1 00:00:04,795 --> 00:00:22,155 Speaker 1: Countdown with Keith Olderman is a production of iHeartRadio. Congratulations 2 00:00:22,235 --> 00:00:29,155 Speaker 1: Kevin McCarthy, you have now impeached yourself. It is going 3 00:00:29,275 --> 00:00:33,395 Speaker 1: so well for soon to be former House Speaker Kevin 4 00:00:33,435 --> 00:00:37,435 Speaker 1: McCarthy that a senior Republican lawmaker has now told Semaphore 5 00:00:37,555 --> 00:00:42,995 Speaker 1: News that this ends when quote the whole family kills 6 00:00:43,035 --> 00:00:46,115 Speaker 1: each other. I think we're close to that right now. 7 00:00:46,395 --> 00:00:51,955 Speaker 1: We are in maybe the Godfather to stage. That's right. 8 00:00:52,515 --> 00:00:55,875 Speaker 1: Kevin McCarthy and the Republicans got their wish, the framework 9 00:00:55,915 --> 00:00:59,435 Speaker 1: of a Joe Biden impeachment, and in less than seventy 10 00:00:59,435 --> 00:01:04,195 Speaker 1: two hours they have so completely obscured it and overshadowed 11 00:01:04,235 --> 00:01:06,795 Speaker 1: it and knocked it off the front page that not 12 00:01:07,035 --> 00:01:10,755 Speaker 1: even the right wing outlets are talking about it. They 13 00:01:10,755 --> 00:01:15,795 Speaker 1: are talking about Kevin McCarthy, and the Godfather imagery is 14 00:01:15,995 --> 00:01:18,715 Speaker 1: just the tip of it. It is going so well 15 00:01:18,755 --> 00:01:21,355 Speaker 1: for the soon to be former House Speaker McCarthy that 16 00:01:21,435 --> 00:01:24,155 Speaker 1: he met with his House conference. He dared them to 17 00:01:24,315 --> 00:01:27,875 Speaker 1: oust him as speaker, and then he swore at them, 18 00:01:28,515 --> 00:01:32,235 Speaker 1: go ahead, I'm not effing scared of it. Move the 19 00:01:32,395 --> 00:01:36,675 Speaker 1: effing motion. It's going so well for soon to be 20 00:01:36,715 --> 00:01:40,395 Speaker 1: former House Speaker McCarthy that a Republican Congressional Aid now 21 00:01:40,475 --> 00:01:44,275 Speaker 1: says that the Freedom Caucus members are quote hell bent 22 00:01:44,955 --> 00:01:49,035 Speaker 1: on losing the majority for the GOP in the House. 23 00:01:50,395 --> 00:01:53,835 Speaker 1: And this is only day three, only day three of 24 00:01:53,955 --> 00:01:57,995 Speaker 1: Kevin McCarthy's impeachment inquiry, which by late on day one 25 00:01:58,035 --> 00:02:01,955 Speaker 1: had become Kevin McCarthy's illegal impeachment inquiry, and which now 26 00:02:01,995 --> 00:02:06,155 Speaker 1: after day two has become Kevin McCarthy's imploding legal impeachment inquiry. 27 00:02:07,115 --> 00:02:12,755 Speaker 1: McCarthy's grand strategy appease Trump by dirtying up Hunter Biden, 28 00:02:12,835 --> 00:02:17,555 Speaker 1: so you can pretend to impeach Joe Biden, rip draconian 29 00:02:17,675 --> 00:02:21,435 Speaker 1: cuts through every limb of the federal budget, solidify your 30 00:02:21,435 --> 00:02:24,035 Speaker 1: own control of the House, position you were signed for 31 00:02:24,075 --> 00:02:27,675 Speaker 1: next year's election, and stage first a stunt shutdown of 32 00:02:27,715 --> 00:02:31,355 Speaker 1: the government and then ride in on a paper mache 33 00:02:31,555 --> 00:02:35,515 Speaker 1: whitehorse to resolve the stunt shutdown of the government. Has 34 00:02:35,675 --> 00:02:41,475 Speaker 1: all collapsed. McCarthy had to punch on the shutdown, then 35 00:02:41,635 --> 00:02:44,555 Speaker 1: he had to punch on the punt of the shutdown, 36 00:02:44,675 --> 00:02:48,995 Speaker 1: and he is now struggling to pass something to maybe 37 00:02:49,155 --> 00:02:52,035 Speaker 1: keep the government afloat just for a month, or shut 38 00:02:52,075 --> 00:02:55,435 Speaker 1: it down he is now under attacked by his right wing, 39 00:02:55,875 --> 00:02:59,835 Speaker 1: his left wing, and by Trump. And of course, the 40 00:02:59,875 --> 00:03:03,715 Speaker 1: forgotten keys to this whole spit storm McCarthy has brought 41 00:03:03,795 --> 00:03:07,035 Speaker 1: down on his own head are standing silently in the 42 00:03:07,075 --> 00:03:11,915 Speaker 1: back of the room. The Democrats. If a vote to 43 00:03:12,035 --> 00:03:15,595 Speaker 1: fire McCarthy technically called a motion to vacate the chair 44 00:03:15,995 --> 00:03:18,915 Speaker 1: actually comes to the floor, there are two hundred and 45 00:03:18,995 --> 00:03:23,475 Speaker 1: thirteen Democratic votes to destroy Kevin McCarthy. Minority Leader Hakeem 46 00:03:23,515 --> 00:03:27,275 Speaker 1: Jefferies is not saying this, of course, but strategically it's obvious. 47 00:03:28,075 --> 00:03:31,035 Speaker 1: Why wouldn't you want to see the majority stab its 48 00:03:31,115 --> 00:03:34,235 Speaker 1: own speaker in the back for the first time in 49 00:03:34,275 --> 00:03:37,475 Speaker 1: the history of the House of Representatives. I mean, the 50 00:03:37,555 --> 00:03:40,875 Speaker 1: strategy and the policy implications are one thing. The fact 51 00:03:40,915 --> 00:03:43,235 Speaker 1: that they'd be wasting their time on that and nothing 52 00:03:43,315 --> 00:03:46,595 Speaker 1: else is another. But two hundred and thirteen Democrats would 53 00:03:46,675 --> 00:03:51,155 Speaker 1: vote to oust Kevin McCarthy just for the sheer joy 54 00:03:51,195 --> 00:03:56,755 Speaker 1: of it. And if they do anti McCarthy, Republicans need 55 00:03:57,275 --> 00:04:03,515 Speaker 1: only five votes from their own side. It's hilarious, and 56 00:04:03,555 --> 00:04:08,195 Speaker 1: they never learn this would be the first ouster of 57 00:04:08,235 --> 00:04:11,795 Speaker 1: a serving speaker, only because when twenty five years ago 58 00:04:11,875 --> 00:04:15,755 Speaker 1: After the disastrous nineteen ninety eight midterms, Republican leadership got 59 00:04:15,835 --> 00:04:18,355 Speaker 1: Newt Gingrich in a room and explained to him he 60 00:04:18,475 --> 00:04:22,235 Speaker 1: was not leaving that room as Speaker. Newt had the 61 00:04:22,275 --> 00:04:25,795 Speaker 1: presence of mind to take the clean way out, and 62 00:04:25,875 --> 00:04:31,155 Speaker 1: he still does have that lucrative career in Fox News 63 00:04:31,395 --> 00:04:37,715 Speaker 1: guest hits and hosting infomercials. Anyway, McCarthy, who was not 64 00:04:37,875 --> 00:04:41,035 Speaker 1: smart enough to know the Gangrich nineteen ninety eight story, 65 00:04:41,155 --> 00:04:44,075 Speaker 1: let alone use it as a template to avoid creating 66 00:04:44,115 --> 00:04:46,515 Speaker 1: his current drama, in which he is not only the 67 00:04:46,555 --> 00:04:50,155 Speaker 1: hostage but also the guy who showed the hostage takers 68 00:04:50,195 --> 00:04:54,515 Speaker 1: how to take the hostage. Kevin McCarthy is probably not 69 00:04:54,795 --> 00:04:57,875 Speaker 1: smart enough when it comes to this to quit. So 70 00:04:57,955 --> 00:05:02,395 Speaker 1: the house will suspend while they hose down what's left 71 00:05:02,395 --> 00:05:06,115 Speaker 1: of him off the walls, and then, if we're all 72 00:05:06,235 --> 00:05:10,075 Speaker 1: real quiet, through our windows and doors will come the 73 00:05:10,075 --> 00:05:18,115 Speaker 1: faint but unmistakable sound of President Biden laughing his ass off. 74 00:05:21,435 --> 00:05:23,995 Speaker 1: Hunter Biden may be laughing by that time as well. 75 00:05:24,275 --> 00:05:27,155 Speaker 1: He has now in fact sued an ex Trump thug 76 00:05:27,235 --> 00:05:29,435 Speaker 1: over the laptop which now may turn out to really 77 00:05:29,475 --> 00:05:34,075 Speaker 1: be a hacked iPhone uploaded onto a laptop and suddenly 78 00:05:34,115 --> 00:05:36,795 Speaker 1: the repairman guy with the eyes going out of either 79 00:05:36,835 --> 00:05:39,835 Speaker 1: side of his head, and Rudy and everybody else, they 80 00:05:39,875 --> 00:05:43,355 Speaker 1: are all positioned for all kinds of exciting new criminal charges, 81 00:05:43,555 --> 00:05:47,355 Speaker 1: and Rudy, Rudy may experience an entirely different kind of 82 00:05:47,875 --> 00:05:53,875 Speaker 1: motion to vacate after yesterday's gun charges. Hunter Biden is 83 00:05:53,875 --> 00:05:56,595 Speaker 1: also in the unique position of being defended by Republicans 84 00:05:56,635 --> 00:06:01,475 Speaker 1: Second Amendment nut jobs, and the charges are dubious enough, 85 00:06:01,595 --> 00:06:05,155 Speaker 1: especially in the context of the previous plea deal, that 86 00:06:05,275 --> 00:06:10,155 Speaker 1: he may have a malicious prosecution case against his father's 87 00:06:10,195 --> 00:06:12,915 Speaker 1: Department of Justice. And I love Jack Smith, but seeing 88 00:06:13,035 --> 00:06:17,515 Speaker 1: Merrick Garland fired because he prosecuted the President's son in 89 00:06:17,555 --> 00:06:21,475 Speaker 1: a demented bid to seem balanced politically would be an 90 00:06:21,595 --> 00:06:26,515 Speaker 1: early Christmas present that I would always cherish. And best 91 00:06:26,595 --> 00:06:31,555 Speaker 1: of all, to quote Daffy and Bugs, duck season, wabbit season, 92 00:06:31,835 --> 00:06:38,915 Speaker 1: duck season, wabbit season, duck season, whistleblower season. The FBI 93 00:06:38,995 --> 00:06:44,235 Speaker 1: whistleblower who's whistle blowing about the anti Hunter Biden whistleblower 94 00:06:44,955 --> 00:06:50,035 Speaker 1: has confirmed his identity. He is Jonathan Boma, and he 95 00:06:50,075 --> 00:06:52,155 Speaker 1: says he went to his boss in the FBI in 96 00:06:52,235 --> 00:06:56,955 Speaker 1: Los Angeles in twenty nineteen, with uncorroborated but strong information 97 00:06:57,435 --> 00:07:00,915 Speaker 1: that dirtied up Hunter Biden and his boss was all ears, 98 00:07:00,955 --> 00:07:04,995 Speaker 1: But then Burma presented part two of this quote. When 99 00:07:04,995 --> 00:07:08,555 Speaker 1: I attempted to provide information that Rudy Giuliani may have 100 00:07:08,635 --> 00:07:13,355 Speaker 1: been compromised by individuals suspected of being involved in Russian 101 00:07:13,515 --> 00:07:19,555 Speaker 1: counter intelligence influence operations, he his boss shut me down, 102 00:07:19,595 --> 00:07:22,955 Speaker 1: and the meeting ended. I came to know that Giuliani 103 00:07:23,075 --> 00:07:28,115 Speaker 1: had received three hundred thousand dollars from Pabel Fuchs unquote, 104 00:07:28,955 --> 00:07:32,715 Speaker 1: and then Agent Buma goes on to explain Fuchs' ties 105 00:07:32,795 --> 00:07:35,555 Speaker 1: to corruption in Ukraine and his ties to Putin and 106 00:07:35,595 --> 00:07:40,795 Speaker 1: his ties to what's this name here, Trumum, and how 107 00:07:41,195 --> 00:07:43,755 Speaker 1: his bosses at the FBI did not want to know 108 00:07:43,875 --> 00:07:52,555 Speaker 1: anything about anybody except Hunter Biden. Oops. Maybe the best 109 00:07:52,595 --> 00:07:55,675 Speaker 1: part of this, apart from the clumsy but colorful analogy 110 00:07:55,715 --> 00:07:58,195 Speaker 1: to al Pacino killing off the heads of the rival 111 00:07:58,235 --> 00:08:01,715 Speaker 1: families in Godfather Too, is the fact that as this 112 00:08:01,835 --> 00:08:05,475 Speaker 1: has played out, the Orange Man behind the Orange Curtain 113 00:08:05,515 --> 00:08:09,515 Speaker 1: has not as much as posted one sentence of support 114 00:08:09,915 --> 00:08:13,515 Speaker 1: for his latest Renfield. All right, I got the Wizard 115 00:08:13,555 --> 00:08:16,795 Speaker 1: of Oz and Dracula working in the same sentence, It's 116 00:08:16,835 --> 00:08:19,115 Speaker 1: the end of the week and I've been sick. Shoot 117 00:08:19,155 --> 00:08:22,835 Speaker 1: me add Kevin McCarthy's name to the list of those 118 00:08:23,155 --> 00:08:25,555 Speaker 1: who have done Trump's bidding for him, and then turned 119 00:08:25,595 --> 00:08:29,475 Speaker 1: around to receive at least the grumbled thanks, only to 120 00:08:29,555 --> 00:08:34,555 Speaker 1: find an empty space where Trump used to be. Trump, 121 00:08:34,595 --> 00:08:37,755 Speaker 1: of course, was too busy yesterday, being interviewed by one 122 00:08:38,115 --> 00:08:41,835 Speaker 1: x NBC News wash out named Megan Kelly and by 123 00:08:41,915 --> 00:08:45,515 Speaker 1: one future x NBC News wash out named Kristin Welker. 