1 00:00:04,795 --> 00:00:22,075 Speaker 1: Countdown with Keith Olderman is a production of iHeartRadio. Evidence 2 00:00:22,235 --> 00:00:26,235 Speaker 1: is mounting that CNN really did pack the audience at 3 00:00:26,315 --> 00:00:29,835 Speaker 1: the Trump town hall, really did see the crowd with 4 00:00:29,955 --> 00:00:34,155 Speaker 1: almost nothing but Trump supporters. Evidence is also mounting that 5 00:00:34,235 --> 00:00:37,755 Speaker 1: CNN let Trump choose the moderator, or at least veto 6 00:00:37,955 --> 00:00:41,755 Speaker 1: other options to be the moderator. Evidence is also mounting 7 00:00:41,795 --> 00:00:45,715 Speaker 1: that CNN let Trump pick which pro Trump talking heads 8 00:00:46,035 --> 00:00:50,875 Speaker 1: would appear on CNN after the fixed Trump rally ended. 9 00:00:51,755 --> 00:00:55,995 Speaker 1: And evidence is also mounting that CNN chairman Chrislick has 10 00:00:56,035 --> 00:00:59,915 Speaker 1: intensified his criticism of the only CNN front facing talent 11 00:01:00,235 --> 00:01:04,195 Speaker 1: to dare to even lightly criticize the decision to prostitute 12 00:01:04,235 --> 00:01:08,235 Speaker 1: the network for Trump, Oliver Darcy, and that Oliver Darcy 13 00:01:08,355 --> 00:01:11,635 Speaker 1: is deciding whether or not to quit before he gets fired. 14 00:01:12,635 --> 00:01:16,475 Speaker 1: It is the CNN Trump Scandal day six, and it 15 00:01:16,515 --> 00:01:19,395 Speaker 1: is not only not going away, it is getting worse, 16 00:01:19,635 --> 00:01:21,915 Speaker 1: and people need to be fired over it. And it 17 00:01:21,955 --> 00:01:25,075 Speaker 1: is now bordering on the kind of television corruption that 18 00:01:25,115 --> 00:01:29,235 Speaker 1: in the nineteen fifties brought congressional investigations and grand juries, 19 00:01:29,875 --> 00:01:32,355 Speaker 1: because it is looking more and more like Chris Lick 20 00:01:32,475 --> 00:01:36,915 Speaker 1: and CNN really did make Trump the deal Trump boasted 21 00:01:36,995 --> 00:01:41,555 Speaker 1: he could not refuse, really did violate every tenet of 22 00:01:41,635 --> 00:01:45,355 Speaker 1: journalism to make sure anybody watching at home would not 23 00:01:45,435 --> 00:01:48,715 Speaker 1: only hear nothing but support for Trump at the rally, 24 00:01:48,955 --> 00:01:53,355 Speaker 1: but also support for Trump after the rally. Now it 25 00:01:53,435 --> 00:01:56,475 Speaker 1: is the former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie adding to 26 00:01:56,635 --> 00:01:59,315 Speaker 1: claims that the audience at Saint Anselm College in New 27 00:01:59,315 --> 00:02:02,955 Speaker 1: Hampshire Wednesday night was not just four hundred Republicans and 28 00:02:03,075 --> 00:02:06,955 Speaker 1: independents planning to vote in the state's GOP primary, but 29 00:02:07,075 --> 00:02:12,755 Speaker 1: in fact consisted solely of hand picked Trump's supporters. Christy 30 00:02:12,915 --> 00:02:15,395 Speaker 1: was on ABC's This Week yesterday, Tim this is not 31 00:02:15,475 --> 00:02:18,075 Speaker 1: even in doubt quote as to the audience reaction. Let's 32 00:02:18,075 --> 00:02:21,875 Speaker 1: face it, CNN went in the tank to get Trump 33 00:02:21,995 --> 00:02:25,675 Speaker 1: on there, They allowed him to negotiate who was going 34 00:02:25,755 --> 00:02:31,595 Speaker 1: to be in that audience, and those were all Trump supporters. Again, 35 00:02:31,675 --> 00:02:35,755 Speaker 1: Chris Christy is absolutely certain that CNN's claimed that they 36 00:02:35,795 --> 00:02:39,955 Speaker 1: seated four hundred Republicans with various favorites is wildly untrue. 37 00:02:40,235 --> 00:02:42,915 Speaker 1: According him, again, I know a lot of those people 38 00:02:42,915 --> 00:02:45,155 Speaker 1: in that audience. I spent a lot of time in 39 00:02:45,195 --> 00:02:47,555 Speaker 1: New Hampshire eight years ago, and a lot of those 40 00:02:47,915 --> 00:02:53,595 Speaker 1: are the same faces I saw eight years ago. Neither 41 00:02:53,715 --> 00:02:56,715 Speaker 1: you nor I would go into court over anything that 42 00:02:56,835 --> 00:03:01,515 Speaker 1: Chris Christie says, especially not me. I've been in New Jersey. 43 00:03:02,155 --> 00:03:05,155 Speaker 1: But Christy is merely echoing what Chris said. The nuknew 44 00:03:05,195 --> 00:03:08,475 Speaker 1: who is merely the governor of New Hampshire. The Republican 45 00:03:08,555 --> 00:03:11,795 Speaker 1: governor of New Hampshire had said in an interview recorded 46 00:03:11,875 --> 00:03:15,555 Speaker 1: earlier in the week for use on MSNBC yesterday, I 47 00:03:15,675 --> 00:03:20,195 Speaker 1: knew pretty much everybody in that audience. Sununu also said 48 00:03:20,755 --> 00:03:25,635 Speaker 1: they're all Trump supporters. Again, absolutely no doubt in his 49 00:03:25,875 --> 00:03:29,875 Speaker 1: mind either. The audience was absolutely filled with Trump supporter 50 00:03:29,995 --> 00:03:33,795 Speaker 1: so I wasn't surprised to hear the support. Asked if 51 00:03:33,795 --> 00:03:36,035 Speaker 1: he would say there was a large percentage of Trump 52 00:03:36,115 --> 00:03:40,195 Speaker 1: supporters there, he underscored this again quote, I would say 53 00:03:40,435 --> 00:03:46,395 Speaker 1: almost all of them. Consider this for a moment. Putting 54 00:03:46,435 --> 00:03:50,595 Speaker 1: on Trump in that format live, where his filibusters could 55 00:03:50,595 --> 00:03:53,675 Speaker 1: not be stopped and his lies happened too fast to 56 00:03:53,675 --> 00:03:58,115 Speaker 1: be pushed back against by anybody, was indefensible enough, but 57 00:03:58,195 --> 00:04:01,315 Speaker 1: it was not conclusive evidence of a plan to take 58 00:04:01,435 --> 00:04:04,915 Speaker 1: seventy minutes of CNN primetime and devote it to making 59 00:04:04,955 --> 00:04:07,675 Speaker 1: Trump look good and make it sound like everybody in 60 00:04:07,675 --> 00:04:10,555 Speaker 1: New Hampshire loved him. It could still have just been 61 00:04:11,115 --> 00:04:17,275 Speaker 1: Chris Licht's pervasive stupidity, but stacking the audience filling it. 62 00:04:17,635 --> 00:04:21,315 Speaker 1: I would say almost all of them with Trump cheerleaders, people, 63 00:04:21,315 --> 00:04:24,195 Speaker 1: the Republican governor of the state, new by Site, people, 64 00:04:24,195 --> 00:04:27,555 Speaker 1: the former Republican governor New Jersey new by Site. When 65 00:04:27,595 --> 00:04:30,035 Speaker 1: Trump's latest polling numbers in that state were only at 66 00:04:30,035 --> 00:04:34,715 Speaker 1: about sixty percent, that is rank corruption. And if it 67 00:04:34,795 --> 00:04:38,115 Speaker 1: was a prerequisite for Trump doing the appearance on CNN, 68 00:04:38,995 --> 00:04:42,675 Speaker 1: Chris Christie says that was a negotiation deal. But Trump 69 00:04:42,755 --> 00:04:48,115 Speaker 1: did with CNN that is pure crookedness on Chris Licht's part. 70 00:04:49,195 --> 00:04:52,755 Speaker 1: We were already in quiz show territory. The former Trump 71 00:04:52,835 --> 00:04:56,275 Speaker 1: State Department appoint ee Matthew Bartlett told Puck News last 72 00:04:56,315 --> 00:04:58,955 Speaker 1: week that if there was anybody in there who was 73 00:04:58,995 --> 00:05:02,235 Speaker 1: not a Trump plant, they were warned not to let 74 00:05:02,235 --> 00:05:05,755 Speaker 1: anybody know it. He said, quote on CNN, it sure 75 00:05:05,795 --> 00:05:09,195 Speaker 1: looked like Trump won over the crowd, but the reality 76 00:05:09,275 --> 00:05:11,955 Speaker 1: was different in the room. The floor manager came out 77 00:05:11,955 --> 00:05:15,155 Speaker 1: ahead of time, and said, please do not boo, please 78 00:05:15,195 --> 00:05:21,115 Speaker 1: be respectful. You were allowed to applaud. The question about 79 00:05:21,235 --> 00:05:25,035 Speaker 1: trump veto power over the moderator bubbled up the day 80 00:05:25,075 --> 00:05:29,795 Speaker 1: after the CNN telecast, quoting pairing Caitlin Collins with Republicans 81 00:05:29,835 --> 00:05:32,995 Speaker 1: who mostly voted for Trump in twenty twenty, wrote Hugo 82 00:05:33,115 --> 00:05:36,675 Speaker 1: Lowell in The Guardian. Was as close to home turf 83 00:05:37,315 --> 00:05:40,875 Speaker 1: as the campaign could get. The team said it would 84 00:05:40,875 --> 00:05:45,395 Speaker 1: have rejected Jake Tapper. This would not be the first 85 00:05:45,435 --> 00:05:47,875 Speaker 1: time something like that happened in the world of political 86 00:05:47,915 --> 00:05:52,555 Speaker 1: television theater, but it makes it no less untoward. And 87 00:05:52,595 --> 00:05:55,195 Speaker 1: the Guardian had something else that slipped right past me 88 00:05:55,235 --> 00:05:57,475 Speaker 1: when I read it last week. You may remember that 89 00:05:57,555 --> 00:06:00,595 Speaker 1: when this deal with the Devil was first announced, it 90 00:06:00,715 --> 00:06:03,955 Speaker 1: was reported from Trump side sources that part of what 91 00:06:04,075 --> 00:06:07,435 Speaker 1: he got was the assurance that there would be more 92 00:06:07,595 --> 00:06:12,115 Speaker 1: Trump surrogates in the future on CNN. I thought that 93 00:06:12,195 --> 00:06:15,955 Speaker 1: meant in the future future, The Guardian again quote. The 94 00:06:15,995 --> 00:06:18,875 Speaker 1: campaign also made sure the pre and post town hall 95 00:06:18,955 --> 00:06:23,195 Speaker 1: coverage featured Trump surrogates on air. Former Trump White House 96 00:06:23,235 --> 00:06:26,915 Speaker 1: press ad Hogan Gidley, pro Trump Congressman Brian mast and 97 00:06:26,955 --> 00:06:30,635 Speaker 1: Byron Donald's as well as pro Trump Senator j d Vance. 