1 00:00:04,835 --> 00:00:22,555 Speaker 1: Countdown with Keith Olderman is a production of iHeartRadio. I 2 00:00:22,595 --> 00:00:26,755 Speaker 1: don't want to undersell Trump's television return from seclusion and 3 00:00:26,875 --> 00:00:30,195 Speaker 1: his latest basket full of insanities. And maybe I'm a 4 00:00:30,275 --> 00:00:33,155 Speaker 1: little close to this other story, and by close, I 5 00:00:33,235 --> 00:00:36,795 Speaker 1: mean it happened five blocks from my house. But you 6 00:00:36,915 --> 00:00:40,515 Speaker 1: do realize that the murder of the head of United 7 00:00:40,595 --> 00:00:45,835 Speaker 1: Healthcare may have been the first political assassination of the 8 00:00:45,875 --> 00:00:49,875 Speaker 1: second Trump presidency. It may also signal a new echelon 9 00:00:50,275 --> 00:00:52,835 Speaker 1: for political violence in the United States. I don't mean 10 00:00:52,875 --> 00:00:55,675 Speaker 1: Brian Thompson was shot because he was a Republican or 11 00:00:55,715 --> 00:00:58,595 Speaker 1: a Democrat, or a MAGA or a liberal. I mean 12 00:00:58,835 --> 00:01:01,915 Speaker 1: I think we have reached a point where many people 13 00:01:01,915 --> 00:01:05,235 Speaker 1: in this country think that voting and government and the 14 00:01:05,315 --> 00:01:09,675 Speaker 1: law are meaningless and they have no other means of 15 00:01:09,715 --> 00:01:14,315 Speaker 1: influencing the culture without violence. I also don't want to 16 00:01:14,355 --> 00:01:16,875 Speaker 1: leave the impression that I am somehow in favor of 17 00:01:16,955 --> 00:01:20,995 Speaker 1: people shooting visitors here in fun City and then escaping 18 00:01:20,995 --> 00:01:24,115 Speaker 1: along one of the routes on which I walk my dogs. 19 00:01:24,995 --> 00:01:28,675 Speaker 1: I am just saying that something that started now more correctly, 20 00:01:28,715 --> 00:01:31,835 Speaker 1: something that resumed no later than two thousand and eight 21 00:01:31,915 --> 00:01:36,395 Speaker 1: something that was not satiated by Trump's fake populism, nor 22 00:01:36,555 --> 00:01:40,715 Speaker 1: anti woke, nor any of that crap. Something is now 23 00:01:40,755 --> 00:01:44,075 Speaker 1: boiling over, as it has so many times in our 24 00:01:44,235 --> 00:01:49,475 Speaker 1: American past. Caveat. We still don't know who shot him, 25 00:01:49,635 --> 00:01:53,715 Speaker 1: never mind why this could be somebody else's husband for 26 00:01:53,795 --> 00:01:56,555 Speaker 1: all we know. If so, then my point here is 27 00:01:56,555 --> 00:01:58,915 Speaker 1: a little less relevant that I'm suggesting. But if you 28 00:01:58,995 --> 00:02:01,755 Speaker 1: had to guess, you would say he was murdered by 29 00:02:01,795 --> 00:02:04,315 Speaker 1: somebody who was not happy with something to do within 30 00:02:04,395 --> 00:02:08,315 Speaker 1: show currants. And of course you have to guess, because 31 00:02:08,355 --> 00:02:14,275 Speaker 1: New York's eleven billion dollar paramilitarized police force needed two 32 00:02:14,355 --> 00:02:18,475 Speaker 1: days to find the shooter's backpack where he stashed it 33 00:02:18,835 --> 00:02:23,435 Speaker 1: a fourteen minute walk from the shooting, full of Monopoly money, 34 00:02:24,035 --> 00:02:26,435 Speaker 1: and it took them three days to announce the manhunt 35 00:02:26,475 --> 00:02:30,035 Speaker 1: was being extended to New Jersey and Connecticut, even though 36 00:02:30,035 --> 00:02:32,395 Speaker 1: the guy went all the way uptown and was on 37 00:02:32,435 --> 00:02:35,755 Speaker 1: a bus for New Jersey before they finished cleaning up 38 00:02:35,755 --> 00:02:39,115 Speaker 1: the crime scene. And by now he could have closed 39 00:02:39,315 --> 00:02:45,235 Speaker 1: on his own house in Uruguay. Monopoly money. Somebody heard 40 00:02:45,235 --> 00:02:47,955 Speaker 1: that and said, he's just playing with the cops now, 41 00:02:48,275 --> 00:02:50,795 Speaker 1: And I answered, no, these are New York cops. The 42 00:02:50,875 --> 00:02:56,835 Speaker 1: cops are playing with themselves three days to extend the search, 43 00:02:57,675 --> 00:03:00,475 Speaker 1: possibly because it took NYPD at least a day to 44 00:03:00,555 --> 00:03:04,955 Speaker 1: figure out where in New York this Central Park place was. 45 00:03:07,315 --> 00:03:10,635 Speaker 1: But back to my point, A historian named John Grinspan 46 00:03:10,875 --> 00:03:14,675 Speaker 1: noted that in the half century starting with Lincoln's assassination, 47 00:03:15,235 --> 00:03:18,315 Speaker 1: we had three presidents killed by guns. We had another 48 00:03:18,435 --> 00:03:22,195 Speaker 1: ex president running to regain the office also shot. We 49 00:03:22,275 --> 00:03:26,555 Speaker 1: had one impeachment, and two elections won by the loser 50 00:03:26,635 --> 00:03:32,755 Speaker 1: of the popular vote. Anarchism, often violent terrorism, exploded, and 51 00:03:32,835 --> 00:03:37,155 Speaker 1: after that half century ended. On September sixteenth, nineteen twenty, 52 00:03:37,195 --> 00:03:40,235 Speaker 1: a horse drawn wagon parked across the street from the 53 00:03:40,235 --> 00:03:44,155 Speaker 1: headquarters of JP Morgan on Wall Street. It blew up. 54 00:03:44,595 --> 00:03:49,195 Speaker 1: It sent shards of shrapnel into the crowds. Thirty killed immediately, 55 00:03:49,595 --> 00:03:56,475 Speaker 1: ten later, hundreds of injuries never solved, probably anarchists. When 56 00:03:56,475 --> 00:03:58,635 Speaker 1: I was a kid, President Kennedy was assassinated by a 57 00:03:58,675 --> 00:04:01,555 Speaker 1: man whose bio, if you read it one way, paints 58 00:04:01,595 --> 00:04:04,155 Speaker 1: him as a pro Russian leftist, and if you read 59 00:04:04,195 --> 00:04:06,595 Speaker 1: it the other way, paints him as a virtual John Bircher. 60 00:04:07,155 --> 00:04:10,795 Speaker 1: When I was eleven, the radical Weather Underground staged a 61 00:04:10,835 --> 00:04:13,875 Speaker 1: series of bombings. In the worst of them, they managed 62 00:04:13,915 --> 00:04:16,315 Speaker 1: to blow up their own bomb making house on West 63 00:04:16,315 --> 00:04:18,435 Speaker 1: eleventh Street, and they killed three of their own members. 64 00:04:19,115 --> 00:04:23,035 Speaker 1: In nineteen sixty eight, an American assassinated Martin Luther King, 65 00:04:23,675 --> 00:04:27,155 Speaker 1: and four years later another tried to assassinate the racist 66 00:04:27,195 --> 00:04:30,995 Speaker 1: George Wallace after the shooter had given up trying to 67 00:04:30,995 --> 00:04:34,835 Speaker 1: shoot Nixon. Lord knows if we will ever figure out 68 00:04:34,835 --> 00:04:40,155 Speaker 1: why a Trump supporter shot at Trump last summer, but 69 00:04:40,275 --> 00:04:44,275 Speaker 1: he did. But the point is, throughout our history this country, 70 00:04:44,395 --> 00:04:48,115 Speaker 1: we have sunk into stages in which political violence has 71 00:04:48,155 --> 00:04:54,155 Speaker 1: had almost nothing directly to do with political parties or alignments, 72 00:04:54,275 --> 00:04:58,035 Speaker 1: just a sense that political action by anybody in any 73 00:04:58,075 --> 00:05:03,195 Speaker 1: direction no longer sufficed. You got a grievance, you throw 74 00:05:03,235 --> 00:05:07,435 Speaker 1: a bomb. The most startling thing is that anybody is 75 00:05:07,475 --> 00:05:10,035 Speaker 1: startled by the general reaction to the killing of the 76 00:05:10,075 --> 00:05:13,515 Speaker 1: insurance guy. I don't think anybody has done any polling 77 00:05:13,555 --> 00:05:15,875 Speaker 1: on this, and I'm almost afraid to suggest it because 78 00:05:15,915 --> 00:05:18,395 Speaker 1: I have a sinking feeling the number of those who 79 00:05:18,435 --> 00:05:22,675 Speaker 1: approved of it, or didn't care or had no opinion 80 00:05:23,275 --> 00:05:26,235 Speaker 1: that that number would exceed those who condemned the killing. 81 00:05:27,035 --> 00:05:30,955 Speaker 1: We have long since reached that point, I'm sure. Just 82 00:05:30,955 --> 00:05:33,475 Speaker 1: to ratchet this up a little bit, all my embittered 83 00:05:33,595 --> 00:05:37,355 Speaker 1: New Yorker sarcasm aside, it is now evident that one 84 00:05:37,355 --> 00:05:42,755 Speaker 1: of the drawbacks to having fifty million conspiracy theories and 85 00:05:42,875 --> 00:05:47,875 Speaker 1: how to shoot videos and assassination fantasies active online and 86 00:05:47,995 --> 00:05:52,235 Speaker 1: in every entertainment venue, from video games to YouTube to musicals, 87 00:05:53,155 --> 00:05:55,795 Speaker 1: the disadvantage to that is that the mayhem makers are 88 00:05:55,795 --> 00:05:59,075 Speaker 1: getting better at it and the authorities are getting worse. 89 00:06:00,075 --> 00:06:02,635 Speaker 1: They could spend fifty billion a year on cops here 90 00:06:02,715 --> 00:06:05,035 Speaker 1: every year, and you're not going to be able to 91 00:06:05,075 --> 00:06:08,355 Speaker 1: protect every corporate fat cat that somebody hates. And as 92 00:06:08,395 --> 00:06:11,355 Speaker 1: to the Secret Service, after the late eight years of 93 00:06:11,635 --> 00:06:14,835 Speaker 1: near disasters with Trump and Biden alike, I think we 94 00:06:14,915 --> 00:06:18,475 Speaker 1: all know what the secret is. The secret is the 95 00:06:18,515 --> 00:06:23,155 Speaker 1: Secret Service is not very good at this. Fasten your 96 00:06:23,155 --> 00:06:55,275 Speaker 1: seat belts. It's going to be a bumpy night. And 97 00:06:55,315 --> 00:06:59,315 Speaker 1: as if on Q after the phrase it's going to 98 00:06:59,315 --> 00:07:02,435 Speaker 1: be a bumpy night, here's Trump on NBC back from 99 00:07:03,235 --> 00:07:06,435 Speaker 1: I don't know where where he goes to get stupider 100 00:07:06,475 --> 00:07:07,755 Speaker 1: and crazier. 