1 00:00:04,795 --> 00:00:23,075 Speaker 1: Countdown with Keith Olderman is a production of iHeartRadio special 2 00:00:23,115 --> 00:00:26,915 Speaker 1: Counsel Jack Smith may ask his stolen documents grand jury 3 00:00:26,955 --> 00:00:29,875 Speaker 1: to vote to indict Trump as early as this week. 4 00:00:30,875 --> 00:00:34,955 Speaker 1: Justice Department officials may meet with some of Trump's attorneys 5 00:00:35,035 --> 00:00:38,715 Speaker 1: as early as this week. And there is even the 6 00:00:38,795 --> 00:00:42,835 Speaker 1: plausible inference that these two stories put together, suggest the 7 00:00:42,955 --> 00:00:47,875 Speaker 1: DOJ could make at least a token offer of a 8 00:00:47,955 --> 00:00:52,515 Speaker 1: plea deal to Trump. There's a lot of ifs here, 9 00:00:52,555 --> 00:00:54,795 Speaker 1: and a lot of reporteds, and some of the reports 10 00:00:54,835 --> 00:00:58,275 Speaker 1: conflict with other reports so wildly that there is literally 11 00:00:58,355 --> 00:01:01,515 Speaker 1: no way that all of what's out there can all happen. 12 00:01:01,555 --> 00:01:03,915 Speaker 1: And I have been debating skipping all of this and 13 00:01:03,955 --> 00:01:06,795 Speaker 1: getting right to the startling news that Chris licktup CNN 14 00:01:06,875 --> 00:01:08,875 Speaker 1: is now so desperate to get not a Trump town 15 00:01:08,915 --> 00:01:12,995 Speaker 1: hall but an entire Republican presidential debate on his dying 16 00:01:13,035 --> 00:01:16,035 Speaker 1: network that he has offered to formally partner with a 17 00:01:16,115 --> 00:01:19,555 Speaker 1: right wing media outlet and even have one of its 18 00:01:19,635 --> 00:01:23,555 Speaker 1: people elevated to co moderator of that debate with a 19 00:01:23,595 --> 00:01:29,635 Speaker 1: CNN anchor on CNN. But then again, these podcasts can 20 00:01:29,755 --> 00:01:33,315 Speaker 1: be infinitely long, so let me review where the Trump 21 00:01:33,395 --> 00:01:37,155 Speaker 1: thing stands, because one thing seems certain. We're close. I 22 00:01:37,275 --> 00:01:43,195 Speaker 1: don't know what the hell we're close to, but we're close. Okay. 23 00:01:43,235 --> 00:01:45,835 Speaker 1: So it's NBC News that is reporting the Grand Jury 24 00:01:45,915 --> 00:01:48,715 Speaker 1: is going back into session after a month off this week, 25 00:01:49,395 --> 00:01:54,555 Speaker 1: with NBC's correspondence going further on air implying it could 26 00:01:54,595 --> 00:01:57,395 Speaker 1: be to vote on indictments. It could be a lot 27 00:01:57,435 --> 00:02:00,555 Speaker 1: of things. But CBS News is reporting that the Special 28 00:02:00,555 --> 00:02:03,315 Speaker 1: Council's decision on whether or not to try to charge 29 00:02:03,315 --> 00:02:07,435 Speaker 1: Trump and if so or what might happen this month, 30 00:02:08,195 --> 00:02:12,155 Speaker 1: while CBS also reports the possible Trump lawyer's DOJ meeting 31 00:02:12,195 --> 00:02:17,155 Speaker 1: this week and that plea deal idea that is our 32 00:02:17,195 --> 00:02:20,115 Speaker 1: friend John Dean looking at the CBS report and looking 33 00:02:20,195 --> 00:02:23,955 Speaker 1: at the latest superb work from the website Just Security, 34 00:02:24,435 --> 00:02:28,955 Speaker 1: and writing, every high level official who violates national security 35 00:02:29,035 --> 00:02:33,515 Speaker 1: laws appears to be offered a deal that includes losing 36 00:02:33,555 --> 00:02:38,115 Speaker 1: security clearance? Will Special Counsel Smith offer Trump a deal? 37 00:02:39,515 --> 00:02:42,315 Speaker 1: John points the rest of us to the model prosecution 38 00:02:42,595 --> 00:02:45,915 Speaker 1: memo on the stolen Trump documents, which is heavy lifting 39 00:02:45,995 --> 00:02:49,315 Speaker 1: unless you're a lawyer, but which parallels the exact kind 40 00:02:49,355 --> 00:02:53,635 Speaker 1: of internal exercise DOJ would produce before indictment decisions were made, 41 00:02:54,195 --> 00:02:57,595 Speaker 1: and eighty eight pages into the thing, there is what 42 00:02:57,675 --> 00:03:01,555 Speaker 1: amounts to the entire history of when the DOJ has 43 00:03:01,595 --> 00:03:05,715 Speaker 1: decided to prosecute for violations of mishandling the government documents, 44 00:03:05,915 --> 00:03:09,275 Speaker 1: including violations of the Espionage Act, and when it hasn't. 45 00:03:10,075 --> 00:03:14,315 Speaker 1: And the pattern becomes almost instantaneously clear. If you are 46 00:03:14,515 --> 00:03:20,355 Speaker 1: Kendra Kingsbury or James Hitzelberger or Harold Martin the third 47 00:03:20,955 --> 00:03:23,995 Speaker 1: and you take classified documents home and they catch you, 48 00:03:24,875 --> 00:03:28,395 Speaker 1: they indict you, and they put you on trial, and 49 00:03:28,555 --> 00:03:31,395 Speaker 1: if you're smart, you plead guilty as soon as possible. 50 00:03:32,155 --> 00:03:36,155 Speaker 1: But if you're former National Security Advisor Sandy Berger, and 51 00:03:36,195 --> 00:03:39,475 Speaker 1: you go into the National Archives and you perloin three 52 00:03:39,515 --> 00:03:42,955 Speaker 1: copies of one classified document, and you stuff them into 53 00:03:42,955 --> 00:03:45,675 Speaker 1: your socks and you take them and you destroy them. 54 00:03:46,315 --> 00:03:49,315 Speaker 1: Or your former Director of Central Intelligence John Deutsch, and 55 00:03:49,395 --> 00:03:52,715 Speaker 1: you were storing classified info on your home computer, or 56 00:03:52,715 --> 00:03:56,035 Speaker 1: if you were General David Petraeus and you kept your 57 00:03:56,075 --> 00:03:58,875 Speaker 1: black books with all the war strategy and the NSC 58 00:03:59,035 --> 00:04:02,275 Speaker 1: discussions and the identities of the covert officers in them, 59 00:04:02,435 --> 00:04:05,195 Speaker 1: so that your girlfriend could use them to write her 60 00:04:05,275 --> 00:04:10,875 Speaker 1: biography of you guess what the Department of Justice offers 61 00:04:10,915 --> 00:04:14,555 Speaker 1: you a deal on lesser charges and the forfeiture of 62 00:04:14,595 --> 00:04:18,955 Speaker 1: your security clearance. John Deane points out, and the Just 63 00:04:19,075 --> 00:04:21,795 Speaker 1: Security Model memo repeats it again and again, that the 64 00:04:21,835 --> 00:04:26,635 Speaker 1: DOJ prosecution decisions depend to an amazing degree on how 65 00:04:26,675 --> 00:04:30,955 Speaker 1: they have prosecuted similar cases or just similar parts of 66 00:04:31,155 --> 00:04:36,035 Speaker 1: dissimilar cases before. The Justice Department seems at times more 67 00:04:36,075 --> 00:04:40,715 Speaker 1: obsessed with precedent than does the Supreme Court. Well, if 68 00:04:40,715 --> 00:04:43,395 Speaker 1: that's the case, it would seem almost to given that 69 00:04:43,475 --> 00:04:46,475 Speaker 1: if Jack Smith were on the verge of indicting Trump, 70 00:04:47,555 --> 00:04:50,315 Speaker 1: they would offer Trump a deal. They would have to 71 00:04:50,355 --> 00:04:54,075 Speaker 1: talk to Trump's lawyers. But, as John also notes, if 72 00:04:54,075 --> 00:04:57,795 Speaker 1: you demanded the Trump forfeits national security clearance, how would 73 00:04:57,795 --> 00:05:01,515 Speaker 1: that work? How could he run for president having agreed 74 00:05:02,035 --> 00:05:06,635 Speaker 1: never to look at classified documents again in his life? Well, 75 00:05:06,715 --> 00:05:09,835 Speaker 1: I can handle that one. He would promise he would 76 00:05:09,875 --> 00:05:15,475 Speaker 1: run and if elected, he would pardon himself. Or maybe 77 00:05:15,475 --> 00:05:17,115 Speaker 1: he wouldn't even have to go that far, because, of 78 00:05:17,155 --> 00:05:19,555 Speaker 1: course the Department of Justice that would have to prosecute 79 00:05:19,595 --> 00:05:23,355 Speaker 1: him for looking at national security documents, violating the plea 80 00:05:23,435 --> 00:05:26,835 Speaker 1: deal he himself made months earlier, would be run by 81 00:05:26,915 --> 00:05:32,955 Speaker 1: people he had just appointed to run it. Before we 82 00:05:33,035 --> 00:05:35,955 Speaker 1: drop this and move on to this is CNN and 83 00:05:36,035 --> 00:05:40,275 Speaker 1: also Breitbart. Let me just review the eleven days in 84 00:05:40,315 --> 00:05:43,675 Speaker 1: this story and lead to that bigger conclusion I mentioned. 