1 00:00:04,755 --> 00:00:08,995 Speaker 1: Countdown with Keith Alderman is a production of I Heart Radio. 2 00:00:09,875 --> 00:00:29,275 Speaker 1: This is Countdown with Keith Olberman. I don't have to 3 00:00:29,315 --> 00:00:32,315 Speaker 1: tell you things are bad. Everybody knows things are bad. 4 00:00:32,355 --> 00:00:35,235 Speaker 1: It's a recession. Everybody goes to work, but they're still 5 00:00:35,275 --> 00:00:38,155 Speaker 1: scared of losing their job. The corporations make sure the 6 00:00:38,195 --> 00:00:42,075 Speaker 1: dollar buys in Nickelsworth Banks are making record profits. Teachers 7 00:00:42,075 --> 00:00:44,435 Speaker 1: are told to keep a gun under the desk. Punks 8 00:00:44,435 --> 00:00:47,435 Speaker 1: are running wild in Congress, and there's nobody anywhere seems 9 00:00:47,435 --> 00:00:49,315 Speaker 1: to know what to do, and there's no end to it. 10 00:00:49,795 --> 00:00:53,155 Speaker 1: We know the air is unfit to breathe and our 11 00:00:53,195 --> 00:00:55,915 Speaker 1: planet will be unfit for life. And we sit watching 12 00:00:55,915 --> 00:00:59,715 Speaker 1: our TVs while some Fox newscaster tells us that today 13 00:00:59,795 --> 00:01:02,755 Speaker 1: Trump is the real victim and minorities are the real problem. 14 00:01:02,835 --> 00:01:05,395 Speaker 1: As if that's the way it's supposed to be. We 15 00:01:05,475 --> 00:01:08,995 Speaker 1: all know things are bad. Worse than bad. They're crazy. 16 00:01:09,195 --> 00:01:11,555 Speaker 1: It's like everything everywhere is going crazy, so we don't 17 00:01:11,595 --> 00:01:13,835 Speaker 1: go out anymore. We have the Senate in the House, 18 00:01:13,915 --> 00:01:16,875 Speaker 1: but slowly the democracy we're living and is getting smaller. 19 00:01:17,035 --> 00:01:19,275 Speaker 1: And all we say is please at least leave us 20 00:01:19,275 --> 00:01:21,675 Speaker 1: alone in our living rooms. Let me have my president 21 00:01:21,795 --> 00:01:25,075 Speaker 1: and my R. B. G. Shrine and my January six hearings, 22 00:01:25,075 --> 00:01:27,995 Speaker 1: and I won't say anything. Just leave us alone. While 23 00:01:27,995 --> 00:01:30,395 Speaker 1: I'm not going to leave you alone. I want you 24 00:01:30,435 --> 00:01:33,155 Speaker 1: to get mad. I want you to protest. I want 25 00:01:33,195 --> 00:01:35,555 Speaker 1: you to strike. I want you to write to your congressman, 26 00:01:35,595 --> 00:01:37,515 Speaker 1: because you don't need me to tell you what to write. 27 00:01:37,755 --> 00:01:39,835 Speaker 1: You know what to do about the recession and the 28 00:01:39,835 --> 00:01:42,315 Speaker 1: inflation and the Russians and the Nazis in the street. 29 00:01:42,755 --> 00:01:45,955 Speaker 1: All I know is first you've got to get mad. 30 00:01:46,315 --> 00:01:49,475 Speaker 1: You've got to say I'm a human being, God damnaged, 31 00:01:49,715 --> 00:01:55,315 Speaker 1: my life has value. So I want you to get 32 00:01:55,395 --> 00:01:57,555 Speaker 1: up now. I want all of you to get up 33 00:01:57,795 --> 00:01:59,915 Speaker 1: and out of your chairs. I want you to get 34 00:01:59,995 --> 00:02:02,755 Speaker 1: up right now and go to the window, open it 35 00:02:02,795 --> 00:02:05,075 Speaker 1: and stick your head out and yell, I am as 36 00:02:05,115 --> 00:02:07,955 Speaker 1: mad as hell and I'm not gonna take Trump anymore. 37 00:02:08,555 --> 00:02:10,475 Speaker 1: I want you to get up right now, get up, 38 00:02:10,515 --> 00:02:13,155 Speaker 1: go to your windows, open them, and stick your head 39 00:02:13,155 --> 00:02:15,635 Speaker 1: out and yell, I'm as mad as hell, and I'm 40 00:02:15,635 --> 00:02:19,075 Speaker 1: not gonna take Trump anymore. Things have got to change. 41 00:02:19,155 --> 00:02:21,915 Speaker 1: But first you've got to get mad. You've got to 42 00:02:21,915 --> 00:02:24,235 Speaker 1: say I'm as mad as hell, and I'm not gonna 43 00:02:24,275 --> 00:02:26,675 Speaker 1: take Trump anymore. Then we'll figure out what to do 44 00:02:26,715 --> 00:02:29,275 Speaker 1: about the recession and the inflation in the oil cartels. 45 00:02:29,395 --> 00:02:32,475 Speaker 1: But first, get up out of your chairs, open your windows, 46 00:02:32,475 --> 00:02:34,555 Speaker 1: stick your head out, and yell and say it. I 47 00:02:34,675 --> 00:02:37,075 Speaker 1: am as mad as hell and I'm not gonna take 48 00:02:37,155 --> 00:02:40,675 Speaker 1: Trump anymore. The mold as hell, he'll take Trump anymore. 49 00:02:40,995 --> 00:02:47,195 Speaker 1: I'm mad as hell, and I'm not gonna take Trump anymore. Sorry, 50 00:02:47,755 --> 00:02:51,395 Speaker 1: I couldn't resist. And for the first time in my life, 51 00:02:51,435 --> 00:02:53,995 Speaker 1: even through the brutal years of Reagan and even through 52 00:02:53,995 --> 00:02:57,955 Speaker 1: the psychotic years of Bush, that famous Howard Beal's speech 53 00:02:57,955 --> 00:03:00,755 Speaker 1: from the nineteen seventy six movie Network seems to fit 54 00:03:00,915 --> 00:03:05,155 Speaker 1: this moment. With some revisions. Of course, the Beal character 55 00:03:05,355 --> 00:03:08,315 Speaker 1: as portrayed by Peter Finch, and especially that speech, and 56 00:03:08,435 --> 00:03:11,915 Speaker 1: especially that catchphrase I'm as mad as hell and I'm 57 00:03:11,915 --> 00:03:15,555 Speaker 1: not going to take this anymore, spoke to long before 58 00:03:15,555 --> 00:03:19,995 Speaker 1: it became a cliche. This weird overlap between somebody who 59 00:03:20,035 --> 00:03:22,795 Speaker 1: is so enraged that he is angry mad as hell 60 00:03:23,355 --> 00:03:27,035 Speaker 1: and somebody who may be so insane that he is 61 00:03:27,155 --> 00:03:31,155 Speaker 1: crazy mad as hell. But there's also a third subtext 62 00:03:31,195 --> 00:03:34,555 Speaker 1: to it, which only occasionally gets mentioned and only occasionally 63 00:03:34,555 --> 00:03:37,715 Speaker 1: gets appreciated, And it is why Beale and mad as 64 00:03:37,715 --> 00:03:42,075 Speaker 1: Hell means something today. It's that line towards the start. 65 00:03:42,115 --> 00:03:44,875 Speaker 1: We all know things are bad. Worse than bad, they're crazy. 66 00:03:45,035 --> 00:03:49,115 Speaker 1: It's like everything everywhere is going crazy. In short, it's 67 00:03:49,115 --> 00:03:52,755 Speaker 1: like Howard Beale, representing all of us, is going crazy 68 00:03:52,835 --> 00:03:56,715 Speaker 1: because nobody else is when they should be. If in 69 00:03:56,835 --> 00:03:59,475 Speaker 1: school you had read that a hundred years ago, or 70 00:03:59,475 --> 00:04:02,115 Speaker 1: a hundred and fifty years ago, or whenever a president 71 00:04:02,155 --> 00:04:05,795 Speaker 1: of the United States fraudulently denied he lost the election 72 00:04:05,835 --> 00:04:08,275 Speaker 1: and tried to overturn it in the courts and in 73 00:04:08,315 --> 00:04:10,715 Speaker 1: the Congress, and it didn't work because it was one 74 00:04:10,755 --> 00:04:15,195 Speaker 1: big lie. So he invited gangs of thugs and racists 75 00:04:15,235 --> 00:04:18,795 Speaker 1: and guns suckers and militias to come to the capital 76 00:04:18,875 --> 00:04:22,915 Speaker 1: during the most boasted about part of American democracy, the 77 00:04:22,995 --> 00:04:26,635 Speaker 1: peaceful transfer of power, And having invited them, he then 78 00:04:26,715 --> 00:04:30,435 Speaker 1: incited them to try to overthrow the government by violence. 79 00:04:30,595 --> 00:04:33,275 Speaker 1: You would have expected to then have read about the 80 00:04:33,355 --> 00:04:36,795 Speaker 1: police and the military and the laws that stopped him, 81 00:04:36,995 --> 00:04:40,075 Speaker 1: and the arrests and the indictments and the lifetimes in 82 00:04:40,115 --> 00:04:45,675 Speaker 1: prison and the vengeance that followed. Hell, what precipitated the 83 00:04:45,795 --> 00:04:50,315 Speaker 1: Civil War if not eleven states trying to stop the 84 00:04:50,355 --> 00:04:54,395 Speaker 1: peaceful transfer of power because they didn't like who got elected. 85 00:04:55,275 --> 00:04:58,995 Speaker 1: We are supposed to do something about this. When a 86 00:04:59,115 --> 00:05:03,155 Speaker 1: large minority of Americans stood up and said only whites 87 00:05:03,355 --> 00:05:06,515 Speaker 1: are real people. And when they said we will use 88 00:05:06,595 --> 00:05:09,595 Speaker 1: the police to lynch black people. And when they said 89 00:05:09,635 --> 00:05:12,155 Speaker 1: guns settle everything, and when they said women are here 90 00:05:12,155 --> 00:05:14,195 Speaker 1: only to breed, and when they said we own the 91 00:05:14,235 --> 00:05:16,675 Speaker 1: Supreme Court now, and when they said we will not 92 00:05:16,755 --> 00:05:18,995 Speaker 1: teach history because we don't want children to know there's 93 00:05:19,035 --> 00:05:21,515 Speaker 1: a more righteous way. And when they said this is 94 00:05:21,555 --> 00:05:24,755 Speaker 1: our world, and you the majority. Your votes do not 95 00:05:24,995 --> 00:05:28,435 Speaker 1: count here. Your cities do not count here, your lives 96 00:05:28,475 --> 00:05:31,395 Speaker 1: do not count here. Your president does not count here. 97 00:05:32,675 --> 00:05:36,715 Speaker 1: When all that happened within thirty nine days, our anger 98 00:05:36,835 --> 00:05:42,595 Speaker 1: and our vengeance democracies anger and vengeance began. It was 99 00:05:42,675 --> 00:05:46,755 Speaker 1: eighteen sixty one. But first you've got to get mad. 100 00:05:49,035 --> 00:05:52,195 Speaker 1: Today they have Trump and Schedule F and a plan 101 00:05:52,315 --> 00:05:58,235 Speaker 1: to impeach Biden for whatever, and they've already turned the 102 00:05:58,275 --> 00:06:03,235 Speaker 1: Supreme Court into the theocratic republican supreme religious Court, and 103 00:06:03,275 --> 00:06:06,275 Speaker 1: they've overturned abortion, and next will be marriage equality. And 104 00:06:06,315 --> 00:06:10,075 Speaker 1: they intend to investigate the January six committee members and 105 00:06:10,115 --> 00:06:13,075 Speaker 1: pardon everybody who actually attacked the capitol, even though you 106 00:06:13,115 --> 00:06:15,195 Speaker 1: and I grew up presuming you know, if I attacked 107 00:06:15,235 --> 00:06:20,035 Speaker 1: the capital during the peaceful transfer of power. I'm gonna 108 00:06:20,075 --> 00:06:22,915 Speaker 1: guess they'll give me about five seconds to stop before 109 00:06:23,115 --> 00:06:26,315 Speaker 1: they start shooting at me. And they want to put 110 00:06:26,315 --> 00:06:30,355 Speaker 1: Fauci in prison, and their passing laws prosecuting doctors and 111 00:06:30,475 --> 00:06:33,075 Speaker 1: prosecuting women who leave a state to go to another 112 00:06:33,115 --> 00:06:36,035 Speaker 1: state for an abortion. In other words, they want to 113 00:06:36,075 --> 00:06:40,195 Speaker 1: prosecute women who leave a slave state to go to 114 00:06:40,435 --> 00:06:45,515 Speaker 1: a free state and bring them back to the slave state. 