:13,275 --> 00:06:17,595 Speaker 1: ultimately didn't do any of the things they discussed in 90 00:06:17,635 --> 00:06:21,875 Speaker 1: that meeting, and who told him it was nonsense, and 91 00:06:22,035 --> 00:06:24,475 Speaker 1: when they told him that, and who told him he 92 00:06:24,555 --> 00:06:27,115 Speaker 1: had lost, and what Trump said when he was told 93 00:06:27,115 --> 00:06:29,755 Speaker 1: he had lost, and what Trump told them as they 94 00:06:29,835 --> 00:06:34,515 Speaker 1: all left, and what Trump told her after December nineteenth, 95 00:06:36,115 --> 00:06:39,115 Speaker 1: and Sidney Powell can give forgive the use of the 96 00:06:39,115 --> 00:06:43,595 Speaker 1: phrase again direct firsthand testimony about to quote yet another 97 00:06:43,635 --> 00:06:50,435 Speaker 1: cartoon figure, Donald Rumsfeld, all the unknown unknowns. Is it 98 00:06:50,475 --> 00:06:55,275 Speaker 1: possible that she shared the Coffee County, Georgia voting machine 99 00:06:55,315 --> 00:07:00,555 Speaker 1: breach plan with Trump? Did Trump talk fake Georgia electors 100 00:07:00,595 --> 00:07:04,315 Speaker 1: with her? Did she walk in there knowing these crazy 101 00:07:04,355 --> 00:07:09,675 Speaker 1: ideas is were crazy? Was she perhaps convinced Trump really 102 00:07:09,715 --> 00:07:12,235 Speaker 1: had lost? And did she know that in fact, these 103 00:07:12,275 --> 00:07:16,555 Speaker 1: were all really just rationalizations for a coup? And she 104 00:07:16,675 --> 00:07:20,235 Speaker 1: can give direct first hand testimony about that will be 105 00:07:20,475 --> 00:07:24,155 Speaker 1: wild tweet. Did Trump mention it or anything like it 106 00:07:24,635 --> 00:07:26,875 Speaker 1: during the meeting in the White House? Did he reveal 107 00:07:26,875 --> 00:07:30,235 Speaker 1: his plans for January sixth to them on December eighteenth? 108 00:07:30,355 --> 00:07:33,315 Speaker 1: Did he say something like, I don't know, so sounds 109 00:07:33,355 --> 00:07:35,755 Speaker 1: like this voting machine thing isn't going to work, but 110 00:07:35,795 --> 00:07:40,275 Speaker 1: I've got another idea. And Sidney Powell could even know 111 00:07:40,315 --> 00:07:45,555 Speaker 1: the answer to the sixty four million dollar question? Did 112 00:07:45,595 --> 00:07:50,795 Speaker 1: Trump say at that meeting that he knew he had lost? 113 00:07:51,835 --> 00:07:54,155 Speaker 1: When the lawyers all said that Powell and Flynn and 114 00:07:54,195 --> 00:07:56,915 Speaker 1: the others had no evidence, and they drew up stiffly 115 00:07:56,995 --> 00:08:00,075 Speaker 1: with offense about the lack of loyalty to the plan 116 00:08:00,155 --> 00:08:02,795 Speaker 1: and to their Holy Master. Did Trump say, I know 117 00:08:02,875 --> 00:08:05,475 Speaker 1: there's no evidence, I know I lost, but what the hell, 118 00:08:05,795 --> 00:08:12,475 Speaker 1: Let's go for it anyway. Jack Smith's Washington indictment, Item 119 00:08:12,555 --> 00:08:18,315 Speaker 1: eight quote. The defendant enlisted co conspirators to assist him 120 00:08:18,355 --> 00:08:21,435 Speaker 1: in his criminal efforts to overturn the legitimate results of 121 00:08:21,475 --> 00:08:25,555 Speaker 1: the twenty twenty presidential election and retain power. Among these 122 00:08:25,635 --> 00:08:32,075 Speaker 1: were co Conspirator three, an attorney whose unfounded claims of 123 00:08:32,075 --> 00:08:38,875 Speaker 1: election fraud the defendant privately acknowledged to others sounded quote crazy. Nonetheless, 124 00:08:39,355 --> 00:08:45,115 Speaker 1: the defendant embraced and publicly amplified co Conspirator three's disinformation. 125 00:08:47,035 --> 00:08:51,195 Speaker 1: Co Conspirator three is, of course Sidney Powell, and co 126 00:08:51,195 --> 00:08:59,035 Speaker 1: Conspirator three just pleaded guilty to election interference, and if 127 00:08:59,155 --> 00:09:03,555 Speaker 1: nothing else I'm posited here pays off. She is central 128 00:09:03,635 --> 00:09:06,915 Speaker 1: to the destruction of what is already the outline of 129 00:09:06,995 --> 00:09:11,275 Speaker 1: the Trump defense, the advice of counsel argument that he 130 00:09:11,395 --> 00:09:14,595 Speaker 1: was only doing what his lawyers told him to do 131 00:09:15,875 --> 00:09:19,355 Speaker 1: because if her claims sounded crazy, or if he knew 132 00:09:19,475 --> 00:09:23,715 Speaker 1: he lost, or both, he must have clearly hired those 133 00:09:23,875 --> 00:09:28,275 Speaker 1: lawyers because their claims were crazy, or because he knew 134 00:09:28,315 --> 00:09:32,675 Speaker 1: he lost. He clearly hired lawyers so if it went wrong, 135 00:09:32,755 --> 00:09:38,555 Speaker 1: he could blame them. It is the quintessential Trump. But 136 00:09:38,635 --> 00:09:41,755 Speaker 1: he actually missed the vote here because the advice of 137 00:09:41,835 --> 00:09:45,235 Speaker 1: council defense is not valid if you and your lawyers 138 00:09:45,715 --> 00:09:52,595 Speaker 1: know that you're all full of spit. The other thing 139 00:09:52,795 --> 00:09:56,315 Speaker 1: is Kenneth Cheesebrough's trial is supposed to start Monday now too, 140 00:09:56,955 --> 00:09:59,395 Speaker 1: and he is even a straighter line between things like 141 00:09:59,435 --> 00:10:02,995 Speaker 1: the Eastman plan and the sees, the voting Machines plan 142 00:10:03,315 --> 00:10:06,715 Speaker 1: and January sixth. That's because he was in the crowd 143 00:10:06,755 --> 00:10:10,875 Speaker 1: at January sixth, caught on video wave to the camera, Ken, 144 00:10:11,715 --> 00:10:16,235 Speaker 1: Sidney Powell just flipped Ken, She's the first domino. Ken, 145 00:10:17,275 --> 00:10:23,395 Speaker 1: make a deal. Ken. There is understandable disappointment that as 146 00:10:23,435 --> 00:10:26,395 Speaker 1: brazen and a morle a figure as Sidney Powell will 147 00:10:26,435 --> 00:10:30,515 Speaker 1: get away with a slap on the wrists and without 148 00:10:30,755 --> 00:10:35,515 Speaker 1: prison time. But remember, as Judge McAfee and Georgia told 149 00:10:35,555 --> 00:10:39,995 Speaker 1: her bluntly, quote, you are to testify truthfully against any 150 00:10:40,155 --> 00:10:45,195 Speaker 1: and all co defendants in this matter at any upcoming 151 00:10:45,235 --> 00:10:52,155 Speaker 1: proceedings unquote. Now we're remaking witness for the prosecution. She 152 00:10:52,275 --> 00:10:55,675 Speaker 1: already recorded a statement for prosecutors in Georgia, she has 153 00:10:55,755 --> 00:10:58,715 Speaker 1: to turn over documents to prosecutors in Georgia. She has 154 00:10:58,755 --> 00:11:01,875 Speaker 1: to write an apology to the residence of the State 155 00:11:01,955 --> 00:11:04,875 Speaker 1: of Georgia. And that means today we are all all 156 00:11:04,955 --> 00:11:08,675 Speaker 1: residents of the State of Georgia. Yeah, it's a slap 157 00:11:08,715 --> 00:11:12,595 Speaker 1: on the wrist. She helps pull down Trump. I don't 158 00:11:12,595 --> 00:11:14,395 Speaker 1: care if she got a slap on the wrist. Hell, 159 00:11:14,435 --> 00:11:16,235 Speaker 1: I don't care if she got a kiss on the mouth. 160 00:11:16,555 --> 00:11:23,035 Speaker 1: She's flipped on Trump. Oh, Nancy. 