85 00:05:44,275 --> 00:05:47,315 Speaker 1: It started then eleven days ago with the Washington Post 86 00:05:47,315 --> 00:05:50,395 Speaker 1: report that Trump kept classified documents in his office in 87 00:05:50,435 --> 00:05:53,795 Speaker 1: Florida and showed them to people who did not have 88 00:05:53,915 --> 00:05:57,075 Speaker 1: the right to see them. Then last Tuesday, it was 89 00:05:57,115 --> 00:05:59,475 Speaker 1: the Post reporting that the other guy who moved the 90 00:05:59,515 --> 00:06:03,235 Speaker 1: boxes of classified documents for Trump and was caught on 91 00:06:03,315 --> 00:06:07,035 Speaker 1: security video doing so, just happened to ask the Marri 92 00:06:07,115 --> 00:06:10,515 Speaker 1: Lago it guy how soon before the security system automatically 93 00:06:10,515 --> 00:06:14,475 Speaker 1: deleted the old videos. That it was the Guardian reporting 94 00:06:14,515 --> 00:06:17,635 Speaker 1: the same day that Trump lawyer Evan Corcoran's notes had 95 00:06:17,715 --> 00:06:21,435 Speaker 1: shown he was essentially prevented from searching for documents anywhere 96 00:06:21,435 --> 00:06:24,515 Speaker 1: but in the storage room, when most of the documents 97 00:06:24,515 --> 00:06:28,275 Speaker 1: were actually in the office. And it was last Wednesday 98 00:06:28,275 --> 00:06:31,515 Speaker 1: that CNN reported about the smoking gun that there is 99 00:06:31,555 --> 00:06:34,915 Speaker 1: an audio recording made for Mark Meadows Ghostwriters, in which 100 00:06:35,155 --> 00:06:38,315 Speaker 1: Trump tells people who shouldn't even know that it exists, 101 00:06:38,995 --> 00:06:41,235 Speaker 1: that there is a four page US military plan for 102 00:06:41,235 --> 00:06:44,075 Speaker 1: an attack on Iran, and on the tape it sounds 103 00:06:44,315 --> 00:06:48,715 Speaker 1: like he is reading from it and rustling it. And 104 00:06:48,755 --> 00:06:50,795 Speaker 1: then there was the follow up that there are many 105 00:06:50,915 --> 00:06:54,595 Speaker 1: such Trump tapes and Jack Smith has all of them. 106 00:06:55,395 --> 00:06:58,315 Speaker 1: And Friday there was the New York Times follow up 107 00:06:58,315 --> 00:07:01,715 Speaker 1: that the DOJ subpoenaed it, but his lawyers could not 108 00:07:01,955 --> 00:07:06,475 Speaker 1: find that Iran war document, and Saturday it was there 109 00:07:06,475 --> 00:07:10,155 Speaker 1: aren't just Evan Corkoran notes, There are Evan Corkoran dear 110 00:07:10,355 --> 00:07:16,715 Speaker 1: diary iPhone memos And yes, maybe the grand jury meets 111 00:07:16,715 --> 00:07:18,995 Speaker 1: this week to vote on indicting him, and maybe it 112 00:07:19,035 --> 00:07:21,235 Speaker 1: does not, and maybe the DOJ will meet with his 113 00:07:21,315 --> 00:07:23,635 Speaker 1: lawyers this week, and maybe it won't, and maybe there's 114 00:07:23,675 --> 00:07:26,075 Speaker 1: a plea offer in the works, and maybe there isn't. 115 00:07:26,115 --> 00:07:30,115 Speaker 1: But damn does it sound like something large is about 116 00:07:30,155 --> 00:07:37,475 Speaker 1: to go down now to CNN's Chris Licked reportedly being 117 00:07:37,515 --> 00:07:40,915 Speaker 1: willing to bribe the Republican Party by actually letting some 118 00:07:41,115 --> 00:07:44,755 Speaker 1: figure from an ultra right wing outlet co moderate a 119 00:07:44,875 --> 00:07:51,795 Speaker 1: Republican presidential primary debate on CNN, establishing an actual CNN 120 00:07:51,915 --> 00:07:57,555 Speaker 1: working partnership with who are we talking about here? Breitbart, Newsmax, 121 00:07:57,795 --> 00:08:03,475 Speaker 1: The Daily Stormer, Ben Shapiro, Christina Bob, Steve Bannon, Lara Trump. 122 00:08:04,755 --> 00:08:07,555 Speaker 1: What did American television news organizations learn from the last 123 00:08:07,555 --> 00:08:11,475 Speaker 1: eight years of Trump? Nothing? Not a damn thing. What 124 00:08:11,595 --> 00:08:15,315 Speaker 1: did CNN learn from the Trump town Hall? Nothing? Not 125 00:08:15,395 --> 00:08:18,595 Speaker 1: a damn thing. What did Chris Lickt learn from his 126 00:08:18,755 --> 00:08:25,235 Speaker 1: vivisection by magazine in The Atlantic? Nothing not a damn thing. 127 00:08:26,155 --> 00:08:29,475 Speaker 1: It's slipped by because of so much other news about 128 00:08:29,475 --> 00:08:33,355 Speaker 1: two of the principal players. But CNN and NBC are 129 00:08:33,435 --> 00:08:37,635 Speaker 1: both reportedly prostituting themselves to try to get the rights 130 00:08:37,635 --> 00:08:43,355 Speaker 1: to host a Republican presidential primary debate or debates at least. 131 00:08:43,635 --> 00:08:46,835 Speaker 1: Chris Licht's argument for this is not look how well 132 00:08:46,875 --> 00:08:50,155 Speaker 1: the Trump town hall worked or didn't I come off 133 00:08:50,195 --> 00:08:53,555 Speaker 1: well in that piece in the Atlantic. This week, Lickt 134 00:08:53,595 --> 00:08:56,355 Speaker 1: has suggested to the Republican National Committee that the debate 135 00:08:56,395 --> 00:09:01,475 Speaker 1: could run on CNN plus other networks owned by Warner Bros. 136 00:09:01,715 --> 00:09:05,675 Speaker 1: Discovery and their digital channels, and maybe streaming. But then 137 00:09:05,755 --> 00:09:10,995 Speaker 1: comes the evil ps the Resistance. Quoting Axios, Lickt has 138 00:09:11,115 --> 00:09:15,995 Speaker 1: also offered to partner with a conservative leaning outlet on 139 00:09:16,115 --> 00:09:22,755 Speaker 1: the debates again, a conservative leaning outlet. Why would Newsmax 140 00:09:22,875 --> 00:09:25,955 Speaker 1: lower itself to be involved with CNN? It isn't going 141 00:09:26,035 --> 00:09:29,595 Speaker 1: to be Fox News, So where are we now? Gateway Pundit, 142 00:09:30,235 --> 00:09:36,955 Speaker 1: Lindell TV, Truth Social. That partnership, two sources told Axios, 143 00:09:36,995 --> 00:09:41,235 Speaker 1: could include giving a journalist from the partner outlet a 144 00:09:41,355 --> 00:09:47,675 Speaker 1: comoderator spot sweet Jesus on hockey skates. Conservative leaning outlets 145 00:09:47,715 --> 00:09:50,715 Speaker 1: don't have journalists. And if you think that is just 146 00:09:50,915 --> 00:09:57,475 Speaker 1: liberal hyperbole, name one the National Review, which has half 147 00:09:57,555 --> 00:10:02,795 Speaker 1: the footprint of the Epoch Times. So it's who's the comoderator? 148 00:10:02,915 --> 00:10:08,555 Speaker 1: Rich Lowry, can Patel? Here are your event moderators, Anderson 149 00:10:08,635 --> 00:10:14,355 Speaker 1: Cooper and Nick Fuentes. And if he heard those names, 150 00:10:14,715 --> 00:10:17,835 Speaker 1: how many times would Chris lickt recoil? And how many 151 00:10:17,835 --> 00:10:24,355 Speaker 1: times would Chris lickt jot them down? Let me put 152 00:10:24,435 --> 00:10:29,675 Speaker 1: lickt aside for a moment. For while NBC's self prostitution 153 00:10:29,915 --> 00:10:32,515 Speaker 1: is not as pronounced as CNN's, it is in some 154 00:10:32,555 --> 00:10:37,195 Speaker 1: ways a little more disillusioning. Axios is now reporting that 155 00:10:37,235 --> 00:10:40,035 Speaker 1: not only has NBC offered to put a Republican debate 156 00:10:40,115 --> 00:10:46,075 Speaker 1: on NBC on MSNBC, on CNBC on Telemundo and on 157 00:10:46,155 --> 00:10:48,715 Speaker 1: its streaming news service, but that it made a pitch 158 00:10:48,795 --> 00:10:52,995 Speaker 1: at an RNC meeting in February, and the pitch starred 159 00:10:53,595 --> 00:10:59,075 Speaker 1: Lester Holt, the anchor of NBC Nightly News, letting himself 160 00:10:59,155 --> 00:11:03,115 Speaker 1: and his not very hard earned credibility as the centerpiece 161 00:11:03,475 --> 00:11:09,555 Speaker 1: of NBC's attens to convince the Republicans, Trump, DeSantis all 162 00:11:09,675 --> 00:11:14,715 Speaker 1: of the others to bring their festival of lies to NBC. 163 00:11:15,115 --> 00:11:19,435 Speaker 1: It's shameful. I haven't spoken about Lester Holt here before 164 00:11:19,515 --> 00:11:21,835 Speaker 1: because I only worked in the same organization with him 165 00:11:21,875 --> 00:11:24,835 Speaker 1: for eight years. Thus I know next to nothing about him, 166 00:11:25,395 --> 00:11:28,515 Speaker 1: and everybody I knew there said that that was all 167 00:11:28,555 --> 00:11:31,715 Speaker 1: there was to know about him. He's a cipher. He's 168 00:11:31,755 --> 00:11:34,675 Speaker 1: a guy with good suits and a sunny smile who 169 00:11:34,755 --> 00:11:37,595 Speaker 1: can read the prompter well and was known at MSNBC 170 00:11:37,795 --> 00:11:44,035 Speaker 1: twenty years ago as mister iron Pants. That's it, and 171 00:11:44,075 --> 00:11:46,355 Speaker 1: now he's let himself be trotted out like the prize 172 00:11:46,395 --> 00:11:51,395 Speaker 1: winning pig at the Republican County Fair. Semaphore News reporting 173 00:11:51,675 --> 00:11:57,115 Speaker 1: the RNC was impressed by Lester Holt's pitch. Instead of 174 00:11:57,195 --> 00:12:01,435 Speaker 1: trying to impress the fascists, NBC and for that matter, CNN, 175 00:12:01,875 --> 00:12:06,515 Speaker 1: You guys should be offering whatever non journalistic bells and 176 00:12:06,555 --> 00:12:09,435 Speaker 1: whistles are necessary if you really want to put them 177 00:12:09,475 --> 00:12:12,555 Speaker 1: on your air, but that to get on your networks, 178 00:12:12,595 --> 00:12:15,795 Speaker 1: any participant must say on the record and publicly and 179 00:12:15,835 --> 00:12:18,955 Speaker 1: loudly and clearly that Biden won the twenty twenty election, 180 00:12:19,035 --> 00:12:22,235 Speaker 1: and any claim to the contrary is dishonesty or madness 181 00:12:22,315 --> 00:12:26,395 Speaker 1: or both, or they will not be platformed period. You 182 00:12:26,435 --> 00:12:28,275 Speaker 1: do anything less than that, and you're no longer a 183 00:12:28,355 --> 00:12:37,555 Speaker 1: news organization. NBC CNN. Yeah, I know, and this isn't 184 00:12:37,635 --> 00:12:41,395 Speaker 1: even the most prominent of CNN's problems at the moment. 185 00:12:42,315 --> 00:12:46,995 Speaker 1: His bosses have finally cut one of Chris Licht's legs. 186 00:12:47,875 --> 00:12:51,555 Speaker 1: He has many of them out from under him. He's 187 00:12:51,595 --> 00:12:55,035 Speaker 1: a centipede. Warner Bros. Has named a man named David 188 00:12:55,115 --> 00:13:00,275 Speaker 1: Levy as CNN's new COO, and OO is the operative 189 00:13:00,315 --> 00:13:03,035 Speaker 1: part of that. Lickt has told his people that he 190 00:13:03,115 --> 00:13:04,555 Speaker 1: decided to do that, that it would be a go 191 00:13:04,795 --> 00:13:07,435 Speaker 1: I did to give up all the network's business responsibilities 192 00:13:07,595 --> 00:13:10,755 Speaker 1: to somebody else so he can concentrate on continuing to 193 00:13:10,795 --> 00:13:14,315 Speaker 1: improve the product. And when I say continuing to improve 194 00:13:14,355 --> 00:13:16,355 Speaker 1: the product. I mean trying to find anybody who works 195 00:13:16,355 --> 00:13:18,755 Speaker 1: for him at CNN who can today still take him seriously. 