115 00:06:46,635 --> 00:06:50,595 Speaker 1: And they have a Fox News, and another worse Fox News, 116 00:06:50,795 --> 00:06:54,195 Speaker 1: and another worser even than that Fox News. And what 117 00:06:54,275 --> 00:07:00,115 Speaker 1: do we have? We have once a week somebody who 118 00:07:00,155 --> 00:07:04,075 Speaker 1: says we must find a compromise with them. We must 119 00:07:04,075 --> 00:07:07,755 Speaker 1: be by partisan, we must be democrats and liberals who 120 00:07:07,795 --> 00:07:13,395 Speaker 1: act like Republicans and fascists and Nazis. We have Joe Mansion, 121 00:07:14,595 --> 00:07:20,075 Speaker 1: and for eighteen months, Joe Mansion has obstructed all the 122 00:07:20,115 --> 00:07:23,675 Speaker 1: good Joe Biden has tried to do and prevented all 123 00:07:23,675 --> 00:07:26,195 Speaker 1: the emergency measures we must have to keep the last 124 00:07:26,235 --> 00:07:29,755 Speaker 1: words by the last humans surviving the climate catastrophe on 125 00:07:29,795 --> 00:07:34,195 Speaker 1: this planet. From being as chairman of Excellent Mobile, I 126 00:07:34,195 --> 00:07:39,875 Speaker 1: don't want to report record profits for the year fifty two. 127 00:07:41,955 --> 00:07:45,195 Speaker 1: And when the bribe for Joe Mansion, the Senator from 128 00:07:45,395 --> 00:07:50,035 Speaker 1: fossil fuel gulch West Virginia, is finally sufficient to his 129 00:07:50,155 --> 00:07:53,315 Speaker 1: liking and he finally agrees with Chuck Schumer on the 130 00:07:53,355 --> 00:07:56,835 Speaker 1: seven hundred and forty billion dollar Climate and Deficit Reduction Bill, 131 00:07:57,075 --> 00:07:59,915 Speaker 1: what does he get? He gets to go on all 132 00:08:00,115 --> 00:08:06,035 Speaker 1: five network Sunday political television NIT, which shows proverbial full 133 00:08:06,195 --> 00:08:11,995 Speaker 1: ginsburg glory, glory, hallelujah. It's Joe Mansion, our lawgiver, the 134 00:08:12,155 --> 00:08:18,595 Speaker 1: true Democrat. And yet Kirsten Cinema could still kill the 135 00:08:18,675 --> 00:08:23,155 Speaker 1: thing today and Joe Mansion would then still look reasonable. 136 00:08:23,275 --> 00:08:28,595 Speaker 1: By contrast, tomorrow, he'd still be the hero who achieved nothing, 137 00:08:30,595 --> 00:08:34,075 Speaker 1: and of all that cinema stuff bothers you. I used 138 00:08:34,115 --> 00:08:38,275 Speaker 1: to go out with her. We all know things are bad. 139 00:08:38,355 --> 00:08:43,435 Speaker 1: Worse than bad, they're crazy. It's like everything everywhere has 140 00:08:43,475 --> 00:08:48,275 Speaker 1: going crazy, even the fascists who hate or fear Trump 141 00:08:48,355 --> 00:08:51,395 Speaker 1: have something closer to a plan than we do. The 142 00:08:51,675 --> 00:08:55,915 Speaker 1: This Town author Mark Leebevich, quoted a former Republican congressman 143 00:08:55,995 --> 00:08:59,035 Speaker 1: is saying, quote, look, we have no plan for this 144 00:08:59,115 --> 00:09:05,075 Speaker 1: except sitting around hoping he dies, unquote, which actually sounds 145 00:09:05,115 --> 00:09:08,075 Speaker 1: like more of a plan than our plan. Our plan 146 00:09:09,475 --> 00:09:15,835 Speaker 1: make sure Democrats help the craziest Trump supporters and election deniers, 147 00:09:16,075 --> 00:09:18,555 Speaker 1: and it's not I Q and On, it's just Q 148 00:09:18,755 --> 00:09:24,035 Speaker 1: and on nutbags get nominated because we're confident we can 149 00:09:24,115 --> 00:09:32,355 Speaker 1: beat them right right, right this weekend, it will be 150 00:09:32,555 --> 00:09:38,075 Speaker 1: nineteen months since the coup. They have plans for more coups. 151 00:09:38,155 --> 00:09:40,155 Speaker 1: A coup in Washington, a coup in every state, of 152 00:09:40,235 --> 00:09:43,595 Speaker 1: coup in every county. Looks like they compromise the Secret 153 00:09:43,635 --> 00:09:46,715 Speaker 1: Service and it's still compromised. Looks like they compromise the 154 00:09:46,715 --> 00:09:51,515 Speaker 1: inspector General at Homeland Security. They've compromised half the cops 155 00:09:51,555 --> 00:09:55,675 Speaker 1: in this country, a little less, a little more. They've compromised, 156 00:09:55,795 --> 00:09:59,155 Speaker 1: as my heroes, Bob Elliott Ray Golding once joked, everything 157 00:09:59,155 --> 00:10:02,635 Speaker 1: except the Visiting Nurse Association. They have built a cult 158 00:10:03,075 --> 00:10:06,115 Speaker 1: around denying. That's went twenty election. And if you haven't 159 00:10:06,115 --> 00:10:09,115 Speaker 1: figured out what's behind that nonsense, by the way, seemingly 160 00:10:09,235 --> 00:10:12,715 Speaker 1: quixotic and academic at the same time. Here's the little secret. 161 00:10:12,995 --> 00:10:16,515 Speaker 1: The idea about the twenty stuff still being talked about 162 00:10:16,715 --> 00:10:22,635 Speaker 1: is if L. Douche gets elected and goes back to 163 00:10:22,635 --> 00:10:25,755 Speaker 1: the White House, he will somehow make somebody like I 164 00:10:25,755 --> 00:10:31,075 Speaker 1: don't know, the Supreme Court confirm that yes, he actually 165 00:10:31,195 --> 00:10:35,635 Speaker 1: won in but was denied that rightful term in the 166 00:10:35,635 --> 00:10:39,515 Speaker 1: White House, so he will be given a third term 167 00:10:39,595 --> 00:10:43,955 Speaker 1: in t or at least allowed to run for it. 168 00:10:44,195 --> 00:10:48,395 Speaker 1: In short, was stolen from him. He's owed another term, 169 00:10:48,515 --> 00:10:52,195 Speaker 1: right That's in the Constitution, isn't it. Gee, maybe we 170 00:10:52,235 --> 00:10:57,955 Speaker 1: could just you know, skip the election outright. The fascists 171 00:10:57,995 --> 00:11:01,075 Speaker 1: have all this in the works. And what do we have. 172 00:11:01,795 --> 00:11:09,315 Speaker 1: We have Chuck Todd three weeks ago asking a Republican governor, quote, 173 00:11:09,995 --> 00:11:12,795 Speaker 1: what's best for the country? Do you think the country 174 00:11:12,835 --> 00:11:16,395 Speaker 1: can handle prosecuting a former president? And we have Lester 175 00:11:16,595 --> 00:11:19,595 Speaker 1: Holts one week ago telling the Attorney General of the 176 00:11:19,675 --> 00:11:23,595 Speaker 1: United States, quote, indictment of a former president and perhaps 177 00:11:23,595 --> 00:11:27,955 Speaker 1: a candidate for president would arguably tear the country apart. 178 00:11:28,835 --> 00:11:36,355 Speaker 1: Is that your concern? They have Fox News? We have 179 00:11:37,315 --> 00:11:44,435 Speaker 1: Fox News, only we call it NBC. I will do 180 00:11:44,515 --> 00:11:48,635 Speaker 1: this podcast every weekday morning, no holiday, mondays. Sorry I'm 181 00:11:48,635 --> 00:11:50,715 Speaker 1: getting old. It will be as best as I can 182 00:11:50,715 --> 00:11:52,555 Speaker 1: do with the podcast version of what the old TV 183 00:11:52,675 --> 00:11:54,915 Speaker 1: show was. I will explain to you later in this 184 00:11:54,995 --> 00:11:59,075 Speaker 1: first episode what exactly happened to the old TV show. 185 00:12:00,235 --> 00:12:03,395 Speaker 1: And here's a tease. It's none of the things you've heard. 186 00:12:04,075 --> 00:12:07,035 Speaker 1: And I'll have comments on the news and comments on 187 00:12:07,115 --> 00:12:09,275 Speaker 1: the sports. Did you know he used to do sports? 188 00:12:09,955 --> 00:12:13,555 Speaker 1: And the worst persons in the world are back? And 189 00:12:13,635 --> 00:12:16,475 Speaker 1: why Trump gets a tax break for burying his wife 190 00:12:16,475 --> 00:12:19,955 Speaker 1: in the golf course. But first I want to button 191 00:12:20,075 --> 00:12:22,995 Speaker 1: up this topic about getting mad as hell with two 192 00:12:23,075 --> 00:12:27,635 Speaker 1: quotes and one question. Quote number one, it's General William 193 00:12:27,635 --> 00:12:30,955 Speaker 1: To comes to Sherman, and it's meant metaphorically. So don't 194 00:12:31,075 --> 00:12:35,235 Speaker 1: think I'm talking about bloodshed, because you can't do political 195 00:12:35,315 --> 00:12:40,355 Speaker 1: bloodshed in this country unless you're a Republican. This was 196 00:12:40,435 --> 00:12:45,155 Speaker 1: Sherman the last time Americans tried to overthrow American democracy. Quote. 