1 00:00:04,755 --> 00:00:08,995 Speaker 1: Countdown with Keith Olderman is a production of I Heart Radio. 2 00:00:24,035 --> 00:00:27,795 Speaker 1: The Justice Department has launched a felony investigation of dozens 3 00:00:27,835 --> 00:00:32,155 Speaker 1: of Trump administration and Trump World figures for obstruction of justice, 4 00:00:32,355 --> 00:00:36,115 Speaker 1: for conspiracy, and for swearing false statements, all of it 5 00:00:36,235 --> 00:00:39,595 Speaker 1: pertaining to the January six coup. And they have been 6 00:00:39,635 --> 00:00:43,315 Speaker 1: working at this for three months. We finally found this 7 00:00:43,435 --> 00:00:46,315 Speaker 1: out last night. Why they put out at least forty 8 00:00:46,395 --> 00:00:50,435 Speaker 1: subpoenas and confiscated at least nine phones, And we found 9 00:00:50,435 --> 00:00:53,195 Speaker 1: out because one of the guys they got a warrant 10 00:00:53,235 --> 00:00:57,635 Speaker 1: against spilled the entire story in a desperate attempt to 11 00:00:57,875 --> 00:01:02,835 Speaker 1: save his own law license. It is, of course, Jeff Clark, 12 00:01:03,395 --> 00:01:05,955 Speaker 1: the environmental lawyer who was ready to step in and 13 00:01:06,195 --> 00:01:10,435 Speaker 1: end the American experiment and become America's final free attorney 14 00:01:10,475 --> 00:01:13,595 Speaker 1: general and seize all the voting machines and make the 15 00:01:13,675 --> 00:01:18,475 Speaker 1: Road Company version of Mortitia Adams Sidney Powell special prosecutor. 16 00:01:19,275 --> 00:01:21,635 Speaker 1: Four weeks now, Clark has been trying to get the 17 00:01:21,675 --> 00:01:26,835 Speaker 1: District of Columbia Bar Board on Professional Responsibility to seal 18 00:01:27,115 --> 00:01:30,755 Speaker 1: all its paperwork about him. The board was reviewing what 19 00:01:30,795 --> 00:01:33,795 Speaker 1: Clark was willing to do for Trump and against America 20 00:01:34,075 --> 00:01:36,555 Speaker 1: with an eye towards punishing him and in his defense 21 00:01:36,595 --> 00:01:39,675 Speaker 1: against its ethics charges against him. Clark and or his 22 00:01:39,795 --> 00:01:42,595 Speaker 1: legal team wrote that when the Department of Justice went 23 00:01:42,675 --> 00:01:45,315 Speaker 1: to his home to seize his electronic devices on the 24 00:01:45,355 --> 00:01:48,555 Speaker 1: twentie of June, it was the d o J. Office 25 00:01:48,595 --> 00:01:52,075 Speaker 1: of Inspector General that did so, and they told him 26 00:01:52,115 --> 00:01:54,715 Speaker 1: it was part of an investigation into violations of laws 27 00:01:54,715 --> 00:01:59,435 Speaker 1: concerning false statements, conspiracy, and obstruction. The crimes have never 28 00:01:59,515 --> 00:02:03,635 Speaker 1: been spelled out until now. Nine Trump figures have had 29 00:02:03,675 --> 00:02:06,475 Speaker 1: their phones taken. The right wingers are treating this as 30 00:02:06,515 --> 00:02:09,675 Speaker 1: slightly less a scandal than if nine Trump figures had 31 00:02:09,715 --> 00:02:15,435 Speaker 1: been crucified. It's Clark, John Eastman, Boris Epstein, Rudy Giuliani, 32 00:02:15,675 --> 00:02:20,275 Speaker 1: Nevada GOP chairman, Michael McDonald, Congressman Scott Perry, Mike Roman, 33 00:02:20,435 --> 00:02:24,475 Speaker 1: attorney Victoria Tensing, and now Mike Lindell. In the drive 34 00:02:24,595 --> 00:02:29,675 Speaker 1: through all but Lindell mainline into the Eastman fake electors scheme, 35 00:02:29,915 --> 00:02:33,475 Speaker 1: the Nevada chairman McDonald was one of the fake electors. 36 00:02:34,315 --> 00:02:37,435 Speaker 1: It is fascinating that of all the coup components, the 37 00:02:37,475 --> 00:02:41,715 Speaker 1: attempt to fabricate alternate slates of state electoral college delegations 38 00:02:42,315 --> 00:02:45,395 Speaker 1: is the one the Justice Department has decided to pursue. 39 00:02:45,955 --> 00:02:49,395 Speaker 1: But it makes simple sense, like the stolen classified documents, 40 00:02:49,395 --> 00:02:52,715 Speaker 1: but unlike say the armed insurrection of January six, or 41 00:02:52,755 --> 00:02:56,875 Speaker 1: the threats before and since, or Trump's stochastic terrorism, the 42 00:02:56,955 --> 00:03:01,795 Speaker 1: fake electors and the stolen documents provide enormous paper trails, 43 00:03:02,275 --> 00:03:05,155 Speaker 1: the documents in fact or nothing but a payer or trail. 44 00:03:06,075 --> 00:03:09,675 Speaker 1: We know that the elector's scheme required swearing falsehoods under 45 00:03:09,715 --> 00:03:11,995 Speaker 1: oath in writing, and Trump knew about the scheme. It 46 00:03:12,035 --> 00:03:15,955 Speaker 1: was discussed in the White House, forty subpoenas and eight phones. 47 00:03:15,995 --> 00:03:19,395 Speaker 1: There was a lot of coverage, and Jeffrey Clark, whose 48 00:03:19,435 --> 00:03:22,235 Speaker 1: main claim to fame is a limitless capacity to be 49 00:03:22,515 --> 00:03:25,675 Speaker 1: in over his head, has now been courteous enough to 50 00:03:25,755 --> 00:03:27,595 Speaker 1: let us know that the d o J is honing 51 00:03:27,635 --> 00:03:32,395 Speaker 1: in on obstruction, on conspiracy, and on false statements. Late 52 00:03:32,475 --> 00:03:35,035 Speaker 1: last night, news came about the d o J subpoena 53 00:03:35,195 --> 00:03:38,595 Speaker 1: to the former Trump Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, with 54 00:03:38,675 --> 00:03:42,315 Speaker 1: the surprisingly simple headline that he has complied with it, 55 00:03:42,595 --> 00:03:45,035 Speaker 1: giving d o J the same materials that he gave 56 00:03:45,035 --> 00:03:48,995 Speaker 1: the House January sixth Committee per CNN texts and emails 57 00:03:49,195 --> 00:03:52,675 Speaker 1: dating from between the election and the Biden inauguration, and 58 00:03:52,795 --> 00:03:55,515 Speaker 1: also late last night, the House Committee did something of 59 00:03:55,515 --> 00:03:58,395 Speaker 1: its own and asked to judge to order John Eastman 60 00:03:58,435 --> 00:04:02,155 Speaker 1: to turn over thirty two hundred more pages of his 61 00:04:02,275 --> 00:04:06,355 Speaker 1: emails back to the phone and the ninth phone, the 62 00:04:06,395 --> 00:04:09,875 Speaker 1: one belonging to Mike. You want fries with that, Lindell. 63 00:04:10,475 --> 00:04:13,395 Speaker 1: It is almost comic relief at this point, even though 64 00:04:13,435 --> 00:04:16,955 Speaker 1: it mainlines to a potentially more serious crime tampering with 65 00:04:16,955 --> 00:04:21,875 Speaker 1: federal election materials, and since Lindell's case reportedly involved Tina Peters, 66 00:04:21,875 --> 00:04:24,955 Speaker 1: who allegedly access the voting machines in Colorado, there could 67 00:04:24,995 --> 00:04:29,075 Speaker 1: be a conspiracy there too. Once again, the entirety of 68 00:04:29,115 --> 00:04:33,035 Speaker 1: the right wing whin no sphere provides ample and equal 69 00:04:33,075 --> 00:04:36,915 Speaker 1: evidence that it is pretending to be this dumb, or 70 00:04:37,035 --> 00:04:40,435 Speaker 1: perhaps actually is this dumb about the law and what 71 00:04:40,475 --> 00:04:43,115 Speaker 1: the government does and does not do to enforce it 72 00:04:43,275 --> 00:04:48,195 Speaker 1: every day. Taking Lindell's phone in their world is nine 73 00:04:48,235 --> 00:04:51,835 Speaker 1: eleven in the infamous words of the late great comedian 74 00:04:51,875 --> 00:04:54,355 Speaker 1: Bill Hicks. Since the FBI took his phone at the 75 00:04:54,355 --> 00:04:58,035 Speaker 1: man Cato Hardy's Lindell has looked like a dog who 76 00:04:58,155 --> 00:05:02,075 Speaker 1: was just shown a card trick. But there is an 77 00:05:02,155 --> 00:05:06,795 Speaker 1: update from the man himself on the asked food phone Filch. 78 00:05:08,795 --> 00:05:11,595 Speaker 1: We quite a day in the news with them taking 79 00:05:11,675 --> 00:05:14,955 Speaker 1: my phone, the FBI, and uh, we have lots of 80 00:05:15,235 --> 00:05:17,795 Speaker 1: lots of news today. Lots of news will be coming home. 81 00:05:18,235 --> 00:05:20,435 Speaker 1: We're gonna put it in My lawyers are working on 82 00:05:20,515 --> 00:05:24,395 Speaker 1: our way to get that phone back. Um. They are 83 00:05:24,915 --> 00:05:32,435 Speaker 1: disgusting with Mike. The FBI seized your remote to hit 84 00:05:32,475 --> 00:05:35,115 Speaker 1: the mute button, buddy. To the best of our knowledge, 85 00:05:35,115 --> 00:05:38,995 Speaker 1: the Marilago nuclear kleptomania search case did not move Wednesday, 86 00:05:39,035 --> 00:05:41,795 Speaker 1: at least not in front of any civilians. In Atlanta, 87 00:05:41,915 --> 00:05:44,955 Speaker 1: Fulton County District Attorney Fannie Willis is reportedly on the 88 00:05:45,035 --> 00:05:47,795 Speaker 1: verge of deciding whether or not to subpoena Trump in 89 00:05:47,875 --> 00:05:50,035 Speaker 1: her pursuit of the attempt to alter the outcome of 90 00:05:50,035 --> 00:05:54,555 Speaker 1: the presidential vote in Georgia. There was confirmation Wednesday about 91 00:05:54,595 --> 00:05:58,555 Speaker 1: the non secret, non crime family meeting Monday at Trump's 92 00:05:58,595 --> 00:06:01,995 Speaker 1: national golf course outside Washington, and a little meat on 93 00:06:02,075 --> 00:06:04,475 Speaker 1: the bones of what was pretty obvious pretty quickly that 94 00:06:04,515 --> 00:06:07,915 Speaker 1: it actually was a meeting about the damn golf course. 