196 00:13:19,035 --> 00:13:22,475 Speaker 1: After Tim Alberta's new fifteen thousand word iliad of a 197 00:13:22,515 --> 00:13:25,595 Speaker 1: piece in the Atlantic about Lickt and his methodical destruction 198 00:13:25,635 --> 00:13:31,515 Speaker 1: of CNN, out of ninety plus minutes of them, there 199 00:13:31,595 --> 00:13:35,595 Speaker 1: is one particularly grim line from the classic about journalism 200 00:13:35,715 --> 00:13:39,435 Speaker 1: gone mad, Sweet Smell of Success, the movie in which 201 00:13:39,475 --> 00:13:44,995 Speaker 1: Bert Lancaster says to Tony Curtis, your dead son, get 202 00:13:45,075 --> 00:13:52,315 Speaker 1: yourself buried. As I read Tim Alberta's profile of Lickt, 203 00:13:52,355 --> 00:13:54,035 Speaker 1: in which the only person who was willing to go 204 00:13:54,155 --> 00:13:56,755 Speaker 1: on the record supporting what Lickt is doing was his 205 00:13:56,835 --> 00:14:02,115 Speaker 1: personal trainer, I thought of three things, I told you so, 206 00:14:03,915 --> 00:14:07,075 Speaker 1: and the line I just mentioned from Sweet Smell of Success, 207 00:14:07,195 --> 00:14:11,755 Speaker 1: and that the Lichtian world that Alberta describes is so hopeless, 208 00:14:12,315 --> 00:14:15,155 Speaker 1: so screwed up, that it seemed, as I read his 209 00:14:15,235 --> 00:14:17,475 Speaker 1: piece at the last paragraph would have to turn out 210 00:14:17,515 --> 00:14:20,355 Speaker 1: to be a description of Licht getting fired by his 211 00:14:20,475 --> 00:14:24,675 Speaker 1: equally dim witted CNN masters. Something like finally came the 212 00:14:24,715 --> 00:14:28,915 Speaker 1: call Lickt was out fired. At least he would have 213 00:14:29,315 --> 00:14:35,155 Speaker 1: more time to spend with his trainer. It is hard 214 00:14:35,195 --> 00:14:40,795 Speaker 1: to imagine a profile of anybody anywhere, anybody less egregiously 215 00:14:40,875 --> 00:14:44,755 Speaker 1: damaging to society than a serial killer that could begin 216 00:14:44,875 --> 00:14:48,995 Speaker 1: with this one line and then somehow go downhill from there. Quote. 217 00:14:49,475 --> 00:14:51,875 Speaker 1: How are we going to cover Trump? That's not something 218 00:14:51,915 --> 00:14:54,435 Speaker 1: I stay up night thinking about. Chris lick told me. 219 00:14:54,595 --> 00:14:58,875 Speaker 1: It's very simple. It is, of course, everything but simple. 220 00:14:59,195 --> 00:15:03,275 Speaker 1: It has paralyzed journalists in every medium, in every American city, 221 00:15:03,595 --> 00:15:07,995 Speaker 1: with every degree of intelligence and experience and seriousness in 222 00:15:08,115 --> 00:15:11,755 Speaker 1: solving this problem. And yet Licked goes on. The media 223 00:15:11,795 --> 00:15:16,795 Speaker 1: has absolutely I believe, learned its lesson. Licked said, thank you, 224 00:15:16,875 --> 00:15:21,595 Speaker 1: Senator Collins. Lickt, sensing my surprise, he grinned, I really do, 225 00:15:21,835 --> 00:15:24,595 Speaker 1: Lickt said, I think they know he's playing them, At 226 00:15:24,675 --> 00:15:28,155 Speaker 1: least the people in my organization. We've had discussions about this. 227 00:15:28,435 --> 00:15:30,635 Speaker 1: We know that we're getting played, so we're going to 228 00:15:30,715 --> 00:15:35,995 Speaker 1: resist it. The man foolish enough to put Trump on 229 00:15:36,195 --> 00:15:38,955 Speaker 1: live in a town hall after he told a reporter 230 00:15:39,035 --> 00:15:41,315 Speaker 1: that he was going to resist being played by Trump. 231 00:15:41,875 --> 00:15:44,075 Speaker 1: The man foolish enough to make deals with Trump and 232 00:15:44,115 --> 00:15:47,435 Speaker 1: give control over who sat in the audience to Trump 233 00:15:47,435 --> 00:15:50,995 Speaker 1: and to court, Trump actually said these things and meant them, 234 00:15:51,035 --> 00:15:53,275 Speaker 1: and never for a moment stopped to think that maybe 235 00:15:53,435 --> 00:15:55,555 Speaker 1: he was not going to exploit Trump, but he was 236 00:15:55,555 --> 00:15:59,435 Speaker 1: going to be exploited by Trump. Quote. In the days 237 00:15:59,475 --> 00:16:03,315 Speaker 1: before the town hall, Alberta writes, concerns about the audience 238 00:16:03,355 --> 00:16:08,075 Speaker 1: spiked as lits description of the crowd quote extra Trumpy 239 00:16:08,955 --> 00:16:14,835 Speaker 1: wound its way through slack channels and text message threads. Quote. 240 00:16:15,195 --> 00:16:17,675 Speaker 1: Live television is a volatile thing. People and sets and 241 00:16:17,715 --> 00:16:20,315 Speaker 1: scripts are always being changed for all kinds of reasons, 242 00:16:21,155 --> 00:16:25,275 Speaker 1: wrote Tim Alberta. Still, CNN employees had reasons to be suspicious. 243 00:16:25,875 --> 00:16:27,875 Speaker 1: They wondered if some sort of deal had been cut 244 00:16:27,955 --> 00:16:32,075 Speaker 1: with Trump's team promising the placement of approved panelists in 245 00:16:32,155 --> 00:16:35,515 Speaker 1: exchange for his participation in the town hall. At least, 246 00:16:35,635 --> 00:16:38,835 Speaker 1: even absent some official agreement, it seemed obvious that CNN 247 00:16:38,915 --> 00:16:42,195 Speaker 1: leaders had been contorting the coverage to keep Trump happy, 248 00:16:42,675 --> 00:16:47,475 Speaker 1: perhaps to prevent him from walking off stage. At one 249 00:16:47,555 --> 00:16:52,475 Speaker 1: point during the pregame show, when the words sexual abuse 250 00:16:53,235 --> 00:16:57,715 Speaker 1: appeared on the CNN Chiron, one of Licht's lieutenants phoned 251 00:16:57,795 --> 00:17:02,035 Speaker 1: the control room. His instructions stunned everyone who overheard them. 252 00:17:02,475 --> 00:17:08,035 Speaker 1: The chiron needed to come down in immediately. Unquote. If 253 00:17:08,075 --> 00:17:10,915 Speaker 1: that's true, and I have no reason to doubt that 254 00:17:10,955 --> 00:17:13,755 Speaker 1: it's true. It sounds like something Licked would do. No, 255 00:17:14,115 --> 00:17:17,035 Speaker 1: it sounds like something Licked would make somebody else do. 256 00:17:18,195 --> 00:17:21,675 Speaker 1: And it's indefensible. It's a fireable offense. It should have 257 00:17:21,675 --> 00:17:24,275 Speaker 1: gotten Licked fired. In fact, it will get him fired. 258 00:17:24,675 --> 00:17:27,275 Speaker 1: And on that day when he gets kicked upstairs to 259 00:17:27,355 --> 00:17:34,195 Speaker 1: the coordinator of Crapulen Synergistic, he will never understand what happened. 260 00:17:35,355 --> 00:17:39,475 Speaker 1: No journalist, let alone a deluded, self appointed defender of 261 00:17:39,555 --> 00:17:43,515 Speaker 1: journalism like Chris Licked, can ever put himself or his 262 00:17:43,515 --> 00:17:45,195 Speaker 1: network in a position to make it look like it 263 00:17:45,355 --> 00:17:48,915 Speaker 1: made a deal to provide a political candidate with a 264 00:17:48,955 --> 00:17:55,075 Speaker 1: live crowd of cheerleaders. Yet Extra Trumpy Licked proudly and 265 00:17:55,235 --> 00:18:00,835 Speaker 1: clearly sold out CNN's objectivity, and if the Axio support 266 00:18:00,875 --> 00:18:04,115 Speaker 1: is correct, is prepared to do it again. Here's your 267 00:18:04,235 --> 00:18:12,275 Speaker 1: co host, Matt walshblog again, quoting Alberta's piece in The Atlantic. 268 00:18:12,355 --> 00:18:15,315 Speaker 1: I asked Lickt whether there was anything he regretted about 269 00:18:15,355 --> 00:18:18,315 Speaker 1: the event, the Extra Trumpy makeup of the crowd. No, 270 00:18:18,515 --> 00:18:21,315 Speaker 1: Licht said, because it was representative of the Republican base, 271 00:18:21,995 --> 00:18:24,835 Speaker 1: allowing the audience to cheer at will No, Licht said, 272 00:18:24,875 --> 00:18:28,355 Speaker 1: because instructing them to hold their applause, as debate moderators 273 00:18:28,435 --> 00:18:34,435 Speaker 1: regularly do, would have altered the reality of the event unquote. 274 00:18:35,075 --> 00:18:38,875 Speaker 1: Twice Alberta catches Chris Licht on the record on the 275 00:18:38,915 --> 00:18:45,715 Speaker 1: fringes tap dancing along the line of COVID denihalism, Lickt 276 00:18:45,755 --> 00:18:48,235 Speaker 1: suggests to a group of students that case and death 277 00:18:48,315 --> 00:18:50,915 Speaker 1: numbers may have been exaggerated. Quote, we don't know how 278 00:18:50,995 --> 00:18:54,155 Speaker 1: many deaths were from COVID. He explains he knows this 279 00:18:54,275 --> 00:18:58,435 Speaker 1: because his father was a doctor. My father was an architect, 280 00:18:58,835 --> 00:19:02,835 Speaker 1: and I can't build a house of playing cards. Licht 281 00:19:02,995 --> 00:19:07,075 Speaker 1: also actually believes seeing coverage of the pandemic before he 282 00:19:07,115 --> 00:19:12,115 Speaker 1: got there was bad. Said it turned into quote a 283 00:19:12,155 --> 00:19:14,795 Speaker 1: place where oh wow, we got to keep getting those ratings. 284 00:19:14,955 --> 00:19:17,235 Speaker 1: We got to keep getting the sense of urgency. He 285 00:19:17,395 --> 00:19:20,035 Speaker 1: slapped his palms on the table between us, mimicking the 286 00:19:20,035 --> 00:19:23,915 Speaker 1: feverish pace of an imaginary broadcaster. COVID, COVID, COVID, look 287 00:19:23,915 --> 00:19:27,755 Speaker 1: at the case numbers, Look at this unquote. If I 288 00:19:27,795 --> 00:19:30,995 Speaker 1: were a CNN employee, who had lost somebody to COVID. 