98 00:06:31,475 --> 00:06:35,395 Speaker 1: To sum it up, Trump rejected the obvious qualified choice 99 00:06:35,595 --> 00:06:40,115 Speaker 1: for moderator. Trump chose the ultimate selection for moderator. Trump 100 00:06:40,155 --> 00:06:42,835 Speaker 1: handpicked or had hand picked for him almost all of 101 00:06:42,835 --> 00:06:45,475 Speaker 1: the four hundred people in the audience. Trump or Chris 102 00:06:45,555 --> 00:06:49,675 Speaker 1: licked silenced any possibility that descending voices or reactions could 103 00:06:49,715 --> 00:06:52,995 Speaker 1: be heard from the audience, and Trump pre arranged to 104 00:06:53,075 --> 00:06:55,755 Speaker 1: have some of his most loyal sick evans on the 105 00:06:55,795 --> 00:06:59,195 Speaker 1: CNN set in the minutes after this disaster wrapped up. 106 00:07:01,115 --> 00:07:06,515 Speaker 1: It is increasingly obvious that, never mind it's journalistic impropriety 107 00:07:06,875 --> 00:07:11,635 Speaker 1: and the grotesque on air spectacle, it produced nothing about 108 00:07:11,755 --> 00:07:19,235 Speaker 1: last Wednesdays CNN Chris Lickt Donald Trump town Hall was legitimate, ethical, 109 00:07:19,755 --> 00:07:24,275 Speaker 1: or honest. And of course, what did all this pandering 110 00:07:24,315 --> 00:07:28,755 Speaker 1: to and prostituting for Trump get Chris Lickt and CNN. 111 00:07:29,835 --> 00:07:31,995 Speaker 1: It got them a flood of stories from ex Trump 112 00:07:32,075 --> 00:07:37,115 Speaker 1: White House staffers Elisafara Griffin and Stephanie Grisham of quote 113 00:07:37,235 --> 00:07:41,715 Speaker 1: countless cases of sexual harassment and inappropriate conduct by Trump 114 00:07:41,795 --> 00:07:45,595 Speaker 1: while president, all of them hanging off the conversation that 115 00:07:45,635 --> 00:07:48,475 Speaker 1: Trump had with Caitlin Collins on this subject. During that 116 00:07:48,595 --> 00:07:51,835 Speaker 1: town hall, it got Chris Lickton CNN an op ed 117 00:07:51,915 --> 00:07:55,555 Speaker 1: in The New York Times by the former Fox executive 118 00:07:55,635 --> 00:07:58,995 Speaker 1: propagandist Bill Salmon, who was forced out of there by 119 00:07:59,035 --> 00:08:04,475 Speaker 1: Tucker Carlson praising CNN. That's not quite a letter endorsing 120 00:08:04,755 --> 00:08:08,115 Speaker 1: Chris Lickt written by Bill Cosby, but it is in 121 00:08:08,155 --> 00:08:12,555 Speaker 1: the same vein. Oh, and then Trump, with the final 122 00:08:12,635 --> 00:08:15,755 Speaker 1: thank you note, posted a doctored clip of the town 123 00:08:15,795 --> 00:08:19,515 Speaker 1: hall with words being placed I guess by AI into 124 00:08:19,595 --> 00:08:23,515 Speaker 1: Anderson Cooper's mouth, asserting that Trump had just quote been 125 00:08:24,115 --> 00:08:28,875 Speaker 1: ripping us a new blank here at CNN. Of course, 126 00:08:28,915 --> 00:08:31,395 Speaker 1: given what else Anderson Cooper said last week in selling 127 00:08:31,395 --> 00:08:36,755 Speaker 1: his own audience, who knows what he really thinks? Congratulations 128 00:08:36,795 --> 00:08:39,955 Speaker 1: Chris Lickt, who got what you paid for? Which brings 129 00:08:40,035 --> 00:08:43,195 Speaker 1: us back to Oliver Darcy. He is the CNN media 130 00:08:43,275 --> 00:08:47,035 Speaker 1: reporter who's nightly email newsletter included external criticism of the 131 00:08:47,075 --> 00:08:51,515 Speaker 1: town hall just hours after the fiasco ended, and also 132 00:08:51,555 --> 00:08:57,155 Speaker 1: included only one carefully phrased pulled punch. It was so 133 00:08:57,355 --> 00:09:01,195 Speaker 1: pulled I thought he was critiquing Trump. You will recall 134 00:09:01,275 --> 00:09:04,635 Speaker 1: he wrote, It's hard to see how America was served 135 00:09:04,875 --> 00:09:08,875 Speaker 1: by the spectacle of lies that aired on CNN Wednesday evening, 136 00:09:09,475 --> 00:09:13,395 Speaker 1: which so enraged man Baby Licked that Lickt closed his 137 00:09:13,475 --> 00:09:17,275 Speaker 1: internal conference call the next morning, praising himself by insisting 138 00:09:17,275 --> 00:09:21,315 Speaker 1: that CNN had served America very well. Later that day, 139 00:09:21,355 --> 00:09:24,915 Speaker 1: Licht called Darcy onto the carpet and per witnesses put 140 00:09:24,955 --> 00:09:27,835 Speaker 1: the fear of God into him and left Darcy quote 141 00:09:27,955 --> 00:09:32,995 Speaker 1: visibly shaken. But last night Semaphore News reported new details 142 00:09:32,995 --> 00:09:35,915 Speaker 1: of that meeting and a far more dire possible outcome, 143 00:09:36,275 --> 00:09:39,755 Speaker 1: quoting Max Taney's piece. In the aftermath of the meeting 144 00:09:39,795 --> 00:09:42,515 Speaker 1: and coverage, Darcy has wandered to colleagues whether he should 145 00:09:42,555 --> 00:09:47,795 Speaker 1: resign or if he will be fired by the network. Paradoxically, 146 00:09:47,835 --> 00:09:50,595 Speaker 1: the new reporting also indicates that the Darcy Licked meeting 147 00:09:50,995 --> 00:09:55,195 Speaker 1: may have been less confrontational than first thought. Again quoting Semaphore, 148 00:09:55,675 --> 00:09:58,995 Speaker 1: it ended relatively cordially, with Lickt telling Darcy that he 149 00:09:59,155 --> 00:10:03,075 Speaker 1: supported him. Then why on earth would Darcy be considering 150 00:10:03,155 --> 00:10:08,275 Speaker 1: quitting or anticipating termination again Semaphore. A particularly bitter pill 151 00:10:08,355 --> 00:10:12,835 Speaker 1: for some CNN employees was an anonymous comment from a 152 00:10:12,875 --> 00:10:17,875 Speaker 1: Licked ally to Fox News unquote well that comment. Quoting 153 00:10:17,875 --> 00:10:22,195 Speaker 1: the Fox report, a source said Licked received a quote 154 00:10:22,355 --> 00:10:28,035 Speaker 1: ton of messages from CNN staffers appalled by Darcy's newsletter. 155 00:10:28,435 --> 00:10:32,475 Speaker 1: The messages, according to the source, were like, quote, what 156 00:10:32,635 --> 00:10:38,475 Speaker 1: the f so now? Instead of bullying and threatening Oliver Darcy, 157 00:10:39,035 --> 00:10:43,915 Speaker 1: we have Licked instead having a quote ally of his leak. 158 00:10:44,355 --> 00:10:49,595 Speaker 1: Two of all places Fox that CNN employees were no, no, 159 00:10:49,675 --> 00:10:55,595 Speaker 1: all on Lickt's side, not Darcy's side. There is the 160 00:10:55,715 --> 00:11:00,875 Speaker 1: Chris Licked at MSNBC. I knew and loathed. It was Licked, 161 00:11:00,955 --> 00:11:04,075 Speaker 1: of course, who, when plucked from his failures at Late 162 00:11:04,195 --> 00:11:07,195 Speaker 1: Night with Even Colbert, which had followed his failures at 163 00:11:07,235 --> 00:11:10,635 Speaker 1: CBS Mornings, which themselves followed his failures on Morning Joe 164 00:11:10,635 --> 00:11:13,395 Speaker 1: and Scarborough Country, it was Licked who vowed to make 165 00:11:13,435 --> 00:11:19,275 Speaker 1: sure all voices were heard at the new CNN except 166 00:11:19,315 --> 00:11:22,795 Speaker 1: the voice of Oliver Darcy, who also, again I note, 167 00:11:23,075 --> 00:11:26,835 Speaker 1: still has not been publicly and non anonymously supported by 168 00:11:26,875 --> 00:11:31,915 Speaker 1: anybody else at CNN, who may or may not have 169 00:11:32,035 --> 00:11:34,475 Speaker 1: had the fear of God put into him by Chris Licks, 170 00:11:34,595 --> 00:11:39,235 Speaker 1: but who has clearly received the fear of unemployment much 171 00:11:39,395 --> 00:11:41,915 Speaker 1: as it would seem to follow that it should be licked. 172 00:11:42,155 --> 00:11:45,515 Speaker 1: Living under that particular fear it will not be. He 173 00:11:45,595 --> 00:11:48,035 Speaker 1: has given his bosses exactly what they hired him for, 174 00:11:48,555 --> 00:11:52,115 Speaker 1: which raises an even bigger scandal and an even bigger crisis. 175 00:11:52,675 --> 00:11:56,755 Speaker 1: Where does it say in this society that irresponsible anti 176 00:11:56,795 --> 00:12:01,035 Speaker 1: democracy partisans can buy one of the nation's largest news 177 00:12:01,115 --> 00:12:04,755 Speaker 1: organizations and pervert it into Fox News without the STADH. 178 00:12:05,755 --> 00:12:09,835 Speaker 1: Why should there not be a Senate hearing as to 179 00:12:09,915 --> 00:12:14,195 Speaker 1: what they gave Trump to be on their channel. All 180 00:12:14,315 --> 00:12:18,955 Speaker 1: signs suggest Chris Lickt cooked the books to make Trump 181 00:12:18,995 --> 00:12:23,195 Speaker 1: look more accepted, more inevitable. At minimum, last Wednesday night, 182 00:12:23,235 --> 00:12:26,715 Speaker 1: lickt tampered with whatever the balance is in the Republican primary, 183 00:12:27,395 --> 00:12:29,595 Speaker 1: and there is no reason to suppose that Licht and 184 00:12:29,595 --> 00:12:32,275 Speaker 1: Trump will not conspire again next year during the actual 185 00:12:32,355 --> 00:12:35,235 Speaker 1: campaign to tip the scales and put a thumb on 186 00:12:35,315 --> 00:12:42,315 Speaker 1: them on Trump's behalf. Ultimately, though, there was one detail 187 00:12:42,435 --> 00:12:45,715 Speaker 1: in one largely overlooked story from over the weekend that 188 00:12:45,835 --> 00:12:50,715 Speaker 1: confirmed that this mess, this deforestation of the CNN news 189 00:12:50,795 --> 00:12:55,755 Speaker 1: brand in this disastrous Trump infomercial, is really less about 190 00:12:55,835 --> 00:13:00,835 Speaker 1: journalism or ethics and much more about the immeasurable ego 191 00:13:00,915 --> 00:13:05,595 Speaker 1: of Chris Lickt, The former Secretary of Life Labor. Robert 192 00:13:05,595 --> 00:13:10,715 Speaker 1: Reisch wrote a fairly pedestrian piece about CNN's manifold failures 193 00:13:10,715 --> 00:13:13,795 Speaker 1: here for the website raw story and deep into it, 194 00:13:13,835 --> 00:13:20,555 Speaker 1: mister Reisch included something amazing. Quote. After I first