1 00:00:04,795 --> 00:00:21,555 Speaker 1: Countdown with Keith Olderman is a production of iHeartRadio. The 2 00:00:21,675 --> 00:00:26,875 Speaker 1: Special Council is at the end game. Trump's liberty maybe 3 00:00:26,915 --> 00:00:29,515 Speaker 1: at the endgame as well. Quote. Some of Trump's close 4 00:00:29,555 --> 00:00:33,835 Speaker 1: associates are bracing for his indictment and anticipate being able 5 00:00:33,875 --> 00:00:37,115 Speaker 1: to fund raise off of prosecution. People in the former 6 00:00:37,155 --> 00:00:41,155 Speaker 1: president circle said, unquote, Jack Smith has all but finished 7 00:00:41,155 --> 00:00:45,715 Speaker 1: obtaining testimony and other evidence unquote, evidence about the classified documents. 8 00:00:45,755 --> 00:00:49,035 Speaker 1: Trump stole not a thing in there about Saudi Arabia, 9 00:00:49,155 --> 00:00:53,475 Speaker 1: or China, or even Oman or Coup's or January sixth 10 00:00:53,555 --> 00:00:57,995 Speaker 1: or fifty pages of Evan Corcoran's handwritten dear Diary. Trump said, 11 00:00:57,995 --> 00:01:02,395 Speaker 1: another really illegal thing today notes or even two pages 12 00:01:02,435 --> 00:01:06,715 Speaker 1: of those notes. That is hardly breathless composition. Right there 13 00:01:06,755 --> 00:01:09,435 Speaker 1: by the Wall Street Journal. It also reminds us that 14 00:01:09,475 --> 00:01:11,995 Speaker 1: nearly three weeks ago, the same paper seem to write 15 00:01:12,035 --> 00:01:15,315 Speaker 1: the same thing. The steps prosecutors are taking suggest mister 16 00:01:15,355 --> 00:01:18,635 Speaker 1: Smith is in the late stages of his inquiry. Only 17 00:01:18,675 --> 00:01:22,035 Speaker 1: that was about not the marri Lago documents, but about 18 00:01:22,035 --> 00:01:27,555 Speaker 1: Trump's extra legal, cynical attempt to manipulate the electoral college system. 19 00:01:28,795 --> 00:01:33,675 Speaker 1: And still I am hopeful I know, I know, I know, 20 00:01:33,915 --> 00:01:35,835 Speaker 1: I know, I know, I know there is no such 21 00:01:35,915 --> 00:01:40,155 Speaker 1: thing as Trump derangement syndrome. But they're sure as hell 22 00:01:40,475 --> 00:01:44,675 Speaker 1: is a Mueller derangement syndrome and we all have it. 23 00:01:45,395 --> 00:01:49,595 Speaker 1: But perversely, I am encouraged more by the Journal's board 24 00:01:49,835 --> 00:01:53,955 Speaker 1: robotic voice redlent of Alan Rickman and The Hitchhiker's Guide 25 00:01:53,955 --> 00:01:56,315 Speaker 1: to the Galaxy that I was by some of the 26 00:01:56,435 --> 00:02:00,355 Speaker 1: hyperventilation over Monday's revelations about the Corcoran revelations, or the 27 00:02:00,435 --> 00:02:04,115 Speaker 1: stitching together of the theory that Trump actually stole nuclear 28 00:02:04,195 --> 00:02:07,435 Speaker 1: secrets so he could get a better deal on goddamn 29 00:02:07,515 --> 00:02:12,075 Speaker 1: golf course naming rights from the saudis hyperventilation that included 30 00:02:12,115 --> 00:02:15,155 Speaker 1: my own. But I mean, how would you expect the 31 00:02:15,195 --> 00:02:19,155 Speaker 1: Wall Street Journal, which starts by sucking the life out 32 00:02:19,195 --> 00:02:21,675 Speaker 1: of everything its reporter's touch, and when it's something that 33 00:02:21,755 --> 00:02:25,515 Speaker 1: hurts conservatives, then runs it all through the deflavorizing machine 34 00:02:25,515 --> 00:02:27,955 Speaker 1: a second time just to make sure. How would you 35 00:02:28,075 --> 00:02:33,115 Speaker 1: expect the journal to present a genuinely shocking detail such 36 00:02:33,115 --> 00:02:36,955 Speaker 1: as the one they did in paragraph three quote. In 37 00:02:37,075 --> 00:02:41,755 Speaker 1: recent weeks, prosecutors working for Smith have completed interviews with 38 00:02:41,955 --> 00:02:48,675 Speaker 1: nearly every employee at Trump's Florida home, from top political 39 00:02:48,715 --> 00:02:57,195 Speaker 1: aids to maids and maintenance staff unquote, wait, nearly every employee. 40 00:02:57,875 --> 00:03:00,635 Speaker 1: When the pandemic hit, Trump furloughed one hundred and fifty 41 00:03:00,635 --> 00:03:03,915 Speaker 1: three Mary Lago employees, saying you couldn't have hundreds of 42 00:03:03,915 --> 00:03:07,555 Speaker 1: people standing around doing nothing. Each year he applies to 43 00:03:07,635 --> 00:03:12,555 Speaker 1: hire nearly one hundred foreign workers there. Presumably Jack Smith 44 00:03:12,595 --> 00:03:16,315 Speaker 1: didn't interview everybody at the golf course caddy Shack, but 45 00:03:16,475 --> 00:03:19,515 Speaker 1: who knows how many people he did interview. Two months ago, 46 00:03:19,635 --> 00:03:23,355 Speaker 1: Rolling Stone and CNN reported about two dozen Trump Florida 47 00:03:23,395 --> 00:03:27,355 Speaker 1: employees had been interviewed, including the unfortunately named press aide 48 00:03:27,475 --> 00:03:31,795 Speaker 1: Margo Martin and that's Margo Martin and not beloved character 49 00:03:31,875 --> 00:03:37,155 Speaker 1: actress Margot Martindale from BoJack Horseman. I'm sorry I wandered 50 00:03:37,195 --> 00:03:41,715 Speaker 1: off there. Prosecutors have pressed witnesses, some in multiple rounds 51 00:03:41,755 --> 00:03:44,755 Speaker 1: of testimony, to resume the journal story on questions that 52 00:03:44,795 --> 00:03:48,475 Speaker 1: appeared to home in on specific elements Smith's teams would 53 00:03:48,475 --> 00:03:51,035 Speaker 1: need to show to prove a crime, including those that 54 00:03:51,115 --> 00:03:55,475 Speaker 1: speak to Trump's intentions and questions aimed at undermining potential 55 00:03:55,515 --> 00:04:00,235 Speaker 1: defenses Trump could raise. So What they're doing, in part, 56 00:04:00,275 --> 00:04:04,715 Speaker 1: is curating a forensic, minute by minute breakdown of a 57 00:04:04,755 --> 00:04:07,635 Speaker 1: couple of days or even weeks in question, with an 58 00:04:07,675 --> 00:04:11,955 Speaker 1: eye towards being able to prove where Trump was during 59 00:04:12,075 --> 00:04:15,915 Speaker 1: every moment of Evan Corkoran's search for documents in June 60 00:04:15,955 --> 00:04:18,555 Speaker 1: of last year, and where the guys running the security 61 00:04:18,635 --> 00:04:21,355 Speaker 1: video were at those moments, and where his valet and 62 00:04:21,555 --> 00:04:24,875 Speaker 1: box mover Walt Nauta was, and where the other as 63 00:04:24,955 --> 00:04:28,195 Speaker 1: yet unnamed employee who helped Naota move the boxes to 64 00:04:28,355 --> 00:04:30,835 Speaker 1: and from Trump's office so Trump could pull the documents 65 00:04:30,835 --> 00:04:34,355 Speaker 1: he needed for whatever, trading to the UAE or just 66 00:04:34,515 --> 00:04:39,035 Speaker 1: framing for future memories. Why he did it almost doesn't matter, 67 00:04:40,355 --> 00:04:42,635 Speaker 1: As the old saw goes, it's never the crime, it's 68 00:04:42,675 --> 00:04:44,675 Speaker 1: the cover up. Back to the Wall Street matter of 69 00:04:44,715 --> 00:04:48,355 Speaker 1: