1 00:00:04,795 --> 00:00:22,115 Speaker 1: Countdown with Keith Olderman is a production of iHeartRadio. Trump 2 00:00:22,195 --> 00:00:26,435 Speaker 1: has promised to turn every American cop into a lawless 3 00:00:26,475 --> 00:00:30,155 Speaker 1: stormtrooper and every domestic police force into a miniature SS. 4 00:00:30,675 --> 00:00:33,755 Speaker 1: And the volume of his sadistic fascist threats is so 5 00:00:33,955 --> 00:00:38,715 Speaker 1: large and so loud that when he said this, nobody noticed. 6 00:00:39,635 --> 00:00:43,155 Speaker 1: He wants to co opt every law officer in this country, 7 00:00:43,235 --> 00:00:46,515 Speaker 1: all seven hundred thousand of them, all armed, and in 8 00:00:46,555 --> 00:00:49,195 Speaker 1: the last twenty years, nearly all of them equipped with 9 00:00:49,315 --> 00:00:53,235 Speaker 1: military style weapons and vehicles and surveillance equipment, and make 10 00:00:53,315 --> 00:00:57,195 Speaker 1: each and every one of them, in essence untouchable by law, 11 00:00:58,035 --> 00:01:03,195 Speaker 1: beholden to no one, responsible ultimately only to the person 12 00:01:03,195 --> 00:01:09,835 Speaker 1: who liberated them from all legal restraints, him Durham, New Hampshire. 13 00:01:09,875 --> 00:01:13,475 Speaker 2: I am also going to indemnify all police offices. 14 00:01:13,835 --> 00:01:14,835 Speaker 1: This is a big. 15 00:01:14,595 --> 00:01:16,555 Speaker 2: Thing, and it's a brand new thing, and I think 16 00:01:16,595 --> 00:01:17,595 Speaker 2: it's so important. 17 00:01:18,195 --> 00:01:21,595 Speaker 3: I'm going to indemnify, through the federal government all police 18 00:01:21,635 --> 00:01:24,435 Speaker 3: officers and law enforcement officials throughout. 19 00:01:24,475 --> 00:01:28,795 Speaker 2: The United States from being destroyed by the radical left 20 00:01:28,795 --> 00:01:31,755 Speaker 2: for taking strong actions against crime. 21 00:01:32,035 --> 00:01:36,635 Speaker 1: What do you think he means by indemnify. I'm going 22 00:01:36,675 --> 00:01:42,835 Speaker 1: to indemnify through the federal government, all police officers indemnify, 23 00:01:43,555 --> 00:01:49,675 Speaker 1: relieve of legal liability for their actions. To cut to 24 00:01:49,715 --> 00:01:51,555 Speaker 1: the chase on this, he means that the next Derek 25 00:01:51,635 --> 00:01:55,035 Speaker 1: Chauvan who tortures George Floyd to death on Minneapolis City 26 00:01:55,075 --> 00:01:58,675 Speaker 1: Street cannot be arrested, cannot be prosecuted, cannot be sued, 27 00:01:58,675 --> 00:02:03,955 Speaker 1: cannot be stopped, no legal responsibility or liability for his actions. 28 00:02:04,955 --> 00:02:08,395 Speaker 1: And if there are no longer any means of stopping 29 00:02:08,395 --> 00:02:11,795 Speaker 1: the cops from harassing people or beating people or killing people, 30 00:02:12,035 --> 00:02:14,595 Speaker 1: cops will no longer have any need to even pretend 31 00:02:15,075 --> 00:02:17,875 Speaker 1: that the people they are harassing or beating or killing 32 00:02:17,875 --> 00:02:22,075 Speaker 1: are actually guilty of anything they are then the ss 33 00:02:24,035 --> 00:02:27,875 Speaker 1: We already know wide swaths of the nation's eighteen thousand 34 00:02:27,955 --> 00:02:31,835 Speaker 1: state and local police forces range from wild conservatism to 35 00:02:31,995 --> 00:02:35,595 Speaker 1: full on fascism and white supremacism and QAnon and election 36 00:02:35,715 --> 00:02:39,555 Speaker 1: denihalism and trumpsm We already know that since nine eleven, 37 00:02:39,555 --> 00:02:42,315 Speaker 1: the nation's police forces have equipped themselves as if all 38 00:02:42,395 --> 00:02:46,515 Speaker 1: the world's terrorists are going to descend tomorrow morning on 39 00:02:47,195 --> 00:02:52,075 Speaker 1: say Franklin, Indiana, population twenty five thousand, which is why 40 00:02:52,115 --> 00:02:56,075 Speaker 1: the cops there bought themselves an m RAP, a mine 41 00:02:56,195 --> 00:03:01,355 Speaker 1: resistant armored vehicle, just like a dozen other small county 42 00:03:01,355 --> 00:03:08,395 Speaker 1: police forces did in the last decade in Indiana alone. Moreover, 43 00:03:08,475 --> 00:03:12,635 Speaker 1: and just as dangerously, they in big and small towns alike, 44 00:03:13,035 --> 00:03:16,035 Speaker 1: have trained now generation after generation of rookies who have 45 00:03:16,075 --> 00:03:20,355 Speaker 1: become veterans, and the chiefs and trainers to believe that 46 00:03:20,395 --> 00:03:24,835 Speaker 1: the purpose of the police is to protect the police, 47 00:03:25,555 --> 00:03:29,955 Speaker 1: that all civilians are threats, because all terrorists pose as civilians, 48 00:03:30,435 --> 00:03:33,035 Speaker 1: and anybody who don't know personally as a potential terrorist. 49 00:03:33,155 --> 00:03:35,035 Speaker 1: And I wouldn't be too certain about everybody you do 50 00:03:35,155 --> 00:03:39,755 Speaker 1: know personally. If most of America has suffered for twenty 51 00:03:39,795 --> 00:03:44,075 Speaker 1: two years now with undiagnosed post traumatic stress disorder, nearly 52 00:03:44,195 --> 00:03:48,955 Speaker 1: all of law enforcement has. We now feed service veterans 53 00:03:48,955 --> 00:03:51,315 Speaker 1: into police forces, the ones who don't go into the 54 00:03:51,315 --> 00:03:54,635 Speaker 1: Republican Party, and we now know that they are literally 55 00:03:54,715 --> 00:03:59,675 Speaker 1: suffering widespread physical brain damage just from using, from handling 56 00:03:59,915 --> 00:04:03,795 Speaker 1: the twenty first century weapons of war. And now Trump 57 00:04:03,875 --> 00:04:12,075 Speaker 1: promises to indemnify them against any legal responsibility. For what 58 00:04:12,275 --> 00:04:13,955 Speaker 1: was the rest of that, He said, I'm. 59 00:04:13,755 --> 00:04:17,555 Speaker 3: Going to indemnify through the federal government, all police officers 60 00:04:17,595 --> 00:04:19,795 Speaker 3: at law enforcement officials throughout. 61 00:04:19,835 --> 00:04:24,155 Speaker 2: The United States from being destroyed by the radical left 62 00:04:24,195 --> 00:04:27,115 Speaker 2: for taking strong actions against crime. 63 00:04:27,435 --> 00:04:31,115 Speaker 1: Yeah, I wonder what kind of strong actions Trump is 64 00:04:31,155 --> 00:04:34,715 Speaker 1: talking about. Failure to read them their Miranda rights, I 65 00:04:34,715 --> 00:04:38,235 Speaker 1: don't think so, shooting them, killing them in the backseat 66 00:04:38,275 --> 00:04:41,955 Speaker 1: of cop cars, and again, no longer even needing an 67 00:04:41,995 --> 00:04:47,075 Speaker 1: excuse like selling cigarettes one at a time, or passing 68 00:04:47,115 --> 00:04:50,795 Speaker 1: a counterfeit twenty or being a twelve year old carrying 69 00:04:50,835 --> 00:04:55,755 Speaker 1: a toy gun. How about menacing in a crowded public place, 70 00:04:55,795 --> 00:04:58,235 Speaker 1: A crowded public place that is crowded because there is 71 00:04:58,275 --> 00:05:03,195 Speaker 1: a protest in progress, an anti violence protest, an anti 72 00:05:03,315 --> 00:05:07,675 Speaker 1: cop City Atlanta pest, an anti Trump protest. If seven 73 00:05:07,835 --> 00:05:11,595 Speaker 1: hundred thousand American cops are suddenly out from under the 74 00:05:11,715 --> 00:05:15,435 Speaker 1: yoke of any laws that could even occasionally hold them 75 00:05:15,435 --> 00:05:20,595 Speaker 1: accountable for murdering people, what is to stop trump indemnified 76 00:05:20,715 --> 00:05:26,995 Speaker 1: cops from shooting into a crowd of unarmed protesters. This, 77 00:05:27,155 --> 00:05:31,355 Speaker 1: remember would also be in addition to Trump using the 78 00:05:31,435 --> 00:05:35,115 Speaker 1: National Guard to quell political protest. This would be in 79 00:05:35,115 --> 00:05:38,235 Speaker 1: addition to what Trump staffers would not deny, or at 80 00:05:38,315 --> 00:05:42,635 Speaker 1: least considerations of invoking the Insurrection Act on January twentieth, 81 00:05:42,675 --> 00:05:46,395 Speaker 1: twenty twenty five, and leaving it invoked. This would be 82 00:05:46,635 --> 00:05:50,395 Speaker 1: in addition to Trump's jovial promise to be a dictator, 83 00:05:50,435 --> 00:05:53,275 Speaker 1: but only on day one. Haha, I'm only kidding. No, 84 00:05:53,395 --> 00:05:58,395 Speaker 1: I'm not yes, i am no, I'm not indemnified police, 85 00:05:59,235 --> 00:06:04,595 Speaker 1: the Trump waffa. It is one of those moments of 86 00:06:04,795 --> 00:06:09,235 Speaker 1: impossibility when the same thing is both stunning and to 87 00:06:09,435 --> 00:06:13,315 Speaker 1: be expected. That Trump could go on a three day 88 00:06:13,595 --> 00:06:18,875 Speaker 1: orgy of threats against democracy, quoting Putin and praising dictators 89 00:06:18,915 --> 00:06:23,275 Speaker 1: like she and Kim Jong un, guaranteeing mass deportations at 90 00:06:23,355 --> 00:06:27,835 Speaker 1: very slowly moving his own Overton window from mass deportations 91 00:06:27,835 --> 00:06:31,635 Speaker 1: of undocumented immigrants, which is bad enough to just mass 92 00:06:31,715 --> 00:06:36,115 Speaker 1: deportations without any qualifiers or categories. He's done all that. 93 00:06:36,675 --> 00:06:40,355 Speaker 1: He's vowed personal vengeance, dressed up as de weaponizing the 94 00:06:40,395 --> 00:06:43,835 Speaker 1: Department of Justice, the one that just indicted the actual 95 00:06:43,875 --> 00:06:47,355 Speaker 1: president's son. He called the morons he inspired to attack 96 00:06:47,395 --> 00:06:50,555 Speaker 1: the Capitol on January sixth, hostages. He insisted we were 97 00:06:50,595 --> 00:06:54,035 Speaker 1: all better off under him as president in twenty nineteen 98 00:06:54,315 --> 00:06:57,955 Speaker 1: with burgeoning unemployment, and in twenty twenty with COVID, and 99 00:06:58,035 --> 00:07:02,675 Speaker 1: of course, he reiterated his favorite Hitler imagery about immigrants 100 00:07:02,715 --> 00:07:06,875 Speaker 1: poisoning the blood of the nation and now extending who 101 00:07:06,915 --> 00:07:10,835 Speaker 1: he means. Now he is promising his audience he will 102 00:07:10,875 --> 00:07:16,035 Speaker 1: remove the people from Africa too, and Asia and framing 103 00:07:16,075 --> 00:07:20,235 Speaker 1: immigration as a quote invasion. This is like a military invasion, 104 00:07:20,315 --> 00:07:24,235 Speaker 1: he said. Drugs, criminals, gang members, and terrorists. They're taking 105 00:07:24,275 --> 00:07:29,875 Speaker 1: over our cities. It is stunning and it is to 106 00:07:29,915 --> 00:07:34,115 Speaker 1: be expected that he could go through all that, all 107 00:07:34,155 --> 00:07:37,115 Speaker 1: of which he has either stated before, often word for word, 108 00:07:37,635 --> 00:07:41,515 Speaker 1: or implied at or hinted at. And the nation and 109 00:07:41,675 --> 00:07:45,235 Speaker 1: even its reporters who are alert to the totalitarianism that 110 00:07:45,275 --> 00:07:50,195 Speaker 1: Trump is now selling, offering, promising, demanding that all of 111 00:07:50,235 --> 00:07:55,035 Speaker 1: them and everybody else, almost everybody missed this one little 112 00:07:55,715 --> 00:08:05,875 Speaker 1: fascist rug that really ties the room together. The Trump Police, 113 00:08:05,995 --> 00:08:09,195 Speaker 1: they will no longer be responsible to anybody, but they 114 00:08:09,195 --> 00:08:12,155 Speaker 1: will have Trump to think. And it's not like he's 115 00:08:12,195 --> 00:08:15,075 Speaker 1: going to have to recruit them, or train them, or 116 00:08:15,115 --> 00:08:19,315 Speaker 1: equip them or even buy them uniforms. They are in 117 00:08:19,395 --> 00:08:26,755 Speaker 1: your town, down your street today. They have m wraps. 118 00:08:30,195 --> 00:08:32,235 Speaker 1: It is the nature of man not to be taken 119 00:08:32,315 --> 00:08:34,995 Speaker 1: unaware by the evil and the madness of other men, 120 00:08:35,035 --> 00:08:38,075 Speaker 1: nor the rapidity and energy with which they will enact 121 00:08:38,195 --> 00:08:42,115 Speaker 1: that evil. Not to be surprised by the sheer, banality 122 00:08:42,715 --> 00:08:46,835 Speaker 1: and mundanity with which they will happily kill millions because 123 00:08:47,475 --> 00:08:52,875 Speaker 1: they can. It is rather the nature of man to 124 00:08:52,995 --> 00:08:57,715 Speaker 1: receive warning after warning after warning, and ignore each one 125 00:08:57,715 --> 00:09:01,155 Speaker 1: of them. Because the default position of almost everybody, the 126 00:09:01,195 --> 00:09:04,195 Speaker 1: smart people, the dumb ones, the quiet ones, the loud ones, 127 00:09:04,395 --> 00:09:07,915 Speaker 1: the fault position of all of us is it's difficult 128 00:09:07,955 --> 00:09:14,155 Speaker 1: to imagine things that are not currently happening. We are 129 00:09:14,435 --> 00:09:21,155 Speaker 1: always warned when the trumps appear. Hitler tried to overthrow 130 00:09:21,195 --> 00:09:25,515 Speaker 1: the German government in nineteen twenty three. They jailed him. 131 00:09:26,035 --> 00:09:29,355 Speaker 1: He promised more and worse next time. They let him 132 00:09:29,395 --> 00:09:33,515 Speaker 1: out of jail early for good conduct. The German Conservatives 133 00:09:33,515 --> 00:09:36,155 Speaker 1: needed him for political leverage. He promised, if given power, 134 00:09:36,195 --> 00:09:38,755 Speaker 1: he would persecute the Jews and all the other politicians. 135 00:09:38,915 --> 00:09:43,035 Speaker 1: They made him Chancellor. The British were told by their 136 00:09:43,115 --> 00:09:48,155 Speaker 1: industrial spies in German factories that Hitler was secretly rearming, 137 00:09:48,275 --> 00:09:53,115 Speaker 1: especially building planes by the thousands. The British government laughed 138 00:09:53,435 --> 00:09:56,235 Speaker 1: because that would be against the Treaty of Versailles and 139 00:09:56,315 --> 00:09:58,875 Speaker 1: Germany certainly didn't want a repeat of the World War. 140 00:10:00,155 --> 00:10:03,155 Speaker 1: Our country was warned about Hitler at about the Japanese 141 00:10:03,195 --> 00:10:06,515 Speaker 1: I mean, in nineteen twelve, Billy Mitchell predicted war with Japan. 142 00:10:06,715 --> 00:10:09,235 Speaker 1: In nineteen twenty four, he predicted the attack on Pearl Harbor, 143 00:10:09,835 --> 00:10:13,075 Speaker 1: and in retrospect, the only thing Osama bin Laden did 144 00:10:13,075 --> 00:10:15,915 Speaker 1: not do in advance was tell this country which day 145 00:10:16,515 --> 00:10:20,595 Speaker 1: he planned to attack on and exactly which buildings he 146 00:10:20,675 --> 00:10:24,995 Speaker 1: planned to attack. The last MSNBC show I did in 147 00:10:25,115 --> 00:10:29,435 Speaker 1: January nineteen ninety eight, before the Clinton Lewinsky sinkhole opened up, 148 00:10:29,955 --> 00:10:32,795 Speaker 1: we had a terrorism and military expert on named Jim 149 00:10:32,875 --> 00:10:36,035 Speaker 1: Dunagan who said we were so unprepared. Al Qaeda could 150 00:10:36,115 --> 00:10:41,075 Speaker 1: drive down Lower Broadway with a truck and habits guys 151 00:10:41,195 --> 00:10:46,315 Speaker 1: toss handfuls of anthrax out the back door Lower Broadway. 