161 00:11:28,315 --> 00:11:45,315 Speaker 2: Ride a food talk on our armed Lampton, Trunkenlysa dinerm 162 00:11:46,715 --> 00:11:58,795 Speaker 2: Dinzo be, Don feed bast mood Sack got Advangion Bell, 163 00:11:59,075 --> 00:12:03,995 Speaker 2: Don Broyd Bode, I'm top free. 164 00:12:08,435 --> 00:12:15,515 Speaker 1: Don kanantiphast Oh and General Mike Flynn f ok fok 165 00:12:16,515 --> 00:12:21,235 Speaker 1: friend of Kraken. Mike Flynn now says QAnon is quote 166 00:12:21,395 --> 00:12:25,555 Speaker 1: a major psy op and quote the nonsense about Trump 167 00:12:25,715 --> 00:12:28,115 Speaker 1: is still the president and the military is coming to 168 00:12:28,155 --> 00:12:32,235 Speaker 1: the rescue is just that nonsense. And you can guess 169 00:12:32,315 --> 00:12:36,195 Speaker 1: the reaction from qworld to that. If Mike Flynn thinks 170 00:12:36,235 --> 00:12:39,795 Speaker 1: the military deposing Biden and reinstalling Trump is nonsense, the 171 00:12:39,915 --> 00:12:41,795 Speaker 1: next thing you're going to expect us to believe is 172 00:12:41,835 --> 00:12:45,795 Speaker 1: that JFK and JFK Junior have not been reanimated, and 173 00:12:45,955 --> 00:12:49,795 Speaker 1: Alex Jones is just in it for the money. I 174 00:12:49,875 --> 00:12:52,475 Speaker 1: haven't seen it yet, but I know there has to 175 00:12:52,515 --> 00:12:55,315 Speaker 1: be a post out there somewhere insisting Flynn has been 176 00:12:55,355 --> 00:13:00,875 Speaker 1: replaced by a body double or Flynn's body double has 177 00:13:00,955 --> 00:13:05,155 Speaker 1: been replaced by a new body devil. As for me, 178 00:13:05,315 --> 00:13:09,235 Speaker 1: my theory is, having rejected the cues, Flynn will also 179 00:13:09,355 --> 00:13:12,355 Speaker 1: flip in Georgia just to get somebody to listen to 180 00:13:12,555 --> 00:13:18,755 Speaker 1: him talk. There was another development in Jack Smith's subversion 181 00:13:18,875 --> 00:13:21,875 Speaker 1: prosecution of Trump last night that got even less attention 182 00:13:22,035 --> 00:13:25,835 Speaker 1: than Sidney's story did. Smith has answered the motion to 183 00:13:25,995 --> 00:13:29,035 Speaker 1: dismiss based on the wild Trump claim that since he 184 00:13:29,235 --> 00:13:31,915 Speaker 1: was president when he tried to destroy the country, he 185 00:13:31,995 --> 00:13:39,395 Speaker 1: has quote absolute immunity from criminal prosecution. Fifty four pages 186 00:13:39,435 --> 00:13:41,955 Speaker 1: from Jack Smith about how in the hell is that 187 00:13:42,115 --> 00:13:45,675 Speaker 1: supposed to work if this nation has criminally prosecuted quote 188 00:13:45,795 --> 00:13:49,795 Speaker 1: the vice president, members of the cabinet, senators, representatives, and judges, 189 00:13:50,035 --> 00:13:54,715 Speaker 1: as well as governors, mayors, sheriffs, and more. Smith also 190 00:13:54,795 --> 00:13:57,635 Speaker 1: notes that the entirety of the fake electors scheme has 191 00:13:57,715 --> 00:14:01,955 Speaker 1: nothing to do with the responsibilities of president, so even 192 00:14:01,995 --> 00:14:08,315 Speaker 1: if there were presidential immunity, it wouldn't apply. By the way, 193 00:14:08,355 --> 00:14:13,435 Speaker 1: you get presidential immunity by drinking bleach anyway, Smith also 194 00:14:13,515 --> 00:14:16,275 Speaker 1: sent Judge Chuck in the highly respected opinions on the 195 00:14:16,315 --> 00:14:21,275 Speaker 1: criminal liability of sitting presidents expressed by Trump's twenty twenty 196 00:14:21,315 --> 00:14:24,555 Speaker 1: one impeachment lawyers, who, as you may recall, and Smith 197 00:14:24,635 --> 00:14:28,435 Speaker 1: did recall, said that Trump could not be impeached by 198 00:14:28,515 --> 00:14:31,795 Speaker 1: the Senate because he was now a former president, and 199 00:14:32,155 --> 00:14:35,635 Speaker 1: former presidents could only be subjected to being charged for 200 00:14:35,795 --> 00:14:42,475 Speaker 1: presidential crimes by criminal prosecutors. In other words, they're arguing 201 00:14:42,555 --> 00:14:49,755 Speaker 1: exactly the opposite of what they're arguing today. As an aside, 202 00:14:50,195 --> 00:14:53,235 Speaker 1: the madness of King Trump is so profound and so 203 00:14:53,515 --> 00:14:56,475 Speaker 1: evil that there is one Smith paragraph that I had 204 00:14:56,555 --> 00:14:59,195 Speaker 1: to read twice because I could not be certain if 205 00:14:59,235 --> 00:15:03,555 Speaker 1: it was theoretical and a little hyperbolic, or if Trump 206 00:15:03,635 --> 00:15:06,075 Speaker 1: had committed another two hundred and seventy three crimes that 207 00:15:06,155 --> 00:15:10,075 Speaker 1: we don't know about yet. I mean, listen to this quote. 208 00:15:10,755 --> 00:15:14,235 Speaker 1: It would grant absolute immunity from criminal prosecution to a 209 00:15:14,275 --> 00:15:17,835 Speaker 1: president who accepts a bribe in exchange for a lucrative 210 00:15:17,875 --> 00:15:24,275 Speaker 1: government contract for a family member, Well sounds like Trump. 211 00:15:25,595 --> 00:15:28,955 Speaker 1: For quote, a president who instructs his FBI director to 212 00:15:29,075 --> 00:15:34,155 Speaker 1: plant incriminating evidence on a political enemy, Well, that sounds 213 00:15:34,235 --> 00:15:38,035 Speaker 1: like Trump. A president who orders the National Guard to 214 00:15:38,315 --> 00:15:43,675 Speaker 1: murder his most prominent critics. Wait, did Trump do that? 215 00:15:47,395 --> 00:15:49,515 Speaker 1: Did he order the National Guard to murder me? In 216 00:15:49,675 --> 00:15:53,635 Speaker 1: five hundred other guys? What was I doing Sports Center 217 00:15:53,675 --> 00:15:56,715 Speaker 1: at the time? Could they have told me about that? 218 00:15:59,475 --> 00:16:03,355 Speaker 1: And quote? Or a president who sells nuclear secrets to 219 00:16:03,435 --> 00:16:07,555 Speaker 1: a foreign adversary? As I said, I had to read 220 00:16:07,595 --> 00:16:11,675 Speaker 1: that paragraph twice before deciding it was theoretical and hyperbolic. 221 00:16:12,115 --> 00:16:19,355 Speaker 1: But clearly it was theoretical extrapolated from Trump reality. The 222 00:16:19,435 --> 00:16:22,675 Speaker 1: only words in the phrase a president who sells nuclear 223 00:16:22,755 --> 00:16:26,075 Speaker 1: secrets to a foreign adversary that are not on the 224 00:16:26,155 --> 00:16:38,035 Speaker 1: record already are sells and adversary. You know, if they 225 00:16:38,155 --> 00:16:40,315 Speaker 1: really want to punish Sydney Powell, they ought to make 226 00:16:40,355 --> 00:16:44,475 Speaker 1: a run for Speaker of the House. Jim Jordan meets 227 00:16:44,515 --> 00:16:46,795 Speaker 1: with everybody who voted against him. All of them say 228 00:16:47,035 --> 00:16:49,475 Speaker 1: they're going to again vote against him. Some of them 229 00:16:49,555 --> 00:16:51,795 Speaker 1: tell him there will be more who will vote against him, 230 00:16:51,795 --> 00:16:54,915 Speaker 1: so naturally he will not withdraw from the race for 231 00:16:55,035 --> 00:16:58,715 Speaker 1: Speaker of the House. He just got them to postpone 232 00:16:58,715 --> 00:17:02,755 Speaker 1: the vote from yesterday to today because I guess some 233 00:17:03,075 --> 00:17:07,115 Speaker 1: election deniers are psycho pathic opportunists like Trump, and some 234 00:17:07,355 --> 00:17:12,035 Speaker 1: are anti democracy partisans until they see them jail cell 235 00:17:12,115 --> 00:17:15,315 Speaker 1: doors opening for them. And some of them, like Jim Jordan, 236 00:17:15,355 --> 00:17:20,715 Speaker 1: are really batspit crazy and they think that overnight those 237 00:17:20,795 --> 00:17:24,835 Speaker 1: twenty two fellow Republicans were going to be visited in 238 00:17:24,955 --> 00:17:31,675 Speaker 1: their dreams by Jesus or Jacob Marley's ghost, or they 239 00:17:31,755 --> 00:17:34,875 Speaker 1: were replaced by body doubles overnight, or who knows what. 240 00:17:37,475 --> 00:17:42,675 Speaker 1: In short, this just in Jim Jordan election denier denies election. 