criticized 195 00:13:20,595 --> 00:13:24,675 Speaker 1: Lickt for the direction he was pushing CNN, he phoned me. 196 00:13:25,715 --> 00:13:29,075 Speaker 1: He was angry that I doubted his motives and said 197 00:13:29,115 --> 00:13:32,235 Speaker 1: he took the top job at CNN because he quote 198 00:13:32,395 --> 00:13:39,835 Speaker 1: believes in journalism. Robert Reich is an intelligent and accomplished man, 199 00:13:40,275 --> 00:13:44,115 Speaker 1: a generous guest on TV shows, including those of mine, 200 00:13:44,595 --> 00:13:48,115 Speaker 1: a professor at Berkeley, a prolific writer and commentator. Yet 201 00:13:48,435 --> 00:13:51,475 Speaker 1: I think he would agree he does not carry enormous 202 00:13:51,515 --> 00:13:57,675 Speaker 1: heft within journalism nor within the broadcasting business. Still, shortly 203 00:13:57,715 --> 00:14:00,315 Speaker 1: after his appointment to run what is certainly the most 204 00:14:00,315 --> 00:14:04,475 Speaker 1: pervasive American based journalistic operation in the world, where they're 205 00:14:04,475 --> 00:14:07,475 Speaker 1: a lot tronic digital print with a thousand things to 206 00:14:07,595 --> 00:14:09,755 Speaker 1: learn and a thousand things to correct in the next 207 00:14:09,755 --> 00:14:13,315 Speaker 1: thousand minutes, Chris licked is calling up Robert Reisch and 208 00:14:13,475 --> 00:14:18,515 Speaker 1: angrily yelling at him because Reisch doubted his motives. It 209 00:14:18,635 --> 00:14:23,315 Speaker 1: is petty and stupid and wasting of time and small, 210 00:14:24,995 --> 00:14:29,355 Speaker 1: which is Chris Licked in a nutshell. It is also 211 00:14:29,395 --> 00:14:32,635 Speaker 1: amazing that Chris Lick could actually think anybody would doubt 212 00:14:32,635 --> 00:14:37,635 Speaker 1: his motives. We all know his motives, as Trump realized 213 00:14:37,675 --> 00:14:40,875 Speaker 1: when he set out to get licked, to change moderators, 214 00:14:41,315 --> 00:14:45,035 Speaker 1: to pack the crowd with screaming Trump cultists, and to 215 00:14:45,275 --> 00:14:48,515 Speaker 1: fill the postgame panel with his todius of supporters. We 216 00:14:48,555 --> 00:14:54,435 Speaker 1: all know what Chris Licked and his motives are. All 217 00:14:54,435 --> 00:15:12,315 Speaker 1: we are doing now is haggling over the price still 218 00:15:12,355 --> 00:15:16,115 Speaker 1: ahead on this initiative countdown. This whole construction news network 219 00:15:16,155 --> 00:15:19,475 Speaker 1: feels it must have a Republican on. Republican makes illegitimate, 220 00:15:19,515 --> 00:15:25,195 Speaker 1: surreptitious demands. Network says, sure, anything else you need. It's 221 00:15:25,355 --> 00:15:29,475 Speaker 1: really bad, but it is not really new. The GOP 222 00:15:29,675 --> 00:15:31,995 Speaker 1: came in and did it at NBC in two thousand 223 00:15:32,035 --> 00:15:33,875 Speaker 1: and eight, and that time the demand was get that 224 00:15:33,995 --> 00:15:37,915 Speaker 1: Alderman guy off MSNBC during the debates, or John McCain 225 00:15:37,955 --> 00:15:40,635 Speaker 1: won't show up to your debate. I'll tell you that 226 00:15:40,795 --> 00:15:43,675 Speaker 1: sad story and the even sadder story of the cooperation 227 00:15:44,195 --> 00:15:48,675 Speaker 1: of the network's supposed news icon who sold his soul 228 00:15:48,795 --> 00:15:52,235 Speaker 1: during that time and helped the Republicans blackmail NBC in 229 00:15:52,315 --> 00:15:56,075 Speaker 1: Things I Promised Not to Tell. Also ahead, you probably 230 00:15:56,115 --> 00:15:59,755 Speaker 1: did not know the name Kevin Ettinger unless you lived 231 00:15:59,795 --> 00:16:02,275 Speaker 1: in the town of Hastings on Hudson, New York, at 232 00:16:02,315 --> 00:16:06,315 Speaker 1: any point since about the year nineteen six. And the 233 00:16:06,395 --> 00:16:09,675 Speaker 1: fascists really think they've got something going with this quote 234 00:16:09,715 --> 00:16:13,275 Speaker 1: Biden scandal unquote, Well what's the scandal. Hell, they don't 235 00:16:13,275 --> 00:16:17,475 Speaker 1: know exactly what the informant told the whistleblower, So where's 236 00:16:17,515 --> 00:16:20,315 Speaker 1: this informant. Well, we don't know that either. We kinda 237 00:16:21,155 --> 00:16:24,035 Speaker 1: well that's a funny story, but we kind of lost 238 00:16:24,075 --> 00:16:32,195 Speaker 1: the informant. That's next. This is countdown, Yeah, lost the informant. 239 00:16:33,635 --> 00:16:50,595 Speaker 1: This is countdown with Keith Alberman format chef again coming up, 240 00:16:50,675 --> 00:16:53,755 Speaker 1: CNN making an illicit deal to give a Republican exactly 241 00:16:53,795 --> 00:16:56,995 Speaker 1: the kind of coverage he wants. Man, it's really bad, 242 00:16:57,115 --> 00:16:59,555 Speaker 1: but it's not really new. They did it to me 243 00:16:59,675 --> 00:17:01,635 Speaker 1: fifteen years ago, and they did it with the help 244 00:17:01,675 --> 00:17:06,875 Speaker 1: of Tom Brokaw collaborator. Things I Promise not to Tell 245 00:17:06,915 --> 00:17:12,595 Speaker 1: coming up. Plus Kevin Ettinger nineteen thirty three, twenty twenty three. 246 00:17:12,795 --> 00:17:14,875 Speaker 1: First the daily round up of the misgrants, morons and 247 00:17:14,915 --> 00:17:18,795 Speaker 1: Dunning Kruger effects specimens who constitute today's worst persons in 248 00:17:18,835 --> 00:17:24,315 Speaker 1: the world Lebrons. The Texas Congressman Troy Nells, the disgraced 249 00:17:24,475 --> 00:17:26,635 Speaker 1: x cop so corrupt he was even fired by the 250 00:17:26,635 --> 00:17:32,355 Speaker 1: Police Department of Richmond, Texas for destroying evidence. Congressman Nells 251 00:17:32,395 --> 00:17:35,315 Speaker 1: meets the minimum standard for membership in the Freedom Caucus. 252 00:17:35,475 --> 00:17:39,715 Speaker 1: He's a dope, a terrorist from Afghanistan. Nells has tweeted, 253 00:17:39,835 --> 00:17:42,835 Speaker 1: was just caught illegally crossing our southern border. How many 254 00:17:42,835 --> 00:17:50,675 Speaker 1: other bad ombres made it through undetected Nells, They caught 255 00:17:50,715 --> 00:17:54,595 Speaker 1: the guy at the border you and your fellow travelers 256 00:17:54,595 --> 00:17:59,115 Speaker 1: claim is open and out of control. He was, you know, nailed. 257 00:18:00,275 --> 00:18:02,595 Speaker 1: This tweet is of the standard Republican kind that talks 258 00:18:02,595 --> 00:18:05,795 Speaker 1: about how catching drug runners or wanted criminals at the 259 00:18:05,835 --> 00:18:09,995 Speaker 1: border proves you can't catch drug runners or wanted criminals 260 00:18:09,995 --> 00:18:12,795 Speaker 1: at the border. I'm not really sure anymore if Knells 261 00:18:13,275 --> 00:18:15,755 Speaker 1: is this stupid or he just thinks his cultists are 262 00:18:16,155 --> 00:18:18,515 Speaker 1: so it's safer for us to assume that the answer 263 00:18:18,595 --> 00:18:24,155 Speaker 1: is both. The Bronze. Elon Musk, another super genius, the 264 00:18:24,155 --> 00:18:28,195 Speaker 1: free speech absolutist, has now explained that free speech absolutism 265 00:18:28,235 --> 00:18:32,275 Speaker 1: means doing whatever the quasi dictator of Turkey wants when 266 00:18:32,275 --> 00:18:35,635 Speaker 1: he's on the verge of losing reelection. In response to 267 00:18:35,715 --> 00:18:38,715 Speaker 1: legal process and to ensure Twitter remains available to the 268 00:18:38,715 --> 00:18:42,115 Speaker 1: people of Turkey, we have taken action to restrict access 269 00:18:42,355 --> 00:18:46,795 Speaker 1: to some content in Turkey today. In other words, Twitter 270 00:18:46,955 --> 00:18:50,555 Speaker 1: censored accounts that have been critical of the Turkish strongman Erewan. 271 00:18:51,355 --> 00:18:53,995 Speaker 1: When some of his sick ephants pointed this hypocrisy out 272 00:18:53,995 --> 00:18:57,995 Speaker 1: to Musk, Musk angry, did your brain fall out of 273 00:18:58,035 --> 00:19:01,115 Speaker 1: your head? He wrote to one the choices have Twitter 274 00:19:01,195 --> 00:19:05,195 Speaker 1: throttled in its entirety or limit access to some tweets, which, 275 00:19:05,315 --> 00:19:09,155 Speaker 1: gew one do you want? As the head of Wikipedia replied, 276 00:19:09,155 --> 00:19:12,555 Speaker 1: the choice is, of course neither. You sue in Turkey 277 00:19:12,635 --> 00:19:15,795 Speaker 1: to prevent the government from throttling you, and the courts 278 00:19:15,835 --> 00:19:18,995 Speaker 1: would then protect Twitter the same way it did Wikipedia, 279 00:19:19,355 --> 00:19:24,835 Speaker 1: only that would cost Elon Musk free speech. My Musk, 280 00:19:25,715 --> 00:19:28,715 Speaker 1: but the winner, Chairman James Comer of the House Committee 281 00:19:28,755 --> 00:19:34,035 Speaker 1: on e Republicans really aren't that smart. This is the 282 00:19:34,075 --> 00:19:36,355 Speaker 1: guy who has spent every day of the new Congress 283 00:19:36,395 --> 00:19:38,675 Speaker 1: promising he is about to blow the lid off the 284 00:19:38,755 --> 00:19:42,555 Speaker 1: giant Biden scandal. And the giant Biden scandal turns out 285 00:19:42,595 --> 00:19:44,995 Speaker 1: to be a rumor that there is a document that 286 00:19:45,115 --> 00:19:50,035 Speaker 1: allegedly quotes a reported whistleblower supposedly claiming a Biden did 287 00:19:50,035 --> 00:19:53,555 Speaker 1: something bad. Only nobody knows what it is or even 288 00:19:53,555 --> 00:19:56,755 Speaker 1: if the document exists. And even Steve Doocy on Fox 289 00:19:57,195 --> 00:20:00,355 Speaker 1: rip the Republicans because they don't have even an allegation, 290 00:20:00,515 --> 00:20:05,075 Speaker 1: let alone any proof. And now it turns out has 291 00:20:05,235 --> 00:20:10,075 Speaker 1: lost the whistleblower. You have spoken with whistle blowers, the 292 00:20:10,155 --> 00:20:13,995 Speaker 1: incredibly gullible, Maria Bartiromo said from behind her plastic sneeze 293 00:20:14,035 --> 00:20:17,035 Speaker 1: guard in an interview with Comber yesterday and Fox. You 294 00:20:17,115 --> 00:20:19,875 Speaker 1: also spoke with an informant who gave you all this information. 