289 00:19:31,075 --> 00:19:34,115 Speaker 1: I would now feel entitled to punch Chris Lickt in 290 00:19:34,235 --> 00:19:39,715 Speaker 1: the mouth throughout the piece, as throughout so much of 291 00:19:39,755 --> 00:19:43,795 Speaker 1: the coverage of Chris Licht's disastrous tenure running CNN, running 292 00:19:43,795 --> 00:19:48,235 Speaker 1: it into the ground, unprecedented even among the amazing gallery 293 00:19:48,275 --> 00:19:50,875 Speaker 1: of rogues and idiots who have run the cable news 294 00:19:50,875 --> 00:19:53,675 Speaker 1: networks over the decades, and I met all of them. 295 00:19:54,435 --> 00:19:57,595 Speaker 1: Lickt is still portrayed in this piece in the Atlantic 296 00:19:57,755 --> 00:20:02,755 Speaker 1: as the genius producer at MSNBC when he produced a 297 00:20:03,235 --> 00:20:08,075 Speaker 1: nighttime Last Play show, and then a genius morning producer 298 00:20:08,115 --> 00:20:11,035 Speaker 1: when he produced a morning Last Place show, then at 299 00:20:11,075 --> 00:20:14,795 Speaker 1: CBS News where he produced another morning Last Place show, 300 00:20:15,195 --> 00:20:18,435 Speaker 1: then at CBS Late Night where he produced another Last 301 00:20:18,475 --> 00:20:23,235 Speaker 1: Place show. The portrayal, of course, was forged, and I 302 00:20:23,395 --> 00:20:26,235 Speaker 1: use that word in all its meanings by Lickt himself. 303 00:20:26,915 --> 00:20:28,675 Speaker 1: To those of us who were there when he was 304 00:20:29,275 --> 00:20:31,915 Speaker 1: He seemed at MSNBC to have a passable sense of 305 00:20:31,955 --> 00:20:35,755 Speaker 1: graphics and which camera should shoot, which backdrop, and otherwise 306 00:20:35,755 --> 00:20:38,315 Speaker 1: he did only two things, act as a henchman for 307 00:20:38,355 --> 00:20:42,235 Speaker 1: the deplorable Joe Scarborough and spend hours each day trying 308 00:20:42,275 --> 00:20:46,595 Speaker 1: to undermine MSNBC's other shows so that Scarborough would somehow 309 00:20:46,635 --> 00:20:50,435 Speaker 1: look better, and so that Scarborough's friends among Conservatives would 310 00:20:50,475 --> 00:20:54,275 Speaker 1: not be criticized. He spent so much time stabbing us 311 00:20:54,275 --> 00:20:56,875 Speaker 1: that there were times Mattow and I thought he lived 312 00:20:56,955 --> 00:21:02,755 Speaker 1: behind our backs. Now he really does think he's not 313 00:21:03,035 --> 00:21:09,275 Speaker 1: just a journalist, but the journalist suddenly. Tim Alberta writes, 314 00:21:09,435 --> 00:21:12,155 Speaker 1: lickt was animated. But I would say that for anyone 315 00:21:12,195 --> 00:21:14,435 Speaker 1: who does want me to fail, what are you going for? 316 00:21:14,835 --> 00:21:17,755 Speaker 1: Who would you want in this seat? You want a journalist, 317 00:21:17,995 --> 00:21:19,715 Speaker 1: You want someone who is a direct line to the 318 00:21:19,715 --> 00:21:22,235 Speaker 1: corporation and can make a phone call and go, hey, 319 00:21:22,355 --> 00:21:25,355 Speaker 1: what the f do you want? Someone who's done the job, 320 00:21:25,355 --> 00:21:27,395 Speaker 1: who's done a lot of jobs, who understands exactly what 321 00:21:27,435 --> 00:21:29,955 Speaker 1: it takes to do what I'm asking, Someone who believes 322 00:21:29,955 --> 00:21:33,755 Speaker 1: that our future is based on executing great journalism. Maybe 323 00:21:33,795 --> 00:21:36,195 Speaker 1: they don't like my style or whatever, but I'm not 324 00:21:36,315 --> 00:21:38,555 Speaker 1: quite sure what you're going for if you want me 325 00:21:38,635 --> 00:21:44,275 Speaker 1: to fail. Unquote, No, Chris Licht will never understand he 326 00:21:44,395 --> 00:21:47,315 Speaker 1: is not the person he described there, not even close, 327 00:21:47,435 --> 00:21:50,955 Speaker 1: not even in the same universe that he understands. None 328 00:21:51,475 --> 00:21:54,995 Speaker 1: of what it takes. Most importantly, he will never understand 329 00:21:55,035 --> 00:21:57,955 Speaker 1: that it doesn't matter if anybody else wants him to fail. 330 00:21:58,275 --> 00:22:02,035 Speaker 1: He will fail all by himself, without anybody else's help. 331 00:22:04,035 --> 00:22:06,955 Speaker 1: If that wasn't obvious to him after Christian I'm on poor, 332 00:22:07,155 --> 00:22:10,435 Speaker 1: deftly and politely vivisected him after the Trump town hall, 333 00:22:11,035 --> 00:22:13,395 Speaker 1: If it isn't obvious to him now after this Tim 334 00:22:13,435 --> 00:22:16,155 Speaker 1: Alberta piece, He's even blinder than I thought, and I 335 00:22:16,195 --> 00:22:21,155 Speaker 1: thought he was damn blind. Alberta recounts in great detail 336 00:22:21,875 --> 00:22:25,235 Speaker 1: his negotiations to get the man who inflicted lict on America, 337 00:22:25,635 --> 00:22:29,915 Speaker 1: David pay your rioters, Zaslav, to do an on the 338 00:22:29,995 --> 00:22:34,835 Speaker 1: record interview about lickt and CNN. Alberta says, Zaslav, you 339 00:22:34,995 --> 00:22:37,475 Speaker 1: remember him. He was the guy who was interrupted during 340 00:22:37,475 --> 00:22:40,075 Speaker 1: his speech at BEU. The guy looks like Biff Tannin, 341 00:22:40,635 --> 00:22:43,995 Speaker 1: he says. Zaslav originally agreed to it, then demanded quote approval, 342 00:22:44,435 --> 00:22:46,795 Speaker 1: then finally, through a press aide, backed out of anything 343 00:22:46,835 --> 00:22:51,875 Speaker 1: other than an interview quote on background only and the boilerplate. 344 00:22:52,395 --> 00:22:55,155 Speaker 1: We have great confidence in the progress that Chris blah 345 00:22:55,195 --> 00:23:03,715 Speaker 1: blah blah blah blah. Pro tip if your boss won't 346 00:23:03,755 --> 00:23:09,435 Speaker 1: defend you on the record. Your boss is not defending 347 00:23:09,475 --> 00:23:16,915 Speaker 1: you off the record. Your dead son, get yourself buried. 348 00:23:19,835 --> 00:23:22,595 Speaker 1: The thing is there's still a chance that Licked will 349 00:23:22,595 --> 00:23:25,675 Speaker 1: read the piece or have it read to him and 350 00:23:25,795 --> 00:23:30,155 Speaker 1: attack Tim Alberta. Alberta reports the previous criticism by Robert 351 00:23:30,195 --> 00:23:33,235 Speaker 1: Reisch on Substack led to a phone call from Licht 352 00:23:33,555 --> 00:23:35,955 Speaker 1: that a fairly mild piece by Kurt Bardella in the 353 00:23:36,075 --> 00:23:40,155 Speaker 1: La Times made Licht vow to quote destroy Bardella. We 354 00:23:40,235 --> 00:23:42,995 Speaker 1: know that late last month, the Washington Post columnist Jennifer 355 00:23:43,035 --> 00:23:45,395 Speaker 1: Rubin wrote that aman Por should be running CNN and 356 00:23:45,435 --> 00:23:48,115 Speaker 1: not Licked, and was attacked on Twitter by CNNSPR guy 357 00:23:48,355 --> 00:23:51,955 Speaker 1: in a screeching screed worthy of a teenager rejected by 358 00:23:52,035 --> 00:23:56,515 Speaker 1: his crush. When I first criticized Licked, somebody leaked to 359 00:23:56,555 --> 00:23:58,315 Speaker 1: one of the websites that I was only doing so 360 00:23:58,435 --> 00:24:00,955 Speaker 1: because lickt had turned me down for a job. I 361 00:24:00,995 --> 00:24:04,195 Speaker 1: have not spoken to Chris Licked, nor tried to since 362 00:24:04,195 --> 00:24:07,875 Speaker 1: two thousand seventeen, but I will say it did please 363 00:24:07,915 --> 00:24:09,435 Speaker 1: me that a couple of months ago in New York 364 00:24:09,475 --> 00:24:12,315 Speaker 1: Times called me for a comment, and the guy from 365 00:24:12,355 --> 00:24:16,795 Speaker 1: the papers first question was at MSNBC. Did Chris Lick 366 00:24:16,955 --> 00:24:23,275 Speaker 1: really eat paste? If there were not enough in raging 367 00:24:23,395 --> 00:24:26,635 Speaker 1: parts to this story, I mean in raging enough that 368 00:24:26,715 --> 00:24:29,235 Speaker 1: I wonder if I've been too easy on Chris Lick. 369 00:24:29,795 --> 00:24:35,355 Speaker 1: This sent me into apoplexy. Quote. We are not an 370 00:24:35,395 --> 00:24:39,235 Speaker 1: advocacy network. We are providing something different. And when the 371 00:24:39,915 --> 00:24:42,475 Speaker 1: spit hits the fan in this world, you're not going 372 00:24:42,515 --> 00:24:46,875 Speaker 1: to have time for that advocacy anymore. First of all, Chris, 373 00:24:47,115 --> 00:24:50,955 Speaker 1: the spit has hit the fan. A political party, one 374 00:24:50,955 --> 00:24:55,835 Speaker 1: of the two larger ones, is trying to end American democracy. 375 00:24:57,195 --> 00:25:00,195 Speaker 1: Chris Lick does not seem to have noticed that. Chris 376 00:25:00,235 --> 00:25:02,515 Speaker 1: lickt also does not seem to have noticed that journalism 377 00:25:02,875 --> 00:25:10,315 Speaker 1: must advocate, must advocate for democracy, and advocating is not partisanship. 