101 00:07:07,555 --> 00:07:10,955 Speaker 2: And Cheney was behind it. So was Benny Thompson and 102 00:07:10,995 --> 00:07:15,595 Speaker 2: everybody on that committee. We're gonna for what they did. Yeah, 103 00:07:15,715 --> 00:07:17,435 Speaker 2: honestly they should go to jail. 104 00:07:18,835 --> 00:07:21,915 Speaker 3: So you think Liz Cheney should go to jail for 105 00:07:21,995 --> 00:07:25,035 Speaker 3: what everyone on the committee us? I think anybody that 106 00:07:25,155 --> 00:07:27,515 Speaker 3: voted in, are you going to director FBI, director in 107 00:07:27,555 --> 00:07:29,195 Speaker 3: your attorney general to send them to jail? 108 00:07:29,315 --> 00:07:29,715 Speaker 1: Not all? 109 00:07:29,875 --> 00:07:31,915 Speaker 2: I think that they'll have to look at that. 110 00:07:32,075 --> 00:07:34,955 Speaker 1: Okay, you heard that right, nothing new. But he wants 111 00:07:35,035 --> 00:07:37,155 Speaker 1: Cheney and Benny Thompson and everybody else in the January 112 00:07:37,195 --> 00:07:41,355 Speaker 1: sixth hous committee in jail, he said that, But he's 113 00:07:41,435 --> 00:07:45,315 Speaker 1: not going to make it happen. His attorney general, whose 114 00:07:45,395 --> 00:07:48,875 Speaker 1: price is apparently twenty five k, that would all be 115 00:07:48,995 --> 00:07:53,835 Speaker 1: her call. There were You heard it right, You heard 116 00:07:53,915 --> 00:07:58,195 Speaker 1: him say that. This is how the now fully compromised 117 00:07:58,235 --> 00:08:02,155 Speaker 1: New York Times first reported that threat by Trump that 118 00:08:02,275 --> 00:08:06,995 Speaker 1: standard Trump Candy asked, I'm not jailing them, but they 119 00:08:07,035 --> 00:08:10,475 Speaker 1: should be jailed threat by proxy. This is how the 120 00:08:10,515 --> 00:08:14,115 Speaker 1: New York Times lied about what Trump said on NBC 121 00:08:14,995 --> 00:08:18,395 Speaker 1: Where Things Stand. President elect Donald J. Trump said an 122 00:08:18,435 --> 00:08:21,155 Speaker 1: interview with NBC's Meet the Press that aired on Sunday 123 00:08:21,155 --> 00:08:25,595 Speaker 1: that he would not direct his administration to seek retribution 124 00:08:25,715 --> 00:08:30,275 Speaker 1: against his political enemies, though he made clear he would 125 00:08:30,355 --> 00:08:36,395 Speaker 1: like to see them punished. There continued to be a 126 00:08:36,395 --> 00:08:39,875 Speaker 1: few scattered reporters alive and well and doing great work 127 00:08:39,915 --> 00:08:43,675 Speaker 1: within the New York Times. But as an institution, I 128 00:08:43,755 --> 00:08:46,875 Speaker 1: now have to double check everything I read in the 129 00:08:46,915 --> 00:08:51,275 Speaker 1: New York Times. It is sliding inexorably down towards being 130 00:08:51,315 --> 00:08:56,195 Speaker 1: on a par with the Epoch Times, or worse still, 131 00:08:56,595 --> 00:09:03,075 Speaker 1: the Los Angeles Times. In the same interview, Kristen Welker 132 00:09:03,115 --> 00:09:06,075 Speaker 1: actually pushed back on some She asked Trump if he'd 133 00:09:06,075 --> 00:09:09,115 Speaker 1: now try to unify the country by admitting he lost 134 00:09:09,155 --> 00:09:11,595 Speaker 1: in twenty twenty and he said, why would I do that? 135 00:09:12,435 --> 00:09:14,915 Speaker 1: And she said, because you lost, And he said, that's 136 00:09:14,955 --> 00:09:18,115 Speaker 1: your opinion. So you know where this world is headed, 137 00:09:18,395 --> 00:09:24,075 Speaker 1: and where it's headed is towards President. Nathan Thrm Nathan Therm, 138 00:09:24,395 --> 00:09:29,035 Speaker 1: Marty Short's priceless old SNL character who answered questions with 139 00:09:29,115 --> 00:09:32,555 Speaker 1: deflections like I'm not being defensive. You should be defensive 140 00:09:32,595 --> 00:09:35,355 Speaker 1: with that hairdoo, and is it him or is it me? 141 00:09:35,435 --> 00:09:42,235 Speaker 1: It's him right now, eventually doing nothing but equivocating and 142 00:09:42,315 --> 00:09:47,035 Speaker 1: waffling and plausibly denying, you know, saying nothing but stuff 143 00:09:47,075 --> 00:09:50,595 Speaker 1: you can deny later or insist you got it right, 144 00:09:50,635 --> 00:09:53,875 Speaker 1: depending on how it actually turns out. Keep doing that 145 00:09:53,915 --> 00:09:57,515 Speaker 1: and eventually you will trip yourself up. And Trump did it. 146 00:09:58,115 --> 00:10:03,275 Speaker 1: He again insisted he can overrule birthright citizenship by executive order, 147 00:10:03,995 --> 00:10:08,315 Speaker 1: and again said he will deport undocumented immigrants. And then, 148 00:10:08,435 --> 00:10:12,155 Speaker 1: and almost nobody noticed this, he undercut all of that 149 00:10:12,235 --> 00:10:20,875 Speaker 1: by actually suggesting Canada and Mexico should become states. No, 150 00:10:21,115 --> 00:10:26,915 Speaker 1: in our country, the United States of America co starring 151 00:10:27,075 --> 00:10:28,395 Speaker 1: Mexico and Canada. 152 00:10:28,795 --> 00:10:32,275 Speaker 2: We're subsidizing Canada to the tune of over one hundred 153 00:10:32,315 --> 00:10:36,795 Speaker 2: billion dollars a year. We're subsidizing Mexico for almost three 154 00:10:36,875 --> 00:10:40,035 Speaker 2: hundred billion dollars. We shouldn't be subsidized. Why are we 155 00:10:40,075 --> 00:10:42,755 Speaker 2: subsidizing these countries. If we're going to subsidize them, let 156 00:10:42,795 --> 00:10:43,595 Speaker 2: him become a state. 157 00:10:44,675 --> 00:10:47,995 Speaker 1: The fifty first and fifty second states, and maybe fifty 158 00:10:48,035 --> 00:10:50,635 Speaker 1: third and fifty five. I don't know Mexico as a state, 159 00:10:50,715 --> 00:10:54,475 Speaker 1: mister numb nuts psycho president. If Mexico is a state 160 00:10:54,715 --> 00:10:58,715 Speaker 1: in the United States, you know where you are right now. 161 00:10:59,755 --> 00:11:04,875 Speaker 1: The people living there in Mexico become citizens of the 162 00:11:04,955 --> 00:11:10,315 Speaker 1: United States. So not only can't you deport people from 163 00:11:10,795 --> 00:11:14,355 Speaker 1: the US state of Mexico, but you then can't put 164 00:11:14,435 --> 00:11:18,195 Speaker 1: up a wall between Texas and the state of Mexico. 165 00:11:18,235 --> 00:11:22,035 Speaker 1: In fact, you cannot inhibit movement between Mexico and any 166 00:11:22,115 --> 00:11:28,555 Speaker 1: other state of the Union. I hope somebody has told 167 00:11:28,635 --> 00:11:31,955 Speaker 1: MAGA about Trump's new Mexico solution. Make it a state. 168 00:11:33,595 --> 00:11:37,555 Speaker 1: That would mean there'd be two senators from Mexico. And 169 00:11:38,035 --> 00:11:42,475 Speaker 1: let's calculate this together. New York twenty million people, twenty 170 00:11:42,515 --> 00:11:47,755 Speaker 1: six congressmen and women, Mexico one hundred and thirty million people, 171 00:11:48,315 --> 00:11:51,635 Speaker 1: and the rate is thirteen congressman per ten million residents. 172 00:11:51,675 --> 00:11:55,235 Speaker 1: That it'd be Mexico gets one one hundred and sixty 173 00:11:55,315 --> 00:12:01,435 Speaker 1: nine congressional seats. Headline, Trump proposes giving Mexico one one 174 00:12:01,475 --> 00:12:07,235 Speaker 1: hundred and sixty nine seats in the US House of Representatives. 175 00:12:08,195 --> 00:12:24,035 Speaker 1: And we haven't even talked about those fifty three Canadian congressman. Oh, 176 00:12:24,115 --> 00:12:27,515 Speaker 1: by the way, Trump continued to screwed up his own transition, 177 00:12:27,675 --> 00:12:31,195 Speaker 1: and thank you for that, Pal. They still think they'll 178 00:12:31,195 --> 00:12:34,355 Speaker 1: get Pete Hegseth confirmed, and that's debatable. The team trying 179 00:12:34,395 --> 00:12:36,595 Speaker 1: to push his drunk ass over the finish line, says 180 00:12:36,595 --> 00:12:39,235 Speaker 1: they have not found three no votes among all those 181 00:12:39,275 --> 00:12:42,435 Speaker 1: Republican senators. But the money quote about this is from 182 00:12:42,515 --> 00:12:45,835 Speaker 1: Jony Ernst of Iowa, who was asked if even after 183 00:12:45,875 --> 00:12:50,955 Speaker 1: a frank and thorough conversation with Heggy, she's not ready 184 00:12:50,995 --> 00:12:54,275 Speaker 1: to vote yes because of the little alcoholism and sexual 185 00:12:54,315 --> 00:12:59,115 Speaker 1: misconduct allegation stuff, and Senator Ernst replied, I think you 186 00:12:59,195 --> 00:13:02,835 Speaker 1: are right, and then she gave the money quote. The 187 00:13:02,915 --> 00:13:06,235 Speaker 1: vetting will continue, I am certain through the next month 188 00:13:06,555 --> 00:13:12,355 Speaker 1: or so until we approach that hearing date. Sounds like 189 00:13:12,395 --> 00:13:14,875 Speaker 1: they've given up on the idea of the recess appointment 190 00:13:15,435 --> 00:13:17,635 Speaker 1: and they're going to go for a hearing. But oh 191 00:13:17,675 --> 00:13:21,155 Speaker 1: my god, another month of this, Another month of how 192 00:13:21,315 --> 00:13:24,755 Speaker 1: drunk is Pete Hegseth today? Another month of Pete Hegseth 193 00:13:24,835 --> 00:13:28,195 Speaker 1: saying well, if I'm named Secretary of Defense, I'll stop drinking. 194 00:13:30,715 --> 00:13:35,315 Speaker 1: Oh my god, another month of this. Thank you. This 195 00:13:35,355 --> 00:13:38,035 Speaker 1: isn't Brett Kavanaugh. With Trump in charge of the FBI 196 00:13:38,155 --> 00:13:41,515 Speaker 1: and able to stop further revelations before they happen, heg 197 00:13:41,595 --> 00:13:45,795 Speaker 1: Seth is a tire fire, and Trump keeps buying him 198 00:13:46,875 --> 00:13:52,475 Speaker 1: new white walls. Oh a nice typo President Moron Pete 199 00:13:52,475 --> 00:13:55,395 Speaker 1: Hegseth is doing very well. His support is strong and deep, 200 00:13:55,475 --> 00:13:57,675 Speaker 1: much more so than the fake news. What have you believe? 201 00:13:57,995 --> 00:14:00,675 Speaker 1: He was a great student military state of mind. He 202 00:14:00,715 --> 00:14:05,275 Speaker 1: will be a fantastic, high energy Secretary of Defense Defense, 203 00:14:06,555 --> 00:14:14,315 Speaker 1: one who leads to the Secretary of Defense Defense. Cheez, Trump. 204 00:14:14,315 --> 00:14:18,035 Speaker 1: I mean, you do not have to actually translate your 205 00:14:18,075 --> 00:14:26,555 Speaker 1: brain freezes into the written word. Just proofread these things once. Still, 206 00:14:27,635 --> 00:14:31,715 Speaker 1: they might actually get him confirmed. Politico interviewed trumpest haacked 207 00:14:31,795 --> 00:14:34,955 Speaker 1: Mike Davis, and I have to admire Mike Davis's willingness 208 00:14:34,955 --> 00:14:38,875 Speaker 1: to explain how their side blackmails people before they actually 209 00:14:38,915 --> 00:14:42,915 Speaker 1: do the blackmailing in this case. Quote. In an interview 210 00:14:42,995 --> 00:14:48,115 Speaker 1: with Playbook, Davis went further, threatening to hire private investigators 211 00:14:48,435 --> 00:14:52,995 Speaker 1: to sift through the backgrounds of any potential senate GOP holdouts. 212 00:14:54,075 --> 00:14:57,195 Speaker 1: The Article three project is very excited about this new 213 00:14:57,275 --> 00:15:01,315 Speaker 1: standard that drinking and womanizing is disqualifying for public office. 