124 00:08:46,195 --> 00:08:50,315 Speaker 1: The Welker Big Splash sit down for her meet the 125 00:08:50,395 --> 00:08:56,275 Speaker 1: Press debut was in fact, arguably worse than expected. They 126 00:08:56,355 --> 00:08:59,395 Speaker 1: threw clips of it on Nightly News with Lester Holt, 127 00:08:59,515 --> 00:09:02,075 Speaker 1: and in one Trump says to her that he could 128 00:09:02,115 --> 00:09:05,035 Speaker 1: have pardoned himself, and he makes up a bunch of 129 00:09:05,075 --> 00:09:08,235 Speaker 1: stories about that and legal authorities and how he would 130 00:09:08,315 --> 00:09:11,715 Speaker 1: never really do that, and she just smiles vapidly at him, 131 00:09:11,715 --> 00:09:14,915 Speaker 1: and instead of saying you do know, we all know 132 00:09:14,995 --> 00:09:21,395 Speaker 1: you're lying, or even just honey, please, she says, even 133 00:09:21,435 --> 00:09:24,515 Speaker 1: if you were reelected, as if she were asking some 134 00:09:24,795 --> 00:09:27,955 Speaker 1: nitwit in a dateline story, whether or not he would 135 00:09:27,995 --> 00:09:30,955 Speaker 1: go to the prom with the murder victim all over again. 136 00:09:32,475 --> 00:09:35,275 Speaker 1: And then she asks him what he thinks about Hunter Biden, 137 00:09:35,515 --> 00:09:39,035 Speaker 1: which is like saying, for my next question, President Trump, 138 00:09:39,115 --> 00:09:43,715 Speaker 1: free topic, say whatever you want. And then he moves 139 00:09:43,755 --> 00:09:46,915 Speaker 1: on to say, you mean, because I challenge an election, 140 00:09:46,995 --> 00:09:48,835 Speaker 1: they want to put me in jail. And instead of 141 00:09:48,875 --> 00:09:56,395 Speaker 1: saying something like, well anything, literally say anything, she just 142 00:09:56,595 --> 00:09:59,675 Speaker 1: stares vapidly, and then they cut to Lester Holt, and 143 00:09:59,755 --> 00:10:03,355 Speaker 1: Lester stares vapidly, and then Lester says he had a 144 00:10:03,395 --> 00:10:06,395 Speaker 1: pretty interesting answer, and you are reminded that Lester Holt 145 00:10:06,475 --> 00:10:10,435 Speaker 1: reached the apogee of his journalistic career in his cameo 146 00:10:10,915 --> 00:10:14,075 Speaker 1: at the end of the movie The Fugitive In nineteen 147 00:10:14,235 --> 00:10:19,635 Speaker 1: ninety three, as an aside, I flashed back to the 148 00:10:19,635 --> 00:10:23,115 Speaker 1: week they moved MSNBC from New Jersey into thirty Rock, 149 00:10:23,155 --> 00:10:25,035 Speaker 1: and my office was set up next to the nightly 150 00:10:25,075 --> 00:10:29,915 Speaker 1: news writing area, and I was genuinely shocked, and I 151 00:10:29,995 --> 00:10:33,515 Speaker 1: was forty eight years old at the time. I was 152 00:10:33,635 --> 00:10:36,955 Speaker 1: genuinely shocked that while their newscast was on the air, 153 00:10:37,275 --> 00:10:40,835 Speaker 1: the producers and writers of Nightly News with Brian Williams 154 00:10:40,875 --> 00:10:45,995 Speaker 1: were sitting there and openly hissing and booing at the 155 00:10:46,035 --> 00:10:49,155 Speaker 1: TV monitors and mocking Brian Williams as he was on 156 00:10:49,315 --> 00:10:52,035 Speaker 1: camera in a studio down the hall, and one of 157 00:10:52,035 --> 00:10:55,395 Speaker 1: them was doing an impression of him. And I realize 158 00:10:55,435 --> 00:10:59,035 Speaker 1: now that if those same people could have seen what 159 00:10:59,235 --> 00:11:03,035 Speaker 1: Lester Holt and Kristin Welker would be doing on the 160 00:11:03,075 --> 00:11:05,995 Speaker 1: same newscast roughly sixx teen years to the day later, 161 00:11:06,235 --> 00:11:09,675 Speaker 1: they would have been rushing into the studio crying and 162 00:11:09,835 --> 00:11:16,795 Speaker 1: embracing Brian Williams as the burrow of his time. More 163 00:11:16,955 --> 00:11:21,195 Speaker 1: relevant to our story, however, was the other interview Trump 164 00:11:21,195 --> 00:11:25,515 Speaker 1: did with Megan Kelly. Meghan Kelly, who is marching rapidly 165 00:11:25,635 --> 00:11:31,315 Speaker 1: and inexorably towards being Carrie Lake two. As I noted 166 00:11:31,315 --> 00:11:34,675 Speaker 1: here yesterday, Judge Aileen Cannon slapped a gag order on 167 00:11:34,755 --> 00:11:38,675 Speaker 1: Trump publicly discussing the classified information he stole that is 168 00:11:38,715 --> 00:11:41,755 Speaker 1: at the center of the Florida trial. Trump does not 169 00:11:42,035 --> 00:11:45,355 Speaker 1: quite violate that gag order, but he once again, and 170 00:11:45,395 --> 00:11:48,795 Speaker 1: this is at least the twelfth time, does violate the 171 00:11:48,835 --> 00:11:53,075 Speaker 1: instructions from Judge Tanya Chutkin in Washington about obstructing justice 172 00:11:53,115 --> 00:11:56,915 Speaker 1: in that case, or threatening the witnesses, or jeopardizing or 173 00:11:56,955 --> 00:12:00,955 Speaker 1: slandering the prosecution. Let's count how long it takes him 174 00:12:00,995 --> 00:12:05,115 Speaker 1: to do any of that in this clip here? Okay, one, Well, 175 00:12:05,235 --> 00:12:07,155 Speaker 1: actually that's the answer. One. 176 00:12:07,275 --> 00:12:09,835 Speaker 2: We have a deranged guy named Jack Smith who's been 177 00:12:09,875 --> 00:12:12,235 Speaker 2: overturned at the Supreme Court a number of times. And 178 00:12:12,275 --> 00:12:14,555 Speaker 2: he gets overturned, you know, it gets overturned because he 179 00:12:14,635 --> 00:12:18,355 Speaker 2: goes too far. They don't even mention the Presidential Records Act. 180 00:12:18,355 --> 00:12:21,395 Speaker 2: This is all about the Presidential Records Act. I'm allowed 181 00:12:21,395 --> 00:12:24,195 Speaker 2: to have these documents. I'm allowed to take these documents 182 00:12:24,395 --> 00:12:28,675 Speaker 2: classified or not classified, and frankly, when I have them, 183 00:12:29,115 --> 00:12:30,555 Speaker 2: they become unclassified. 184 00:12:30,875 --> 00:12:33,075 Speaker 1: People think you have to go through a ritual. You don't. 185 00:12:33,355 --> 00:12:37,475 Speaker 1: Also all the stuff after he again attacked the special counsel, 186 00:12:37,995 --> 00:12:40,035 Speaker 1: and I keep thinking, that has got to be one 187 00:12:40,075 --> 00:12:42,795 Speaker 1: of the extra judicial statements that Smith and Chutkin and 188 00:12:42,835 --> 00:12:45,995 Speaker 1: Trump's lawyers are addressing under seal. All the other stuff 189 00:12:45,995 --> 00:12:50,035 Speaker 1: that followed that, all of it lies, all of it. 190 00:12:50,835 --> 00:12:54,035 Speaker 1: The Presidential Records Act says nothing like that. In fact, 191 00:12:54,035 --> 00:12:56,075 Speaker 1: it says the exact opposite of that. And if you 192 00:12:56,115 --> 00:13:00,195 Speaker 1: are expecting Megan Kelly to push back. Just because she's 193 00:13:00,235 --> 00:13:04,075 Speaker 1: a lawyer, then you're probably expecting this. Knitwit Welker pushed 194 00:13:04,115 --> 00:13:07,795 Speaker 1: back on a similar answer, but NBC decided to hold 195 00:13:07,955 --> 00:13:11,795 Speaker 1: the clip to play it on Sunday rather than run 196 00:13:11,835 --> 00:13:14,435 Speaker 1: a clip last night, a clip of what would have 197 00:13:14,475 --> 00:13:18,955 Speaker 1: been the biggest journalism story and one of the biggest 198 00:13:18,995 --> 00:13:22,515 Speaker 1: governmental stories of the year, in which an interviewer with 199 00:13:22,675 --> 00:13:26,595 Speaker 1: access to Trump actually challenged him about something by saying, 200 00:13:27,395 --> 00:13:31,515 Speaker 1: not even saying, you're a goddamned liar, but that's not true. 201 00:13:31,955 --> 00:13:34,795 Speaker 1: I happen to have the presidential record act here. I 202 00:13:34,835 --> 00:13:37,275 Speaker 1: will now read it aloud in its entirety. And then 203 00:13:37,315 --> 00:13:40,355 Speaker 1: you just sit there and wait until Trump storms off 204 00:13:40,395 --> 00:13:43,475 Speaker 1: the set or whatever he does. And that's how you 205 00:13:43,555 --> 00:13:46,355 Speaker 1: make a big splash in your first Meet the Press 206 00:13:46,395 --> 00:13:51,835 Speaker 1: interview with Trump. Rather than you know, asking the series 207 00:13:51,875 --> 00:13:55,315 Speaker 1: of questions, Kristin Welker asked that each had the exact 208 00:13:55,395 --> 00:14:00,155 Speaker 1: same journalistic atomic number, the same journalistic atomic number as quote, 209 00:14:00,555 --> 00:14:06,755 Speaker 1: how do you feel? Unquote Okay, So back to Washington 210 00:14:06,955 --> 00:14:10,755 Speaker 1: and Kevin, I send impeachment inquiry bomb into room where 211 00:14:10,795 --> 00:14:16,435 Speaker 1: our president and son who gets blown up? Me McCarthy delightfully, 212 00:14:17,115 --> 00:14:21,395 Speaker 1: the new questions reverberating around Washington now are not at 213 00:14:21,435 --> 00:14:25,995 Speaker 1: all about the President or his son, but about McCarthy 214 00:14:26,755 --> 00:14:32,235 Speaker 1: and who would be the next Speaker, and whether that 215 00:14:32,275 --> 00:14:36,515 Speaker 1: would be James Comer, who once again has lied about 216 00:14:37,355 --> 00:14:41,275 Speaker 1: just trying to see Hunter Biden's bank records when Hunter 217 00:14:41,355 --> 00:14:43,995 Speaker 1: Biden's attorneys offered to have their client meet with him 218 00:14:44,035 --> 00:14:49,515 Speaker 1: in February last February, and Comer ignored the offer because, 219 00:14:49,515 --> 00:14:51,995 Speaker 1: of course, a cooperative Hunter Biden is of no use 220 00:14:52,475 --> 00:14:57,155 Speaker 1: to Jamie Comer's political assassination. No Pants Party. And I 221 00:14:57,195 --> 00:15:01,195 Speaker 1: sit here and I almost pray that somebody in the 222 00:15:01,235 --> 00:15:06,115 Speaker 1: Democratic Party has the vision now to say, the Republicans 223 00:15:06,155 --> 00:15:10,315 Speaker 1: are in trouble, right now, real trouble. Let's make sure 224 00:15:10,875 --> 00:15:13,035 Speaker 1: they stay in trouble. In fact, let's make sure we 225 00:15:13,075 --> 00:15:17,235 Speaker 1: make it far, far worse for them. McCarthy is self destructing. 