197 00:12:45,715 --> 00:12:50,115 Speaker 1: War is the remedy our enemies have chosen. Other simple 198 00:12:50,155 --> 00:12:53,435 Speaker 1: remedies were within their choice. You know it, and they 199 00:12:53,515 --> 00:12:56,755 Speaker 1: know it. But they wanted war. And I say, let 200 00:12:56,835 --> 00:12:59,275 Speaker 1: us give them all they want, not a word of argument, 201 00:12:59,275 --> 00:13:01,355 Speaker 1: not a sign of let up, no cave in until 202 00:13:01,515 --> 00:13:08,995 Speaker 1: we are whipped or they are end Sherman quote. First, 203 00:13:08,995 --> 00:13:12,915 Speaker 1: you've got to get mad. What greater act of war 204 00:13:13,115 --> 00:13:16,715 Speaker 1: against the United States by someone owing allegiance to the 205 00:13:16,835 --> 00:13:20,755 Speaker 1: United States within the United States could there ever be 206 00:13:21,355 --> 00:13:25,435 Speaker 1: than to send armed militias into the United States Capital 207 00:13:25,675 --> 00:13:29,715 Speaker 1: than to encourage them to attack and kill members of Congress, 208 00:13:29,715 --> 00:13:33,275 Speaker 1: members of the Senate, even the Vice President. What greater 209 00:13:33,395 --> 00:13:36,475 Speaker 1: act of war against the United States could there be 210 00:13:36,955 --> 00:13:40,675 Speaker 1: than to try to prevent by violent revolution, the peaceful 211 00:13:40,715 --> 00:13:44,475 Speaker 1: transfer of power in the United States. I have no 212 00:13:44,595 --> 00:13:48,075 Speaker 1: complaints about the January sixth Committee. I do not buy 213 00:13:48,155 --> 00:13:50,955 Speaker 1: the argument that it's the Liz Cheney Show, And so 214 00:13:51,155 --> 00:13:54,235 Speaker 1: what if it were. Chairman Thompson and the other Democrats 215 00:13:54,235 --> 00:13:58,035 Speaker 1: have been terrific if, as I speculated months ago, they 216 00:13:58,075 --> 00:14:01,635 Speaker 1: are programming to the proverbial audience of one and it 217 00:14:01,795 --> 00:14:06,995 Speaker 1: is named Merrick Garland Dandy. But I don't see exactly 218 00:14:07,035 --> 00:14:11,515 Speaker 1: how they plan to end this. So what if first 219 00:14:12,195 --> 00:14:15,235 Speaker 1: they realized you've got to get mad, You've got to 220 00:14:15,275 --> 00:14:17,035 Speaker 1: say I'm as mad as hell, and I'm not going 221 00:14:17,075 --> 00:14:19,635 Speaker 1: to take Trump anymore? What if they ended it with 222 00:14:19,755 --> 00:14:23,475 Speaker 1: another quote? What if the January six Committee ends its 223 00:14:23,515 --> 00:14:27,875 Speaker 1: final hearing by simply quoting just the start of Title 224 00:14:27,955 --> 00:14:32,395 Speaker 1: eighteen U s c. Chapter one fifteen, Section two three 225 00:14:32,795 --> 00:14:38,275 Speaker 1: eight one quote. Whoever, owing allegiance to the United States, 226 00:14:38,475 --> 00:14:42,155 Speaker 1: levies war against them, or adheres to their enemies giving 227 00:14:42,195 --> 00:14:45,435 Speaker 1: them aid and comfort within the United States or elsewhere, 228 00:14:46,075 --> 00:15:05,035 Speaker 1: is guilty of treason and shall suffer death. Just a 229 00:15:05,035 --> 00:15:07,995 Speaker 1: head my postscripts to the news segment plus Worse Persons 230 00:15:08,035 --> 00:15:10,675 Speaker 1: and Sports. Bill Russell obviously is the big story in sports, 231 00:15:10,675 --> 00:15:13,435 Speaker 1: but the guy who spent his life pretending to be 232 00:15:13,635 --> 00:15:17,235 Speaker 1: Bill Russell is in Worse Person's first. In each edition 233 00:15:17,235 --> 00:15:19,755 Speaker 1: of Countdown the Podcast, we will be featuring a dog 234 00:15:19,835 --> 00:15:23,155 Speaker 1: in need whom you can help. Every dog has its day. 235 00:15:23,595 --> 00:15:25,435 Speaker 1: You can find our first dog and all of our 236 00:15:25,475 --> 00:15:28,035 Speaker 1: subjects on my Twitter feed for pups in trouble, that's 237 00:15:28,075 --> 00:15:32,115 Speaker 1: at Tom Jumbo Grumbo Today. Are you near Chicago? Would 238 00:15:32,115 --> 00:15:34,555 Speaker 1: you like a forty nine pound five year old gal 239 00:15:34,715 --> 00:15:39,035 Speaker 1: with one white ear and one black ear Terrier pibble mix. 240 00:15:39,435 --> 00:15:42,075 Speaker 1: Loves to go camping, loves to eat your food that 241 00:15:42,155 --> 00:15:44,835 Speaker 1: you bring when you go camping, loves to camp her 242 00:15:44,875 --> 00:15:47,955 Speaker 1: head on your shoulder. She is at one tail dot 243 00:15:48,075 --> 00:15:52,355 Speaker 1: org in Chicago and her name is Oreo. The adoption 244 00:15:52,395 --> 00:15:55,155 Speaker 1: fees for this lovely dog looking for a home are covered. 245 00:15:55,275 --> 00:15:59,995 Speaker 1: Unconditional love is yours free, Oreo, one tail dot org 246 00:16:00,035 --> 00:16:02,955 Speaker 1: in Chicago, and she's on my Twitter feed at tom 247 00:16:03,075 --> 00:16:23,675 Speaker 1: Jumbo Grumbo coming up sports, Worst Persons in the World, 248 00:16:23,675 --> 00:16:26,275 Speaker 1: and the premiere of stories about my favorite topic, me 249 00:16:26,955 --> 00:16:31,875 Speaker 1: in Things I Promised not to tell, but first both 250 00:16:31,915 --> 00:16:36,755 Speaker 1: scripts to the news, some headlines and some thoughts. Michelle 251 00:16:36,795 --> 00:16:40,395 Speaker 1: Nichols has died to hera from Star Trek. It is 252 00:16:40,435 --> 00:16:44,315 Speaker 1: impossible to recreate the world in which her character was controversial, 253 00:16:44,395 --> 00:16:48,555 Speaker 1: largely because she helped to erase that world. Unlike other 254 00:16:48,635 --> 00:16:51,195 Speaker 1: women actresses of color in the nineteen sixties, she was 255 00:16:51,235 --> 00:16:55,835 Speaker 1: an astronaut on Star Trek. She was smart, she wasn't deferential, 256 00:16:56,235 --> 00:16:59,955 Speaker 1: and she was sexy. I was seven when Star Trek premiered. 257 00:17:00,315 --> 00:17:02,395 Speaker 1: I don't know for how many kids are adults in 258 00:17:02,395 --> 00:17:05,955 Speaker 1: this country. She was their first fosure to such a person. 259 00:17:06,475 --> 00:17:09,035 Speaker 1: All the struggles of her career and life did at 260 00:17:09,035 --> 00:17:14,675 Speaker 1: the very minimum this. She rewired the minds of millions, 261 00:17:15,155 --> 00:17:19,155 Speaker 1: and then she did recruiting videos for NASA in ninety 262 00:17:19,195 --> 00:17:24,275 Speaker 1: seven from the Friday News Dump Dateline Washington. First, the 263 00:17:24,275 --> 00:17:28,275 Speaker 1: Secret Service texts from January six disappeared, Then the Homeland 264 00:17:28,315 --> 00:17:31,995 Speaker 1: Security texts from January six disappeared. Then House Minority Leader 265 00:17:32,075 --> 00:17:37,355 Speaker 1: Kevin McCarthy's brain disappeared. Though Cassidy Hutchinson testified under oath 266 00:17:37,435 --> 00:17:40,435 Speaker 1: that she and McCarthy spoke on January six about keeping 267 00:17:40,475 --> 00:17:43,675 Speaker 1: Trump from going to the Capitol during the coup, McCarthy 268 00:17:43,715 --> 00:17:46,675 Speaker 1: now says, quote, I don't remember that. This is what 269 00:17:46,795 --> 00:17:49,515 Speaker 1: is so confusing. I didn't watch the speech. I was working, 270 00:17:49,635 --> 00:17:51,515 Speaker 1: so I didn't see what was said. I had no 271 00:17:51,595 --> 00:17:53,315 Speaker 1: idea he was going to come to the Capitol. I 272 00:17:53,315 --> 00:17:56,875 Speaker 1: don't remember having any conversations with her. I don't recall, honest, 273 00:17:56,915 --> 00:17:59,235 Speaker 1: I ran out of gas. I I had a flat tire. 274 00:17:59,395 --> 00:18:01,635 Speaker 1: I didn't have enough money for cab fair. My tuxt 275 00:18:01,675 --> 00:18:03,995 Speaker 1: didn't come back from the cleaners. An old friend came 276 00:18:03,995 --> 00:18:06,875 Speaker 1: in from out of out. Someone stole my car. There 277 00:18:06,915 --> 00:18:10,435 Speaker 1: was an earthquake, a terrible flood. Locust said, why is 278 00:18:10,475 --> 00:18:15,075 Speaker 1: that my fault? I swear to God, I may have 279 00:18:15,155 --> 00:18:18,115 Speaker 1: embellished that last part of the quote just a little bit. 280 00:18:18,875 --> 00:18:21,235 Speaker 1: On the other hand, by the end of this week, 281 00:18:21,315 --> 00:18:24,715 Speaker 1: Kevin McCarthy may claim he can't remember his own name. Wait, 282 00:18:24,835 --> 00:18:28,635 Speaker 1: why would that be a bad thing? Also date Line Washington. 283 00:18:28,715 --> 00:18:30,715 Speaker 1: The problem is McCarthy may yet get away with his 284 00:18:30,795 --> 00:18:33,315 Speaker 1: role in the January six cover up, just like Trump 285 00:18:33,315 --> 00:18:35,395 Speaker 1: may yet get away with his role in the January 286 00:18:35,395 --> 00:18:38,995 Speaker 1: six coup. And BC News quoting more than a dozen 287 00:18:39,035 --> 00:18:42,355 Speaker 1: sources who worry if the Department of Justice has allocated 288 00:18:42,475 --> 00:18:46,235 Speaker 1: enough resources to the investigation, just like Trump may yet 289 00:18:46,275 --> 00:18:49,915 Speaker 1: get away with all this because quote, we don't have 290 00:18:50,075 --> 00:18:54,835 Speaker 1: the manpower. Here's a crazy ass idea. The Pentagon asked 291 00:18:54,835 --> 00:18:57,435 Speaker 1: for a fiscal two thousand, twenty two budget of seven 292 00:18:57,635 --> 00:19:01,275 Speaker 1: and twenty four billion freaking dollars. Congress gave it a 293 00:19:01,315 --> 00:19:06,035 Speaker 1: budget of seven and eighty two billion dollars. That would 294 00:19:06,035 --> 00:19:10,235 Speaker 1: be more. That would be fifty eight billion dollars more. 295 00:19:10,795 --> 00:19:15,555 Speaker 1: Four billion of that is for more boots. We need 296 00:19:15,555 --> 00:19:20,635 Speaker 1: more boats. How about giving the boats back and putting 297 00:19:20,675 --> 00:19:25,275 Speaker 1: four billion dollars into trying to save the goddamn democracy. 298 00:19:25,595 --> 00:19:29,555 Speaker 1: Gonna need a bigger boat. Dateline Philadelphia or is it 299 00:19:29,595 --> 00:19:34,475 Speaker 1: actually New Jersey? The draws campaign. I'm sorry. Apparently that's 300 00:19:34,475 --> 00:19:39,635 Speaker 1: the doctor Oz campaign is bailing water. According to Politico, 301 00:19:39,715 --> 00:19:42,915 Speaker 1: the National Republican Senatorial Committee held a call with big 302 00:19:42,995 --> 00:19:47,475 Speaker 1: roller campaign donors and basically they said that there's definitely 303 00:19:47,515 --> 00:19:50,315 Speaker 1: a Republican path to take the Senate by flipping Arizona, 304 00:19:50,435 --> 00:19:53,035 Speaker 1: Georgia and Nevada or New Hampshire and were defending North 305 00:19:53,035 --> 00:19:55,795 Speaker 1: Carolina and Wisconsin. And that's when somebody noticed the n 306 00:19:55,875 --> 00:20:00,595 Speaker 1: r SC had not mentioned Pennsylvania. Quote Oz just has 307 00:20:00,675 --> 00:20:04,435 Speaker 1: not hit his stride as a candidate. One call participant 308 00:20:04,515 --> 00:20:08,555 Speaker 1: to Politico, the viewpoint was it's more important to reallocate 309 00:20:08,595 --> 00:20:11,915 Speaker 1: money to seats that we feel we can win. A 310 00:20:11,955 --> 00:20:14,355 Speaker 1: committee official is quoted as also saying, we have a 311 00:20:14,395 --> 00:20:17,915 Speaker 1: path with Pennsylvania, and don't worry, we have a path 312 00:20:18,075 --> 00:20:22,755 Speaker 1: without Pennsylvania. In the latest polling, Draws trails the Democrat 313 00:20:22,875 --> 00:20:26,395 Speaker 1: John Fetterman by eleven and the would be Pennsylvania senator 314 00:20:26,435 --> 00:20:29,275 Speaker 1: who lives in New Jersey has never recovered from having 315 00:20:29,315 --> 00:20:33,515 Speaker 1: misspelled the name of the Pennsylvania town he thinks he 316 00:20:33,635 --> 00:20:41,115 Speaker 1: lives in Dateline Madison, Wisconsin. With Wisconsin Democrats coalescing behind 317 00:20:41,195 --> 00:20:43,715 Speaker 1: Mandela Barnes in the bid to take the Senate seat 318 00:20:43,835 --> 00:20:46,795 Speaker 1: away from Ron. I'm on my phone. No you're not. 319 00:20:46,915 --> 00:20:49,555 Speaker 1: I can see your phone. I can see your screen, Johnson. 