214 00:15:01,715 --> 00:15:05,875 Speaker 1: Davis tells Playbook, I'm very happy to hire investigators for 215 00:15:06,035 --> 00:15:11,955 Speaker 1: senators and use that standard. Sure, because that works so 216 00:15:12,035 --> 00:15:14,995 Speaker 1: well with Matt Gates. Wait, no, it didn't work at all. 217 00:15:15,195 --> 00:15:22,195 Speaker 1: Didn't work at all anyway, Please blackmail away, mister Davis. 218 00:15:22,195 --> 00:15:27,515 Speaker 1: The more Republican damage against other Republicans the better. Meanwhile, 219 00:15:27,915 --> 00:15:34,355 Speaker 1: big to do the other night. Rachel Campos Duffy, co 220 00:15:34,475 --> 00:15:41,475 Speaker 1: host with the Secretary of Defense Designate, writes, so much 221 00:15:41,555 --> 00:15:46,235 Speaker 1: fun at the Patriot Awards where at Donald Trump won 222 00:15:46,395 --> 00:15:50,515 Speaker 1: the Patriot of the Year and topped off the night 223 00:15:50,635 --> 00:15:55,155 Speaker 1: dancing YMCA to the crowd's delight. And there's a picture 224 00:15:55,155 --> 00:16:02,595 Speaker 1: of Judge Janine Pirot upright the punchline. Punchline is the 225 00:16:02,595 --> 00:16:06,755 Speaker 1: producer of the Fox Nation Patriot Awards, where Trump surprisingly 226 00:16:06,795 --> 00:16:10,515 Speaker 1: won Patriot of the Year. The producer of that is 227 00:16:10,635 --> 00:16:25,515 Speaker 1: Pete Hegseeth's wife. Breaking news for both Trump and Tulsy Gabbard. 228 00:16:26,155 --> 00:16:30,435 Speaker 1: Assad overthrown in Syria after an uprising that lasted well, 229 00:16:30,675 --> 00:16:33,475 Speaker 1: lasted just a little longer than New York City bike insurance. 230 00:16:33,515 --> 00:16:38,555 Speaker 1: Assassin was at large now granted asylum in Moscow by Putin. 231 00:16:38,595 --> 00:16:41,155 Speaker 1: So if you want to plan ahead, Trump and Gabbard 232 00:16:41,835 --> 00:16:45,955 Speaker 1: remember Gabbard on this topic August eleventh, twenty sixteen, when 233 00:16:45,955 --> 00:16:48,915 Speaker 1: it was still Twitter. It's time to end the illegal, 234 00:16:49,195 --> 00:16:55,395 Speaker 1: counterproductive war to overthrow the Syrian government of Assad vote 235 00:16:55,395 --> 00:17:02,195 Speaker 1: Tulsey eight eleven sixteen. Meanwhile, back on the Hill, off 236 00:17:02,235 --> 00:17:06,115 Speaker 1: the record quote from the insider website The Hill about 237 00:17:06,195 --> 00:17:10,155 Speaker 1: Tulsy Gabbard from what The Hill identifies as a Senate 238 00:17:10,275 --> 00:17:13,555 Speaker 1: Republican aid. The quote from the Senate Republican aid in 239 00:17:13,595 --> 00:17:17,115 Speaker 1: the Hill quote behind closed doors, people think she might 240 00:17:17,155 --> 00:17:21,035 Speaker 1: be compromised. Like it's not hyperbole. There are members of 241 00:17:21,075 --> 00:17:26,235 Speaker 1: our conference who think she's a Russian asset. Unquote The 242 00:17:26,315 --> 00:17:32,355 Speaker 1: Hill anonymous quote about Tulsy Gabbard. I mean about one 243 00:17:32,475 --> 00:17:35,675 Speaker 1: hundred former senior US diplomats and intel and n set 244 00:17:35,715 --> 00:17:39,195 Speaker 1: folk have urged the Senate that if Gabbard lasts to 245 00:17:39,315 --> 00:17:43,515 Speaker 1: a Senate hearing on her nomination to be DNI, that 246 00:17:43,635 --> 00:17:48,475 Speaker 1: the hearings be closed door. Their plea includes the assertion 247 00:17:48,595 --> 00:17:52,635 Speaker 1: that her past actions quote call into question her ability 248 00:17:52,675 --> 00:17:56,795 Speaker 1: to deliver unbiased intelligence briefings to the President, Congress, and 249 00:17:56,875 --> 00:18:02,475 Speaker 1: to the entire National security apparatus. Before a sad fell 250 00:18:02,955 --> 00:18:05,755 Speaker 1: John Bolton said, if he did, Syrian government files on 251 00:18:05,795 --> 00:18:09,715 Speaker 1: some Americans in the hands of the rebels could prove interesting, 252 00:18:10,675 --> 00:18:15,995 Speaker 1: you bet. And lastly, there is what must be described 253 00:18:16,035 --> 00:18:20,635 Speaker 1: as nothing less than right wing panic about Biden preemptive pardons. 254 00:18:22,195 --> 00:18:24,955 Speaker 1: Biden preemptive pardons. It is as if to them there 255 00:18:24,995 --> 00:18:29,915 Speaker 1: was no previous understanding that anybody besides Trump could do 256 00:18:30,075 --> 00:18:34,195 Speaker 1: what Trump has done. The idea that Mark Millie and 257 00:18:34,275 --> 00:18:39,315 Speaker 1: Christopher ray Fauci everybody else might get whatever you did 258 00:18:39,435 --> 00:18:44,555 Speaker 1: or didn't do pardons is astonishing to them. The main 259 00:18:44,675 --> 00:18:47,315 Speaker 1: questions on the right seem to be, well, we can 260 00:18:47,395 --> 00:18:51,235 Speaker 1: just overrule it, right, and that can't be legal, But 261 00:18:51,315 --> 00:18:55,075 Speaker 1: it's an admission of guilt. While they cheer on Trump's 262 00:18:55,075 --> 00:18:57,595 Speaker 1: plan to pardon the January sixth domestic terrorists and don't 263 00:18:57,595 --> 00:19:01,355 Speaker 1: worry about that admission of guilt. And I repeat what 264 00:19:01,395 --> 00:19:07,795 Speaker 1: I have said before, I want ten million pardons. Ford 265 00:19:07,915 --> 00:19:11,915 Speaker 1: and Nixon started this, Trump escalated it, Republicans built it. 266 00:19:12,115 --> 00:19:15,195 Speaker 1: This is the America you fascists wanted. This is the 267 00:19:15,235 --> 00:19:19,955 Speaker 1: America you get. Hell, I'm going to increase my demands. 268 00:19:20,595 --> 00:19:25,275 Speaker 1: Not only should President Biden preemptively pardon every elected Democrat 269 00:19:25,355 --> 00:19:29,715 Speaker 1: of the last twenty years and every Trump critic and 270 00:19:29,915 --> 00:19:35,995 Speaker 1: every media person, even Chris Salizza, but I think the 271 00:19:36,035 --> 00:19:39,835 Speaker 1: president should now preemptively pardon every immigrant living in this 272 00:19:39,995 --> 00:19:46,195 Speaker 1: country documented or not. No matter what, you don't like 273 00:19:46,315 --> 00:19:58,595 Speaker 1: that idea, mega you broke it, you bought it. Also 274 00:19:58,595 --> 00:20:00,675 Speaker 1: of interest here in an all new edition of Countdown, 275 00:20:00,675 --> 00:20:02,715 Speaker 1: and forgive me if I stumbled over a few words 276 00:20:02,715 --> 00:20:06,795 Speaker 1: here and again the eye is still bob me. Well 277 00:20:07,035 --> 00:20:11,275 Speaker 1: still come. Everybody gets a pardon, except Joe Scarborough and 278 00:20:11,275 --> 00:20:14,715 Speaker 1: Mika Brzynski, who are back on the worst Person's list 279 00:20:15,875 --> 00:20:21,035 Speaker 1: because they're worms. And I've even got a brand new 280 00:20:21,075 --> 00:20:24,595 Speaker 1: things I promised not to tell. We're getting to meet 281 00:20:24,635 --> 00:20:28,235 Speaker 1: one of my favorite reporters turns into not meeting one 282 00:20:28,275 --> 00:20:31,035 Speaker 1: of the greatest film directors of all time who was 283 00:20:31,115 --> 00:20:35,275 Speaker 1: sitting behind me, and the reporter didn't tell me until 284 00:20:35,315 --> 00:20:42,515 Speaker 1: after the director had left. Jesus H. Christ. Seriously, that's next. 285 00:20:42,595 --> 00:21:09,955 Speaker 1: This is Countdown. This is Countdown. With Keith Olberman still ahead. 286 00:21:09,955 --> 00:21:13,315 Speaker 1: We will end on a lighter note. How my lunch 287 00:21:13,395 --> 00:21:16,275 Speaker 1: with one of the best legal reporters in the country 288 00:21:16,955 --> 00:21:18,715 Speaker 1: ended with him asking me if I'd noticed that the 289 00:21:18,755 --> 00:21:22,595 Speaker 1: guy sitting behind me was America's greatest filmmaker who I 290 00:21:22,595 --> 00:21:25,515 Speaker 1: always wanted to meet but still have not because I 291 00:21:25,555 --> 00:21:29,195 Speaker 1: did not notice this, And the related story of how 292 00:21:29,195 --> 00:21:32,435 Speaker 1: one of his rivals for that title, wound up paying 293 00:21:32,475 --> 00:21:37,275 Speaker 1: somebody I knew something like a million dollars for the 294 00:21:37,315 --> 00:21:40,875 Speaker 1: football TV play by play playing in the background in 295 00:21:41,035 --> 00:21:47,195 Speaker 1: just one scene from Godfather Part two, a rather intricate 296 00:21:47,435 --> 00:21:50,435 Speaker 1: return in an all new episode of Countdown of a 297 00:21:50,475 --> 00:21:55,515 Speaker 1: brand new things I promised not to tell first, believe 298 00:21:55,555 --> 00:21:57,875 Speaker 1: it or not. Never mind the high and lighter notes, 299 00:21:58,355 --> 00:22:01,315 Speaker 1: there's still new idiots to talk about. The daily roundup 300 00:22:01,355 --> 00:22:04,635 Speaker 1: of the mis grants, morons and Dunning Krueger effects specimen 301 00:22:04,955 --> 00:22:10,875 Speaker 1: who constitute today's other worst persons in the world Lebrons 302 00:22:11,195 --> 00:22:18,035 Speaker 1: worst Governor Jared Polis of Colorado Democrat. First he sucked 303 00:22:18,115 --> 00:22:21,795 Speaker 1: up to Robert F. I'm not wearing pants Kennedy Junior. 304 00:22:22,315 --> 00:22:27,635 Speaker 1: Then Polus went after President Biden for pardoning his own son. Now, 305 00:22:28,075 --> 00:22:30,675 Speaker 1: having not given us enough reason to kick his term 306 00:22:30,755 --> 00:22:34,155 Speaker 1: limited ass out of the Democratic Party, Polus is back 307 00:22:34,395 --> 00:22:38,755 Speaker 1: to sucking up to RFK Junior. I truly believe that 308 00:22:38,915 --> 00:22:42,595 Speaker 1: RFK is not beholden to big Pharma. I think he's 309 00:22:42,635 --> 00:22:45,395 Speaker 1: an independent voice, and I think he's somebody who means 310 00:22:45,395 --> 00:22:48,515 Speaker 1: what he says when he cares about reducing chronic disease 311 00:22:48,835 --> 00:22:53,635 Speaker 1: through better nutrition I might add Governor Polis that there'll 312 00:22:53,675 --> 00:22:57,315 Speaker 1: be less chronic disease if more people die in childhood, 313 00:22:57,515 --> 00:23:01,275 Speaker 1: because what Kennedy is doing will kill kids, and you're helping. 314 00:23:02,075 --> 00:23:06,195 Speaker 1: By the way, Governor Polis is a libertarian. Libertarian means 315 00:23:06,515 --> 00:23:12,755 Speaker 1: you are free, free from intelligence. The runner up worser, 316 00:23:13,235 --> 00:23:16,395 Speaker 1: one time Trump favorite and Florida Magas Starr and would 317 00:23:16,395 --> 00:23:20,355 Speaker 1: be congressperson Laura No, my face has always looked like this. 318 00:23:20,475 --> 00:23:22,675 Speaker 1: I haven't had any work done recently. What do you mean, 319 00:23:22,715 --> 00:23:25,875 Speaker 1: I went to the college where they trained them, Loomer, 320 00:23:27,475 --> 00:23:32,515 Speaker 1: She's how do I put this? She's not smart breaking, 321 00:23:32,835 --> 00:23:35,675 Speaker 1: she posted on Twitter X for those of you who 322 00:23:35,835 --> 00:23:41,195 Speaker 1: don't go there anymore, anti Trump. Democrat Congressman Representative Adam Schiff. 