95 00:06:08,435 --> 00:06:12,155 Speaker 1: Business Insider reporting that not only was Trump dictating specific 96 00:06:12,235 --> 00:06:15,195 Speaker 1: renovations at his golf course, but the reason he did 97 00:06:15,235 --> 00:06:18,395 Speaker 1: that himself. He's going to host another one of the 98 00:06:18,435 --> 00:06:22,515 Speaker 1: Saudi blood money tournaments there next May. And you know 99 00:06:22,595 --> 00:06:25,115 Speaker 1: what Prince Mohammed been Salmon does if he doesn't like 100 00:06:25,195 --> 00:06:28,995 Speaker 1: your driving range. There are still holdouts insisting that one 101 00:06:29,035 --> 00:06:31,835 Speaker 1: of the men shown with Trump on Monday in Virginia 102 00:06:32,075 --> 00:06:35,595 Speaker 1: was one of these half religious nuts, half electoral fraud 103 00:06:35,635 --> 00:06:39,155 Speaker 1: guys named Greg Phillips, who had made vague references on 104 00:06:39,195 --> 00:06:42,795 Speaker 1: social media on Sunday about an important meeting on Monday. 105 00:06:42,835 --> 00:06:45,675 Speaker 1: But while one of the Trump golf flunkeys shown in 106 00:06:45,675 --> 00:06:49,315 Speaker 1: the photos looks vaguely like Phillips, it is not him. 107 00:06:49,355 --> 00:06:52,395 Speaker 1: The nose and ears are a complete mismatch. And I 108 00:06:52,475 --> 00:06:55,795 Speaker 1: speak as a guy who identifies unknown people from n 109 00:06:56,995 --> 00:07:00,915 Speaker 1: in photos for the Baseball Hall of Fame. There is 110 00:07:00,955 --> 00:07:03,595 Speaker 1: another sign today that Trump is at least keeping his 111 00:07:03,635 --> 00:07:08,035 Speaker 1: options open to split from, replace, or overthrow the Republican 112 00:07:08,115 --> 00:07:11,715 Speaker 1: Party itself. First, he identified an appearance for j D 113 00:07:11,875 --> 00:07:14,955 Speaker 1: Vance in Ohio as an event for quote the Trump 114 00:07:15,115 --> 00:07:18,315 Speaker 1: ticket now a similar shin dig on the twenty three 115 00:07:18,315 --> 00:07:21,635 Speaker 1: in North Carolina has been billed as Trump making remarks 116 00:07:21,755 --> 00:07:26,635 Speaker 1: in support of the entire North Carolina Trump ticket, and 117 00:07:26,755 --> 00:07:31,555 Speaker 1: in a surprise development, Trump has self identified as Antifa. 118 00:07:32,035 --> 00:07:35,155 Speaker 1: His post about the death of Ken Star actually reads, 119 00:07:35,195 --> 00:07:38,555 Speaker 1: in part quote, I so appreciated his support and his 120 00:07:38,675 --> 00:07:44,075 Speaker 1: thoughts that our cause against fascists is just if your 121 00:07:44,075 --> 00:07:48,515 Speaker 1: causes against fascists, then your causes anti fascist, and if 122 00:07:48,515 --> 00:07:54,435 Speaker 1: your causes anti fascist, then you are Antifa. Seems like 123 00:07:54,475 --> 00:07:58,275 Speaker 1: a significant plot twist to me, And even at this hour, 124 00:07:58,355 --> 00:08:01,155 Speaker 1: the Trump faithful are still pushing the pipe dream that 125 00:08:01,315 --> 00:08:04,875 Speaker 1: this crazy prosecutor John Durham will send all those who 126 00:08:04,955 --> 00:08:09,075 Speaker 1: dared to criticize Trump to the gallows. To the contrary, 127 00:08:09,195 --> 00:08:12,275 Speaker 1: in separate reports, the New York Times and CNN indicate 128 00:08:12,515 --> 00:08:15,435 Speaker 1: Durham will not convene a new grand jury, even though 129 00:08:15,435 --> 00:08:17,915 Speaker 1: his old one has expired and he did not manage 130 00:08:17,955 --> 00:08:21,155 Speaker 1: as much as allowed passing of gas, suggesting a deep 131 00:08:21,195 --> 00:08:25,355 Speaker 1: state conspiracy to gin up the Russian collusion investigation. Durham 132 00:08:25,475 --> 00:08:27,795 Speaker 1: might issue a report with a lot of red meat 133 00:08:27,835 --> 00:08:30,795 Speaker 1: for the morons, but nothing more than two charges were 134 00:08:30,875 --> 00:08:33,915 Speaker 1: lying to authorities came of three years of searching, and 135 00:08:33,995 --> 00:08:37,875 Speaker 1: one of those defendants has already been acquitted. Ultimately, looks 136 00:08:37,955 --> 00:08:46,875 Speaker 1: more like the entire investigation was all boll Durham, thank you, 137 00:08:47,115 --> 00:08:52,555 Speaker 1: and one unrelated headline from London. Queen Elizabeth is still dead. 138 00:08:53,515 --> 00:08:57,035 Speaker 1: Not to be disrespectful, although as I read this it's 139 00:08:57,075 --> 00:09:01,155 Speaker 1: obvious that is entirely disrespectful. But a week after the 140 00:09:01,195 --> 00:09:04,435 Speaker 1: monarch's passing and fully five days until her funeral, and 141 00:09:04,675 --> 00:09:08,635 Speaker 1: it is pretty clear post traumatic stress disorder is now 142 00:09:08,675 --> 00:09:13,275 Speaker 1: fully in charge in the UK. British television coverage continues 143 00:09:13,315 --> 00:09:17,635 Speaker 1: to be all royal death all the time, which is fine. 144 00:09:18,115 --> 00:09:20,675 Speaker 1: It's a different country, in a different form of government, 145 00:09:20,755 --> 00:09:24,155 Speaker 1: and she was in charge for seventy years, and they 146 00:09:24,195 --> 00:09:27,395 Speaker 1: haven't gotten to enjoy a good national morning since Winston 147 00:09:27,475 --> 00:09:30,595 Speaker 1: Churchill in nineteen sixty five, or or even Elizabeth's father 148 00:09:30,635 --> 00:09:34,395 Speaker 1: in ninetift two. But the tone in the last week 149 00:09:34,435 --> 00:09:39,635 Speaker 1: has gradually changed from new and entirely appropriate grief and 150 00:09:39,795 --> 00:09:45,155 Speaker 1: national reflection to describing the late Queen in the present tense. 151 00:09:46,475 --> 00:09:50,835 Speaker 1: These phrases have actually been used in the last few days. 152 00:09:50,915 --> 00:09:56,875 Speaker 1: She is resting, she remains on view, her family will 153 00:09:56,915 --> 00:10:01,195 Speaker 1: get one last private evening with her, the late Queen 154 00:10:01,315 --> 00:10:05,315 Speaker 1: has one final duty, or in the winning words of 155 00:10:05,315 --> 00:10:09,355 Speaker 1: the BBC International newscast at eleven o'clock Eastern last night, quote, 156 00:10:09,875 --> 00:10:14,675 Speaker 1: Queen Elizabeth the second is lying in state tonight, not 157 00:10:14,915 --> 00:10:22,035 Speaker 1: the body of but you know her present tense. We 158 00:10:22,075 --> 00:10:25,035 Speaker 1: don't have monarchs here, though we have guys who think 159 00:10:25,035 --> 00:10:27,435 Speaker 1: they might become such. But I would like to note 160 00:10:27,475 --> 00:10:30,835 Speaker 1: that when our longest serving President, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who 161 00:10:30,875 --> 00:10:34,555 Speaker 1: was actually elected to his primacy and re elected three times, 162 00:10:34,635 --> 00:10:38,875 Speaker 1: when he actually died, that was on Thursday, April five, 163 00:10:38,955 --> 00:10:41,835 Speaker 1: at three forty five in the afternoon. They brought his 164 00:10:41,915 --> 00:10:44,355 Speaker 1: body to Washington for a funeral at the White House, 165 00:10:44,675 --> 00:10:47,475 Speaker 1: and then sent it to upstate New York, where he 166 00:10:47,555 --> 00:10:51,715 Speaker 1: was buried early on Sunday, April fifteen. Even in the 167 00:10:51,795 --> 00:10:55,235 Speaker 1: shock and grief of the broken and slower America of 168 00:10:55,275 --> 00:10:59,715 Speaker 1: eighteen sixty five, with eleven train stops at a one thousand, 169 00:10:59,715 --> 00:11:02,955 Speaker 1: six d and fifty four mile tour of the casket, 170 00:11:03,475 --> 00:11:06,675 Speaker 1: it was only three weeks between the assassination of Abraham 171 00:11:06,715 --> 00:11:12,195 Speaker 1: Lincoln and his burial in Springfield. More practically, the London 172 00:11:12,275 --> 00:11:15,955 Speaker 1: tabloid The Sun has now run a story headlined quote 173 00:11:16,595 --> 00:11:21,315 Speaker 1: death of world's Queen Elizabeth leaves a huge void in 174 00:11:22,315 --> 00:11:27,795 Speaker 1: US with loss of ultimate public servant, Royal experts say. 175 00:11:28,915 --> 00:11:31,675 Speaker 1: Somebody with the Queen's charity in the United States is 176 00:11:31,675 --> 00:11:34,875 Speaker 1: then quoted as saying she had been a constant light. 177 00:11:35,475 --> 00:11:38,235 Speaker 1: Now that light has gone out, the sense of loss 178 00:11:38,235 --> 00:11:43,355 Speaker 1: will be felt as deeply here as anywhere in the world. 179 00:11:45,315 --> 00:12:02,155 Speaker 1: Come on, ye, I'm just not buying it's the same here. Also, 180 00:12:02,275 --> 00:12:05,515 Speaker 1: past tense, past tense, past tense have to adjust to this. 181 00:12:06,675 --> 00:12:09,955 Speaker 1: Still ahead on countdown good news. Etsy has bailed out 182 00:12:09,995 --> 00:12:13,675 Speaker 1: as an advertiser for Steve Bannon's fascism Fest. But you 183 00:12:13,715 --> 00:12:17,075 Speaker 1: know who hasn't. It's a popular, well known detergent with 184 00:12:17,155 --> 00:12:20,715 Speaker 1: the same name as a college football team. The Republicans 185 00:12:20,715 --> 00:12:24,315 Speaker 1: are outraged at Lindsay Graham's abortion band bill because it 186 00:12:24,515 --> 00:12:28,875 Speaker 1: may warn voters that the Republicans planned to pass an 187 00:12:28,875 --> 00:12:32,475 Speaker 1: abortion band bill. And more on the death of Kenneth 188 00:12:32,595 --> 00:12:36,435 Speaker 1: Starr and how the corruption of modern American news, especially 189 00:12:36,475 --> 00:12:40,395 Speaker 1: cable TV news at CNN and MSNBC, roots back to 190 00:12:40,435 --> 00:12:43,835 Speaker 1: the money that Star made for the corporate broadcasters when 191 00:12:43,835 --> 00:12:47,515 Speaker 1: he manufactured the made for TV Clinton Lewinsky scandal of 192 00:12:48,555 --> 00:12:52,675 Speaker 1: including the Day, and NBC official threatened that if I 193 00:12:52,795 --> 00:12:56,195 Speaker 1: tried to quit doing their top Clinton Lewinsky news show, 194 00:12:56,835 --> 00:13:01,555 Speaker 1: they would literally put my parents quote out on the street. 