320 00:20:50,115 --> 00:20:53,915 Speaker 1: It was inevitable time for former Governor Scott Walker, the 321 00:20:54,035 --> 00:20:56,355 Speaker 1: Clarence the cross eye line of the Tea Party, to 322 00:20:56,435 --> 00:21:00,235 Speaker 1: do something stupid. At two forty one prevailing local time Friday, 323 00:21:00,275 --> 00:21:05,595 Speaker 1: he tweeted, quote Democrats rally behind a racial who wants 324 00:21:05,635 --> 00:21:11,755 Speaker 1: to end cash bail. Did you say a racial? Two 325 00:21:11,795 --> 00:21:14,955 Speaker 1: minutes later, Walker replied to his own tweet without making 326 00:21:14,955 --> 00:21:17,275 Speaker 1: any attempt to alter the reality that he had just 327 00:21:17,435 --> 00:21:22,835 Speaker 1: called an African American Senate candidate a quote racial, by 328 00:21:22,875 --> 00:21:26,555 Speaker 1: adding quote a radical who wants to end the patrol 329 00:21:26,715 --> 00:21:30,155 Speaker 1: that's supposed to protect us illegal drugs and firearms from 330 00:21:30,235 --> 00:21:33,795 Speaker 1: coming across the border and finding their way to Wisconsin. Unquote. 331 00:21:35,035 --> 00:21:38,275 Speaker 1: I just skip the image of Scott Walker, the thing 332 00:21:38,315 --> 00:21:42,275 Speaker 1: he just evoked of that Wisconsin Mexico border. Let me 333 00:21:42,315 --> 00:21:45,155 Speaker 1: just reread the first part of that follow up tweet, 334 00:21:45,515 --> 00:21:49,555 Speaker 1: quote a radical who wants to end the patrol that's 335 00:21:49,595 --> 00:21:54,275 Speaker 1: supposed to protect us illegal drugs. So I have your 336 00:21:54,355 --> 00:21:57,715 Speaker 1: choice on Scott Walker. The first tweet was racist, and 337 00:21:57,755 --> 00:22:03,235 Speaker 1: the second tweet was unintelligible and dateline Hendersonville, North Carolina. 338 00:22:03,275 --> 00:22:07,995 Speaker 1: The latest employment innovation you will work for food the 339 00:22:08,075 --> 00:22:11,515 Speaker 1: chick fil A on Highlands Square Drive. They're asking for 340 00:22:11,595 --> 00:22:16,555 Speaker 1: quote volunteers to work its drive through express. Joel Benson, 341 00:22:16,595 --> 00:22:19,515 Speaker 1: the visionary innovator in charge, brings a new spin to 342 00:22:19,555 --> 00:22:26,635 Speaker 1: the workforce experience. New salary quote earned five free entrees 343 00:22:26,675 --> 00:22:31,275 Speaker 1: per shift one hour worked. Read the Facebook post. The 344 00:22:31,315 --> 00:22:33,995 Speaker 1: pay is lousy, but you get all the cholesterol you 345 00:22:34,035 --> 00:22:36,955 Speaker 1: can eat. Corporate says it knows nothing of this, and 346 00:22:36,995 --> 00:22:41,115 Speaker 1: the offer was withdrawn within hours of posting. As always, 347 00:22:41,475 --> 00:22:44,995 Speaker 1: life is just another Bob and Ray sketch come to life. 348 00:22:45,475 --> 00:22:48,075 Speaker 1: In the nineteen seventies, My hero is reported on a 349 00:22:48,115 --> 00:22:52,435 Speaker 1: fictional company making paper clips by hand, with a workforce 350 00:22:52,515 --> 00:22:56,275 Speaker 1: of two hundred assemblers. Price nineteen cents a box. How 351 00:22:56,395 --> 00:23:00,555 Speaker 1: is that possible? Ask the startled interviewer character Wally blue Well, 352 00:23:00,635 --> 00:23:03,955 Speaker 1: said the owner. We pay our employees two cents a day. 353 00:23:04,115 --> 00:23:08,875 Speaker 1: How is that possible? Past blue fortunately came the answer, 354 00:23:09,155 --> 00:23:11,915 Speaker 1: We got a ninety nine years sweetheart deal with the union. 355 00:23:12,315 --> 00:23:15,395 Speaker 1: Most of our staff lives in caves on the outskirts 356 00:23:15,435 --> 00:23:19,875 Speaker 1: of Town Blue then asks don't you worry about their 357 00:23:19,955 --> 00:23:24,315 Speaker 1: health and survival? And the owner says blankly, we don't 358 00:23:24,355 --> 00:23:42,675 Speaker 1: pry into the private lives of our employees. This is 359 00:23:43,155 --> 00:23:50,355 Speaker 1: Sports Center. Wait, check that not anymore. This is Countdown 360 00:23:50,995 --> 00:24:09,435 Speaker 1: with Keith Alberman, the old ESPN two show theme. Obviously 361 00:24:09,435 --> 00:24:11,755 Speaker 1: you know. Basketball's Bill Russell has died at the age 362 00:24:11,755 --> 00:24:14,555 Speaker 1: of eight eight, easily the game's most successful player to 363 00:24:14,795 --> 00:24:17,635 Speaker 1: n C double A titles, an Olympic gold medal, eleven 364 00:24:17,755 --> 00:24:22,195 Speaker 1: NBA championships in just thirteen seasons, the last two as 365 00:24:22,315 --> 00:24:25,635 Speaker 1: player coach. What you may not have heard of. He 366 00:24:25,795 --> 00:24:28,715 Speaker 1: and el Jin Baylor were the first African Americans to 367 00:24:28,835 --> 00:24:32,475 Speaker 1: make the All NBA First Team the All Star Team 368 00:24:32,475 --> 00:24:35,995 Speaker 1: in nineteen fifty eight fifty nine. He was also the 369 00:24:36,035 --> 00:24:39,195 Speaker 1: league's first African American coach, although the claim that he 370 00:24:39,235 --> 00:24:42,715 Speaker 1: was the first African American coaching any major sport is inaccurate. 371 00:24:42,955 --> 00:24:45,675 Speaker 1: Football Immortal Fritz Pollard was a head coach in the 372 00:24:45,795 --> 00:24:49,075 Speaker 1: NFL briefly in the nineteen twenties. Bill Russell was also 373 00:24:49,155 --> 00:24:52,955 Speaker 1: a broadcaster whose main virtue on the ABC and CBS 374 00:24:53,075 --> 00:24:57,755 Speaker 1: NBA coverage was his extraordinary laugh. He also did interview 375 00:24:57,875 --> 00:25:02,875 Speaker 1: after interview with sportscasters at college radio stations. No not me. 376 00:25:03,515 --> 00:25:06,235 Speaker 1: Jesse Agler from the s and Diego Padres mentioned this 377 00:25:06,315 --> 00:25:10,395 Speaker 1: and others then echoed it extraordinarily generous with his time 378 00:25:10,555 --> 00:25:15,355 Speaker 1: and his laugh and his contributions to society. On the 379 00:25:15,395 --> 00:25:17,875 Speaker 1: other end of the sports spectrum, there is the Saudi 380 00:25:17,955 --> 00:25:20,755 Speaker 1: Blood Money Golf Tournament which is over in New Jersey. 381 00:25:20,915 --> 00:25:23,475 Speaker 1: Hendrick Stenson, who used to be a professional golfer but 382 00:25:23,555 --> 00:25:27,315 Speaker 1: took blood money instead, defeating Matthew Wolf and Dustin Johnson 383 00:25:27,355 --> 00:25:29,835 Speaker 1: who used to be professional golfers but who took blood 384 00:25:29,835 --> 00:25:32,675 Speaker 1: money instead. For our purposes, we can just call this 385 00:25:32,715 --> 00:25:36,515 Speaker 1: tournament the Kasgi Memorial. The tournament was held naturally at 386 00:25:36,555 --> 00:25:40,235 Speaker 1: the Trump Course in Bedminster, New Jersey. Crowds were disappointing 387 00:25:40,235 --> 00:25:42,795 Speaker 1: at best. In The Wall Street Journal reported the tickets 388 00:25:42,795 --> 00:25:45,515 Speaker 1: for the penultimate round on Saturday it cost as little 389 00:25:45,635 --> 00:25:51,195 Speaker 1: as one dollar American money. The host was there. In 390 00:25:51,235 --> 00:25:54,395 Speaker 1: the pro am, Trump apparently completed only two or three 391 00:25:54,435 --> 00:25:57,755 Speaker 1: holes and shot a twelve thousand, three d sixty four 392 00:25:57,875 --> 00:26:03,115 Speaker 1: over par twelve four three six, but Trump insists he 393 00:26:03,195 --> 00:26:06,635 Speaker 1: made the cut and won the champ Beanship anyway. It 394 00:26:06,835 --> 00:26:08,675 Speaker 1: is by the way, a federal offense with a jail 395 00:26:08,835 --> 00:26:10,995 Speaker 1: term if not more than six months, or a fine 396 00:26:11,235 --> 00:26:14,515 Speaker 1: or both to use the presidential seal in a way 397 00:26:14,515 --> 00:26:17,835 Speaker 1: that can leave quote, a false impression of sponsorship or 398 00:26:17,875 --> 00:26:20,995 Speaker 1: approval by the government of the United States. So naturally 399 00:26:21,035 --> 00:26:24,915 Speaker 1: Trump put the seal on course flags, course towels, and 400 00:26:24,995 --> 00:26:29,115 Speaker 1: course golf carts. They played God Bless America at one point, 401 00:26:29,115 --> 00:26:31,675 Speaker 1: and Trump could not figure out what to do. He 402 00:26:31,715 --> 00:26:34,675 Speaker 1: eventually took off his trucker cap, then put his hand 403 00:26:34,715 --> 00:26:37,915 Speaker 1: over his heart or whatever is in there, and then 404 00:26:37,995 --> 00:26:41,675 Speaker 1: started patting his hand on his chest. And of course, 405 00:26:41,715 --> 00:26:45,275 Speaker 1: Trump too took the Saudi blood money, and when asked 406 00:26:45,315 --> 00:26:48,595 Speaker 1: about the effect of doing so on nine eleven Families, 407 00:26:49,115 --> 00:26:52,235 Speaker 1: l Douche said, it was really too bad that nobody 408 00:26:52,275 --> 00:26:55,075 Speaker 1: ever got to the bottom of nine eleven and everybody 409 00:26:55,155 --> 00:26:58,155 Speaker 1: was playing great golf and all the money was there, 410 00:26:58,955 --> 00:27:01,275 Speaker 1: and people were reminded