152 00:10:47,315 --> 00:10:53,555 Speaker 1: Dunnagan nearly got the address right. We are always warned 153 00:10:53,915 --> 00:10:57,635 Speaker 1: in large part because one of the aspects of fanaticism 154 00:10:57,915 --> 00:11:03,955 Speaker 1: Hitler's fanaticism, the Japanese militarists fanaticism trump spanaticism. It almost 155 00:11:03,995 --> 00:11:09,115 Speaker 1: always comes attached to unbelievable arrogance and boastfulness, and not 156 00:11:09,355 --> 00:11:13,755 Speaker 1: knowing when to shut the hell up. It's not just 157 00:11:13,835 --> 00:11:17,155 Speaker 1: that Trump intends to turn the United States into a 158 00:11:17,275 --> 00:11:21,995 Speaker 1: totalitarian state. It's that he wants everybody to love him 159 00:11:22,555 --> 00:11:26,915 Speaker 1: for doing this, and therefore he cannot possibly not tell 160 00:11:27,035 --> 00:11:33,235 Speaker 1: everybody about it in increasing detail. I mean indemnifying the 161 00:11:33,315 --> 00:11:40,635 Speaker 1: police for taking strong actions against crime, the police, anything 162 00:11:40,635 --> 00:11:45,395 Speaker 1: else you need to know, his plans, his sadism, his vengeance, 163 00:11:45,675 --> 00:11:51,435 Speaker 1: the already extant rosters of stormtroopers, already ubiquitously spaced across 164 00:11:51,475 --> 00:11:56,035 Speaker 1: the land, and just ready for that indemnification when the 165 00:11:56,115 --> 00:12:01,955 Speaker 1: symbolism too, I mean, honest to God, the police. Why 166 00:12:01,955 --> 00:12:08,995 Speaker 1: do you think they call it a police date? And 167 00:12:09,075 --> 00:12:12,755 Speaker 1: of course, besides the warnings we ignore, the Washington Post 168 00:12:12,755 --> 00:12:16,435 Speaker 1: finally used all the actual words actually headlined Trump quoting 169 00:12:16,475 --> 00:12:21,315 Speaker 1: Putin about Biden, and they put it on page ten. 170 00:12:22,075 --> 00:12:25,595 Speaker 1: Besides the warnings that we ignore. The other universality of 171 00:12:25,595 --> 00:12:29,235 Speaker 1: the death of representative government and its replacement by totalitarianism 172 00:12:29,315 --> 00:12:34,315 Speaker 1: is the willingness, even the eagerness, of the institution supposedly 173 00:12:34,355 --> 00:12:39,635 Speaker 1: devoted to and dependent on representative government to signal that no, 174 00:12:40,315 --> 00:12:43,035 Speaker 1: they are ready at a moment's notice to screw this 175 00:12:43,235 --> 00:12:48,475 Speaker 1: silly democracy crap and embrace and serve dictatorship. Yes, sir, 176 00:12:50,315 --> 00:12:53,155 Speaker 1: I have said, I literally don't know how many times 177 00:12:53,235 --> 00:12:56,955 Speaker 1: I have truly lost count that at every actual news 178 00:12:57,075 --> 00:13:01,515 Speaker 1: organization in America except maybe Pro Publica and Democracy Now, 179 00:13:02,195 --> 00:13:05,115 Speaker 1: I have said countless times that at every news organization 180 00:13:05,155 --> 00:13:10,235 Speaker 1: in America, they have had the meeting. Now, the quote 181 00:13:10,275 --> 00:13:13,715 Speaker 1: newspeople unquote may not have been there at the meeting, 182 00:13:14,035 --> 00:13:16,475 Speaker 1: They may not have even known about the meeting. But 183 00:13:16,515 --> 00:13:19,635 Speaker 1: the people who decide where the money goes and who 184 00:13:19,715 --> 00:13:22,395 Speaker 1: still works there and who doesn't work there anymore, they 185 00:13:22,435 --> 00:13:25,475 Speaker 1: have had the meeting at which the key deciders sit 186 00:13:25,515 --> 00:13:28,875 Speaker 1: around and game plan Trump's return to power, and then 187 00:13:28,955 --> 00:13:33,595 Speaker 1: they ask the essential vital life or death questions, just 188 00:13:33,675 --> 00:13:37,795 Speaker 1: as you and I do, only theirs are as an example, 189 00:13:38,275 --> 00:13:42,395 Speaker 1: if Trump regains control, how do we at NBC, Universal 190 00:13:42,395 --> 00:13:49,435 Speaker 1: and Comcast defend our profits even though we have already 191 00:13:49,435 --> 00:13:52,915 Speaker 1: seen what that did to CNN and what that reinforces 192 00:13:52,995 --> 00:13:57,515 Speaker 1: at NBC News and ABC and CBS. This kind of 193 00:13:57,635 --> 00:14:01,315 Speaker 1: dilettanti ish, Well, we don't actually live in America, so 194 00:14:01,355 --> 00:14:05,595 Speaker 1: we don't have a dog in this hunt delusion, as 195 00:14:05,595 --> 00:14:10,075 Speaker 1: if Trump were running to become dictator of Belarus, as 196 00:14:10,115 --> 00:14:13,635 Speaker 1: if everybody you see on MSNBC lived in a cloud 197 00:14:13,795 --> 00:14:19,715 Speaker 1: somewhere above the fricka Still, whenever I say these meetings 198 00:14:19,715 --> 00:14:25,395 Speaker 1: have taken place at your local popular, seemingly reliable news organization, 199 00:14:25,475 --> 00:14:29,155 Speaker 1: I get responses that are to be polite about it, disbelieving, 200 00:14:29,835 --> 00:14:32,435 Speaker 1: And yet now here it is in front of your 201 00:14:32,435 --> 00:14:36,955 Speaker 1: eyes on one day. What two seemingly neutral pro freedom 202 00:14:36,995 --> 00:14:41,715 Speaker 1: of the press outlets do after they hold the meetings, 203 00:14:41,755 --> 00:14:44,035 Speaker 1: not just the obvious one that would have been The 204 00:14:44,035 --> 00:14:46,955 Speaker 1: New York Times op ed yesterday titled the secret of 205 00:14:46,995 --> 00:14:53,195 Speaker 1: Trump's appeal Isn't Authoritarianism, which claims, no, it's not the 206 00:14:53,235 --> 00:14:55,955 Speaker 1: fact that he wants to turn the country into a 207 00:14:55,995 --> 00:15:00,035 Speaker 1: totalitarian state and all the masochists and the Sadists support that. 208 00:15:00,555 --> 00:15:05,275 Speaker 1: It's because he's such a moderate. It was written by 209 00:15:05,275 --> 00:15:08,075 Speaker 1: the founder of a far right online magazine that spends 210 00:15:08,075 --> 00:15:10,595 Speaker 1: all of its time pretending not to be a far 211 00:15:10,715 --> 00:15:14,755 Speaker 1: right online magazine, and occasionally it will have ultra leftists 212 00:15:14,795 --> 00:15:18,795 Speaker 1: attack democracy and democrats from the lefts he therefore it's balanced. 213 00:15:19,595 --> 00:15:23,315 Speaker 1: We have both kinds of music, country and Western. No, No, 214 00:15:23,795 --> 00:15:28,115 Speaker 1: that was the obvious one. The more insidious one. The 215 00:15:28,235 --> 00:15:31,995 Speaker 1: lead item in the first newsletter and the lead item 216 00:15:32,115 --> 00:15:35,835 Speaker 1: on the political website Axios on the Monday morning of 217 00:15:35,875 --> 00:15:39,315 Speaker 1: the last full business week of the year, A thousand 218 00:15:39,435 --> 00:15:43,035 Speaker 1: words by its co founders Jim Vandehi and Mike Allen 219 00:15:43,435 --> 00:15:48,515 Speaker 1: about Trump, about Trump indemnifying the cops right, about Trump 220 00:15:48,635 --> 00:15:53,155 Speaker 1: using the poisoning of the blood imagery again, about now 221 00:15:53,195 --> 00:15:57,195 Speaker 1: implying he's going to expel illegal immigrants from Africa, or 222 00:15:57,195 --> 00:16:00,275 Speaker 1: maybe legal immigrants from Africa, or maybe he's going to 223 00:16:00,315 --> 00:16:05,595 Speaker 1: expel African Americans. About praising Shijingping or Kim Jong Ollen 224 00:16:05,755 --> 00:16:10,515 Speaker 1: or the Putin quote. Now, if former President Trump wins 225 00:16:10,595 --> 00:16:12,795 Speaker 1: next year, he'd have much greater power than in his 226 00:16:12,795 --> 00:16:16,235 Speaker 1: first term and fewer restraints on carrying out his political agenda. 