fact journal quote Smith's team, which has been examining whether 70 00:04:48,355 --> 00:04:53,275 Speaker 1: anyone tried to obstruct the criminal inquiry, has obtained evidence 71 00:04:53,275 --> 00:04:57,035 Speaker 1: that appears to show Trump held on to sensitive documents 72 00:04:57,395 --> 00:05:02,475 Speaker 1: after being asked to relinquish them. The report then blandly 73 00:05:02,515 --> 00:05:05,595 Speaker 1: restates the significance of last week's reports that the National 74 00:05:05,715 --> 00:05:09,155 Speaker 1: Archives turned over all its correspondence with Trump and his 75 00:05:09,235 --> 00:05:14,075 Speaker 1: advisors about the process of declassifying materials and his apparent 76 00:05:14,195 --> 00:05:18,475 Speaker 1: acknowledgment that he understood what that process was. But the 77 00:05:18,555 --> 00:05:22,315 Speaker 1: conclusion from those countless interviews at the residence at Mary 78 00:05:22,395 --> 00:05:26,315 Speaker 1: Lago has to be one of two completely opposite things, 79 00:05:26,635 --> 00:05:30,355 Speaker 1: namely that the act of stealing the classified documents is 80 00:05:30,395 --> 00:05:33,195 Speaker 1: either such a slam dunk conviction that it doesn't need 81 00:05:33,515 --> 00:05:36,075 Speaker 1: a minute by minute it was the colonel with the 82 00:05:36,115 --> 00:05:40,195 Speaker 1: Iranian nukes docks in the pantry timeline, or more likely, 83 00:05:40,635 --> 00:05:44,435 Speaker 1: the question of secret classification is way too vague and 84 00:05:44,555 --> 00:05:49,835 Speaker 1: way too complicated, especially when compared with obstructing justice and 85 00:05:49,955 --> 00:05:52,515 Speaker 1: lying to your own attorney and lying to the FBI 86 00:05:52,635 --> 00:05:55,275 Speaker 1: and the DOJ, and ordering your lawyers to lie to 87 00:05:55,315 --> 00:05:58,195 Speaker 1: the FBI and the DOJ, and hiding documents you have 88 00:05:58,275 --> 00:06:02,275 Speaker 1: been ordered by the government to return in undeniable violation 89 00:06:02,355 --> 00:06:05,435 Speaker 1: of the Espionage Act. That all that is far less 90 00:06:05,515 --> 00:06:08,835 Speaker 1: nuanced and far less likely to be fuzzed up by 91 00:06:08,875 --> 00:06:13,675 Speaker 1: Trump's only real skill throwing obfuscation against the wall and 92 00:06:13,755 --> 00:06:15,955 Speaker 1: seeing if it will stick like it was a plate 93 00:06:15,995 --> 00:06:21,955 Speaker 1: of burgers and fries during a Bill Barr interview. And lastly, 94 00:06:22,075 --> 00:06:25,515 Speaker 1: in parsing the journal's fantastic success in turning the worst 95 00:06:25,555 --> 00:06:28,115 Speaker 1: political scandal in the history of all of the Western 96 00:06:28,155 --> 00:06:32,595 Speaker 1: democracies into the equivalent of ambient. I must credit the 97 00:06:32,595 --> 00:06:37,395 Speaker 1: paper for making something stand out. In April, Trump attorney 98 00:06:37,435 --> 00:06:41,835 Speaker 1: Tim Parlatour and colleagues wrote to lawmakers in Washington trying 99 00:06:41,875 --> 00:06:44,235 Speaker 1: to get them to force the Department of Justice to 100 00:06:44,435 --> 00:06:48,595 Speaker 1: drop all the inquiries into all the classified documents found 101 00:06:48,595 --> 00:06:52,435 Speaker 1: at Trump's home, or Biden's property, or Pence's property, or 102 00:06:52,475 --> 00:06:57,555 Speaker 1: the astonishing number of congressman's and senators homes. I didn't 103 00:06:57,595 --> 00:07:01,835 Speaker 1: see the Parlatar letter as quite the big tell that 104 00:07:01,875 --> 00:07:07,435 Speaker 1: the journal characterizes it as deficient. Document handling and storage 105 00:07:07,475 --> 00:07:10,995 Speaker 1: procedures it says in that letter are not limited to 106 00:07:11,035 --> 00:07:14,235 Speaker 1: any individual, administration or political party. The letter read, in part, 107 00:07:14,515 --> 00:07:19,555 Speaker 1: Parloatar wanted to call off quote ham handed criminal investigations 108 00:07:19,555 --> 00:07:24,595 Speaker 1: of matters that are inherently not criminal. Next thing we knew, 109 00:07:24,595 --> 00:07:27,595 Speaker 1: Tim Parlator was off the Trump legal team, and he 110 00:07:27,715 --> 00:07:30,915 Speaker 1: was blaming Boris Epstein for making it much more difficult 111 00:07:30,955 --> 00:07:33,435 Speaker 1: to defend Trump. And now the journal says the letter 112 00:07:33,515 --> 00:07:37,555 Speaker 1: quote and particularly a push by its authors to publicize it, 113 00:07:37,595 --> 00:07:42,715 Speaker 1: triggered upheaval within the Trump legal team. In other words, 114 00:07:42,755 --> 00:07:48,915 Speaker 1: Epstein got Parlatre fired over that letter. Why it's so 115 00:07:49,155 --> 00:07:54,195 Speaker 1: obvious you probably didn't see it. I didn't. In the letter, 116 00:07:54,955 --> 00:07:59,835 Speaker 1: Parlatore admits that Trump did something wrong. You can't admit 117 00:07:59,875 --> 00:08:03,755 Speaker 1: Trump did something wrong that destroys the entire bubble inside 118 00:08:03,795 --> 00:08:06,955 Speaker 1: of which Trump is always lived and lives, his genuine 119 00:08:06,955 --> 00:08:10,435 Speaker 1: belief that he is infallible, his belief that he is indestructible, 120 00:08:10,475 --> 00:08:12,395 Speaker 1: and for all we know, his belief that he is immortal. 121 00:08:13,475 --> 00:08:18,715 Speaker 1: Parlator confessed in writing that Trump had the same kinds 122 00:08:18,755 --> 00:08:22,875 Speaker 1: of documents that were found in Biden's properties and in pencs. 123 00:08:23,355 --> 00:08:29,195 Speaker 1: And what kind of documents were those classified documents? Parlatre 124 00:08:29,355 --> 00:08:32,555 Speaker 1: in that letter is confessing in writing that Trump had 125 00:08:32,595 --> 00:08:41,075 Speaker 1: classified documents and he shouldn't have oops fired. I'm surprised 126 00:08:41,115 --> 00:08:44,395 Speaker 1: Trump didn't respond to the Parlator letter by throwing a 127 00:08:44,515 --> 00:08:50,595 Speaker 1: plate of ketchup at him. And then there was the 128 00:08:50,715 --> 00:08:55,155 Speaker 1: other letter. Trump's attorneys, John Rowley and Jim Trusty last 129 00:08:55,235 --> 00:08:58,795 Speaker 1: night wrote a Dear Attorney General Garland letter that Trump 130 00:08:59,075 --> 00:09:02,395 Speaker 1: clearly composed himself. I don't know exactly where this lands 131 00:09:02,715 --> 00:09:05,875 Speaker 1: on the scale from panic to you desperately trying to 132 00:09:05,915 --> 00:09:09,635 Speaker 1: gain public pity to lawyers desperately trying to please their 133 00:09:09,675 --> 00:09:12,755 Speaker 1: crazy client. I'll read it in full. Doesn't take that long. 134 00:09:12,875 --> 00:09:16,715 Speaker 1: Dear Attorney General Garland, we represent Donald J. Trump, the 135 00:09:16,715 --> 00:09:19,995 Speaker 1: forty fifth President of the United States. He owns a 136 00:09:19,995 --> 00:09:23,155 Speaker 1: mansion and a yacht. In the investigation currently being conducted 137 00:09:23,195 --> 00:09:27,035 Speaker 1: by the Special Counsel's office. Unlike President Biden, his son Hunter, 138 00:09:27,115 --> 00:09:30,555 Speaker 1: and the Biden family, President Trump is being treated unfairly. 