378 00:25:10,835 --> 00:25:14,475 Speaker 1: And this fundamental misunderstanding of his own job is spreading 379 00:25:14,515 --> 00:25:18,595 Speaker 1: throughout television and media. We can't run that it might 380 00:25:18,635 --> 00:25:23,715 Speaker 1: offend those people trying to destroy the country, fascists by 381 00:25:23,795 --> 00:25:28,395 Speaker 1: sneakers too. The spit has long since hit the fan, 382 00:25:28,475 --> 00:25:31,955 Speaker 1: and Chris Licked is worried about the feelings of those 383 00:25:31,995 --> 00:25:40,075 Speaker 1: who threw the spit, and the spit itself. To me, 384 00:25:40,515 --> 00:25:42,955 Speaker 1: most of what Tim Alberta wrote had the effect I 385 00:25:43,075 --> 00:25:45,275 Speaker 1: used to hear from Countdown viewers in the years two 386 00:25:45,275 --> 00:25:48,155 Speaker 1: thousand and six and two thousand and seven. Oh thank god, 387 00:25:48,315 --> 00:25:50,795 Speaker 1: somebody else is seeing this. I thought I was alone 388 00:25:50,795 --> 00:25:54,635 Speaker 1: out here, but he managed to reveal something I never 389 00:25:54,715 --> 00:25:57,155 Speaker 1: knew about and never would have been able to guess, 390 00:25:57,235 --> 00:26:00,355 Speaker 1: not fully anyway. But for years I have assumed there 391 00:26:00,395 --> 00:26:04,075 Speaker 1: was something else in the Chris Licked story, some other 392 00:26:04,235 --> 00:26:08,315 Speaker 1: Milan moronic influence that would help explain all the damage 393 00:26:08,315 --> 00:26:11,635 Speaker 1: he did at NBC and CBS, and the fatal damage 394 00:26:11,675 --> 00:26:14,715 Speaker 1: he is still doing today at CNN. And there in 395 00:26:14,755 --> 00:26:20,235 Speaker 1: this article it is Alberta is in the apartment of 396 00:26:20,275 --> 00:26:23,435 Speaker 1: a USC professor who has convinced Lick to talk to 397 00:26:23,515 --> 00:26:26,835 Speaker 1: sixteen of his students, and what follows is both maudling 398 00:26:27,555 --> 00:26:33,635 Speaker 1: and terrifying. To quote the piece again, Chris was absolutely, positively, 399 00:26:33,675 --> 00:26:37,155 Speaker 1: without question, the right choice for CNN, the teacher told 400 00:26:37,155 --> 00:26:40,115 Speaker 1: his students, motioning them toward the man seed in front 401 00:26:40,115 --> 00:26:42,715 Speaker 1: of them. There is nothing more important in America today 402 00:26:42,715 --> 00:26:46,275 Speaker 1: than trust. I'm praying that Chris is successful. I want 403 00:26:46,315 --> 00:26:48,795 Speaker 1: him to have this job for ten years, because anything 404 00:26:48,875 --> 00:26:51,195 Speaker 1: less than ten years will not give him the opportunity 405 00:26:51,315 --> 00:26:54,355 Speaker 1: to make the most important changes to the most important 406 00:26:54,395 --> 00:26:57,195 Speaker 1: news source on the face of the earth. I have 407 00:26:57,315 --> 00:27:00,355 Speaker 1: every faith that he will succeed, and every fear for 408 00:27:00,395 --> 00:27:03,795 Speaker 1: this country if he doesn't. He turned to face licked 409 00:27:04,235 --> 00:27:07,635 Speaker 1: the teacher. His eyes were watery, his voice was choked 410 00:27:07,635 --> 00:27:12,475 Speaker 1: with emotions. My hopes and dreams are embodied in you, 411 00:27:13,235 --> 00:27:16,835 Speaker 1: he said. This was quite an introduction, especially considering the 412 00:27:16,875 --> 00:27:27,715 Speaker 1: man who gave it, Frank Lunce unquote Frank Lunz. Frank Lunz, 413 00:27:27,755 --> 00:27:32,915 Speaker 1: Frank Lunz. Why that's Frank Luntz's name. Is there somebody 414 00:27:32,955 --> 00:27:35,475 Speaker 1: else out there named Frank Lunz besides that? Frank Lunz, 415 00:27:35,595 --> 00:27:39,355 Speaker 1: The rabid, biased, subjective, Republican folster who can make a 416 00:27:39,435 --> 00:27:42,755 Speaker 1: focus group defend any conservative idea and then make that 417 00:27:42,795 --> 00:27:44,995 Speaker 1: group get up and sing. Who let the dogs out? 418 00:27:45,795 --> 00:27:49,035 Speaker 1: The mercenary who has worked for every news organization, The 419 00:27:49,035 --> 00:27:51,155 Speaker 1: man who every eighteen to twenty four months goes through 420 00:27:51,155 --> 00:27:53,555 Speaker 1: a phase or an act in which he pretends to 421 00:27:53,595 --> 00:27:55,475 Speaker 1: not be a conservative but just a middle of the 422 00:27:55,555 --> 00:28:01,075 Speaker 1: road surveyor of the American landscape. That's Chris Licht's mentor 423 00:28:02,115 --> 00:28:07,075 Speaker 1: his spirit animal is Frank uns the great flaming fraud 424 00:28:07,155 --> 00:28:13,435 Speaker 1: that is Frank Lunz, the horror that is Chris Licked. Well, 425 00:28:13,435 --> 00:28:16,875 Speaker 1: that's the missing piece in the Chris Licked story adored 426 00:28:16,955 --> 00:28:21,395 Speaker 1: by Beholden two, influenced by one of the great confidence 427 00:28:21,475 --> 00:28:25,595 Speaker 1: tricksters of American media and politics and specifically polling. Let 428 00:28:25,635 --> 00:28:28,115 Speaker 1: me tell you how I know that. I know that 429 00:28:28,195 --> 00:28:31,835 Speaker 1: because Frank Lunz once did his horror act on my 430 00:28:32,355 --> 00:28:37,835 Speaker 1: behalf or at least four by benefit. In two thousand 431 00:28:37,835 --> 00:28:40,875 Speaker 1: and three, I had gone back to NBC Sports and 432 00:28:40,955 --> 00:28:44,515 Speaker 1: as a peace gesture towards my still angry ex employers 433 00:28:44,555 --> 00:28:47,115 Speaker 1: at MSNBC, I went over to New Jersey and I 434 00:28:47,155 --> 00:28:49,875 Speaker 1: filled in for one of their ailing show hosts. And 435 00:28:49,915 --> 00:28:53,195 Speaker 1: while I was there, with absolutely no belief, no intention 436 00:28:53,275 --> 00:28:55,075 Speaker 1: that I was going to stay there more than a week, 437 00:28:55,795 --> 00:28:58,435 Speaker 1: they told me about a new show they were going 438 00:28:58,515 --> 00:29:01,635 Speaker 1: to launch at eight o'clock every night called Countdown, and 439 00:29:01,675 --> 00:29:05,035 Speaker 1: how they were deep in fruitful negotiations to buy from 440 00:29:05,075 --> 00:29:09,475 Speaker 1: ABC News the contract of their dream host for Countdown. 441 00:29:09,635 --> 00:29:17,115 Speaker 1: Their ideal for the new show, Sam Donaldson. I blanched. 442 00:29:17,435 --> 00:29:21,715 Speaker 1: Apparently I was working at ABC News at the time 443 00:29:21,795 --> 00:29:24,435 Speaker 1: in radio and I knew that ABC was so desperate 444 00:29:24,435 --> 00:29:28,075 Speaker 1: to get Sam Donaldson to quit his contract that they 445 00:29:28,075 --> 00:29:30,955 Speaker 1: had taken him completely off TV and stuck him only 446 00:29:30,995 --> 00:29:33,195 Speaker 1: on radio. And when that hadn't gotten him to quit, 447 00:29:33,235 --> 00:29:36,155 Speaker 1: they had just relegated his radio show to Internet only 448 00:29:36,795 --> 00:29:40,475 Speaker 1: in two thousand and three internet only. I knew this 449 00:29:40,635 --> 00:29:43,155 Speaker 1: because I had filled in on the Sam Donaldson Show 450 00:29:44,195 --> 00:29:48,595 Speaker 1: before it was over. I knew we had about four listeners. Now. 451 00:29:49,715 --> 00:29:52,355 Speaker 1: It was the executive who told me this, who blanched, 452 00:29:53,115 --> 00:29:56,075 Speaker 1: what do we do? The job offers on Donaldson's desk, 453 00:29:56,395 --> 00:30:00,155 Speaker 1: and it's on my boss's desk. He looked around the room. 454 00:30:00,315 --> 00:30:03,635 Speaker 1: Would you do it? Would you do another nightly show 455 00:30:03,635 --> 00:30:08,115 Speaker 1: for us? Another eight o'clock? Oh buddy, I shrugged. I'm sure, 456 00:30:08,155 --> 00:30:10,355 Speaker 1: and I'll need time off for the Olympics and the 457 00:30:10,355 --> 00:30:12,715 Speaker 1: other sports stuff that I signed with Dick Eversol to do. 458 00:30:12,875 --> 00:30:15,915 Speaker 1: But oh god, thanks, Wait wait, I know how to 459 00:30:15,955 --> 00:30:21,555 Speaker 1: do this, Rainy, get me Frank Lunz. I heard his 460 00:30:21,675 --> 00:30:24,235 Speaker 1: end of the conversation. I mean, it's possibly he wasn't 461 00:30:24,235 --> 00:30:26,275 Speaker 1: talking to Frank Lunz, But why would they go through 462 00:30:26,275 --> 00:30:28,355 Speaker 1: this whole sharad if they weren't talking to each other. 463 00:30:28,995 --> 00:30:31,315 Speaker 1: He told Lunce or whoever that was on the other 464 00:30:31,395 --> 00:30:34,795 Speaker 1: end of the phone of his crisis. He invoked the 465 00:30:34,875 --> 00:30:37,315 Speaker 1: name of the then president of NBC News, Neil Shapiro. 466 00:30:37,715 --> 00:30:40,835 Speaker 1: You know Neil loves focus groups, Frank, can you get 467 00:30:40,835 --> 00:30:43,195 Speaker 1: me a focus group that says it hates Sam Donaldson 468 00:30:44,635 --> 00:30:47,035 Speaker 1: and another focus group that says it loves Keith Oldman. 469 00:30:47,475 --> 00:30:53,475 Speaker 1: Can you do it by day after tomorrow? Great? Thanks buddy. 470 00:30:54,275 --> 00:30:57,035 Speaker 1: Neil Shapiro's office called my agent to offer me the 471 00:30:57,075 --> 00:31:04,115 Speaker 1: eight PM show. Three days later, the focus groups convinced 472 00:31:04,715 --> 00:31:10,675 Speaker 1: resident of NBC News. So that's who Chris Lickt is 473 00:31:10,755 --> 00:31:16,155 Speaker 1: listening to, and that's who thinks Chris licked is the messiah. 474 00:31:16,635 --> 00:31:25,515 Speaker 1: Frank once back to Tim Alberta. Quote. Every employee I 475 00:31:25,555 --> 00:31:28,675 Speaker 1: spoke with was asking some variation of the same question. 476 00:31:29,235 --> 00:31:33,195 Speaker 1: Did lict have any idea what he was doing? Un 477 00:31:33,235 --> 00:31:39,355 Speaker 1: quote duh no, I told you that already. Alberta also 478 00:31:39,435 --> 00:31:44,995 Speaker 1: provided the requisite punchline quote. Then Lickt said something I'd 479 00:31:45,035 --> 00:31:49,675 Speaker 1: never heard before. I don't want people to think of CNN, 480 00:31:49,795 --> 00:31:54,035 Speaker 1: Fox and MSNBC. In the same sentence, he said, well 481 00:31:54,315 --> 00:31:57,875 Speaker 1: least he got that done. CNN is now often in 482 00:31:58,035 --> 00:32:02,115 Speaker 1: fourth place in the ratings, behind the semi professional Newsmax 483 00:32:03,155 --> 00:32:06,355 Speaker 1: or on Good Nights. It is such a distant third 484 00:32:06,435 --> 00:32:12,155 Speaker 1: behind Fox and MSNBC that no, Chris, nobody does think 485 00:32:12,275 --> 00:32:19,715 Speaker 1: of CNN, Fox and MSNBC in the same sentence anymore. Bravo, 486 00:32:20,515 --> 00:32:29,475 Speaker 1: Chris licked. Also of note, today, Chuck Todd got fired 487 00:32:29,515 --> 00:32:32,635 Speaker 1: as the host of Meet the Press. That's next, this 488 00:32:32,795 --> 00:32:58,835 Speaker 1: is counting? Oh wait, I was recording ahem, postscripts for 489 00:32:58,875 --> 00:33:02,115 Speaker 1: the news, some headlines, some updates, some snarks, some predictions, 490 00:33:02,195 --> 00:33:06,355 Speaker 1: date line thirty rock quote when I took over Meet 491 00:33:06,355 --> 00:33:08,835 