241 00:17:42,995 --> 00:17:46,715 Speaker 3: We made the pits to members on the resolution as 242 00:17:46,715 --> 00:17:51,515 Speaker 3: a way to lower the temperature and get back to work. 243 00:17:52,435 --> 00:17:54,875 Speaker 3: We decided that wasn't where we're going to go. I'm 244 00:17:54,875 --> 00:17:56,955 Speaker 3: still running for Speaker, and I plan to go to 245 00:17:56,995 --> 00:18:00,155 Speaker 3: the floor and get the votes and win this race. 246 00:18:00,635 --> 00:18:02,075 Speaker 3: But I want to go talk with a few of 247 00:18:02,115 --> 00:18:04,875 Speaker 3: my colleagues, particularly, I want to talk with the whey 248 00:18:04,875 --> 00:18:06,035 Speaker 3: individuals voted against me. 249 00:18:07,675 --> 00:18:09,195 Speaker 1: So that we can move forward and begin to work 250 00:18:09,235 --> 00:18:15,155 Speaker 1: for the marritive people. Twenty two, Jimbo, not twenty twenty 251 00:18:15,275 --> 00:18:19,675 Speaker 1: was the first vote. Twenty two voted against you. I mean, 252 00:18:19,755 --> 00:18:22,715 Speaker 1: maybe you're stretching this election denier thing a little thin 253 00:18:22,955 --> 00:18:29,235 Speaker 1: twenty two if you missed the whole thing yesterday. Jordan 254 00:18:29,355 --> 00:18:31,275 Speaker 1: came up with a new plan in which he would 255 00:18:31,275 --> 00:18:34,315 Speaker 1: be the power behind the throne until January, when they'd 256 00:18:34,355 --> 00:18:37,435 Speaker 1: have another vote, and until then Patrick McHenry would be 257 00:18:37,595 --> 00:18:43,395 Speaker 1: mixed speaker, but with enhanced superpowers, and then in January, 258 00:18:43,795 --> 00:18:46,435 Speaker 1: Jordan was certain they would make him speaker. This went 259 00:18:46,515 --> 00:18:49,115 Speaker 1: over so well that mckenry himself said that if they 260 00:18:49,195 --> 00:18:51,515 Speaker 1: did that without a vote, he would quit, and the 261 00:18:51,635 --> 00:18:55,475 Speaker 1: next person on the emergency fill in list that all 262 00:18:55,555 --> 00:18:59,115 Speaker 1: speakers are required to submit would now succeed him as 263 00:18:59,235 --> 00:19:04,955 Speaker 1: the second emergency temporary Speaker. Even the idea of bringing 264 00:19:05,035 --> 00:19:09,395 Speaker 1: this extra constitutional scheme to a vote was unpopular because 265 00:19:09,435 --> 00:19:11,675 Speaker 1: all of a sudden, you would be changing the nature 266 00:19:11,795 --> 00:19:15,355 Speaker 1: of the job of Speaker of the House from somebody 267 00:19:15,555 --> 00:19:20,795 Speaker 1: elected by Congress to somebody who was appointed by his predecessor. 268 00:19:21,795 --> 00:19:24,715 Speaker 1: There would never be another election for Speaker. You wouldn't 269 00:19:24,755 --> 00:19:29,435 Speaker 1: have to have one, and as much as unelected power 270 00:19:29,595 --> 00:19:33,555 Speaker 1: naturally appeals to the Republican Party. Republicans are not going 271 00:19:33,635 --> 00:19:37,915 Speaker 1: for this because it reduces their individual chances to become 272 00:19:38,035 --> 00:19:44,155 Speaker 1: speaker someday themselves, and at this rate, they'll all become 273 00:19:44,275 --> 00:19:49,155 Speaker 1: Speaker of the House someday themselves. Then there was the 274 00:19:49,235 --> 00:19:54,195 Speaker 1: near fistfight that was fun. McCarthy was addressing the Republican 275 00:19:54,275 --> 00:19:56,755 Speaker 1: conference when Matt Gates tried to interrupt him, and McCarthy 276 00:19:56,835 --> 00:19:58,875 Speaker 1: told him to sit down, and Mike Bost of the 277 00:19:58,915 --> 00:20:01,875 Speaker 1: Illinois twelve started swearing at Gates and told him it 278 00:20:01,995 --> 00:20:04,235 Speaker 1: was all his fault. And then, according to a witness, 279 00:20:04,315 --> 00:20:09,155 Speaker 1: quote God, all emotional still for me in a day 280 00:20:09,195 --> 00:20:12,355 Speaker 1: when the Republicans firmly established that their brand is only 281 00:20:12,555 --> 00:20:16,835 Speaker 1: breaking stuff, never fixing stuff, never replacing stuff, never having 282 00:20:16,875 --> 00:20:19,755 Speaker 1: a plan to deal with stuff. There are three quotes 283 00:20:19,835 --> 00:20:24,235 Speaker 1: the top, all else Jim Banks of the Indiana Third quote, 284 00:20:24,795 --> 00:20:30,155 Speaker 1: we don't deserve the majority unquote. I'd like to offer 285 00:20:30,235 --> 00:20:33,555 Speaker 1: my condolences to the two hundred and fifty Democratic campaign 286 00:20:33,635 --> 00:20:37,235 Speaker 1: congressional advertising men that Jim Banks just put out of business, 287 00:20:37,275 --> 00:20:39,475 Speaker 1: because all you need to do is just keep running 288 00:20:39,555 --> 00:20:42,155 Speaker 1: that quote. We don't deserve the majority on a loop 289 00:20:42,395 --> 00:20:48,235 Speaker 1: next year. Then there is Lauren Bobert. The Republicans, she explains, 290 00:20:48,675 --> 00:20:52,555 Speaker 1: are having such trouble electing speakers because they're great, because 291 00:20:52,555 --> 00:20:56,675 Speaker 1: they're all alpha males and alpha females. Quote, we are 292 00:20:56,755 --> 00:20:59,395 Speaker 1: here because we convince hundreds of thousands of people that 293 00:20:59,555 --> 00:21:03,795 Speaker 1: we are leaders. So, bobo, which are you one of 294 00:21:03,835 --> 00:21:08,675 Speaker 1: the alpha males one of the alpha females. Congresswoman Bobert 295 00:21:08,755 --> 00:21:13,115 Speaker 1: explaining that she'll handle it, and she promises you won't 296 00:21:13,195 --> 00:21:20,675 Speaker 1: be jerked around. And then lastly, Nancy, thank you for 297 00:21:20,795 --> 00:21:24,475 Speaker 1: inviting me to this prayer breakfast. I postponed sext come 298 00:21:24,515 --> 00:21:28,235 Speaker 1: here today. Mace one of the eight who voted to 299 00:21:28,395 --> 00:21:32,435 Speaker 1: unseat McCarthy, with no plan for what happened after that, 300 00:21:33,075 --> 00:21:36,475 Speaker 1: thus triggering this mess responding to a tweet from Congressman 301 00:21:36,555 --> 00:21:39,475 Speaker 1: Greg Murphy of North Carolina that suggested that, you know, 302 00:21:39,635 --> 00:21:44,795 Speaker 1: maybe she should apologize for all this, and Mace wrote back, 303 00:21:45,715 --> 00:21:47,955 Speaker 1: if you want to vote against the people who elected you, 304 00:21:48,115 --> 00:21:50,475 Speaker 1: that's on you. But I'm going to stand with them. 305 00:21:50,595 --> 00:21:54,435 Speaker 1: Not Washington for context. Tried to reply, but he blocked 306 00:21:54,475 --> 00:21:59,195 Speaker 1: me after posting this. What a And then Nancy Mace 307 00:21:59,435 --> 00:22:05,995 Speaker 1: put in a cat emoji, Uh, thank you for inviting 308 00:22:06,075 --> 00:22:09,115 Speaker 1: me to this Twitter fight. I postponed sex to come 309 00:22:09,155 --> 00:22:17,515 Speaker 1: here today. President Biden last night on Israel and Gaza 310 00:22:17,595 --> 00:22:19,875 Speaker 1: and Hamas it may be remembered as one of the best, 311 00:22:19,915 --> 00:22:22,995 Speaker 1: if not the best, speeches of his presidency. He was firm, 312 00:22:23,315 --> 00:22:26,395 Speaker 1: He was unequivocal, He was strong, as he has been 313 00:22:26,475 --> 00:22:29,235 Speaker 1: in recent days before he went to Israel, and while 314 00:22:29,355 --> 00:22:36,155 Speaker 1: he was over there. My assessment, not my words. I 315 00:22:36,315 --> 00:22:38,435 Speaker 1: just read you was a quote from last night from 316 00:22:40,355 --> 00:22:44,595 Speaker 1: Brit Hume on Fox News. Let's all tune in today 317 00:22:44,635 --> 00:22:47,355 Speaker 1: to see where BRIT's working now because Cardinal tenets of 318 00:22:47,435 --> 00:22:51,515 Speaker 1: Fox World clashed here unquestioning support for Israel because of 319 00:22:51,555 --> 00:22:57,075 Speaker 1: the whole evangelical conversion rapture thing, and unquestioning conviction that 320 00:22:57,155 --> 00:23:00,715 Speaker 1: Biden is not firm, is not unequivocal, is not strong, 321 00:23:00,875 --> 00:23:04,595 Speaker 1: is not capable of giving a speech. I mentioned yes 322 00:23:04,715 --> 00:23:07,515 Speaker 1: yesterday that the Gaza hospital scam did not even survive 323 00:23:07,595 --> 00:23:10,875 Speaker 1: twenty four hours before it was debunked. It has somehow 324 00:23:11,115 --> 00:23:16,275 Speaker 1: gotten even more debunked and even more scammier. CNN quoting 325 00:23:16,435 --> 00:23:20,915 Speaker 1: US Intelligence community assessments curated by the Director of National Intelligence. 