295 00:20:20,355 --> 00:20:26,555 Speaker 1: Where's that informant today? Where are these whistleblowers? Bad, bad question, Maria, Well, 296 00:20:26,795 --> 00:20:31,235 Speaker 1: Comber replied, we can't track down the informant. We're hopeful 297 00:20:31,275 --> 00:20:35,035 Speaker 1: that the informant is still there. The whistleblower knows the informant. 298 00:20:35,075 --> 00:20:40,075 Speaker 1: The whistleblower is very credible. Even Maria Bartiromo noticed that 299 00:20:40,195 --> 00:20:47,275 Speaker 1: this is now Comber rumor document whistleblower informant allegation. This 300 00:20:47,395 --> 00:20:51,355 Speaker 1: is now sixth hand, and the start of the sixth 301 00:20:51,395 --> 00:20:57,595 Speaker 1: hand chain is you lost him. Bartiomo replied, Hold on 302 00:20:57,675 --> 00:21:00,355 Speaker 1: a second, Congressman, did you just say that the whistleblower 303 00:21:00,435 --> 00:21:04,075 Speaker 1: or the informant is now missing. Comber replied, well, we're 304 00:21:04,115 --> 00:21:06,915 Speaker 1: hopeful that you can find the informant, but he's in 305 00:21:06,955 --> 00:21:14,835 Speaker 1: the quote spy business un quote, so shrug emoji, Congressman, Jamie, 306 00:21:14,955 --> 00:21:21,955 Speaker 1: my dog ate my informant comer two days Worst Parson 307 00:21:22,995 --> 00:21:41,075 Speaker 1: and the World. Quote scripts to the news, some headlines, 308 00:21:41,115 --> 00:21:44,475 Speaker 1: some updates, some snarks, some predictions. Actually just won. In 309 00:21:44,475 --> 00:21:48,995 Speaker 1: this edition, Dateline Hastings on Hudson, New York, fitting this 310 00:21:49,195 --> 00:21:51,515 Speaker 1: is I guess on what would have been my parents' 311 00:21:51,555 --> 00:21:55,675 Speaker 1: seventy fourth wedding anniversary. I had a lot of great 312 00:21:55,715 --> 00:21:58,195 Speaker 1: teachers growing up. I have mentioned some of them before 313 00:21:58,675 --> 00:22:02,995 Speaker 1: in chronological order. Marcelene Weiner, Marjorie Plant. Marjorie Plant was 314 00:22:02,995 --> 00:22:05,475 Speaker 1: the one who had me right to Royal Dahl Ellen 315 00:22:05,555 --> 00:22:09,235 Speaker 1: Rice Arthur Nathan I interviewed the Moments on TV about Shakespeare. 316 00:22:09,675 --> 00:22:13,675 Speaker 1: Walter Schneller Randy McNaughton, Peter and Carol Gibbon, Frederick Nelson, 317 00:22:13,915 --> 00:22:17,515 Speaker 1: Chuck Atwater, and one I skipped and his name was 318 00:22:17,755 --> 00:22:21,035 Speaker 1: Kevin Ettinger. And Kevin Ettinger died last week at the 319 00:22:21,035 --> 00:22:25,315 Speaker 1: age of ninety. Kevin Ettinger was my fifth grade homeroom 320 00:22:25,435 --> 00:22:27,995 Speaker 1: and English teacher. And if you can imagine having to 321 00:22:28,035 --> 00:22:31,515 Speaker 1: deal with me now for most of your workday, try 322 00:22:31,555 --> 00:22:33,395 Speaker 1: to picture what that must have been like when I 323 00:22:33,475 --> 00:22:36,955 Speaker 1: was eight and nine years old in the fifth grade. 324 00:22:37,075 --> 00:22:40,035 Speaker 1: My range of emotions with Kevin was so vast that 325 00:22:40,075 --> 00:22:43,115 Speaker 1: when my bosses at MSNBC wanted me to do a 326 00:22:43,155 --> 00:22:46,075 Speaker 1: story on my own childhood back home in Hastings on Hudson, 327 00:22:46,515 --> 00:22:49,435 Speaker 1: Kevin was the teacher I selected to interview, to roam 328 00:22:49,515 --> 00:22:52,475 Speaker 1: those school hallways that I had not been in even 329 00:22:52,515 --> 00:22:55,875 Speaker 1: then for more than twenty five years. That's one end 330 00:22:55,875 --> 00:22:58,075 Speaker 1: of that spectrum with him. The other end of the 331 00:22:58,075 --> 00:23:01,155 Speaker 1: spectrum is the class picture from the fifth grade with 332 00:23:01,235 --> 00:23:04,355 Speaker 1: all of us standing there and our best attire, and 333 00:23:04,795 --> 00:23:07,075 Speaker 1: Kevin in the back row in the middle well. At 334 00:23:07,075 --> 00:23:10,675 Speaker 1: some point during fifth grade, I got a pen or 335 00:23:10,715 --> 00:23:13,475 Speaker 1: maybe even a letter opener, and I stuck it through 336 00:23:13,515 --> 00:23:17,755 Speaker 1: mister Ettinger's head in the picture. When I interviewed him 337 00:23:17,795 --> 00:23:20,555 Speaker 1: in nineteen ninety seven for MSNBC, I brought the picture 338 00:23:20,595 --> 00:23:22,955 Speaker 1: with me and I asked him about it. Yeah, what's 339 00:23:22,995 --> 00:23:25,715 Speaker 1: going on here? He asked? Could have been a lot 340 00:23:25,755 --> 00:23:30,875 Speaker 1: of things. You and I, Hm, we clashed a lot. 341 00:23:31,355 --> 00:23:33,475 Speaker 1: Do you remember the thing about the balk rule? By 342 00:23:33,515 --> 00:23:39,035 Speaker 1: any chance? Suddenly I was in a classroom at the 343 00:23:39,075 --> 00:23:41,915 Speaker 1: Farragut School in Hastings On Hudson, New York, in the 344 00:23:41,955 --> 00:23:46,395 Speaker 1: early spring of our Year of the Lord nineteen sixty eight, 345 00:23:46,435 --> 00:23:48,875 Speaker 1: and Kevin Ettinger and I were in a knockdown, drag 346 00:23:48,915 --> 00:23:51,275 Speaker 1: out verbal war in front of the rest of the 347 00:23:51,275 --> 00:23:56,395 Speaker 1: fifth grade class about the baseball balk rule. You're the expert, 348 00:23:56,515 --> 00:23:58,795 Speaker 1: he said to me. What happens when there's a balk? 349 00:23:59,715 --> 00:24:02,235 Speaker 1: And I said, well, the runner or runners advance one 350 00:24:02,315 --> 00:24:05,235 Speaker 1: base and the batter goes to first base. The batter 351 00:24:05,315 --> 00:24:09,715 Speaker 1: does not go to first base, Keith. It escalated from there. 352 00:24:09,915 --> 00:24:12,875 Speaker 1: Mister Ettinger finally said, go home tonight, get that baseball 353 00:24:12,955 --> 00:24:15,795 Speaker 1: encyclopedia you always bring in here, look up the rule. 354 00:24:16,075 --> 00:24:19,795 Speaker 1: Then bring in the encyclopedia tomorrow tomorrow morning. If I'm wrong, 355 00:24:20,195 --> 00:24:22,515 Speaker 1: I'll stand up in front of the class and read 356 00:24:22,555 --> 00:24:25,115 Speaker 1: the rule out loud and apologize to you. But if 357 00:24:25,195 --> 00:24:27,595 Speaker 1: you're wrong, you'll stand up in front of the class 358 00:24:27,675 --> 00:24:30,035 Speaker 1: and read the rule out loud and apologize to me. 359 00:24:30,675 --> 00:24:38,515 Speaker 1: Deal that day. I ran home. The next morning, I 360 00:24:38,635 --> 00:24:43,675 Speaker 1: did not run back to school. Six to zero two 361 00:24:44,035 --> 00:24:47,955 Speaker 1: pitcher illegal action. Yeah, I was the one standing up 362 00:24:47,995 --> 00:24:50,635 Speaker 1: reading the Balk rule to our fifth grade class, because no, 363 00:24:50,995 --> 00:24:53,675 Speaker 1: the batter does not get awarded first base on a ball, 364 00:24:54,195 --> 00:24:58,115 Speaker 1: not even in nineteen sixty eight. He didn't to be fair. 365 00:24:58,235 --> 00:25:00,595 Speaker 1: A year before, I barely knew the difference between a 366 00:25:00,595 --> 00:25:03,555 Speaker 1: baseball and a bass drum, so some of the subtleties 367 00:25:03,555 --> 00:25:06,475 Speaker 1: of the game were still new to me. So I said, 368 00:25:06,475 --> 00:25:10,515 Speaker 1: mister Ettinger was right and I was wrong, and I apologize. 369 00:25:10,715 --> 00:25:13,955 Speaker 1: I paused. He looked at me and said, I accept 370 00:25:13,995 --> 00:25:18,195 Speaker 1: your apology. You can sit down now, Keith. I continued 371 00:25:18,235 --> 00:25:22,235 Speaker 1: to stand and I continued to talk. So mister Ettinger 372 00:25:22,315 --> 00:25:24,475 Speaker 1: was right this time, but I still know more about 373 00:25:24,515 --> 00:25:26,595 Speaker 1: baseball than he does, and next time I'll get it 374 00:25:26,675 --> 00:25:32,275 Speaker 1: right and he'll get it wrong. Thank you. I'm thinking 375 00:25:32,315 --> 00:25:35,035 Speaker 1: this was a Thursday, maybe even a Friday, because in 376 00:25:35,115 --> 00:25:38,515 Speaker 1: my mind the turnaround to what happened next. The inevitable 377 00:25:38,555 --> 00:25:43,275 Speaker 1: PostScript to this story was almost immediate. My mother was 378 00:25:43,315 --> 00:25:46,835 Speaker 1: the secretary to the minister at our Unitarian church, which 379 00:25:46,955 --> 00:25:50,075 Speaker 1: was of itself hilarious because my father was a world 380 00:25:50,315 --> 00:25:54,435 Speaker 1: class atheist. I mean, he was nationally ranked. He could 381 00:25:54,555 --> 00:25:59,715 Speaker 1: use the Bible to disprove all aspects of all religions 382 00:26:00,115 --> 00:26:03,955 Speaker 1: to ministers. Meanwhile, I was the only kid I know 383 00:26:04,435 --> 00:26:07,155 Speaker 1: who stopped going to Sunday school because there just was 384 00:26:07,195 --> 00:26:12,715 Speaker 1: not enough fire and brimstone in it, and I was bored. Anyway, 385 00:26:12,915 --> 00:26:15,915 Speaker 1: Apparently one of the regular Sunday school teachers was sick 386 00:26:16,115 --> 00:26:19,435 Speaker 1: or had to leave town or something, and my mom 387 00:26:19,635 --> 00:26:22,595 Speaker 1: had to pick the fill in and Sunday, she and 388 00:26:22,675 --> 00:26:24,595 Speaker 1: I and for some reason, my father get in the 389 00:26:24,595 --> 00:26:27,475 Speaker 1: car to go to church. I guess Dad needed to laugh. 