that on nine eleven. When he 411 00:27:01,315 --> 00:27:03,875 Speaker 1: went on local TV in New York, the only thing 412 00:27:03,915 --> 00:27:05,955 Speaker 1: Trump was concerned earned about was that one of his 413 00:27:06,075 --> 00:27:10,235 Speaker 1: buildings was now the tallest one in downtown New York City, 414 00:27:10,515 --> 00:27:14,675 Speaker 1: but somehow overshadowing all of this the Saudi money. How 415 00:27:14,715 --> 00:27:17,755 Speaker 1: deathly bad Trump himself looked, how bad the golfers who 416 00:27:17,835 --> 00:27:20,715 Speaker 1: sold their souls looked. Was a little matter of the 417 00:27:20,755 --> 00:27:23,715 Speaker 1: new feature just off the first tea at the Trump 418 00:27:23,835 --> 00:27:32,235 Speaker 1: National Golf Club. His ex wife, her grave, Ivanna Ivannah, 419 00:27:32,235 --> 00:27:35,915 Speaker 1: who died last month, is buried just behind and to 420 00:27:36,035 --> 00:27:39,635 Speaker 1: the right of where you start when you played golf 421 00:27:39,675 --> 00:27:43,555 Speaker 1: at the Trump course. But it's tasteful. On her tombstone, 422 00:27:43,595 --> 00:27:46,795 Speaker 1: Trump did not include a marble Maga hat and did 423 00:27:46,835 --> 00:27:50,835 Speaker 1: not have them embossed the presidential seal. The burial of 424 00:27:50,835 --> 00:27:53,315 Speaker 1: the first Mrs Trump there brought to the four that 425 00:27:53,595 --> 00:27:56,595 Speaker 1: fifteen years ago Trump went to the town of Bedminster 426 00:27:56,675 --> 00:28:00,235 Speaker 1: with his plan to build a giant cemetery with a 427 00:28:00,355 --> 00:28:06,475 Speaker 1: room for a thousand souls on We're slightly under the course. 428 00:28:07,035 --> 00:28:11,675 Speaker 1: When everybody everybody went to he trimmed it back to 429 00:28:11,755 --> 00:28:14,835 Speaker 1: just a family mausoleum with, according to the Washington Post, 430 00:28:15,075 --> 00:28:18,755 Speaker 1: nineteen ft high stone obelisks right in the middle of 431 00:28:18,795 --> 00:28:23,155 Speaker 1: the golf course. By the town council had agreed to 432 00:28:23,235 --> 00:28:26,355 Speaker 1: let Trump dig five hundred graves on the course for 433 00:28:26,435 --> 00:28:29,795 Speaker 1: members only, obviously so that they could presumably keep on 434 00:28:29,835 --> 00:28:34,595 Speaker 1: paying him membership unto eternity. Yet, as several tax lawyers 435 00:28:34,595 --> 00:28:38,315 Speaker 1: have confirmed, there might be another motive here. You plant 436 00:28:38,435 --> 00:28:41,275 Speaker 1: some stiff somewhere in the state of New Jersey, waves 437 00:28:41,315 --> 00:28:45,195 Speaker 1: your property tax, waves your income tax, and waves your 438 00:28:45,275 --> 00:28:49,635 Speaker 1: sales tax. Logic would suggest that if first wife Ivana 439 00:28:49,875 --> 00:28:53,875 Speaker 1: is buried near the first tea, then there's a nice 440 00:28:53,955 --> 00:28:57,515 Speaker 1: hole waiting for Marla Maples near the second te and 441 00:28:57,555 --> 00:29:00,635 Speaker 1: there should be a spot to plant Millanna on three. 442 00:29:01,275 --> 00:29:04,275 Speaker 1: I guess near the hole itself on three, so that 443 00:29:04,355 --> 00:29:09,635 Speaker 1: her spirit can help all the golfers with their putts. 444 00:29:20,395 --> 00:29:23,555 Speaker 1: Thank you, Nancy Faust And in the neat trick department. 445 00:29:23,595 --> 00:29:26,435 Speaker 1: To close out sports, Tracy Sandler, who covers the San 446 00:29:26,435 --> 00:29:30,235 Speaker 1: Francisco forty niners for Fan Girls Sports, tweeted something about 447 00:29:30,235 --> 00:29:34,635 Speaker 1: a San Francisco offensive tackle, quoting her Trent Williams is 448 00:29:34,675 --> 00:29:37,995 Speaker 1: back today. He had a baby a few days ago. 449 00:29:39,515 --> 00:29:42,195 Speaker 1: Now you would have thought that would have been a 450 00:29:42,235 --> 00:30:01,075 Speaker 1: bigger story somehow. Ah, that sounds familiar. What would countdown 451 00:30:01,115 --> 00:30:04,235 Speaker 1: be whether TV show, podcast, You're me just going door 452 00:30:04,275 --> 00:30:07,115 Speaker 1: to door with it without the daily roundup of the misgrants, 453 00:30:07,115 --> 00:30:12,275 Speaker 1: morons and Dunning Krueger effect exhibits who constitute today's worst 454 00:30:12,555 --> 00:30:17,515 Speaker 1: persons in the world. Lebronze to The New York Times 455 00:30:17,595 --> 00:30:21,075 Speaker 1: were printing non ironically a long article based on a 456 00:30:21,115 --> 00:30:24,795 Speaker 1: Frank Luntz focus group. What happened when seven Trump voters 457 00:30:24,795 --> 00:30:28,195 Speaker 1: and six Biden voters tried to find common ground? Well, 458 00:30:28,315 --> 00:30:30,275 Speaker 1: I hope somebody would have noticed Frank put his thumb 459 00:30:30,275 --> 00:30:32,155 Speaker 1: on the scales and had more Trump voters, which is 460 00:30:32,195 --> 00:30:35,155 Speaker 1: typical of him. Here's my Frank Luntz story. In two 461 00:30:35,155 --> 00:30:38,435 Speaker 1: thousand three, MSNBC had decided on a new show called 462 00:30:38,515 --> 00:30:42,395 Speaker 1: Countdown because the president of NBC News loved the name 463 00:30:43,075 --> 00:30:44,835 Speaker 1: and thought it would be cool to start with the 464 00:30:44,955 --> 00:30:49,315 Speaker 1: least important story and build up to the most important story, 465 00:30:49,435 --> 00:30:53,515 Speaker 1: like fifty seven minutes later, because that way everybody would 466 00:30:53,515 --> 00:30:56,955 Speaker 1: watch the whole hour. He never gave up on the 467 00:30:56,995 --> 00:30:59,955 Speaker 1: idea that this would work somehow, and he was not 468 00:31:00,035 --> 00:31:01,955 Speaker 1: going to give up on the idea that the perfect 469 00:31:01,955 --> 00:31:08,195 Speaker 1: host for Countdown was Sam Donaldson. There was an NBC 470 00:31:08,355 --> 00:31:13,395 Speaker 1: contract with Donaldson's name on it in circulation. When MSNBC 471 00:31:13,555 --> 00:31:16,155 Speaker 1: executives found out that ABC News had been trying to 472 00:31:16,195 --> 00:31:19,715 Speaker 1: get out from under their contract with Sam Donaldson. How 473 00:31:19,755 --> 00:31:23,475 Speaker 1: to avert the catastrophe ahead, Frank Luntz to the rescue. 474 00:31:25,035 --> 00:31:27,635 Speaker 1: Get us a focus group, Frank that tells the president 475 00:31:27,635 --> 00:31:30,435 Speaker 1: of NBC News not to hire Sam Donaldson, and that 476 00:31:30,555 --> 00:31:33,995 Speaker 1: the best choices this other guy. Now, how do I 477 00:31:34,155 --> 00:31:39,395 Speaker 1: know that I was the other guy? Presto. Frank's focus 478 00:31:39,475 --> 00:31:43,795 Speaker 1: groups somehow came back with that exact conclusion. The offer 479 00:31:43,835 --> 00:31:49,795 Speaker 1: to Donaldson was withdrawn. Coincidence, no doubt. The bronze to 480 00:31:49,835 --> 00:31:53,395 Speaker 1: everybody who fell for the Cartoon Network viral marketing scheme 481 00:31:53,475 --> 00:31:58,795 Speaker 1: about George Jetson being born yesterday July. Now, look, he's 482 00:31:58,835 --> 00:32:02,635 Speaker 1: a fictional character, so it's not like this matters. But 483 00:32:02,755 --> 00:32:05,035 Speaker 1: for God's sakes, if you're going to a a sist, 484 00:32:05,075 --> 00:32:08,715 Speaker 1: a certain date is a fictional character's fictional birth date, 485 00:32:08,955 --> 00:32:12,555 Speaker 1: prove it. As Gizmoto pointed out three years ago in 486 00:32:12,595 --> 00:32:17,555 Speaker 1: the jets in verse, there's a Jetson's verse. George was 487 00:32:17,675 --> 00:32:20,475 Speaker 1: forty years old as the series premiered on CBS. That 488 00:32:20,515 --> 00:32:23,715 Speaker 1: was in nineteen sixty two. The show is based a 489 00:32:23,755 --> 00:32:27,635 Speaker 1: century in the future twenty sixty two, So twenty sixty 490 00:32:27,675 --> 00:32:32,315 Speaker 1: two minus forty is twenty twenty two, So that's right, 491 00:32:32,955 --> 00:32:36,195 Speaker 1: But the reference to him being forty is in the 492 00:32:36,235 --> 00:32:39,715 Speaker 1: episode that first aired on December thirtieth, nineteen sixty two, 493 00:32:39,795 --> 00:32:43,075 Speaker 1: so his quote birthdate unquote could be any time in 494 00:32:43,115 --> 00:32:46,875 Speaker 1: twenty two except December thirty one. More importantly, if you 495 00:32:46,995 --> 00:32:50,235 Speaker 1: buy the George is born in twenty two stuff, you 496 00:32:50,235 --> 00:32:53,635 Speaker 1: are led to the edge of a troubling cartoon truth. 497 00:32:54,515 --> 00:32:59,035 Speaker 1: We know his wife Jane acknowledges in the first episode 498 00:32:59,035 --> 00:33:03,955 Speaker 1: that she's thirty three, daughter Judy is fifteen, meeting that 499 00:33:04,035 --> 00:33:10,475 Speaker 1: when Jane became a mom, she was eighteen, maybe seventeen. 500 00:33:12,595 --> 00:33:16,915 Speaker 1: But the winner Arthur Lee Trotter. He died in two thousand, 501 00:33:16,995 --> 00:33:20,355 Speaker 1: but for thirty years he scammed a succession of women, 502 00:33:20,755 --> 00:33:24,475 Speaker 1: whining and dining them and telling them he was basketball's 503 00:33:24,515 --> 00:33:27,315 Speaker 1: Bill Russell. He also at times claimed to have been 504 00:33:27,435 --> 00:33:30,475 Speaker 1: former football players John Mackie and Marv Fleming. In fact, 505 00:33:30,475 --> 00:33:33,435 Speaker 1: when he was arrested for impersonating Bill Russell, who died Sunday, 506 00:33:33,715 --> 00:33:36,315 Speaker 1: police in Louisiana were convinced he was not Bill Russell, 507 00:33:36,315 --> 00:33:40,035 Speaker 1: but he was Fleming. But he wasn't. But there was 508 00:33:40,035 --> 00:33:42,915 Speaker 1: a kind of genius to Arthur Lee Trotter. He stood 509 00:33:42,955 --> 00:33:46,115 Speaker 1: six ft tall, yet he insisted he was Bill Russell, 510 00:33:46,635 --> 00:33:50,315 Speaker 1: who was six ten. One of his women victims said, 511 00:33:50,715 --> 00:33:54,275 Speaker 1: you don't look like Bill Russell Trotter. Russell thought quickly, 512 00:33:54,875 --> 00:33:56,675 Speaker 1: I had got into a car accident and had to 513 00:33:56,715 --> 00:34:02,195 Speaker 1: have plastic surgery. Woman, I was expecting someone much taller Trotter. 