226 00:15:17,675 --> 00:15:20,595 Speaker 1: Let's take care of the guy behind McCarthy. This is 227 00:15:20,675 --> 00:15:26,915 Speaker 1: the time release the Comber. It was November of last 228 00:15:26,955 --> 00:15:28,715 Speaker 1: year when I first brought this up, and I just 229 00:15:28,755 --> 00:15:32,675 Speaker 1: hope the Democrats thought not yet, rather than we cannot 230 00:15:32,755 --> 00:15:36,595 Speaker 1: lower ourselves to addressing the lives of a Republican using 231 00:15:36,635 --> 00:15:40,955 Speaker 1: his committee chairmanship for political assassination by you know, going 232 00:15:40,995 --> 00:15:47,115 Speaker 1: out there and spreading truth. In twenty fifteen, James Comer 233 00:15:47,515 --> 00:15:51,635 Speaker 1: chairman of the House Obstruction of Justice Committee and possible 234 00:15:51,675 --> 00:15:55,395 Speaker 1: successor to Kevin McCarthy, though they insist on calling that 235 00:15:55,515 --> 00:16:00,235 Speaker 1: the Oversight Committee. He was credibly accused in twenty fifteen 236 00:16:00,395 --> 00:16:03,315 Speaker 1: of physically and mentally abusing his college girlfriend from the 237 00:16:03,355 --> 00:16:06,955 Speaker 1: early nineteen nineties, and credibly accused of calling her mother 238 00:16:07,555 --> 00:16:11,715 Speaker 1: and threatening the girlfriend's life to her mother, and credibly 239 00:16:11,755 --> 00:16:15,355 Speaker 1: accused of becoming enraged after finding out that his girlfriend 240 00:16:15,395 --> 00:16:18,915 Speaker 1: had written in his real name on the paperwork at 241 00:16:18,955 --> 00:16:22,595 Speaker 1: the abortion clinic that the quote pro life unquote James 242 00:16:22,595 --> 00:16:26,195 Speaker 1: Comber had driven her to to end their pregnancy ohen 243 00:16:26,235 --> 00:16:29,355 Speaker 1: she still had that paperwork in a safe deposit box. 244 00:16:31,035 --> 00:16:33,955 Speaker 1: Comer ran for governor of Kentucky in twenty fifteen, and 245 00:16:33,995 --> 00:16:36,435 Speaker 1: as the Republican primary came to an end that year, 246 00:16:36,555 --> 00:16:39,555 Speaker 1: he was hit with that double scandal. His girlfriend of 247 00:16:39,555 --> 00:16:42,035 Speaker 1: the early nineties, a woman named Marilyn Thomas, who was 248 00:16:42,075 --> 00:16:46,475 Speaker 1: still a Republican, accused him of hitting her, of threatening her, 249 00:16:46,915 --> 00:16:51,235 Speaker 1: of separating her from her family, of being quote toxic, abusive, 250 00:16:51,595 --> 00:16:54,275 Speaker 1: and caused me a lot of suffering. Everything I did, 251 00:16:54,555 --> 00:16:57,475 Speaker 1: everywhere I went, and everyone with whom I interacted had 252 00:16:57,515 --> 00:17:04,315 Speaker 1: to be approved. Consequences were violent and swift. Otherwise unquote well, 253 00:17:04,315 --> 00:17:07,755 Speaker 1: when that broke in twenty fifteen, a Republican state senator 254 00:17:07,755 --> 00:17:12,515 Speaker 1: in Kentucky promptly an angrily defended the girlfriend. He said 255 00:17:12,715 --> 00:17:17,195 Speaker 1: she'd known Marilyn Thomas since nineteen ninety five. Her college 256 00:17:17,275 --> 00:17:21,195 Speaker 1: roommate rushed to defend Marilynd Thomas, saying she'd seen all 257 00:17:21,235 --> 00:17:24,795 Speaker 1: that abuse in real time, and her mother said Comber 258 00:17:24,875 --> 00:17:26,875 Speaker 1: had called their home in the middle of the night 259 00:17:26,915 --> 00:17:30,555 Speaker 1: and threatened her daughter. All of this was front page 260 00:17:30,595 --> 00:17:35,635 Speaker 1: news in Kentucky in twenty fifteen, and then Jamie Comer 261 00:17:35,675 --> 00:17:39,395 Speaker 1: lost the primary for governor and he was not news anymore. 262 00:17:39,835 --> 00:17:42,675 Speaker 1: And because this is the other biggest thing wrong with 263 00:17:42,715 --> 00:17:45,355 Speaker 1: the news media, the Maryland Thomas story and the violence 264 00:17:45,395 --> 00:17:48,915 Speaker 1: allegation and the threat allegation and the abortion allegation, they 265 00:17:49,035 --> 00:17:54,875 Speaker 1: just vanished. If the Democrats are smart, they make and 266 00:17:54,995 --> 00:17:57,555 Speaker 1: they can put whatever distance they want to between it 267 00:17:57,635 --> 00:18:00,515 Speaker 1: and the party itself, they make James Comer and what 268 00:18:00,635 --> 00:18:03,875 Speaker 1: he did to Marilynd Thomas at Western Kentucky University in 269 00:18:03,915 --> 00:18:08,195 Speaker 1: nineteen ninety one. The story right now, pile it out 270 00:18:08,235 --> 00:18:11,395 Speaker 1: there on top of Kevin McCarthy. Right now, call a 271 00:18:11,435 --> 00:18:15,235 Speaker 1: news conference. Leak as story, leak a dozen stories. Give 272 00:18:15,395 --> 00:18:20,395 Speaker 1: Kristen Welker a ring. You want oversight, mister chairman, or 273 00:18:20,435 --> 00:18:24,835 Speaker 1: if she called you, Jamie Comber, you got it. What 274 00:18:24,915 --> 00:18:28,155 Speaker 1: about Marilyn Thomas, Jamie Comber. Why haven't you addressed Maryland Thomas? 275 00:18:28,235 --> 00:18:30,315 Speaker 1: Jamie Comber. I don't see any stories about Marilyn Thomas 276 00:18:30,355 --> 00:18:33,115 Speaker 1: in twenty nineteen, Jamie Comber, What did you do to 277 00:18:33,155 --> 00:18:36,475 Speaker 1: suppress the coverage of Maryland Thomas? Jamie Comber? What about 278 00:18:36,475 --> 00:18:39,995 Speaker 1: the abortion, Jamie Comber? What about the abortion paperwork? Jamie Comber? 279 00:18:40,235 --> 00:18:47,555 Speaker 1: Is any of it on your laptop? Jamie Comer? You 280 00:18:47,555 --> 00:18:52,235 Speaker 1: you don't like this. It makes you uncomfortable, even though 281 00:18:52,275 --> 00:18:57,235 Speaker 1: it has a quality peculiar to the American political scene 282 00:18:57,275 --> 00:19:00,155 Speaker 1: of twenty twenty three in that it happens to be true, 283 00:19:00,915 --> 00:19:03,715 Speaker 1: even though the Republican version of this is for Marjorie 284 00:19:03,715 --> 00:19:07,995 Speaker 1: Taylor Green to show, oh Hunter Biden revenge porn. Oh, 285 00:19:08,035 --> 00:19:09,835 Speaker 1: by the way, revenge porn that now appears to have 286 00:19:09,835 --> 00:19:13,675 Speaker 1: been stolen out of his phone or his phones backup 287 00:19:14,395 --> 00:19:20,395 Speaker 1: at a hearing of the House Oversight Committee, James Comer, Chairman, 288 00:19:22,435 --> 00:19:31,995 Speaker 1: But this him beating his college girlfriend. This makes you uncomfortable, tough. 289 00:19:37,395 --> 00:19:41,315 Speaker 1: Also of interest here, Hey, Bill Maher, who I now 290 00:19:41,395 --> 00:19:44,915 Speaker 1: know forty five years. He used to be just too 291 00:19:44,995 --> 00:19:48,515 Speaker 1: lazy or too stupid to understand the political stories. He's 292 00:19:48,555 --> 00:19:52,035 Speaker 1: so glibly screwed up every Friday night on HBO as 293 00:19:52,155 --> 00:19:54,235 Speaker 1: US guests who are out there for the publicity and 294 00:19:54,275 --> 00:19:56,795 Speaker 1: the free first class air travel, just noded our heads 295 00:19:56,795 --> 00:19:58,875 Speaker 1: and said it'll be over soon. And then there's a 296 00:19:58,915 --> 00:20:02,115 Speaker 1: room full of drinks. And once upon a time when 297 00:20:02,115 --> 00:20:07,155 Speaker 1: we were in college together, he was so annoying that 298 00:20:05,795 --> 00:20:09,555 Speaker 1: I have not started to fight since nineteen sixty seven. 299 00:20:09,595 --> 00:20:12,075 Speaker 1: I was ready to punch him in the face in 300 00:20:12,155 --> 00:20:16,035 Speaker 1: like thirty seconds. That used to be the definition of 301 00:20:16,075 --> 00:20:18,675 Speaker 1: Bill Maher. But now, in the middle of the writer's 302 00:20:18,715 --> 00:20:22,355 Speaker 1: strike and the actors strike, Bill Maher has decided he's 303 00:20:22,355 --> 00:20:25,755 Speaker 1: had enough of these annoying scribes and their need for 304 00:20:26,155 --> 00:20:31,435 Speaker 1: you know, food, So he's going to restart his show 305 00:20:31,475 --> 00:20:33,795 Speaker 1: on HBO every week. And you know what that makes 306 00:20:33,795 --> 00:20:42,035 Speaker 1: Bill Maher right a scab, a goddamned scab. I'll talk 307 00:20:42,035 --> 00:20:48,995 Speaker 1: about that for ten twenty minutes. Maybe Bill Maher scab scab, 308 00:20:49,035 --> 00:20:57,675 Speaker 1: scab scab. That's next. This is countdown, scab. This is 309 00:20:57,835 --> 00:21:14,515 Speaker 1: Countdown with Keith Elberman, still ahead on Countdown, A doubleheader 310 00:21:14,835 --> 00:21:18,995 Speaker 1: Fridays with Thurber and coming up on a very topical things. 311 00:21:19,035 --> 00:21:22,755 Speaker 1: I promised not to tell the day I met Bill 312 00:21:22,875 --> 00:21:28,715 Speaker 1: Maher asshole. Turned out that day was about twenty years 313 00:21:28,715 --> 00:21:31,355 Speaker 1: earlier than either of us had remembered, and he became 314 00:21:31,395 --> 00:21:35,475 Speaker 1: an asshole about forty years earlier than most of you understood. 315 00:21:36,315 --> 00:21:38,635 Speaker 1: First time for the daily roundup of the miss Grants, 316 00:21:38,675 --> 00:21:42,035 Speaker 1: morons and Dunning Kruger Effect specimens who constitute today's worst 317 00:21:42,035 --> 00:21:45,035 Speaker 1: persons in the world. Spoiler alert, the winner is Bill Maher. 318 00:21:46,315 --> 00:21:51,555 Speaker 1: But first the bronze to Congresswoman Lauren No, this dress fits, 319 00:21:52,035 --> 00:21:55,995 Speaker 1: I'll make it fit Bobert. You saw the video of 320 00:21:56,035 --> 00:22:00,115 Speaker 1: her being ejected from a Denver theater for vaping and 321 00:22:00,195 --> 00:22:04,595 Speaker 1: for singing along and for illegally recording the stage version 322 00:22:04,835 --> 00:22:09,355 Speaker 1: of Beetlejuice. The thirty six year old grandmother's date was 323 00:22:09,435 --> 00:22:14,515 Speaker 1: reportedly an Aspen bar owner named Quinn Gallagher and who cares. 