139 00:09:31,955 --> 00:09:33,915 Speaker 1: Reads like it was written by a third grader. No 140 00:09:34,075 --> 00:09:36,195 Speaker 1: president of the United States has ever in the history 141 00:09:36,195 --> 00:09:39,835 Speaker 1: of our country been baselessly investigated in such an outrageous 142 00:09:39,875 --> 00:09:43,835 Speaker 1: and unlawful fashion. We request a meeting at your earliest 143 00:09:43,875 --> 00:09:48,355 Speaker 1: convenience to discuss the ongoing injustice that is being perpetrated 144 00:09:48,555 --> 00:09:52,115 Speaker 1: by your Special Counsel at his prosecutors. Thank you for 145 00:09:52,235 --> 00:09:56,395 Speaker 1: your attention to this matter. I understand Garland has already 146 00:09:56,435 --> 00:10:00,075 Speaker 1: composed his reply. Dear mister Rowley and mister Trusty, happy 147 00:10:00,075 --> 00:10:02,195 Speaker 1: to meet you and your client. Please come to my office. 148 00:10:02,235 --> 00:10:06,795 Speaker 1: At one twenty three Trump pooped his pants Didney Avenue, Washington, DC. 149 00:10:08,315 --> 00:10:12,435 Speaker 1: Or maybe Trump is sitting there silently making mean faces 150 00:10:12,475 --> 00:10:15,355 Speaker 1: at a picture of Garland. That's what he did yesterday 151 00:10:15,355 --> 00:10:19,195 Speaker 1: while he attended only virtually your welcome New York courtroom 152 00:10:19,275 --> 00:10:22,955 Speaker 1: crowd the hearing at which his buddy, Judge Juan Murshawan 153 00:10:23,435 --> 00:10:26,075 Speaker 1: set the trial date for the thirty four felony charges 154 00:10:26,115 --> 00:10:29,475 Speaker 1: in the Stormy Daniels payoff for Monday, March twenty fifth, 155 00:10:29,515 --> 00:10:34,075 Speaker 1: twenty twenty four, three weeks after Super Tuesday. Got to 156 00:10:34,155 --> 00:10:36,195 Speaker 1: reserve those trial dates early. There are going to be 157 00:10:36,235 --> 00:10:39,835 Speaker 1: a lot of Trump trials next year. Seems extremely unlikely 158 00:10:39,835 --> 00:10:43,515 Speaker 1: that Fannie Willis would notify law enforcement months in advance 159 00:10:43,875 --> 00:10:45,915 Speaker 1: if she was not going to indict him in July. 160 00:10:46,515 --> 00:10:49,155 Speaker 1: It seems extremely unlikely that the Special Council would present 161 00:10:49,275 --> 00:10:53,275 Speaker 1: just one all encompassing case against Trump, rather than breaking 162 00:10:53,275 --> 00:10:56,595 Speaker 1: it up into a series of trials, bettering the odds 163 00:10:56,595 --> 00:10:59,835 Speaker 1: of getting at least one conviction that way. All through 164 00:10:59,875 --> 00:11:03,395 Speaker 1: the thing yesterday in New York and by virtual, Judge 165 00:11:03,475 --> 00:11:07,795 Speaker 1: Mershawn warned Trump about not disseminating evidence discovered free trial 166 00:11:07,875 --> 00:11:10,595 Speaker 1: and not being able to make public appearances during a trial, 167 00:11:10,955 --> 00:11:14,035 Speaker 1: but continued to reassure him that nobody was going to 168 00:11:14,075 --> 00:11:19,235 Speaker 1: restrict his First Amendment rights. I guess all of that 169 00:11:19,355 --> 00:11:25,515 Speaker 1: was greeted with pantomimed Trump fury, his usual petulance and childishness, 170 00:11:25,595 --> 00:11:30,155 Speaker 1: but amen, while his microphone was muted. I like the 171 00:11:30,155 --> 00:11:32,675 Speaker 1: way the New York Times put it quote when Justice 172 00:11:32,715 --> 00:11:37,675 Speaker 1: Merchahan mentioned the trial date, Trump immediately grew agitated, chattering 173 00:11:37,755 --> 00:11:42,315 Speaker 1: at his attorney Todd Blanche with his microphone muted, waving 174 00:11:42,315 --> 00:11:46,395 Speaker 1: his hands and shaking his head. Put that out on 175 00:11:46,435 --> 00:11:48,915 Speaker 1: a disc. I'd watched that on a loop. Is it 176 00:11:48,955 --> 00:11:51,235 Speaker 1: too much to hope? Trump was also demanding a plate 177 00:11:51,275 --> 00:11:59,395 Speaker 1: of catchup. Also of note here Florida man runs for 178 00:11:59,435 --> 00:12:03,075 Speaker 1: Republican nomination, and never mind the Twitter thing. DeSantis has 179 00:12:03,155 --> 00:12:05,995 Speaker 1: done something that I have not seen mentioned very much, 180 00:12:06,075 --> 00:12:08,915 Speaker 1: if at all, even though once you'll hear it, you 181 00:12:09,035 --> 00:12:13,275 Speaker 1: will say, so obvious, so so obvious, which I think 182 00:12:13,315 --> 00:12:15,875 Speaker 1: is going to be huge in the primary, and if 183 00:12:15,915 --> 00:12:19,115 Speaker 1: DeSantis is the nominee, will be huge in the general election. 184 00:12:19,795 --> 00:12:25,195 Speaker 1: That's next. This is countdown. This is countdown with Keith Olberman. 185 00:12:28,915 --> 00:12:31,995 Speaker 1: Postscripts to the news, some headlines, some updates, some snarks, 186 00:12:31,995 --> 00:12:35,995 Speaker 1: some predictions. Dateline tallahassee how can you announce something that 187 00:12:36,075 --> 00:12:39,195 Speaker 1: everybody already knows about? I mean, you can make that 188 00:12:39,275 --> 00:12:41,835 Speaker 1: announcement on Twitter, or you can make it on the moon. 189 00:12:42,635 --> 00:12:45,715 Speaker 1: It's just not a thing if everybody already knows yet. 190 00:12:45,755 --> 00:12:48,995 Speaker 1: Ron DeSantis, the short man in high heels, will be 191 00:12:48,995 --> 00:12:52,035 Speaker 1: announcing he is running for president, which he has been 192 00:12:52,035 --> 00:12:57,355 Speaker 1: doing for two years on Twitter with Elon Musk. Now, 193 00:12:57,395 --> 00:13:00,675 Speaker 1: obviously Musk has not thought this through. That's a surprise. 194 00:13:00,915 --> 00:13:03,955 Speaker 1: Has he turned Twitter into a right wing cesspool? Musk 195 00:13:04,115 --> 00:13:07,435 Speaker 1: probably noticed through his ego that most of its denizens 196 00:13:07,475 --> 00:13:11,715 Speaker 1: were Trump cultists, So now in their mind, as of today, 197 00:13:11,835 --> 00:13:17,075 Speaker 1: Twitter will be anti Trump. Nice work, Almo. And DeSantis, 198 00:13:17,075 --> 00:13:20,035 Speaker 1: of course, has buried his own lead. Monday, he mentioned 199 00:13:20,035 --> 00:13:23,835 Speaker 1: on the record in a trivial venue, a Christian media 200 00:13:23,995 --> 00:13:29,195 Speaker 1: conference in Orlando. That's three boring things combined into one. 201 00:13:29,555 --> 00:13:34,835 Speaker 1: A Christian media conference in Orlando. DeSantis announced something that 202 00:13:34,875 --> 00:13:38,275 Speaker 1: will presumably be the backbone of his campaign against Trump, 203 00:13:38,355 --> 00:13:40,755 Speaker 1: or if it isn't, it should be, and if DeSantis 204 00:13:40,795 --> 00:13:42,915 Speaker 1: somehow gets the nomination, it should be the backbone of 205 00:13:42,955 --> 00:13:47,155 Speaker 