326 00:23:21,715 --> 00:23:24,555 Speaker 1: They are confident Israel was not responsible for the damage 327 00:23:25,675 --> 00:23:28,755 Speaker 1: to the parking lot. They are confident of a lot 328 00:23:28,835 --> 00:23:32,075 Speaker 1: more than that the assessment made for the house, and 329 00:23:32,195 --> 00:23:35,675 Speaker 1: the Senate notes that there was quote only light structural 330 00:23:35,835 --> 00:23:39,355 Speaker 1: damage at the hospital, and that the correct assessment of 331 00:23:39,435 --> 00:23:43,235 Speaker 1: fatalities was not the five hundred claimed by Hamas, but 332 00:23:43,355 --> 00:23:46,355 Speaker 1: something at the quote low end of the one hundred 333 00:23:46,395 --> 00:23:52,275 Speaker 1: to three hundred spectrum unquote, and there will be millions 334 00:23:52,555 --> 00:23:58,715 Speaker 1: enraged at this assessment, enraged that hundreds of Palestinians did 335 00:23:58,795 --> 00:24:01,955 Speaker 1: not die while camped at a place of seeming sanctuary, 336 00:24:02,395 --> 00:24:05,155 Speaker 1: which probably should tell you all you need to know here, 337 00:24:05,475 --> 00:24:09,635 Speaker 1: especially if, like me, you were initially deceived by Hamas's 338 00:24:09,755 --> 00:24:14,875 Speaker 1: unconscionable lies after the explosion. For the rest of us 339 00:24:16,035 --> 00:24:18,795 Speaker 1: who like to hear that people are not dead, the 340 00:24:18,955 --> 00:24:22,835 Speaker 1: news is getting better and better. A Jen Franz Press 341 00:24:23,435 --> 00:24:28,035 Speaker 1: anonymously quoting a European intelligence source who implies that the 342 00:24:28,115 --> 00:24:31,835 Speaker 1: American estimate of as few as one hundred dead is 343 00:24:31,995 --> 00:24:40,155 Speaker 1: still too high. The AFP source source says, quote, there 344 00:24:40,195 --> 00:24:43,635 Speaker 1: are not two hundred or five hundred dead, but rather 345 00:24:44,395 --> 00:24:56,155 Speaker 1: a few dozen, probably between ten and fifty. Also of 346 00:24:56,275 --> 00:24:59,915 Speaker 1: interest here, massive criticism over an Iowas school board banning 347 00:25:00,035 --> 00:25:02,795 Speaker 1: sixty eight books, including A Handmaid's Tale and some of 348 00:25:02,915 --> 00:25:07,195 Speaker 1: Tony Morrison's works. The reason for the criticism They're making 349 00:25:07,315 --> 00:25:11,875 Speaker 1: a neighboring Iowa school board look bad that school board 350 00:25:11,955 --> 00:25:16,915 Speaker 1: had banned four hundred books. That's next. This is countdown. 351 00:25:18,715 --> 00:25:43,635 Speaker 1: This is countdown with Keith Olberman. That last voice you 352 00:25:43,715 --> 00:25:46,635 Speaker 1: heard was Kenny Maine. I swear to God yesterday, I'm 353 00:25:46,635 --> 00:25:49,755 Speaker 1: walking up Riverside Drive here in Manhattan. I get a 354 00:25:49,835 --> 00:25:53,075 Speaker 1: text from Kenny. I look up from the phone and 355 00:25:53,235 --> 00:25:58,475 Speaker 1: walking towards me is Chris Fowler. I'm supposed to see 356 00:25:58,555 --> 00:26:04,235 Speaker 1: Chris Berman over the weekend Alumni days for ESPN. Still 357 00:26:04,235 --> 00:26:06,595 Speaker 1: ahead on Countdown Fridays with Thurber, And if the kraken 358 00:26:06,675 --> 00:26:10,235 Speaker 1: has flipped, we must once again let mister Thurber salute 359 00:26:10,475 --> 00:26:14,315 Speaker 1: the greatest man in the world. First, no time for 360 00:26:14,315 --> 00:26:16,435 Speaker 1: the daily roundup of the miss Grants, morons undone in 361 00:26:16,515 --> 00:26:20,075 Speaker 1: Kruger Effects specimens who constitute today's worst persons in the world. 362 00:26:20,675 --> 00:26:24,595 Speaker 1: The bronze Governor Jim Pillen of Nebraska, a place the 363 00:26:24,675 --> 00:26:28,115 Speaker 1: rest of us used to take seriously. The reporter Yenchi 364 00:26:28,355 --> 00:26:31,835 Speaker 1: Shoe of the Flatwater Free Press of Omaha just won 365 00:26:31,875 --> 00:26:35,475 Speaker 1: an award for a series of investigative pieces, including one 366 00:26:35,555 --> 00:26:39,515 Speaker 1: about how Governor Pillen's hog farm business is filling the 367 00:26:39,595 --> 00:26:44,235 Speaker 1: state's rivers with dangerous nitrates. A radio calling show in 368 00:26:44,315 --> 00:26:47,835 Speaker 1: Nebraska asked the governor about Yench's story, and he replied, 369 00:26:47,915 --> 00:26:51,035 Speaker 1: quote number one, I didn't read it, and I won't 370 00:26:51,475 --> 00:26:53,875 Speaker 1: number two. All you got to do is look at 371 00:26:53,915 --> 00:26:57,995 Speaker 1: the author. The author is from communist China. What more 372 00:26:58,075 --> 00:27:03,515 Speaker 1: do you need to know? Unquote, hey, Gov, Apart from 373 00:27:03,595 --> 00:27:08,035 Speaker 1: the xenophobia and the racism, and the sexism and the stupidity, 374 00:27:09,075 --> 00:27:12,435 Speaker 1: you're a tool of the Ricketts family and you're a 375 00:27:12,995 --> 00:27:16,395 Speaker 1: pig farmer. Where in the hell did you get the 376 00:27:16,515 --> 00:27:21,515 Speaker 1: idea you can look down on somebody else? The runners up, 377 00:27:21,675 --> 00:27:25,355 Speaker 1: CNN may recall that NBC News announced it will carry 378 00:27:25,395 --> 00:27:28,875 Speaker 1: the third Republican presidential debate next month, And apart from 379 00:27:28,915 --> 00:27:32,595 Speaker 1: the big picture question did anybody see the first two debates? 380 00:27:32,955 --> 00:27:34,795 Speaker 1: Who in the hell is going to watch a third one? 381 00:27:35,595 --> 00:27:38,395 Speaker 1: There is the small matter of the debate partners. NBC 382 00:27:38,595 --> 00:27:42,675 Speaker 1: agreed to Rumbable, home of people like Andrew Tait, and 383 00:27:42,915 --> 00:27:46,995 Speaker 1: Salem Radio, home of people like Charlie execute Joe Biden. 384 00:27:47,115 --> 00:27:50,075 Speaker 1: Kirk I noted when this was announced that none of 385 00:27:50,235 --> 00:27:53,715 Speaker 1: NBC's supposedly liberal stars like Mattow or Chris Hayes or 386 00:27:53,915 --> 00:27:57,675 Speaker 1: Lawrence O'Donnell had made enough money yet to find the 387 00:27:57,795 --> 00:28:02,155 Speaker 1: courage to say anything about their employers whoring themselves out 388 00:28:02,195 --> 00:28:06,715 Speaker 1: to get a Republican debate. Them have said anything. They're 389 00:28:06,875 --> 00:28:11,315 Speaker 1: joining in the hoaring out at NBC. Well guess what. 390 00:28:11,675 --> 00:28:15,355 Speaker 1: Republican National Committee spokesman Keith Schipper tells the Spectator that 391 00:28:15,475 --> 00:28:18,235 Speaker 1: his committee was pitched on carrying that debate or some 392 00:28:18,395 --> 00:28:22,195 Speaker 1: future fourth Republican debate with Rumble and Salem as debate 393 00:28:22,315 --> 00:28:28,315 Speaker 1: partners pitched by CNN. CNN wanted to still wants to 394 00:28:28,795 --> 00:28:34,595 Speaker 1: to a Republican debate with Rumble and Salem Radio Salem 395 00:28:34,675 --> 00:28:39,475 Speaker 1: as in the Witch trials. CNN's media team asked CNN 396 00:28:39,595 --> 00:28:42,155 Speaker 1: for a comment, but CNN would not comment to CNN 397 00:28:42,395 --> 00:28:45,475 Speaker 1: because if you think CNN has exercised Chris licked yet, 398 00:28:45,875 --> 00:28:49,915 Speaker 1: you crazy. But our winner is the Community School District 399 00:28:49,955 --> 00:28:52,635 Speaker 1: of Iowa City, Iowa, which has announced it has removed 400 00:28:52,675 --> 00:28:55,315 Speaker 1: sixty eight books from its school libraries because a new 401 00:28:55,395 --> 00:28:58,035 Speaker 1: Senate bill in that state bans books with sex, c 402 00:28:58,155 --> 00:29:02,035 Speaker 1: and them, and that law is so vague that they 403 00:29:02,115 --> 00:29:05,955 Speaker 1: don't know if keeping that sixty eight book supply will 404 00:29:06,075 --> 00:29:09,955 Speaker 1: make them or their employees liable for prosecution. The sixty 405 00:29:09,955 --> 00:29:13,355 Speaker 1: eight titles include The Handmaid's Tale and Tony Morrison's The 406 00:29:13,355 --> 00:29:15,875 Speaker 1: Bluest Eye, and the list is also notable because it 407 00:29:15,995 --> 00:29:22,555 Speaker 1: is comparatively short. In July, Urbandale, Iowa removed nearly four 408 00:29:22,675 --> 00:29:26,355 Speaker 1: hundred books, including The Catcher in the Rye and Catch 409 00:29:26,475 --> 00:29:31,595 Speaker 1: twenty two and nineteen eighty four, which is about, among 410 00:29:31,715 --> 00:29:36,515 Speaker 1: many other things, destroying people's faith in truth by banning 411 00:29:36,595 --> 00:29:41,115 Speaker 1: books and rewriting history. Now, apart from Eric Blair, who 412 00:29:41,195 --> 00:29:43,715 Speaker 1: wrote nineteen eighty four under his pen name George Orwell, 413 00:29:43,795 --> 00:29:47,355 Speaker 1: coming back from the Beyond to level Iowa with one blink, 414 00:29:48,155 --> 00:29:50,835 Speaker 1: there is a solution to this. I have offered it before. 