323 00:23:41,395 --> 00:23:46,075 Speaker 1: Adam Schiff, who is the top client of Judge Mershawn's daughter, 324 00:23:46,675 --> 00:23:49,555 Speaker 1: just resigned from Congress so we can get an early 325 00:23:49,635 --> 00:23:52,515 Speaker 1: start on running for the US Senate in California. Here's 326 00:23:52,555 --> 00:23:56,755 Speaker 1: his resignation letter, effective December eighth. He's going to try 327 00:23:56,795 --> 00:23:59,395 Speaker 1: to help the Democrats reclaim the Senate so they can 328 00:23:59,515 --> 00:24:03,515 Speaker 1: impeach President Trump and help the Senate Dems obstruck President 329 00:24:03,555 --> 00:24:08,275 Speaker 1: blah blah blah, blahlah blah BLA. Laura Lumer, who believes 330 00:24:08,315 --> 00:24:12,315 Speaker 1: she is a force in politics, does not know B 331 00:24:13,915 --> 00:24:17,595 Speaker 1: that the Senate does not impeach. The House which she 332 00:24:17,715 --> 00:24:21,595 Speaker 1: ran for impeaches. But more importantly, A, she has no 333 00:24:21,715 --> 00:24:25,995 Speaker 1: idea that Adam Schiff resigned from Congress so he can 334 00:24:26,075 --> 00:24:29,115 Speaker 1: assume his seat in the Senate because he was already 335 00:24:29,155 --> 00:24:34,355 Speaker 1: elected senator from California in November. It was in all 336 00:24:34,395 --> 00:24:38,635 Speaker 1: the papers, Laura, This, of course, presumes you can read. 337 00:24:40,275 --> 00:24:43,115 Speaker 1: I'd like to introduce Laura Lumer to Governor Polis. I 338 00:24:43,195 --> 00:24:45,435 Speaker 1: have a sense they'd have a lot to talk about. 339 00:24:47,035 --> 00:24:51,155 Speaker 1: But our winners, speaking of which, Jeff Bezos and Joe 340 00:24:51,195 --> 00:24:57,155 Speaker 1: Scarborough and Mika Brzhinsky, Scarborough doubling down on collaborating with 341 00:24:57,275 --> 00:25:02,835 Speaker 1: the incoming fascist regime. At a New York Times breakfast 342 00:25:02,875 --> 00:25:07,835 Speaker 1: for Billionaire or whatever it was, or short billionaires, whatever 343 00:25:07,835 --> 00:25:13,555 Speaker 1: it was, Andrew Ross Sorkin interviewed Bezos, as it was 344 00:25:13,595 --> 00:25:17,235 Speaker 1: put in Oliver Darcy's newsletter. Asked by Sorkin about Trump's 345 00:25:17,235 --> 00:25:21,315 Speaker 1: menacing rhetoric towards the news media, Bezos only replied that 346 00:25:21,355 --> 00:25:23,675 Speaker 1: he would quote try to talk him out of that 347 00:25:23,835 --> 00:25:28,915 Speaker 1: idea that the press is the enemy. Earlier, Bezos said 348 00:25:28,915 --> 00:25:31,835 Speaker 1: he was very proud of the decision that The Washington 349 00:25:31,875 --> 00:25:34,355 Speaker 1: Post declined to make an endorsement in the High Stakes 350 00:25:34,435 --> 00:25:37,515 Speaker 1: twenty twenty four race. Yes, I'm very proud that the 351 00:25:37,555 --> 00:25:40,435 Speaker 1: paper I own and everybody there is my employee, and 352 00:25:40,475 --> 00:25:41,995 Speaker 1: I would have fired them if they didn't do what 353 00:25:42,035 --> 00:25:44,355 Speaker 1: I told them to do. Did what I told them 354 00:25:44,355 --> 00:25:48,155 Speaker 1: to do. What a little weasel, this Amazon bastard turns 355 00:25:48,155 --> 00:25:52,155 Speaker 1: out to be. Going back to Oliver Darcy, Bezos rejected 356 00:25:52,155 --> 00:25:54,755 Speaker 1: the notion that his decision to block his editorial boards 357 00:25:54,955 --> 00:25:59,195 Speaker 1: planned endorsement of Kamala Harris created more distrust, saying he 358 00:25:59,235 --> 00:26:02,675 Speaker 1: doesn't follow that logic. He claimed it was far from 359 00:26:02,715 --> 00:26:06,595 Speaker 1: cowardly because we knew there would be the blowback in 360 00:26:06,635 --> 00:26:10,715 Speaker 1: the form of a quarter million subscription cancelations. Let's dry 361 00:26:10,755 --> 00:26:16,075 Speaker 1: that at Amazon Prime. As to Scarborough and missus Scarborough, 362 00:26:16,395 --> 00:26:21,675 Speaker 1: whose great contribution to that program is to go. This 363 00:26:22,555 --> 00:26:25,035 Speaker 1: is also, I believe from the Darcy column. Fresh off 364 00:26:25,075 --> 00:26:27,475 Speaker 1: their visit to Marri Lago, the host of Morning Joe 365 00:26:27,835 --> 00:26:32,555 Speaker 1: last Wednesday rebuked guest David Frumm, who is still nominally 366 00:26:32,595 --> 00:26:36,035 Speaker 1: a Republican, for a remark he made about Pete Hegseth's 367 00:26:36,075 --> 00:26:41,115 Speaker 1: alleged drinking issues at Fox. There was an NBC report 368 00:26:41,155 --> 00:26:43,555 Speaker 1: you will recall that Hegsith would show up to work 369 00:26:43,795 --> 00:26:48,315 Speaker 1: with alcohol on his breath work at Fox. Frum said 370 00:26:48,355 --> 00:26:52,995 Speaker 1: on MSNBC on Morning Day, if you're too drunk for 371 00:26:53,075 --> 00:26:57,675 Speaker 1: Fox News, you're very, very drunk. Indeed, in the same program, 372 00:26:57,875 --> 00:27:03,595 Speaker 1: Missus Joe said Frum's remark was inappropriate, quoting the comment 373 00:27:03,715 --> 00:27:06,075 Speaker 1: was a little too flip for this moment that we're in. 374 00:27:06,515 --> 00:27:08,355 Speaker 1: She's referring, of course, to the moment in which she 375 00:27:08,515 --> 00:27:12,315 Speaker 1: betrayed her audience and America by trying to sidling up 376 00:27:12,355 --> 00:27:15,875 Speaker 1: to Trump again for the second time in eight years, 377 00:27:16,115 --> 00:27:19,475 Speaker 1: after trying to decidle in between and trying to make 378 00:27:19,515 --> 00:27:23,475 Speaker 1: money off pretending to be anti Trump. We just want 379 00:27:23,555 --> 00:27:27,155 Speaker 1: to make that comment as well. We want to make 380 00:27:27,195 --> 00:27:30,515 Speaker 1: that clear. We have differences in coverage with Fox News, 381 00:27:30,755 --> 00:27:32,795 Speaker 1: and that's a good debate that we should have often. 382 00:27:33,035 --> 00:27:35,475 Speaker 1: But right now, I just want to say there's a 383 00:27:35,515 --> 00:27:37,915 Speaker 1: lot of good people that work at Fox News who 384 00:27:37,995 --> 00:27:40,675 Speaker 1: care about Pete Hegseth, and we want to leave it 385 00:27:40,715 --> 00:27:46,075 Speaker 1: at that. You heard them bashing their own guests their 386 00:27:46,115 --> 00:27:50,955 Speaker 1: own regular guests, a Republican on his own network, bashing 387 00:27:50,955 --> 00:27:55,275 Speaker 1: his own network for a joke about HEG Sith that 388 00:27:55,395 --> 00:28:00,035 Speaker 1: actually understates the reality of the Hegseth situation. And moreover, 389 00:28:00,075 --> 00:28:05,275 Speaker 1: the comments about Fox News, a sympathetic statement about Fixox News. 390 00:28:05,635 --> 00:28:09,635 Speaker 1: Rashinsky and Scarborough are also collaborating with Fox News. This 391 00:28:09,715 --> 00:28:13,075 Speaker 1: gives rise to the thought that has been sometimes right 392 00:28:13,155 --> 00:28:17,035 Speaker 1: front of mind at MSNBC and elsewhere, dating back to 393 00:28:17,075 --> 00:28:20,515 Speaker 1: at least two thousand and two, that Joey scars was 394 00:28:20,635 --> 00:28:23,475 Speaker 1: really just auditioning for a job at Fox I mean 395 00:28:23,555 --> 00:28:28,755 Speaker 1: track his career. Sudden resignations still unexplained from Congress right 396 00:28:28,795 --> 00:28:32,995 Speaker 1: after he was re elected, hired on by MSNBC's Phil 397 00:28:32,995 --> 00:28:35,595 Speaker 1: Griffin as a sop to his own bosses, who threatened 398 00:28:35,635 --> 00:28:37,635 Speaker 1: to fire Phil if he didn't find a fascist to 399 00:28:37,635 --> 00:28:39,675 Speaker 1: put on the air. They put Joe Scarborough on a 400 00:28:39,755 --> 00:28:43,595 Speaker 1: nighttime show called Scarborough Country, in which all Joe did 401 00:28:43,715 --> 00:28:47,035 Speaker 1: was threatened Democrats and liberals and try to undermine everybody 402 00:28:47,035 --> 00:28:50,475 Speaker 1: else who worked at his own network. As things evolved 403 00:28:50,515 --> 00:28:54,475 Speaker 1: and the network became successful by doing fewer shows like Scarborough, 404 00:28:54,715 --> 00:28:57,955 Speaker 1: he was kept on as a counterbalance to me. On 405 00:28:58,035 --> 00:29:00,475 Speaker 1: at least one occasion, he went in and told his 406 00:29:00,595 --> 00:29:04,675 Speaker 1: bosses that, having violated a rule against criticizing other MSNBC 407 00:29:04,755 --> 00:29:09,075 Speaker 1: he hosts in non MSNBC venues, if you did that, 408 00:29:09,115 --> 00:29:12,595 Speaker 1: you were to be suspended. He told Griffin and Me 409 00:29:13,115 --> 00:29:16,115 Speaker 1: that if they suspended him for criticizing me, he would 410 00:29:16,155 --> 00:29:18,795 Speaker 1: go public with it and say he had been suspended 411 00:29:18,795 --> 00:29:21,795 Speaker 1: because he was a conservative and I was a liberal, 412 00:29:21,835 --> 00:29:25,155 Speaker 1: and I and not Phil Griffin ran the network. This 413 00:29:25,315 --> 00:29:30,075 Speaker 1: is quoting Phil Griffin quoting Joe Scarborough. So in any event, 414 00:29:30,115 --> 00:29:32,075 Speaker 1: after I left, they kept him on as a sort 415 00:29:32,115 --> 00:29:35,315 Speaker 1: of middle of the road coffee clotch host. Then he 416 00:29:35,395 --> 00:29:39,035 Speaker 1: became in twenty fifteen and sixteen an unofficial advisor to 417 00:29:39,115 --> 00:29:42,795 Speaker 1: Donald Trump and a frequent host of Donald Trump and 418 00:29:42,875 --> 00:29:45,915 Speaker 1: a sane washer before the term existed of Donald Trump. 