227 00:16:17,275 --> 00:16:22,355 Speaker 1: His political agenda like William Jennings Bryan's political agenda about 228 00:16:22,395 --> 00:16:25,395 Speaker 1: not letting mankind be crucified on a cross of gold, 229 00:16:26,755 --> 00:16:32,515 Speaker 1: or more like Mike Trump's political agenda being destroying democracy 230 00:16:32,555 --> 00:16:35,715 Speaker 1: and getting the cops the permission to kill people. He 231 00:16:35,835 --> 00:16:41,835 Speaker 1: Trump does not like political agendas. It was edia means 232 00:16:41,875 --> 00:16:46,315 Speaker 1: political agenda. That's thanks to the trifecta of a more 233 00:16:46,395 --> 00:16:51,995 Speaker 1: compliant Cabinet, Government, Workforce, and Congress Allan and Vanda Hi 234 00:16:52,035 --> 00:16:53,755 Speaker 1: Wright in such a bubbly way that it reads like 235 00:16:53,755 --> 00:16:56,715 Speaker 1: an application for a Trump contract for something, and perhaps 236 00:16:56,755 --> 00:17:00,275 Speaker 1: it is what's happening. Trump, if he wins, will enjoy 237 00:17:00,395 --> 00:17:03,315 Speaker 1: vigorous backing from the vast majority of GOP leaders and 238 00:17:03,395 --> 00:17:10,315 Speaker 1: rank and file Republicans. His biggest critics will be long gone. 239 00:17:10,395 --> 00:17:13,315 Speaker 1: I don't remember exactly when I met Mike Allen two 240 00:17:13,395 --> 00:17:17,315 Speaker 1: thousand and seven. Six struck me as one of the 241 00:17:17,355 --> 00:17:22,755 Speaker 1: weirdest people I've ever met. Vanda Hih looked like he 242 00:17:22,835 --> 00:17:27,235 Speaker 1: was casing the joint. So his biggest critics, they write, 243 00:17:27,275 --> 00:17:29,395 Speaker 1: will be long gone. Of course, Alan and Vanda High 244 00:17:29,435 --> 00:17:32,355 Speaker 1: will still be there. If Trump wins, he will enjoy 245 00:17:32,475 --> 00:17:36,875 Speaker 1: vigorous backing from conservatives fearful of being sent to concentration 246 00:17:37,035 --> 00:17:41,595 Speaker 1: camps to join his biggest critics, who will be long gone. 247 00:17:41,795 --> 00:17:45,995 Speaker 1: Now I wrote that last one. I will spare you 248 00:17:46,035 --> 00:17:48,675 Speaker 1: the rest of this kissing of the fascist ass by 249 00:17:48,755 --> 00:17:53,315 Speaker 1: Axios except for the unmissible conclusion quote. The bottom line, 250 00:17:53,435 --> 00:17:56,115 Speaker 1: Trump would have a year's long head start with Congress. 251 00:17:56,355 --> 00:17:59,555 Speaker 1: Yet another way he'd leverage the most sophisticated preparation in 252 00:17:59,675 --> 00:18:06,715 Speaker 1: history by an out of power party. Not one value judgment, 253 00:18:06,795 --> 00:18:13,955 Speaker 1: not one moral judgment, not one negative word. And I'm 254 00:18:13,955 --> 00:18:18,395 Speaker 1: not asking for Axios to indorse the continuation of the 255 00:18:18,395 --> 00:18:22,955 Speaker 1: Biden administration. I would just like Axios to indorse the 256 00:18:23,035 --> 00:18:33,435 Speaker 1: continuation of democracy. Also of interest here, so the conservative 257 00:18:33,435 --> 00:18:37,315 Speaker 1: money did not go looking for Clarence Thomas. Clarence Thomas 258 00:18:37,715 --> 00:18:41,435 Speaker 1: made a passive aggressive threat to resign while Bill Clinton 259 00:18:41,515 --> 00:18:43,795 Speaker 1: was president unless somebody figured out a way to get 260 00:18:43,835 --> 00:18:45,475 Speaker 1: him more cash. I mean, who was going to pay 261 00:18:45,475 --> 00:18:48,515 Speaker 1: for his loan for his new RV. And thus fell 262 00:18:48,715 --> 00:18:54,235 Speaker 1: the money from the sky And a quick quiz which 263 00:18:54,315 --> 00:18:56,435 Speaker 1: Mayor of New York got suited again for lying about 264 00:18:56,435 --> 00:18:59,395 Speaker 1: election workers. He just lost a suit too, and responded 265 00:18:59,435 --> 00:19:02,635 Speaker 1: by lying about them again for a third time, And 266 00:19:02,715 --> 00:19:04,515 Speaker 1: which Mayor of New York just said that what makes 267 00:19:04,555 --> 00:19:06,435 Speaker 1: the city the greatest on the globe is that on 268 00:19:06,515 --> 00:19:08,955 Speaker 1: any given morning, you could wake up to celebrate a 269 00:19:08,995 --> 00:19:12,555 Speaker 1: new business opening, or you could witness a plane crashing 270 00:19:12,595 --> 00:19:17,915 Speaker 1: into our trade center. That's next, do an all new 271 00:19:18,035 --> 00:19:31,955 Speaker 1: edition of Countdown. This is Countdown with Keith Overman. Oh 272 00:19:32,115 --> 00:19:36,315 Speaker 1: Scripts to the news, some headlines, some updates, some snark, 273 00:19:36,475 --> 00:19:43,035 Speaker 1: some predictions. Date line, Atlanta, Ruby Freeman and Shay Moss 274 00:19:43,035 --> 00:19:45,595 Speaker 1: were awarded one hundred and forty eight million dollars by 275 00:19:45,595 --> 00:19:48,715 Speaker 1: a jury after Rudy Giuliani lied about them and slandered them. 276 00:19:49,115 --> 00:19:51,795 Speaker 1: Giuliani went out after the verdict last week and insisted 277 00:19:51,795 --> 00:19:54,555 Speaker 1: what he said was true and they were guilty. So 278 00:19:54,835 --> 00:19:57,435 Speaker 1: they sued him again yesterday, this time seeking not money 279 00:19:57,435 --> 00:20:00,195 Speaker 1: but a restraining order preventing him from lying about them again, 280 00:20:00,675 --> 00:20:04,435 Speaker 1: whereupon he went on Newsmax last night and lied about 281 00:20:04,435 --> 00:20:07,795 Speaker 1: the again. Looks like their next lawsuit will have to 282 00:20:07,835 --> 00:20:15,875 Speaker 1: ask the court to epoxy Rudy's lips together. Dateline Presidential Immunity, 283 00:20:15,955 --> 00:20:19,635 Speaker 1: Imaginary Land. Two hearings on it now. The Supreme Court 284 00:20:19,715 --> 00:20:23,435 Speaker 1: wants Trump's answer by four pm tomorrow on Jack Smith's 285 00:20:23,435 --> 00:20:26,515 Speaker 1: petition for search on it that is cut to the 286 00:20:26,595 --> 00:20:30,235 Speaker 1: Chase Clarence rule. Now. The US Appeals Court Smith does 287 00:20:30,275 --> 00:20:32,475 Speaker 1: not want to wait for on this now says it 288 00:20:32,515 --> 00:20:39,195 Speaker 1: will conduct its hearing on Tuesday, January ninth. Dateline the 289 00:20:39,235 --> 00:20:43,435 Speaker 1: Supreme Court and lo it is a Christmas miracle. Pro Publica, 290 00:20:43,515 --> 00:20:47,275 Speaker 1: quoting public and private records that prove that early in 291 00:20:47,315 --> 00:20:51,115 Speaker 1: the year two thousand, Justice Thomas began to muse people 292 00:20:51,155 --> 00:20:54,955 Speaker 1: inside the court and out about his little problem. He 293 00:20:55,275 --> 00:20:58,435 Speaker 1: just wasn't making enough money, and there was that new 294 00:20:58,635 --> 00:21:02,635 Speaker 1: RV to pay for. He might he conveyed to Congressman 295 00:21:02,715 --> 00:21:05,715 Speaker 1: Cliff Stearns, who is good enough to write a letter 296 00:21:05,715 --> 00:21:08,515 Speaker 1: about it to Thomas that is in the archives, he 297 00:21:08,555 --> 00:21:11,795 Speaker 1: would have to resign and go make some money perhaps 298 00:21:12,835 --> 00:21:15,115 Speaker 1: whatever it was. Clarence thought people would be willing to 299 00:21:15,115 --> 00:21:18,555 Speaker 1: pay him for besides corruption anyway, Remember Bill Clint was 300 00:21:18,595 --> 00:21:20,755 Speaker 1: still present in the year two thousand and Clarence had 301 00:21:20,795 --> 00:21:23,355 Speaker 1: not yet made sure George W. Bush would succeed him. 302 00:21:23,835 --> 00:21:27,835 Speaker 1: Quote his importance as a conservative was paramount. Stearns said 303 00:21:27,915 --> 00:21:31,075 Speaker 1: recently in connection with the Pro Publica reports. We wanted 304 00:21:31,075 --> 00:21:34,075 Speaker 1: to make sure he felt comfortable in his job and 305 00:21:34,195 --> 00:21:39,355 Speaker 1: he was being paid properly. And lo there felleth from 306 00:21:39,395 --> 00:21:42,555 Speaker 1: the sky people to pay off his RV loan and 307 00:21:42,635 --> 00:21:45,435 Speaker 1: start flying him around the world and hiring his wife 308 00:21:45,475 --> 00:21:50,635 Speaker 1: for bull crap jobs involving insurrection and sedition. And our 309 00:21:50,755 --> 00:21:56,075 Speaker 1: understanding of Thomas's judicial prostitution changes. He wasn't accepting money 310 00:21:56,115 --> 00:22:00,635 Speaker 1: to rule in