390 00:26:27,795 --> 00:26:29,835 Speaker 1: And I'm in the back and suddenly we're not going 391 00:26:29,875 --> 00:26:32,035 Speaker 1: the normal route to the church, and I say, what's up? 392 00:26:32,075 --> 00:26:34,275 Speaker 1: And Mom says, oh, I told you we have to 393 00:26:34,315 --> 00:26:36,355 Speaker 1: have a substitute Sunday school teacher and we have to 394 00:26:36,355 --> 00:26:39,635 Speaker 1: give him a lift. You'll like this. The substitute Sunday 395 00:26:39,675 --> 00:26:44,435 Speaker 1: school teacher is mister Ettinger. Next thing. I know. Mister 396 00:26:44,435 --> 00:26:46,755 Speaker 1: Ettinger is in the back seat of our car with me, 397 00:26:46,835 --> 00:26:49,315 Speaker 1: and he is needling me over the balk rule. And 398 00:26:49,355 --> 00:26:51,115 Speaker 1: I am now saying, you know, we are not in 399 00:26:51,155 --> 00:26:53,995 Speaker 1: school right now. You are not in charge. This is 400 00:26:54,075 --> 00:26:55,835 Speaker 1: my dad's car, and I don't have to take this 401 00:26:55,915 --> 00:26:59,035 Speaker 1: crap from you now, mind you. As he's saying what 402 00:26:59,155 --> 00:27:00,915 Speaker 1: he said and I'm saying what I said, we are 403 00:27:00,955 --> 00:27:05,555 Speaker 1: also laughing. It is one of those kinds of friendships. 404 00:27:05,555 --> 00:27:11,115 Speaker 1: Only I'm eight years old. I guess that's why I 405 00:27:11,235 --> 00:27:14,435 Speaker 1: both enjoyed being in Kevin Ettinger's class so much and 406 00:27:14,555 --> 00:27:18,035 Speaker 1: also stabbed out his head with a pencil or a 407 00:27:18,075 --> 00:27:22,915 Speaker 1: pen or a letter opener. With certain limitations, he always 408 00:27:22,995 --> 00:27:25,995 Speaker 1: treated me as an adult. And even though I left 409 00:27:25,995 --> 00:27:27,835 Speaker 1: that school and went to another one two years later, 410 00:27:27,875 --> 00:27:29,875 Speaker 1: I continued to see him in town off and on, 411 00:27:29,955 --> 00:27:33,555 Speaker 1: sometimes on purpose, usually by accident, for the next forty 412 00:27:33,715 --> 00:27:36,115 Speaker 1: three years. And he was a great friend of my dad, 413 00:27:36,155 --> 00:27:37,555 Speaker 1: and he was a great friend of my mom. And 414 00:27:37,595 --> 00:27:40,315 Speaker 1: sometimes I'd run out of my dad with Kevin at 415 00:27:40,355 --> 00:27:44,915 Speaker 1: the train station, at the Hastings Diner wherever. Also, among 416 00:27:44,955 --> 00:27:48,835 Speaker 1: other things, you couldn't avoid him. Kevin lived across the 417 00:27:48,915 --> 00:27:51,315 Speaker 1: street from the school. From the time I met him 418 00:27:52,275 --> 00:27:54,195 Speaker 1: until the last time I checked in on him. He 419 00:27:54,235 --> 00:27:57,635 Speaker 1: lived across the street from the gym, right next to 420 00:27:57,675 --> 00:27:59,795 Speaker 1: the school. If you drew a line between two of 421 00:27:59,835 --> 00:28:02,955 Speaker 1: the three great municipal edifices of the small town of 422 00:28:02,955 --> 00:28:06,275 Speaker 1: Hastings On Hudson, New York, Farragut School and the Chemka 423 00:28:06,315 --> 00:28:08,635 Speaker 1: Town swimming Pool, if you drew a line, the midpoint 424 00:28:08,635 --> 00:28:13,355 Speaker 1: would have been just about Kevin Ettinger's front door. Over 425 00:28:13,395 --> 00:28:15,395 Speaker 1: the years, he helped me with a book I was writing. 426 00:28:15,435 --> 00:28:17,595 Speaker 1: He came with me to at least one Yankees game. 427 00:28:17,995 --> 00:28:21,115 Speaker 1: He did that interview I mentioned, And we waited from 428 00:28:21,155 --> 00:28:23,595 Speaker 1: the school year of nineteen sixty seven sixty eight, when 429 00:28:23,595 --> 00:28:25,915 Speaker 1: I had him in the fifth grade, until the school 430 00:28:25,955 --> 00:28:28,355 Speaker 1: year of nineteen seventy eight seventy nine, by which time 431 00:28:28,395 --> 00:28:30,915 Speaker 1: I was a college senior, and in his fifth grade 432 00:28:30,955 --> 00:28:36,355 Speaker 1: class that year was my sister Jenna. Two Aldermens in 433 00:28:36,435 --> 00:28:39,235 Speaker 1: one lifetime. He said, what did I do to deserve that? 434 00:28:40,515 --> 00:28:43,515 Speaker 1: I did not hesitate in answering him the back rule thing. 435 00:28:43,795 --> 00:28:49,275 Speaker 1: I said, it is hard to imagine that Farragut School, 436 00:28:49,355 --> 00:28:52,715 Speaker 1: which I always thought was on Farragut Parkway, not Farragut Avenue, 437 00:28:52,715 --> 00:28:54,795 Speaker 1: but at some point they switched the names. I swear 438 00:28:54,915 --> 00:28:59,275 Speaker 1: Parkway became Avenue and Avenue became Parkway. Anyway, Faragut School 439 00:28:59,315 --> 00:29:01,715 Speaker 1: was built in nineteen oh three, and it was named 440 00:29:01,715 --> 00:29:04,995 Speaker 1: for Admiral David Damn the torpedoes Full speed Ahead Farragut, 441 00:29:04,995 --> 00:29:08,075 Speaker 1: who actually lived in Hastings in the nineteenth century. Anyway, 442 00:29:08,075 --> 00:29:12,035 Speaker 1: it's hard to imagine that Farragut School can possibly stay 443 00:29:12,075 --> 00:29:15,595 Speaker 1: open with Kevin Ettinger gone. Hell, it's hard for me 444 00:29:15,635 --> 00:29:18,715 Speaker 1: to imagine hastings On Hudson will stay open. The great 445 00:29:18,755 --> 00:29:21,915 Speaker 1: sculptor Jacques Lipschitz lived in Hastings. He created a giant 446 00:29:22,035 --> 00:29:24,755 Speaker 1: piece for the library that's still there. Billy Burke, the 447 00:29:24,755 --> 00:29:27,555 Speaker 1: good Witch from The Wizard of Oz lived there. The 448 00:29:27,595 --> 00:29:30,915 Speaker 1: Wizard himself, Frank Morgan lived there, I don't think. At 449 00:29:30,915 --> 00:29:34,635 Speaker 1: the same time, original publisher of The New York Times, EDOLFH. Oakes, 450 00:29:34,675 --> 00:29:36,515 Speaker 1: lived there. Ricky Lake was from there. She went to 451 00:29:36,515 --> 00:29:38,955 Speaker 1: school with my sister, the late John Saunders, my old 452 00:29:39,155 --> 00:29:45,035 Speaker 1: ESPN colleague. But to me, Kevin Ettinger was Hastings On Hudson, 453 00:29:45,035 --> 00:29:48,555 Speaker 1: New York. In nineteen ninety one in Los Angeles, where 454 00:29:48,595 --> 00:29:50,355 Speaker 1: I was working in living I opened up a letter 455 00:29:50,355 --> 00:29:52,955 Speaker 1: from my dad, and inside the envelope was a clipping 456 00:29:52,995 --> 00:29:56,315 Speaker 1: from the New York Times about Kevin Ettinger playing stickball 457 00:29:56,395 --> 00:30:00,835 Speaker 1: every Sunday morning on the giant blacktop playground behind Farragut School, 458 00:30:01,115 --> 00:30:05,035 Speaker 1: the one I played tag on and punchball on, the 459 00:30:05,035 --> 00:30:09,395 Speaker 1: one I first traded baseball cards on, and best of all, 460 00:30:09,475 --> 00:30:13,555 Speaker 1: the one eye first muttered oaths about Kevin Ettinger on 461 00:30:14,835 --> 00:30:18,195 Speaker 1: He had started a thing called the Ethical Softball League 462 00:30:18,315 --> 00:30:22,275 Speaker 1: there on that giant giant playground. I mean, I think 463 00:30:22,275 --> 00:30:25,155 Speaker 1: it was in two different time zones. He'd started this 464 00:30:25,275 --> 00:30:28,555 Speaker 1: ethical softball league there in nineteen seventy, and the neighbors 465 00:30:28,595 --> 00:30:31,915 Speaker 1: were a little upset at the noise on Sunday mornings. 466 00:30:32,355 --> 00:30:34,555 Speaker 1: On the other hand, he lived across from the street. 467 00:30:34,595 --> 00:30:38,355 Speaker 1: He was one of the neighbors. Sixteen years later, I 468 00:30:38,435 --> 00:30:40,715 Speaker 1: buy a copy of the New York Times to go 469 00:30:40,795 --> 00:30:44,395 Speaker 1: do the crossword puzzle over breakfast, and there's another article 470 00:30:44,395 --> 00:30:47,595 Speaker 1: about Kevin Ettinger and the Ethical Softball League of Hastings 471 00:30:47,595 --> 00:30:50,355 Speaker 1: On Hudson, New York, and about how everybody else refers 472 00:30:50,355 --> 00:30:53,035 Speaker 1: to him as the commissioner. And in part they called 473 00:30:53,075 --> 00:30:54,915 Speaker 1: him the commissioner because the age of seventy four, he 474 00:30:54,915 --> 00:30:58,075 Speaker 1: could still throw fastballs and strike out those whipper snapper 475 00:30:58,115 --> 00:31:01,275 Speaker 1: fifty year olds. And in part they also called him 476 00:31:01,275 --> 00:31:03,235 Speaker 1: the commissioner because he was the one to whom they 477 00:31:03,275 --> 00:31:10,595 Speaker 1: always deferred when there was a question about the rules. Well, 478 00:31:10,595 --> 00:31:14,355 Speaker 1: I could have told them that goodbye, mister Ettinger, and 479 00:31:14,435 --> 00:31:18,475 Speaker 1: thank you, and no, next time there is a baseball dispute, 480 00:31:18,515 --> 00:31:21,395 Speaker 1: you will not be wrong and I will not be right. 