Speaker 1: the Press, said Chuck Todd on Meet the Press, as 492 00:33:08,835 --> 00:33:11,235 Speaker 1: he announced his own firing from Meet the Press. It 493 00:33:11,275 --> 00:33:12,915 Speaker 1: was a Sunday show that had a lot of people 494 00:33:12,995 --> 00:33:14,875 Speaker 1: questioning whether it's still could have a place in the 495 00:33:14,875 --> 00:33:19,195 Speaker 1: modern media space. Well, I think we've answered that question 496 00:33:19,675 --> 00:33:24,795 Speaker 1: and then some to the end, Chuck Todd remains a 497 00:33:24,835 --> 00:33:30,395 Speaker 1: master of self unawareness. First of all, even if you 498 00:33:30,515 --> 00:33:34,115 Speaker 1: think your meaning of that line is correct, how do 499 00:33:34,195 --> 00:33:37,875 Speaker 1: you phrase it that way to let yourself get run 500 00:33:37,875 --> 00:33:41,435 Speaker 1: over by your critics. It was a Sunday show that 501 00:33:41,475 --> 00:33:43,275 Speaker 1: had a lot of people questioning whether it could still 502 00:33:43,315 --> 00:33:45,155 Speaker 1: have a place in the modern media space. While I 503 00:33:45,235 --> 00:33:50,995 Speaker 1: think we've answered that question, second of all, it isn't true. 504 00:33:52,235 --> 00:33:55,875 Speaker 1: Meet the Press never reached more prestigious heights than on Sunday, 505 00:33:55,995 --> 00:33:59,275 Speaker 1: June eighth, two thousand and eight. The topic of the show, 506 00:33:59,315 --> 00:34:01,915 Speaker 1: which was on early because of the French open coverage 507 00:34:01,955 --> 00:34:05,795 Speaker 1: on NBC, was Hillary Clinton finally seeding the two thousand 508 00:34:05,835 --> 00:34:09,635 Speaker 1: and eight Democratic primary. The guests were all NBC political 509 00:34:09,675 --> 00:34:14,755 Speaker 1: correspondents Ron Allen, Lee Collen, David Gregory, Andrew Mitchell, Kelly O'Donnell, 510 00:34:14,915 --> 00:34:18,275 Speaker 1: and Chuck Todd. The host, as the host had ben 511 00:34:18,315 --> 00:34:22,315 Speaker 1: since December eighth, nineteen ninety one, was Tim Russert. The 512 00:34:22,355 --> 00:34:26,315 Speaker 1: show mattered. Russert had gotten Colin Powell to admit WMD 513 00:34:26,435 --> 00:34:29,595 Speaker 1: in Iraq was a lie. He was the consensus gold 514 00:34:29,635 --> 00:34:33,275 Speaker 1: standard in political media and capable of keeping the Democrats 515 00:34:33,315 --> 00:34:36,515 Speaker 1: off the backs of NBC's more conservative commentators and the 516 00:34:36,555 --> 00:34:39,875 Speaker 1: Republicans off the backs of NBC's more liberal ones me 517 00:34:39,915 --> 00:34:45,115 Speaker 1: in particular, And five days later Tim Russeer died. Tom 518 00:34:45,155 --> 00:34:48,435 Speaker 1: Brokaw took the job over until December, when David Gregory 519 00:34:48,475 --> 00:34:51,155 Speaker 1: got the position because of the good will left over 520 00:34:51,195 --> 00:34:53,995 Speaker 1: from Russert. He was given six years to try to 521 00:34:53,995 --> 00:34:56,075 Speaker 1: make it work, and he did not make it work. 522 00:34:56,995 --> 00:35:00,555 Speaker 1: Chuck Todd took over on September seventh, twenty fourteen. Yesterday 523 00:35:00,555 --> 00:35:02,995 Speaker 1: he said I'd rather leave a little bit too soon 524 00:35:03,155 --> 00:35:05,115 Speaker 1: than stay a tad bit too long, And if he 525 00:35:05,155 --> 00:35:07,595 Speaker 1: actually meant that, he would have left on September eighth, 526 00:35:07,755 --> 00:35:12,635 Speaker 1: twenty fourteen. Chuck did two things and two things alone 527 00:35:12,635 --> 00:35:14,675 Speaker 1: in that show, and he will stay on until September 528 00:35:14,715 --> 00:35:18,395 Speaker 1: when Kristin Welker takes over, and she will neither fail 529 00:35:18,435 --> 00:35:20,995 Speaker 1: nor succeed in the job, which is exactly what NBC 530 00:35:21,075 --> 00:35:24,715 Speaker 1: News wants at a moment when someone is needed at 531 00:35:24,715 --> 00:35:28,955 Speaker 1: some national broadcast network to ask some actual questions once 532 00:35:28,955 --> 00:35:32,795 Speaker 1: in a while, Chuck did two things and two things only. First, 533 00:35:32,835 --> 00:35:35,795 Speaker 1: there is no issue he could not apply raging both 534 00:35:35,835 --> 00:35:39,755 Speaker 1: sidesism too. He once asked on air if America could 535 00:35:39,915 --> 00:35:44,115 Speaker 1: handle the prosecution of an ex president. He asked that 536 00:35:44,315 --> 00:35:48,075 Speaker 1: of a Republican governor. He and his staff once did 537 00:35:48,075 --> 00:35:50,715 Speaker 1: a feature on how American media should cover Trump if 538 00:35:50,715 --> 00:35:57,275 Speaker 1: he ran again. They asked Republican staffers Chuck would platform anybody, 539 00:35:57,915 --> 00:36:00,475 Speaker 1: and when Kelly An khanjob frick a side him in 540 00:36:00,475 --> 00:36:04,955 Speaker 1: that famous Alternative Facts episode. Chuck and NBC News really 541 00:36:05,035 --> 00:36:07,515 Speaker 1: thought they had done some sort of service to the country. 542 00:36:08,475 --> 00:36:11,275 Speaker 1: Chuck and thus his program had no understanding that they 543 00:36:11,275 --> 00:36:15,475 Speaker 1: were covering anything more meaningful than a sports league. And 544 00:36:15,555 --> 00:36:19,155 Speaker 1: he made up quotes and meanings and attributed them to 545 00:36:19,275 --> 00:36:23,875 Speaker 1: people like Alexandria Acazio Cortes. And that's when what was 546 00:36:23,955 --> 00:36:26,235 Speaker 1: left of my professional friendship with him snapped. And I'll 547 00:36:26,235 --> 00:36:27,915 Speaker 1: tell you that story at the end of the podcast. 548 00:36:28,795 --> 00:36:32,315 Speaker 1: The other thing Chuck did number two of two was 549 00:36:32,315 --> 00:36:37,795 Speaker 1: something Russard always refused to do. He overbooked meet the press, 550 00:36:38,275 --> 00:36:41,835 Speaker 1: and thus his natural inclination to not prod or push 551 00:36:42,155 --> 00:36:45,195 Speaker 1: or demand proof for what the guy just said was 552 00:36:45,355 --> 00:36:48,275 Speaker 1: exacerbated by the fact that each interview was boxed in 553 00:36:48,395 --> 00:36:50,555 Speaker 1: time wise, he couldn't dig deeper. He had to get 554 00:36:50,595 --> 00:36:53,755 Speaker 1: to the next commercial. Or, as Trevor Noah said at 555 00:36:53,755 --> 00:36:56,275 Speaker 1: the twenty twenty two White House Correspondence dinner in a 556 00:36:56,315 --> 00:37:00,435 Speaker 1: SHIV disguised as a joke, Chuck Todd is here, Chuck 557 00:37:00,515 --> 00:37:03,995 Speaker 1: you here? How you doing? I'd ask a follow up, 558 00:37:04,315 --> 00:37:09,595 Speaker 1: but I know you don't know what those are? They 559 00:37:09,635 --> 00:37:12,155 Speaker 1: say Chuck is staying on as a political analyst and 560 00:37:12,155 --> 00:37:14,795 Speaker 1: will also do long form journalism for NBC. And that 561 00:37:14,875 --> 00:37:17,835 Speaker 1: is the plight wave of saying, you've been here sixteen 562 00:37:17,915 --> 00:37:21,155 Speaker 1: years since Russard asked everybody he trusted, like Broken Kelly, 563 00:37:21,155 --> 00:37:23,675 Speaker 1: O'Donnell and even me, if he should hire him, and 564 00:37:23,675 --> 00:37:26,555 Speaker 1: we all said yes, So Chuck, We'll let you play 565 00:37:26,555 --> 00:37:29,875 Speaker 1: out your contracts and if you get another offer, go on, 566 00:37:30,115 --> 00:37:31,995 Speaker 1: have a good time. We'll throw you in real nice 567 00:37:31,995 --> 00:37:35,675 Speaker 1: going away party. They'll even be a cake. As I said, 568 00:37:35,715 --> 00:37:37,555 Speaker 1: I will come back to this in things I promised 569 00:37:37,595 --> 00:37:40,595 Speaker 1: not to tell later, but for now, this championship joke 570 00:37:40,675 --> 00:37:43,195 Speaker 1: on Twitter from Frank Galton and I don't know who 571 00:37:43,235 --> 00:37:46,115 Speaker 1: Frank Galton is, but I would like to shake his hand, 572 00:37:46,635 --> 00:37:53,755 Speaker 1: he wrote, quote Charles Todd wants you to forget about Chuck. 573 00:37:59,955 --> 00:38:04,755 Speaker 1: Thank you, Nancy Faust, Dateline, Washington. Once again, democracy is preserved, 574 00:38:04,795 --> 00:38:06,755 Speaker 1: least by the dedication of those of us trying to 575 00:38:06,755 --> 00:38:08,835 Speaker 1: save it, more by the idiocy of those trying to 576 00:38:08,875 --> 00:38:13,675 Speaker 1: destroy it. Lauren Bobert super Genius, did not vote on 577 00:38:13,795 --> 00:38:16,675 Speaker 1: the debt ceiling bill in the House. She then proclaimed 578 00:38:16,715 --> 00:38:21,515 Speaker 1: she had refused to vote as a protest against more 579 00:38:22,155 --> 00:38:28,515 Speaker 1: DC self created garbage, self created garbage? Bobo, did Chuck 580 00:38:28,555 --> 00:38:32,435 Speaker 1: Todd write that line for you? The saving grace of 581 00:38:32,475 --> 00:38:35,195 Speaker 1: these morons is that they don't notice when they sign 582 00:38:35,315 --> 00:38:39,355 Speaker 1: the receipts that are later produced self created garbage. Bobert's 583 00:38:39,395 --> 00:38:42,915 Speaker 1: self righteous claim of protest evidently riled or at least 584 00:38:42,915 --> 00:38:45,515 Speaker 1: got the attention of a CNN Capitol Hill producer named 585 00:38:45,555 --> 00:38:48,595 Speaker 1: Morgan Rimmer, who tweeted nothing less than a video of 586 00:38:48,635 --> 00:38:52,555 Speaker 1: herself explaining to Bobert that the vote was over. They 587 00:38:52,675 --> 00:38:58,315 Speaker 1: closed it, she says, and that Bobert had missed the vote. 588 00:38:58,395 --> 00:39:01,355 Speaker 1: And this producer said that as Bobert was running up 589 00:39:01,395 --> 00:39:05,475 Speaker 1: the steps of the Capitol clearly intending to