1: his campaign against Biden. DeSantis casually mentioned that he believes 206 00:13:47,195 --> 00:13:50,795 Speaker 1: four or five current Supreme Court justices will retire by 207 00:13:50,795 --> 00:13:54,555 Speaker 1: the year twenty thirty three. That's actually kind of irrelevant 208 00:13:54,555 --> 00:13:57,355 Speaker 1: to this. But he expects to be president for eight years, 209 00:13:57,355 --> 00:13:59,595 Speaker 1: so he'd get to replace all the liberals and the 210 00:13:59,635 --> 00:14:03,155 Speaker 1: non Clarence Thomas style conservatives with four or five new 211 00:14:03,235 --> 00:14:06,555 Speaker 1: Clarence Thomases. And he just sort of glossed over the 212 00:14:06,595 --> 00:14:09,795 Speaker 1: fact that if elected, he Desantists could run for reelection 213 00:14:09,875 --> 00:14:13,795 Speaker 1: in twenty twenty eight, and Trump, if elected next year, 214 00:14:14,475 --> 00:14:17,715 Speaker 1: could not run for reelection in twenty twenty eight. That 215 00:14:17,915 --> 00:14:22,395 Speaker 1: seems like the first decent selling point for the Republicans 216 00:14:22,635 --> 00:14:26,955 Speaker 1: from Ronda against Trump. But no, he doesn't seem to 217 00:14:26,955 --> 00:14:29,435 Speaker 1: think so. He seems to think the real key is 218 00:14:29,915 --> 00:14:47,835 Speaker 1: going on Twitter because MySpace isn't available. Iran run Aprand, 219 00:14:49,755 --> 00:14:59,075 Speaker 1: help me, Ronda, get Trump out of jail. Thank you, 220 00:14:59,235 --> 00:15:02,395 Speaker 1: Nancy faust a caveat here. This all presumes Trump does 221 00:15:02,395 --> 00:15:06,275 Speaker 1: not intend to try to change the Constitution or terminate it, 222 00:15:06,355 --> 00:15:08,595 Speaker 1: in his words, so he can seek a third term. 223 00:15:08,955 --> 00:15:11,955 Speaker 1: Somebody ought to ask him about that if elected, do 224 00:15:11,995 --> 00:15:14,795 Speaker 1: you intend to try to change the laws so you 225 00:15:14,875 --> 00:15:17,475 Speaker 1: can be reelected in twenty twenty eight? Maybe they could 226 00:15:17,475 --> 00:15:21,915 Speaker 1: ask Trump that at a town hall for uh never mind, 227 00:15:22,715 --> 00:15:27,235 Speaker 1: Speaking of which, dateline Hudson Yards, New York. Oh, there 228 00:15:27,275 --> 00:15:32,995 Speaker 1: are some tense crew members aboard RMS Titanic. Washington Post 229 00:15:33,035 --> 00:15:37,955 Speaker 1: columnist and MSNBC contributor Jennifer Rubin wrote a rather textbook 230 00:15:37,995 --> 00:15:40,915 Speaker 1: piece kind of a ways after the fact, suggesting that 231 00:15:40,955 --> 00:15:45,995 Speaker 1: after the CNN town hall disaster and Christiana'munpour's diplomatic vivisection 232 00:15:46,075 --> 00:15:48,995 Speaker 1: of Chris Licked, maybe CNN should get rid of Chris 233 00:15:49,035 --> 00:15:52,915 Speaker 1: Licked and put Christian i'm onpoor in charge. The piece 234 00:15:52,955 --> 00:15:57,035 Speaker 1: suggested CNN had become a laughingstock, which it is except 235 00:15:57,035 --> 00:15:59,875 Speaker 1: when college grads are booing the boss's boss. Well, he 236 00:15:59,915 --> 00:16:02,715 Speaker 1: gives a commencement speech. That's not a laughing stock. It's 237 00:16:02,755 --> 00:16:06,755 Speaker 1: a booing stock. This did not sit well with Matt Dornick, 238 00:16:07,115 --> 00:16:11,355 Speaker 1: CNN's senior vice president in charge of communications. Wait, let 239 00:16:11,355 --> 00:16:15,035 Speaker 1: me check. Is he he's still on that job? Dornick 240 00:16:15,115 --> 00:16:18,235 Speaker 1: fired back against Jennifer Ruben on Twitter, complaining about two 241 00:16:18,315 --> 00:16:21,755 Speaker 1: old articles she had linked to and then throwing meaningless 242 00:16:21,795 --> 00:16:24,155 Speaker 1: stats at her like we are airing thirty percent more 243 00:16:24,195 --> 00:16:28,035 Speaker 1: traditional news packages from our correspondence today than a year ago, 244 00:16:28,155 --> 00:16:30,835 Speaker 1: and then saying she was throwing stones about the hiring 245 00:16:30,875 --> 00:16:33,715 Speaker 1: of former White House aides, considering she is paid by 246 00:16:33,875 --> 00:16:38,395 Speaker 1: MSNBC and calling her reckless and defensive because she said 247 00:16:38,435 --> 00:16:43,275 Speaker 1: CNN was a laughingstock, which it is, and he added 248 00:16:43,315 --> 00:16:45,595 Speaker 1: quote because you disagree with the merits of a single 249 00:16:45,635 --> 00:16:48,675 Speaker 1: event or a few high profile decisions made by leadership, 250 00:16:48,915 --> 00:16:53,875 Speaker 1: that's not championing journalism. It's shameful. Dornick then added, what 251 00:16:53,955 --> 00:16:57,115 Speaker 1: about all the times Titanic didn't hit an iceberg and sink? Huh, 252 00:16:57,355 --> 00:17:01,875 Speaker 1: why didn't you write about that? Ha ha ha. I 253 00:17:01,955 --> 00:17:05,315 Speaker 1: made the last part up having been in this business 254 00:17:05,315 --> 00:17:08,795 Speaker 1: full time for one month, shy of forty four years 255 00:17:08,835 --> 00:17:12,515 Speaker 1: now when management like Chris Licked and his bosses screw 256 00:17:12,635 --> 00:17:15,475 Speaker 1: up like this and the world's media comes down on 257 00:17:15,515 --> 00:17:18,595 Speaker 1: them personally like has been happening now for two weeks. 258 00:17:18,595 --> 00:17:21,435 Speaker 1: And by the way, congrats Matt Dornick on giving this 259 00:17:21,475 --> 00:17:24,755 Speaker 1: story at least another day in the hot file. When 260 00:17:24,835 --> 00:17:28,195 Speaker 1: guys like Licked get criticized, the first person they yell 261 00:17:28,235 --> 00:17:31,835 Speaker 1: at is the pr guy in this case, this Matt Dornick. 262 00:17:31,915 --> 00:17:35,075 Speaker 1: So to borrow Anderson Cooper's last words when he was 263 00:17:35,115 --> 00:17:39,995 Speaker 1: still relatively popular, I get it, but honestly, just let 264 00:17:40,035 --> 00:17:43,395 Speaker 1: it die Bro, you need to save your strength. I mean, 265 00:17:43,595 --> 00:17:47,195 Speaker 1: Cooper avoided Last Place Monday by just eleven thousand viewers. 266 00:17:47,395 --> 00:17:49,115 Speaker 1: And think what your job is going to be like 267 00:17:49,355 --> 00:17:53,315 Speaker 1: when Chris Licked starts blaming his own bosses for making 268 00:17:53,395 --> 00:17:56,595 Speaker 1: him do all this stuff that destroyed CNN, which will 269 00:17:56,635 --> 00:18:00,275 Speaker 1: start in about well, what time was it last week? 270 00:18:01,155 --> 00:18:04,675 Speaker 1: What time is it now? Is it blame your boss's time? Yet? 271 00:18:18,595 --> 00:18:22,595 Speaker 1: Counting up? Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez are engaged. I 272 00:18:22,635 --> 00:18:26,315 Speaker 1: bet they are once again because it is all about me. 273 00:18:26,675 --> 00:18:30,755 Speaker 1: I used to work with her at Fox. How did 274 00:18:30,755 --> 00:18:33,675 Speaker 1: I not see this coming? You should excuse the expression. 