481 00:31:23,155 --> 00:31:33,395 Speaker 1: You win. The demand for spots in the Shaye Stadium 482 00:31:33,395 --> 00:31:35,355 Speaker 1: press box that night was so great that there was 483 00:31:35,395 --> 00:31:38,635 Speaker 1: a signed seating. I had no real reason to be there, 484 00:31:38,675 --> 00:31:40,875 Speaker 1: but as usual, the New York Mets took care of me, 485 00:31:41,235 --> 00:31:43,675 Speaker 1: and so on Friday, the fifth of September two thousand 486 00:31:43,715 --> 00:31:46,595 Speaker 1: and eight, I was shouldered to shoulder with reporter friends 487 00:31:47,075 --> 00:31:49,755 Speaker 1: watching the Mets begin to blow their three game Pennant 488 00:31:49,835 --> 00:31:52,315 Speaker 1: Race lead against the Philadelphia Phillyes. Sorry Mets fans for 489 00:31:52,395 --> 00:31:55,835 Speaker 1: bringing this up again. Brett Myers had just struck out 490 00:31:55,915 --> 00:31:59,355 Speaker 1: New York's David Wright looking when my phone rang. It 491 00:31:59,475 --> 00:32:03,355 Speaker 1: was my agent, Gene Sage. They just called. She said, flatly, 492 00:32:03,755 --> 00:32:07,075 Speaker 1: you and Matthews and fired from anchoring the presidential debates 493 00:32:07,115 --> 00:32:11,155 Speaker 1: because of what you said. What I had said had 494 00:32:11,195 --> 00:32:15,155 Speaker 1: been said. Three nights previously, Chris Matthews and I were 495 00:32:15,235 --> 00:32:18,795 Speaker 1: co anchoring the Republican Convention on MSNBC. He was there 496 00:32:18,835 --> 00:32:21,955 Speaker 1: in Minneapolis. I was in the studios in New York, 497 00:32:22,075 --> 00:32:25,755 Speaker 1: ostensibly so I could also anchor hurricane coverage, although it 498 00:32:25,795 --> 00:32:27,515 Speaker 1: was pretty clear that at least half the reason I 499 00:32:27,595 --> 00:32:30,955 Speaker 1: was not in Minneapolis was because the Republicans had threatened 500 00:32:31,075 --> 00:32:34,795 Speaker 1: NBC or said they couldn't guarantee my safety or something 501 00:32:34,875 --> 00:32:38,595 Speaker 1: like that, and NBC folded. So I was the one 502 00:32:38,915 --> 00:32:41,835 Speaker 1: during MSNBC's coverage of the two thousand and eight Republican 503 00:32:41,875 --> 00:32:44,475 Speaker 1: Convention who had to throw it to a video they 504 00:32:44,555 --> 00:32:47,995 Speaker 1: were introducing that we had been told by the Republicans 505 00:32:48,155 --> 00:32:51,595 Speaker 1: was a quote tribute to the dead of nine to eleven. 506 00:32:51,995 --> 00:32:55,955 Speaker 1: It was, in fact a snuff film. All of the 507 00:32:55,995 --> 00:32:59,035 Speaker 1: images that all of the networks had stopped showing within 508 00:32:59,115 --> 00:33:02,235 Speaker 1: weeks or even days of the attacks, all of those 509 00:33:02,275 --> 00:33:06,435 Speaker 1: images were in this video, jumping and falling to their 510 00:33:06,475 --> 00:33:09,195 Speaker 1: deaths from the World Trade Center on nine to eleven. 511 00:33:09,475 --> 00:33:14,235 Speaker 1: Endless replays of the planes hitting the towers, dismembered bodies 512 00:33:14,395 --> 00:33:18,515 Speaker 1: in the plaza, the building collapses, the equally terrifying scenes 513 00:33:18,515 --> 00:33:21,795 Speaker 1: at the Pentagon, and all with a grotesque Robert Dove 514 00:33:22,075 --> 00:33:27,035 Speaker 1: voiceover emphasizing that this was all the Democrats fault. The 515 00:33:27,115 --> 00:33:31,835 Speaker 1: message was simple, Elect Obama and you will die like this. 516 00:33:33,395 --> 00:33:36,595 Speaker 1: I was angry, just on that base level. For the 517 00:33:36,635 --> 00:33:38,755 Speaker 1: five and a half years I had been back at MSNBC, 518 00:33:38,875 --> 00:33:41,715 Speaker 1: we had been rigorous about not showing any of that video. 519 00:33:42,355 --> 00:33:45,195 Speaker 1: There were rules that if we had to for some reason, 520 00:33:45,475 --> 00:33:48,195 Speaker 1: we should show only the skill images, and even then 521 00:33:48,275 --> 00:33:51,795 Speaker 1: only with extensive warnings to the viewers. But I knew 522 00:33:51,795 --> 00:33:54,715 Speaker 1: from my conversations with the president of MSNBC, Phil Griffin, 523 00:33:54,715 --> 00:33:56,915 Speaker 1: who I'd only known for twenty eight years at that point, 524 00:33:57,275 --> 00:33:59,875 Speaker 1: that he would insist that on the scene in Minneapolis, 525 00:33:59,875 --> 00:34:03,075 Speaker 1: Matthews and Tom Brokaw, whose career at NBC I had 526 00:34:03,115 --> 00:34:06,795 Speaker 1: resurrected after Brian Williams had buried him alive two years earlier, 527 00:34:07,035 --> 00:34:10,915 Speaker 1: that one or both of them would rebuke the GOP 528 00:34:11,195 --> 00:34:13,515 Speaker 1: for showing not a nine to eleven tribute, but, as 529 00:34:13,555 --> 00:34:17,075 Speaker 1: I just said, a nine to eleven snuff film. The 530 00:34:17,155 --> 00:34:19,875 Speaker 1: video ended and we came out to Brokaw with Matthews, 531 00:34:19,915 --> 00:34:25,595 Speaker 1: and Brokaw kind of coughed, and Matthews said wow. And 532 00:34:25,635 --> 00:34:28,475 Speaker 1: he turned to Brokaw and said, in that loose fire 533 00:34:28,515 --> 00:34:32,595 Speaker 1: hose delivery of his tom that kind of hunderscorns terrorism. 534 00:34:32,595 --> 00:34:36,355 Speaker 1: Big thing Republicans says, they tri stop Obama. Brokaw droned 535 00:34:36,395 --> 00:34:42,275 Speaker 1: on approvingly, the Republicans sneaking a snuff film, a banned 536 00:34:42,435 --> 00:34:46,595 Speaker 1: video onto MSNBC and by the way, also onto CNN, 537 00:34:46,635 --> 00:34:50,835 Speaker 1: onto NBC, onto CBS, onto ABC without any warning. That 538 00:34:50,995 --> 00:34:55,155 Speaker 1: was not mentioned by Brokaw or Matthews. Back to New 539 00:34:55,195 --> 00:34:58,715 Speaker 1: York and Keith. I was supposed to add liberates about 540 00:34:58,755 --> 00:35:01,155 Speaker 1: what we were expecting from the Republican convention for the 541 00:35:01,155 --> 00:35:03,755 Speaker 1: rest of the night and then throw to a commercial. Instead, 542 00:35:03,795 --> 00:35:06,075 Speaker 1: I said, and this is a paraphrase, the original tape 543 00:35:06,275 --> 00:35:09,835 Speaker 1: disappeared that night that before we moved on, I felt 544 00:35:09,835 --> 00:35:12,835 Speaker 1: I needed to apologize that we at MSNBC and for 545 00:35:12,875 --> 00:35:16,715 Speaker 1: that matter, NBC News, had extremely strict rules about not 546 00:35:16,875 --> 00:35:20,035 Speaker 1: showing that video. The Republicans had just shown you without 547 00:35:20,035 --> 00:35:23,715 Speaker 1: any warning, without any context, and we certainly would not 548 00:35:23,755 --> 00:35:26,595 Speaker 1: have shown the horror and death and blamed it on 549 00:35:26,675 --> 00:35:29,115 Speaker 1: the Democrats, or for that matter, blamed it on the Republicans. 550 00:35:29,115 --> 00:35:30,955 Speaker 1: I said, if we had done such a thing ourselves, 551 00:35:31,155 --> 00:35:34,795 Speaker 1: there would have been people fired at NBC News. The 552 00:35:34,795 --> 00:35:37,915 Speaker 1: public program the GOP provided said that was going to 553 00:35:37,915 --> 00:35:40,395 Speaker 1: be a nine to eleven tribute film. I said, and 554 00:35:40,475 --> 00:35:43,275 Speaker 1: so did the private conversations with the network, which included 555 00:35:43,275 --> 00:35:45,915 Speaker 1: the reminder from NBC and MSNBC that we had rules 556 00:35:45,955 --> 00:35:48,795 Speaker 1: against showing the scenes of the horrible death and mutilation 557 00:35:48,875 --> 00:35:53,235 Speaker 1: and destruction. So I apologized on behalf of whoever trusted 558 00:35:53,275 --> 00:35:56,355 Speaker 1: the Republicans to live up to their word that MSNBC 559 00:35:56,475 --> 00:35:59,355 Speaker 1: viewers were forced to see the video our network had 560 00:35:59,395 --> 00:36:04,555 Speaker 1: long before vowed never to show again. So three nights, 561 00:36:05,355 --> 00:36:08,835 Speaker 1: without as much as an email, this Griffin guy had 562 00:36:08,835 --> 00:36:12,275 Speaker 1: called my agent and told her I was fired. Matthews 563 00:36:12,355 --> 00:36:17,355 Speaker 1: two from our further coverage of the upcoming McGain Obama debates. 564 00:36:18,355 --> 00:36:20,715 Speaker 1: She related these details to me as I walked down 565 00:36:20,715 --> 00:36:23,035 Speaker 1: the many ramps in the back of Shay Stadium towards 566 00:36:23,075 --> 00:36:25,675 Speaker 1: the subway. I told her to call Griffin back and 567 00:36:25,715 --> 00:36:28,475 Speaker 1: tell him I had quit on the spot right then 568 00:36:28,915 --> 00:36:31,235 Speaker 1: and he could work his way out of the ensuing disaster. 569 00:36:31,955 --> 00:36:36,395 Speaker 1: Liberal network MSNBC fires liberal host Elberman for criticizing conservatives 570 00:36:36,395 --> 00:36:39,355 Speaker 1: for sneaking nine to eleven snuff film onto MSNBC. He 571 00:36:39,395 --> 00:36:41,755 Speaker 1: could figure that out any way he wanted, and he 572 00:36:41,795 --> 00:36:45,475 Speaker 1: could hear my response on I don't know, Good Morning America, CBS, 573 00:36:45,515 --> 00:36:48,595 Speaker 1: This Morning, the PBS News Hour, and any other news 574 00:36:48,635 --> 00:36:51,635 Speaker 1: program that bothered to ask me to stop by and talk. 575 00:36:53,235 --> 00:36:55,555 Speaker 1: I phoned my live in girlfriend, Katie Turr and told 576 00:36:55,595 --> 00:36:57,475 Speaker 1: her I was on my way home, and I made 577 00:36:57,475 --> 00:37:00,035 Speaker 1: a few phone calls to friendly voices within the NBC 578 00:37:00,195 --> 00:37:02,795 Speaker 1: management structure and got from them a clear picture of 579 00:37:02,795 --> 00:37:06,235 Speaker 1: what had happened. And despite the spotty cell service along 580 00:37:06,275 --> 00:37:09,035 Speaker 1: the elevated line heading back to Manhattan, I got a 581 00:37:09,035 --> 00:37:12,595 Speaker 1: message from a newspaper reporter friend who neatly tied together 582 00:37:12,715 --> 00:37:16,195 Speaker 1: all that I was hearing elsewhere. Tom Brokaw is going 583 00:37:16,235 --> 00:37:19,555 Speaker 1: around NBC saying he got you fired from the debates 584 00:37:19,995 --> 00:37:25,475 Speaker 1: because the Republicans told him to. Nine maybe ten months earlier, 585 00:37:25,915 --> 00:37:27,755 Speaker 1: Phil Griffin had come to me and asked me if 586 00:37:27,795 --> 00:37:31,155 Speaker 1: I would be okay with this guy who had been 587 00:37:31,275 --> 00:37:35,555 Speaker 1: kind of disappeared by the network. Tom Brokaw was his name. 588 00:37:35,955 --> 00:37:39,755 Speaker 1: Appearing during our weekly coverage of the Democratic and Republican primaries. 