195 00:13:02,355 --> 00:13:11,795 Speaker 1: That's next, this discountdown. This is countdown with Keith Olberman 196 00:13:24,355 --> 00:13:26,675 Speaker 1: still ahead. On countdown, there is yet more to tell 197 00:13:26,715 --> 00:13:30,315 Speaker 1: about the micro of how the late Kenneth Star poisoned America. 198 00:13:30,835 --> 00:13:32,475 Speaker 1: I will take you back to the day in June. 199 00:13:33,755 --> 00:13:37,755 Speaker 1: An NBC News executive facing my refusal to keep doing 200 00:13:37,795 --> 00:13:41,515 Speaker 1: a nightly show for them which advanced stars attempt to, 201 00:13:42,275 --> 00:13:45,875 Speaker 1: you know, get the most recent elected president thrown out 202 00:13:45,875 --> 00:13:49,675 Speaker 1: of office for nothing, literally threatened to end my career 203 00:13:49,915 --> 00:13:53,955 Speaker 1: and to put my parents, whom I supported financially, quote 204 00:13:54,275 --> 00:13:58,035 Speaker 1: out in the street. I still don't believe it, and 205 00:13:58,075 --> 00:14:01,475 Speaker 1: I was there first the daily roundup of the miss Grants, 206 00:14:01,515 --> 00:14:04,915 Speaker 1: morons and Dunning Krueger effect specimens who constitute today these 207 00:14:04,995 --> 00:14:10,115 Speaker 1: worst persons in the world. The Bronze Procter and Gamble. 208 00:14:10,675 --> 00:14:14,795 Speaker 1: Remember yesterday's winners, Etsy for having sponsored the Steve Bannon 209 00:14:14,875 --> 00:14:19,155 Speaker 1: War Rooms stream cast. Well, Etsy got the message. Etsy 210 00:14:19,275 --> 00:14:23,635 Speaker 1: pulled their advertising, but fast, well done, Etsy, Well done. 211 00:14:23,755 --> 00:14:27,115 Speaker 1: Check my ads institute. But you know whose ads are 212 00:14:27,115 --> 00:14:30,035 Speaker 1: still appearing on the Steve mannon hate, our Procter and 213 00:14:30,115 --> 00:14:36,475 Speaker 1: gambles for Tide insurrection and racism, brought to you by Tied. 214 00:14:37,675 --> 00:14:40,155 Speaker 1: When you want to join Steve Bannon an attempt to 215 00:14:40,195 --> 00:14:43,115 Speaker 1: overthrow the duly elected government of the United States and 216 00:14:43,155 --> 00:14:46,675 Speaker 1: talk about people with their pikes on heads, rely on 217 00:14:46,875 --> 00:14:53,555 Speaker 1: tide laundry, truths and pikes on heads. Mr Proctor, Mr Gamble, 218 00:14:53,635 --> 00:14:56,955 Speaker 1: you may want to look into this silver. Matt Walsh Blog, 219 00:14:57,115 --> 00:14:59,635 Speaker 1: the host of a show on the streaming service Daily Wire. 220 00:15:00,315 --> 00:15:03,915 Speaker 1: What Walsh Blog. That's his name, it's his Twitter handle, 221 00:15:04,875 --> 00:15:08,915 Speaker 1: Matt Walsh Blog. I think it's hyphenated walsh Blog. You know. 222 00:15:09,075 --> 00:15:11,635 Speaker 1: I mean he's the guy with the quadruple X forehead. 223 00:15:11,835 --> 00:15:14,475 Speaker 1: He speaks for dozens of his fellow right wing nut jobs. 224 00:15:14,475 --> 00:15:17,435 Speaker 1: In response to the Lindsay Graham announcement of a Senate 225 00:15:17,475 --> 00:15:22,035 Speaker 1: bill to ban abortions nationwide after fifteen weeks, the response, 226 00:15:22,555 --> 00:15:25,515 Speaker 1: and it's not just Mr Walsh blogs, This goes across 227 00:15:25,555 --> 00:15:29,115 Speaker 1: the spectrum. But the response amounts to this, how dare 228 00:15:29,195 --> 00:15:32,795 Speaker 1: Lindsey Graham tell the truth? No Republican was supposed to 229 00:15:32,795 --> 00:15:35,835 Speaker 1: tell the truth until after the mid terms. American women 230 00:15:35,835 --> 00:15:38,355 Speaker 1: are supposed to believe through the mid terms that we 231 00:15:38,395 --> 00:15:40,915 Speaker 1: want this left to the states, when the plan all 232 00:15:40,955 --> 00:15:44,955 Speaker 1: along has been to pass a nationwide abortion ban, whether 233 00:15:45,035 --> 00:15:50,915 Speaker 1: anybody wants it or not. Therefore, Matt Walsh blog super 234 00:15:51,035 --> 00:15:58,475 Speaker 1: Genius has concluded there is only one possible explanation. You're ready, 235 00:15:58,915 --> 00:16:04,435 Speaker 1: Lindsay Graham is a Democratic double agent. When they actually 236 00:16:04,435 --> 00:16:06,195 Speaker 1: have the ability to do something, he doesn't want to 237 00:16:06,195 --> 00:16:08,675 Speaker 1: do anything, and when the bill can't pass, that's when 238 00:16:08,715 --> 00:16:14,115 Speaker 1: he's behind it. You know, it's it's almost like he 239 00:16:14,195 --> 00:16:18,275 Speaker 1: wants Republicans to lose. That's the conspiracy theory that I 240 00:16:18,355 --> 00:16:23,115 Speaker 1: would actually uh subscribe to here. He wants Republicans to lose. 241 00:16:23,595 --> 00:16:26,915 Speaker 1: This is a this is sabotage. It's the only way 242 00:16:26,955 --> 00:16:29,835 Speaker 1: to explain it. Yeah, it's the only way to explain 243 00:16:29,875 --> 00:16:33,955 Speaker 1: it if you have a limited imagination and almost no intelligence. 244 00:16:33,995 --> 00:16:35,835 Speaker 1: Did you know they used to mistake a high forehead 245 00:16:35,835 --> 00:16:39,875 Speaker 1: for a sign of high intelligence and le bron a 246 00:16:39,995 --> 00:16:43,555 Speaker 1: winner The NBC news affiliate in Tampa, Florida, w f 247 00:16:43,835 --> 00:16:47,715 Speaker 1: l A Channel eight. The networks have all had that 248 00:16:47,835 --> 00:16:51,395 Speaker 1: meeting about you know, full fascism overtakes America. How do 249 00:16:51,475 --> 00:16:56,275 Speaker 1: we protect our profits? But this is ridiculous. W f 250 00:16:56,475 --> 00:16:59,635 Speaker 1: l A, NBC in Tampa put out a tweet yesterday 251 00:16:59,675 --> 00:17:04,955 Speaker 1: wishing a happy birthday to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, with 252 00:17:04,995 --> 00:17:08,955 Speaker 1: the traditional happy birthday script font and a photo of 253 00:17:09,075 --> 00:17:14,235 Speaker 1: Rhonda trying to smile. Completely inappropriate for news organization. I 254 00:17:14,235 --> 00:17:16,395 Speaker 1: don't care if it was to a democratic governor. You 255 00:17:16,435 --> 00:17:18,515 Speaker 1: don't do that. You don't wish the governor of the 256 00:17:18,555 --> 00:17:23,635 Speaker 1: state that you cover a happy birthday. Utter failure. NBC 257 00:17:23,675 --> 00:17:26,475 Speaker 1: News and w f l A TV Florida might as 258 00:17:26,475 --> 00:17:29,315 Speaker 1: well put out a tweet saying, please don't close this down, 259 00:17:29,475 --> 00:17:33,795 Speaker 1: Mr fascist, We'll give you money. NBC News in Tampa 260 00:17:33,955 --> 00:17:39,875 Speaker 1: w fl A Channel eight. We like fascism, Today's worst 261 00:17:40,435 --> 00:18:03,875 Speaker 1: persons in the world. So today's number one story in 262 00:18:03,875 --> 00:18:06,395 Speaker 1: the Countdown is a little longer than usual, and you're 263 00:18:06,435 --> 00:18:08,795 Speaker 1: not hearing things. I am starting it a little earlier 264 00:18:08,835 --> 00:18:13,555 Speaker 1: than usual. It is still about my favorite topic, and 265 00:18:13,635 --> 00:18:17,555 Speaker 1: it is still about yesterday's story, Kenneth Star and the 266 00:18:17,635 --> 00:18:20,875 Speaker 1: damage this one man did to American society when he 267 00:18:20,915 --> 00:18:23,955 Speaker 1: passed away Tuesday afternoon. I did not choose to speak 268 00:18:23,995 --> 00:18:26,835 Speaker 1: ill of the dead lightly, but I did do so 269 00:18:26,915 --> 00:18:29,955 Speaker 1: immediately and resolutely, and I was somewhat reinforced by the 270 00:18:29,955 --> 00:18:33,555 Speaker 1: fact that since hundreds of others made the same choice, 271 00:18:33,635 --> 00:18:37,915 Speaker 1: some of them very very proudly. Between what Star did 272 00:18:37,955 --> 00:18:41,195 Speaker 1: in and what he spawned in this country and the 273 00:18:41,235 --> 00:18:44,955 Speaker 1: institutionalized rape scandal he covered up while president of a 274 00:18:45,035 --> 00:18:50,755 Speaker 1: major university, this was a bad man, you know the 275 00:18:50,835 --> 00:18:53,995 Speaker 1: public effect of that. Obviously, he enabled the entire Republican 276 00:18:54,115 --> 00:18:57,515 Speaker 1: theocratic Holier than Now baseline which animates the far right 277 00:18:57,555 --> 00:19:01,075 Speaker 1: their genuine belief that a liberals and Democrats are corrupt, 278 00:19:01,715 --> 00:19:04,395 Speaker 1: and so even if they haven't done corrupt things, they 279 00:19:04,435 --> 00:19:07,435 Speaker 1: are capable of doing corrupt things. Therefore, liberals must be 280 00:19:07,515 --> 00:19:12,315 Speaker 1: suppressed and purged and their votes discounted, and be that 281 00:19:12,515 --> 00:19:15,235 Speaker 1: suppression and purging is a sacred cause, so those who 282 00:19:15,315 --> 00:19:18,155 Speaker 1: carry it out, conservatives and Republicans, are entitled to break 283 00:19:18,195 --> 00:19:21,595 Speaker 1: any law or ignore any ethical standards. It is a 284 00:19:21,635 --> 00:19:26,555 Speaker 1: self fulfilling prophecy in which fascists can behave subhumanly yet 285 00:19:26,635 --> 00:19:31,835 Speaker 1: be confident to their bones of their moral superiority. They 286 00:19:31,875 --> 00:19:39,195 Speaker 1: haven't cheated, they have overcome. That is Ken Stars public legacy. 