514 00:34:02,235 --> 00:34:06,555 Speaker 1: Russell then said, I had ten inches a bone surgically 515 00:34:06,595 --> 00:34:10,035 Speaker 1: removed from my shins because I wanted to fit easier 516 00:34:10,075 --> 00:34:14,875 Speaker 1: into my new Mercedes. You know, in that got Trotter 517 00:34:14,955 --> 00:34:18,715 Speaker 1: another term in prison. In it would have gotten him 518 00:34:18,795 --> 00:34:24,155 Speaker 1: the Republican nomination for Senator from Georgia. Arthur Lee, not 519 00:34:24,435 --> 00:34:28,315 Speaker 1: Bill Russell Trotter. I know Arthur's dead, so what there 520 00:34:28,355 --> 00:34:31,475 Speaker 1: are rules here? There are no rules here. Arthur Trotter 521 00:34:31,955 --> 00:35:21,635 Speaker 1: Today's worst person in the wor so for our number 522 00:35:21,675 --> 00:35:26,475 Speaker 1: one story on the Countdown my favorite topic me. Each 523 00:35:26,515 --> 00:35:29,395 Speaker 1: podcast will conclude with me telling you a story from 524 00:35:29,395 --> 00:35:32,075 Speaker 1: my career or life, usually hanging off the day's news 525 00:35:32,355 --> 00:35:34,555 Speaker 1: or at least an anniversary of some kind. The people 526 00:35:34,595 --> 00:35:37,995 Speaker 1: I've known, the places I've worked, the innumerable morons I 527 00:35:38,035 --> 00:35:40,715 Speaker 1: have encountered, some of the women I've dated. If it's relevant, 528 00:35:40,755 --> 00:35:44,795 Speaker 1: like Laura, don't judge me. It all began in a 529 00:35:44,875 --> 00:35:50,195 Speaker 1: small five thousand one radio station in Fresno, California on Fridays. Instead, 530 00:35:50,235 --> 00:35:52,235 Speaker 1: we will read from the great works of the great 531 00:35:52,355 --> 00:35:54,155 Speaker 1: James Thurber, just like we used to do on the 532 00:35:54,155 --> 00:35:56,155 Speaker 1: TV show. And when I say we, of course, I 533 00:35:56,235 --> 00:36:00,435 Speaker 1: mean I. If you're not interested and you just want 534 00:36:00,475 --> 00:36:03,475 Speaker 1: the day's news, cool, turn it off. I will not 535 00:36:03,555 --> 00:36:07,515 Speaker 1: be offended, but I think these stories will explain, entertain 536 00:36:07,915 --> 00:36:11,595 Speaker 1: and often enraged you. Lord knows they will enrage me. 537 00:36:12,555 --> 00:36:15,395 Speaker 1: So as I launched this frail bark, we're better to 538 00:36:15,435 --> 00:36:18,075 Speaker 1: start than here. If you were a viewer of the 539 00:36:18,115 --> 00:36:22,115 Speaker 1: old TV show. Let me explain finally how that became 540 00:36:22,155 --> 00:36:27,355 Speaker 1: this My original n MSNBC news Hours, The Big Show 541 00:36:27,435 --> 00:36:30,275 Speaker 1: and The White House in Crisis were the first programs 542 00:36:30,315 --> 00:36:33,475 Speaker 1: that made MSNBC any money. I mean seriously, the network 543 00:36:33,555 --> 00:36:38,155 Speaker 1: otherwise hemorrhaged cash from its launch in nine until about 544 00:36:38,155 --> 00:36:41,155 Speaker 1: two thousand five. That's when the show I started. Upon 545 00:36:41,235 --> 00:36:44,875 Speaker 1: my return in two thousand three, Countdown, a low rated 546 00:36:45,035 --> 00:36:49,115 Speaker 1: nightly news digest that was a pretty good show, started 547 00:36:49,115 --> 00:36:52,235 Speaker 1: getting really political and suspicious of Bush and Iraq and 548 00:36:52,315 --> 00:36:56,035 Speaker 1: especially the Republicans political manipulation of the threat of terrorism, 549 00:36:56,475 --> 00:37:00,235 Speaker 1: and the viewers arrived in droves by the next year. 550 00:37:00,355 --> 00:37:03,835 Speaker 1: The ad salesman and contrary to all logic, they are 551 00:37:03,875 --> 00:37:05,755 Speaker 1: the ones from whom you get the truth in a 552 00:37:05,835 --> 00:37:09,155 Speaker 1: news company. They were sending me models of champagne and 553 00:37:09,235 --> 00:37:12,995 Speaker 1: revealing that Countdown was now earning a fifty million dollar 554 00:37:13,075 --> 00:37:17,315 Speaker 1: annual profit, then seventy five million, then a hundred million. 555 00:37:17,595 --> 00:37:21,875 Speaker 1: They liked me, they really really liked me. But management 556 00:37:21,875 --> 00:37:25,755 Speaker 1: at NBC not so much. Right after MSNBC started to 557 00:37:25,795 --> 00:37:29,515 Speaker 1: make money, it started making enemies. The Republicans came right 558 00:37:29,715 --> 00:37:33,355 Speaker 1: to our door and through it the psychos at Fox 559 00:37:33,395 --> 00:37:36,995 Speaker 1: News like O'Reilly and Hannity and Ales. Remember we called 560 00:37:36,995 --> 00:37:40,915 Speaker 1: them Fixed News or Fox Noise. They started calling the 561 00:37:40,955 --> 00:37:45,035 Speaker 1: executives at NBC and its parent company g E, demanding 562 00:37:45,035 --> 00:37:49,075 Speaker 1: that I stopped criticizing them softer than church music. These 563 00:37:49,115 --> 00:37:54,195 Speaker 1: fascists could not take criticism. When Tim Russer was still 564 00:37:54,195 --> 00:37:57,915 Speaker 1: alive and defending me internally and externally, watching every night 565 00:37:57,955 --> 00:38:01,635 Speaker 1: and sending me tips and warnings and ideas, and capable 566 00:38:01,675 --> 00:38:06,595 Speaker 1: of playing the Republicans inside NBC and outside NBC like fiddles, 567 00:38:06,955 --> 00:38:11,995 Speaker 1: everything was fine. Then came that horrible day June thousand eight, 568 00:38:12,195 --> 00:38:15,515 Speaker 1: Tim died, and suddenly NBC News was in the hands 569 00:38:15,515 --> 00:38:18,435 Speaker 1: of a lot of cowards and bullies like Tom Brokaw 570 00:38:18,755 --> 00:38:22,835 Speaker 1: and Joe Scarborough and Jeff Zucker and names you would 571 00:38:22,915 --> 00:38:25,795 Speaker 1: not know like Jeff Immelt and Steve Kappus and Phil 572 00:38:25,875 --> 00:38:29,235 Speaker 1: Griffin and Chris licked And I really wish you didn't 573 00:38:29,275 --> 00:38:32,515 Speaker 1: need to know Chris Lickt's name, but he was Scarborough's henchman, 574 00:38:32,595 --> 00:38:36,155 Speaker 1: and now he's the new president of CNN, and you 575 00:38:36,275 --> 00:38:39,235 Speaker 1: don't know how bad that news is for the future 576 00:38:39,275 --> 00:38:43,755 Speaker 1: of this country. Anyway. I will go into depth on 577 00:38:43,835 --> 00:38:46,995 Speaker 1: all this background in future episodes. How men like these 578 00:38:47,035 --> 00:38:49,915 Speaker 1: spent a year keeping Rachel Maddow off the air, telling 579 00:38:49,915 --> 00:38:51,995 Speaker 1: me I couldn't even put her on as my guest 580 00:38:52,035 --> 00:38:55,675 Speaker 1: host because nobody would watch a woman, or a lesbian 581 00:38:56,235 --> 00:39:00,395 Speaker 1: or another liberal. That's what they said. Then they lied 582 00:39:00,435 --> 00:39:02,155 Speaker 1: to me and told me they had hired her so 583 00:39:02,195 --> 00:39:04,355 Speaker 1: that one night Larry King talked her into going on 584 00:39:04,475 --> 00:39:07,355 Speaker 1: his show on CNN for two hundred and fifty dollars, 585 00:39:07,395 --> 00:39:09,555 Speaker 1: and I wound up hiring her out of my own 586 00:39:09,635 --> 00:39:13,595 Speaker 1: pocket to keep MSNBC from losing her. Literally the cash 587 00:39:13,835 --> 00:39:18,475 Speaker 1: in my wallet four hundred and thirty seven bucks. Anyway, 588 00:39:18,515 --> 00:39:21,555 Speaker 1: by August of two thousand eight, Republicans were threatening broke 589 00:39:21,595 --> 00:39:23,755 Speaker 1: Call that if he did not get me fired from 590 00:39:23,835 --> 00:39:27,795 Speaker 1: MSNBC's coverage of the presidential election, John McCain would not 591 00:39:27,875 --> 00:39:30,715 Speaker 1: show up for the debate that Brocall had inherited from 592 00:39:30,755 --> 00:39:34,195 Speaker 1: the late Tim Russers. So Brokell went in and threatened, 593 00:39:34,675 --> 00:39:38,195 Speaker 1: and that's a nice euphemism NBC management on behalf of 594 00:39:38,195 --> 00:39:41,555 Speaker 1: the GOP just to get to host one more debate. 595 00:39:42,715 --> 00:39:44,995 Speaker 1: I mean, he boasted about it in the New York Times. 596 00:39:45,755 --> 00:39:48,715 Speaker 1: Then within a year it was Fox blackmailing the executives 597 00:39:48,715 --> 00:39:51,955 Speaker 1: at GE actually getting the chairman of g E, Jeff Emil, 598 00:39:52,075 --> 00:39:55,635 Speaker 1: to threaten to take MSNBC off the air, just shut 599 00:39:55,675 --> 00:40:00,155 Speaker 1: it down if Fox continued to criticize him. Immilt because 600 00:40:00,155 --> 00:40:02,835 Speaker 1: his mommy was a Bill O'Reilly fan, and Billow kept 601 00:40:02,835 --> 00:40:05,835 Speaker 1: claiming her little boy Jeff was produced weapons used to 602 00:40:05,915 --> 00:40:09,595 Speaker 1: kill Americans in Iraq. I mean, honestly, these were adults 603 00:40:09,715 --> 00:40:13,955 Speaker 1: behaving like this. Well, as I tell everybody in the business, 604 00:40:14,035 --> 00:40:17,835 Speaker 1: there are no adults. It got worse and worse. Zooker 605 00:40:17,915 --> 00:40:21,515 Speaker 1: and Roger Ales meeting inside thirty Rock No Less to 606 00:40:21,675 --> 00:40:24,315 Speaker 1: decide what I could and could not say about Fox News, 607 00:40:24,795 --> 00:40:27,635 Speaker 1: negotiating what could be in our news and what could not, 608 00:40:28,515 --> 00:40:32,075 Speaker 1: and in NBC started suggesting that we put Republicans on 609 00:40:32,155 --> 00:40:36,315 Speaker 1: countdown like Michael Steele and the deplorable Scarborough. Nobody ever 610 00:40:36,355 --> 00:40:40,035 Speaker 1: asked me a direct question as to how in January 611 00:40:40,075 --> 00:40:43,595 Speaker 1: I left MSNBC and the highest rated cable news show 612 00:40:43,635 --> 00:40:45,835 Speaker 1: that was not on Fox. And I kept telling them, 613 00:40:46,075 --> 00:40:49,595 Speaker 1: just say, we don't consider Fox to be news. It 614 00:40:49,755 --> 00:40:53,235 Speaker 1: isn't news, so why are we comparing our ratings to them? 615 00:40:54,195 --> 00:40:56,435 Speaker 1: Was I fired? Did I quit? Was it something else? 616 00:40:56,595 --> 00:40:59,235 Speaker 1: So I've never actually told the actual story because I 617 00:40:59,275 --> 00:41:02,555 Speaker 1: wasn't asked a direct question about it. Well, one of 618 00:41:02,595 --> 00:41:04,555 Speaker 1: the perks they threw at me when I resigned with 619 00:41:04,755 --> 00:41:07,995 Speaker 1: MSNBC rather than jumping to CNN in two thousand six 620 00:41:08,035 --> 00:41:10,275 Speaker 1: two thousand and seven was a slot on the Sunday 621 00:41:10,355 --> 00:41:13,795 Speaker 1: night NBC football broadcast. It was a nice change. I 622 00:41:13,835 --> 00:41:16,595 Speaker 1: got to work with my old ESPN partner, Dan Patrick. 