419 00:29:46,475 --> 00:29:49,075 Speaker 1: Then when Trump did not pick him to be vice 420 00:29:49,115 --> 00:29:51,595 Speaker 1: president or offer him a job in his cabinet, he 421 00:29:51,675 --> 00:29:58,195 Speaker 1: became anti Trump and called him hitler. I think he 422 00:29:58,395 --> 00:30:01,315 Speaker 1: was probably still in the top one hundred people in 423 00:30:01,435 --> 00:30:05,355 Speaker 1: media to call him hitler, lower them than me, but 424 00:30:05,475 --> 00:30:08,635 Speaker 1: he still did it. And then, of course he has 425 00:30:08,675 --> 00:30:12,275 Speaker 1: now become a turncoat who actually traveled secretly to Mary 426 00:30:12,355 --> 00:30:17,155 Speaker 1: Lago to beg for Trump's forgiveness and an interview. He 427 00:30:17,195 --> 00:30:20,715 Speaker 1: then doubled down by having his useless wife apologized to 428 00:30:20,795 --> 00:30:28,115 Speaker 1: Fox and criticizing the host favorite guest, David From the 429 00:30:28,155 --> 00:30:31,955 Speaker 1: network's favorite sort of Republican guest, David From, for making 430 00:30:32,035 --> 00:30:34,715 Speaker 1: a really good joke about how if you're too drunk 431 00:30:34,795 --> 00:30:38,755 Speaker 1: for Fox, you're really really drunk. It was a good 432 00:30:38,875 --> 00:30:42,435 Speaker 1: joke and I applaud David From for it, And right 433 00:30:42,475 --> 00:30:46,675 Speaker 1: now Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzhinsky are the symbols of 434 00:30:46,715 --> 00:30:57,155 Speaker 1: a new network msnvsh Bezos, Scarborough, Virshinski, Marshall Tatan would 435 00:30:57,155 --> 00:31:19,555 Speaker 1: be proud. Two days other worst War said he finally 436 00:31:19,595 --> 00:31:21,915 Speaker 1: on the theory that we should close with something optimistic, 437 00:31:21,955 --> 00:31:24,395 Speaker 1: because God knows, there isn't very much optimistic going on 438 00:31:24,515 --> 00:31:27,315 Speaker 1: at the moment, despite the holiday season. In things I 439 00:31:27,435 --> 00:31:30,275 Speaker 1: promised not to tell, which is a total misnomer because 440 00:31:30,275 --> 00:31:32,955 Speaker 1: I didn't promise anybody I wouldn't tell this, I had 441 00:31:32,955 --> 00:31:36,355 Speaker 1: the pleasure on Thursday of having lunch with Ellie miss Stal, 442 00:31:37,115 --> 00:31:39,835 Speaker 1: who I have mentioned before quoted many times about his 443 00:31:39,955 --> 00:31:44,235 Speaker 1: extraordinarily good coverage of the Supreme Court, and I don't 444 00:31:44,235 --> 00:31:46,195 Speaker 1: think it's a secret since he posted about it in 445 00:31:46,235 --> 00:31:48,555 Speaker 1: social media and I posted about it. And I left 446 00:31:48,555 --> 00:31:51,195 Speaker 1: this lunch thinking, why does this man not have his 447 00:31:51,235 --> 00:31:54,555 Speaker 1: own TV news show. I don't know if that's a 448 00:31:54,555 --> 00:31:57,755 Speaker 1: compliment or a curse. In any event, we talked about 449 00:31:57,795 --> 00:32:00,435 Speaker 1: the news and the dire situations we all face right now, 450 00:32:00,475 --> 00:32:03,395 Speaker 1: but we also talked about our lives and histories, and 451 00:32:03,435 --> 00:32:06,115 Speaker 1: I got talking about Lost Angelus and having worked there 452 00:32:06,275 --> 00:32:09,995 Speaker 1: and having known somebody who worked for Coppola on the 453 00:32:10,035 --> 00:32:13,635 Speaker 1: Godfather films. And then at the end of this lunch, 454 00:32:14,515 --> 00:32:16,955 Speaker 1: he says to me, did you notice who was sitting 455 00:32:16,995 --> 00:32:19,475 Speaker 1: behind you in the adjoining booth? And I said no, 456 00:32:19,595 --> 00:32:23,115 Speaker 1: I was talking to you, and he said, Martin Scorsese. 457 00:32:23,555 --> 00:32:25,675 Speaker 1: And I said, you could have mentioned that. He said, well, 458 00:32:25,715 --> 00:32:28,035 Speaker 1: how am I supposed to say to you Martin Scorsese's 459 00:32:28,035 --> 00:32:30,875 Speaker 1: sitting behind you. When Martin Scorsese is sitting behind you, 460 00:32:30,915 --> 00:32:34,595 Speaker 1: I said, text me, write me a note. I would 461 00:32:34,675 --> 00:32:37,115 Speaker 1: love to have met him. I've never met him. I 462 00:32:37,195 --> 00:32:39,755 Speaker 1: never met Coppola. I met lots of people, and I 463 00:32:39,755 --> 00:32:41,955 Speaker 1: don't have any complaints about the number of people I 464 00:32:41,995 --> 00:32:47,755 Speaker 1: have met. Those Eh, those are probably it. I guess 465 00:32:48,475 --> 00:32:50,715 Speaker 1: I would like to meet Robert de Niro, who was 466 00:32:50,755 --> 00:32:53,835 Speaker 1: a great fan of the old TV show, And there 467 00:32:53,835 --> 00:32:55,475 Speaker 1: are a couple of other people here and there, But 468 00:32:55,635 --> 00:32:57,755 Speaker 1: you know, as I like to say, I met Jim 469 00:32:57,875 --> 00:33:02,795 Speaker 1: Thorpe's Olympic roommate from nineteen twelve, and I was apparently 470 00:33:02,795 --> 00:33:06,195 Speaker 1: a regular thing to watch on TV for the great 471 00:33:06,195 --> 00:33:10,835 Speaker 1: actor Joseph Cotton from Citizen Kane. And my friend Norman Lloyd, 472 00:33:11,355 --> 00:33:13,795 Speaker 1: who lived to be one hundred and six, had worked 473 00:33:13,795 --> 00:33:19,835 Speaker 1: with Wells and basically everybody between Wells and Amy Schumer 474 00:33:20,155 --> 00:33:22,715 Speaker 1: in the industry, in the film industry, so I don't 475 00:33:22,755 --> 00:33:25,595 Speaker 1: have any complaints about that, but it all brought me 476 00:33:25,715 --> 00:33:28,395 Speaker 1: back to this story of talking about how I happened, 477 00:33:28,395 --> 00:33:32,195 Speaker 1: by one remove to have known Coppola, or at least 478 00:33:32,235 --> 00:33:34,915 Speaker 1: somebody I knew knew Coppla. And I've been meaning to 479 00:33:34,955 --> 00:33:38,115 Speaker 1: tell this story for a while. Ellie and I talked 480 00:33:38,115 --> 00:33:41,795 Speaker 1: about my tenure in Los Angeles as a sportscaster, the 481 00:33:41,835 --> 00:33:45,995 Speaker 1: first one I had two nineteen eighty five to nineteen 482 00:33:46,275 --> 00:33:49,195 Speaker 1: ninety two, and one of my two or three jobs 483 00:33:49,195 --> 00:33:53,635 Speaker 1: there was at KNX Radio, the all news station then 484 00:33:53,675 --> 00:33:55,995 Speaker 1: in a heated rivalry with the other all news station 485 00:33:56,395 --> 00:34:00,115 Speaker 1: which later went out of business, KFWB. But I worked 486 00:34:00,155 --> 00:34:04,435 Speaker 1: at KNX, and it was an extraordinary place, perhaps journalistically 487 00:34:04,475 --> 00:34:07,275 Speaker 1: as as good as anywhere else I've ever worked, probably 488 00:34:07,275 --> 00:34:10,915 Speaker 1: a little bit better. And the history there literally was 489 00:34:10,955 --> 00:34:14,715 Speaker 1: on the walls. KNX had been in Los Angeles and 490 00:34:14,875 --> 00:34:20,115 Speaker 1: been in that studio on Sunset Boulevard, Columbia's Square. They 491 00:34:20,155 --> 00:34:23,715 Speaker 1: called it so long that the television studio in which 492 00:34:23,755 --> 00:34:29,035 Speaker 1: I eventually worked used to be Jack Benny's live studio 493 00:34:29,155 --> 00:34:32,955 Speaker 1: for his network radio show in the nineteen forties. And 494 00:34:33,075 --> 00:34:36,995 Speaker 1: our makeup artist, Billy, once explained to me he had 495 00:34:36,995 --> 00:34:39,315 Speaker 1: been working in the building since the early forties. And 496 00:34:39,355 --> 00:34:41,875 Speaker 1: I said, Billy, they didn't have television in this building. 497 00:34:41,995 --> 00:34:44,555 Speaker 1: CBS didn't have a television station in Los Angeles till 498 00:34:44,595 --> 00:34:46,875 Speaker 1: something like nineteen fifty one. He said, yeah, I used 499 00:34:46,875 --> 00:34:49,515 Speaker 1: to work makeup in radio, And I said, how in 500 00:34:49,555 --> 00:34:52,395 Speaker 1: the hell did that work? He goes, you don't know, 501 00:34:52,515 --> 00:34:55,875 Speaker 1: you're too young. Something I don't hear much anymore. He said, 502 00:34:55,875 --> 00:35:00,235 Speaker 1: you're too young. Everybody used to The performers used to 503 00:35:00,435 --> 00:35:03,915 Speaker 1: not only dress up in formal attire, often in tuxedos, 504 00:35:03,995 --> 00:35:06,555 Speaker 1: at least in suits, but there was a live audience. 505 00:35:06,875 --> 00:35:10,075 Speaker 1: The orientation for a radio show in nineteen forty eight, 506 00:35:10,195 --> 00:35:13,315 Speaker 1: even as television began to come in, was not, oh, 507 00:35:13,355 --> 00:35:15,715 Speaker 1: this is the easier version of television. We don't even 508 00:35:15,715 --> 00:35:18,955 Speaker 1: have to wear any clothes, let alone a tucks. We 509 00:35:18,995 --> 00:35:22,795 Speaker 1: can just get away with whatever we're wearing on the street. 510 00:35:22,835 --> 00:35:25,155 Speaker 1: In those days, they dressed up and they had a 511 00:35:25,195 --> 00:35:28,995 Speaker 1: studio audience. The theory was essentially it was Broadway, only 512 00:35:29,955 --> 00:35:33,235 Speaker 1: it was recorded it. It was even tenser than Broadway. 513 00:35:33,435 --> 00:35:35,515 Speaker 1: People would hear this again. You had to give an 514 00:35:35,555 --> 00:35:39,395 Speaker 1: even better presentation of yourself than you would if you 515 00:35:39,435 --> 00:35:43,115 Speaker 1: were live somewhere in the theater. Your only advantage was, 516 00:35:43,155 --> 00:35:45,035 Speaker 1: of course, if you screwed it up, they could do 517 00:35:45,115 --> 00:35:48,555 Speaker 1: it over again, because there were transcriptions and recording, even 518 00:35:48,595 --> 00:35:52,515 Speaker 1: before there was audio tape. So Jack Benny, my friend Billy, 519 00:35:52,595 --> 00:35:54,995 Speaker 1: used to make Jack Benny up so that the audience 520 00:35:55,035 --> 00:35:57,875 Speaker 1: would see only the youngish looking Jack Benny, who of 521 00:35:57,875 --> 00:36:00,795 Speaker 1: course always claimed to be thirty nine years old. The 522 00:36:00,875 --> 00:36:03,435 Speaker 1: story I wanted to tell came from not that floor 523 00:36:03,475 --> 00:36:07,195 Speaker 1: of the Columbia Square building, the television floor, as it were, 524 00:36:07,475 --> 00:36:10,395 Speaker 1: but the radio floor CANX Radio in LA. And it 525 00:36:10,595 --> 00:36:15,315 Speaker 1: sort of circumnavigates back to Martin Scorsese and how I 526 00:36:15,355 --> 00:36:17,915 Speaker 1: did not meet him on Thursday when I met Ellie 527 00:36:17,955 --> 00:36:22,835 Speaker 1: Mestap because Ellie didn't say, that's Martin Scorsese sitting behind you, 528 00:36:24,195 --> 00:36:28,115 Speaker 1: like you know. Okay, Here's how I knew Coppola by 529 00:36:28,315 --> 00:36:32,995 Speaker 1: one remove. When they called me, and I'm referring today 530 00:36:33,075 --> 00:36:35,995 Speaker 1: as the people at KNX Radio, which was an excellent 531 00:36:35,995 --> 00:36:40,235 Speaker 1: all news radio station and still is. They suggested that 532 00:36:40,315 --> 00:36:42,715 Speaker 1: I could come over there if I had time in 533 00:36:42,755 --> 00:36:45,435 Speaker 1: the afternoons. Since my job consisted at that point at 534 00:36:45,515 --> 00:36:47,915 Speaker 1: Channel five in Los Angeles of only doing