324 00:22:15,155 --> 00:22:18,995 Speaker 1: I mean, who cares. Bobert is a nitwit. The nation 325 00:22:19,195 --> 00:22:22,195 Speaker 1: is full of nitwits. Her odds of meeting her end 326 00:22:22,635 --> 00:22:27,915 Speaker 1: because her mouth mysteriously seals shut and traps an unsurvivable 327 00:22:27,915 --> 00:22:30,515 Speaker 1: amount of hot air in her lungs, they're about two 328 00:22:30,555 --> 00:22:34,475 Speaker 1: to one in favor k Sarah live and let live. 329 00:22:35,675 --> 00:22:38,915 Speaker 1: But this tears it. Bobert and the rest of her 330 00:22:39,035 --> 00:22:42,955 Speaker 1: nihilist Nazi party are still pushing the drag queens and 331 00:22:43,195 --> 00:22:47,915 Speaker 1: LGBTQ perge stuff and this guy Gallagher, the bar owner. 332 00:22:48,315 --> 00:22:54,115 Speaker 1: In January, the bar hosted quote a Winter Wonderland burlesque 333 00:22:54,155 --> 00:23:00,035 Speaker 1: and drag show at the bar of Lauren Bobert's boyfriend, 334 00:23:01,075 --> 00:23:06,435 Speaker 1: starring Ken Dramatic. I mean, it's one thing to jeopardize 335 00:23:06,475 --> 00:23:10,555 Speaker 1: the lives of people because of how they behave or dress, 336 00:23:10,755 --> 00:23:13,115 Speaker 1: or that you don't like them. It's quite another to 337 00:23:13,195 --> 00:23:16,275 Speaker 1: jeopardize the lives of people because of how they behave, 338 00:23:16,795 --> 00:23:19,915 Speaker 1: or live or dress when you don't even care and 339 00:23:19,995 --> 00:23:25,035 Speaker 1: you are just doing it to stir outrage. Watch out 340 00:23:25,035 --> 00:23:30,315 Speaker 1: for those sealed lips. Bobert, the runner up, Drew barrymore Well, 341 00:23:30,395 --> 00:23:33,155 Speaker 1: it was a nice career. In May, the actress and 342 00:23:33,235 --> 00:23:35,835 Speaker 1: TV talk show host pulled out of her gig as 343 00:23:35,995 --> 00:23:39,675 Speaker 1: MC of the MTV Movie and TV Awards in solidarity 344 00:23:39,675 --> 00:23:43,675 Speaker 1: with the writers' strike, and that solidarity lasted a solid 345 00:23:43,795 --> 00:23:48,555 Speaker 1: three months. She says she's bringing her show back without writers. 346 00:23:48,835 --> 00:23:50,595 Speaker 1: And if you think, oh, it's a talk show, it 347 00:23:50,635 --> 00:23:53,275 Speaker 1: doesn't have to have writers, it just has to have talk. 348 00:23:53,675 --> 00:23:57,115 Speaker 1: It has writers. Trust me, I've done talk shows. I've 349 00:23:57,195 --> 00:24:00,235 Speaker 1: hosted talk shows. I've been on talk shows. It's more 350 00:24:00,275 --> 00:24:06,635 Speaker 1: writers than say Countdown had. Now her writers will be 351 00:24:06,755 --> 00:24:10,555 Speaker 1: scab writers, and she will also be a scab Drew 352 00:24:10,755 --> 00:24:15,995 Speaker 1: Scab Barrymore of the Drew Scab Barrymore Show. But our 353 00:24:16,035 --> 00:24:20,715 Speaker 1: winner is this is a surprise. It's Bill Maher. I 354 00:24:20,755 --> 00:24:23,115 Speaker 1: have a confession. Now. I don't think I've ever actually 355 00:24:23,195 --> 00:24:26,635 Speaker 1: said this before. I have been on his HBO show 356 00:24:26,715 --> 00:24:30,235 Speaker 1: several times, and I had him on my old MSNBC 357 00:24:30,395 --> 00:24:35,595 Speaker 1: show because the publicity was useful, and they would, by 358 00:24:35,635 --> 00:24:39,755 Speaker 1: the way, fly guests to Los Angeles first class on 359 00:24:39,955 --> 00:24:45,355 Speaker 1: their dime, so it was work and a free flight. 360 00:24:46,355 --> 00:24:47,835 Speaker 1: And to get it, all you had to do was 361 00:24:47,915 --> 00:24:51,555 Speaker 1: sort of pretend you didn't hate Bill Maher. I'm guilty. 362 00:24:51,795 --> 00:24:55,115 Speaker 1: I pretended I didn't hate Bill Maher in point of fact, 363 00:24:55,115 --> 00:24:57,715 Speaker 1: as you will hear today, I have hated Bill Maher 364 00:24:57,995 --> 00:25:04,795 Speaker 1: continuously since the spring of nineteen seventy Flipping eight and 365 00:25:04,875 --> 00:25:07,555 Speaker 1: went to college with him. For a long time. Mar's 366 00:25:07,555 --> 00:25:10,595 Speaker 1: show was a good venue to reach a liberal audience 367 00:25:10,995 --> 00:25:15,555 Speaker 1: until he began to turn into a complete fascist. So 368 00:25:15,795 --> 00:25:18,595 Speaker 1: I last went on the show the night Trump was inaugurated, 369 00:25:19,195 --> 00:25:21,835 Speaker 1: and in fact I canceled an appearance scheduled for later 370 00:25:21,835 --> 00:25:26,155 Speaker 1: in twenty seventeen. So I'm not just now bailing on 371 00:25:26,235 --> 00:25:30,715 Speaker 1: this useless idiot. I bailed six years ago because mar 372 00:25:30,755 --> 00:25:33,715 Speaker 1: now has announced that his HBO show is also like 373 00:25:33,795 --> 00:25:38,355 Speaker 1: Drew Barrymore's returning despite the writer's strike quote, it has 374 00:25:38,435 --> 00:25:41,035 Speaker 1: been five months and it is time to bring people 375 00:25:41,035 --> 00:25:43,955 Speaker 1: back to work. The writers have important issues that I 376 00:25:44,035 --> 00:25:47,915 Speaker 1: empathize with and hope they are addressed to their satisfaction. 377 00:25:48,275 --> 00:25:51,155 Speaker 1: But they are not the only people with issues, problems, 378 00:25:51,155 --> 00:25:55,915 Speaker 1: and concerns. Bill says he will quote honor the spirit 379 00:25:55,995 --> 00:25:59,515 Speaker 1: of the strike by not doing a monologue or other 380 00:25:59,595 --> 00:26:03,635 Speaker 1: written style pieces. Well as an aside, that's good news 381 00:26:04,235 --> 00:26:07,155 Speaker 1: because not one of his monologues or other pieces has 382 00:26:07,195 --> 00:26:12,155 Speaker 1: been funny. Since about in ten, twenty eleven. But listen 383 00:26:12,195 --> 00:26:14,875 Speaker 1: to this quote. But the heart of the show is 384 00:26:14,915 --> 00:26:18,035 Speaker 1: an off the cuff panel discussion that aims to cut 385 00:26:18,075 --> 00:26:21,995 Speaker 1: through the bullshit and predictable partisanship, and that will continue. 386 00:26:23,275 --> 00:26:27,875 Speaker 1: I've been in these panel discussions. A couple of them were. Okay, Frankly, 387 00:26:28,435 --> 00:26:31,555 Speaker 1: you know how I feel about Chris Matthews. Chris Matthews 388 00:26:31,595 --> 00:26:34,915 Speaker 1: did panel discussions better than Bill Maher does. I think 389 00:26:34,915 --> 00:26:37,795 Speaker 1: it was twenty fifteen when they finally invited me on 390 00:26:37,915 --> 00:26:40,555 Speaker 1: and I said, all right, I'll come out, I'll take 391 00:26:40,595 --> 00:26:43,955 Speaker 1: the free flight and I'll do the one on one interview. 392 00:26:43,955 --> 00:26:46,795 Speaker 1: But these panels, you know what they are. They're just 393 00:26:47,035 --> 00:26:52,955 Speaker 1: they're bullshit and predictable partisanship. And Bill doesn't understand the issues. 394 00:26:53,475 --> 00:26:55,755 Speaker 1: I'd like to be left out of those. And the 395 00:26:55,795 --> 00:26:59,835 Speaker 1: producer says, I understand, and you're right, Bill doesn't understand 396 00:26:59,875 --> 00:27:02,555 Speaker 1: any of it. Doesn't even try anymore. But you kind 397 00:27:02,555 --> 00:27:05,475 Speaker 1: of have to be on the panel, all right. It's 398 00:27:05,475 --> 00:27:08,915 Speaker 1: still a free flight and a free hotel room, okay, Finn. 399 00:27:09,435 --> 00:27:13,795 Speaker 1: The panels are terrible, The panel guests are terrible. They're 400 00:27:13,875 --> 00:27:17,795 Speaker 1: usually c list at best. When I was on the panels, 401 00:27:17,995 --> 00:27:22,915 Speaker 1: I was terrible to cut through. To use Bill's word, 402 00:27:23,155 --> 00:27:26,315 Speaker 1: the bullshit here. What Bill Maher is doing right now 403 00:27:26,435 --> 00:27:29,915 Speaker 1: is as always putting himself first and then finding some 404 00:27:30,075 --> 00:27:34,355 Speaker 1: rationalization to do so. This is about saving his boss, 405 00:27:34,835 --> 00:27:39,755 Speaker 1: Warner Bros. Discovery Chief HBO boss David Zaslab, the one 406 00:27:39,755 --> 00:27:42,555 Speaker 1: who says HBO is a bad name, so he changed 407 00:27:42,595 --> 00:27:46,635 Speaker 1: it to Max David'saz Lab is the evil villain at 408 00:27:46,635 --> 00:27:49,155 Speaker 1: the heart of this strike that the studio's forced and 409 00:27:49,195 --> 00:27:52,595 Speaker 1: the Hollywood media machine, much to his surprise, is drying 410 00:27:52,675 --> 00:27:56,195 Speaker 1: up and dying, and he is being blamed every day 411 00:27:56,195 --> 00:27:58,795 Speaker 1: of the week. The writers and the actors have been 412 00:27:58,835 --> 00:28:04,915 Speaker 1: amazingly solid and courageous except for Drew Barrymore and Bill Maher, 413 00:28:05,035 --> 00:28:09,675 Speaker 1: and the studios are losing these strikes. So Bill is 414 00:28:09,755 --> 00:28:15,475 Speaker 1: going to help the studios by being a scab, by 415 00:28:15,595 --> 00:28:18,995 Speaker 1: siding with the corporations over the writers and the actors 416 00:28:18,995 --> 00:28:22,675 Speaker 1: who are on a legal and justified strike. Which is 417 00:28:22,795 --> 00:28:25,435 Speaker 1: especially funny because, as I'll get to in a moment, 418 00:28:25,475 --> 00:28:27,915 Speaker 1: the day I met Bill Maher, he called me a 419 00:28:28,035 --> 00:28:32,195 Speaker 1: quote corporate sellout, which is what he is now, a 420 00:28:32,315 --> 00:28:37,035 Speaker 1: corporate sellout and a scab. And a reminder, by the way, 421 00:28:37,075 --> 00:28:40,755 Speaker 1: particularly to liberals, but to in fact anybody contemplating going 422 00:28:40,835 --> 00:28:44,435 Speaker 1: on Real Time now or when the writers and actors 423 00:28:44,475 --> 00:28:47,635 Speaker 1: win the strike. If you go on real Time on HBO, 424 00:28:48,115 --> 00:28:51,915 Speaker 1: you too will be a scab. This will be a 425 00:28:52,035 --> 00:28:58,675 Speaker 1: particularly bad look. Democrats and lists will be kept Bill. 426 00:28:59,355 --> 00:29:01,835 Speaker 1: By the way, without writers, the new Scab edition of 427 00:29:01,835 --> 00:29:03,995 Speaker 1: Real Time with Bill Maher will be about eighty three 428 00:29:04,075 --> 00:29:07,915 Speaker 1: seconds law, not counting all the time that mar leaves 429 00:29:07,955 --> 00:29:10,515 Speaker 1: so he can laugh at his own jokes in a 430 00:29:10,675 --> 00:29:15,155 Speaker 1: desperate attempt to make them seem funny rather than just stupid. 