275 00:18:33,915 --> 00:18:35,955 Speaker 1: First the daily round up with the misgrants, morons and 276 00:18:35,995 --> 00:18:40,155 Speaker 1: Dunning Kruger effects specimens who constitute today's whereas persons in 277 00:18:40,195 --> 00:18:46,715 Speaker 1: the world. Ron's Martin Screlly. Remember Martin Screlly, the pharmacy 278 00:18:46,795 --> 00:18:50,035 Speaker 1: bro who cornered the market in an anti parasitic medication 279 00:18:50,075 --> 00:18:52,995 Speaker 1: that cost thirteen dollars and fifty cents a pill. But 280 00:18:53,035 --> 00:18:55,235 Speaker 1: he had a genius idea. He raised it seven hundred 281 00:18:55,235 --> 00:18:57,675 Speaker 1: and fifty dollars a pill, and then they caught him 282 00:18:57,675 --> 00:19:00,075 Speaker 1: for securities fraud and he went to prison. He has 283 00:19:00,115 --> 00:19:02,315 Speaker 1: now claimed on a podcast the other day that this 284 00:19:02,475 --> 00:19:04,875 Speaker 1: latest greed bro running as a long shot for the 285 00:19:04,875 --> 00:19:11,235 Speaker 1: Republican nomination. Vivek Ramaswami was once his Screlley's lead investor. 286 00:19:11,915 --> 00:19:15,795 Speaker 1: So a political reporter named Daniel Lippman called Screlley to 287 00:19:15,915 --> 00:19:19,875 Speaker 1: ask him about this rather remarkable claim. Now, the last 288 00:19:20,035 --> 00:19:23,435 Speaker 1: psych report on Screlly mentioned delusions of grandeur and such. 289 00:19:23,915 --> 00:19:27,715 Speaker 1: Lippman reports their conversation began with Screlly demanding to be 290 00:19:27,875 --> 00:19:31,195 Speaker 1: paid for the interview, and then it got worse. The 291 00:19:31,235 --> 00:19:34,355 Speaker 1: Screlly parts are quotes. I will tell you everything I know, 292 00:19:34,475 --> 00:19:36,755 Speaker 1: and in exchange, I suppose your company would do something 293 00:19:36,795 --> 00:19:39,315 Speaker 1: for me. The really juicy stuff I know is something 294 00:19:39,315 --> 00:19:42,315 Speaker 1: that I could potentially sell to the National Inquirer or 295 00:19:42,355 --> 00:19:47,915 Speaker 1: to monetize that myself. Lipman, we don't pay for interviews, Screlly. 296 00:19:48,115 --> 00:19:51,115 Speaker 1: I'm just struggling what's in it for me. I'm going 297 00:19:51,155 --> 00:19:53,435 Speaker 1: to need a sweeter deal than that. I have this 298 00:19:53,515 --> 00:19:56,235 Speaker 1: new software. If you plug that, maybe we got a deal, 299 00:19:56,275 --> 00:20:01,795 Speaker 1: then Lipman, we don't barterer for interviews, Screlley. If I 300 00:20:01,955 --> 00:20:06,635 Speaker 1: bless your cash app like five bans that my fellow 301 00:20:06,715 --> 00:20:10,315 Speaker 1: non hipsters means five thousand dollars. If I bless your 302 00:20:10,395 --> 00:20:13,915 Speaker 1: cash app like five bands, will you say some nice 303 00:20:13,915 --> 00:20:19,275 Speaker 1: blank about me? Whoooo? The runners up the Bob Graham 304 00:20:19,395 --> 00:20:25,155 Speaker 1: Education Center in Miami Lake's, Florida. It's always Florida. This 305 00:20:25,315 --> 00:20:28,795 Speaker 1: place banned five books from its K through five library 306 00:20:28,835 --> 00:20:33,595 Speaker 1: because many parents complained. While some parents complained well, one 307 00:20:33,675 --> 00:20:39,355 Speaker 1: parent complained Daily Salinas, who has two kids at that school. 308 00:20:39,715 --> 00:20:42,715 Speaker 1: She says the books contain references to critical race theory 309 00:20:42,755 --> 00:20:46,155 Speaker 1: and quote indirect hate messages, so they banned them just 310 00:20:46,235 --> 00:20:49,555 Speaker 1: on her word. Her complaint this Daily Selenus would know 311 00:20:49,555 --> 00:20:51,435 Speaker 1: critical race theory if it came up, and bitter in 312 00:20:51,475 --> 00:20:55,275 Speaker 1: her Panhandle the unfortunate punchline. Remember when I mentioned the 313 00:20:55,315 --> 00:20:57,275 Speaker 1: other day that a Texas school had banned a book 314 00:20:57,315 --> 00:21:01,075 Speaker 1: of poems by the State Poet Laureate of Texas. The 315 00:21:01,155 --> 00:21:04,035 Speaker 1: Bob Graham Center just banned the poem written by and 316 00:21:04,115 --> 00:21:08,715 Speaker 1: read by National Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman at Joe 317 00:21:08,715 --> 00:21:14,275 Speaker 1: Biden's inauguration, The Hills We Climb band It once again. 318 00:21:14,275 --> 00:21:16,715 Speaker 1: The solution to this is simple. It was used one 319 00:21:16,755 --> 00:21:19,515 Speaker 1: hundred years ago as various states in the South tried 320 00:21:19,595 --> 00:21:22,115 Speaker 1: to ban the teaching of evolution. You want to ban 321 00:21:22,275 --> 00:21:27,275 Speaker 1: these books, cool knock yourselves out. Degrees issued by schools 322 00:21:27,275 --> 00:21:30,075 Speaker 1: in your state will no longer be considered sufficient for 323 00:21:30,155 --> 00:21:34,195 Speaker 1: acceptance in any institution of higher learning outside your state, 324 00:21:34,635 --> 00:21:39,075 Speaker 1: and no homeschooling degree will be either and our winner 325 00:21:39,115 --> 00:21:40,995 Speaker 1: and too bad we didn't have these rules for him. 326 00:21:41,075 --> 00:21:45,395 Speaker 1: Matt Gates, congressman from the Florida County of Infected Groin. 327 00:21:46,635 --> 00:21:49,715 Speaker 1: One assumes what he said to the Semaphore website was 328 00:21:49,835 --> 00:21:51,915 Speaker 1: just saying the quiet part out loud. But I don't 329 00:21:51,915 --> 00:21:54,035 Speaker 1: think he cares. I don't think he's sane. I don't 330 00:21:54,035 --> 00:21:57,275 Speaker 1: think he's sober. On the debt limit and the prospects that, 331 00:21:57,955 --> 00:22:02,275 Speaker 1: you know, whatever they're saying today. Quote. I think my 332 00:22:02,395 --> 00:22:06,115 Speaker 1: conservative colleagues, for the most parts, support limit, save grow 333 00:22:06,555 --> 00:22:10,475 Speaker 1: and they don't feel like we should negotiate with our 334 00:22:10,715 --> 00:22:17,195 Speaker 1: hostage unquote. It's on audio, negotiate with our hostage and 335 00:22:17,275 --> 00:22:22,435 Speaker 1: on the OUDEO. Gates sounds totally unbothered by the term Congressman. 336 00:22:22,515 --> 00:22:25,235 Speaker 1: Matt Sure sounded like a man who has in his 337 00:22:25,355 --> 00:22:31,155 Speaker 1: time taken plenty of hostages. Gates two days worst person 338 00:22:32,275 --> 00:22:48,555 Speaker 1: and the world hostage still ahead on Countdown, People magazine 339 00:22:48,595 --> 00:22:52,355 Speaker 1: reporting that Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez are now engaged 340 00:22:53,595 --> 00:22:57,195 Speaker 1: engaged in what So I gotta go through this again, 341 00:22:57,235 --> 00:22:59,115 Speaker 1: don't I? I mean, what are the odds that not 342 00:22:59,195 --> 00:23:01,675 Speaker 1: only did I used to work with the woman Sanchez 343 00:23:01,995 --> 00:23:05,555 Speaker 1: who was used to try to blackmail Bezos into supporting Trump, 344 00:23:05,795 --> 00:23:07,795 Speaker 1: but that I also used to work with the guy 345 00:23:08,435 --> 00:23:13,595 Speaker 1: who later tried to blackmail David Letterman. Next. First, in 346 00:23:13,595 --> 00:23:15,675 Speaker 1: each edition of Countdown, we feature a dog in need 347 00:23:15,715 --> 00:23:18,155 Speaker 1: you can help. Every dog has its day and again 348 00:23:18,195 --> 00:23:21,075 Speaker 1: it's time to help people who help dogs. Another great 349 00:23:21,115 --> 00:23:24,595 Speaker 1: rescue is in deep financial trouble. The rescues are dropping 350 00:23:24,675 --> 00:23:28,795 Speaker 1: like flies. Layla's Heart and Rescue in Cedar Creek, Texas. 