specific ways on specific cases. He was 311 00:22:01,475 --> 00:22:07,435 Speaker 1: blackmailing Conservative America into paying him not to resign and 312 00:22:07,595 --> 00:22:14,515 Speaker 1: leave the seat open for a liberal dateline Capitol Hill, 313 00:22:14,595 --> 00:22:18,115 Speaker 1: Golly guests, which Supreme Court justice has been asked by 314 00:22:18,235 --> 00:22:23,195 Speaker 1: seven congressmen to recuse himself from that ruling on Trump's 315 00:22:23,195 --> 00:22:28,115 Speaker 1: imaginary presidential immunity? Why yes, Clarence Thomas. Good guess what 316 00:22:28,275 --> 00:22:31,955 Speaker 1: a coincidence because his wife was involved in that whole 317 00:22:32,435 --> 00:22:37,635 Speaker 1: overthrowing the governmentee thing on Trump's behalf. I know, Ginny Thomas, 318 00:22:37,675 --> 00:22:42,075 Speaker 1: She's everywhere. Congressman Hank Johnson signed this, Connolly is on it, 319 00:22:42,235 --> 00:22:45,795 Speaker 1: Sheila Jackson, Lee Raskin. They sent it to Clarence in 320 00:22:45,835 --> 00:22:49,235 Speaker 1: a letter. I'm just hoping that they folded up a 321 00:22:49,275 --> 00:22:52,115 Speaker 1: fifty dollars bill insigned that layer because you know what, 322 00:22:52,635 --> 00:22:59,715 Speaker 1: Clarence's new RV. It ain't gonna pay for itself. And 323 00:22:59,915 --> 00:23:03,395 Speaker 1: dateline New York City Circling back to New York mayors, 324 00:23:03,475 --> 00:23:07,075 Speaker 1: haven't heard from Mayor Eric Adams lately. Well, he was 325 00:23:07,115 --> 00:23:11,795 Speaker 1: on Picks on Politics Sunday with Dan Mannarino on WPIXTV 326 00:23:11,995 --> 00:23:15,435 Speaker 1: Channel eleven here, and Dan asked him something about what 327 00:23:15,595 --> 00:23:19,395 Speaker 1: made twenty twenty three the year? It was the Softbally 328 00:23:19,555 --> 00:23:24,235 Speaker 1: of softball questions, and the mayor said, it's the city 329 00:23:24,355 --> 00:23:26,635 Speaker 1: because New York is the greatest place in the world, 330 00:23:26,635 --> 00:23:28,555 Speaker 1: because you never know if today is going to be 331 00:23:28,875 --> 00:23:32,875 Speaker 1: another nine to eleven. Wait, what. 332 00:23:34,355 --> 00:23:36,555 Speaker 2: When you look at the totality of the year, if 333 00:23:36,555 --> 00:23:38,035 Speaker 2: you had to describe it and it's up to do 334 00:23:38,155 --> 00:23:39,955 Speaker 2: in one word, what would that word be? 335 00:23:40,155 --> 00:23:41,555 Speaker 1: And tell me why New. 336 00:23:41,555 --> 00:23:45,475 Speaker 4: York This is a place where every day you wake 337 00:23:45,595 --> 00:23:49,795 Speaker 4: up you could experience everything from a plane crashing into 338 00:23:49,835 --> 00:23:54,595 Speaker 4: our trace center to a person who's celebrating a new 339 00:23:54,635 --> 00:23:59,515 Speaker 4: business that's open. This is a very, very complicated city 340 00:23:59,555 --> 00:24:01,675 Speaker 4: and that's why this is the greatest city on the globe. 341 00:24:01,755 --> 00:24:04,915 Speaker 1: You know, Mayor Adams, you should try to work that 342 00:24:05,235 --> 00:24:09,515 Speaker 1: in to the next advertising campaign for us. You know, 343 00:24:10,275 --> 00:24:14,515 Speaker 1: I love New York twenty first century version. It's fun city. 344 00:24:14,835 --> 00:24:18,475 Speaker 1: Stop by. Maybe there'll be another terrorist attack while you're 345 00:24:18,515 --> 00:24:21,435 Speaker 1: hear paid for it by the City of New York, 346 00:24:21,635 --> 00:24:45,675 Speaker 1: Eric Adams, Mayor. You know, I come to think of 347 00:24:45,715 --> 00:24:49,035 Speaker 1: it every once in a while. I think, Mayor Adams, 348 00:24:49,115 --> 00:24:51,715 Speaker 1: is the terrorist attack that has been sent upon us 349 00:24:51,835 --> 00:24:56,195 Speaker 1: for this century still to come. On an all new 350 00:24:56,315 --> 00:24:58,595 Speaker 1: edition of Countdown, I was asked about him the other day, 351 00:24:58,715 --> 00:25:02,035 Speaker 1: Not Mayor Adams, this other gentleman. I was his intern, 352 00:25:02,595 --> 00:25:04,955 Speaker 1: and that was in the year nineteen seventy eight, and 353 00:25:04,995 --> 00:25:06,715 Speaker 1: by then he had already been in the business for 354 00:25:06,755 --> 00:25:10,035 Speaker 1: thirty six years. And I was asked about him in 355 00:25:10,035 --> 00:25:12,595 Speaker 1: December twenty twenty three. That tells you what an impact 356 00:25:12,635 --> 00:25:16,715 Speaker 1: he had on people. His story next in a new 357 00:25:16,835 --> 00:25:19,115 Speaker 1: edition of Things, I promise not to tell first time 358 00:25:19,115 --> 00:25:20,995 Speaker 1: for the daily roundup of the miss Grants, morons and 359 00:25:21,035 --> 00:25:24,835 Speaker 1: Dunning Kruger effects specimens who constitute two days worse persons 360 00:25:24,835 --> 00:25:30,835 Speaker 1: in the world. The bronze worse wreaths across America. Yes, 361 00:25:31,155 --> 00:25:36,955 Speaker 1: I'm slamming wreaths across America. Three days after thirty thousand 362 00:25:37,035 --> 00:25:40,315 Speaker 1: volunteers showed up at the National Cemetery at Arlington to 363 00:25:40,395 --> 00:25:43,275 Speaker 1: take the wreaths they provide free and honor the fall 364 00:25:43,275 --> 00:25:45,915 Speaker 1: on at the two hundred and sixty thousand graves in 365 00:25:45,955 --> 00:25:49,515 Speaker 1: the National Cemetery. And they're just a fraction of the 366 00:25:49,595 --> 00:25:53,675 Speaker 1: three million volunteers who decorated graves around the country this 367 00:25:53,795 --> 00:25:57,675 Speaker 1: weekend passed. This is not about the volunteers, nor the debt, 368 00:25:57,755 --> 00:26:02,035 Speaker 1: nor the honoring. This is about the self dealing. In 369 00:26:02,075 --> 00:26:04,675 Speaker 1: the last six years, the amount of money Wreaths Across 370 00:26:04,795 --> 00:26:08,595 Speaker 1: America has gotten has doubled to thirty million a year. 371 00:26:09,235 --> 00:26:13,635 Speaker 1: Donors pay seventeen dollars for each wreath. About five dollars 372 00:26:13,635 --> 00:26:15,475 Speaker 1: of that goes to the civic and youth groups that 373 00:26:15,555 --> 00:26:18,475 Speaker 1: help sell the wreaths. Works out to around a million 374 00:26:18,555 --> 00:26:21,235 Speaker 1: and a half a year to those charities, and then 375 00:26:21,315 --> 00:26:24,475 Speaker 1: about twenty one and a half million a year three 376 00:26:24,675 --> 00:26:29,435 Speaker 1: quarters of its annual revenue goes to the company that 377 00:26:29,595 --> 00:26:34,795 Speaker 1: makes the wreaths, Worcester Wreath Company. Now it's quite a 378 00:26:34,795 --> 00:26:38,755 Speaker 1: coincidence that the Worcester family still owns the Worcester Wreath 379 00:26:38,835 --> 00:26:42,275 Speaker 1: Company when the executive director of Wreaths Across America is 380 00:26:42,475 --> 00:26:45,435 Speaker 1: Karen Wooster and three of the other members of the 381 00:26:45,435 --> 00:26:48,275 Speaker 1: board of Wreaths Across America are also members of the 382 00:26:48,275 --> 00:26:51,435 Speaker 1: Worcester family. And yes, that light bulb going off over 383 00:26:51,475 --> 00:26:57,075 Speaker 1: your head, it's accurate. The same family which runs the 384 00:26:57,155 --> 00:27:01,115 Speaker 1: charity is the same family which profits by selling the 385 00:27:01,155 --> 00:27:07,235 Speaker 1: wreaths to the charity one million dollars a year, and oh, 386 00:27:07,275 --> 00:27:10,315 Speaker 1: by the way, shipping the wreaths that's largely donated separately, 387 00:27:10,355 --> 00:27:13,435 Speaker 1: So nobody's paying for that, and a lot of organizations 388 00:27:13,515 --> 00:27:16,915 Speaker 1: that gadfly charities to make sure stuff like this doesn't happen, 389 00:27:16,995 --> 00:27:20,595 