431 00:29:15,595 --> 00:29:23,955 Speaker 1: Mar scab two days. Worst person in the world, and 432 00:29:23,995 --> 00:29:37,715 Speaker 1: he's a scab. Sometime in nineteen eighty five or nineteen 433 00:29:37,795 --> 00:29:42,315 Speaker 1: eighty six I saw a movie on cable called DC Cab. 434 00:29:42,395 --> 00:29:44,555 Speaker 1: There was a character, and it clearly the actor portraying 435 00:29:44,595 --> 00:29:47,235 Speaker 1: him was talented and funny, but for some reason I 436 00:29:47,235 --> 00:29:49,995 Speaker 1: felt like I knew him from somewhere, and I really 437 00:29:50,075 --> 00:29:53,555 Speaker 1: didn't like him. I remember the feeling was so strong 438 00:29:54,035 --> 00:29:56,235 Speaker 1: that I stuck around to watch the credits to find 439 00:29:56,235 --> 00:30:01,475 Speaker 1: out who he was. His name was Bill Mayher mah 440 00:30:01,635 --> 00:30:04,635 Speaker 1: e er Well. I had a teacher named Bill Mayer, 441 00:30:05,275 --> 00:30:06,835 Speaker 1: but his name had a y in it. He was 442 00:30:06,835 --> 00:30:09,795 Speaker 1: my advisor in high school. Now it wasn't him, but 443 00:30:09,875 --> 00:30:12,675 Speaker 1: I knew three things. He was talented, I didn't like him, 444 00:30:13,435 --> 00:30:16,995 Speaker 1: and I knew him from somewhere. This is pre internet, 445 00:30:17,035 --> 00:30:18,675 Speaker 1: of course, so no way to find out where I 446 00:30:18,715 --> 00:30:22,595 Speaker 1: knew him from. Hallowell's annual film guide would be my 447 00:30:22,675 --> 00:30:25,355 Speaker 1: best bet. Maybe he'd be in the new one coming out. 448 00:30:25,795 --> 00:30:30,795 Speaker 1: Checked calendar just eight or nine months from now. Eventually 449 00:30:30,835 --> 00:30:32,875 Speaker 1: I found out Bill Maher was in the year ahead 450 00:30:32,915 --> 00:30:35,395 Speaker 1: of mine at Cornell University. He was not at my 451 00:30:35,555 --> 00:30:38,355 Speaker 1: radio station. He was not in my college. Maybe I 452 00:30:38,395 --> 00:30:41,315 Speaker 1: knew him from a class somewhere. I could never nail 453 00:30:41,355 --> 00:30:44,595 Speaker 1: it down. I like to say I have a photographic memory, 454 00:30:44,595 --> 00:30:47,795 Speaker 1: but it's all polaroids, and I haven't always bothered to 455 00:30:47,875 --> 00:30:51,315 Speaker 1: label them. Almost everything that ever happened he is stuck 456 00:30:51,355 --> 00:30:54,435 Speaker 1: inside this big empty head of mine. But often key 457 00:30:54,475 --> 00:30:59,475 Speaker 1: details like who, what, when and where are just missing. 458 00:31:00,395 --> 00:31:03,435 Speaker 1: Never wrote him down, and honestly, in this case, it 459 00:31:03,475 --> 00:31:06,635 Speaker 1: was not worth the effort. I knew I was was 460 00:31:06,675 --> 00:31:09,755 Speaker 1: the right word. The word was aware of him when 461 00:31:09,755 --> 00:31:12,755 Speaker 1: we were both in college. Occasionally, especially after I went 462 00:31:12,755 --> 00:31:16,275 Speaker 1: from ESPN to MSNBC in nineteen ninety seven. A writer 463 00:31:16,755 --> 00:31:19,835 Speaker 1: would note the coincidence of university and years and ask 464 00:31:19,955 --> 00:31:21,835 Speaker 1: me about it, and I would say just that I 465 00:31:21,875 --> 00:31:23,715 Speaker 1: don't remember if he was in a class with me 466 00:31:24,235 --> 00:31:27,675 Speaker 1: or I knew him somehow, but I was aware of 467 00:31:27,715 --> 00:31:31,435 Speaker 1: Bill Maher. And then twenty two years ago, this month, 468 00:31:31,475 --> 00:31:35,115 Speaker 1: November twenty third, two thousand, I went on his old show, 469 00:31:35,195 --> 00:31:38,195 Speaker 1: Politically Incorrect, used to be the late night show on ABC. 470 00:31:39,075 --> 00:31:41,235 Speaker 1: This was when I was doing sports for Fox in 471 00:31:41,395 --> 00:31:44,195 Speaker 1: LA and it was an all sports episode. Lennox Lewis, 472 00:31:44,235 --> 00:31:47,675 Speaker 1: the boxer, Mark Cuban, the owner of the Dallas Mavericks, 473 00:31:47,955 --> 00:31:50,155 Speaker 1: Todd Zeal the first basement of the New York Mets, 474 00:31:50,195 --> 00:31:53,675 Speaker 1: and me from Fox Sports. When I met Bill Maher 475 00:31:53,755 --> 00:31:56,075 Speaker 1: before the show, I asked him about Cornell and whether 476 00:31:56,155 --> 00:31:57,635 Speaker 1: or not we ran into each other. I didn't know 477 00:31:57,635 --> 00:32:00,595 Speaker 1: anybody there. I didn't see anybody. I didn't go comedy anywhere. 478 00:32:00,675 --> 00:32:04,315 Speaker 1: I didn't talk to anybody. I didn't meet you. Okay, 479 00:32:04,315 --> 00:32:08,035 Speaker 1: excuse me. That settles it. Except during the recording of 480 00:32:08,075 --> 00:32:11,395 Speaker 1: the show, when Mark contradicted me on some point. I 481 00:32:11,475 --> 00:32:14,355 Speaker 1: got angry at him, and there was no reason to 482 00:32:14,355 --> 00:32:17,635 Speaker 1: get angry at him, so I dismissed the anger, and 483 00:32:17,675 --> 00:32:20,155 Speaker 1: I dismissed the moment, except on the way home, I 484 00:32:20,235 --> 00:32:24,995 Speaker 1: kept thinking, I know him from school somehow, no matter 485 00:32:25,035 --> 00:32:29,435 Speaker 1: what he says, and I know I didn't like him 486 00:32:29,595 --> 00:32:34,475 Speaker 1: in school. In the next decade, Bill switched to his 487 00:32:34,475 --> 00:32:37,235 Speaker 1: weekly HBO political show, and I went back and turned 488 00:32:37,315 --> 00:32:40,395 Speaker 1: MSNBC into a political network. And the Internet happened so 489 00:32:40,435 --> 00:32:44,155 Speaker 1: that Cornell juxtaposition became easier for reporters to stumble over, 490 00:32:44,875 --> 00:32:47,755 Speaker 1: so I would tell them the same thing. I can't 491 00:32:47,795 --> 00:32:50,235 Speaker 1: remember the details, but for twenty nine years now I 492 00:32:50,315 --> 00:32:54,915 Speaker 1: have been convinced I was aware of Bill Maher at Cornell. 493 00:32:55,075 --> 00:32:58,515 Speaker 1: Finally came the day March twentieth, two thousand and nine, 494 00:32:59,235 --> 00:33:01,715 Speaker 1: when they asked me to go on Real Time and 495 00:33:01,875 --> 00:33:06,475 Speaker 1: Bill Maher Cornell University seventy eight asked me Cornell University 496 00:33:06,595 --> 00:33:09,715 Speaker 1: seventy nine something about colleges, and I said, well, as 497 00:33:09,755 --> 00:33:11,435 Speaker 1: you know, we overlapped at Cornell, and I don't know 498 00:33:11,475 --> 00:33:13,395 Speaker 1: if we met, but I was aware of you there, 499 00:33:14,075 --> 00:33:17,555 Speaker 1: and he intermrupted and said, no, you weren't, and I 500 00:33:17,635 --> 00:33:20,955 Speaker 1: just went back and answered his question. Now, after every 501 00:33:20,995 --> 00:33:24,275 Speaker 1: episode of his program, Mar has or at least had 502 00:33:24,315 --> 00:33:28,595 Speaker 1: a little party backstage, I mean catered with booze and 503 00:33:28,675 --> 00:33:31,435 Speaker 1: with more guests than there are people in the studio audience, 504 00:33:31,675 --> 00:33:34,915 Speaker 1: and usually a bunch of models having done that show 505 00:33:34,995 --> 00:33:37,755 Speaker 1: four times, where they will fly you in first class 506 00:33:37,755 --> 00:33:39,515 Speaker 1: and put you up for the weekend in LA just 507 00:33:39,595 --> 00:33:43,875 Speaker 1: to do their show, and there's a party. I began 508 00:33:44,035 --> 00:33:46,915 Speaker 1: to suspect that, like many of the guests, Bill Maher 509 00:33:46,955 --> 00:33:51,915 Speaker 1: does the show just so he can have the party. Anyway. 510 00:33:52,715 --> 00:33:55,115 Speaker 1: Not long after it started, it overcomes Mar and he's 511 00:33:55,155 --> 00:33:58,555 Speaker 1: mad at me, and mind you, even if his allegation 512 00:33:58,675 --> 00:34:01,475 Speaker 1: that he is five feet eight is correct, I'm just 513 00:34:01,635 --> 00:34:03,395 Speaker 1: under six ' four, so he's giving up a lot 514 00:34:03,435 --> 00:34:06,195 Speaker 1: of height during an art argument, and he starts yapping 515 00:34:06,235 --> 00:34:07,795 Speaker 1: about how I should stop saying I was a way 516 00:34:07,795 --> 00:34:09,755 Speaker 1: heir of him at Cornell and I'm just trying to 517 00:34:09,755 --> 00:34:12,075 Speaker 1: get publicity off something that never happened. And who could 518 00:34:12,115 --> 00:34:15,475 Speaker 1: remember that kind of crap anyway? And he never talked 519 00:34:15,515 --> 00:34:18,075 Speaker 1: to anybody in four years in college because quote except 520 00:34:18,075 --> 00:34:21,555 Speaker 1: for the Ethica high school students I sold drugs to unquote. 521 00:34:22,315 --> 00:34:26,275 Speaker 1: And I notice he's getting heated, and this is just 522 00:34:26,435 --> 00:34:30,875 Speaker 1: triggering that core belief of mine that I was aware 523 00:34:30,995 --> 00:34:34,635 Speaker 1: of him in college and I didn't like him, And 524 00:34:34,715 --> 00:34:38,595 Speaker 1: now it becomes clear to me he didn't like me either. 525 00:34:40,235 --> 00:34:43,155 Speaker 1: He's getting loud enough and he's swinging his arms around 526 00:34:43,195 --> 00:34:45,795 Speaker 1: now and it looks kind of funny, but apparently it 527 00:34:45,835 --> 00:34:49,235 Speaker 1: happens in the office sometimes. And this is when Scott Carter, 528 00:34:49,755 --> 00:34:52,555 Speaker 1: who was the executive producer whom I definitely did know 529 00:34:52,675 --> 00:34:55,315 Speaker 1: since like nineteen ninety two when he worked at Comedy 530 00:34:55,395 --> 00:34:58,435 Speaker 1: Central with my friend Alan Havy, Scott Carter comes over 531 00:34:58,795 --> 00:35:02,875 Speaker 1: to defuse the situation. Scott was a three piece suit 532 00:35:02,995 --> 00:35:05,595 Speaker 1: kind of guy with the thumbs tucking a vest, who 533 00:35:05,635 --> 00:35:09,875 Speaker 1: would call a group of men fellows, as in say fellows. 534 00:35:10,835 --> 00:35:14,635 Speaker 1: So Scott comes over and says, say fellows with your 535 00:35:14,715 --> 00:35:17,955 Speaker 1: Cornell alumni reunion here, And of course this makes Bill 536 00:35:18,035 --> 00:35:20,875 Speaker 1: Maher even angrier. Let me ask you something. I used 537 00:35:20,875 --> 00:35:24,155 Speaker 1: to drive down from Hobart to see concerts at Cornell. 