623 00:41:17,035 --> 00:41:19,315 Speaker 1: It wasn't life and death. I could do the catch 624 00:41:19,395 --> 00:41:22,475 Speaker 1: phrases and the silly voices and say they're not gonna 625 00:41:22,915 --> 00:41:27,675 Speaker 1: get them. But right before the season, Jeff Zucker called 626 00:41:27,675 --> 00:41:29,475 Speaker 1: me into his office told me I was not focusing 627 00:41:29,635 --> 00:41:34,075 Speaker 1: enough on countdown, and I was off the football show. Now, 628 00:41:34,795 --> 00:41:38,635 Speaker 1: the following portion is, of course a pure hypothetical, which 629 00:41:38,675 --> 00:41:42,115 Speaker 1: is really better designed for a college course in contract law. 630 00:41:42,755 --> 00:41:46,275 Speaker 1: But if in a case like this hypothetical, the guy 631 00:41:46,395 --> 00:41:50,315 Speaker 1: doing a let's say, hypothetical football show wasn't actually being 632 00:41:50,355 --> 00:41:53,155 Speaker 1: paid to do the hypothetical football show, If doing that 633 00:41:53,235 --> 00:41:56,795 Speaker 1: hypothetical football show were a perk, if it was a 634 00:41:56,875 --> 00:42:00,675 Speaker 1: non cash payment or an incentive to sign a contract 635 00:42:00,835 --> 00:42:04,075 Speaker 1: rather than to go to some other hypothetical network like 636 00:42:04,235 --> 00:42:09,115 Speaker 1: CN the hypothetical end, Well, then when that hypothetical announceres 637 00:42:09,155 --> 00:42:12,275 Speaker 1: taken off that hypothetical football show, the people who hypothetically 638 00:42:12,315 --> 00:42:17,115 Speaker 1: took him off the show have hypothetically breached his hypothetical contract, 639 00:42:17,235 --> 00:42:20,515 Speaker 1: and all of a sudden, the hypothetical companies hypothetical lawyers 640 00:42:20,755 --> 00:42:23,755 Speaker 1: are asking the hypothetical announcer how much money it would 641 00:42:23,835 --> 00:42:29,555 Speaker 1: hypothetically cost them to hypothetically cure a hypothetical breach. Back 642 00:42:29,595 --> 00:42:32,675 Speaker 1: to the non hypothetical portion of our story. So now 643 00:42:32,675 --> 00:42:35,475 Speaker 1: it's a few months later, the week before mid terms, 644 00:42:35,675 --> 00:42:38,155 Speaker 1: which I would be anchoring on MSNBC, and while I 645 00:42:38,155 --> 00:42:41,235 Speaker 1: would be covering the Senate governor races. Right through election night, 646 00:42:41,435 --> 00:42:43,995 Speaker 1: we were done reporting on the House. I did an 647 00:42:43,995 --> 00:42:47,675 Speaker 1: interview on Thursday, I think, with the Congressman Raoul Galva 648 00:42:47,755 --> 00:42:50,115 Speaker 1: of Arizona, and then I did a special comment on 649 00:42:50,115 --> 00:42:53,035 Speaker 1: Friday about all the Tea partiers running for Congress that year, 650 00:42:53,275 --> 00:42:55,515 Speaker 1: and that was it. And that night I was on 651 00:42:55,555 --> 00:43:00,035 Speaker 1: the phone with my friend Kirsten Cinema. Yep, that Kirsten Cinema. 652 00:43:00,155 --> 00:43:03,875 Speaker 1: How many Kirsten Cinemas could there be? She told me 653 00:43:03,875 --> 00:43:07,075 Speaker 1: that Galva and another Arizona representative had gotten a lot 654 00:43:07,115 --> 00:43:09,955 Speaker 1: of death threats late in the campaign and they had 655 00:43:09,955 --> 00:43:14,915 Speaker 1: spent virtually every last dollar they had on security. Kirsten asked, 656 00:43:15,355 --> 00:43:17,955 Speaker 1: can you donate to these campaigns? And I said I 657 00:43:17,995 --> 00:43:22,155 Speaker 1: had never donated before, but yeah, to Grahalva and to 658 00:43:22,315 --> 00:43:25,275 Speaker 1: a senator in the South I think. And the other 659 00:43:25,355 --> 00:43:28,435 Speaker 1: Arizona representative who had gotten a lot of death threats, 660 00:43:28,475 --> 00:43:33,275 Speaker 1: her name was Gabby Gifford's. The next Tuesday, I anchored 661 00:43:33,315 --> 00:43:36,075 Speaker 1: those mid terms, didn't mention one House race or candidate, 662 00:43:36,115 --> 00:43:38,195 Speaker 1: and everything was fine, and then somebody called one of 663 00:43:38,195 --> 00:43:42,755 Speaker 1: the political websites to say, oh, Alderman donated to some Democrats, 664 00:43:43,355 --> 00:43:46,715 Speaker 1: and they called NBC public relations. An NBC public Relations 665 00:43:46,715 --> 00:43:48,835 Speaker 1: called the president of MSNBC, and the president of m 666 00:43:48,955 --> 00:43:52,275 Speaker 1: MSNBC called me and he said, this looks bad. I know, 667 00:43:52,315 --> 00:43:53,835 Speaker 1: what's your right to do it. It's not like we're 668 00:43:53,835 --> 00:43:56,435 Speaker 1: gonna suspend you her anything stupid like that. Why would 669 00:43:56,475 --> 00:43:58,755 Speaker 1: we do that. This is sort of our fault too, 670 00:43:58,795 --> 00:44:01,475 Speaker 1: But it just looks bad. Can you you know, can 671 00:44:01,515 --> 00:44:05,795 Speaker 1: you say something? And I said, you're right, it does 672 00:44:05,875 --> 00:44:10,235 Speaker 1: look bad. I'll apologize on the show tomorrow, even though 673 00:44:10,275 --> 00:44:13,675 Speaker 1: I don't have to. I will voluntarily stop any campaign 674 00:44:13,675 --> 00:44:16,675 Speaker 1: contributions as long as I'm doing this show. And he 675 00:44:16,755 --> 00:44:19,195 Speaker 1: said great, and I said great. And I wrote the 676 00:44:19,195 --> 00:44:21,115 Speaker 1: apology that night and I sent it to him and 677 00:44:21,115 --> 00:44:23,995 Speaker 1: he said great. And I said great, because I already 678 00:44:24,035 --> 00:44:27,115 Speaker 1: had part of tomorrow's show written. And that was it. 679 00:44:27,875 --> 00:44:31,195 Speaker 1: And the next morning, without a hearing, without a phone call, 680 00:44:31,275 --> 00:44:35,755 Speaker 1: without an email, without a warning, this hysterical teenager disguised 681 00:44:35,795 --> 00:44:39,075 Speaker 1: as an adult named Steve Cappus, president of NBC News, 682 00:44:39,235 --> 00:44:41,475 Speaker 1: he puts out a press release in which he angrily 683 00:44:41,555 --> 00:44:47,395 Speaker 1: suspends me indefinitely without pay for violations of the NBC 684 00:44:47,435 --> 00:44:52,635 Speaker 1: News Employee rule book that says NBC News employees can't 685 00:44:52,675 --> 00:44:56,595 Speaker 1: make donations to political campaigns. Now, NBC had an obvious, 686 00:44:56,755 --> 00:45:00,355 Speaker 1: huge problem. Within hours, there was a petition on social 687 00:45:00,395 --> 00:45:04,635 Speaker 1: media demanding my reinstatement two hundred and fifty thousand signature. 688 00:45:05,435 --> 00:45:09,075 Speaker 1: I was stunned. NBC tried to get Chris Hayes to 689 00:45:09,115 --> 00:45:11,995 Speaker 1: fill in for me that night. He refused. Even people 690 00:45:12,035 --> 00:45:14,595 Speaker 1: at Fox News went on the air and said this 691 00:45:14,675 --> 00:45:17,835 Speaker 1: was absurd. And at NBC there was a lot of 692 00:45:17,875 --> 00:45:23,075 Speaker 1: shushing and worrying because everybody at NBC News made political donations. 693 00:45:23,115 --> 00:45:26,155 Speaker 1: They just hit them by donating in their wife's name 694 00:45:26,355 --> 00:45:29,195 Speaker 1: or the kid's name, or to some sort of fund 695 00:45:29,435 --> 00:45:32,075 Speaker 1: or whatever. I was the only one who admitted to it. 696 00:45:32,875 --> 00:45:36,555 Speaker 1: But this guy Cappus, he was piste off and dug 697 00:45:36,595 --> 00:45:39,115 Speaker 1: in and demanded I be suspended for a month through 698 00:45:39,195 --> 00:45:41,555 Speaker 1: I don't know, a hundred years without pay at least, 699 00:45:42,155 --> 00:45:48,555 Speaker 1: and all. This is already public and well documented. But hypothetically, again, 700 00:45:49,075 --> 00:45:51,555 Speaker 1: there could have been more to it. See if you 701 00:45:51,675 --> 00:45:55,875 Speaker 1: hypothetically suspend your hypothetical announcer guy again for violating the 702 00:45:55,915 --> 00:46:01,875 Speaker 1: employee handbook. What happens if that hypothetical announcer is not 703 00:46:02,115 --> 00:46:08,075 Speaker 1: actually an employee. What if the hypothetical employer has written 704 00:46:08,115 --> 00:46:13,955 Speaker 1: the contract of the hypothetical announcer so that it specifically declares, 705 00:46:14,715 --> 00:46:19,835 Speaker 1: several different hypothetical times in the hypothetical contract that the 706 00:46:19,915 --> 00:46:24,435 Speaker 1: hypothetical announcer is not an employee, but just say to 707 00:46:24,475 --> 00:46:28,875 Speaker 1: pick a term out of thin air and independent Contractor 708 00:46:29,715 --> 00:46:34,075 Speaker 1: what if, hypothetically the employer could be NBC, could be 709 00:46:34,115 --> 00:46:37,835 Speaker 1: a bakery somewhere. What if hypothetically the employer did this 710 00:46:38,075 --> 00:46:41,155 Speaker 1: in contract legal ease so they did not have to 711 00:46:41,195 --> 00:46:48,355 Speaker 1: pay the hypothetical announcer health insurance or dental. Well, then 712 00:46:48,475 --> 00:46:52,355 Speaker 1: hypothetically that phrase breach re enters the chat and the 713 00:46:52,435 --> 00:46:55,875 Speaker 1: hypothetical companies hypothetical lawyers go to the executive who just 714 00:46:55,915 --> 00:46:58,755 Speaker 1: suspended the employee who legally is not an employee, and 715 00:46:58,795 --> 00:47:02,595 Speaker 1: they say, hypothetically, again, you now have four hypothetical choices. 