287 00:19:39,355 --> 00:19:42,355 Speaker 1: His private legacy is the mess that American news media 288 00:19:42,435 --> 00:19:45,875 Speaker 1: remains in, particularly the curse that will, if not corrected, 289 00:19:46,195 --> 00:19:51,315 Speaker 1: kill us all both sides is um Chuck Todd disease, 290 00:19:51,995 --> 00:19:56,835 Speaker 1: Chris Licked disease New York Times at this Ohio diner, 291 00:19:57,075 --> 00:20:00,995 Speaker 1: disease that was put into effect by the scumbag Roger 292 00:20:01,035 --> 00:20:04,635 Speaker 1: Ales at Fox News. But it was Ken Starr who 293 00:20:04,755 --> 00:20:09,115 Speaker 1: gave it a veneer of respectability of we can't dismiss 294 00:20:09,195 --> 00:20:12,035 Speaker 1: these sleeves walls because even if they are sleeves walls, 295 00:20:12,515 --> 00:20:15,555 Speaker 1: they have public support and and and boy, Bill Clinton 296 00:20:15,595 --> 00:20:18,875 Speaker 1: doesn't look good, does he. Instead of saying what American 297 00:20:18,915 --> 00:20:21,915 Speaker 1: News used to say to sleeves balls of any party 298 00:20:22,195 --> 00:20:25,395 Speaker 1: like Roger Ales, screw you. We're going to write or 299 00:20:25,395 --> 00:20:28,795 Speaker 1: broadcast about your perfidy every day until you die. Do 300 00:20:28,875 --> 00:20:32,395 Speaker 1: not challenge us. They looked at Ken Stars read thin 301 00:20:32,555 --> 00:20:36,715 Speaker 1: persecution of Bill Clinton and said, well, no, they found 302 00:20:36,755 --> 00:20:40,235 Speaker 1: nothing in two months or six months or two years. 303 00:20:40,275 --> 00:20:43,275 Speaker 1: But what if they find something like tomorrow and and 304 00:20:43,315 --> 00:20:45,955 Speaker 1: it turns out we oppose them, We'll get killed by 305 00:20:45,955 --> 00:20:50,355 Speaker 1: the right wing media. Screw the right wing media, and 306 00:20:50,395 --> 00:20:55,275 Speaker 1: worst yet, star played American News media, especially TV, especially 307 00:20:55,395 --> 00:20:59,275 Speaker 1: especially cable TV, like the proverbial two dollar banjo from 308 00:20:59,275 --> 00:21:03,075 Speaker 1: the West Wing. No news in the Clinton Lewinsky scandal, 309 00:21:03,275 --> 00:21:06,955 Speaker 1: no problem. A quick phone call by Star or somebody 310 00:21:06,995 --> 00:21:09,275 Speaker 1: in his office or somebody connected to somebody in his 311 00:21:09,355 --> 00:21:12,595 Speaker 1: office to Lisa Myers at NBC or any of several 312 00:21:12,635 --> 00:21:16,555 Speaker 1: correspondents at CNN or ABC or CBS, or anybody literally 313 00:21:16,595 --> 00:21:20,235 Speaker 1: anybody at Fox. Tell the switchboard operator, and suddenly there 314 00:21:20,395 --> 00:21:23,995 Speaker 1: was breaking news about the Clinton Lewinsky scandal, and another 315 00:21:24,035 --> 00:21:27,035 Speaker 1: alleged victim was ready to do a tier on camera 316 00:21:27,075 --> 00:21:31,635 Speaker 1: interview which had already aired a dozen times on that network, 317 00:21:31,955 --> 00:21:34,835 Speaker 1: with hundreds of clips from it on every other network 318 00:21:34,875 --> 00:21:39,555 Speaker 1: before anybody realized that the alleged victim hadn't actually alleged anything. 319 00:21:40,195 --> 00:21:46,515 Speaker 1: It was putred, and worse, it was profitably putred. And 320 00:21:46,595 --> 00:21:51,155 Speaker 1: if you questioned it, if you said, excuse me, Keith 321 00:21:51,195 --> 00:21:55,115 Speaker 1: in the back, that this isn't journalism, the other networks, 322 00:21:55,115 --> 00:21:58,435 Speaker 1: the other newspapers, invested in the story a real time 323 00:21:59,115 --> 00:22:02,915 Speaker 1: seven soap opera, basically for free. Those other newspapers and 324 00:22:02,955 --> 00:22:05,275 Speaker 1: networks went to any lengths to a hack you for 325 00:22:05,555 --> 00:22:10,395 Speaker 1: daring to question it, and your own network. Well, that's 326 00:22:10,395 --> 00:22:12,835 Speaker 1: why I wanted to tell this story in full. I 327 00:22:12,955 --> 00:22:16,555 Speaker 1: never have told it before. Almost by accident, I had 328 00:22:16,595 --> 00:22:20,395 Speaker 1: become the face of the star Clinton Lewinsky story on 329 00:22:20,475 --> 00:22:24,275 Speaker 1: actual cable news, the stuff that wasn't Fox. And one 330 00:22:24,355 --> 00:22:28,275 Speaker 1: day I decided to get out. And the reaction at 331 00:22:28,355 --> 00:22:32,635 Speaker 1: MSNBC and NBC News and the NBC company was to 332 00:22:33,075 --> 00:22:37,235 Speaker 1: prevent me from getting out, to literally threatened my career, 333 00:22:37,555 --> 00:22:41,195 Speaker 1: threatened my income, threatened my future, threatened my family to 334 00:22:41,315 --> 00:22:44,515 Speaker 1: try to force me to keep pushing what Ken Starr 335 00:22:44,595 --> 00:22:48,235 Speaker 1: was cooking back in his meth lab. And until you 336 00:22:48,275 --> 00:22:50,075 Speaker 1: are in the middle of something like this, you can 337 00:22:50,115 --> 00:22:54,875 Speaker 1: never really imagine what television news executives will do for 338 00:22:55,035 --> 00:22:58,875 Speaker 1: ratings or money. I had already been in television for 339 00:22:58,915 --> 00:23:01,915 Speaker 1: sixteen years. I was already thirty nine years old. I'd 340 00:23:01,915 --> 00:23:04,515 Speaker 1: already been through the grinding machinery of local news in 341 00:23:04,715 --> 00:23:07,755 Speaker 1: Boston and Los Angeles. I had already made my mark 342 00:23:07,875 --> 00:23:10,235 Speaker 1: at Sports Center, and I thought I had seen it all. 343 00:23:12,675 --> 00:23:17,475 Speaker 1: I had, not, however, seen Andy Lack, the president of 344 00:23:17,675 --> 00:23:21,595 Speaker 1: NBC News, nor had I imagined that he would actually 345 00:23:21,635 --> 00:23:26,635 Speaker 1: have an employee tried to blackmail me to literally threatened 346 00:23:26,715 --> 00:23:30,395 Speaker 1: to bankrupt me and to bankrupt my parents and put them, 347 00:23:30,555 --> 00:23:34,235 Speaker 1: as Lacks employee phrased it quote out on the street. 348 00:23:35,915 --> 00:23:38,235 Speaker 1: This was in the late spring of n I had 349 00:23:38,275 --> 00:23:40,995 Speaker 1: decided I did not want to do the nightly show anymore. 350 00:23:41,035 --> 00:23:43,915 Speaker 1: That was devoted to covering the Bill Clinton Monica Lewinsky story, 351 00:23:43,915 --> 00:23:45,995 Speaker 1: whether or not there was any story about it or not, 352 00:23:46,595 --> 00:23:49,995 Speaker 1: and especially since the network was devoted to portraying Clinton 353 00:23:50,075 --> 00:23:53,395 Speaker 1: Lewinsky as the worst thing that had happened in America 354 00:23:53,475 --> 00:23:57,995 Speaker 1: since the Civil War. The problem was the show. As 355 00:23:58,035 --> 00:24:01,355 Speaker 1: I did for Andy Lacks, MSNBC in ninety were making 356 00:24:01,395 --> 00:24:05,315 Speaker 1: millions of dollars a week in profit and the rest 357 00:24:05,395 --> 00:24:10,955 Speaker 1: of MSNBC was losing money. Hand over fist. I wanted 358 00:24:10,995 --> 00:24:17,395 Speaker 1: to do something else, anything else inside NBC. Fine, outside NBC, 359 00:24:17,715 --> 00:24:20,795 Speaker 1: I get it. Stay in News Sure, back to sports, Sure, 360 00:24:20,835 --> 00:24:25,715 Speaker 1: in New Yorkshire, in Los Angeles, whatever, anything except that show. So, 361 00:24:25,875 --> 00:24:29,195 Speaker 1: through his personnel, Vice president Elaina Machmanoff, came a message 362 00:24:29,195 --> 00:24:32,155 Speaker 1: from Andy Lack in May of if you go see 363 00:24:32,195 --> 00:24:37,355 Speaker 1: our personnel consultant, Deborah Burne, and you talk to her frankly, 364 00:24:38,155 --> 00:24:44,875 Speaker 1: we will consider letting you leave NBC. So I went 365 00:24:45,835 --> 00:24:49,675 Speaker 1: first off. Nakhmanoff told me on Friday afternoon in June, 366 00:24:50,275 --> 00:24:52,995 Speaker 1: some of us understand where you're coming from about the 367 00:24:53,035 --> 00:24:56,715 Speaker 1: madness of covering this scandal every night like this. I'll 368 00:24:56,715 --> 00:24:58,955 Speaker 1: skip the rest of my impression. That's what she sounded like. 369 00:24:59,515 --> 00:25:02,595 Speaker 1: So you're the Good Sport Award winner for doing this today, Keith. 370 00:25:02,955 --> 00:25:06,195 Speaker 1: You'll like Deborah Burn. She's a certified social worker, and 371 00:25:06,235 --> 00:25:08,435 Speaker 1: she's done great things for us, saved a lot of 372 00:25:08,435 --> 00:25:11,155 Speaker 1: people who were in trouble. I don't mean ethical crises 373 00:25:11,195 --> 00:25:13,875 Speaker 1: like yours, Keith, I mean people passed out drunk at 374 00:25:13,915 --> 00:25:18,995 Speaker 1: their desks. Somehow, this did not reassure me. Lane enactman 375 00:25:19,035 --> 00:25:21,595 Speaker 1: Off then walked me through a labyrinth of hallways at 376 00:25:21,635 --> 00:25:23,755 Speaker 1: thirty Rock in New York to the office of this 377 00:25:23,835 --> 00:25:28,275 Speaker 1: Deborah Burn. She was a bespectacled, bent looking woman of 378 00:25:29,115 --> 00:25:35,475 Speaker 1: fifty sixty with badly dyed hair and a fiercely aggressive handshake. 