589 00:37:40,235 --> 00:37:42,715 Speaker 1: Just a couple of minutes, like from a prospective desk. 590 00:37:42,995 --> 00:37:45,675 Speaker 1: That's all he wants to do. He's really Tom's really 591 00:37:45,755 --> 00:37:50,075 Speaker 1: unhappy Brian has frozen him out of everything. Brian Williams. 592 00:37:50,115 --> 00:37:54,195 Speaker 1: Of course, I was appalled, but not surprised. The power 593 00:37:54,235 --> 00:37:56,995 Speaker 1: had gone to Brian's head, and of course there it 594 00:37:57,035 --> 00:38:01,075 Speaker 1: had not met much resistance. Plus, as I said to Griffin, 595 00:38:01,115 --> 00:38:04,355 Speaker 1: you're asking me if i'd like to add Tom Brokaw's experience, 596 00:38:04,995 --> 00:38:08,755 Speaker 1: and Tom Broke caused gravitas to stuff I'm anchoring when 597 00:38:08,795 --> 00:38:10,315 Speaker 1: I'm not sure I know as much as I really 598 00:38:10,315 --> 00:38:13,195 Speaker 1: need to know to do this right. You're asking me this. 599 00:38:14,475 --> 00:38:17,595 Speaker 1: Tom fit in beautifully, and twice after those long Tuesday 600 00:38:17,635 --> 00:38:20,915 Speaker 1: evenings in the primary season, he sent me brief emails 601 00:38:20,955 --> 00:38:24,995 Speaker 1: awarding me what he called the game ball, because he 602 00:38:25,075 --> 00:38:27,675 Speaker 1: was so impressed by my ability to balance the roles 603 00:38:27,715 --> 00:38:31,835 Speaker 1: of political anchor and political commentator, having tried this myself. 604 00:38:31,955 --> 00:38:34,635 Speaker 1: One of them read, I know what a perilous, tight 605 00:38:34,795 --> 00:38:39,955 Speaker 1: ruthless is game ball to Ko, I'm mocking him now, 606 00:38:39,995 --> 00:38:42,275 Speaker 1: but these meant so much to me. I printed the 607 00:38:42,315 --> 00:38:46,635 Speaker 1: emails out and carried them in my wallet. And now 608 00:38:46,675 --> 00:38:49,795 Speaker 1: he was claiming he had gotten me fired because, as 609 00:38:49,835 --> 00:38:54,395 Speaker 1: my newspaper friend said, the Republicans told him to That 610 00:38:54,595 --> 00:38:57,755 Speaker 1: was not hard to unpack either. Tim Russard had died 611 00:38:57,795 --> 00:39:00,635 Speaker 1: on June third of that year. I anchored that night 612 00:39:00,755 --> 00:39:02,875 Speaker 1: until two in the morning. It was still an open wound, 613 00:39:02,875 --> 00:39:06,315 Speaker 1: there were still tears. We didn't know it then, but 614 00:39:06,395 --> 00:39:09,875 Speaker 1: the structure of NBC News and the perilous tie group 615 00:39:10,595 --> 00:39:14,475 Speaker 1: balancing NBC and MSNBC had died with Tim Russard. So 616 00:39:14,635 --> 00:39:17,115 Speaker 1: did the role of moderator of the second debate between 617 00:39:17,195 --> 00:39:20,235 Speaker 1: John McCain and Barack Obama, scheduled for about a month 618 00:39:20,355 --> 00:39:24,355 Speaker 1: after my subway ride on October seventh in Nashville. Tim 619 00:39:24,395 --> 00:39:26,875 Speaker 1: had not even been buried yet when Brokaw began to 620 00:39:26,915 --> 00:39:29,995 Speaker 1: angle to get that assignment, along with brushing away the 621 00:39:30,075 --> 00:39:34,035 Speaker 1: dirt of his Penny Anti role on the MSNBC Perspective desk. 622 00:39:34,275 --> 00:39:36,795 Speaker 1: We never saw him again in order that he could 623 00:39:36,795 --> 00:39:41,035 Speaker 1: take Tim's spot as Brian Williams sidekick on Big NBC. 624 00:39:42,275 --> 00:39:44,915 Speaker 1: The month before August, there was a story coming out 625 00:39:44,915 --> 00:39:46,795 Speaker 1: of the east end of the third floor at thirty 626 00:39:46,835 --> 00:39:49,435 Speaker 1: Rock where NBC News management sat around not doing much 627 00:39:49,435 --> 00:39:53,715 Speaker 1: of anything, that a Republican goon named Ed Gillespie had 628 00:39:53,755 --> 00:39:56,635 Speaker 1: been in there with Griffin and the NBC News president, 629 00:39:56,715 --> 00:39:59,915 Speaker 1: Steve Cappus, trying to get me silenced or fired or 630 00:39:59,915 --> 00:40:03,875 Speaker 1: off the convention coverage or something. And that's somebody prominent 631 00:40:03,915 --> 00:40:07,195 Speaker 1: within nbc U News was in there with Gillespie or 632 00:40:07,355 --> 00:40:12,075 Speaker 1: was invoked by Gillespie. The rumor mill wasn't certain. As 633 00:40:12,115 --> 00:40:14,915 Speaker 1: I switched from the elevated seven train to the underground 634 00:40:15,115 --> 00:40:18,635 Speaker 1: f train. The whole thing came together before my comments 635 00:40:18,675 --> 00:40:21,915 Speaker 1: about the GOP Convention nine to eleven snuff film. Ed 636 00:40:21,955 --> 00:40:25,355 Speaker 1: Gillespie had come in and had somehow vaguely threatened Cappus 637 00:40:25,395 --> 00:40:29,435 Speaker 1: and Griffin about me using as leverage the debate which 638 00:40:29,475 --> 00:40:33,355 Speaker 1: Tom Brocaw was now supposed to moderate, And when I 639 00:40:33,435 --> 00:40:37,715 Speaker 1: apologized for their video on our air, Gillespie must have 640 00:40:37,795 --> 00:40:40,435 Speaker 1: turned it into an either or get rid of me, 641 00:40:40,635 --> 00:40:44,995 Speaker 1: or McCain would refuse to participate in any debate moderated 642 00:40:45,035 --> 00:40:50,155 Speaker 1: by Brokaw or anybody from NBC News, and Brokaw had 643 00:40:50,195 --> 00:40:52,555 Speaker 1: already come back from the dead once in two thousand 644 00:40:52,595 --> 00:40:54,595 Speaker 1: and eight, and he would be damned if he would 645 00:40:54,595 --> 00:40:58,395 Speaker 1: be forced to do it a second time. But as 646 00:40:58,435 --> 00:41:00,475 Speaker 1: the train took me home to an apartment I was 647 00:41:00,515 --> 00:41:02,515 Speaker 1: now going to have to sell since I had just 648 00:41:02,595 --> 00:41:05,275 Speaker 1: quit MSNBC on the spot for full link to such 649 00:41:05,315 --> 00:41:09,675 Speaker 1: obvious Republican blackmail. Something else now occurred to me. Why 650 00:41:09,715 --> 00:41:14,355 Speaker 1: would MSNBC or NBC or our parent corporation at the time, 651 00:41:14,475 --> 00:41:18,275 Speaker 1: ge actually think that they could remove me from the 652 00:41:18,355 --> 00:41:22,635 Speaker 1: debate coverage on MSNBC where the Rachel Meadow Show had 653 00:41:22,675 --> 00:41:25,195 Speaker 1: yet to be born, and the three times a night 654 00:41:25,275 --> 00:41:27,875 Speaker 1: my show ran accounted for something like sixty percent of 655 00:41:27,915 --> 00:41:31,955 Speaker 1: the entire day's network audience and do that without getting 656 00:41:31,995 --> 00:41:36,235 Speaker 1: a really bad reaction from our audience. Plus, if a 657 00:41:36,275 --> 00:41:40,475 Speaker 1: newspaper man already knew the Brokaw part, how could this 658 00:41:40,595 --> 00:41:45,715 Speaker 1: story be avoided? MSNBC announced it had removed its liberal 659 00:41:45,755 --> 00:41:49,315 Speaker 1: star Keith Alderman from coverage of the McCain Obama presidential debates. 660 00:41:49,675 --> 00:41:53,915 Speaker 1: Sources confirmed former NBC News anchorman Tom Brokaw, now an 661 00:41:54,035 --> 00:41:58,515 Speaker 1: MSNBC commentator on Olderman's coverage, had helped the Republican Party 662 00:41:58,515 --> 00:42:02,875 Speaker 1: to blackmail NBC into the decision. Olderman immediately resigned saying 663 00:42:02,955 --> 00:42:05,555 Speaker 1: quote in succumbing to this core version on behalf of 664 00:42:05,595 --> 00:42:09,235 Speaker 1: John McCain, NBC has now forfeited any right to further 665 00:42:09,315 --> 00:42:12,315 Speaker 1: be called a news organization, and I'm sad to say MSNBC, 666 00:42:12,355 --> 00:42:17,835 Speaker 1: which I built, is now dead. My god, MSNBC and 667 00:42:18,075 --> 00:42:21,515 Speaker 1: NBC News for that matter, would have committed corporate suicide 668 00:42:21,515 --> 00:42:25,155 Speaker 1: before the weekend was over. At that point, it dawned 669 00:42:25,155 --> 00:42:26,915 Speaker 1: on me that the only thing that could save the 670 00:42:26,915 --> 00:42:29,595 Speaker 1: credibility of the whole news division and the careers of 671 00:42:29,635 --> 00:42:33,835 Speaker 1: Griffin and Cappus and NBC Network President Jeff Zucker, and 672 00:42:34,075 --> 00:42:38,435 Speaker 1: especially the career of Tom Brokaw was for me to 673 00:42:38,635 --> 00:42:42,355 Speaker 1: publicly state that I had asked to be removed from 674 00:42:42,395 --> 00:42:46,395 Speaker 1: anchoring the debates because the whatever was just too much 675 00:42:46,635 --> 00:42:49,035 Speaker 1: blah blah blah for me, and I felt I should 676 00:42:49,075 --> 00:42:53,715 Speaker 1: stick to the post debate analysis and commentary. NBC would 677 00:42:53,755 --> 00:42:55,875 Speaker 1: now have a choice. They could fire me from the 678 00:42:55,875 --> 00:42:59,595 Speaker 1: debates and destroy everything, including the one hundred million dollars 679 00:42:59,635 --> 00:43:02,715 Speaker 1: a year or so in profit that NBC made off MSNBC, 680 00:43:03,355 --> 00:43:07,635 Speaker 1: or I could you know why and claim it was 681 00:43:07,715 --> 00:43:13,195 Speaker 1: my idea and save everybody's ass, including my own. I 682 00:43:13,275 --> 00:43:15,635 Speaker 1: got out of the subway and raced home. Katie met 683 00:43:15,635 --> 00:43:17,275 Speaker 1: me at the door with a big hug. She had 684 00:43:17,315 --> 00:43:20,275 Speaker 1: been crying. Relax, I said, I'm not quitting. In fact, 685 00:43:20,355 --> 00:43:23,435 Speaker 1: I'm going to get a huge raise. Now, listen carefully. 