the sports 535 00:36:47,915 --> 00:36:49,835 Speaker 1: on the ten o'clock news at night, I had a 536 00:36:49,835 --> 00:36:53,075 Speaker 1: lot of time to prepare. Usually get into the TV 537 00:36:53,195 --> 00:36:55,995 Speaker 1: station around three in the afternoon, and they said, would 538 00:36:56,035 --> 00:37:01,035 Speaker 1: you like to split our afternoon radio sports updates here 539 00:37:01,075 --> 00:37:04,515 Speaker 1: on KNX. We already have somebody doing them, but he 540 00:37:04,515 --> 00:37:06,395 Speaker 1: wants to cut back a little and we like to 541 00:37:06,395 --> 00:37:07,955 Speaker 1: cut him back a little bit. And I went Tom 542 00:37:08,035 --> 00:37:11,075 Speaker 1: Kelly and he said, this was roger Na Delby, assistant 543 00:37:11,115 --> 00:37:13,835 Speaker 1: news director of the station, telling me this. He said, yes, 544 00:37:13,915 --> 00:37:15,435 Speaker 1: you know him. I said, well, yeah, he's kind of 545 00:37:15,475 --> 00:37:17,995 Speaker 1: well known even outside LA. So a few months after 546 00:37:18,035 --> 00:37:20,795 Speaker 1: I got to Los Angeles and started on Channel five here, 547 00:37:20,875 --> 00:37:24,795 Speaker 1: I was in the afternoons splitting the shift with Tom Kelly, 548 00:37:24,795 --> 00:37:28,195 Speaker 1: who was legendary, and I would say there were many 549 00:37:28,275 --> 00:37:30,835 Speaker 1: reasons he was legendaries, an excellent play by play man. 550 00:37:31,075 --> 00:37:33,515 Speaker 1: He had been a local sportscaster and had a similar 551 00:37:33,595 --> 00:37:36,715 Speaker 1: arrangement that they were making for me on Channel eleven. 552 00:37:36,755 --> 00:37:39,715 Speaker 1: He did the weeknight sports news on Channel eleven in LA. 553 00:37:40,555 --> 00:37:43,355 Speaker 1: Just as I got there, they demoted him from that 554 00:37:43,475 --> 00:37:45,675 Speaker 1: and he didn't do much television thereafter. But he was 555 00:37:45,755 --> 00:37:48,755 Speaker 1: also in the afternoon drives slot at KNX, and he 556 00:37:48,835 --> 00:37:54,555 Speaker 1: did play by play of USC football and basketball. Chick Hearn, 557 00:37:54,675 --> 00:37:57,755 Speaker 1: the legendary voice of the Los Angeles Lakers, actually was 558 00:37:57,875 --> 00:38:01,755 Speaker 1: in LA before the Lakers moved to LA and did 559 00:38:01,915 --> 00:38:05,475 Speaker 1: all the USC games, basketball and I think for years football, 560 00:38:05,475 --> 00:38:08,275 Speaker 1: and he later did other sports. He did soccer play 561 00:38:08,315 --> 00:38:10,755 Speaker 1: by play on television if you can imagine such a thing, 562 00:38:10,755 --> 00:38:12,955 Speaker 1: and he did a bowling for dollars kind of show. 563 00:38:13,115 --> 00:38:15,915 Speaker 1: He did lots of things before the Lakers, even though 564 00:38:15,915 --> 00:38:18,435 Speaker 1: he's remembered only for the Lakers. When the Lakers came 565 00:38:18,475 --> 00:38:21,635 Speaker 1: to town, they wanted their guy, and it was Chick 566 00:38:21,675 --> 00:38:24,835 Speaker 1: Hern and they hired him away essentially from USC and 567 00:38:24,915 --> 00:38:28,595 Speaker 1: Tom Kelly got the job and became synonymous with USC 568 00:38:28,715 --> 00:38:33,515 Speaker 1: sports on KNX on television for probably twenty years, to 569 00:38:33,555 --> 00:38:36,555 Speaker 1: the point where he told me, and my impression of 570 00:38:36,555 --> 00:38:40,315 Speaker 1: Tom Kelly, I can't really give it the full value. 571 00:38:40,395 --> 00:38:44,475 Speaker 1: There are some who are who are born loud, some 572 00:38:44,795 --> 00:38:50,395 Speaker 1: who achieve loudness, some have loudness thrust upon them. I'm 573 00:38:50,475 --> 00:38:52,955 Speaker 1: way louder as a broadcaster than I was the day 574 00:38:52,995 --> 00:38:56,395 Speaker 1: I started in nineteen seventy five. And then there are 575 00:38:56,395 --> 00:38:59,675 Speaker 1: those who are all three. Tom Kelly had a voice 576 00:38:59,675 --> 00:39:05,155 Speaker 1: on him like you weren't actually hearing him over your radio. 577 00:39:05,435 --> 00:39:09,115 Speaker 1: He was simply seeping through your walls. This was a 578 00:39:09,195 --> 00:39:12,155 Speaker 1: problem in a newsroom where as we were ahead of 579 00:39:12,195 --> 00:39:15,195 Speaker 1: the curve there at can X, we had already adopted computers, 580 00:39:15,635 --> 00:39:17,555 Speaker 1: and they'd had them before I got there, but they 581 00:39:17,555 --> 00:39:19,595 Speaker 1: were in full use by nineteen eighty five. I don't 582 00:39:19,595 --> 00:39:22,755 Speaker 1: think there was a typewriter left in the place downstairs. 583 00:39:22,795 --> 00:39:25,875 Speaker 1: The television station used typewriters well into nineteen eighty nine. 584 00:39:26,235 --> 00:39:28,115 Speaker 1: In any event, so you'd be sitting there was a 585 00:39:28,155 --> 00:39:31,355 Speaker 1: fairly quiet environment, and the phone would ring and you'd 586 00:39:31,355 --> 00:39:35,955 Speaker 1: hear this Kelly speaking, and Tom would conduct a conversation 587 00:39:36,275 --> 00:39:38,395 Speaker 1: like that, only not as forced sounded, but with that 588 00:39:38,475 --> 00:39:40,675 Speaker 1: kind of volume. And I did move my mouth away 589 00:39:40,675 --> 00:39:43,715 Speaker 1: from the mic, so you didn't hear that in full flower. 590 00:39:43,955 --> 00:39:46,755 Speaker 1: But Tom Kelly was really loud, like this, like a 591 00:39:46,795 --> 00:39:51,315 Speaker 1: PA system at a local Metropolitan Railroad station near you, 592 00:39:52,795 --> 00:39:57,595 Speaker 1: only louder. So we used to joke about, how you know, Tom, 593 00:39:57,995 --> 00:40:00,235 Speaker 1: it probably save you a little strain on your voice 594 00:40:00,235 --> 00:40:03,995 Speaker 1: if you use a microphone instead. In any event, I 595 00:40:04,115 --> 00:40:07,515 Speaker 1: like Tom. Tom was, I guess grudgingly okay with me 596 00:40:07,675 --> 00:40:10,835 Speaker 1: taking some money out of his pocket. But he explained 597 00:40:10,835 --> 00:40:13,675 Speaker 1: that he had and would have until he died, a 598 00:40:13,675 --> 00:40:17,915 Speaker 1: steady scream stream of income, noticed the Freudian slipped there 599 00:40:17,915 --> 00:40:22,995 Speaker 1: about him screaming absolutely apt. Tom said he'd have this 600 00:40:23,315 --> 00:40:26,595 Speaker 1: steady stream of income until the day he died. Because 601 00:40:26,675 --> 00:40:30,755 Speaker 1: one day after the success of Godfather, the movie produced 602 00:40:30,755 --> 00:40:35,635 Speaker 1: by Francis Ford Coppola, he got a call directly from 603 00:40:35,835 --> 00:40:39,355 Speaker 1: Francis Ford Coppola saying that he was a big usc 604 00:40:39,515 --> 00:40:41,235 Speaker 1: fan and he used to listen to K and X 605 00:40:41,235 --> 00:40:43,075 Speaker 1: in the afternoons, and the people used to listen to 606 00:40:43,155 --> 00:40:45,395 Speaker 1: K and X. It's how I met Vin Scully. He 607 00:40:45,515 --> 00:40:48,115 Speaker 1: was a regular listener of mine before I had the 608 00:40:48,275 --> 00:40:52,675 Speaker 1: courage to screw up the whatever it was that required 609 00:40:53,075 --> 00:40:55,515 Speaker 1: I required before I introduced myself to Vin Scully and 610 00:40:55,515 --> 00:40:58,195 Speaker 1: he said, I listened to you every afternoon. I thought 611 00:40:58,235 --> 00:41:02,235 Speaker 1: I'd done something to offend you. We had extraordinary audiences. 612 00:41:02,475 --> 00:41:04,195 Speaker 1: And of course, as I said, the station had been 613 00:41:04,235 --> 00:41:07,075 Speaker 1: on the air in various guyses as a talk station, 614 00:41:07,435 --> 00:41:09,755 Speaker 1: as a comedy station, as a rock and roll station 615 00:41:10,355 --> 00:41:13,475 Speaker 1: since the thirties, and as the home for Jack Benny, 616 00:41:14,315 --> 00:41:17,235 Speaker 1: so it had a cachet in Los Angeles that was 617 00:41:17,715 --> 00:41:22,075 Speaker 1: just tremendous. Los Angeles was an underrated broadcasting town with 618 00:41:22,275 --> 00:41:24,595 Speaker 1: people who had been on the air in television. As 619 00:41:24,635 --> 00:41:27,515 Speaker 1: I always tell the story of my late friend Stan Chambers, 620 00:41:27,875 --> 00:41:31,395 Speaker 1: that he was there the day KTLA Channel five signed 621 00:41:31,435 --> 00:41:34,315 Speaker 1: on in nineteen forty seven, went through every job in 622 00:41:34,315 --> 00:41:37,955 Speaker 1: the place, including news director, and eventually before he retired, 623 00:41:38,595 --> 00:41:41,715 Speaker 1: he was working alongside his own grandson, who is still 624 00:41:41,755 --> 00:41:44,035 Speaker 1: a reporter and an excellent one in this business. Based 625 00:41:44,075 --> 00:41:48,475 Speaker 1: in San Diego, Jamie Stan was there at KTLA for 626 00:41:48,555 --> 00:41:51,515 Speaker 1: like one hundred and forty four years, and he was 627 00:41:51,595 --> 00:41:54,155 Speaker 1: going out on stories at ten o'clock at night every 628 00:41:54,235 --> 00:41:58,315 Speaker 1: night the week he retired. So there were long lived, 629 00:41:58,675 --> 00:42:01,515 Speaker 1: longevity kind of guys, and they became very familiar to 630 00:42:01,555 --> 00:42:03,715 Speaker 1: the audience. So the phone ringing in the kN X 631 00:42:03,795 --> 00:42:07,235 Speaker 1: newsroom sometimes in I guess the early eighties, maybe the 632 00:42:07,315 --> 00:42:09,555 Speaker 1: late seventies. I forget my timing on the making of 633 00:42:09,595 --> 00:42:12,955 Speaker 1: the second Godfather film, I guess still late seventies. But 634 00:42:12,995 --> 00:42:17,395 Speaker 1: the phone rings and Kelly answers it sports like that, 635 00:42:17,555 --> 00:42:20,475 Speaker 1: and then he says, nice to talk to you, mister Coppola. 