379 00:25:35,555 --> 00:25:39,075 Speaker 1: She was not big, but frankly, I was not convinced 380 00:25:39,075 --> 00:25:41,755 Speaker 1: I could take her in a fight, and from the 381 00:25:41,755 --> 00:25:44,875 Speaker 1: get go her manner suggested it might just come to 382 00:25:44,915 --> 00:25:48,515 Speaker 1: that I am not an employee of NBC or MSNBC, 383 00:25:49,155 --> 00:25:51,675 Speaker 1: and I am not beholden to them. Deborah Burn began, 384 00:25:51,955 --> 00:25:55,195 Speaker 1: I'll drop this impression too. I work on a contractual basis, 385 00:25:55,195 --> 00:25:57,355 Speaker 1: meaning I don't get ten percent of anything, and I 386 00:25:57,355 --> 00:26:00,995 Speaker 1: don't get money for attracting more business. It was clear 387 00:26:01,075 --> 00:26:03,475 Speaker 1: that whatever money they did give Deborah Burn, it did 388 00:26:03,475 --> 00:26:06,395 Speaker 1: not go to her office decorps. There were a dozen 389 00:26:06,435 --> 00:26:10,515 Speaker 1: filing cabinets, no windows, two lamps, her high back chair, 390 00:26:10,835 --> 00:26:13,755 Speaker 1: a metal desk, and the plane wooden chair at its 391 00:26:13,795 --> 00:26:17,195 Speaker 1: side on which I now sat. I'm not here to 392 00:26:17,195 --> 00:26:19,675 Speaker 1: be critical of NBC or MSNBC or Andy, like I'm 393 00:26:19,675 --> 00:26:21,835 Speaker 1: not here to be critical of you. I'm an impartial 394 00:26:21,835 --> 00:26:25,435 Speaker 1: observer and I'm simply here to help Elena Enactmanoff, the 395 00:26:25,435 --> 00:26:27,755 Speaker 1: talent vice president, was still with us in the room, 396 00:26:27,995 --> 00:26:30,795 Speaker 1: and Burn turned to her for the record. Elena, I 397 00:26:30,795 --> 00:26:33,595 Speaker 1: need you to describe the company's position about Keith's employment. 398 00:26:35,235 --> 00:26:38,035 Speaker 1: Keith I understand. I'm sorry. Keith understands that if he 399 00:26:38,115 --> 00:26:40,835 Speaker 1: chooses not to work for NBC as NBC wants him 400 00:26:40,875 --> 00:26:45,515 Speaker 1: to work, he will have to face consequences. This was 401 00:26:45,595 --> 00:26:49,235 Speaker 1: a completely different Elena Enacmanoff than the one I had 402 00:26:49,275 --> 00:26:52,715 Speaker 1: just talked to in her own office. Gone was the 403 00:26:52,795 --> 00:26:56,915 Speaker 1: you're the winner of the good Sport Award crap. Obviously, 404 00:26:56,955 --> 00:26:59,075 Speaker 1: we're not going to release you from your contract, Keith, 405 00:26:59,115 --> 00:27:00,675 Speaker 1: if you want to be on the beach for two 406 00:27:00,755 --> 00:27:04,035 Speaker 1: years plus that remained on the contract, so be it 407 00:27:04,435 --> 00:27:08,635 Speaker 1: that to his contract status Deborah, with a crisp thanks. 408 00:27:09,275 --> 00:27:12,195 Speaker 1: Debora Burn now dismissed the vice president of NBC News. 409 00:27:12,835 --> 00:27:17,035 Speaker 1: Burn produced and opened and a probably large folder with 410 00:27:17,115 --> 00:27:20,875 Speaker 1: my name on it and in probably large letters, obviously 411 00:27:20,915 --> 00:27:24,515 Speaker 1: written that way so I could read it ostentatiously, shuffled 412 00:27:24,595 --> 00:27:27,515 Speaker 1: quickly through a hundred dissorted documents, got to a blank 413 00:27:27,595 --> 00:27:29,835 Speaker 1: form of some kind, and asked me to describe the 414 00:27:29,875 --> 00:27:33,795 Speaker 1: circumstances that had brought me into her office. I explained 415 00:27:34,275 --> 00:27:36,755 Speaker 1: my conviction that I had made a complete mistake into 416 00:27:36,835 --> 00:27:38,835 Speaker 1: going into news, at least the news we were doing 417 00:27:38,835 --> 00:27:42,715 Speaker 1: on MSNBC, that I missed sports actually, and that on 418 00:27:42,795 --> 00:27:45,475 Speaker 1: top of that, there now had emerged this new kind 419 00:27:45,475 --> 00:27:48,035 Speaker 1: of news, which I felt was against my ethics and 420 00:27:48,115 --> 00:27:50,475 Speaker 1: my beliefs about what I should be doing or what 421 00:27:50,555 --> 00:27:53,275 Speaker 1: the media should be doing. I threw in the word 422 00:27:53,395 --> 00:27:56,555 Speaker 1: pollution a couple of times. Debora Burn did not look 423 00:27:56,635 --> 00:27:59,715 Speaker 1: up at me. Once all of media is becoming polluted 424 00:27:59,755 --> 00:28:02,755 Speaker 1: in the way you've described. She yanked off her glasses 425 00:28:03,315 --> 00:28:05,675 Speaker 1: and stared at me, not with anger, but with annoyance. 426 00:28:05,955 --> 00:28:07,355 Speaker 1: You should learn how to live with it. It It will 427 00:28:07,355 --> 00:28:09,315 Speaker 1: be a lot easier for everybody if you just do that. 428 00:28:09,515 --> 00:28:11,715 Speaker 1: You're not a child. Grow up. Maybe next time you'll 429 00:28:11,795 --> 00:28:15,075 Speaker 1: learn to read the contract before you sign it. I 430 00:28:15,115 --> 00:28:17,155 Speaker 1: had to fight a smile, and in fact I had 431 00:28:17,195 --> 00:28:21,155 Speaker 1: to fight a laugh. This was not some sort of counselor. 432 00:28:22,115 --> 00:28:26,555 Speaker 1: This woman sitting across from me was Andy Lax enforcer. 433 00:28:27,435 --> 00:28:29,995 Speaker 1: She would be breaking my legs before we were done. 434 00:28:30,875 --> 00:28:33,835 Speaker 1: I did read the contract thoroughly, Miss Burne. This is 435 00:28:33,835 --> 00:28:37,715 Speaker 1: not about the contract, I calmed down. This is about 436 00:28:37,955 --> 00:28:41,995 Speaker 1: my you know, morals. Nobody else is not NBC's not 437 00:28:42,235 --> 00:28:44,715 Speaker 1: Andy Lax, just mine. I don't like the way the 438 00:28:44,715 --> 00:28:47,875 Speaker 1: news industry is handling this story. I have no delusion 439 00:28:47,875 --> 00:28:50,355 Speaker 1: about being able to change it. I don't even feel 440 00:28:50,355 --> 00:28:52,795 Speaker 1: it's my responsibility to try to change it. This is 441 00:28:52,795 --> 00:28:56,835 Speaker 1: about about me and my ethics and my incorrect choices 442 00:28:57,315 --> 00:29:01,395 Speaker 1: relating to doing the news or doing the sports. She 443 00:29:01,515 --> 00:29:04,115 Speaker 1: put her glasses back on, wrote a few notes, chuckled 444 00:29:04,155 --> 00:29:06,755 Speaker 1: as she did so. You may indeed miss sports as 445 00:29:06,795 --> 00:29:08,635 Speaker 1: you put it, and you may feel that sincerely, but 446 00:29:08,675 --> 00:29:12,795 Speaker 1: it's nonetheless an adolescent fantasy. And as to the pollution 447 00:29:12,835 --> 00:29:15,155 Speaker 1: of the media, that's also part of this fantasy world 448 00:29:15,155 --> 00:29:16,955 Speaker 1: you live in. You're grown up now and you have 449 00:29:17,035 --> 00:29:19,195 Speaker 1: to live with the consequences of your action. You heard 450 00:29:19,195 --> 00:29:21,515 Speaker 1: what Elena said. If you try to break this contract, 451 00:29:21,875 --> 00:29:27,995 Speaker 1: NBC will punish you severely. This is David and Goliath here, Keith, 452 00:29:28,275 --> 00:29:34,675 Speaker 1: and you're just not seeing it. Well, this was something new. 453 00:29:35,155 --> 00:29:39,435 Speaker 1: She was right, I was not seeing it. But within 454 00:29:39,515 --> 00:29:42,355 Speaker 1: minutes she would define her vision of David and Goliath. 455 00:29:42,875 --> 00:29:47,075 Speaker 1: She Andy lack Lana Nackmanoff and NBC News they were 456 00:29:47,155 --> 00:29:52,875 Speaker 1: David and Goliath would be my mom and dad. How 457 00:29:52,955 --> 00:29:55,795 Speaker 1: she and NBC threatened to literally put my folks on 458 00:29:55,835 --> 00:30:05,835 Speaker 1: the street when countdown continues. After this to the second 459 00:30:05,835 --> 00:30:07,915 Speaker 1: half of the top story and in the wake of 460 00:30:07,955 --> 00:30:10,875 Speaker 1: the death of Kenneth Starr, how NBC News tried to 461 00:30:10,995 --> 00:30:14,075 Speaker 1: threaten me into continuing the nightly ken Star, Bill Clinton, 462 00:30:14,075 --> 00:30:17,675 Speaker 1: Monica Lewinsky show that was making them millions and making 463 00:30:17,715 --> 00:30:20,995 Speaker 1: me crazy in the year and I take you back 464 00:30:20,995 --> 00:30:23,435 Speaker 1: to June five of that year. We are still in 465 00:30:23,475 --> 00:30:27,875 Speaker 1: the office of Deborah burn certified social worker, employee of 466 00:30:27,995 --> 00:30:32,115 Speaker 1: NBC News or not, depending on which way she told it. 467 00:30:32,795 --> 00:30:36,155 Speaker 1: Somebody NBC News president Andy Lack and vice president Lana 468 00:30:36,155 --> 00:30:38,475 Speaker 1: and Akmanov had asked me to see in hopes that 469 00:30:38,515 --> 00:30:40,195 Speaker 1: it would help me with the stress of doing the 470 00:30:40,195 --> 00:30:43,555 Speaker 1: Clinton Show, and if I did so, perhaps open away 471 00:30:43,595 --> 00:30:46,875 Speaker 1: for me to leave the program or even the network. 472 00:30:47,515 --> 00:30:49,995 Speaker 1: This woman Burne had just said, if you try to 473 00:30:50,035 --> 00:30:52,555 Speaker 1: break this contract, NBC will punish you severely. This is 474 00:30:52,635 --> 00:30:55,395 Speaker 1: David and Goliath here, Keith, and you're just not seeing it. 475 00:30:56,275 --> 00:30:59,075 Speaker 1: I started to reply something about how I had come 476 00:30:59,115 --> 00:31:02,075 Speaker 1: there in a gesture of compromise, when she shouted me down. 477 00:31:02,195 --> 00:31:06,115 Speaker 1: You'll have to learn to compromise. She emphasized the word 478 00:31:06,115 --> 00:31:08,275 Speaker 1: as if I not only had not just said it, 479 00:31:08,315 --> 00:31:10,875 Speaker 1: but as if she had just invented it. This is 480 00:31:10,915 --> 00:31:13,435 Speaker 1: what the company wants, this is what the audience wants. 481 00:31:13,475 --> 00:31:17,515 Speaker 1: And you signed this contract. That's your responsibility. I've been 482 00:31:17,555 --> 00:31:20,955 Speaker 1: an NBC employee for twenty years, and they're very big, 483 00:31:21,115 --> 00:31:24,515 Speaker 1: and they're very successful, and they just won't sit idly by. 484 00:31:24,555 --> 00:31:27,315 Speaker 1: This will be David Goliath, and I'm very sorry to 485 00:31:27,315 --> 00:31:29,595 Speaker 1: have to break it to you, but you're not Goliath. 