351 00:23:29,515 --> 00:23:32,915 Speaker 1: They never let geography constrain their generosity. They've helped pull 352 00:23:32,995 --> 00:23:35,195 Speaker 1: numerous dogs from the New York Pound, so they have 353 00:23:35,195 --> 00:23:38,155 Speaker 1: a special place in my heart. They need simply more money. 354 00:23:38,875 --> 00:23:42,155 Speaker 1: Lhr R has a tweet out with a venmo QR code, 355 00:23:42,235 --> 00:23:43,955 Speaker 1: or you can go to their site. If you're going 356 00:23:44,075 --> 00:23:46,155 Speaker 1: via Twitter, look out there's a fake account trying to 357 00:23:46,155 --> 00:23:49,835 Speaker 1: scam their money. Look for them at Lala's Heart RR 358 00:23:50,555 --> 00:23:53,155 Speaker 1: or the details will be on my Twitter feeds. I 359 00:23:53,275 --> 00:24:09,395 Speaker 1: thank you and Layla's Heart and Rescue. Thanks you. Jeff Bezos, 360 00:24:09,435 --> 00:24:12,115 Speaker 1: the founder of Amazon and owner of the Washington Post, 361 00:24:12,435 --> 00:24:15,675 Speaker 1: was being blackmailed by allies of Crazy Trump, who expected 362 00:24:15,715 --> 00:24:18,035 Speaker 1: to get positive coverage for their leader of their cult. 363 00:24:18,435 --> 00:24:21,035 Speaker 1: What they had on Bezos was he had a girlfriend. 364 00:24:21,435 --> 00:24:24,075 Speaker 1: They had pictures. It would cost him hundreds of millions 365 00:24:24,115 --> 00:24:27,395 Speaker 1: of dollars were his wife to find out, He said, 366 00:24:28,315 --> 00:24:32,955 Speaker 1: that'll happen. In February twenty nineteen, Jeff Bezos went public, 367 00:24:33,235 --> 00:24:36,235 Speaker 1: said his marriage was ending anyway. He was sorry about 368 00:24:36,275 --> 00:24:38,275 Speaker 1: the pain this caused his wife, but he would now 369 00:24:38,315 --> 00:24:42,795 Speaker 1: give her all she wanted, and the National Inquirer blackmailers 370 00:24:42,875 --> 00:24:46,795 Speaker 1: could shove it amid everything else. It suggested to me 371 00:24:46,835 --> 00:24:49,635 Speaker 1: that when you cannot figure out what happened to the 372 00:24:49,675 --> 00:24:52,635 Speaker 1: people who once seemed to have principles, or at least 373 00:24:52,675 --> 00:24:57,395 Speaker 1: seemed to have enmity towards Crazy Trump, Ted Cruz, Lindsey Graham, 374 00:24:57,435 --> 00:25:02,435 Speaker 1: others remembered that the odds were amazingly small that the 375 00:25:02,475 --> 00:25:05,955 Speaker 1: first time Trump's allies tried to mail somebody on his 376 00:25:06,115 --> 00:25:09,315 Speaker 1: behalf that they would find in Jeff Bezos, the one 377 00:25:09,395 --> 00:25:13,755 Speaker 1: guy who would say no on the first try. I 378 00:25:13,755 --> 00:25:16,755 Speaker 1: don't think so. I have assumed ever since that this 379 00:25:16,875 --> 00:25:21,835 Speaker 1: process has been utilized for years on Trump's behalf in business, 380 00:25:21,875 --> 00:25:26,035 Speaker 1: inside politics and at its fringes, and that Bezos was 381 00:25:26,035 --> 00:25:28,275 Speaker 1: not the first victim of this, just the first victim 382 00:25:28,315 --> 00:25:32,715 Speaker 1: who said, few, this is why we have fu money. 383 00:25:33,555 --> 00:25:36,195 Speaker 1: But beneath all that important stuff was yet another occasion 384 00:25:36,235 --> 00:25:38,595 Speaker 1: where my jaw dropped to the floor and I had 385 00:25:38,635 --> 00:25:42,235 Speaker 1: to reattach it with Elmer's glue. The woman at the 386 00:25:42,275 --> 00:25:44,755 Speaker 1: center of the blackmail, the woman for whom Jeff Bezos 387 00:25:44,795 --> 00:25:47,395 Speaker 1: was going to leave his wife, was named Lauren Sanchez, 388 00:25:48,435 --> 00:25:51,515 Speaker 1: and like everybody else in this twenty first century America, 389 00:25:52,275 --> 00:25:56,035 Speaker 1: I used to work with her. Lauren was a reporter 390 00:25:56,155 --> 00:25:59,235 Speaker 1: and sometimes anchor at Fox Sportsnet when I got there 391 00:25:59,235 --> 00:26:02,555 Speaker 1: in nineteen ninety eight. Only sometimes they wrote her a 392 00:26:02,635 --> 00:26:05,915 Speaker 1: script once that actually read Roger clement era is one 393 00:26:05,915 --> 00:26:08,475 Speaker 1: of the greatest in his era, and she, of course 394 00:26:08,555 --> 00:26:11,475 Speaker 1: read Roger Clemens's era is one of the greatest in 395 00:26:11,555 --> 00:26:15,635 Speaker 1: his ra She was much better at interviewing Lakers players 396 00:26:15,675 --> 00:26:19,035 Speaker 1: after games, particularly Shaquille O'Neil, even though he was more 397 00:26:19,075 --> 00:26:21,235 Speaker 1: than two feet taller than she was, and she used 398 00:26:21,275 --> 00:26:25,795 Speaker 1: to insist on interviewing him standing up. These little visits 399 00:26:26,235 --> 00:26:30,595 Speaker 1: looked so odd on camera that I remember seeing one 400 00:26:30,595 --> 00:26:32,995 Speaker 1: of her stories being fed in from the LA Forum 401 00:26:32,995 --> 00:26:35,515 Speaker 1: and I asked the producer, are we actually putting that 402 00:26:35,595 --> 00:26:38,475 Speaker 1: on the air or just onto the gag reel for Christmas? 403 00:26:40,035 --> 00:26:42,635 Speaker 1: We did not overlap long there after, she gave birth 404 00:26:42,675 --> 00:26:45,155 Speaker 1: to the child of NFL tight end Tony Gonzales, long 405 00:26:45,195 --> 00:26:48,235 Speaker 1: after she had ended her relationship with him. Lauren Sanchez 406 00:26:48,315 --> 00:26:51,555 Speaker 1: was hired to anchor the news on Channel thirteen, which 407 00:26:51,595 --> 00:26:54,235 Speaker 1: is a station that was apparently created because somebody would 408 00:26:54,275 --> 00:26:57,155 Speaker 1: always have to be in last place in the news ratings, 409 00:26:57,915 --> 00:27:00,315 Speaker 1: and it might as well be them. I was back 410 00:27:00,435 --> 00:27:02,715 Speaker 1: visiting in LA in the spring of two thousand and 411 00:27:02,755 --> 00:27:05,395 Speaker 1: two and dived in and out of his men newscast 412 00:27:05,475 --> 00:27:07,395 Speaker 1: as I could so I could see what my two 413 00:27:07,515 --> 00:27:10,235 Speaker 1: ex employers there, and so many of my old colleagues 414 00:27:10,275 --> 00:27:13,715 Speaker 1: and rivals were doing. That's when I saw it. The 415 00:27:13,875 --> 00:27:17,795 Speaker 1: worst or perhaps