Speaker 1: say yeah, this is happening on this This really tawdry 390 00:27:20,635 --> 00:27:23,955 Speaker 1: look was first reported not by some left wing organization 391 00:27:24,315 --> 00:27:30,635 Speaker 1: or mainstream media outlook, by Military Times dot com. The 392 00:27:30,715 --> 00:27:34,715 Speaker 1: runner up worser right wing nutjob Laura Lunier, although I 393 00:27:34,715 --> 00:27:39,555 Speaker 1: think she spells Atlmer. Laura Lunier has a vague relationship 394 00:27:39,595 --> 00:27:43,075 Speaker 1: with reality and with the truth. Her latest processing issue, 395 00:27:43,675 --> 00:27:50,795 Speaker 1: as reported by America's leading George Santos scholar Jacqueline Sweet Lumer, 396 00:27:50,915 --> 00:27:54,275 Speaker 1: insists that a Foreign Agent Registration Act filing shows that 397 00:27:54,355 --> 00:27:57,395 Speaker 1: the goofball staffer from Senator Cardin's office, who was caught 398 00:27:57,395 --> 00:28:03,995 Speaker 1: on video in the Senate hearing room receiving testimony that 399 00:28:04,075 --> 00:28:06,435 Speaker 1: he's a f are an agent he works for the 400 00:28:06,475 --> 00:28:10,075 Speaker 1: Dominican Republic, says, so right here, it's a scandal. He 401 00:28:10,115 --> 00:28:16,035 Speaker 1: could be blackmailed, even though Laura Lunier doesn't explain that 402 00:28:16,115 --> 00:28:21,395 Speaker 1: after that tape, I mean, what's left to blackmail him with? 403 00:28:22,355 --> 00:28:26,275 Speaker 1: Of course it doesn't say he's a foreign agent. Laura 404 00:28:26,355 --> 00:28:31,235 Speaker 1: Lunier is that most dangerous of combinations, not too bright 405 00:28:32,035 --> 00:28:35,715 Speaker 1: and not too worried about the truth. The form that 406 00:28:35,795 --> 00:28:38,875 Speaker 1: she screenshotted and presented just a portion of shows that 407 00:28:38,995 --> 00:28:42,635 Speaker 1: somebody who was a representative of the Dominican government sent 408 00:28:42,915 --> 00:28:48,795 Speaker 1: the staffer an email, in fact, sent hundreds of Senate 409 00:28:48,875 --> 00:28:53,435 Speaker 1: Office staffers emails. That's all it says. The staffer is 410 00:28:53,515 --> 00:28:56,915 Speaker 1: not the Dominican agent. He and hundreds of others were 411 00:28:56,995 --> 00:29:02,715 Speaker 1: sent emails by a Dominican agent. Senate staffers get emails 412 00:29:02,715 --> 00:29:06,275 Speaker 1: from representatives of other countries. That's what the system is for, 413 00:29:06,675 --> 00:29:10,515 Speaker 1: to show when the other countries have reached out to 414 00:29:10,635 --> 00:29:14,115 Speaker 1: Senate and how staff in her race to try to 415 00:29:14,115 --> 00:29:16,275 Speaker 1: stir up a scandal. This woman lomer has made a 416 00:29:16,315 --> 00:29:20,195 Speaker 1: fool out of herself again. But our winners, speaking of which, 417 00:29:20,555 --> 00:29:24,635 Speaker 1: the worst seapack and the guy who is still somehow 418 00:29:24,635 --> 00:29:26,875 Speaker 1: It's chairman. Nearly a year after he was engulfed in 419 00:29:26,915 --> 00:29:33,395 Speaker 1: an actual scandal, the prophetically named Matt Slap, you may 420 00:29:33,435 --> 00:29:37,515 Speaker 1: recall Matt Schlap was sued for allegedly groping a male 421 00:29:37,595 --> 00:29:40,835 Speaker 1: campaign staffer in October twenty twenty two. A staffer on 422 00:29:40,875 --> 00:29:47,835 Speaker 1: the Senate campaign of herschel Walker remember herschel Walker. Washington 423 00:29:47,875 --> 00:29:50,715 Speaker 1: Post now reports that is part of discovery for his lawsuit, 424 00:29:50,755 --> 00:29:54,155 Speaker 1: the alleged victim discovered and added to the lawsuit two 425 00:29:54,235 --> 00:30:00,235 Speaker 1: prior incidents involving Matt Schlap that the plaintiff says Seapack 426 00:30:00,315 --> 00:30:02,955 Speaker 1: knew about and did nothing about an attempt to kiss 427 00:30:02,995 --> 00:30:06,475 Speaker 1: an employee at a Seapack part in twenty seventeen and 428 00:30:06,595 --> 00:30:09,875 Speaker 1: last year what sounds like an interesting night exploring conservative 429 00:30:09,955 --> 00:30:13,155 Speaker 1: values when Slapp was accused of stripping to his underwear 430 00:30:13,195 --> 00:30:16,675 Speaker 1: and rubbing up against another guy without the other guy's consent. 431 00:30:17,715 --> 00:30:19,515 Speaker 1: And the new aspect of the suit is the claim 432 00:30:19,595 --> 00:30:22,275 Speaker 1: that Seapac knew and did nothing and let Slap loose 433 00:30:22,955 --> 00:30:28,875 Speaker 1: on an unsuspecting world. Matt, Hey, I was only talking 434 00:30:28,915 --> 00:30:49,875 Speaker 1: about polling Slap Today's worst person in the world. All right, 435 00:30:49,915 --> 00:31:00,315 Speaker 1: here's Bill Maser c one December nineteenth, three two one, 436 00:31:00,955 --> 00:31:03,155 Speaker 1: and now to the number one story on the Countdown. 437 00:31:03,235 --> 00:31:06,035 Speaker 1: And I was literally asked about him the other day 438 00:31:06,235 --> 00:31:08,755 Speaker 1: by somebody who did not know I knew him, And 439 00:31:08,875 --> 00:31:12,555 Speaker 1: basically I had one of those instantaneous moments that proved 440 00:31:12,555 --> 00:31:16,555 Speaker 1: that Marcel Proust was right. If you try to remember 441 00:31:16,995 --> 00:31:21,395 Speaker 1: something or someone from your youth. Good luck. You might 442 00:31:21,475 --> 00:31:24,075 Speaker 1: get a vague image. It might be right, it might 443 00:31:24,115 --> 00:31:27,715 Speaker 1: be wrong. But if you are unexpectedly reminded of the 444 00:31:27,795 --> 00:31:31,315 Speaker 1: moment or the person, you can, for at least a 445 00:31:31,355 --> 00:31:36,275 Speaker 1: brief instant, be transported back to them and to that time, 446 00:31:36,675 --> 00:31:40,515 Speaker 1: as certainly as if you had a time machine. The 447 00:31:40,555 --> 00:31:43,995 Speaker 1: man's name was spoken, and suddenly I was nineteen years 448 00:31:44,035 --> 00:31:48,115 Speaker 1: old again, in a brand new seersucker suit, stepping in 449 00:31:48,155 --> 00:31:53,275 Speaker 1: from the always broiling midday sun of midtown Manhattan before 450 00:31:53,275 --> 00:31:57,715 Speaker 1: the subways had air conditioners, and into the seductive cool 451 00:31:57,875 --> 00:32:01,435 Speaker 1: of a television newsroom, seven long hours before the broadcast 452 00:32:01,555 --> 00:32:03,995 Speaker 1: was to begin, when all the elements are in place 453 00:32:04,075 --> 00:32:08,115 Speaker 1: except the panic and the rushing and the shouting, when 454 00:32:08,115 --> 00:32:11,555 Speaker 1: you can still quietly discuss which story should be the 455 00:32:11,635 --> 00:32:16,355 Speaker 1: lead on the newscast, rather than threatening to kill somebody 456 00:32:16,395 --> 00:32:18,515 Speaker 1: who tried to stop you from going with the fire, 457 00:32:18,835 --> 00:32:22,755 Speaker 1: instead of a boating accident, when the film hasn't even 458 00:32:22,835 --> 00:32:27,595 Speaker 1: been shot, let alone developed yet, And yes, in nineteen 459 00:32:27,635 --> 00:32:30,795 Speaker 1: seventy eight it was still film. They were just making 460 00:32:30,835 --> 00:32:34,515 Speaker 1: the conversion from film to videotape, and they were using both, 461 00:32:34,955 --> 00:32:38,915 Speaker 1: and half the stories could be instantly assembled videotape, but 462 00:32:39,035 --> 00:32:42,075 Speaker 1: the other half were maddeningly delayed until the kid ran 463 00:32:42,155 --> 00:32:44,875 Speaker 1: the film to the lab in the basement and waited 464 00:32:44,915 --> 00:32:46,915 Speaker 1: for it to be developed. And yeah, I was often 465 00:32:46,995 --> 00:32:49,595 Speaker 1: that kid, And I think I might be the youngest 466 00:32:49,635 --> 00:32:52,515 Speaker 1: person in this country who can