486 00:31:31,075 --> 00:31:33,315 Speaker 1: I asked her why she had just said she'd been 487 00:31:33,355 --> 00:31:36,195 Speaker 1: an NBC employee for twenty years. Two minutes after telling 488 00:31:36,235 --> 00:31:39,035 Speaker 1: me she was not an NBC employee, she wrote that 489 00:31:39,155 --> 00:31:43,395 Speaker 1: down Otherwise, she just kept talking. Television viewers are fickle, 490 00:31:43,635 --> 00:31:45,315 Speaker 1: and if you're off the air for two years, it'll 491 00:31:45,355 --> 00:31:47,875 Speaker 1: be real difficult to get back on. People will forget you. 492 00:31:48,075 --> 00:31:52,035 Speaker 1: That's the real world now. Deborah Burne paused and looked 493 00:31:52,075 --> 00:31:58,195 Speaker 1: over away from me and at nothing, and her tone changed. 494 00:31:59,515 --> 00:32:03,195 Speaker 1: I have a daughter who isn't realistic. She suddenly began 495 00:32:03,235 --> 00:32:05,955 Speaker 1: to whisper, just like you. She lives in a world 496 00:32:05,955 --> 00:32:09,435 Speaker 1: of her own. She judges others and moralizes to them too. 497 00:32:09,795 --> 00:32:12,875 Speaker 1: She's tall, like you are too. It's difficult for parents 498 00:32:12,875 --> 00:32:15,275 Speaker 1: to have to look up at their children and discipline 499 00:32:15,275 --> 00:32:18,515 Speaker 1: them your height. Your height has always made it difficult 500 00:32:18,555 --> 00:32:20,875 Speaker 1: for your parents to discipline you. Thus you remain a 501 00:32:20,915 --> 00:32:26,195 Speaker 1: headstrong child. As disturbing as this was getting, on one level, 502 00:32:26,235 --> 00:32:28,435 Speaker 1: I really did think somebody was going to pop out 503 00:32:28,515 --> 00:32:31,715 Speaker 1: from between the file cabinets and tell me I'd been punked, 504 00:32:32,315 --> 00:32:36,435 Speaker 1: or that this was candid camera or something. I patiently 505 00:32:36,475 --> 00:32:38,835 Speaker 1: explained to this Deborah burn that I had not been 506 00:32:38,915 --> 00:32:41,355 Speaker 1: born at my current height, and that, in fact, my 507 00:32:41,435 --> 00:32:43,875 Speaker 1: father was still taller than I was until I got 508 00:32:43,915 --> 00:32:47,235 Speaker 1: to college. But your mother is short, she blurted, with 509 00:32:47,275 --> 00:32:50,955 Speaker 1: great satisfaction. I need descriptions of your parents, of their personalities, 510 00:32:50,955 --> 00:32:53,475 Speaker 1: from my diagnosis, and please stop giving me your obviously 511 00:32:53,515 --> 00:32:59,635 Speaker 1: prepared answers. I started to describe my parents. This ordinarily 512 00:32:59,635 --> 00:33:02,395 Speaker 1: would take several days, but I gave them the short version. 513 00:33:02,875 --> 00:33:07,155 Speaker 1: She cut me off. Father passed, of course. I said, no, no, 514 00:33:07,355 --> 00:33:09,555 Speaker 1: that that wasn't him at all, that he usually did 515 00:33:09,555 --> 00:33:12,995 Speaker 1: what he damned well pleased. This annoyed Deborah Burne. No, 516 00:33:13,075 --> 00:33:15,395 Speaker 1: he's passive. I can tell I'm a professional, Keith. He 517 00:33:15,395 --> 00:33:17,275 Speaker 1: didn't stand up to your mother, did he. He never 518 00:33:17,315 --> 00:33:18,995 Speaker 1: told her to grow up her actor age, did he? 519 00:33:19,435 --> 00:33:23,315 Speaker 1: That means he was passive. And I could see her writing. 520 00:33:24,035 --> 00:33:27,195 Speaker 1: She was writing the word passive in big block letters 521 00:33:27,235 --> 00:33:28,835 Speaker 1: on one of the forms on which she had been 522 00:33:28,835 --> 00:33:32,395 Speaker 1: putting her notes. She detached it theatrically and stuck it 523 00:33:32,435 --> 00:33:35,675 Speaker 1: onto the large pile of documents and grabbed a fresh 524 00:33:35,675 --> 00:33:38,075 Speaker 1: page from a stack to her right. What about your 525 00:33:38,075 --> 00:33:41,915 Speaker 1: parents finances, I explained, they were both retired, so you 526 00:33:42,075 --> 00:33:45,195 Speaker 1: take care of them. I began to answer that they 527 00:33:45,195 --> 00:33:48,355 Speaker 1: were both extremely independent. She cut me off again. I said, 528 00:33:48,355 --> 00:33:52,275 Speaker 1: so you're responsible for them financially, don't evade me. My 529 00:33:52,355 --> 00:33:55,955 Speaker 1: amusement at what was obviously a deranged person began to 530 00:33:55,955 --> 00:33:59,395 Speaker 1: be overcome by anger. I swallowed both of these emotions 531 00:33:59,435 --> 00:34:02,475 Speaker 1: and explained that, yeah, I I handled their finances, so 532 00:34:02,635 --> 00:34:07,435 Speaker 1: you're their sole financial support, just as Elaine Enacmanoff's report 533 00:34:07,515 --> 00:34:12,355 Speaker 1: to me indicates. I thought, so, so you're the superstar 534 00:34:12,395 --> 00:34:16,315 Speaker 1: in the family, are you. I began to try to explain, 535 00:34:16,395 --> 00:34:19,195 Speaker 1: when Deborah Burne rose in her chair and leaned in 536 00:34:19,275 --> 00:34:22,755 Speaker 1: towards me and tell me, Keith, what exactly will your 537 00:34:22,795 --> 00:34:25,795 Speaker 1: parents do for money? What will keep them from being 538 00:34:26,235 --> 00:34:31,315 Speaker 1: out on the street when their precious superstar is blacklisted 539 00:34:31,395 --> 00:34:38,155 Speaker 1: from all of television. This purported social worker who worked 540 00:34:38,155 --> 00:34:41,555 Speaker 1: for NBC or did not work for NBC, or maybe both, 541 00:34:41,595 --> 00:34:44,515 Speaker 1: I could no longer keep it clear, went into detail 542 00:34:44,675 --> 00:34:47,235 Speaker 1: about the threat she was now making on behalf of 543 00:34:47,875 --> 00:34:52,075 Speaker 1: the General Electric Corporation, NBC, NBC News, MSNBC, Andy Lack 544 00:34:52,155 --> 00:34:55,395 Speaker 1: and Elaine Enacmanoff and for all I knew, Matt Lauer 545 00:34:55,475 --> 00:34:58,875 Speaker 1: and Tom broke off. Even if I just quit the 546 00:34:58,915 --> 00:35:03,075 Speaker 1: Clinton Lewinsky Show, indeed quit television, she said, NBC would 547 00:35:03,115 --> 00:35:07,675 Speaker 1: continue to enforce my on tract and suspend me, so 548 00:35:08,155 --> 00:35:11,075 Speaker 1: not pay me on my contract, and then sue me 549 00:35:11,475 --> 00:35:14,875 Speaker 1: for the salary they had already paid me, then sue 550 00:35:14,915 --> 00:35:17,355 Speaker 1: me for the money they had spent on promoting the show, 551 00:35:17,795 --> 00:35:22,315 Speaker 1: then get a court order extending my contract indefinitely, and 552 00:35:22,355 --> 00:35:27,795 Speaker 1: then suspend me indefinitely. Let that sink in, she said, 553 00:35:27,795 --> 00:35:29,875 Speaker 1: then did not pause for even a second to let 554 00:35:29,875 --> 00:35:32,235 Speaker 1: me let that sink in. Instead, she burst out with this, 555 00:35:32,875 --> 00:35:35,035 Speaker 1: you have what I would classify as a Howard Stern 556 00:35:35,155 --> 00:35:39,115 Speaker 1: kind of personality. Remembering that I had met Howard on 557 00:35:39,155 --> 00:35:42,475 Speaker 1: a tour of Boston University in nineteen seventy four, I 558 00:35:42,515 --> 00:35:44,955 Speaker 1: actually had to bite my tongue to keep from laughing 559 00:35:44,995 --> 00:35:47,395 Speaker 1: at the image of a bunch of therapists at a 560 00:35:47,435 --> 00:35:51,995 Speaker 1: conference somewhere dryly discussing the parameters of the Howard Stern 561 00:35:52,275 --> 00:35:57,235 Speaker 1: kind of personality, Dogmatic, unbending, presenting absolutely forceful opinions on 562 00:35:57,275 --> 00:35:59,075 Speaker 1: the air that no one is permitted to disagree with. 563 00:35:59,275 --> 00:36:02,035 Speaker 1: Imagine going on a date with Howard Stern. Oh, he 564 00:36:02,035 --> 00:36:04,515 Speaker 1: would be doing we'll be talking about himself would be unbearable. 565 00:36:04,755 --> 00:36:06,395 Speaker 1: You're like him on the air, and I can see 566 00:36:06,555 --> 00:36:08,315 Speaker 1: that who you are on the airs who you are 567 00:36:08,355 --> 00:36:10,195 Speaker 1: in life. Of course, I've never seen your show. I 568 00:36:10,195 --> 00:36:15,435 Speaker 1: don't have cable ever been married. I had a slight 569 00:36:15,515 --> 00:36:18,755 Speaker 1: case of whiplash, I recovered from the non secutors, though, 570 00:36:18,835 --> 00:36:22,195 Speaker 1: enough to explain that I had not been married. Engaged again, No, 571 00:36:22,275 --> 00:36:24,395 Speaker 1: I ever had a long term relationship of any kind, 572 00:36:24,995 --> 00:36:29,275 Speaker 1: I told her. I had. Oh, really? How long term? 573 00:36:29,395 --> 00:36:33,715 Speaker 1: He said? Eleven years? And when did that end? I 574 00:36:33,795 --> 00:36:37,675 Speaker 1: calculated it had ended four years previously to the month exactly. 