636 00:42:20,515 --> 00:42:25,515 Speaker 1: What can I do for you? And what mister Copplo 637 00:42:25,595 --> 00:42:31,835 Speaker 1: wanted was he wanted Tom Kelly to research, produce, and 638 00:42:31,955 --> 00:42:35,835 Speaker 1: record and hand him a tape of the play by 639 00:42:35,915 --> 00:42:41,115 Speaker 1: play of the USC Notre Dame football game from I 640 00:42:41,155 --> 00:42:46,995 Speaker 1: guess nineteen sixty one two. I looked this up once, 641 00:42:47,075 --> 00:42:50,515 Speaker 1: and of course, advancing in my own age and not 642 00:42:50,595 --> 00:42:52,675 Speaker 1: really being able to see anything at the moment, as 643 00:42:52,675 --> 00:42:55,995 Speaker 1: alluded to earlier, I don't remember what I found. I 644 00:42:55,995 --> 00:42:58,875 Speaker 1: think it was nineteen sixty two. What he wanted was 645 00:42:59,555 --> 00:43:02,835 Speaker 1: like half an hour's worth of play by play, actual 646 00:43:03,275 --> 00:43:07,395 Speaker 1: literal play by play of that football game, so that 647 00:43:07,515 --> 00:43:11,355 Speaker 1: the actor Lee Strasberg playing Hyman Roth could be watching 648 00:43:11,395 --> 00:43:16,555 Speaker 1: it in his home outside Miami when Michael Corleone comes 649 00:43:16,595 --> 00:43:19,955 Speaker 1: and visits him. And I might add that the actor 650 00:43:19,955 --> 00:43:23,035 Speaker 1: who played Michael Corleoni, who was not Robert de Niro, 651 00:43:24,235 --> 00:43:26,475 Speaker 1: who was the other one, used to live in the 652 00:43:26,515 --> 00:43:28,275 Speaker 1: same building I did, and I used to see him 653 00:43:28,275 --> 00:43:29,955 Speaker 1: all the time, and he was about three feet tall, 654 00:43:29,995 --> 00:43:32,075 Speaker 1: and he had a dog who was about six feet tall. 655 00:43:32,475 --> 00:43:35,235 Speaker 1: So I already met him, and I never met Robert DeNiro. 656 00:43:36,635 --> 00:43:42,715 Speaker 1: So he wanted Corleone to have this meeting with Hyman Roth. 657 00:43:43,515 --> 00:43:45,835 Speaker 1: Francis Ford Coppola, did I have too many hymns in 658 00:43:45,875 --> 00:43:49,795 Speaker 1: this statement? He wanted him to have the game on 659 00:43:49,915 --> 00:43:53,475 Speaker 1: in the background. But one of the things that makes 660 00:43:53,555 --> 00:43:56,035 Speaker 1: and few people recognize this, my father did, and he 661 00:43:56,075 --> 00:43:57,315 Speaker 1: was the first one to point it out to me. 662 00:43:57,355 --> 00:44:00,155 Speaker 1: And I find, to my great surprise to this day, 663 00:44:00,795 --> 00:44:04,155 Speaker 1: fifty years later, nearly after the success of the Godfather films, 664 00:44:04,755 --> 00:44:09,755 Speaker 1: that many people don't recognize this as one of the great, great, 665 00:44:10,635 --> 00:44:18,195 Speaker 1: understated but important components to the spectacular nature and the genuineness, 666 00:44:18,235 --> 00:44:22,475 Speaker 1: the resilience, the very similitude of the Godfather films. Coppola 667 00:44:22,555 --> 00:44:26,475 Speaker 1: thought that the more background details that he got that 668 00:44:26,515 --> 00:44:29,875 Speaker 1: were historically accurate to the day he was pretending to 669 00:44:29,915 --> 00:44:33,275 Speaker 1: take you to, whether you knew anything about the historical 670 00:44:33,315 --> 00:44:35,515 Speaker 1: record of that date or not, the more that he 671 00:44:35,555 --> 00:44:39,435 Speaker 1: got exactly right, the better the film would be. My 672 00:44:39,515 --> 00:44:41,715 Speaker 1: father pointed this out to me not long after he 673 00:44:41,795 --> 00:44:46,315 Speaker 1: bought the first VCR I had ever seen. This is 674 00:44:46,315 --> 00:44:49,515 Speaker 1: in nineteen seventy seven. It costs two thousand dollars apiece, 675 00:44:49,675 --> 00:44:53,675 Speaker 1: and the blank tapes were twenty dollars. Bootleg versions of 676 00:44:53,795 --> 00:44:58,315 Speaker 1: popular films were one hundred dollars. Real versions of videos 677 00:44:58,355 --> 00:45:01,715 Speaker 1: of films were two hundred dollars. The Godfather was two 678 00:45:01,795 --> 00:45:05,795 Speaker 1: hundred dollars. Porn was two hundred dollars. Bad movies were 679 00:45:05,835 --> 00:45:08,155 Speaker 1: two hundred dollars. Needless to say, they didn't sell a 680 00:45:08,235 --> 00:45:12,035 Speaker 1: lot of movies. But my dad got a bootleg version 681 00:45:12,115 --> 00:45:15,235 Speaker 1: of The Godfather Part two and he called me in 682 00:45:15,275 --> 00:45:17,515 Speaker 1: one day as he was watching it out in our 683 00:45:17,555 --> 00:45:22,315 Speaker 1: living room. I guess I was home from Cornell. It 684 00:45:22,355 --> 00:45:24,555 Speaker 1: was the winter break. I remember it being very cold, 685 00:45:24,755 --> 00:45:27,555 Speaker 1: and my dad had frozen. It had paused the video 686 00:45:28,115 --> 00:45:34,635 Speaker 1: of Godfather Part two, in which de Niro is standing 687 00:45:34,635 --> 00:45:39,755 Speaker 1: there on the street in New York in nineteen oh four, 688 00:45:40,035 --> 00:45:43,755 Speaker 1: whenever it is nineteen oh six, just before he kills 689 00:45:44,115 --> 00:45:48,435 Speaker 1: the mafia leader and makes begins his assent to running 690 00:45:48,635 --> 00:45:51,875 Speaker 1: the families of New York. And my dad says, you 691 00:45:52,395 --> 00:45:56,395 Speaker 1: got to see this. I spent time in the public 692 00:45:56,435 --> 00:45:59,275 Speaker 1: library here in Hastings the other day to check this out. 693 00:45:59,955 --> 00:46:02,155 Speaker 1: I had a feeling this was true, and it's true. 694 00:46:02,675 --> 00:46:06,675 Speaker 1: Do you see the window of the grocery store behind 695 00:46:06,755 --> 00:46:08,795 Speaker 1: him in this tight shot? What do you see in 696 00:46:08,835 --> 00:46:11,995 Speaker 1: the window? I said, it looks like a poster for 697 00:46:12,035 --> 00:46:15,475 Speaker 1: a fight, an advertisement for a boxing match at Madison 698 00:46:15,515 --> 00:46:18,555 Speaker 1: Square Garden. Not an uncommon sight in nineteen oh four, 699 00:46:18,995 --> 00:46:21,315 Speaker 1: or in my own youth or in years thereafter here 700 00:46:21,355 --> 00:46:26,795 Speaker 1: in New York. And there it was somebody, kid, somebody 701 00:46:26,875 --> 00:46:30,275 Speaker 1: versus somebody junior. All the boxers of the days were 702 00:46:30,275 --> 00:46:33,995 Speaker 1: either John L. Sullivan Junior or kid John L. Sullivan. 703 00:46:34,355 --> 00:46:37,275 Speaker 1: That was the joke. It was, you know, kid Sullivan 704 00:46:37,355 --> 00:46:40,715 Speaker 1: versus Sullivan Junior for the championship of the Sullivan Division. 705 00:46:40,915 --> 00:46:46,755 Speaker 1: Referee John M. Sullivan in any event. My dad said, 706 00:46:47,035 --> 00:46:50,475 Speaker 1: I went and looked this up. That fight actually happened 707 00:46:50,515 --> 00:46:53,075 Speaker 1: on that date at Madison Square Garden. That is the 708 00:46:53,155 --> 00:46:57,915 Speaker 1: kind of detail this man brings to these films. That's 709 00:46:57,955 --> 00:47:02,035 Speaker 1: why they're so good. Because you may never notice that 710 00:47:02,115 --> 00:47:05,315 Speaker 1: you are actually seeing sort of time to time travel here, 711 00:47:05,475 --> 00:47:08,315 Speaker 1: but the story seems legit because the background to it 712 00:47:08,355 --> 00:47:10,555 Speaker 1: is legit. He said, I don't know if that helps 713 00:47:10,555 --> 00:47:12,795 Speaker 1: you in what you're doing in your career, but maybe 714 00:47:12,795 --> 00:47:15,595 Speaker 1: you should think about that, and I said I will, 715 00:47:15,635 --> 00:47:19,715 Speaker 1: and I still am. So this was why Francis Ford 716 00:47:19,755 --> 00:47:23,275 Speaker 1: Koppola called my colleague Tom Kelly one day at KNX 717 00:47:23,475 --> 00:47:27,715 Speaker 1: and said, would you do this for me? I want 718 00:47:27,715 --> 00:47:31,315 Speaker 1: you to research it. I know there's no videotape of 719 00:47:31,315 --> 00:47:33,875 Speaker 1: the game. I know there's no copy unless you have 720 00:47:33,995 --> 00:47:37,035 Speaker 1: one audio tape of the game, but I will give 721 00:47:37,075 --> 00:47:42,875 Speaker 1: you fifty thousand dollars to go and research. However. You 722 00:47:42,915 --> 00:47:46,795 Speaker 1: can research it in the newspapers at the USC Sports 723 00:47:46,795 --> 00:47:49,475 Speaker 1: Information Office, however you could research it. I want you 724 00:47:49,515 --> 00:47:54,275 Speaker 1: to go and research it and produce for me a 725 00:47:54,315 --> 00:47:56,595 Speaker 1: real to reel tape with half an hour of this 726 00:47:56,715 --> 00:48:01,395 Speaker 1: game as you would have called it. And Kelly goes, 727 00:48:02,275 --> 00:48:04,835 Speaker 1: I can do that, not a problem. Excuse me. I 728 00:48:04,835 --> 00:48:08,355 Speaker 1: can do that, not a problem, he said. But I don't. 729 00:48:08,515 --> 00:48:10,435 Speaker 1: I don't need the cash. Is there any way you 730 00:48:10,435 --> 00:48:13,555 Speaker 1: could give me one millionth of a point of the 731 00:48:13,595 --> 00:48:17,315 Speaker 1: film or something joking like that, And Coppola says, frankly, 732 00:48:18,075 --> 00:48:20,595 Speaker 1: this job is worth more like one hundred thousand dollars, 733 00:48:20,595 --> 00:48:22,755 Speaker 1: but I don't have it, not for something like this. 734 00:48:22,795 --> 00:48:25,315 Speaker 1: They won't let me spend the money. If you can 735 00:48:25,475 --> 00:48:29,035 Speaker 1: clear this where I wind up paying you five hundred 736 00:48:29,075 --> 00:48:31,355 Speaker 1: dollars in cash and it shows on the books that 737 00:48:31,395 --> 00:48:34,035 Speaker 1: I paid you five hundred dollars in cash, I will 738 00:48:34,075 --> 00:48:38,595 Speaker 1: give you zero point zero zero zero zero zero zero 739 00:48:38,715 --> 00:48:41,435 Speaker 1: zero one percent of the profits of this film, a 740 00:48:41,555 --> 00:48:46,755 Speaker 1: microscopic number estimated to be worth maybe maybe long term, 741 00:48:46,875 --> 00:48:50,955 Speaker 1: one hundred thousand dollars Godfather Part two. And Kelly, who 742 00:48:50,955 --> 00:48:52,875 Speaker 1: had been in Los Angeles long enough and had done 743 00:48:52,995 --> 00:48:57,235 Speaker 1: enough part time gigs in television and full time gigs 744 00:48:57,275 --> 00:49:00,595 Speaker 1: in television and cameos in movies and TV series to 745 00:49:00,715 --> 00:49:04,395 Speaker 1: know exactly how much zero point zero zero zero zero 746 00:49:04,435 --> 00:49:06,955 Speaker 1: one percent of the profits of a film or TV 747 00:49:07,035 --> 00:49:12,035 Speaker 1: series might be and what it would be at minimum said, Okay, 748 00:49:12,075 --> 00:49:14,715 Speaker 1: when do you need it? Kelly said, he took a 749 00:49:14,715 --> 00:49:17,755 Speaker 1: couple of days off, went into the library of the 750 00:49:17,795 --> 00:49:21,115 Speaker 1: Sports Information Office and the Athletic department at usc where 751 00:49:21,115 --> 00:49:23,475 Speaker 1: he obviously had entree as the play by play man 752 00:49:23,475 --> 00:49:27,475 Speaker 1: for both football and basketball, and he wrote down every 753 00:49:27,515 --> 00:49:31,075 Speaker 1: detail he could and went into a studio and recorded it. 754 00:49:31,115 --> 00:49:33,835 Speaker 1: He may have even recorded it at KNX, and everybody 755 00:49:33,995 --> 00:49:37,875 Speaker 1: just said, what is Kelly doing in there? Well, listen carefully. 