716 00:47:02,915 --> 00:47:06,755 Speaker 1: One reinstate the hype pathetical non employee immediately and hope 717 00:47:06,755 --> 00:47:11,075 Speaker 1: we don't get sued. To reinstate the hypothetical non employee, 718 00:47:11,075 --> 00:47:16,115 Speaker 1: immediately apologize and write up a new contract for God's sake. Three, 719 00:47:16,395 --> 00:47:19,995 Speaker 1: end the show, pay the hypothetical non employee every dollar 720 00:47:20,075 --> 00:47:22,715 Speaker 1: you over the remainder of the hypothetical contract, and hope 721 00:47:22,755 --> 00:47:27,075 Speaker 1: you don't get sued for damages anyway. Or four hypothetically 722 00:47:27,115 --> 00:47:30,195 Speaker 1: throw a lot of money in the air and negotiate 723 00:47:30,235 --> 00:47:35,315 Speaker 1: a settlement, and and the hypothetical show hypothetically. In the 724 00:47:35,355 --> 00:47:38,195 Speaker 1: short term, what happened was, and I'm quoting from the 725 00:47:38,195 --> 00:47:41,515 Speaker 1: New York Times, they told me on Friday I was suspended. 726 00:47:41,755 --> 00:47:44,275 Speaker 1: I was back on the air Tuesday. They didn't even 727 00:47:44,395 --> 00:47:47,355 Speaker 1: dock my pay or charge me for any days off, 728 00:47:48,995 --> 00:47:53,915 Speaker 1: making this wilder still. Hours after I was suspended, Al 729 00:47:54,075 --> 00:47:57,795 Speaker 1: Gore called me. Al owned a struggling TV network called Current, 730 00:47:58,235 --> 00:48:00,955 Speaker 1: and he said, what NBC is doing is illegal, and 731 00:48:00,995 --> 00:48:03,675 Speaker 1: if you sue them, you could own the place. But 732 00:48:03,795 --> 00:48:05,555 Speaker 1: I think I have a our idea that can be 733 00:48:05,595 --> 00:48:08,955 Speaker 1: the start of something big. You can bring countdown to 734 00:48:09,075 --> 00:48:13,435 Speaker 1: Current TV. We'll give you fifty million dollars plus bonuses, 735 00:48:13,435 --> 00:48:16,475 Speaker 1: plus a piece of the network. You'll be an owner. 736 00:48:17,235 --> 00:48:21,475 Speaker 1: This is me talking in the long term. For two months, 737 00:48:21,515 --> 00:48:24,235 Speaker 1: these two roller coasters went up and down, and my 738 00:48:24,315 --> 00:48:28,315 Speaker 1: agents negotiated attentive contract with Current while there was a 739 00:48:28,435 --> 00:48:32,595 Speaker 1: hypothetical attempt to settle the other hypothetical non employee cluster 740 00:48:32,755 --> 00:48:37,795 Speaker 1: hypothetical f and then literally during the MSNBC Countdown show 741 00:48:37,835 --> 00:48:45,035 Speaker 1: on January during a commercial break, everything got finalized all 742 00:48:45,075 --> 00:48:48,995 Speaker 1: at once. My agent told me it was done. I 743 00:48:49,035 --> 00:48:51,595 Speaker 1: went on the air and said so, and nobody, not 744 00:48:51,675 --> 00:48:54,875 Speaker 1: even the staff knew, which I am still sorry about. 745 00:48:54,995 --> 00:48:59,795 Speaker 1: Very greatly unavoidable, but that's the way it worked. So no, 746 00:48:59,915 --> 00:49:02,275 Speaker 1: I was not fired, Countdown was not canceled. The current 747 00:49:02,315 --> 00:49:04,555 Speaker 1: TV deal had already been in place for a week. 748 00:49:05,075 --> 00:49:08,835 Speaker 1: And by the way, during every step of this, I 749 00:49:08,955 --> 00:49:11,875 Speaker 1: kept Matto and her agents, who had been my agent 750 00:49:11,955 --> 00:49:16,275 Speaker 1: for twenty seven years, fully informed, And so that very 751 00:49:16,435 --> 00:49:19,675 Speaker 1: night that Countdown ended on MSNBC, Mattow was on Bill 752 00:49:19,795 --> 00:49:23,235 Speaker 1: maher show right after it all happened, and naturally he 753 00:49:23,315 --> 00:49:26,115 Speaker 1: asked her about it, and she lied and said it's 754 00:49:26,155 --> 00:49:29,595 Speaker 1: the first time hearing of it, and I thought, uh, blay, 755 00:49:30,035 --> 00:49:33,195 Speaker 1: that might be the end of that friendship, and we 756 00:49:33,275 --> 00:49:38,035 Speaker 1: haven't spoken since. Anyway, the current thing turned out to 757 00:49:38,075 --> 00:49:40,875 Speaker 1: be a scam and it blew up rather quickly, and 758 00:49:40,955 --> 00:49:43,115 Speaker 1: I'll tell that story in a future episode two. On 759 00:49:43,155 --> 00:49:46,355 Speaker 1: the other hand, I don't have to work for money again. 760 00:49:47,115 --> 00:49:51,315 Speaker 1: But the weirdest thing started happening in September two thousand eleven, 761 00:49:51,355 --> 00:49:55,875 Speaker 1: not eight months after I left MSNBC feelers from the 762 00:49:55,915 --> 00:49:59,435 Speaker 1: new owners of NBC Comcast what I consider coming back 763 00:49:59,475 --> 00:50:04,675 Speaker 1: to MSNBC. Yes, I would. Then they got cold feet. 764 00:50:04,875 --> 00:50:07,475 Speaker 1: Then the next year, more feelers. This time I got 765 00:50:07,515 --> 00:50:09,515 Speaker 1: cold feet, and I started negotiating and go back to 766 00:50:09,675 --> 00:50:13,475 Speaker 1: ESPN instead, and I did. In two thousand fourteen, I 767 00:50:13,515 --> 00:50:17,035 Speaker 1: actually met with the new NBC News executives for two hours, 768 00:50:17,515 --> 00:50:20,195 Speaker 1: and they wanted me to bring Countdown back as soon 769 00:50:20,235 --> 00:50:23,755 Speaker 1: as possible. And then the Brian Williams scandal broken, these 770 00:50:23,795 --> 00:50:27,355 Speaker 1: new executives all got themselves fired. And then in October 771 00:50:27,395 --> 00:50:30,115 Speaker 1: two thousand fifteen, I met with the new new executives 772 00:50:30,235 --> 00:50:32,035 Speaker 1: and they wanted me to come back. They made an 773 00:50:32,035 --> 00:50:35,115 Speaker 1: actual offer, and it was stupid. It was predicated on 774 00:50:35,155 --> 00:50:39,075 Speaker 1: my doing a show without commentaries, like what was the 775 00:50:39,115 --> 00:50:43,915 Speaker 1: point of Countdown? Or me without the commentaries? And even 776 00:50:43,955 --> 00:50:46,755 Speaker 1: that guy got fired in two thousand nineteen, and the 777 00:50:46,755 --> 00:50:50,755 Speaker 1: new chairman of the entire NBC corporation, Jeff Shell, was 778 00:50:50,795 --> 00:50:53,355 Speaker 1: an old friend of mine from Fox Sports and he 779 00:50:53,395 --> 00:50:55,795 Speaker 1: wanted me to bring the show back, and we got close, 780 00:50:56,395 --> 00:50:58,115 Speaker 1: and then the word came in from the guy who 781 00:50:58,155 --> 00:51:02,075 Speaker 1: was negotiating for me that the chairman of NBC News, 782 00:51:02,115 --> 00:51:06,275 Speaker 1: Caesar Conde, had told him the whole thing had cratered 783 00:51:06,795 --> 00:51:10,075 Speaker 1: because one person at NBC had never and would never 784 00:51:10,115 --> 00:51:16,955 Speaker 1: forgive me for something. And that person, said Conde, was 785 00:51:17,035 --> 00:51:21,835 Speaker 1: Rachel Maddow. Rachel Maddow, Percy's our Conde vetoed the last 786 00:51:21,875 --> 00:51:24,715 Speaker 1: chance and and did literally a decade of talks about 787 00:51:24,755 --> 00:51:30,195 Speaker 1: putting this program back on MSNBC. By the way, NBC's 788 00:51:30,315 --> 00:51:34,195 Speaker 1: denial of this last set of flirtations was that, yes, 789 00:51:34,715 --> 00:51:39,515 Speaker 1: for two years, NBC CEO Jeff Shell kept scheduling meetings 790 00:51:39,555 --> 00:51:42,235 Speaker 1: with me, but I should have known he didn't really 791 00:51:42,395 --> 00:51:45,915 Speaker 1: mean it. Basically, their explanation was, I should have known 792 00:51:45,955 --> 00:51:50,315 Speaker 1: the chairman of NBC was a liar. As the kids say, 793 00:51:50,635 --> 00:51:57,835 Speaker 1: weird flex but okay, and that's the short version. So 794 00:51:57,995 --> 00:52:00,275 Speaker 1: last winter, that's when I began exploring a new venue 795 00:52:00,275 --> 00:52:03,515 Speaker 1: for Countdown, and here we are a daily podcast, Saint 796 00:52:03,595 --> 00:52:06,395 Speaker 1: Keith new platform. Him and I don't have to shave 797 00:52:06,595 --> 00:52:09,275 Speaker 1: or wear makeup, and I hope you'll enjoy the content 798 00:52:10,115 --> 00:52:21,755 Speaker 1: as much as I already enjoy be not shaving, so 799 00:52:22,115 --> 00:52:24,555 Speaker 1: I've done all the damage I can do here. The 800 00:52:24,595 --> 00:52:28,515 Speaker 1: Countdown theme from Beethoven's Ninth arranged, produced and performed by 801 00:52:28,555 --> 00:52:32,835 Speaker 1: Countdown Music directors Brian Ray and John Philip Chanelle. All 802 00:52:32,955 --> 00:52:36,395 Speaker 1: orchestration and keyboards by John Philip Chanelle. Guitarist, bass and 803 00:52:36,475 --> 00:52:39,635 Speaker 1: drums by Brian Ray. Produced by T k O Brothers. 804 00:52:40,275 --> 00:52:44,275 Speaker 1: Beethoven selections like this one performed by my friends in 805 00:52:44,515 --> 00:52:48,955 Speaker 1: no horns allowed our sports music. The Oberman theme written 806 00:52:48,955 --> 00:52:52,315 Speaker 1: by Mitch Warren Davis courtesy of ESPN, Inc. That was 807 00:52:52,355 --> 00:52:55,875 Speaker 1: the famous Nancy Faust on the organ. Our announcer today 808 00:52:56,035 --> 00:52:58,715 Speaker 1: was the one and only Larry David. Everything else is 809 00:52:58,755 --> 00:53:01,715 Speaker 1: my fault. If you can, please rate and review this 810 00:53:01,795 --> 00:53:05,115 Speaker 1: podcast and subscribe, because apparently that's how all this works. 811 00:53:05,115 --> 00:53:08,835 Speaker 1: We are here every morning. Let's countdown for this seventy 812 00:53:08,915 --> 00:53:12,355 Speaker 1: second day since Donald Trump's first attempted coup against the 813 00:53:12,395 --> 00:53:16,355 Speaker 1: government of the United States. I'm Keith all Reman. Good Morning, 814 00:53:16,355 --> 00:53:32,875 Speaker 1: good afternoon, good night, and good luck. Countdown with Keith 815 00:53:32,915 --> 00:53:35,795 Speaker 1: ol Reman is a production of I Heart Radio. For 816 00:53:35,955 --> 00:53:38,955 Speaker 1: more podcasts from I Heart Radio, visit the I Heart 817 00:53:39,035 --> 00:53:43,115 Speaker 1: Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.