575 00:36:38,275 --> 00:36:42,275 Speaker 1: And you haven't had an eleven year relationship since? I 576 00:36:42,315 --> 00:36:44,475 Speaker 1: explained to her then as pleasantly as possible that I 577 00:36:44,475 --> 00:36:47,075 Speaker 1: did not know of any way of squeezing an eleven 578 00:36:47,115 --> 00:36:50,275 Speaker 1: year long relationship into four years, so that the answer 579 00:36:50,355 --> 00:36:52,435 Speaker 1: would have to be no. I told you to stop 580 00:36:52,435 --> 00:36:57,795 Speaker 1: giving the your prepared answers right. Then again, she switched 581 00:36:57,795 --> 00:37:02,715 Speaker 1: tones and topics. How much do you drink, she demanded, 582 00:37:03,595 --> 00:37:05,995 Speaker 1: I said, I almost never. Inc She dropped her pen 583 00:37:06,075 --> 00:37:08,355 Speaker 1: and stared at me again, Well what does that mean? 584 00:37:09,035 --> 00:37:12,195 Speaker 1: And I said, I believed I'd had four glasses of 585 00:37:12,195 --> 00:37:16,035 Speaker 1: wine during the current calendar year, and it was June. 586 00:37:17,075 --> 00:37:19,395 Speaker 1: She took the glasses off and leaned in as far 587 00:37:19,555 --> 00:37:22,355 Speaker 1: as she could without again rising from her chair or 588 00:37:22,475 --> 00:37:27,235 Speaker 1: falling off it. Well, then, how much drug do you do? 589 00:37:28,475 --> 00:37:31,995 Speaker 1: I told her, I'd never used drug or drugs stronger 590 00:37:32,035 --> 00:37:35,395 Speaker 1: than alcohol. And before I could criticize her grammar, she 591 00:37:35,475 --> 00:37:38,955 Speaker 1: got red and angry. Then what's that smell on your breath? Look? You, 592 00:37:38,955 --> 00:37:41,515 Speaker 1: you just don't get this. Do you look at my telephone, Keith? 593 00:37:43,395 --> 00:37:48,355 Speaker 1: I did as instructed. I looked at an ordinary black telephone, 594 00:37:48,795 --> 00:37:51,795 Speaker 1: although given her manifest insanity, for all I knew she 595 00:37:51,795 --> 00:37:54,515 Speaker 1: would shortly reveal it was a direct line to Elvis Presley. 596 00:37:54,835 --> 00:37:56,755 Speaker 1: If I didn't want a black telephone and I have 597 00:37:56,835 --> 00:37:59,075 Speaker 1: a black telephone, I'll just have to make the best 598 00:37:59,075 --> 00:38:01,635 Speaker 1: of it, won't I, I said, I thought she was 599 00:38:01,675 --> 00:38:04,235 Speaker 1: holding up very well under the strain of that disappointment. 600 00:38:04,955 --> 00:38:07,595 Speaker 1: I instantly regretted the snydness of that remark, because it 601 00:38:07,635 --> 00:38:10,315 Speaker 1: was just gonna make things worse. And then, to my astonishment, 602 00:38:10,395 --> 00:38:13,115 Speaker 1: she sat back in her chair, ran her hand through 603 00:38:13,155 --> 00:38:16,715 Speaker 1: her hair, and almost whispered, thank you for saying that. 604 00:38:17,395 --> 00:38:22,275 Speaker 1: I appreciate it. The pause in the storm did not 605 00:38:22,515 --> 00:38:27,235 Speaker 1: last long. You're seeing a therapist, it says here you've 606 00:38:27,275 --> 00:38:31,275 Speaker 1: been discussing these so called ethical issues. I said, we've 607 00:38:31,275 --> 00:38:33,395 Speaker 1: made a lot of progress. Well, you can't resolve the 608 00:38:33,395 --> 00:38:35,475 Speaker 1: work matters without getting at the core problems, which are 609 00:38:35,475 --> 00:38:38,395 Speaker 1: obviously personal and family related, not to mention the alcohol 610 00:38:38,435 --> 00:38:41,155 Speaker 1: and the drug. So talking about work with your therapist 611 00:38:41,395 --> 00:38:43,355 Speaker 1: is probably not going to solve this to the satisfaction 612 00:38:43,395 --> 00:38:46,115 Speaker 1: of NBC. So I will need to talk to your therapist. 613 00:38:46,275 --> 00:38:49,155 Speaker 1: And I want you to sign a release here and 614 00:38:49,195 --> 00:38:51,515 Speaker 1: now permitting me to do so, unless that is this 615 00:38:51,555 --> 00:38:53,675 Speaker 1: therapist of yours is working towards making you adjust to 616 00:38:53,715 --> 00:38:56,235 Speaker 1: the facts that you signed this contract and this is 617 00:38:56,275 --> 00:38:58,115 Speaker 1: your job, and this is the real world, and this 618 00:38:58,155 --> 00:39:00,275 Speaker 1: is David and Goliath, and that's all there is to it. 619 00:39:00,395 --> 00:39:01,875 Speaker 1: And you're on the air tonight at eight o'clock, and 620 00:39:01,875 --> 00:39:06,635 Speaker 1: that's it now. She paused and stared off into space again, 621 00:39:07,395 --> 00:39:11,075 Speaker 1: like when she mentioned her daughter. When I was in 622 00:39:11,155 --> 00:39:14,235 Speaker 1: my early twenties, I was traveling from Smith College to 623 00:39:14,315 --> 00:39:20,315 Speaker 1: Montreal by train. She suddenly announced my meeting with her 624 00:39:20,315 --> 00:39:23,995 Speaker 1: went on for two hours. It featured threats against my parents. 625 00:39:24,875 --> 00:39:27,315 Speaker 1: It had her yelling at me, It had her accusing 626 00:39:27,355 --> 00:39:32,275 Speaker 1: me of using alcohol and drug And yet this, this 627 00:39:32,435 --> 00:39:35,035 Speaker 1: was the only point where I really considered trying to 628 00:39:35,075 --> 00:39:38,795 Speaker 1: make a break for the door. The Montreal Canadians hockey 629 00:39:38,795 --> 00:39:41,395 Speaker 1: team were on that train, very drunk, very happy, very 630 00:39:41,435 --> 00:39:44,995 Speaker 1: boastful of their conquests during their trips to the various 631 00:39:44,995 --> 00:39:48,515 Speaker 1: cities of their hockey league. And one of them, I suspect, 632 00:39:48,595 --> 00:39:50,715 Speaker 1: given your fantasy world interest in sports, you may have 633 00:39:50,715 --> 00:39:54,235 Speaker 1: heard of him, Boom boom, Geoffrey On. He came over 634 00:39:54,275 --> 00:39:57,875 Speaker 1: and tried to pick me up. I nodded robotically and 635 00:39:57,915 --> 00:40:00,475 Speaker 1: began to wonder if I suddenly leaped from the wooden 636 00:40:00,555 --> 00:40:03,595 Speaker 1: chair and did run out of her office, would she 637 00:40:03,715 --> 00:40:07,315 Speaker 1: continued to tell the story anyway? After I left. We 638 00:40:07,355 --> 00:40:09,595 Speaker 1: didn't talk of such things then, not in the nineteen fifties, 639 00:40:09,635 --> 00:40:13,675 Speaker 1: A married man, an athlete at all. Athlete. Now, of course, 640 00:40:13,715 --> 00:40:15,315 Speaker 1: if I was a reporter and this happened, I'd have 641 00:40:15,395 --> 00:40:17,315 Speaker 1: to report it. I'd put it on the news. That's 642 00:40:17,355 --> 00:40:19,075 Speaker 1: just the way the world has changed, the real world, 643 00:40:19,115 --> 00:40:22,715 Speaker 1: that is Keith. I suggested that at every news organization 644 00:40:22,715 --> 00:40:24,955 Speaker 1: for which I had worked, the code had been the 645 00:40:24,955 --> 00:40:28,115 Speaker 1: same that unless an incident involved the law or it 646 00:40:28,235 --> 00:40:32,395 Speaker 1: diminished a player's ability or availability in a game, we 647 00:40:32,475 --> 00:40:36,595 Speaker 1: in fact didn't report it. Like ESPN, I related a 648 00:40:36,635 --> 00:40:39,235 Speaker 1: story similar to her own that had occurred in Miami 649 00:40:39,315 --> 00:40:43,715 Speaker 1: at the past World Series. Well, she resumed indignantly, you 650 00:40:43,795 --> 00:40:46,115 Speaker 1: might have gotten away with that under an old contractor 651 00:40:46,155 --> 00:40:48,355 Speaker 1: in the sixties, where a hippie like you might have 652 00:40:48,435 --> 00:40:51,075 Speaker 1: fit in. But this isn't the sixties. This is the 653 00:40:51,115 --> 00:40:53,275 Speaker 1: real world of today, and you won't get away with 654 00:40:53,315 --> 00:40:55,915 Speaker 1: that kind of attitude under this contract or any other 655 00:40:55,955 --> 00:40:58,315 Speaker 1: contract in the future. You could even go back to 656 00:40:58,315 --> 00:41:01,475 Speaker 1: your precious sports and you'd soon find out about the 657 00:41:01,515 --> 00:41:04,595 Speaker 1: real world. Don't kid yourself, it'll be David and Goliath. 658 00:41:05,915 --> 00:41:08,395 Speaker 1: I said that the decision not to report the story 659 00:41:08,395 --> 00:41:12,795 Speaker 1: in Miami was made under this contract by executives from 660 00:41:12,875 --> 00:41:15,875 Speaker 1: NBC Sports. And now she sat bolt upright and slammed 661 00:41:15,875 --> 00:41:18,275 Speaker 1: her glasses back on her face. I can't get this 662 00:41:18,315 --> 00:41:23,795 Speaker 1: done in just one session, you know, definitely afraid that 663 00:41:23,835 --> 00:41:26,475 Speaker 1: she was about to recite another memory from the glorious 664 00:41:26,555 --> 00:41:30,555 Speaker 1: days of rail travel, I agreed to return the following Thursday, 665 00:41:30,595 --> 00:41:32,635 Speaker 1: knowing full well, as I said so that I would 666 00:41:33,035 --> 00:41:36,395 Speaker 1: never come back to her office, even as a hostage 667 00:41:36,515 --> 00:41:40,795 Speaker 1: or in a body bag. Well, I don't know about you, 668 00:41:41,275 --> 00:41:44,355 Speaker 1: she said, as she opened her door. But I'm exhausted, 669 00:41:44,995 --> 00:41:46,995 Speaker 1: I told her. Indeed so was I, which was rather 670 00:41:47,075 --> 00:41:49,515 Speaker 1: unfortunate because now I had to go do two live 671 00:41:49,555 --> 00:41:53,235 Speaker 1: hours of television. Yes, I guess you do. She suddenly 672 00:41:53,275 --> 00:41:56,635 Speaker 1: stared at my feet, then quickly up at my head, 673 00:41:57,035 --> 00:42:00,115 Speaker 1: as if she were estimating what size I took in caskets. 674 00:42:00,795 --> 00:42:02,835 Speaker 1: But you're so much taller than I am, so you'll 675 00:42:02,875 --> 00:42:10,675 Speaker 1: recover more quickly. MSNBC had arranged a car service to 676 00:42:10,675 --> 00:42:12,915 Speaker 1: take me out to the studios in New Jersey from 677 00:42:12,955 --> 00:42:16,675 Speaker 1: thirty Rock, and I spent the entire trip writing all 678 00:42:16,875 --> 00:42:22,795 Speaker 1: this down, pages and pages of notes and quotes and 679 00:42:22,915 --> 00:42:26,235 Speaker 1: boom boom Jeoffrey on and my own height at birth. 