756 00:49:37,955 --> 00:49:41,555 Speaker 1: We can hear him coming through the soundproof windows as 757 00:49:41,555 --> 00:49:43,955 Speaker 1: you can hear him at home doing this whatever he's doing. 758 00:49:44,355 --> 00:49:47,555 Speaker 1: And he said he went to Koppola's office and handed 759 00:49:47,595 --> 00:49:49,915 Speaker 1: him that tape, and Coppola listened to a couple of 760 00:49:49,955 --> 00:49:52,315 Speaker 1: minutes and said, this is exactly what I need. Here's 761 00:49:52,315 --> 00:49:55,395 Speaker 1: your five hundred dollars sign here. You now have zero 762 00:49:55,435 --> 00:49:58,515 Speaker 1: points zero zero, zero one percent or whatever it was 763 00:49:58,875 --> 00:50:01,795 Speaker 1: of the profits of Godfather too for doing this for 764 00:50:01,875 --> 00:50:04,075 Speaker 1: me and keeping it off the books and helping me 765 00:50:04,115 --> 00:50:07,435 Speaker 1: with my idea. It partners and producers in the studio 766 00:50:07,475 --> 00:50:10,955 Speaker 1: and everybody else who would never understand why I need 767 00:50:11,275 --> 00:50:14,475 Speaker 1: that play by play of that game in the background 768 00:50:14,475 --> 00:50:17,115 Speaker 1: that nobody will notice. It will only be full volume 769 00:50:17,155 --> 00:50:19,795 Speaker 1: for maybe five seconds in the whole film, but it's 770 00:50:19,835 --> 00:50:25,275 Speaker 1: got to be there, so Strasbourg and Pacino can can 771 00:50:26,195 --> 00:50:29,435 Speaker 1: be in that space and it helps the actors too. 772 00:50:29,955 --> 00:50:33,035 Speaker 1: And Kelly goes well to himself and he told me 773 00:50:33,115 --> 00:50:35,315 Speaker 1: this later, I don't care if this guy's nuts. I 774 00:50:35,475 --> 00:50:38,195 Speaker 1: just got zero point zero zero zero zero one percent 775 00:50:38,395 --> 00:50:41,955 Speaker 1: of the profits of the sequel to The Godfather. And 776 00:50:41,995 --> 00:50:44,475 Speaker 1: so what Tom Kelly was explaining to me where he 777 00:50:44,515 --> 00:50:47,035 Speaker 1: didn't really care how much he worked, that it was 778 00:50:47,155 --> 00:50:49,355 Speaker 1: nice to work. He liked to work. It was his 779 00:50:49,515 --> 00:50:51,515 Speaker 1: job and it was his calling, and he enjoyed it, 780 00:50:51,835 --> 00:50:54,155 Speaker 1: and he liked the hours, and he didn't mind not 781 00:50:54,275 --> 00:50:56,915 Speaker 1: being on television and the radio. Work would take care 782 00:50:56,955 --> 00:50:59,555 Speaker 1: of nearly all of his expenses, but his main income 783 00:50:59,875 --> 00:51:02,595 Speaker 1: was that zero point zero zero zero one percent of 784 00:51:02,635 --> 00:51:05,675 Speaker 1: all profits from The Godfather. Because he even now, and 785 00:51:05,755 --> 00:51:09,915 Speaker 1: it would have been five ten years later after Godfather 786 00:51:09,995 --> 00:51:12,075 Speaker 1: Part two came out, he said that he had never 787 00:51:12,115 --> 00:51:15,995 Speaker 1: had a year so far that with the advent of 788 00:51:16,115 --> 00:51:20,155 Speaker 1: VHS tapes being available and of course the rebroadcasts on 789 00:51:20,195 --> 00:51:23,555 Speaker 1: television and cable and things like that, that weren't really 790 00:51:23,675 --> 00:51:26,995 Speaker 1: definable in nineteen seventy eight, or whenever he signed this 791 00:51:27,075 --> 00:51:31,435 Speaker 1: deal and made this tape of this football game. Between 792 00:51:31,555 --> 00:51:33,915 Speaker 1: all of those sources of income, to say nothing of 793 00:51:33,955 --> 00:51:36,355 Speaker 1: the theatrical re releases of the film, and the time 794 00:51:36,355 --> 00:51:39,395 Speaker 1: that Koppla cut it all together again to make it 795 00:51:39,475 --> 00:51:42,635 Speaker 1: chronologically sequential and issued it again and made more hundreds 796 00:51:42,635 --> 00:51:46,435 Speaker 1: of millions of dollars. Tom Kelly said that having agreed 797 00:51:46,435 --> 00:51:48,555 Speaker 1: to take five hundred dollars in cash and the rest 798 00:51:48,555 --> 00:51:51,115 Speaker 1: and a promise, he had never made less than one 799 00:51:51,155 --> 00:51:55,115 Speaker 1: hundred thousand dollars a year from thirty minutes of recording 800 00:51:55,195 --> 00:51:58,395 Speaker 1: and two days worth of work on a subject. He 801 00:51:58,475 --> 00:52:01,675 Speaker 1: was already an expert. For one hundred thousand dollars a year, 802 00:52:02,235 --> 00:52:05,355 Speaker 1: That's what I'm remembering at It may have been more, 803 00:52:05,435 --> 00:52:07,395 Speaker 1: it may have been a little less, but I remember 804 00:52:07,435 --> 00:52:11,555 Speaker 1: it was in six figures. Good God. That was his 805 00:52:11,675 --> 00:52:14,035 Speaker 1: source of income. He said, it's my retirement fund, and 806 00:52:14,075 --> 00:52:17,995 Speaker 1: I don't even have to retire. So I always wanted 807 00:52:18,035 --> 00:52:20,115 Speaker 1: to tell that story, and I was reminded of it 808 00:52:20,155 --> 00:52:24,195 Speaker 1: because not Coppola, who I haven't met, but Scorsese, who 809 00:52:24,195 --> 00:52:26,835 Speaker 1: I haven't met, was sitting next to me, and no, 810 00:52:26,915 --> 00:52:30,555 Speaker 1: he was not sitting next to de Niro, and that 811 00:52:30,955 --> 00:52:34,915 Speaker 1: somehow is my story of my lunch with Ellie Mestaal 812 00:52:47,875 --> 00:52:51,275 Speaker 1: just wanted to cheer things up a little bit, given 813 00:52:51,315 --> 00:52:53,435 Speaker 1: the fact that it's my neighborhood in which the guy 814 00:52:53,475 --> 00:52:58,475 Speaker 1: got shot, signaling the start of a new era of 815 00:52:59,115 --> 00:53:05,315 Speaker 1: the key word in American politics being duck. Anyway, I've 816 00:53:05,355 --> 00:53:08,075 Speaker 1: done all the damage I can do here. Thank you 817 00:53:08,115 --> 00:53:10,875 Speaker 1: for listening. Let me see if I can read this. 818 00:53:11,915 --> 00:53:17,275 Speaker 1: I'm now reminded of a Genesis video Land of Illusion 819 00:53:17,315 --> 00:53:21,675 Speaker 1: maybe which they have puppets, British puppets, and there's a 820 00:53:21,675 --> 00:53:25,515 Speaker 1: British puppet of Bob Hope and he's reading his catchphrase 821 00:53:25,635 --> 00:53:29,075 Speaker 1: I gotta tell you off Q cards only. His vision 822 00:53:29,155 --> 00:53:33,555 Speaker 1: is so bad that every Q card has one word 823 00:53:33,595 --> 00:53:35,675 Speaker 1: on it, and one word only. I feel like I 824 00:53:35,755 --> 00:53:38,355 Speaker 1: need that for these scripts. I'm reading off a piece 825 00:53:38,355 --> 00:53:40,715 Speaker 1: of paper that's got like two hundred and sixty four 826 00:53:40,755 --> 00:53:46,235 Speaker 1: point type. Brian Ray and John Phillip Shanelle, I know 827 00:53:46,435 --> 00:53:49,595 Speaker 1: by heart that they're the musical directors. Have Countdown. They arranged, 828 00:53:49,675 --> 00:53:52,315 Speaker 1: produced and performed most of our music, and mister Shanelle 829 00:53:52,835 --> 00:53:55,915 Speaker 1: was on orchestration and keyboards mister Ray was on the guitars, 830 00:53:56,275 --> 00:54:00,395 Speaker 1: the bass, and the drums. The producer is credited as 831 00:54:00,555 --> 00:54:04,395 Speaker 1: Tko Brothers, which was something Brian suggested once. That's him 832 00:54:04,435 --> 00:54:08,475 Speaker 1: and Shaneil and me. Our satirical and pithy musical comments 833 00:54:08,515 --> 00:54:11,955 Speaker 1: are by the best baseball stadium organist ever, Nancy Faust. 834 00:54:12,835 --> 00:54:16,995 Speaker 1: The sports music is the Olderman theme from ESPN two, 835 00:54:17,075 --> 00:54:20,315 Speaker 1: written by Mitch Warren Davis and courtesy of ESPN Inc. 836 00:54:20,875 --> 00:54:23,515 Speaker 1: Other music was arranged and performed by the group Noah 837 00:54:23,515 --> 00:54:27,195 Speaker 1: Horns Allowed and continuing the musical theme. My announcer was 838 00:54:27,235 --> 00:54:30,995 Speaker 1: my friend Stevie van Zant. Everything else was as ever 839 00:54:31,315 --> 00:54:35,155 Speaker 1: my fault. My excuse is I can't really read. Still, 840 00:54:35,475 --> 00:54:39,035 Speaker 1: I'm fine. Full checkup of the eyes later in the week. 841 00:54:39,515 --> 00:54:42,555 Speaker 1: The dogs are fine. In fact, three of them have 842 00:54:42,675 --> 00:54:45,715 Speaker 1: joined me in producing this show. Kit is sitting here 843 00:54:45,715 --> 00:54:48,995 Speaker 1: in front of me, Stevie is here, Ted is here. 844 00:54:49,675 --> 00:54:55,035 Speaker 1: Rose is outside because she's a contrarian. In fact, I 845 00:54:55,075 --> 00:54:58,355 Speaker 1: think she's watching Godfather Part two at the moment. This 846 00:54:58,555 --> 00:55:02,475 Speaker 1: part about the football game is really good. One hundred 847 00:55:02,555 --> 00:55:11,875 Speaker 1: thousand dollars a year forever, it's probably more now anyway. 848 00:55:12,675 --> 00:55:16,035 Speaker 1: That's countdown for today, just one thousand. This I have 849 00:55:16,115 --> 00:55:20,275 Speaker 1: to read five hundred and four days until the scheduled 850 00:55:20,435 --> 00:55:23,435 Speaker 1: end of the lame duck presidency of the very lame Trump. 851 00:55:24,035 --> 00:55:29,675 Speaker 1: Probably the next scheduled countdown will be Thursday. As always, 852 00:55:29,755 --> 00:55:34,195 Speaker 1: bulletins as the news warrants, and my eyeballs permit, till 853 00:55:34,195 --> 00:55:37,515 Speaker 1: next time, I'm Keith Olderman. Good morning, good afternoon, good night, 854 00:55:39,235 --> 00:55:49,515 Speaker 1: and good luck. I did want to add something here 855 00:55:49,555 --> 00:55:52,355 Speaker 1: if you're still listening. The moment, this is how well 856 00:55:52,515 --> 00:55:55,875 Speaker 1: trained and knowledgeable and smart my dogs are. The moment 857 00:55:55,875 --> 00:55:58,755 Speaker 1: I said good luck, just there, Stevie, who had been 858 00:55:58,755 --> 00:56:02,315 Speaker 1: reclining gracefully in front of me, stood up like, oh 859 00:56:02,435 --> 00:56:04,515 Speaker 1: good are we going to eat now? Because good luck 860 00:56:04,875 --> 00:56:19,875 Speaker 1: he's finished. These are smart dogs. Countdown with Keith Olreman 861 00:56:20,035 --> 00:56:24,515 Speaker 1: is a production of iHeartRadio. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, 862 00:56:24,635 --> 00:56:28,675 Speaker 1: visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get 863 00:56:28,715 --> 00:56:29,635 Speaker 1: your podcasts.