538 00:35:24,435 --> 00:35:26,715 Speaker 1: Have to say, I think Cornell was the leading concert 539 00:35:26,755 --> 00:35:30,555 Speaker 1: school in the nation back in our day. And now 540 00:35:30,595 --> 00:35:33,515 Speaker 1: Scott starts to list who he saw in concert at Cornell, 541 00:35:33,635 --> 00:35:37,155 Speaker 1: Robert Palmer and the famous Grateful Dead concert at Cornell 542 00:35:37,195 --> 00:35:40,115 Speaker 1: at Barton Hall. He was there, and I say, I 543 00:35:40,155 --> 00:35:43,955 Speaker 1: went to Springsteen, and Mar mumbles something about Loggins and Messina, 544 00:35:43,995 --> 00:35:47,075 Speaker 1: and I know what Carter's doing here. He's diffusing. And 545 00:35:47,155 --> 00:35:49,395 Speaker 1: we do a couple of rounds of who saw which 546 00:35:49,435 --> 00:35:52,235 Speaker 1: Cornell concert? And finally I say, I can top both 547 00:35:52,275 --> 00:35:57,195 Speaker 1: of you comic geniuses. I saw Robert Klein in concert 548 00:35:57,235 --> 00:36:02,195 Speaker 1: at Cornell. Now it is criminal, but there's an excellent 549 00:36:02,275 --> 00:36:07,075 Speaker 1: chance you may not know who Robert Klin is, suffice 550 00:36:07,115 --> 00:36:10,475 Speaker 1: to say as prominent a comedian in the sixties seventies 551 00:36:10,515 --> 00:36:14,435 Speaker 1: eighties as George Carlin or Richard pryor HBO itself was 552 00:36:14,475 --> 00:36:19,075 Speaker 1: built on annual George Carlin concerts and annual Robert Klein 553 00:36:19,195 --> 00:36:23,475 Speaker 1: concerts and everybody else. And Robert Kline wasn't quite as 554 00:36:23,515 --> 00:36:26,595 Speaker 1: deep or eternal as George Carlin, but he was really 555 00:36:26,675 --> 00:36:30,235 Speaker 1: on the money during Watergate and during Reagan. So I say, 556 00:36:30,555 --> 00:36:34,155 Speaker 1: I saw Robert Klein in concert at Cornell, and Mar 557 00:36:34,355 --> 00:36:37,995 Speaker 1: looks at me funny and not angrily, and says quietly, 558 00:36:39,875 --> 00:36:42,835 Speaker 1: I was at that too. I saw Robert Klein too, 559 00:36:43,715 --> 00:36:46,195 Speaker 1: And I don't really register that Mar's mood has now 560 00:36:46,275 --> 00:36:51,115 Speaker 1: utterly changed. He's not angry, he's confused. Well, I say, 561 00:36:51,155 --> 00:36:53,875 Speaker 1: I can still top you, because after that concert I 562 00:36:53,915 --> 00:36:58,875 Speaker 1: interviewed Robert Klein. Now Bill Maher starts to squint, and 563 00:36:58,955 --> 00:37:01,315 Speaker 1: he looks at me, and he looks at Scott Carter, 564 00:37:01,595 --> 00:37:04,235 Speaker 1: and he looks back at me, and he says, wait, 565 00:37:05,915 --> 00:37:11,715 Speaker 1: I interviewed Kleine after that concert too. And I'm smiling 566 00:37:11,755 --> 00:37:13,955 Speaker 1: through all this, and smiling and smiling and smiling, and 567 00:37:13,995 --> 00:37:17,675 Speaker 1: then suddenly, simultaneously it hits Bill Maher and me at 568 00:37:17,715 --> 00:37:19,955 Speaker 1: the same moment, in the same fullness of detail, and 569 00:37:20,035 --> 00:37:23,235 Speaker 1: I stop smiling, and I shout at Bill Maher, you 570 00:37:24,515 --> 00:37:27,075 Speaker 1: and he pulls his arms in towards his stomach and 571 00:37:27,195 --> 00:37:29,715 Speaker 1: kind of bends forward at the waist and covers his 572 00:37:29,715 --> 00:37:31,915 Speaker 1: face with his hands, and he says, oh God, I'm 573 00:37:31,915 --> 00:37:34,595 Speaker 1: so sorry, Jesus, it can't be. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. 574 00:37:35,835 --> 00:37:39,355 Speaker 1: And while the anger wells up inside me so powerfully, 575 00:37:39,395 --> 00:37:42,795 Speaker 1: I can almost see it in my own eyeballs. Bill 576 00:37:42,835 --> 00:37:47,915 Speaker 1: Maher's concert going producer Scott Carter is really confused. Say, fellows, 577 00:37:48,315 --> 00:37:50,755 Speaker 1: did I miss something or did I have a brief 578 00:37:50,915 --> 00:37:55,875 Speaker 1: stroke or episode? And I say, Bill, and I just 579 00:37:55,955 --> 00:38:00,475 Speaker 1: remembered how I happen to be aware of him in school, 580 00:38:01,675 --> 00:38:04,155 Speaker 1: and Mar still has got his hands over his face. 581 00:38:04,715 --> 00:38:07,955 Speaker 1: People are looking at us, and Bill is shouting apologies, 582 00:38:07,955 --> 00:38:10,875 Speaker 1: and I say you want to tell him or should I? 583 00:38:11,915 --> 00:38:14,915 Speaker 1: And mar just shakes his body no and mumbles, oh God, 584 00:38:15,075 --> 00:38:17,555 Speaker 1: you do it. I can't, I can't, I can't, And 585 00:38:17,675 --> 00:38:21,555 Speaker 1: it all came back to me. For years, I would 586 00:38:21,595 --> 00:38:24,835 Speaker 1: tell people the story of the Robert Klein concert at 587 00:38:24,835 --> 00:38:29,195 Speaker 1: Cornell University in nineteen seventy eight. Our radio station co 588 00:38:29,355 --> 00:38:32,555 Speaker 1: sponsored his appearance along with the Corneill Concert Commission, and 589 00:38:32,715 --> 00:38:36,235 Speaker 1: in the contract we specified that a couple of us 590 00:38:36,275 --> 00:38:38,675 Speaker 1: real comedy nerds at the radio station would get to 591 00:38:38,675 --> 00:38:42,275 Speaker 1: go backstage afterwards and tape a brief ten or fifteen 592 00:38:42,315 --> 00:38:46,475 Speaker 1: minute interview with Robert Klin. Basically, we paid him not much, 593 00:38:46,515 --> 00:38:49,955 Speaker 1: but we paid him to do an interview. And when 594 00:38:49,995 --> 00:38:53,155 Speaker 1: my pal Andy Grossman and I get backstage to talk 595 00:38:53,155 --> 00:38:55,315 Speaker 1: to Robert Klein, and we have our two microphones and 596 00:38:55,355 --> 00:38:58,195 Speaker 1: two mike stands and three tape recorders, there is this guy, 597 00:38:58,955 --> 00:39:03,115 Speaker 1: this short guy, and he's yelling at the chief of 598 00:39:03,115 --> 00:39:06,755 Speaker 1: the Cornaill Concert Commission. And he's yelling at Robert Clin's manager, 599 00:39:06,835 --> 00:39:08,795 Speaker 1: and he's demanding that he should get to interview Robert 600 00:39:08,835 --> 00:39:11,115 Speaker 1: Clin because, like Klein, this kid says he is a 601 00:39:11,155 --> 00:39:14,315 Speaker 1: stand up comedian and he publishes the Cornell Humor Magazine. 602 00:39:14,355 --> 00:39:16,355 Speaker 1: And he points at me and he says he should 603 00:39:16,395 --> 00:39:21,675 Speaker 1: get priority over these quote corporate sellouts from the Cornell 604 00:39:21,795 --> 00:39:29,875 Speaker 1: Radio station. I hated him on site. Oh wait, I 605 00:39:29,955 --> 00:39:32,355 Speaker 1: say to him in nineteen seventy eight. And he's small 606 00:39:32,395 --> 00:39:35,355 Speaker 1: and he's got dirty, stringy hair and he's loud, and 607 00:39:35,395 --> 00:39:39,235 Speaker 1: I say, you are the publisher of the Cornell Humor magazine, 608 00:39:39,235 --> 00:39:42,435 Speaker 1: the Cornell Widow. And he snorts and says, I wouldn't 609 00:39:42,435 --> 00:39:46,635 Speaker 1: get caught dead publishing that corporate sellout, Cornell Widow. And 610 00:39:46,675 --> 00:39:49,115 Speaker 1: so I say, oh so, then that means you're the 611 00:39:49,155 --> 00:39:53,035 Speaker 1: publisher of the Cornell Alternative Humor magazine, the Not So 612 00:39:53,235 --> 00:39:55,715 Speaker 1: Big Red or whatever it is they call it. He says, 613 00:39:55,915 --> 00:39:59,875 Speaker 1: no way, they are corporate sellouts. I publish this. And 614 00:39:59,915 --> 00:40:03,435 Speaker 1: he pulls out a stack of mimeographed pages stapled together 615 00:40:03,995 --> 00:40:06,155 Speaker 1: and there's like a drawing on the front of a 616 00:40:06,355 --> 00:40:12,075 Speaker 1: naked girl and handwritten it says it's his comedy magazine 617 00:40:12,795 --> 00:40:16,395 Speaker 1: and I look at Robert Klein's manager and I say, so, 618 00:40:16,555 --> 00:40:19,595 Speaker 1: it's ten o'clock and if you leave now while this 619 00:40:19,675 --> 00:40:22,195 Speaker 1: idiot is screwing this up, the limo can still get 620 00:40:22,235 --> 00:40:25,955 Speaker 1: mister Klein to Elaine's in the city before it closes, right, 621 00:40:26,355 --> 00:40:29,875 Speaker 1: And the manager is wildly impressed, you know of Elaine's. 622 00:40:30,395 --> 00:40:33,315 Speaker 1: And I said yes, and I felt like an adult. 623 00:40:33,915 --> 00:40:36,195 Speaker 1: And I also said, if we give this guy five 624 00:40:36,235 --> 00:40:38,275 Speaker 1: minutes of our time right now while we're setting up 625 00:40:38,315 --> 00:40:40,115 Speaker 1: our tape recorders, can we still have ten minutes with 626 00:40:40,195 --> 00:40:43,315 Speaker 1: mister Klein. And the manager says, good plan. I like 627 00:40:43,355 --> 00:40:45,235 Speaker 1: the way you think, and he points to the kid 628 00:40:45,235 --> 00:40:48,675 Speaker 1: and gestures for him to come along. No, the kid shouts, 629 00:40:48,715 --> 00:40:51,795 Speaker 1: I want half an hour. These corporate sellouts deserve nothing. 630 00:40:53,395 --> 00:40:57,875 Speaker 1: And now I'm getting angry. I say, buddy, so far 631 00:40:58,115 --> 00:41:01,755 Speaker 1: all the corporations in the world have paid me about 632 00:41:01,795 --> 00:41:05,635 Speaker 1: one hundred bucks. So I threatened him. Now, mind you, 633 00:41:05,675 --> 00:41:08,315 Speaker 1: I believe this is literally true. Since nineteen sixty seven, 634 00:41:08,315 --> 00:41:09,955 Speaker 1: when I was eight years old, I have started two 635 00:41:10,035 --> 00:41:14,475 Speaker 1: fistfights two in fifty five years. I am a man 636 00:41:14,755 --> 00:41:18,355 Speaker 1: of peace. I am loud, but I am a man 637 00:41:18,555 --> 00:41:24,635 Speaker 1: of peace. But I say to this guy. You now 638 00:41:24,675 --> 00:41:28,795 Speaker 1: have two choices, kid, five minutes with Robert Klein or 639 00:41:28,835 --> 00:41:32,555 Speaker 1: I hit you in the face. And he runs to 640 00:41:32,555 --> 00:41:36,035 Speaker 1: where client's manager is still gesturing towards him, and he screams, Carpred, 641 00:41:36,195 --> 00:41:39,515 Speaker 1: sell out, and he disappears to do his interview, and 642 00:41:39,555 --> 00:41:43,875 Speaker 1: behind him he leaves his little homemade mimiograph ten or 643 00:41:43,955 --> 00:41:46,635 Speaker 1: twelve page humor publication, and I pick it up and 644 00:41:46,675 --> 00:41:51,035 Speaker 1: I read it and register it and dismiss it before 645 00:41:51,075 --> 00:41:54,235 Speaker 1: I leave the building. And if I had only remembered 646 00:41:54,275 --> 00:41:56,515 Speaker 1: what it said on the cover, all the years of 647 00:41:56,595 --> 00:41:58,555 Speaker 1: mystery and I was aware of him, and all that 648 00:41:58,595 --> 00:42:01,555 Speaker 1: would never have happened, because the cover of the magazine 649 00:42:01,595 --> 00:42:08,315 Speaker 1: read Bill Maherr's Comedy mag Magazine by Bill maher And 650 00:42:08,355 --> 00:42:13,155 Speaker 1: now back in well technically this is correct, back in 651 00:42:13,235 --> 00:42:16,035 Speaker 1: real time, at the party in the Hollywood studio in 652 00:42:16,035 --> 00:42:18,515 Speaker 1: two thousand and nine, the producer Scott Carter says nothing, 653 00:42:18,995 --> 00:42:21,715 Speaker 1: and Bill maher is still doubled over in shame, and 654 00:42:21,795 --> 00:42:25,995 Speaker 1: I say, are you satisfied that I was aware of you? 655 00:42:26,555 --> 00:42:30,595 Speaker 1: And he mumbles yes, And I say, will you ever 656 00:42:30,755 --> 00:42:35,395 Speaker 1: question my memory again? And he mumbles no. And he says, 657 00:42:36,115 --> 00:42:38,235 Speaker 1: if I need him to do my show or a 658 00:42:38,355 --> 00:42:41,915 Speaker 1: charity benefit or something. Just call and he says he's ashamed, 659 00:42:42,155 --> 00:42:44,155 Speaker 1: and he offers me his hand to shake, and we shake, 660 00:42:44,235 --> 00:42:46,795 Speaker 1: and finally I say, and by the way, Bill Maher, 661 00:42:46,795 --> 00:42:49,835 Speaker 1: if Bill Maher's comedy magazine by Bill Maher, are you 662 00:42:49,915 --> 00:42:56,595 Speaker 1: a corporate sellout? And he says kind And that's how 663 00:42:56,675 --> 00:43:11,435 Speaker 1: I was aware of Bill Maher in college. I have 664 00:43:11,675 --> 00:43:15,035 Speaker 1: argued before that James Thurber is the greatest American humorist. 