say he ran the 467 00:32:52,595 --> 00:32:58,435 Speaker 1: news film to the lab to be developed. Anyway, the 468 00:32:58,515 --> 00:33:00,715 Speaker 1: man whose name was mentioned to me was the first 469 00:33:00,755 --> 00:33:03,195 Speaker 1: to succeed on radio in a big city in this 470 00:33:03,235 --> 00:33:07,355 Speaker 1: country by simply talking sports with listeners who phoned in. 471 00:33:08,275 --> 00:33:10,755 Speaker 1: This was in Buffalo, New York in the nineteen forties 472 00:33:10,755 --> 00:33:13,635 Speaker 1: and nineteen fifties and nineteen sixties, though he was not 473 00:33:13,755 --> 00:33:17,555 Speaker 1: from there, born in Kiev, emigrated to Brooklyn as an 474 00:33:17,555 --> 00:33:20,995 Speaker 1: infant pre med at Michigan, a quick radio stint in 475 00:33:21,075 --> 00:33:24,315 Speaker 1: Grand Rapids, and the apt decision to not go by 476 00:33:24,395 --> 00:33:28,075 Speaker 1: his given name of Morris Maser. Then to the war, 477 00:33:28,195 --> 00:33:30,755 Speaker 1: then to Buffalo and the role of the sportscaster in 478 00:33:30,795 --> 00:33:33,875 Speaker 1: town on TV, on radio on the newscasts of the 479 00:33:33,915 --> 00:33:37,395 Speaker 1: original Buffalo Bills of the Minor League Baseball Buffalo Bisons 480 00:33:37,515 --> 00:33:41,635 Speaker 1: and the Minor League Hockey Buffalo Bisons. Bill not Morris 481 00:33:42,075 --> 00:33:47,115 Speaker 1: Bill Maser. Bill Maser came home to New York City 482 00:33:47,155 --> 00:33:49,195 Speaker 1: in the early sixties, and whether you like it or 483 00:33:49,235 --> 00:33:54,035 Speaker 1: hate it, sports talk started with him, and it did 484 00:33:54,075 --> 00:33:56,555 Speaker 1: not get much better than him. And what he did 485 00:33:56,675 --> 00:33:58,675 Speaker 1: was not what you see now, where people like Steven A. 486 00:33:58,755 --> 00:34:02,035 Speaker 1: Smith and Chris Russo are paid to kill as much 487 00:34:02,115 --> 00:34:05,195 Speaker 1: time as possible, where people like Skip Bayless paid to 488 00:34:05,195 --> 00:34:08,995 Speaker 1: turn anything into a controversy and anything good into something bad. 489 00:34:09,955 --> 00:34:19,035 Speaker 1: Bill Maser talked to people knowledgeably, pleasantly, rarely raising his voice. 490 00:34:19,155 --> 00:34:22,515 Speaker 1: He talked to athletes, other reporters, fans, and he had 491 00:34:22,515 --> 00:34:27,595 Speaker 1: a singular advantage. Before Internet, before the sports history industry, hell, 492 00:34:27,675 --> 00:34:30,555 Speaker 1: before the first edition of the Baseball Encyclopedia came out, 493 00:34:30,835 --> 00:34:36,635 Speaker 1: Bill Maser knew everything. This was largely because he had 494 00:34:36,755 --> 00:34:40,275 Speaker 1: a virtually photographic memory. Bill could of an instant tell 495 00:34:40,315 --> 00:34:42,235 Speaker 1: you who won the one hundred meter dash at the 496 00:34:42,315 --> 00:34:45,355 Speaker 1: nineteen thirty two Olympics in Los Angeles, because he knew 497 00:34:45,435 --> 00:34:48,115 Speaker 1: how all six finishers did that. It was Eddie Tolan, 498 00:34:48,515 --> 00:34:52,675 Speaker 1: then Ralph Metcalf, then Jonath of Germany, then George Simpson, 499 00:34:52,715 --> 00:34:56,275 Speaker 1: then Danny Joubert, and then the Japanese Yoshioka. And then 500 00:34:56,275 --> 00:34:58,835 Speaker 1: he mentioned that Eddie Tolan's cousin was the outfielder Bobby 501 00:34:58,875 --> 00:35:00,915 Speaker 1: tolenan of the Cincinnati Reds. And before you knew it, 502 00:35:01,075 --> 00:35:03,875 Speaker 1: he was asking you who had the greatest outfield arm ever? 503 00:35:04,715 --> 00:35:08,795 Speaker 1: And I mentioned this because I can remember parts of 504 00:35:08,875 --> 00:35:11,835 Speaker 1: the conversation I had with him that followed that question 505 00:35:11,915 --> 00:35:15,635 Speaker 1: about the nineteen thirty two Olympic one hundred meters. Bill 506 00:35:15,675 --> 00:35:19,955 Speaker 1: Maser saw the list of finishers once and remembered it 507 00:35:19,955 --> 00:35:24,155 Speaker 1: for the rest of his life. Bill also did television 508 00:35:24,555 --> 00:35:28,235 Speaker 1: network stuff. He worked NFL football for CBS, sidelines in 509 00:35:28,315 --> 00:35:31,115 Speaker 1: the studio and the scoreboard shows. He did hockey, He 510 00:35:31,115 --> 00:35:34,195 Speaker 1: did color he did play by play, did local games 511 00:35:34,195 --> 00:35:36,315 Speaker 1: of the New York Rangers. He did the network broadcast 512 00:35:36,355 --> 00:35:39,515 Speaker 1: on CBS. He did the Knicks, the Rangers, the Nets, 513 00:35:39,555 --> 00:35:42,755 Speaker 1: the Islanders, the local sports on Channel five here. And 514 00:35:42,835 --> 00:35:45,475 Speaker 1: he had interns, And in the summer of nineteen seventy 515 00:35:45,475 --> 00:35:49,515 Speaker 1: eight at Channel five in my seersucker suit, I was 516 00:35:49,555 --> 00:35:53,235 Speaker 1: one of them. Did he take me under his wing? 517 00:35:54,795 --> 00:35:58,195 Speaker 1: That wasn't his style? Did he let me essentially produce 518 00:35:58,235 --> 00:36:02,555 Speaker 1: his show, choose the highlights for him? Watch as he 519 00:36:02,635 --> 00:36:05,355 Speaker 1: showed me tricks on how to narrate the those highlights. 520 00:36:05,995 --> 00:36:11,315 Speaker 1: Ask me why he was including some stories and not others. 521 00:36:12,315 --> 00:36:14,275 Speaker 1: Explain that it was okay to make a mistake as 522 00:36:14,275 --> 00:36:16,475 Speaker 1: long as you corrected yourself as soon as you found out. 523 00:36:17,675 --> 00:36:20,515 Speaker 1: Nod with amusement but approval. When the actual producer said 524 00:36:20,555 --> 00:36:22,795 Speaker 1: that one night that Bill was going to take off, 525 00:36:22,795 --> 00:36:26,475 Speaker 1: they should let me fill in for him. Yes to 526 00:36:26,555 --> 00:36:32,995 Speaker 1: all that he treated his interns like equals. And then 527 00:36:32,995 --> 00:36:35,555 Speaker 1: there was that memory thing. He used to ask him 528 00:36:35,595 --> 00:36:37,955 Speaker 1: a trivia question on the air every night, a question 529 00:36:38,075 --> 00:36:41,195 Speaker 1: sent in by a viewer Stump the Amazing Maser in 530 00:36:41,235 --> 00:36:44,275 Speaker 1: the commercial before the sports on the ten o'clock news 531 00:36:44,315 --> 00:36:47,955 Speaker 1: on Channel five, And usually he'd start to actually answer 532 00:36:47,955 --> 00:36:50,515 Speaker 1: it reflexively, and the news anchor John Rowland would say, 533 00:36:50,515 --> 00:36:51,915 Speaker 1: what are you doing? We want them to stay through 534 00:36:51,955 --> 00:36:53,595 Speaker 1: the commercial to find out if you know the answer, 535 00:36:53,635 --> 00:36:55,675 Speaker 1: and they'd both laugh, and it was obvious that Bill 536 00:36:55,835 --> 00:36:58,355 Speaker 1: had started to answer so that nobody would ever think 537 00:36:58,355 --> 00:37:00,395 Speaker 1: he was dashing off during the commercial to find the 538 00:37:00,435 --> 00:37:04,395 Speaker 1: answer in a book somewhere. The newscast Your Roland even 539 00:37:04,435 --> 00:37:08,115 Speaker 1: mock the whole thing one night. This is from Eddie 540 00:37:08,155 --> 00:37:12,715 Speaker 1: Spaghetti of Sheepshead Bay Amazing on Sunday, April twenty second, 541 00:37:12,755 --> 00:37:15,915 Speaker 1: nineteen seventy nine, the Rangers defeated the Philadelphia Flyers six 542 00:37:15,995 --> 00:37:19,435 Speaker 1: nothing at the Garden behind John Davidson shutout to take 543 00:37:19,435 --> 00:37:21,435 Speaker 1: a commanding three games to one lead in the Stanley 544 00:37:21,435 --> 00:37:26,395 Speaker 1: Cup semifinals. By this point Bill looked somewhere between amused 545 00:37:26,395 --> 00:37:29,195 Speaker 1: and be mused. The question included the key details, What 546 00:37:29,315 --> 00:37:35,195 Speaker 1: on earth could the question be? John Rowland resumed seventeen thousand, 547 00:37:35,275 --> 00:37:38,035 Speaker 1: three hundred and eighty fans were at Madison Square Garden 548 00:37:38,075 --> 00:37:44,795 Speaker 1: that night. Give their names and addresses. Bill Mazer did 549 00:37:44,875 --> 00:37:48,435 Speaker 1: not even laugh. Aaron Albert A. One hundred and twenty 550 00:37:48,475 --> 00:37:51,955 Speaker 1: five Bedford Avenue, Apartment four L, Brooklyn, New York. Aaron 551 00:37:52,115 --> 00:37:57,515 Speaker 1: Albert C. Seventeen Golf Courseway, Nutley, New Jersey. Aaron Albert V. 552 00:37:57,875 --> 00:38:04,075 Speaker 1: The director faded to black. I saw him last around 553 00:38:04,075 --> 00:38:07,155 Speaker 1: two thousand and eight in the old Yankee Stadium. He 554 00:38:07,275 --> 00:38:09,995 Speaker 1: was alone in the clubhouse and shaking his head slowly. 