the best commercial for a local television 416 00:27:17,835 --> 00:27:23,995 Speaker 1: news sweeps series in human history in any language. Sweeps 417 00:27:23,995 --> 00:27:27,275 Speaker 1: series used to be local TVs Bread and Butter during 418 00:27:27,275 --> 00:27:30,115 Speaker 1: the weeks when the local ratings were tabulated and used 419 00:27:30,115 --> 00:27:33,315 Speaker 1: to establish who was number one and thus how much 420 00:27:33,395 --> 00:27:36,795 Speaker 1: everybody's commercials would cost. Each station would do a series 421 00:27:37,115 --> 00:27:41,555 Speaker 1: of special reports within each newscast. They were designed solely 422 00:27:41,635 --> 00:27:44,995 Speaker 1: to be advertised, to be sponsored, and to be as 423 00:27:45,075 --> 00:27:49,475 Speaker 1: salacious or silly, or unbelievable or titillating or just as 424 00:27:49,555 --> 00:27:53,035 Speaker 1: memorable as possible. When I was in local news in 425 00:27:53,155 --> 00:27:55,115 Speaker 1: LA in the eighties and nineties, we had a series 426 00:27:55,355 --> 00:27:58,275 Speaker 1: at Channel two with a very good reporter named Dorothy Lucy, 427 00:27:58,475 --> 00:28:01,955 Speaker 1: and the series was called The Search for Slees. The 428 00:28:01,995 --> 00:28:06,115 Speaker 1: commercials for The Search for Slees showed her riding around 429 00:28:06,155 --> 00:28:08,515 Speaker 1: in a jacuzzi built into the back of a stretch 430 00:28:08,595 --> 00:28:10,995 Speaker 1: limo with an old guy with a beard and a 431 00:28:10,995 --> 00:28:14,155 Speaker 1: couple of bikini models in there too. That had been, 432 00:28:14,555 --> 00:28:17,995 Speaker 1: to my knowledge, the low point of the Sweeps series. 433 00:28:18,875 --> 00:28:21,875 Speaker 1: But now, as I watched in my hotel room in 434 00:28:21,915 --> 00:28:24,035 Speaker 1: Santa Monica in the spring of two thousand and two, 435 00:28:24,635 --> 00:28:27,195 Speaker 1: this is more or less what I heard the voiceover 436 00:28:27,195 --> 00:28:32,595 Speaker 1: announcer say. This week a special report, CACOP thirteen news 437 00:28:32,675 --> 00:28:38,875 Speaker 1: anchor Lauren Sanchez brings you how to meet a baller ladies, 438 00:28:38,915 --> 00:28:43,555 Speaker 1: find out where to meet the athlete of your dreams Lakers, Clippers, Kings, Dodgers, Angels. 439 00:28:43,795 --> 00:28:47,875 Speaker 1: Do you want to meet him? Do you want to 440 00:28:48,635 --> 00:28:52,915 Speaker 1: get to know him? Do you want to date him? 441 00:28:53,435 --> 00:28:55,755 Speaker 1: How to beat a Baller? This week on the CACOP 442 00:28:55,915 --> 00:28:59,835 Speaker 1: thirteen News at ten with Lauren Sanchez, How to meet 443 00:28:59,875 --> 00:29:05,595 Speaker 1: a Baller. I'm not certain how how they restored me 444 00:29:05,635 --> 00:29:08,835 Speaker 1: to human form from the puddle into which I had dissolved. 445 00:29:09,355 --> 00:29:11,635 Speaker 1: I do remember calling the desk to ask if it 446 00:29:11,715 --> 00:29:14,755 Speaker 1: was still Tuesday. It felt like I had been out 447 00:29:14,795 --> 00:29:21,115 Speaker 1: called for several weeks. I was appalled, shocked, chagrined, nauseated, mortified, embarrassed, humiliated, 448 00:29:21,115 --> 00:29:24,715 Speaker 1: and then I stopped and as an angelic choir saying 449 00:29:24,715 --> 00:29:27,915 Speaker 1: in the background, I changed my mind completely. This was 450 00:29:27,995 --> 00:29:31,995 Speaker 1: not Sweep's series madness. This was not a woman debasing 451 00:29:31,995 --> 00:29:35,595 Speaker 1: herself by teaching other women how to debase themselves, how 452 00:29:35,675 --> 00:29:41,075 Speaker 1: to meet dollars. This was, for perhaps the first time 453 00:29:41,115 --> 00:29:44,035 Speaker 1: in Sweeps series history, perhaps the first time in local 454 00:29:44,075 --> 00:29:49,515 Speaker 1: television news history, a true expert lending her panoramic learned 455 00:29:49,795 --> 00:29:55,275 Speaker 1: comprehensive knowledge about one subject requiring subtlety, insight, insider information 456 00:29:55,635 --> 00:29:59,515 Speaker 1: and the selflessness to share it with mere ordinary women viewers. 457 00:30:00,915 --> 00:30:04,915 Speaker 1: How do you meet a baller? I would never have 458 00:30:05,035 --> 00:30:08,075 Speaker 1: known who to ask. I never would have known to 459 00:30:08,115 --> 00:30:13,995 Speaker 1: whom to send my wife or daughter or friend. Not really. 460 00:30:14,715 --> 00:30:19,235 Speaker 1: I knew there were experts, there were scholars, there were 461 00:30:19,315 --> 00:30:22,715 Speaker 1: fonts of wisdom. But Lauren Sanchez was the Einstein of 462 00:30:22,755 --> 00:30:27,595 Speaker 1: meeting ballers. And even in the glimmering light of knowledge 463 00:30:27,635 --> 00:30:30,555 Speaker 1: that radiated from her that week on Channel thirteen, Los Angeles, 464 00:30:30,555 --> 00:30:34,155 Speaker 1: two decades ago, even in the blinding aura of her brilliance, 465 00:30:35,275 --> 00:30:38,275 Speaker 1: could she have known that the ultimate target of the 466 00:30:38,315 --> 00:30:42,595 Speaker 1: Little Sweep series should have been No, mere Tony Gonzalez? 467 00:30:42,675 --> 00:30:45,395 Speaker 1: Or do you want to meet him? Do you want 468 00:30:45,475 --> 00:30:48,115 Speaker 1: to get to know him? Do you want to date him? 469 00:30:48,355 --> 00:30:50,435 Speaker 1: It should have been do you want to meet him? 470 00:30:50,675 --> 00:30:52,195 Speaker 1: Do you want to get to know him? Do you 471 00:30:52,275 --> 00:30:58,715 Speaker 1: want to date him? How to meet a bezos? In life? 472 00:30:58,795 --> 00:31:00,915 Speaker 1: You just don't expect people you worked with for a 473 00:31:00,955 --> 00:31:03,275 Speaker 1: few weeks, like Lauren Sanchez, to you wind up as 474 00:31:03,315 --> 00:31:08,155 Speaker 1: part of modern American history. It just seems unlikely, not 475 00:31:08,275 --> 00:31:11,235 Speaker 1: that they could be involved in a blackmail story like hers, 476 00:31:11,875 --> 00:31:14,755 Speaker 1: and she was a victim, but that you could have 477 00:31:14,875 --> 00:31:17,315 Speaker 1: known her. And yet for me this was the second time. 478 00:31:18,435 --> 00:31:21,115 Speaker 1: On October first, two thousand and nine, it was the 479 00:31:21,155 --> 00:31:24,115 Speaker 1: anniversary that reminded me of both of these stories. My 480 00:31:24,235 --> 00:31:26,555 Speaker 1: friend David Letterman came out onto the stage of the 481 00:31:26,595 --> 00:31:28,755 Speaker 1: CBS Late Night Show and revealed that he had had 482 00:31:28,795 --> 00:31:32,395 Speaker 1: a series of consensual relationships with women on his staff. 