665 00:43:15,115 --> 00:43:17,355 Speaker 1: And it dawns on me that the argument is not 666 00:43:17,475 --> 00:43:20,955 Speaker 1: unlike the idea that shohe Otani of the Los Angeles 667 00:43:20,995 --> 00:43:24,955 Speaker 1: Angels is almost automatically the most valuable player in baseball 668 00:43:24,995 --> 00:43:27,595 Speaker 1: each year because he is an All Star hitter and 669 00:43:27,675 --> 00:43:31,795 Speaker 1: an All Star pitcher in the same body. James Thurber 670 00:43:31,915 --> 00:43:34,395 Speaker 1: was a brilliant writer, and in his spare time, he 671 00:43:34,515 --> 00:43:38,075 Speaker 1: was an equally brilliant, almost avant garde artist in the 672 00:43:38,115 --> 00:43:41,995 Speaker 1: same body. His simple drawings to pick the most complex 673 00:43:42,035 --> 00:43:46,355 Speaker 1: of emotions and comedic situations. His dogs are immortal. And 674 00:43:46,395 --> 00:43:49,235 Speaker 1: then there were his captions. Well, I can't do anything 675 00:43:49,235 --> 00:43:51,715 Speaker 1: with his drawings in a podcast, so I'll just read 676 00:43:52,595 --> 00:43:54,555 Speaker 1: and I will read you now in this episode what 677 00:43:54,675 --> 00:43:59,115 Speaker 1: is probably his most famous story from my life in 678 00:43:59,235 --> 00:44:05,715 Speaker 1: hard times, The Night the Bed Fell James Thurber. I 679 00:44:05,795 --> 00:44:10,715 Speaker 1: suppose that the high water mark of my youth in Columbus, 680 00:44:10,715 --> 00:44:14,395 Speaker 1: Ohio was the night the bed fell on my father. 681 00:44:15,355 --> 00:44:18,355 Speaker 1: It makes a better recitation unless, as some friends of 682 00:44:18,395 --> 00:44:20,555 Speaker 1: mine have said, one has heard it five or six times, 683 00:44:20,875 --> 00:44:23,355 Speaker 1: than it does a piece of writing. For it is 684 00:44:23,395 --> 00:44:27,315 Speaker 1: almost necessary to throw furniture around, shake doors, and bark 685 00:44:27,395 --> 00:44:31,835 Speaker 1: like a dog to lend the proper atmosphere and verisimilitude 686 00:44:31,875 --> 00:44:37,275 Speaker 1: to what is admittedly a somewhat incredible tale. Still it 687 00:44:37,395 --> 00:44:41,355 Speaker 1: did take place. It happened then that my father had 688 00:44:41,395 --> 00:44:43,715 Speaker 1: decided to sleep in the attic one night, to be 689 00:44:43,755 --> 00:44:47,795 Speaker 1: away where he could think. My mother opposed the notion 690 00:44:47,995 --> 00:44:51,035 Speaker 1: strongly because she said the old wooden bed up there 691 00:44:51,195 --> 00:44:54,275 Speaker 1: was unsafe, It was wobbly, and the heavy headboard would 692 00:44:54,315 --> 00:44:56,835 Speaker 1: crash down on father's head in case the bed fell 693 00:44:57,195 --> 00:45:01,995 Speaker 1: and kill him. There was no dissuading him, however, and 694 00:45:02,075 --> 00:45:04,155 Speaker 1: at a quarter past ten he closed the attic door 695 00:45:04,155 --> 00:45:07,235 Speaker 1: behind him. He went up the narrow, twisting stairs. We 696 00:45:07,315 --> 00:45:10,795 Speaker 1: later heard I'm in his creakings as he crawled into bed. 697 00:45:11,435 --> 00:45:13,795 Speaker 1: Grandfather who usually slept in the attic bed when he 698 00:45:13,835 --> 00:45:18,075 Speaker 1: was with us, had disappeared some days before. On those occasions, 699 00:45:18,075 --> 00:45:20,395 Speaker 1: he was usually gone six or eight days, and returned 700 00:45:20,435 --> 00:45:24,115 Speaker 1: growling and out of temper with the news that the 701 00:45:24,155 --> 00:45:27,475 Speaker 1: Federal Union was run by a passel of blockheads, and 702 00:45:27,515 --> 00:45:29,595 Speaker 1: that the Army of the Potomac didn't have any more 703 00:45:29,675 --> 00:45:34,555 Speaker 1: chance than a fiddler's bitch. We had visiting us at 704 00:45:34,595 --> 00:45:37,915 Speaker 1: the time, a nervous first cousin of mine named Briggs Beale, 705 00:45:38,315 --> 00:45:41,115 Speaker 1: who believed that he was likely to cease breathing when 706 00:45:41,115 --> 00:45:43,915 Speaker 1: he was asleep. It was his feeling that if he 707 00:45:43,955 --> 00:45:46,915 Speaker 1: were not awakened every hour during the night, he might 708 00:45:46,995 --> 00:45:50,675 Speaker 1: die of suffocation. He had been accustomed to setting an 709 00:45:50,715 --> 00:45:53,995 Speaker 1: alarm clock to ring at intervals until morning, but I 710 00:45:54,235 --> 00:45:58,235 Speaker 1: persuaded him to abandon this. He slept in my room, 711 00:45:58,235 --> 00:45:59,835 Speaker 1: and I told him that I was such a light 712 00:45:59,915 --> 00:46:02,995 Speaker 1: sleeper that if anybody quit breathing in the same room 713 00:46:03,035 --> 00:46:06,115 Speaker 1: with me, I would wake instantly. He tested me the 714 00:46:06,155 --> 00:46:09,955 Speaker 1: first night, which I had suspected he would, by holding 715 00:46:09,995 --> 00:46:13,795 Speaker 1: his breath after my regular breathing, had convinced him I 716 00:46:13,955 --> 00:46:17,995 Speaker 1: was asleep. I was not asleep, however, and called to him. 717 00:46:18,515 --> 00:46:22,435 Speaker 1: This seemed to allay his fears a little, but he 718 00:46:22,475 --> 00:46:25,275 Speaker 1: took the precaution of putting a glass of spirits of 719 00:46:25,395 --> 00:46:28,475 Speaker 1: camphor on a little table at the head of his 720 00:46:28,555 --> 00:46:31,475 Speaker 1: bed in case I didn't arouse him until he was 721 00:46:31,515 --> 00:46:34,755 Speaker 1: almost gone. He said he would sniff the camphor. A 722 00:46:34,795 --> 00:46:38,715 Speaker 1: powerful reviver, Briggs was not the only member of his 723 00:46:38,795 --> 00:46:43,315 Speaker 1: family who had his crotchets. Old Aunt Melissa Belle, who 724 00:46:43,395 --> 00:46:45,875 Speaker 1: could whistle like a man with two fingers in her mouth, 725 00:46:46,235 --> 00:46:49,195 Speaker 1: suffered under the premonition that she was destined to die 726 00:46:49,355 --> 00:46:52,235 Speaker 1: on South High Street because she had been born on 727 00:46:52,315 --> 00:46:56,035 Speaker 1: South High Street and married on South High Street. Then 728 00:46:56,075 --> 00:46:59,275 Speaker 1: there was Aunt Sarah Schauf, who never went to bed 729 00:46:59,315 --> 00:47:02,235 Speaker 1: at night without the fear that a burglar was going 730 00:47:02,275 --> 00:47:05,435 Speaker 1: to get in and blow chloroform on under her door 731 00:47:05,475 --> 00:47:09,155 Speaker 1: through a tube. To avert this calamity, for she was 732 00:47:09,195 --> 00:47:12,115 Speaker 1: in greater dread of anesthetics than of losing her household goods, 733 00:47:12,355 --> 00:47:16,395 Speaker 1: she always piled her money, silverware, and other valuables in 734 00:47:16,435 --> 00:47:19,675 Speaker 1: a neat stack just outside her bedroom, with a note 735 00:47:19,675 --> 00:47:22,115 Speaker 1: reading this is all I have. Please take it and 736 00:47:22,195 --> 00:47:24,915 Speaker 1: do not use your chloroform, as this is all I have. 737 00:47:26,475 --> 00:47:29,835 Speaker 1: Aunt Gracie's chauf also had a burglar phobia, but she 738 00:47:29,955 --> 00:47:33,475 Speaker 1: met it with more fortitude. She was confident that burglars 739 00:47:33,475 --> 00:47:36,555 Speaker 1: had been getting into her house every night for forty years. 740 00:47:37,235 --> 00:47:40,195 Speaker 1: The fact that she never missed anything was to her 741 00:47:40,435 --> 00:47:43,035 Speaker 1: no proof. To the contrary, she always claimed that she 742 00:47:43,155 --> 00:47:46,155 Speaker 1: scared them off before they could take anything by throwing 743 00:47:46,395 --> 00:47:50,275 Speaker 1: shoes down the hallway. When she went to bed, she 744 00:47:50,435 --> 00:47:53,475 Speaker 1: piled where she could get at them handily, all the 745 00:47:53,515 --> 00:47:57,075 Speaker 1: shoes there were about her house. Five minutes after she 746 00:47:57,115 --> 00:47:58,835 Speaker 1: had turned off the light, she would sit up in 747 00:47:58,875 --> 00:48:04,155 Speaker 1: bed and say hark. Her husband, who had learned to 748 00:48:04,195 --> 00:48:07,395 Speaker 1: ignore the whole situation as long ago as nineteen o three, 749 00:48:08,115 --> 00:48:11,955 Speaker 1: would either be sound asleep or pretend to be sound asleep. 750 00:48:12,675 --> 00:48:15,235 Speaker 1: In either case, he would not respond to her tugging 751 00:48:15,315 --> 00:48:19,115 Speaker 1: and pulling, so that presently she would arise, tiptoe to 752 00:48:19,155 --> 00:48:22,115 Speaker 1: the door, open it slightly, and heave a shoe down 753 00:48:22,115 --> 00:48:25,035 Speaker 1: the hall in one direction, and its mate down the 754 00:48:25,075 --> 00:48:28,675 Speaker 1: hall in the other direction. Some nights she threw them all, 755 00:48:29,155 --> 00:48:33,875 Speaker 1: some nights only a couple of pear. But I am 756 00:48:33,995 --> 00:48:37,195 Speaker 1: straying from the remarkable incidents that took place during the 757 00:48:37,275 --> 00:48:40,675 Speaker 1: night that the bed fell on father. By midnight we 758 00:48:40,675 --> 00:48:43,795 Speaker 1: were all in bed. The layout of the rooms and 759 00:48:43,835 --> 00:48:46,835 Speaker 1: the disposition of their occupants is important to an understanding 760 00:48:46,875 --> 00:48:51,035 Speaker 1: of what later occurred. In the front room upstairs, just 761 00:48:51,155 --> 00:48:55,715 Speaker 1: under father's attic bedroom, where my mother and my brother Hermann, 762 00:48:55,715 --> 00:48:59,275 Speaker 1: who sometimes sang in his sleep, usually marching through Georgia 763 00:48:59,395 --> 00:49:03,515 Speaker 1: or onward Christian soldiers, briggs Beale and myself were in 764 00:49:03,515 --> 00:49:06,275 Speaker 1: a room adjoining this one one. My brother Roy was 765 00:49:06,275 --> 00:49:09,275 Speaker 1: in a room across the hall from ours. Our bull 766 00:49:09,395 --> 00:49:13,355 Speaker 1: terrier Wrecks slept in the hall. My bed was an 767 00:49:13,475 --> 00:49:16,195 Speaker 1: army cot, one of those affairs which were made wide 768 00:49:16,315 --> 00:49:19,115 Speaker 1: enough to sleep on comfortably only by putting up flat 769 00:49:19,115 --> 00:49:22,355 Speaker 1: with the middle section the two sides, which ordinarily hang 770 00:49:22,475 --> 00:49:25,475 Speaker 1: down like the sideboards of a drop leaf table. When 771 00:49:25,515 --> 00:49:29,715 Speaker 1: these sides are up, it is perilous to roll too 772 00:49:29,875 --> 00:49:33,035 Speaker 1: far toward the edge, for then the cot is likely 773 00:49:33,075 --> 00:49:36,195 Speaker 1: to tip completely over, bringing the whole bed down on 774 00:49:36,315 --> 00:49:41,595 Speaker 1: top of one with a tremendous banging crash. This, in fact, 775 00:49:41,675 --> 00:49:44,755 Speaker 1: is precisely what happened about two o'clock in the morning. 