vote, since, 590 00:39:05,555 --> 00:39:08,715 Speaker 1: as Mizrimmer notes in the audio version of the tape, 591 00:39:08,715 --> 00:39:11,995 Speaker 1: you will now hear after she told Bobert that the 592 00:39:12,035 --> 00:39:15,635 Speaker 1: vote had been closed, Bobert kept on running up the 593 00:39:15,715 --> 00:39:27,635 Speaker 1: goddamn steps. Yeah, two things, I'd like to nominate Morgan 594 00:39:27,755 --> 00:39:31,555 Speaker 1: Rimmer as the next CEO of CNN. And that scene 595 00:39:32,155 --> 00:39:35,355 Speaker 1: and I'll retweak the video is exactly the way the 596 00:39:35,395 --> 00:39:40,755 Speaker 1: famous Monty Python's Flying Circus episode ends with nobody expects 597 00:39:40,755 --> 00:39:44,595 Speaker 1: the Spanish Inquisition. As the program credits come to a close, 598 00:39:44,995 --> 00:39:47,795 Speaker 1: the members of the Spanish Inquisition are desperately racing to 599 00:39:47,795 --> 00:39:51,235 Speaker 1: get to a courtroom to deliver their line. They get 600 00:39:51,275 --> 00:39:54,355 Speaker 1: off a bus, they run up the steps, they burst 601 00:39:54,355 --> 00:39:56,595 Speaker 1: into the room, and just as Michael Palin is about 602 00:39:56,635 --> 00:39:59,635 Speaker 1: to say nobody expects, the scene goes dark and the 603 00:39:59,635 --> 00:40:05,715 Speaker 1: words the end appear and he says, oh bu I 604 00:40:05,715 --> 00:40:11,395 Speaker 1: didn't hear Bobert say oh bugger, self created garbage and 605 00:40:11,715 --> 00:40:17,075 Speaker 1: Dateline New York. I'm fine, thank you, thank you for 606 00:40:17,115 --> 00:40:20,115 Speaker 1: abiding my day off. It was not walking pneumonion or 607 00:40:20,195 --> 00:40:23,075 Speaker 1: rocking pneumonion or any of the other harrowing things my 608 00:40:23,195 --> 00:40:26,555 Speaker 1: doctor contemplated, like a blood clot in my lungs. It 609 00:40:26,595 --> 00:40:32,875 Speaker 1: looks like it was exhaustion, insufficient exercise, and decreasing youth. 610 00:40:45,675 --> 00:40:52,035 Speaker 2: This is Sports Center. Wait, check that not anymore. This 611 00:40:52,955 --> 00:40:59,555 Speaker 2: is Countdown with Keith Alberman in sports We've spoken previously 612 00:40:59,595 --> 00:41:02,915 Speaker 2: of the Oakland Ney Kansas City Ney Philadelphia soon to 613 00:41:02,915 --> 00:41:06,835 Speaker 2: be Las Vegas A's, and how owner John Fisher starved 614 00:41:06,835 --> 00:41:09,155 Speaker 2: that franchise to death in the Bay Area. Even though 615 00:41:09,195 --> 00:41:12,195 Speaker 2: the team is tied for the second most World Series 616 00:41:12,275 --> 00:41:16,515 Speaker 2: championships in baseball for the last half century. From Reddit 617 00:41:17,035 --> 00:41:21,555 Speaker 2: one Oakland A's fans revenge spotted at an A's game 618 00:41:21,635 --> 00:41:24,395 Speaker 2: wearing his replica A's jersey. The number on the back 619 00:41:24,515 --> 00:41:29,595 Speaker 2: is zero and the name above it is traded a 620 00:41:29,595 --> 00:41:32,995 Speaker 2: different baseball note from a franchise gradually rebuilding its reputation. 621 00:41:33,235 --> 00:41:35,875 Speaker 2: The New York Mets inducted four members into their Hall 622 00:41:35,915 --> 00:41:38,675 Speaker 2: of Fame Saturday, including my friends the announcers Gary Cohen 623 00:41:38,715 --> 00:41:41,235 Speaker 2: and Howie Rose, and pitcher Al Lighter. 624 00:41:40,995 --> 00:41:43,755 Speaker 1: Who I have known a combined eighty nine years for 625 00:41:43,915 --> 00:41:47,515 Speaker 1: crying out loud. He also inducted the great Mets eighties 626 00:41:47,555 --> 00:41:50,555 Speaker 1: star Howard Johnson, and congratulations again to each of them. 627 00:41:50,835 --> 00:41:55,955 Speaker 1: Now one note, you don't often hear crowds gasp at 628 00:41:55,995 --> 00:41:58,955 Speaker 1: these events. A lot of cheering, a lot of applause, 629 00:41:58,995 --> 00:42:01,795 Speaker 1: a lot of names, not so much gasping. But there 630 00:42:01,795 --> 00:42:05,235 Speaker 1: it was on Saturday, because before the ceremony began, the 631 00:42:05,275 --> 00:42:10,995 Speaker 1: Mets had positioned four giant triangular baseball cards on the 632 00:42:11,035 --> 00:42:15,755 Speaker 1: field showing each of the four new inductees. They just 633 00:42:15,795 --> 00:42:20,435 Speaker 1: looked like kind of creative, clever props. And when the 634 00:42:20,475 --> 00:42:23,275 Speaker 1: first of the new inductees Howard Johnson was introduced. The 635 00:42:23,475 --> 00:42:28,115 Speaker 1: side of his giant baseball card opened and Howard emerged 636 00:42:28,635 --> 00:42:31,795 Speaker 1: from inside the baseball card. And there were gasps in 637 00:42:31,835 --> 00:42:35,235 Speaker 1: the stadium, though to be fair, and not as many 638 00:42:35,315 --> 00:42:38,435 Speaker 1: gaps as if one of the guys had gotten stuck. 639 00:42:39,755 --> 00:42:44,275 Speaker 1: Uh yeah, nine one one, Yeah, this is the Mets calling. 640 00:42:44,595 --> 00:42:47,075 Speaker 1: We have a Hall of Famer trapped in a giant 641 00:42:47,115 --> 00:42:52,435 Speaker 1: baseball card. And hello, nine one one, you're there. Hello. 642 00:43:06,675 --> 00:43:09,035 Speaker 1: I like that one, particularly coming up back to Chuck 643 00:43:09,075 --> 00:43:11,995 Speaker 1: Todd And yes, we were actually close enough friends that 644 00:43:12,075 --> 00:43:15,075 Speaker 1: we were in the same fantasy football league for a decade, 645 00:43:15,275 --> 00:43:19,115 Speaker 1: and then I just couldn't take him anymore. First the 646 00:43:19,155 --> 00:43:21,275 Speaker 1: daily round up, the miss Grants Warns and Dunning Kruger 647 00:43:21,275 --> 00:43:25,275 Speaker 1: effects specimens who constitute today's worst persons in the world. 648 00:43:26,635 --> 00:43:29,915 Speaker 1: The Bronze to France's white supremacist political party, now called 649 00:43:29,915 --> 00:43:33,715 Speaker 1: the National Rally, formerly the National Front, its critics would say, 650 00:43:33,715 --> 00:43:38,515 Speaker 1: formerly the HM HM with the Z in it. France's 651 00:43:38,595 --> 00:43:41,635 Speaker 1: parliament established a Committee of Inquiry to look into links 652 00:43:41,675 --> 00:43:45,875 Speaker 1: between Marine Lepenz party and Russia. She was hoping to 653 00:43:45,915 --> 00:43:49,475 Speaker 1: prove there weren't any sources, though, tell the agens Franz 654 00:43:49,635 --> 00:43:52,715 Speaker 1: Press that not only did the National Front constantly repeat 655 00:43:52,755 --> 00:43:56,755 Speaker 1: and promote Russian government propaganda in the last decade in France, 656 00:43:56,875 --> 00:44:00,555 Speaker 1: per this report by the French Parliament, sometimes word for word, 657 00:44:01,115 --> 00:44:03,635 Speaker 1: but that La Penz Party also got a huge loan 658 00:44:03,955 --> 00:44:06,515 Speaker 1: a few years ago from an obscure Russian bank, and 659 00:44:06,555 --> 00:44:10,715 Speaker 1: then the bank mysteriously went out of business. The runner up, 660 00:44:10,715 --> 00:44:13,795 Speaker 1: Elon Musk in illegal filing and a lawsuit being heard 661 00:44:13,795 --> 00:44:18,515 Speaker 1: in San Francisco. His attorneys. Twitter's attorneys state under penalty 662 00:44:18,555 --> 00:44:21,715 Speaker 1: of perjury that at no point was the government paying 663 00:44:21,755 --> 00:44:25,355 Speaker 1: it nor pressuring it to censor anybody, and that the 664 00:44:25,395 --> 00:44:28,915 Speaker 1: new CEO will not enact any changes in Twitter's content 665 00:44:28,995 --> 00:44:33,595 Speaker 1: moderation policy. Wait, wouldn't that mean that the whole Twitter 666 00:44:33,635 --> 00:44:39,355 Speaker 1: file stuff was crap? I mean more crap, but our winner. 667 00:44:39,355 --> 00:44:44,435 Speaker 1: An alleged comedian named Chrissy Mayer, appearing on Newsmax to 668 00:44:44,475 --> 00:44:48,635 Speaker 1: defend Chick fil A from the latest right Wing Boy 669 00:44:48,795 --> 00:44:53,715 Speaker 1: Every right Winger is Softish church music Umbradge Festival. I 670 00:44:53,835 --> 00:44:57,075 Speaker 1: hate to make a fried chicken joke, she said, but 671 00:44:57,195 --> 00:44:59,875 Speaker 1: they sell fried chicken to Chick fil A, and I 672 00:44:59,915 --> 00:45:02,115 Speaker 1: don't know how much more inclusive, we could get here 673 00:45:05,595 --> 00:45:09,035 Speaker 1: happily for Ms Mayor. That isn't a joke. That's just 674 00:45:09,115 --> 00:45:11,755 Speaker 1: a racist trope that goes back at least a century 675 00:45:11,755 --> 00:45:13,795 Speaker 1: and a half in this country. So if you use 676 00:45:13,835 --> 00:45:19,115 Speaker 1: it in your act on TV, that makes you a racist. Chrissy. Hey, 677 00:45:19,195 --> 00:45:24,235 Speaker 1: Chris Linked I got your Republican debate co moderator right here. Mayor, 678 00:45:24,875 --> 00:45:35,435 Speaker 1: Today's worst person in the world. This is Countdown with 679 00:45:35,635 --> 00:45:44,515 Speaker 1: Keith Olberman still ahead on Countdown, and now he belongs 680 00:45:44,555 --> 00:45:48,515 Speaker 1: to the Ages. Chuck Todd fired as the host of 681 00:45:48,555 --> 00:45:52,115 Speaker 1: Meet the Press. I'd like to thank the Good Lord 682 00:45:52,195 --> 00:45:55,555 Speaker 1: for letting me live to see this day. I'll return 683 00:45:55,595 --> 00:45:58,275 Speaker 1: to my favorite topic, me and the day, my fragile 684 00:45:58,315 --> 00:46:01,915 Speaker 1: willingness to tolerate Chuck Todd snapped in half and things 685 00:46:01,915 --> 00:46:04,475 Speaker 1: I promised not to tell first. In each edition of Countdown, 686 00:46:04,475 --> 00:46:06,275 Speaker 1: we've you're a dog in need, you can help. Every 687 00:46:06,275 --> 00:46:10,355 Speaker 1: dog has its day. Poor Lola in Miami, a seven 688 00:46:10,435 --> 00:46:14,235 Speaker 1: year old Chihuahua terrible hernia and like so many dogs, 689 00:46:14,315 --> 00:46:17,115 Speaker 1: especially small dogs, these awful, life threatening things can be 690 00:46:17,155 --> 00:46:20,595 Speaker 1: cleared up in hours with treatment and surgery. So naturally, 691 00:46:20,755 --> 00:46:25,715 Speaker 1: Lola's alleged human abandoned her. Paw Patrol Rescue rescued her, 692 00:46:25,715 --> 00:46:27,635 Speaker 1: got her to surgery. She'll soon be recovering at a 693 00:46:27,635 --> 00:46:30,835 Speaker 1: foster home. She's fine, and they're trying to get donations 694 00:46:30,835 --> 00:46:33,035 Speaker 1: to cover the money they put out upfront to save her. 695 00:46:33,075 --> 00:46:36,395 Speaker 1: So if you can help Lola on cuddly dot com 696 00:46:36,515 --> 00:46:38,795 Speaker 1: or on my Twitter feeds, they're trying to raise like 697 00:46:38,835 --> 00:46:43,115 Speaker 1: three hundred dollars, I thank you, and Lola thanks you. 698 00:47:02,715 --> 00:47:06,115 Speaker 1: I knew Chuck for about fifteen years early in his career, 699 00:47:06,115 --> 00:47:09,315 Speaker 1: when he was with the DC Insider publication the Hotline. 