415 00:29:51,315 --> 00:29:55,195 Speaker 1: In states with book bands or other fascists or theocratic regulations, 416 00:29:55,555 --> 00:29:58,675 Speaker 1: the universities and the colleges of the other states should 417 00:29:58,675 --> 00:30:03,515 Speaker 1: simply declare that high school degrees from Iowa schools are 418 00:30:03,715 --> 00:30:08,355 Speaker 1: insufficient for admission. You have a degree from Iowa, I'm 419 00:30:08,355 --> 00:30:11,955 Speaker 1: sorry you can't get into Binghamton State. The book bands 420 00:30:11,995 --> 00:30:17,875 Speaker 1: would within a week be themselves banned. The Iowa City, 421 00:30:17,955 --> 00:30:21,755 Speaker 1: Iowa Community School District only sixty eight books banned. What 422 00:30:21,875 --> 00:30:27,035 Speaker 1: are We paying you? People? For two days? Worse persons 423 00:30:27,675 --> 00:30:46,555 Speaker 1: in the world Fridays with Thurber now and looking to 424 00:30:46,715 --> 00:30:49,715 Speaker 1: our other back of the book feature, as they call it, 425 00:30:50,035 --> 00:30:53,355 Speaker 1: There is a short film of this story. I don't 426 00:30:53,475 --> 00:30:56,035 Speaker 1: think it really does it justice. I don't think anything 427 00:30:56,075 --> 00:30:59,995 Speaker 1: does it justice. Occasionally, real life does do it justice. 428 00:31:00,395 --> 00:31:03,555 Speaker 1: I've thought I've seen this story playing out in real 429 00:31:03,715 --> 00:31:08,475 Speaker 1: time in this almost every day for about seven years. 430 00:31:09,835 --> 00:31:13,835 Speaker 1: Sit back and relax, if relax is the right word 431 00:31:13,915 --> 00:31:19,555 Speaker 1: for it. For the Greatest Man in the World by 432 00:31:19,675 --> 00:31:24,595 Speaker 1: James Thurber. Looking back on it now from the vantage 433 00:31:24,635 --> 00:31:27,395 Speaker 1: point of nineteen forty one can only marvel that it 434 00:31:27,475 --> 00:31:30,555 Speaker 1: had not happened long before it did. The United States 435 00:31:30,595 --> 00:31:35,435 Speaker 1: of America had been ever since Kitty Hawk blindly constructing 436 00:31:35,515 --> 00:31:39,675 Speaker 1: the elaborate Petard by which, sooner or later it must 437 00:31:39,995 --> 00:31:44,155 Speaker 1: be hoist. It was inevitable that someday there would come, 438 00:31:44,235 --> 00:31:48,835 Speaker 1: roaring out of the skies a national hero of insufficient intelligence, background, 439 00:31:48,875 --> 00:31:52,595 Speaker 1: and character successfully to endure the mounting orgies of glory 440 00:31:52,675 --> 00:31:56,075 Speaker 1: prepared for aviators who stayed up for a long time 441 00:31:56,715 --> 00:32:01,835 Speaker 1: or flew a great distance. Both Lindbergh and Bird, fortunately 442 00:32:01,915 --> 00:32:06,115 Speaker 1: for national decorum and international amity, had been gentlemen. So 443 00:32:06,355 --> 00:32:10,635 Speaker 1: had our other famous aviators. They wore their laurels gracefully, 444 00:32:10,755 --> 00:32:14,355 Speaker 1: withstood the awful weather of publicity, married excellent women, usually 445 00:32:14,515 --> 00:32:18,315 Speaker 1: fine family, and quietly retired to private life and the 446 00:32:18,435 --> 00:32:23,235 Speaker 1: enjoyment of their varying fortunes. No untoward incidents on a 447 00:32:23,315 --> 00:32:26,955 Speaker 1: worldwide scale marred the perfection of their conduct on the 448 00:32:27,075 --> 00:32:32,515 Speaker 1: perilous heights of fame. The exception to the rule was, however, 449 00:32:33,275 --> 00:32:38,555 Speaker 1: bound to occur, and it did in July nineteen thirty seven, 450 00:32:38,635 --> 00:32:44,395 Speaker 1: when Jack pal smirch erstwhile mechanics helper in a small 451 00:32:44,515 --> 00:32:48,955 Speaker 1: garage in Westfield, Iowa, flew a second hand single motored 452 00:32:49,235 --> 00:32:54,835 Speaker 1: BREASTHABN Dragonfly three monoplane all the way around the world 453 00:32:55,075 --> 00:33:01,035 Speaker 1: without stopping. Never before in the history of aviation had 454 00:33:01,075 --> 00:33:03,995 Speaker 1: such a flight as Smirches even been dreamed of. No 455 00:33:04,115 --> 00:33:08,315 Speaker 1: one had even taken seriously the weird floating auxiliary gas 456 00:33:08,435 --> 00:33:11,555 Speaker 1: tanks invention of the mad New Hampshire professor of astronomy 457 00:33:11,755 --> 00:33:16,355 Speaker 1: doctor Charles Lewis Gresham, upon which Smirch placed full reliance 458 00:33:17,155 --> 00:33:22,235 Speaker 1: When the garage worker, a slightly built, surly unprepossessing young 459 00:33:22,275 --> 00:33:25,235 Speaker 1: man of twenty two, appeared at Roosevelt Field early in 460 00:33:25,315 --> 00:33:29,755 Speaker 1: July nineteen thirty seven, slowly chewing a great quid of 461 00:33:29,915 --> 00:33:34,395 Speaker 1: scrap tobacco, and announced, nobody ain't seen no flying yet. 462 00:33:35,315 --> 00:33:39,835 Speaker 1: The newspapers touched briefly and satirically upon his projected twenty 463 00:33:40,035 --> 00:33:46,075 Speaker 1: five thousand mile flight. Aeronautical and automotive experts dismissed the idea, curtly, 464 00:33:46,315 --> 00:33:50,075 Speaker 1: implying that it was a hoax, the publicity stunt. The rusty, 465 00:33:50,435 --> 00:33:56,835 Speaker 1: battered second hand plane wouldn't go, the Gresham auxiliary tanks 466 00:33:57,235 --> 00:34:05,755 Speaker 1: wouldn't work. It was simply a cheap joke. However, after 467 00:34:05,875 --> 00:34:08,235 Speaker 1: calling on a girl in Brooklyn who worked in the 468 00:34:08,315 --> 00:34:11,675 Speaker 1: flap folding department of a large paper box factory, a 469 00:34:11,755 --> 00:34:16,435 Speaker 1: girl whom he later described as his sweet Petuti climbed 470 00:34:16,595 --> 00:34:21,155 Speaker 1: nonchalantly into his ridiculous plane at dawn the memorable seventh 471 00:34:21,195 --> 00:34:25,075 Speaker 1: of July nineteen thirty seven, spit a curve of tobacco 472 00:34:25,235 --> 00:34:28,195 Speaker 1: juice into the still air and took off, carrying with 473 00:34:28,315 --> 00:34:32,595 Speaker 1: him only a gallon of bootleg gin and six pounds 474 00:34:32,715 --> 00:34:38,155 Speaker 1: of salami. When the garage boy thundered out over the ocean, 475 00:34:38,195 --> 00:34:40,995 Speaker 1: the papers were forced to record in all seriousness that 476 00:34:41,115 --> 00:34:45,595 Speaker 1: a mad, unknown young man his name was variously misspelled, 477 00:34:45,995 --> 00:34:49,515 Speaker 1: had actually set out upon a preposterous attempt to span 478 00:34:49,715 --> 00:34:53,275 Speaker 1: the world in a rickety one engine contraption, trusting to 479 00:34:53,355 --> 00:34:57,835 Speaker 1: the long distance refueling device of a crazy schoolmaster. When 480 00:34:58,035 --> 00:35:01,875 Speaker 1: nine days later, without having stopped once, the tiny plane 481 00:35:01,915 --> 00:35:05,075 Speaker 1: appeared above San Francisco Bay, headed for to New York, 482 00:35:05,155 --> 00:35:08,435 Speaker 1: spluttering and choking, to be sure, but still magnificently and 483 00:35:08,555 --> 00:35:12,955 Speaker 1: miraculously aloft the headlines, which long since had crowded everything 484 00:35:13,035 --> 00:35:15,555 Speaker 1: else off the front page. Even the shooting of the 485 00:35:15,675 --> 00:35:20,595 Speaker 1: Governor of Illinois by the Valetti Gang swelled to unprecedented size, 486 00:35:20,995 --> 00:35:23,515 Speaker 1: and the news stories began to run to twenty five 487 00:35:23,835 --> 00:35:30,875 Speaker 1: and thirty columns. It was noticeable, however, that the accounts 488 00:35:31,315 --> 00:35:35,355 Speaker 1: of the epoch making flight touched rather lightly upon the 489 00:35:35,515 --> 00:35:40,235 Speaker 1: aviator himself. This was not because the facts about the 490 00:35:40,355 --> 00:35:44,075 Speaker 1: hero as a man were too meager, but because they 491 00:35:44,115 --> 00:35:48,595 Speaker 1: were too complete. Reporters who had been rushed out to 492 00:35:48,755 --> 00:35:51,875 Speaker 1: Iowa when