776 00:49:45,395 --> 00:49:47,795 Speaker 1: It was my mother who, in recalling the scene, later 777 00:49:47,875 --> 00:49:49,955 Speaker 1: first referred to it as the night the bed fell 778 00:49:50,035 --> 00:49:55,115 Speaker 1: on your father, Always a deep sleeper and slow to arouse, 779 00:49:55,915 --> 00:49:59,835 Speaker 1: I had lied to Briggs. I was at first unconscious 780 00:49:59,875 --> 00:50:03,075 Speaker 1: of what had happened when the ironcot rolled me onto 781 00:50:03,115 --> 00:50:06,915 Speaker 1: the floor and toppled over on it left me still 782 00:50:06,995 --> 00:50:09,675 Speaker 1: warmly bundled up and unheard, for the bed rested above 783 00:50:09,715 --> 00:50:12,515 Speaker 1: me like a canopy. Hence I did not wake up, 784 00:50:12,835 --> 00:50:17,155 Speaker 1: only reached the edge of consciousness and went back. The racket, however, 785 00:50:17,275 --> 00:50:19,715 Speaker 1: instantly awakened my mother in the next room, who came 786 00:50:19,755 --> 00:50:23,435 Speaker 1: to the immediate conclusion that her worst dread was realized. 787 00:50:23,435 --> 00:50:26,915 Speaker 1: The big wooden bed upstairs had fallen on father. She 788 00:50:27,075 --> 00:50:32,275 Speaker 1: therefore screamed, let's go to your poor father. It was 789 00:50:32,355 --> 00:50:35,635 Speaker 1: this shout, rather than the noise of my cot falling, 790 00:50:35,715 --> 00:50:38,235 Speaker 1: that awakened Herman in the same room with her, He 791 00:50:38,355 --> 00:50:41,555 Speaker 1: thought that mother had become, for no apparent reason, hysterical. 792 00:50:42,115 --> 00:50:44,755 Speaker 1: You're all right, Mama, he shouted, trying to calm her. 793 00:50:45,395 --> 00:50:50,075 Speaker 1: They exchanged shout for shout for perhaps ten seconds. Let's 794 00:50:50,115 --> 00:50:54,635 Speaker 1: go to your poor father, and you're all right. That 795 00:50:54,955 --> 00:50:58,555 Speaker 1: woke up Briggs. By this time I was conscious of 796 00:50:58,635 --> 00:51:01,715 Speaker 1: what was going on in a vague way, but did 797 00:51:01,755 --> 00:51:05,115 Speaker 1: not yet realize that I was under my bed instead 798 00:51:05,115 --> 00:51:08,915 Speaker 1: of on it. Briggs, awakening in the midst of loud 799 00:51:08,955 --> 00:51:11,555 Speaker 1: shouts of fear and apprehension, came to the quick conclusion 800 00:51:11,675 --> 00:51:14,315 Speaker 1: that he was suffocating, and that we were all trying 801 00:51:14,315 --> 00:51:19,435 Speaker 1: to bring him out. With a low moan, he grasped 802 00:51:19,475 --> 00:51:21,475 Speaker 1: the glass of camphor at the head of his bed, 803 00:51:21,595 --> 00:51:26,355 Speaker 1: and instead of sniffing it, he poured it over himself. 804 00:51:26,635 --> 00:51:31,315 Speaker 1: The room reeked of camphor ugh ah choked Briggs like 805 00:51:31,315 --> 00:51:34,275 Speaker 1: a drowning man, for he had almost succeeded in stopping 806 00:51:34,315 --> 00:51:39,075 Speaker 1: his breath under the deluge of pungent spirits. He leaped 807 00:51:39,075 --> 00:51:41,275 Speaker 1: out of bed and groped toward the open window, but 808 00:51:41,315 --> 00:51:44,435 Speaker 1: he came up against one that was closed. With his hand, 809 00:51:44,875 --> 00:51:47,555 Speaker 1: he beat out the glass, and I could hear it 810 00:51:47,635 --> 00:51:51,395 Speaker 1: crash and tinkle on the alleyway below. It was at 811 00:51:51,435 --> 00:51:53,595 Speaker 1: this juncture that I, in trying to get up, had 812 00:51:53,595 --> 00:51:58,835 Speaker 1: the uncanny sensation of feeling my bed above me foggy 813 00:51:58,915 --> 00:52:01,875 Speaker 1: with sleep. I now suspected, in my turn that the 814 00:52:01,915 --> 00:52:04,955 Speaker 1: whole uproar was being made in a frantic endeavor to 815 00:52:05,075 --> 00:52:07,515 Speaker 1: extricate me from what must be an unheard of and 816 00:52:07,595 --> 00:52:10,635 Speaker 1: perilous situation. Get me out of this, I bawled, Get 817 00:52:10,635 --> 00:52:13,195 Speaker 1: me out. I think I had the night marrish belief 818 00:52:13,235 --> 00:52:18,435 Speaker 1: that I was entombed in a mine. Oh gasp, Briggs 819 00:52:18,755 --> 00:52:23,075 Speaker 1: floundering in his camphor. By this time, my mother, still shouting, 820 00:52:23,595 --> 00:52:26,675 Speaker 1: pursued by Hermann, still shouting, was trying to open the 821 00:52:26,715 --> 00:52:28,435 Speaker 1: door to the attic in order to go up and 822 00:52:28,475 --> 00:52:33,315 Speaker 1: get my father's body out of the wreckage. The door 823 00:52:34,155 --> 00:52:38,795 Speaker 1: was stuck, however, and would not yield. Her frantic pulls 824 00:52:38,875 --> 00:52:41,555 Speaker 1: on it only added to the general banging and confusion. 825 00:52:41,835 --> 00:52:44,635 Speaker 1: Roy and the dog were now up, the one shouting questions, 826 00:52:44,675 --> 00:52:49,555 Speaker 1: the other barking. Father, farthest away and soundest sleeper of all, 827 00:52:49,635 --> 00:52:51,835 Speaker 1: had by this time been awakened by the battering on 828 00:52:51,875 --> 00:52:56,035 Speaker 1: the attic door. He decided that the house was on fire. 829 00:52:57,715 --> 00:53:02,835 Speaker 1: Oh coming, okaming, he wailed in a slow, sleepy voice. 830 00:53:02,995 --> 00:53:06,115 Speaker 1: It took him many minutes to regain full consciousness. My mother, 831 00:53:06,235 --> 00:53:09,195 Speaker 1: still believing he was caught under the bed, detected in 832 00:53:09,275 --> 00:53:13,115 Speaker 1: his I'm coming, the mournful resigned note of one who 833 00:53:13,155 --> 00:53:17,155 Speaker 1: was preparing to meet his maker. He's dying, She shouted, 834 00:53:17,875 --> 00:53:21,315 Speaker 1: I'm all right. Briggs yelled to reassure her, I'm all right. 835 00:53:21,915 --> 00:53:24,355 Speaker 1: He still believed that it was his own closeness to 836 00:53:24,475 --> 00:53:28,835 Speaker 1: death that was worrying Mother. I found at last the 837 00:53:28,915 --> 00:53:31,235 Speaker 1: light switch in my room, unlocked the door, and Briggs 838 00:53:31,235 --> 00:53:33,675 Speaker 1: and I joined the others at the attic door. The dog, 839 00:53:34,355 --> 00:53:37,915 Speaker 1: who never did like Briggs, jumped for him, assuming that 840 00:53:37,995 --> 00:53:40,555 Speaker 1: he was the culprit in whatever was going on, and 841 00:53:40,715 --> 00:53:44,515 Speaker 1: Roy had to throw Rex and hold him. We could 842 00:53:44,515 --> 00:53:47,515 Speaker 1: hear Father crawling out of the bed upstairs. Roy pulled 843 00:53:47,555 --> 00:53:49,755 Speaker 1: the attic door open with a mighty jerk, and Father 844 00:53:49,835 --> 00:53:53,515 Speaker 1: came down the stairs, sleepy and irritable, but safe and sound. 845 00:53:54,395 --> 00:53:57,355 Speaker 1: My mother began to weep when she saw him. Rex 846 00:53:57,395 --> 00:54:03,115 Speaker 1: began to howl. What in the name of God is 847 00:54:03,195 --> 00:54:09,235 Speaker 1: going on here? Asked father. The situation was finally put 848 00:54:09,235 --> 00:54:13,995 Speaker 1: together like a giant gigsaw puzzle. Father caught a cold 849 00:54:13,995 --> 00:54:16,195 Speaker 1: from prowling around in his bare feet, but there were 850 00:54:16,235 --> 00:54:21,195 Speaker 1: no other bad results. I'm glad, said Mother, who always 851 00:54:21,195 --> 00:54:25,035 Speaker 1: looked on the bright side of things, that your grandfather 852 00:54:25,235 --> 00:54:40,915 Speaker 1: wasn't here. I've done all the damage I can do here. 853 00:54:40,955 --> 00:54:43,475 Speaker 1: Thank you for listening. Here are the credits. Most of 854 00:54:43,515 --> 00:54:46,155 Speaker 1: the music arranged, produced and performed by Brian Ray and 855 00:54:46,235 --> 00:54:49,515 Speaker 1: John Phillip Shanel, who are the Countdown musical directors. All 856 00:54:49,595 --> 00:54:53,155 Speaker 1: orchestration and keyboards by John Phillip Shanel, Guitars, bass and 857 00:54:53,235 --> 00:54:57,395 Speaker 1: drums by Brian Ray, produced by Tko Brothers. Other Beethoven's 858 00:54:57,395 --> 00:55:00,275 Speaker 1: selections have been arranged and performed by No Horns Allowed. 859 00:55:00,675 --> 00:55:03,635 Speaker 1: The sports music is the Olderman theme from ESPN two, 860 00:55:03,955 --> 00:55:06,235 Speaker 1: and it was written by Mitch Warren Davis courtesy of 861 00:55:06,235 --> 00:55:09,715 Speaker 1: the ESPN Inc. Musical comments by Nancy Fauss. The best 862 00:55:09,755 --> 00:55:12,795 Speaker 1: baseball stadium organist ever. Our announcer today was my friend 863 00:55:12,875 --> 00:55:16,115 Speaker 1: John Dean. Everything else was pretty much my fault. So 864 00:55:16,155 --> 00:55:18,875 Speaker 1: that's countdown for this, the nine and eighty third day 865 00:55:19,235 --> 00:55:22,435 Speaker 1: since Donald Trump's first attempted coup against the democratically elected 866 00:55:22,475 --> 00:55:26,155 Speaker 1: government of the United States. Convict him now while we 867 00:55:26,275 --> 00:55:31,915 Speaker 1: still can. The next scheduled countdown is Monday or Tuesday. 868 00:55:33,235 --> 00:55:35,315 Speaker 1: I gotta tell you, I gotta shake this throat thing. 869 00:55:35,755 --> 00:55:39,435 Speaker 1: So if there's no real news over the weekend, I'm 870 00:55:39,475 --> 00:55:43,195 Speaker 1: just gonna take Monday off. Okay, one way or the other. 871 00:55:43,235 --> 00:55:47,075 Speaker 1: Your subscription will notify you and bulletins as the news 872 00:55:47,115 --> 00:55:53,835 Speaker 1: warrants anyway, because me, I'm your local neighborhood masochist till 873 00:55:53,875 --> 00:55:56,635 Speaker 1: then I'm Keith Olberman. Good morning, good afternoon, good night, 874 00:55:57,395 --> 00:56:17,395 Speaker 1: and good luck. Bill maher is a Scab Countdown with 875 00:56:17,555 --> 00:56:21,835 Speaker 1: Keith Olreman is a production of iHeartRadio. For more podcasts 876 00:56:21,835 --> 00:56:26,595 Speaker 1: from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever 877 00:56:26,635 --> 00:56:27,955 Speaker 1: you get your podcasts.