483 00:31:33,635 --> 00:31:37,035 Speaker 1: The studio audience laughed, assuming it was the start of 484 00:31:37,075 --> 00:31:40,195 Speaker 1: some bit in which the guys at the Hello Deli 485 00:31:40,515 --> 00:31:43,715 Speaker 1: would somehow have a roll of some sort. But Dave 486 00:31:43,795 --> 00:31:47,035 Speaker 1: went on and on and on, and finally revealed he 487 00:31:47,115 --> 00:31:50,395 Speaker 1: had been the victim of an extortion plot and that 488 00:31:50,475 --> 00:31:53,115 Speaker 1: he in the Manhattan DA's office set up a meeting 489 00:31:53,115 --> 00:31:55,915 Speaker 1: with the blackmailer, who wanted two million dollars, with the 490 00:31:55,955 --> 00:31:59,675 Speaker 1: cover story being that he had written a screenplay about 491 00:31:59,795 --> 00:32:03,635 Speaker 1: Letterman that would reveal all the relationships, but he would 492 00:32:03,675 --> 00:32:07,515 Speaker 1: sell the quote screenplay unquote two Letterman for two million dollars. 493 00:32:09,235 --> 00:32:12,715 Speaker 1: Within hours, Letterman's blackmailer was identified by authorities. I saw 494 00:32:12,715 --> 00:32:16,355 Speaker 1: the name pop up on my computer terminal, NBC, Robert Joel, 495 00:32:16,635 --> 00:32:19,155 Speaker 1: Joe Halderman, and I looked at it, and I said, 496 00:32:20,275 --> 00:32:24,635 Speaker 1: of course, Joe Halderman. He had been the assignment editor 497 00:32:24,635 --> 00:32:26,755 Speaker 1: at CNN in New York from the day I broke 498 00:32:26,795 --> 00:32:29,275 Speaker 1: into television in August nineteen eighty one until he left 499 00:32:29,275 --> 00:32:33,595 Speaker 1: for CBS News a year later. All television assignment editors 500 00:32:33,635 --> 00:32:38,115 Speaker 1: have to deny reporters camera crews. There are invariably scheduling conflicts, 501 00:32:38,155 --> 00:32:41,195 Speaker 1: and ultimately there are always two stories to shoot for 502 00:32:41,275 --> 00:32:45,875 Speaker 1: every one camera crew available. But Halderman used to enjoy 503 00:32:46,195 --> 00:32:48,995 Speaker 1: denying us reporters crewise. He used to like to mock us, 504 00:32:49,275 --> 00:32:51,955 Speaker 1: to make us grovel, and then when you got to 505 00:32:52,115 --> 00:32:54,795 Speaker 1: your story with your crew, he would page them and 506 00:32:54,875 --> 00:32:57,075 Speaker 1: tell them to go cover something else and leave you 507 00:32:57,195 --> 00:33:03,515 Speaker 1: stranded there. And personally he had absolutely no redeeming qualities. 508 00:33:04,235 --> 00:33:06,635 Speaker 1: If you would travel back in time to the twenty 509 00:33:06,675 --> 00:33:09,275 Speaker 1: two or twenty three year old me and explain who 510 00:33:09,355 --> 00:33:11,795 Speaker 1: David Letterman would be and what his fame would be like, 511 00:33:12,115 --> 00:33:13,955 Speaker 1: and how I'd be a guest on his show one 512 00:33:14,075 --> 00:33:17,115 Speaker 1: night when a presidential candidate canceled at the last minute, 513 00:33:17,155 --> 00:33:19,435 Speaker 1: and how somebody I already knew and had worked with 514 00:33:19,475 --> 00:33:21,555 Speaker 1: at age twenty two or twenty three would try to 515 00:33:21,595 --> 00:33:26,275 Speaker 1: blackmail him over staffers. He'd slept with and could I 516 00:33:26,275 --> 00:33:28,355 Speaker 1: I would have interrupted you by that point, said, matter 517 00:33:28,355 --> 00:33:31,715 Speaker 1: of factly, Oh, it's Joe Halderman, right, of course, Halderman, 518 00:33:31,795 --> 00:33:37,675 Speaker 1: total creep. You say he blackmails this letterbox guy. Frankly, 519 00:33:37,715 --> 00:33:39,875 Speaker 1: forty year old me probably could have figured out the 520 00:33:39,875 --> 00:33:43,115 Speaker 1: whole Lauren Sanchez thing for some time traveling quiz master 521 00:33:43,195 --> 00:33:46,555 Speaker 1: as well. Although I will make no comparison between Joe 522 00:33:46,555 --> 00:33:50,675 Speaker 1: Halderman and Lauren Sanchez, Lauren was very pleasant and there 523 00:33:50,755 --> 00:33:55,555 Speaker 1: is a lesson in that for you. It's not just nostalgia, 524 00:33:55,835 --> 00:33:58,755 Speaker 1: it's not a brush with greatness, to use a lettermanesque term. 525 00:33:59,275 --> 00:34:01,995 Speaker 1: Wherever you are in life or in your career, you 526 00:34:02,075 --> 00:34:04,515 Speaker 1: may have yet to meet them, or you may have 527 00:34:04,515 --> 00:34:09,035 Speaker 1: already met them. But this I know to be true. 528 00:34:09,235 --> 00:34:14,235 Speaker 1: You have your own Lauren Sanchez and your own Joe 529 00:34:14,275 --> 00:34:20,315 Speaker 1: Halderman already or already in the past. And whatever your 530 00:34:20,355 --> 00:34:23,315 Speaker 1: first impressions about them were, or are or will be, 531 00:34:24,035 --> 00:34:29,075 Speaker 1: you're damned right they are. And also keep in mind 532 00:34:29,435 --> 00:34:32,875 Speaker 1: that thought I mentioned that I had about Bezos and 533 00:34:32,955 --> 00:34:37,595 Speaker 1: the blackmail. Do you really think he could have been 534 00:34:37,635 --> 00:34:41,955 Speaker 1: the first one they tried to blackmail into supporting Trump? 535 00:34:42,795 --> 00:34:46,995 Speaker 1: And the first one turned them down and went public. 536 00:34:48,315 --> 00:35:03,595 Speaker 1: I don't think so. I've done all the damage I 537 00:35:03,595 --> 00:35:05,275 Speaker 1: can do here here the but it's most of the 538 00:35:05,315 --> 00:35:07,955 Speaker 1: music was arranged, produced, and performed by Brian Ray and 539 00:35:08,035 --> 00:35:11,155 Speaker 1: John Phillips Shanelle. They are the Countdown musical directors. All 540 00:35:11,275 --> 00:35:15,195 Speaker 1: orchestration and keyboards by John Phillip Shanelle, Guitars, bass and 541 00:35:15,275 --> 00:35:19,275 Speaker 1: drums by Brian Ray, produced by Tko Brothers. Other Beethoven 542 00:35:19,315 --> 00:35:21,555 Speaker 1: selections have been arranged and performed by the group No 543 00:35:21,635 --> 00:35:24,915 Speaker 1: Horns Allowed. The sports music is the Oulderman theme from 544 00:35:25,115 --> 00:35:28,315 Speaker 1: ESPN two, written by Mitch Warren Davis courtesy of ESPN, Inc. 545 00:35:28,875 --> 00:35:32,275 Speaker 1: Musical comments from Nancy Fauss the best baseball stadium organist ever. 546 00:35:32,555 --> 00:35:35,155 Speaker 1: Our announcer today was my friend Kenny Maine, and everything 547 00:35:35,155 --> 00:35:37,675 Speaker 1: else is pretty much my fault. So that's countdown for 548 00:35:37,675 --> 00:35:40,235 Speaker 1: this the eight hundred and sixty ninth day since Donald 549 00:35:40,275 --> 00:35:43,195 Speaker 1: Trump's first attempted coup against the democratically elected government of 550 00:35:43,235 --> 00:35:46,235 Speaker 1: the United States. Don't forget to keep arresting him while 551 00:35:46,275 --> 00:35:50,315 Speaker 1: we still can. The next schedule countdown is tomorrow. Until then, 552 00:35:50,355 --> 00:35:53,955 Speaker 1: I'm Keith Olberman. Good morning, good afternoon, good night, and 553 00:35:54,115 --> 00:36:06,195 Speaker 1: good luck. Countdown with Keith Olderman is fection of iHeartRadio. 554 00:36:06,475 --> 00:36:11,795 Speaker 1: For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, 555 00:36:11,915 --> 00:36:13,875 Speaker 1: or wherever you get your podcasts.