555 00:38:10,955 --> 00:38:14,875 Speaker 1: I went up and said, hello, my god, Keith. He said, 556 00:38:15,115 --> 00:38:19,995 Speaker 1: very quietly, other than Jeter, I don't know anybody here anymore. 557 00:38:21,195 --> 00:38:22,675 Speaker 1: I told him the hell he didn't, he knew me. 558 00:38:23,875 --> 00:38:27,035 Speaker 1: We talked for half an hour. I was his intern 559 00:38:27,075 --> 00:38:29,035 Speaker 1: one summer, and the next July I was covering the 560 00:38:29,035 --> 00:38:31,475 Speaker 1: same games and press conferences he was, And not once 561 00:38:31,515 --> 00:38:35,035 Speaker 1: did he claim he discovered me. He introduced me to 562 00:38:35,075 --> 00:38:38,235 Speaker 1: everybody I did not know. I had the good fortune 563 00:38:38,275 --> 00:38:39,995 Speaker 1: to have this young man as my intern last year. 564 00:38:40,035 --> 00:38:43,475 Speaker 1: I'm very proud of him. It was always like that, 565 00:38:43,475 --> 00:38:46,075 Speaker 1: that conversation about the nineteen thirty two Olympic one hundred 566 00:38:46,155 --> 00:38:49,835 Speaker 1: meters that was at his desk in the seductively cool 567 00:38:49,875 --> 00:38:52,675 Speaker 1: newsroom at Channel five one evening when I was still 568 00:38:52,715 --> 00:38:57,595 Speaker 1: his intern, and it ended with me saying Dwight Evans 569 00:38:57,595 --> 00:38:59,595 Speaker 1: of the Boston Red Sox had as good an outfield 570 00:38:59,715 --> 00:39:01,835 Speaker 1: arm as I had ever seen, for whatever that was worth. 571 00:39:01,875 --> 00:39:04,035 Speaker 1: And Bill said that was a good choice, but he 572 00:39:04,075 --> 00:39:07,595 Speaker 1: didn't quite measure up to Meryl Hogue. Meryl Hogue in 573 00:39:07,635 --> 00:39:12,795 Speaker 1: the thirties with the Yankees, I added, and the Browns, 574 00:39:13,795 --> 00:39:17,675 Speaker 1: No corrected Bill, just the Yankees. He played only for 575 00:39:17,715 --> 00:39:22,755 Speaker 1: the Yankees. I was in a pickle. Bill Mazer was wrong. 576 00:39:23,715 --> 00:39:27,315 Speaker 1: I stated my evidence, Bill, I have a nineteen forty 577 00:39:27,315 --> 00:39:30,715 Speaker 1: baseball card of Merril Hogue with the Saint Louis Browns. 578 00:39:31,795 --> 00:39:35,715 Speaker 1: Bill Maser's side must be a misprint, he said quietly. 579 00:39:36,515 --> 00:39:39,555 Speaker 1: He then rose dramatically from his chair, cleared his throat, 580 00:39:39,555 --> 00:39:42,155 Speaker 1: and as he reached to unlock the drawer that contained 581 00:39:42,555 --> 00:39:45,835 Speaker 1: his copy of the finally published Baseball Encyclopedia. He was 582 00:39:45,875 --> 00:39:48,515 Speaker 1: always an early adopter of new tech, he said to 583 00:39:48,555 --> 00:39:52,115 Speaker 1: one of the producers. It's always like this with these kids. 584 00:39:53,315 --> 00:39:57,835 Speaker 1: He thumbed through the book. Ye has Hogue. Here it 585 00:39:57,875 --> 00:40:00,915 Speaker 1: is nineteen thirty six, Yankees nineteen thirty seven, Yankees nineteen 586 00:40:00,955 --> 00:40:09,075 Speaker 1: thirty eight, Yankees nineteen thirty nine. Brown Bill went silent. 587 00:40:09,675 --> 00:40:12,515 Speaker 1: He replaced his copy of the Baseball Encyclopedia and sat 588 00:40:12,555 --> 00:40:15,875 Speaker 1: down slowly and silently. He did not look at me, 589 00:40:16,515 --> 00:40:20,035 Speaker 1: but rather at the news producer Stanley Pinsley was his name, 590 00:40:21,515 --> 00:40:25,115 Speaker 1: and as he had taught me, Bill corrected himself this 591 00:40:25,475 --> 00:40:29,675 Speaker 1: in turn. He finally said, this one is almost as 592 00:40:29,755 --> 00:40:36,595 Speaker 1: good as me. That's all I really wanted. I had 593 00:40:36,795 --> 00:40:43,915 Speaker 1: unintentionally stumped the amazing Maser. Bill Maser died at Danbury, Connecticut, 594 00:40:43,955 --> 00:40:46,755 Speaker 1: in October of twenty thirteen, at the age of ninety two, 595 00:40:47,515 --> 00:40:53,675 Speaker 1: and people are still asking me about him. Congratulations Bill, 596 00:40:54,915 --> 00:41:10,715 Speaker 1: and thank you. I've done all the damage I can 597 00:41:10,755 --> 00:41:12,795 Speaker 1: do here. Thank you for listening. Do me a solid 598 00:41:12,875 --> 00:41:18,355 Speaker 1: and tell somebody who does not listen to listen. Countdowns 599 00:41:18,355 --> 00:41:20,075 Speaker 1: come to you from the Vin Scully Studios at the 600 00:41:20,075 --> 00:41:24,475 Speaker 1: Olderman Broadcasting Empire in New York. Spread the word about 601 00:41:24,475 --> 00:41:26,875 Speaker 1: the podcast. If you would, Facebook would be an especially 602 00:41:26,955 --> 00:41:29,155 Speaker 1: fertile ground like I wouldn't know. I've never actually gone 603 00:41:29,195 --> 00:41:32,555 Speaker 1: on Facebook. Countdown musical directors Brian Ray and John Phillip 604 00:41:32,595 --> 00:41:35,675 Speaker 1: Schanel arranged, produced, and performed most of our music. Mister 605 00:41:35,755 --> 00:41:39,075 Speaker 1: Chanelle handled orchestration and keyboards. Mister Ray was on the guitars, 606 00:41:39,115 --> 00:41:43,075 Speaker 1: bass and drums, produced by Tko Brothers. Other music, including 607 00:41:43,115 --> 00:41:46,355 Speaker 1: some of the Beethoven compositions, were arranged and performed by 608 00:41:46,355 --> 00:41:50,235 Speaker 1: the group No Horns Allowed. Sports music is courtesy of ESPN, Inc. 609 00:41:50,275 --> 00:41:52,115 Speaker 1: And it was written by Mitch Warren Davis and we 610 00:41:52,155 --> 00:41:56,035 Speaker 1: call it the Olderman Theme from ESPN two. Our satirical 611 00:41:56,035 --> 00:41:59,115 Speaker 1: and pithy musical comments are by Nancy Fauss, the best 612 00:41:59,115 --> 00:42:02,155 Speaker 1: baseball stadium organist ever. Our announcer today was my friend 613 00:42:02,155 --> 00:42:06,355 Speaker 1: Howard Feineman. Everything else was pretty much my fault. That's 614 00:42:06,355 --> 00:42:08,435 Speaker 1: countdown for this The one thousand and seventy eighth day 615 00:42:08,515 --> 00:42:11,955 Speaker 1: since dementia Jay Trump's first attempted coup against the democratically 616 00:42:11,955 --> 00:42:15,715 Speaker 1: elected government of the United States. Use the Insurrection Act 617 00:42:15,795 --> 00:42:20,475 Speaker 1: against him and them while we still can. The next 618 00:42:20,515 --> 00:42:23,515 Speaker 1: scheduled countdown is tomorrow. Bulletins as the news warrants till 619 00:42:23,555 --> 00:42:26,915 Speaker 1: then on Keith Olreman, Good Morning, good afternoon, good night, 620 00:42:27,515 --> 00:42:46,795 Speaker 1: and good luck. Countdown with Keith Olreman is a production 621 00:42:47,035 --> 00:42:52,355 Speaker 1: of iHeartRadio. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, 622 00:42:52,395 --> 00:42:55,795 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.