Smirch's plane was first sighted over the little 493 00:35:51,955 --> 00:35:54,995 Speaker 1: French coast town of Serlee Lemaire to dig up the 494 00:35:55,075 --> 00:35:58,555 Speaker 1: story of the great man's life. Had promptly discovered that 495 00:35:58,715 --> 00:36:02,075 Speaker 1: the story of his life could not be printed. His mother, 496 00:36:02,515 --> 00:36:05,395 Speaker 1: a sullen short order cook in a shaft restaurant on 497 00:36:05,435 --> 00:36:08,515 Speaker 1: the edge of a tourists camping ground near Westfield, met 498 00:36:08,595 --> 00:36:11,315 Speaker 1: all inquiries as to her son with an angry and 499 00:36:11,555 --> 00:36:15,635 Speaker 1: the hell with him a happy drowns. His father appeared 500 00:36:15,635 --> 00:36:19,515 Speaker 1: to be in jail somewhere for stealing spotlights and lap 501 00:36:19,675 --> 00:36:24,475 Speaker 1: robes from tourists automobiles. His young brother, a weak minded lad, 502 00:36:25,035 --> 00:36:28,115 Speaker 1: had but recently escaped from the Preston, Iowa Reformatory and 503 00:36:28,235 --> 00:36:31,035 Speaker 1: was already wanted in several Western towns for the theft 504 00:36:31,075 --> 00:36:35,915 Speaker 1: of money order blanks from post offices. These alarming discoveries 505 00:36:36,155 --> 00:36:39,075 Speaker 1: were still piling up at the very time that Pal Smirch, 506 00:36:39,395 --> 00:36:43,475 Speaker 1: the greatest hero of the twentieth century, blear eyed dead 507 00:36:43,595 --> 00:36:47,635 Speaker 1: for sleep, half starved, was piloting his crazy junk heap 508 00:36:47,715 --> 00:36:50,075 Speaker 1: high above the region in which the lamentable story of 509 00:36:50,115 --> 00:36:53,155 Speaker 1: his private life was being unearthed, headed for New York, 510 00:36:53,355 --> 00:36:56,155 Speaker 1: and a greater glory than any man of his time 511 00:36:56,315 --> 00:37:03,435 Speaker 1: had ever known. The necessity for printing some account in 512 00:37:03,515 --> 00:37:06,595 Speaker 1: the papers of the young men's career and personality had 513 00:37:06,675 --> 00:37:10,155 Speaker 1: led to a remarkable predicament. It was, of course, impossible 514 00:37:10,235 --> 00:37:14,155 Speaker 1: to reveal the facts, for a tremendous popular feeling in 515 00:37:14,315 --> 00:37:16,595 Speaker 1: favor of the young hero had sprung up like a 516 00:37:16,675 --> 00:37:19,555 Speaker 1: grass fire when he was halfway across Europe on his 517 00:37:19,675 --> 00:37:23,395 Speaker 1: flight around the globe. He was therefore described as a modest, 518 00:37:23,515 --> 00:37:29,395 Speaker 1: chap taciturn blonde, popular with his friends, popular with girls. 519 00:37:30,195 --> 00:37:33,635 Speaker 1: The only available snapshot of Smirch, taken at the wheel 520 00:37:33,715 --> 00:37:36,475 Speaker 1: of a phony automobile in a cheap photo studio at 521 00:37:36,475 --> 00:37:39,355 Speaker 1: an amusement park, was touched up so that the little 522 00:37:39,475 --> 00:37:45,235 Speaker 1: vulgarian looked quite handsome. His twisted leer was smoothed into 523 00:37:45,275 --> 00:37:49,035 Speaker 1: a pleasant smile. The truth was in this way kept 524 00:37:49,075 --> 00:37:52,715 Speaker 1: from the youth's ecstatic compatriots. They did not dream that 525 00:37:52,835 --> 00:37:56,995 Speaker 1: the Smirch family was despised and feared by its neighbors 526 00:37:57,035 --> 00:37:59,995 Speaker 1: in the obscure Iowa town, nor that the hero himself, 527 00:38:00,635 --> 00:38:04,275 Speaker 1: because of numerous unsavory exploits, had come to be regarded 528 00:38:04,315 --> 00:38:09,115 Speaker 1: in west Field as a nuisance and a menace. Pal's 529 00:38:09,155 --> 00:38:12,835 Speaker 1: smirch had the reporters discovered once knife the principle of 530 00:38:12,915 --> 00:38:15,915 Speaker 1: his high school, not mortally, to be sure, but he 531 00:38:15,995 --> 00:38:19,755 Speaker 1: had knifed him, and on another occasion, surprised in the 532 00:38:19,875 --> 00:38:23,715 Speaker 1: act of an stealing altar cloth from a church, he 533 00:38:23,795 --> 00:38:26,475 Speaker 1: had bashed the sexton over the head with a pot 534 00:38:26,515 --> 00:38:31,115 Speaker 1: of Easter lilies. For each of these offenses he had 535 00:38:31,155 --> 00:38:36,355 Speaker 1: served a sentence in the reformatory. Inwardly, the authorities, both 536 00:38:36,395 --> 00:38:39,235 Speaker 1: in New York and in Washington, prayed that an understanding 537 00:38:39,315 --> 00:38:44,995 Speaker 1: providence might, however awful, such a thing seemed, bring disaster 538 00:38:45,315 --> 00:38:48,475 Speaker 1: to the rusty, battered plane and its illustrious pilot, whose 539 00:38:48,555 --> 00:38:52,435 Speaker 1: unheard of flight had aroused the civilized world to hosannas 540 00:38:52,475 --> 00:38:56,995 Speaker 1: of hysterical praise. The authorities were convinced that the character 541 00:38:57,115 --> 00:39:00,195 Speaker 1: of the renowned aviator was such that the limelight of 542 00:39:00,275 --> 00:39:03,875 Speaker 1: adulation was bound to reveal him to all the world 543 00:39:04,315 --> 00:39:09,555 Speaker 1: as a congenital hooligan, mentally and morally unequipped to cope 544 00:39:09,595 --> 00:39:14,475 Speaker 1: with his own prodigious fame. I trust, said the Secretary 545 00:39:14,475 --> 00:39:17,075 Speaker 1: of State at one of the many secret Cabinet meetings 546 00:39:17,275 --> 00:39:21,315 Speaker 1: called to consider the national dilemma. I trust that his 547 00:39:21,515 --> 00:39:26,275 Speaker 1: mother's prayer will be answered, by which he referred to 548 00:39:26,435 --> 00:39:31,955 Speaker 1: missus Emma's. Smirch's wish that her son might be drowned was, however, 549 00:39:32,075 --> 00:39:34,955 Speaker 1: too late, for that Smirch had leaped the Atlantic and 550 00:39:35,035 --> 00:39:37,955 Speaker 1: then the Pacific as if they were mill ponds. At 551 00:39:37,995 --> 00:39:40,955 Speaker 1: three minutes after two o'clock on the afternoon of July seventeenth, 552 00:39:41,075 --> 00:39:44,875 Speaker 1: nineteen thirty seven, the garage boy brought his idiotic plane 553 00:39:44,915 --> 00:39:50,635 Speaker 1: into Roosevelt Field for a perfect three point landing. It had, 554 00:39:50,675 --> 00:39:53,395 Speaker 1: of course been out of the question to arrange a 555 00:39:53,475 --> 00:39:56,595 Speaker 1: modest little reception for the greatest flier in the history 556 00:39:56,635 --> 00:39:59,515 Speaker 1: of the world. He was received at Roosevelt Field with 557 00:39:59,595 --> 00:40:05,275 Speaker 1: such elaborate and pretentious ceremonies as rocked the world fortune. However, 558 00:40:05,675 --> 00:40:09,235 Speaker 1: the warren and spent hero promptly swooned, had to be 559 00:40:09,355 --> 00:40:12,195 Speaker 1: removed bodily from his plane, and was spirited from the 560 00:40:12,275 --> 00:40:15,595 Speaker 1: field without having opened his mouth once. Thus he did 561 00:40:15,675 --> 00:40:19,435 Speaker 1: not jeopardize the dignity of his first reception, a reception 562 00:40:19,635 --> 00:40:23,115 Speaker 1: illumined by the presence of the Secretaries of War and 563 00:40:23,235 --> 00:40:26,115 Speaker 1: the Navy Mayor Michael J. Moriarty of New York, the 564 00:40:26,235 --> 00:40:30,275 Speaker 1: Premier of Canada, Governor's Fanamine Groves, mcpheeley and Critchfield, and 565 00:40:30,315 --> 00:40:34,355 Speaker 1: a brilliant array of European diplomats. Smirch did not, in 566 00:40:34,435 --> 00:40:37,195 Speaker 1: fact come too in time to take part in the 567 00:40:37,275 --> 00:40:40,275 Speaker 1: gigantic hullabaloo arranged at City Hall for the next day. 568 00:40:40,635 --> 00:40:44,235 Speaker 1: He was rushed to a secluded nursing home and confined 569 00:40:44,275 --> 00:40:47,515 Speaker 1: in bed. It was nine days before he was able 570 00:40:47,555 --> 00:40:49,835 Speaker 1: to get up, or, to be more exact, before he 571 00:40:50,075 --> 00:40:55,435 Speaker 1: was permitted to get up. Meanwhile, the greatest minds in 572 00:40:55,515 --> 00:40:59,195 Speaker 1: the country in solemn Assembly, had arranged a secret conference 573 00:40:59,515 --> 00:41:02,635 Speaker 1: of city, state and government officials, which Smirch was to 574 00:41:02,795 --> 00:41:06,635 Speaker 1: attend for the purpose of being being instructed in the 575 00:41:06,755 --> 00:41:12,115 Speaker 1: ethics and behavior of heroism. On the day that the 576 00:41:12,155 --> 00:41:14,595 Speaker 1: little mechanic was finally allowed to get up in dress 577 00:41:14,915 --> 00:41:16,355 Speaker 1: and for the first time in two weeks, took a 578 00:41:16,395 --> 00:41:19,395 Speaker 1: great chew of tomacco, he was permitted to receive the 579 00:41:19,515 --> 00:41:24,435 Speaker 1: newspaper men this by way of testing him out. Smirch 580 00:41:24,595 --> 00:41:28,715 Speaker 1: did not wait for questions. Use guys, he said, and 581 00:41:28,875 --> 00:41:32,555 Speaker 1: the Times man winced. Use guys can tell the cock 582 00:41:32,635 --> 00:41:36,395 Speaker 1: eyed world that I put it over on Lindberg. See yeah, 583 00:41:36,875 --> 00:41:41,835 Speaker 1: man an as said, I'm two frogs. The two frogs 584 00:41:42,715 --> 00:41:46,195 Speaker 1: was a reference to a pair of gallant French flyers who, 585 00:41:46,235 --> 00:41:48,835 Speaker 1: in attempting to flight only halfway around the world, had 586 00:41:48,835 --> 00:41:52,835 Speaker 1: two weeks before unhappily been lost at sea. The Times 587 00:41:52,955 --> 00:41:55,155 Speaker 1: Man was bold enough at this point to sketch out 588 00:41:55,195 --> 00:41:58,875 Speaker 1: for Smirch the accepted formula for interviews in cases of 589 00:41:58,955 --> 00:42:02,035 Speaker 1: this kind. He explained that there should be no arrogant 590 00:42:02,155 --> 00:42:06,755 Speaker 1: statements belittling the achievements of other heroes, particularly heroes of 591 00:42:06,875 --> 00:42:11,395 Speaker 1: foreign nations. Ah the hell with that, said Smirch. I 592 00:42:11,515 --> 00:42:14,715 Speaker 1: did it. See I did it, and I'm talking about it. 593 00:42:16,235 --> 00:42:20,195 Speaker 1: And he did talk about it. None of this extraordinary 594 00:42:20,275 --> 00:42:24,515 Speaker 1: interview was, of course printed. On the contrary, the newspapers, 595 00:42:24,595 --> 00:42:27,795 Speaker 1: already under the discipline direction of a secret directorate created 596 00:42:27,835 --> 00:42:31,395 Speaker 1: for the occasion and composed of statesmen and editors, gave 597 00:42:31,435 --> 00:42:35,035 Speaker 1: out to a panting and restless world that Jackie, as 598 00:42:35,115 --> 00:42:38,715 Speaker 1: he had been arbitrarily nicknamed, would consent to say only 599 00:42:38,795 --> 00:42:41,995 Speaker 1: that he was very happy, and that anyone could have 600 00:42:42,075 --> 00:42:45,435 Speaker 1: done what he did. My achievement has been I fear 601 00:42:45,835 --> 00:42:49,795 Speaker 1: slightly exaggerated. The Times Man's article had him protest with 602 00:42:49,875 --> 00:42:54,195 Speaker 1: a modest smile. These newspaper stories were kept from the hero, 603 00:42:54,755 --> 00:42:57,795 Speaker 1: a restriction which did not serve to abate the rising 604 00:42:58,035 --> 00:43:03,395 Speaker 1: malevolence of his temper. The situation was indeed extremely grave. 605 00:43:04,115 --> 00:43:08,875 Speaker 1: For power Smirch was, as he kept insisting, raring to go. 606 00:43:10,435 --> 00:43:12,395 Speaker 1: He could not much longer be kept from a nation 607 00:43:12,555 --> 00:43:16,195 Speaker 1: clamorous to lionize him. It was the most desperate crisis 608 00:43:16,275 --> 00:43:18,995 Speaker 1: the United States of America had faced since the sinking 609 00:43:19,155 --> 00:43:24,995 Speaker 1: of the Lusitania. On the afternoon of the twenty seventh 610 00:43:25,155 --> 00:43:28,115 Speaker 1: of July, Smirch was spirited away to a conference room 611 00:43:28,115 --> 00:43:32,515 Speaker 1: in which were gathered mayors, governors, government officials, behaviorist, psychologists, 612 00:43:32,595 --> 00:43:36,515 Speaker 1: and editors. He gave them each a limp moist paw, 613 00:43:37,035 --> 00:43:43,435 Speaker 1: and a brief, unlovely grin, hi, he said. When Smirch 614 00:43:43,555 --> 00:43:45,595 Speaker 1: was seated, the Mayor of New York arose, and, with 615 00:43:45,755 --> 00:43:49,435 Speaker 1: obvious pessimism, attempted to explain what he must say and 616 00:43:49,555 --> 00:43:52,995 Speaker 1: how he must act when presented to the world, ending 617 00:43:53,115 --> 00:43:55,515 Speaker 1: his talk with a high tribute to the hero's courage 618 00:43:55,555 --> 00:43:58,755 Speaker 1: and integrity. The mayor was followed by Governor Fannmen of 619 00:43:58,835 --> 00:44:02,395 Speaker 1: New York, who, after a touching declaration of faith, introduced 620 00:44:02,715 --> 00:44:07,035 Speaker 1: Cameron Spottiswoodecon, secretary of the American Embassy in Paris, the 621 00:44:07,155 --> 00:44:12,075 Speaker 1: gentleman selected to coach Smirch in the amenities of public ceremonies. 622 00:44:13,435 --> 00:44:16,475 Speaker 1: Sitting in a chair with a soiled yellow tie in 623 00:44:16,555 --> 00:44:19,315 Speaker 1: his hand and his shirt open at the throat, unshaved, 624 00:44:19,835 --> 00:44:24,075 Speaker 1: smoking a rolled cigarette, Jack Smirch listened with a leer 625 00:44:24,275 --> 00:44:28,195 Speaker 1: on his lips. I get you, I get you, He 626 00:44:28,315 --> 00:44:31,755 Speaker 1: cut in nastily. You want me to act like a softie? 627 00:44:31,795 --> 00:44:31,995 Speaker 3: Huh? 628 00:44:32,595 --> 00:44:36,035 Speaker 1: You want me to act like that memeny memoy, baby 629 00:44:36,195 --> 00:44:38,795 Speaker 1: face lind big huh, Well nuts to that. 630 00:44:39,075 --> 00:44:39,275 Speaker 2: See. 631 00:44:40,515 --> 00:44:43,395 Speaker 1: Everyone took in his breath sharply. It was a sigh 632 00:44:43,915 --> 00:44:49,635 Speaker 1: and a hiss. Mister Lindbergh began a United States Senator 633 00:44:49,795 --> 00:44:54,395 Speaker 1: purple with rage, and mister bird Smirch, who was paring 634 00:44:54,515 --> 00:44:58,835 Speaker 1: his nails with a jackknife, cut in again. Boyd, He exclaimed, Oh, 635 00:44:58,955 --> 00:45:02,715 Speaker 1: for God's sake, that big somebody shut off the blasphemies 636 00:45:02,835 --> 00:45:05,635 Speaker 1: with a sharp word. A newcomer had entered the word 637 00:45:05,875 --> 00:45:08,835 Speaker 1: the room. Everyone stood up, except Smirch, who was still 638 00:45:08,875 --> 00:45:11,995 Speaker 1: busy with his nails, and he did not even glance up, 639 00:45:12,155 --> 00:45:16,035 Speaker 1: mister Smirch, said someone sternly. The President of the United States. 640 00:45:17,275 --> 00:45:19,075 Speaker 1: It had been thought that the presence of the Chief 641 00:45:19,115 --> 00:45:22,075 Speaker 1: Executive might have a chastening effect on the young hero, 642 00:45:22,555 --> 00:45:25,435 Speaker 1: and the former had been, thanks to the remarkable cooperation 643 00:45:25,555 --> 00:45:28,835 Speaker 1: of the press, secretly brought to the obscure conference room. 644 00:45:30,235 --> 00:45:39,835 Speaker 1: A great, painful silence fell. Smirch looked up, waved a 645 00:45:39,915 --> 00:45:44,835 Speaker 1: hand at the President. How you coming, he asked, and 646 00:45:45,035 --> 00:45:54,155 Speaker 1: began rolling a fresh cigarette. The silence deepened. Someone coughed 647 00:45:54,475 --> 00:45:59,275 Speaker 1: in a strained way. Jesus hot, ain't it, said Smirch. 648 00:46:00,955 --> 00:46:05,035 Speaker 1: He loosened two more shirt buttons, revealing a hairy and 649 00:46:05,115 --> 00:46:10,995 Speaker 1: the tattooed word sadie enclosed in a stenciled heart. The 650 00:46:11,115 --> 00:46:14,235 Speaker 1: great and important men in the room, faced by the 651 00:46:14,275 --> 00:46:19,955 Speaker 1: most serious crisis in American history, exchanged worried frowns. Nobody 652 00:46:20,075 --> 00:46:23,435 Speaker 1: seemed to know how to proceed. Come on, come on, 653 00:46:23,955 --> 00:46:26,915 Speaker 1: said Smirch. Let's get the hell out of here. When 654 00:46:26,995 --> 00:46:28,715 Speaker 1: do I start cutting in on the podies? 