680 00:42:26,675 --> 00:42:29,395 Speaker 1: And I called my therapist on my phone, and I 681 00:42:29,435 --> 00:42:31,915 Speaker 1: asked her if there was a New York state number 682 00:42:31,915 --> 00:42:35,315 Speaker 1: that I could call to complain about a certified social 683 00:42:35,355 --> 00:42:38,915 Speaker 1: worker who seemed to be certifiable and who had just 684 00:42:39,115 --> 00:42:42,315 Speaker 1: threatened me. She gave me a number I called while 685 00:42:42,315 --> 00:42:45,115 Speaker 1: still in the car, and they said they had no 686 00:42:45,235 --> 00:42:49,475 Speaker 1: record of any social worker named Deborah burn When I 687 00:42:49,515 --> 00:42:52,755 Speaker 1: got to the MSNBC studios Insicaugos, New Jersey, now the 688 00:42:52,795 --> 00:42:55,155 Speaker 1: home of MLB Network of all things, I went to 689 00:42:55,235 --> 00:42:58,075 Speaker 1: my little office. I picked up a small microcassette tape 690 00:42:58,155 --> 00:43:00,515 Speaker 1: recorder that I kept in the desk there, and I 691 00:43:00,555 --> 00:43:03,795 Speaker 1: went in to see my executive producer, Phil Griffin. I 692 00:43:03,875 --> 00:43:07,435 Speaker 1: explained how all this woman burn had threatened me, and 693 00:43:07,515 --> 00:43:09,955 Speaker 1: I mentioned that I had called the state social worker 694 00:43:10,035 --> 00:43:15,275 Speaker 1: hotline and appeared that Deborah Burne was operating without a license. 695 00:43:15,515 --> 00:43:17,795 Speaker 1: And as I did this, I kept flipping that mini 696 00:43:17,875 --> 00:43:21,035 Speaker 1: cassette machine from hand to hand until I was sure 697 00:43:21,395 --> 00:43:25,355 Speaker 1: Phil Griffin had gotten the implication. Completely phony on my part. 698 00:43:25,435 --> 00:43:28,235 Speaker 1: But like James Jones says in Field of Dreams, there 699 00:43:28,235 --> 00:43:31,915 Speaker 1: are rules here. No, there are no rules here. My 700 00:43:31,995 --> 00:43:38,315 Speaker 1: executive producer buried his head in his hands. Needless to say, 701 00:43:38,315 --> 00:43:40,835 Speaker 1: that Deborah burn thing had blown up in NBC space. 702 00:43:41,035 --> 00:43:43,235 Speaker 1: They went into a full fledged panic at the news 703 00:43:43,315 --> 00:43:45,875 Speaker 1: that she was not registered as a certified social worker, 704 00:43:45,875 --> 00:43:48,315 Speaker 1: and it turned out that was a clerical mistake. It 705 00:43:48,435 --> 00:43:51,435 Speaker 1: was her own clerical mistake. She was registered but she 706 00:43:51,515 --> 00:43:55,115 Speaker 1: was registered only under her maiden name. But for the 707 00:43:55,155 --> 00:43:58,835 Speaker 1: next few weeks, NBC was completely on the defensive about me. 708 00:43:59,195 --> 00:44:01,755 Speaker 1: Soon they were promising to make me Tom Broke cause 709 00:44:01,875 --> 00:44:05,635 Speaker 1: air Apparent if I would only stay. I said, yeah, 710 00:44:05,635 --> 00:44:08,035 Speaker 1: but it says in Brian Williams contract that he's Tom 711 00:44:08,075 --> 00:44:11,955 Speaker 1: Broke as air Apparent. The executive in question laughed and said, no, 712 00:44:12,875 --> 00:44:15,795 Speaker 1: Brian only thinks it says in Brian Williams contract that 713 00:44:15,835 --> 00:44:18,435 Speaker 1: he's Tom Broke as air Apparent. It can be you 714 00:44:19,035 --> 00:44:22,795 Speaker 1: stick with the Lewinsky story. Oh, and layoff Ken's Star. 715 00:44:25,075 --> 00:44:27,075 Speaker 1: I don't have to think that one through too long. 716 00:44:27,755 --> 00:44:29,795 Speaker 1: If they could make poor Brian think that he was 717 00:44:29,835 --> 00:44:32,715 Speaker 1: the heir apparent when he wasn't, they could make me 718 00:44:32,795 --> 00:44:35,235 Speaker 1: think I was the heir apparent when I wasn't as well, 719 00:44:35,755 --> 00:44:38,475 Speaker 1: and that price laying off Ken Star. That was a 720 00:44:38,515 --> 00:44:42,275 Speaker 1: non starter. The stalemate continued for a few weeks until, 721 00:44:42,315 --> 00:44:44,355 Speaker 1: as I have related here previously, a friend in the 722 00:44:44,355 --> 00:44:47,355 Speaker 1: Sports division revealed that NBC had lied to me to 723 00:44:47,395 --> 00:44:49,435 Speaker 1: get me to sign my contract with them, that I 724 00:44:49,475 --> 00:44:52,475 Speaker 1: was not being paid as they had told me, primarily 725 00:44:52,515 --> 00:44:55,515 Speaker 1: by the News division, but by the Sports division. I 726 00:44:55,595 --> 00:44:59,315 Speaker 1: then met with Monica Lewinsky's first lawyer, Bill Ginsburg, discussed 727 00:44:59,315 --> 00:45:03,875 Speaker 1: suing NBC over such illegal negotiation tactics. Ginsburg thought just 728 00:45:03,995 --> 00:45:06,755 Speaker 1: leaking the fact that we had met would spring me. 729 00:45:07,395 --> 00:45:10,675 Speaker 1: Sure enough, about six weeks later, Lanna Enactmanov suddenly called 730 00:45:10,715 --> 00:45:12,675 Speaker 1: my agent told her they were willing to sell my 731 00:45:12,795 --> 00:45:17,075 Speaker 1: contract to Fox Sports in Los Angeles. You be so, 732 00:45:17,275 --> 00:45:20,675 Speaker 1: do not doubt what television executives are willing to do 733 00:45:20,875 --> 00:45:24,875 Speaker 1: to protect their ratings and their profits, even in the 734 00:45:24,915 --> 00:45:28,435 Speaker 1: event of full fledged fascism. And do not doubt what 735 00:45:28,515 --> 00:45:31,955 Speaker 1: a zealot with even minimal skills at medium manipulation like 736 00:45:32,075 --> 00:45:35,035 Speaker 1: Ken Starr can do to the news you watch or 737 00:45:35,115 --> 00:45:40,795 Speaker 1: hear or read, even after he's dead. Also, most relevantly now, 738 00:45:40,875 --> 00:45:44,075 Speaker 1: as CNN's talent face the prospect of conforming to the 739 00:45:44,155 --> 00:45:46,875 Speaker 1: right wing party line, or suddenly finding themselves with a 740 00:45:46,915 --> 00:45:51,475 Speaker 1: conservative co host, or finding themselves unemployed, there's one more 741 00:45:51,675 --> 00:45:54,995 Speaker 1: MSNBC story to tell that is relevant. I went back 742 00:45:55,035 --> 00:45:57,915 Speaker 1: there in two thousand three and we did pretty well. 743 00:45:58,555 --> 00:46:00,515 Speaker 1: And then in two thousand and ten they began to 744 00:46:00,555 --> 00:46:04,035 Speaker 1: pressure me to change my tone and to add in 745 00:46:04,195 --> 00:46:08,475 Speaker 1: more diverse voices, and they did not mean women or 746 00:46:08,595 --> 00:46:11,395 Speaker 1: members of minority groups, or people like I had hired, 747 00:46:11,435 --> 00:46:16,995 Speaker 1: like Rachel Maddow. They meant conservative, diverse voices. That's when 748 00:46:17,035 --> 00:46:19,395 Speaker 1: I began to pack my bags to leave, and a 749 00:46:19,395 --> 00:46:22,635 Speaker 1: few months later I left, And then four years later 750 00:46:22,675 --> 00:46:24,355 Speaker 1: they asked me to come back as long as I 751 00:46:24,395 --> 00:46:30,315 Speaker 1: agreed to have a conservative co host. I passed. But 752 00:46:30,395 --> 00:46:33,995 Speaker 1: here's the problem. I don't know anybody else pressured in 753 00:46:34,035 --> 00:46:38,755 Speaker 1: those ways who has also passed, Not at CNN, not 754 00:46:38,995 --> 00:46:44,475 Speaker 1: at MSNBC, not anywhere else. Do not doubt what some 755 00:46:44,595 --> 00:46:50,315 Speaker 1: television talents are willing to do just to remain television talents. 756 00:46:57,875 --> 00:46:59,675 Speaker 1: I've done all the damage I can do here. Help 757 00:46:59,715 --> 00:47:01,635 Speaker 1: me out. Give this thing a good review or rating, 758 00:47:01,755 --> 00:47:04,235 Speaker 1: or subscribe or forward it to somebody, or whatever the 759 00:47:04,275 --> 00:47:07,915 Speaker 1: kids do nowadays. The Countdown theme from Beethoven's Ninth Arrange 760 00:47:07,955 --> 00:47:10,835 Speaker 1: produced and performed by Countdown musical directors Brian Ray and 761 00:47:10,915 --> 00:47:15,155 Speaker 1: John Philip Channel all orchestration and keyboards by John Philip, Chanelle, 762 00:47:15,475 --> 00:47:18,275 Speaker 1: guitarist Bassed and drums by Brian Ray. Produced by t 763 00:47:18,395 --> 00:47:21,475 Speaker 1: k O Brothers. The other Beethoven selections have been arranged 764 00:47:21,515 --> 00:47:24,955 Speaker 1: and performed by the group No horns allowed our sports music. 765 00:47:24,995 --> 00:47:28,475 Speaker 1: The Olderman theme from ESPN two was written by Mitch 766 00:47:28,515 --> 00:47:32,435 Speaker 1: Warren Davis, and it appears courtesy of ESPN incorporated musical 767 00:47:32,475 --> 00:47:35,755 Speaker 1: comments by Nancy Faust. The best baseball stadium organist ever 768 00:47:36,155 --> 00:47:39,635 Speaker 1: our announced you today was Tony Corneiser. Let's countdown for 769 00:47:39,635 --> 00:47:42,275 Speaker 1: this the six hundred and sixteenth day since Donald Trump's 770 00:47:42,315 --> 00:47:45,115 Speaker 1: first attempted coup against the democratically elected government of the 771 00:47:45,195 --> 00:47:49,515 Speaker 1: United States. Arrest him now while you still can. There'll 772 00:47:49,555 --> 00:47:52,355 Speaker 1: be a new countdown tomorrow. Till then, I'm Keith Olderman. 773 00:47:52,435 --> 00:48:07,195 Speaker 1: Good morning, good afternoon, goodnight, and good luck Yeah. Countdown 774 00:48:07,275 --> 00:48:10,275 Speaker 1: with Keith Alderman is a production of I heart Radio. 775 00:48:10,515 --> 00:48:13,435 Speaker 1: For more podcasts from I heart Radio, visit the i 776 00:48:13,555 --> 00:48:17,915 Speaker 1: heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.