686 00:43:24,235 --> 00:43:26,955 Speaker 1: I called my agent and I explained the idea that 687 00:43:27,035 --> 00:43:29,195 Speaker 1: had lit over my head on the subway like a 688 00:43:29,275 --> 00:43:32,755 Speaker 1: light bulb to both of them. I said, you call 689 00:43:32,795 --> 00:43:34,955 Speaker 1: Phil Griffin back and explain to him that I will 690 00:43:34,995 --> 00:43:39,595 Speaker 1: personally save his job and Steve Campus's and Jeff Zoker's 691 00:43:39,675 --> 00:43:43,475 Speaker 1: and Tom Brokaw's and everybody else's. I'll take the fall 692 00:43:44,235 --> 00:43:47,795 Speaker 1: instead of letting them all get fired by the MSNBC audience. 693 00:43:47,875 --> 00:43:51,475 Speaker 1: I'll say this was my idea, and all it will 694 00:43:51,475 --> 00:43:55,915 Speaker 1: cost Phil is twelve million dollars. And he has to 695 00:43:55,995 --> 00:43:58,435 Speaker 1: leak the term so everybody knows it cost him twelve 696 00:43:58,435 --> 00:44:01,555 Speaker 1: million dollars. And she paused for a second and said, 697 00:44:01,675 --> 00:44:04,995 Speaker 1: it's genius. It might not quite be twelve million, but 698 00:44:05,035 --> 00:44:08,235 Speaker 1: I bet I bet they'll pay you at least nine. 699 00:44:08,915 --> 00:44:12,515 Speaker 1: On Sunday, several news organizations reported I had asked to 700 00:44:12,555 --> 00:44:15,835 Speaker 1: be taken off the anchor desk. Two months and one 701 00:44:15,875 --> 00:44:19,075 Speaker 1: week later, The New York Times wrote quote. Keith Olberman, 702 00:44:19,155 --> 00:44:23,075 Speaker 1: the anchor of Countdown on MSNBC, has extended his contract 703 00:44:23,115 --> 00:44:27,235 Speaker 1: through the next presidential election season. The network announced mister 704 00:44:27,315 --> 00:44:31,035 Speaker 1: Alderman and MSNBC essentially tore up the four year, four 705 00:44:31,075 --> 00:44:34,035 Speaker 1: million dollar year contract they signed last year and replaced 706 00:44:34,075 --> 00:44:36,835 Speaker 1: it with one worth about seven and a half million 707 00:44:36,875 --> 00:44:40,795 Speaker 1: a year. Oh, that was a three and a half 708 00:44:40,915 --> 00:44:45,715 Speaker 1: million dollar raise for four years. We're a total of 709 00:44:47,155 --> 00:44:51,595 Speaker 1: fourteen million dollars, except the new contract added two years 710 00:44:51,595 --> 00:44:54,155 Speaker 1: to my old deal, so the raise was actually twenty 711 00:44:54,195 --> 00:45:00,315 Speaker 1: two million dollars. All stories have a punchline. This punchline 712 00:45:00,355 --> 00:45:03,315 Speaker 1: is about Tom Brokaw. We would have gotten away with 713 00:45:03,395 --> 00:45:06,795 Speaker 1: this cleanly. NBC would have gotten its money's worth for 714 00:45:06,835 --> 00:45:08,755 Speaker 1: the twenty two million in hush money, which is what 715 00:45:08,835 --> 00:45:11,115 Speaker 1: it was that it had to pay me because I 716 00:45:11,155 --> 00:45:14,395 Speaker 1: had agreed with them rolling over for the Republican Party blackmail. 717 00:45:14,435 --> 00:45:18,595 Speaker 1: Except Brokaw could not keep his mouth shut. So proud 718 00:45:18,795 --> 00:45:22,035 Speaker 1: was he of preserving his role as the moderator of 719 00:45:22,075 --> 00:45:25,915 Speaker 1: the October seventh NBC debate that he had to explain 720 00:45:26,475 --> 00:45:30,475 Speaker 1: in explicit detail in public how he went to his 721 00:45:30,555 --> 00:45:33,835 Speaker 1: bosses at NBC News and threatened them on behalf of 722 00:45:33,875 --> 00:45:37,915 Speaker 1: the GOP. On September twenty ninth, two thousand and eight, 723 00:45:37,995 --> 00:45:41,195 Speaker 1: a lengthy and glowing Brocaw profile appeared in The New 724 00:45:41,235 --> 00:45:44,755 Speaker 1: York Times. Quote mister Brokaw said that over the summer 725 00:45:44,795 --> 00:45:49,315 Speaker 1: he had quote advocated within the executive suite of NBC 726 00:45:49,475 --> 00:45:52,675 Speaker 1: News to modify the anchor duties of the MSNBC hosts 727 00:45:52,715 --> 00:45:55,435 Speaker 1: Keith Alderman and Chris Matthews on election night and on 728 00:45:55,555 --> 00:45:59,275 Speaker 1: nights when there were presidential debates. Mister brocas said he 729 00:45:59,315 --> 00:46:02,955 Speaker 1: had also conducted some shuttle diplomacy in recent weeks between 730 00:46:03,115 --> 00:46:06,475 Speaker 1: NBC and the McCain campaign. His mission, he said, was 731 00:46:06,515 --> 00:46:10,475 Speaker 1: to assure the candidate's aids that despite some negative on 732 00:46:10,635 --> 00:46:14,475 Speaker 1: air commentary by mister Olberman in particular, mister McCain could 733 00:46:14,475 --> 00:46:20,435 Speaker 1: still get a fair shake from NBC News. Unquote, Oh, 734 00:46:20,475 --> 00:46:25,795 Speaker 1: that was his mission. The hell it was. Happily, Brocaw 735 00:46:25,915 --> 00:46:29,555 Speaker 1: just could not resist boasting even further. The next sentence 736 00:46:29,755 --> 00:46:34,235 Speaker 1: actually reads quote. Mister Brocaw said he had been told 737 00:46:34,275 --> 00:46:37,195 Speaker 1: by a senior McCain aide whom he did not name, 738 00:46:37,875 --> 00:46:40,675 Speaker 1: that the campaign had been reluctant to accept an NBC 739 00:46:40,915 --> 00:46:44,195 Speaker 1: representative as one of the moderators of the three presidential 740 00:46:44,195 --> 00:46:50,075 Speaker 1: debates until his name was invoked. Quote. One of the 741 00:46:50,075 --> 00:46:53,555 Speaker 1: things I was told by this person was that they 742 00:46:53,555 --> 00:46:57,715 Speaker 1: were so irritated. They said, if it's an NBC moderator 743 00:46:57,715 --> 00:47:01,355 Speaker 1: for any of these debates, we won't go, mister Brocaw said, 744 00:47:02,155 --> 00:47:06,035 Speaker 1: quoting him again. My name came up up and they said, oh, hell, 745 00:47:06,515 --> 00:47:10,195 Speaker 1: we have to do it, because it's going to be Brokaw. 746 00:47:12,435 --> 00:47:15,835 Speaker 1: There is a second punchline after all this, when the 747 00:47:15,875 --> 00:47:18,875 Speaker 1: new format came out and I was sitting there counting 748 00:47:18,955 --> 00:47:23,075 Speaker 1: my money, MSNBC had David Gregory quote anchor unquote the 749 00:47:23,115 --> 00:47:27,915 Speaker 1: debate coverage. David was terrific during this. Practically all this meant, anyway, 750 00:47:28,035 --> 00:47:30,715 Speaker 1: was that I was on the air until literally ninety 751 00:47:30,755 --> 00:47:33,915 Speaker 1: seconds before each debate began, which is when I said, 752 00:47:34,115 --> 00:47:36,795 Speaker 1: now here's David Gregory. And he was then on for 753 00:47:36,835 --> 00:47:39,315 Speaker 1: four or five minutes after the debate ended, which is 754 00:47:39,355 --> 00:47:42,915 Speaker 1: when he said, now here's Keith Olberman. And on Election 755 00:47:43,075 --> 00:47:47,355 Speaker 1: Night itself with David again formally anchoring per the Republican 756 00:47:47,395 --> 00:47:50,635 Speaker 1: Blackmail at ten fifty nine PM. To his great credit 757 00:47:50,635 --> 00:47:54,355 Speaker 1: and to my eternal gratitude, David Gregory said, with the 758 00:47:54,475 --> 00:47:57,435 Speaker 1: last voting booth closing at eleven PM, NBC News can 759 00:47:57,475 --> 00:47:59,355 Speaker 1: now project the winner of the two thousand and eight 760 00:47:59,435 --> 00:48:05,835 Speaker 1: presidential election, Keith Bless him. Plus, I still have all 761 00:48:05,875 --> 00:48:22,195 Speaker 1: the money moral whether it's CNN in twenty twenty three 762 00:48:22,275 --> 00:48:24,675 Speaker 1: or MSNBC in two thousand and eight, the Republicans not 763 00:48:24,715 --> 00:48:28,955 Speaker 1: only work the media refs, they will bribe the media refs. 764 00:48:29,315 --> 00:48:32,835 Speaker 1: We do not have liberal bias in American media. We 765 00:48:32,955 --> 00:48:36,835 Speaker 1: have conservative bias. I've done all the damage I can do. Here. 766 00:48:36,835 --> 00:48:38,635 Speaker 1: Here are the credits. Most of the music was arranged, 767 00:48:38,675 --> 00:48:41,675 Speaker 1: produced and performed by Brian Ray and John Phillip Schanel, 768 00:48:41,715 --> 00:48:45,195 Speaker 1: who are the Countdown musical directors. All orchestration and keyboards 769 00:48:45,235 --> 00:48:48,715 Speaker 1: by John Phillip Schhaneel, Guitars bassed on drums by Brian Ray, 770 00:48:48,835 --> 00:48:52,795 Speaker 1: produced by Tko Brothers. Other Beethoven selections have been arranged 771 00:48:52,795 --> 00:48:55,795 Speaker 1: and performed by the group No Horns Allowed. The sports 772 00:48:55,875 --> 00:48:58,875 Speaker 1: music is the Olderman theme from ESPN two, and it 773 00:48:58,915 --> 00:49:01,595 Speaker 1: was written by Mitch Warren Davis courtesy of the ESPN Inc. 774 00:49:02,155 --> 00:49:05,395 Speaker 1: Musical comments from Nancy Fauss, the best baseball stadium organist ever, 775 00:49:05,675 --> 00:49:08,475 Speaker 1: Our announcer was my friend Richard Lewis, and everything else 776 00:49:09,075 --> 00:49:11,715 Speaker 1: was pretty much my fault. So that's countdown for this, 777 00:49:11,755 --> 00:49:14,635 Speaker 1: the eight hundred and sixtieth day since Donald Trump's first 778 00:49:14,675 --> 00:49:17,995 Speaker 1: attempted coup against the democratically elected government of the United States. 779 00:49:18,395 --> 00:49:21,915 Speaker 1: Don't forget to keep arresting him while we still can. 780 00:49:22,715 --> 00:49:25,555 Speaker 1: The next scheduled countdown is tomorrow. Until then, I'm Keith Ulremman. 781 00:49:25,635 --> 00:49:44,155 Speaker 1: Good morning, good afternoon, good night, and good luck. Countdown 782 00:49:44,195 --> 00:49:47,955 Speaker 1: with Keith Ulreman is a production of iHeartRadio. For more 783 00:49:48,035 --> 00:49:52,995 Speaker 1: podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or 784 00:49:53,035 --> 00:49:54,875 Speaker 1: wherever you get your podcasts.