655 00:46:28,795 --> 00:46:28,995 Speaker 2: Eh? 656 00:46:29,595 --> 00:46:34,235 Speaker 1: And when is there gonna be this in it? He 657 00:46:34,395 --> 00:46:39,315 Speaker 1: rubbed a thumb and forefinger together meaningly, money, exclaimed a 658 00:46:39,355 --> 00:46:44,835 Speaker 1: state senator shocked. Pale. Yeah money, said pal, flipping his 659 00:46:44,915 --> 00:46:48,595 Speaker 1: cigarette out of the window. And big money. He began 660 00:46:48,715 --> 00:46:54,115 Speaker 1: rolling a fresh cigarette. Big money, he repeated, Frowning over 661 00:46:54,155 --> 00:46:57,195 Speaker 1: the rice paper. He tilted back in his chair and 662 00:46:57,435 --> 00:47:01,475 Speaker 1: leered at each gentleman separately, the leer of an animal 663 00:47:01,595 --> 00:47:05,195 Speaker 1: that knows its power, the leer of a leper loose 664 00:47:05,315 --> 00:47:09,315 Speaker 1: in a bird and dog shop. Ah, for God's sake, 665 00:47:09,715 --> 00:47:13,075 Speaker 1: let's get someplace where it's cool, he said. I've been 666 00:47:13,155 --> 00:47:17,355 Speaker 1: cooped up plenty for three weeks. Smirch stood up and 667 00:47:17,435 --> 00:47:20,515 Speaker 1: walked over to an open window, where he stood staring 668 00:47:20,595 --> 00:47:25,475 Speaker 1: down into the street nine floors below. The faint shouting 669 00:47:25,555 --> 00:47:28,915 Speaker 1: of newsboys floated up to him. He made out his name, 670 00:47:29,315 --> 00:47:34,475 Speaker 1: Hot Dog, he cried, grinning ecstatic. He leaned out over 671 00:47:34,595 --> 00:47:39,555 Speaker 1: the sill. You tell them babies, he shouted down, Hot 672 00:47:39,675 --> 00:47:43,755 Speaker 1: Diggity Dog, and the tense little knot of men standing 673 00:47:43,835 --> 00:47:48,235 Speaker 1: behind him a quick, mad impulse flared up. An unspoken 674 00:47:48,355 --> 00:47:52,075 Speaker 1: word of appeal of command seemed to ring through the room, 675 00:47:52,435 --> 00:47:56,555 Speaker 1: yet it was deadly silent. Charles K. L Brand, secretary 676 00:47:56,635 --> 00:47:58,355 Speaker 1: to the Mayor of New York City, happened to be 677 00:47:58,395 --> 00:48:02,115 Speaker 1: standing nearest smirch. He looked inquiringly at the President of 678 00:48:02,155 --> 00:48:07,875 Speaker 1: the United States. The President, pale grim nodded shortly. Brand 679 00:48:08,195 --> 00:48:11,755 Speaker 1: a tall, powerfully built man wants to tackle at Rutgers University, 680 00:48:12,155 --> 00:48:15,435 Speaker 1: stepped forward, seized the greatest man in the world by 681 00:48:15,475 --> 00:48:17,435 Speaker 1: his left shoulder and the seat of his pants, and 682 00:48:17,635 --> 00:48:21,235 Speaker 1: pushed him out the window. My god, he's falling out 683 00:48:21,275 --> 00:48:24,115 Speaker 1: the window, cried a quick witted editor. Get me out 684 00:48:24,115 --> 00:48:26,715 Speaker 1: of here, cried the President. Several men sprang to his side, 685 00:48:26,715 --> 00:48:28,675 Speaker 1: and he was hurriedly escorted out of a door toward 686 00:48:28,715 --> 00:48:30,755 Speaker 1: a side entrance of the building. The editor of the 687 00:48:30,795 --> 00:48:33,955 Speaker 1: Associated Press took charge. Being used to such things crisply, 688 00:48:34,035 --> 00:48:37,075 Speaker 1: he ordered certain men to leave, others to stay. Quickly. 689 00:48:37,155 --> 00:48:39,315 Speaker 1: He outlined a story which all the papers were to 690 00:48:39,435 --> 00:48:41,795 Speaker 1: agree on, sent two men to the street to handle 691 00:48:41,875 --> 00:48:44,475 Speaker 1: that end of the tragedy, commanded a senator to sob 692 00:48:44,795 --> 00:48:49,115 Speaker 1: and two congressmen to go to pieces nervously. In a word, 693 00:48:49,475 --> 00:48:52,835 Speaker 1: he skillfully set the stage for the gigantic task that 694 00:48:53,075 --> 00:48:56,195 Speaker 1: was to follow, the task of breaking to a grief 695 00:48:56,275 --> 00:49:01,715 Speaker 1: stricken world the sad story of the untimely accidental death 696 00:49:01,875 --> 00:49:08,155 Speaker 1: of its most illustrious and spectacular figure. The funeral was, 697 00:49:08,235 --> 00:49:13,315 Speaker 1: as you know, the most elaborate, the finest, the solemnest, 698 00:49:14,075 --> 00:49:16,675 Speaker 1: and the saddest ever held in the United States of America. 699 00:49:17,595 --> 00:49:21,675 Speaker 1: The monument in Arlington Cemetery, with its clean white shaft 700 00:49:21,755 --> 00:49:25,635 Speaker 1: of marble and the simple device of a tiny plane 701 00:49:25,875 --> 00:49:31,235 Speaker 1: carved on its base, is a place for pilgrims in 702 00:49:31,435 --> 00:49:35,955 Speaker 1: deep reverence to visit. The nations of the world paid 703 00:49:36,075 --> 00:49:42,355 Speaker 1: lofty tributes to Little Jackie Smirch, America's greatest hero. At 704 00:49:42,355 --> 00:49:45,395 Speaker 1: a given hour, there were two minutes of silence throughout 705 00:49:45,435 --> 00:49:49,315 Speaker 1: the nation. Even the inhabitants of the small, bewildered town 706 00:49:49,395 --> 00:49:54,275 Speaker 1: of Westfield, Iowa, observed this touching ceremony. Agents of the 707 00:49:54,355 --> 00:49:58,875 Speaker 1: Department of Justice sought that one of them was especially 708 00:49:58,915 --> 00:50:01,595 Speaker 1: assigned to stand grimly in the doorway of a little 709 00:50:01,675 --> 00:50:05,715 Speaker 1: shack restaurant on the edge of the tourist camping ground 710 00:50:05,915 --> 00:50:11,515 Speaker 1: just outside the town. There, under his stern scrutiny, Missus 711 00:50:11,635 --> 00:50:15,435 Speaker 1: Emma Smirch bowed her head over two Hamburger steaks sizzling 712 00:50:15,515 --> 00:50:19,955 Speaker 1: on her grill. Bowed her head and turned away so 713 00:50:20,115 --> 00:50:24,635 Speaker 1: that the secret serviceman could not see the twisted, strangely 714 00:50:24,835 --> 00:50:32,075 Speaker 1: familiar leer on her lips. The Greatest Man in the 715 00:50:32,195 --> 00:50:49,235 Speaker 1: World by James Thurber. I've done all the damage I 716 00:50:49,275 --> 00:50:51,675 Speaker 1: can do here. Thank you for listening. The music you 717 00:50:51,795 --> 00:50:54,555 Speaker 1: heard was, for the most part, arranged, produced and performed 718 00:50:54,675 --> 00:50:57,755 Speaker 1: by Countdowns musical directors Brian Ray and John Phillip Schenel. 719 00:50:58,155 --> 00:51:01,275 Speaker 1: Brian Ray handled guitars, bass and drums, John Phillip Shanel 720 00:51:01,355 --> 00:51:04,635 Speaker 1: on orchestration and keyboards. It was produced by Tko Brah. 721 00:51:05,395 --> 00:51:08,995 Speaker 1: Other music, including some Beethoven, arranged and performed by the 722 00:51:09,035 --> 00:51:12,755 Speaker 1: group No Horns. A loud sports music courtesy of ESPN, Inc. 723 00:51:12,875 --> 00:51:15,595 Speaker 1: Written by Mitch Warren Davis called the Old Woman theme 724 00:51:15,595 --> 00:51:19,635 Speaker 1: from ESPN two. Our satirical and pithy musical comments are 725 00:51:19,675 --> 00:51:23,395 Speaker 1: by Nancy Faust, the best baseball stadium organist ever. Our 726 00:51:23,475 --> 00:51:26,715 Speaker 1: announcer today was my friend Kenny Maine. Everything else was 727 00:51:26,795 --> 00:51:29,475 Speaker 1: pretty much my fault. So that's countdown for this the 728 00:51:29,595 --> 00:51:33,755 Speaker 1: one thy eighteenth day since Donald Trump's first attempted coup 729 00:51:33,755 --> 00:51:37,315 Speaker 1: against the democratically elected government of the United States. Convict 730 00:51:37,395 --> 00:51:41,275 Speaker 1: him now while we still can, and don't forget flip 731 00:51:41,395 --> 00:51:45,395 Speaker 1: My Kraken. The next scheduled countdown is Tuesday. Bulletins is 732 00:51:45,435 --> 00:51:47,955 Speaker 1: the news warrant till then on Keith Olderman, Good Morning, 733 00:51:48,035 --> 00:52:02,955 Speaker 1: good afternoon, goodnight, and good luck. Countdown with Keith Olderman 734 00:52:03,115 --> 00:52:07,555 Speaker 1: is a production of iHeartRadio. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, 735 00:52:07,755 --> 00:52:11,715 Speaker 1: visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get 736 00:52:11,795 --> 00:52:12,675 Speaker 1: your podcasts.