700 00:47:09,395 --> 00:47:12,395 Speaker 1: He was a frequent guest on Countdown, and in two 701 00:47:12,395 --> 00:47:14,675 Speaker 1: thousand and seven, when Tim Russert was thinking of hiring 702 00:47:14,715 --> 00:47:17,435 Speaker 1: him at NBC News, mine was one of dozens of 703 00:47:17,515 --> 00:47:21,115 Speaker 1: temperatures Tim Tuck. As Chuck later wrote to me, quote, 704 00:47:21,235 --> 00:47:23,955 Speaker 1: you certainly were a tremendous advocate and cheerleader for me 705 00:47:24,035 --> 00:47:27,435 Speaker 1: over the years, and I don't forget that. Yeah, well 706 00:47:27,435 --> 00:47:29,355 Speaker 1: that wasn't true. He forgot it, all right, But I'm 707 00:47:29,435 --> 00:47:32,795 Speaker 1: veering away from the main story. In two thousand and eight, 708 00:47:32,835 --> 00:47:36,955 Speaker 1: a couple of Washington political types started a fantasy football league. 709 00:47:37,395 --> 00:47:40,635 Speaker 1: If you don't think fantasy football leagues are important. You 710 00:47:40,675 --> 00:47:44,675 Speaker 1: should know that last spring, a major league baseball player 711 00:47:45,195 --> 00:47:48,915 Speaker 1: in uniform walked up to another Major League baseball player 712 00:47:49,155 --> 00:47:53,155 Speaker 1: in uniform on a Major League baseball field with thousands 713 00:47:53,155 --> 00:47:56,635 Speaker 1: of people already in the stands, and he slapped him 714 00:47:56,675 --> 00:48:00,875 Speaker 1: in the face over a roster move that the second 715 00:48:00,955 --> 00:48:04,675 Speaker 1: player had made in their fantasy football league. The second 716 00:48:04,955 --> 00:48:08,035 Speaker 1: had managed to retain the rights to an injured player, 717 00:48:08,075 --> 00:48:10,155 Speaker 1: and the first guy was upset about this. So six 718 00:48:10,195 --> 00:48:13,595 Speaker 1: months after their fantasy season ended, this major league baseball 719 00:48:13,595 --> 00:48:16,915 Speaker 1: player walked up and slapped the other Major League baseball player. 720 00:48:18,915 --> 00:48:23,435 Speaker 1: If slaps or duels or kidnappings are not everyday occurrences 721 00:48:23,475 --> 00:48:26,635 Speaker 1: in fantasy football, they do represent the kind of baseline 722 00:48:26,675 --> 00:48:29,675 Speaker 1: intensity of the thing. So when I and others were 723 00:48:29,715 --> 00:48:32,955 Speaker 1: approached about this Washington centric league in two thousand and eight, 724 00:48:32,955 --> 00:48:35,755 Speaker 1: it was already a big deal, even before we were 725 00:48:35,835 --> 00:48:39,555 Speaker 1: all sworn to secrecy, because a spot in the league 726 00:48:39,635 --> 00:48:43,675 Speaker 1: was being held open for some DC guy named Barack Obama. 727 00:48:44,395 --> 00:48:47,155 Speaker 1: It turned out he did not join our league, some 728 00:48:47,275 --> 00:48:50,635 Speaker 1: excuse about too much work, when obviously he was just 729 00:48:50,715 --> 00:48:54,555 Speaker 1: afraid of my fantasy football skills. But some people in 730 00:48:54,635 --> 00:48:56,835 Speaker 1: his White House did join the league, and I still 731 00:48:56,915 --> 00:48:59,555 Speaker 1: will not identify them because the premise of this league 732 00:48:59,595 --> 00:49:02,075 Speaker 1: was the first rule of Fantasy football club is you 733 00:49:02,155 --> 00:49:05,115 Speaker 1: do not talk about fantasy football club. I will say 734 00:49:05,115 --> 00:49:07,715 Speaker 1: that Chuck Todd, like me, was an original player. We 735 00:49:07,795 --> 00:49:11,835 Speaker 1: call ourselves owners because we are nuts and it's a fantasy. 736 00:49:11,835 --> 00:49:16,035 Speaker 1: It's in the title Fantasy Football Fantasy Football Owners. And 737 00:49:16,155 --> 00:49:18,435 Speaker 1: one year, I think it was twenty ten, I had 738 00:49:18,475 --> 00:49:21,155 Speaker 1: assembled in this league, mostly by accident, a team that 739 00:49:21,275 --> 00:49:25,395 Speaker 1: was almost perfect. It literally lost one game all season, 740 00:49:25,835 --> 00:49:27,715 Speaker 1: and that was in the middle of the year to 741 00:49:27,915 --> 00:49:30,835 Speaker 1: Chuck Todd's team. And the night after I lost to 742 00:49:30,955 --> 00:49:33,675 Speaker 1: Chuck Todd's team, he was giving a speech I think 743 00:49:33,675 --> 00:49:37,235 Speaker 1: at the University of Virginia, and witnesses called to tell 744 00:49:37,315 --> 00:49:40,595 Speaker 1: me that he began his speech by saying, I have 745 00:49:40,715 --> 00:49:42,435 Speaker 1: much to tell you, but first I have to tell 746 00:49:42,475 --> 00:49:44,355 Speaker 1: you that I am in a fantasy football league with 747 00:49:44,395 --> 00:49:46,475 Speaker 1: Keith Alderman, and he has a great team this year, 748 00:49:46,515 --> 00:49:48,795 Speaker 1: and this week I upset him by a final score 749 00:49:48,835 --> 00:49:50,595 Speaker 1: of one hundred and forty three to one hundred and 750 00:49:50,595 --> 00:49:53,115 Speaker 1: forty one or whatever the score was. I thought it 751 00:49:53,195 --> 00:49:56,995 Speaker 1: was pretty dumb, but by twenty ten, Chuck was the 752 00:49:57,115 --> 00:50:00,955 Speaker 1: NBC News White House correspondent, and we all cringed whenever 753 00:50:00,995 --> 00:50:02,715 Speaker 1: we saw he was going to be on with one 754 00:50:02,795 --> 00:50:06,795 Speaker 1: of us on MSNBC. See, some people respond well to 755 00:50:06,955 --> 00:50:10,395 Speaker 1: pressure and success, and some people do not, and some 756 00:50:10,435 --> 00:50:14,555 Speaker 1: people become entirely different people. So when Chuck violated the 757 00:50:14,595 --> 00:50:17,755 Speaker 1: prime directive of this fantasy football league and talked about it, 758 00:50:18,275 --> 00:50:21,235 Speaker 1: I shrugged. The other guys in the league did not. 759 00:50:21,795 --> 00:50:25,235 Speaker 1: Chuck was actually punished. The commissioner of the league ordered 760 00:50:25,235 --> 00:50:27,315 Speaker 1: that he had to skip his fourth choice in the 761 00:50:27,355 --> 00:50:32,475 Speaker 1: following year's player draft. Chuck was berefed. He believed this 762 00:50:32,475 --> 00:50:36,915 Speaker 1: would destroy his chances. He apologized to me every week, 763 00:50:36,995 --> 00:50:39,075 Speaker 1: and finally I said, you know, guys, maybe this is 764 00:50:39,115 --> 00:50:42,075 Speaker 1: too much. And as the supposed victim in the equation, 765 00:50:42,195 --> 00:50:45,155 Speaker 1: I got final say and Chuck got to keep his 766 00:50:45,315 --> 00:50:49,835 Speaker 1: fourth draft choice. By twenty sixteen, Chuck was because Tim 767 00:50:49,915 --> 00:50:53,395 Speaker 1: Russer died, Tom Brokaw retired, and David Gregory flamed out. 768 00:50:53,915 --> 00:50:56,115 Speaker 1: Chuck was the host to Meet the Press. He was 769 00:50:56,155 --> 00:50:59,155 Speaker 1: also Political director of NBC News, another part of russer 770 00:50:59,155 --> 00:51:02,795 Speaker 1: It's old portfolio. But whereas Tim was a master who 771 00:51:02,795 --> 00:51:05,675 Speaker 1: could convince the Republicans. He was ordering that I be 772 00:51:05,835 --> 00:51:08,475 Speaker 1: punished for what I said, when in fact he would 773 00:51:08,475 --> 00:51:11,075 Speaker 1: be calling me and asking me what stupid, meaningless thing 774 00:51:11,115 --> 00:51:13,555 Speaker 1: I could think of to tell the Republicans he was 775 00:51:13,595 --> 00:51:19,275 Speaker 1: punishing me with or four. He was sublime, subtlety, not Chuck. 776 00:51:19,795 --> 00:51:23,555 Speaker 1: No subtlety. There. In twenty sixteen, Chuck was preparing to 777 00:51:23,595 --> 00:51:27,155 Speaker 1: not name my ex lib in girlfriend Katie Turr as 778 00:51:27,235 --> 00:51:30,155 Speaker 1: the new NBC White House correspondent, even though she had 779 00:51:30,155 --> 00:51:33,955 Speaker 1: suffered as the primary NBC correspondent covering the Trump campaign, 780 00:51:34,475 --> 00:51:36,835 Speaker 1: and out of nowhere, Chuck emails me that he's going 781 00:51:36,875 --> 00:51:38,515 Speaker 1: to be in New York and he wants to take 782 00:51:38,555 --> 00:51:41,475 Speaker 1: me to dinner. I had known him more than a 783 00:51:41,515 --> 00:51:43,875 Speaker 1: decade by then. We had never as much as shared 784 00:51:43,915 --> 00:51:46,195 Speaker 1: pieces of the same pizza. I had not seen him 785 00:51:46,195 --> 00:51:48,355 Speaker 1: in the flesh in more than five years, and I 786 00:51:48,435 --> 00:51:51,195 Speaker 1: knew as we sat down that Chuck's idea was to 787 00:51:51,235 --> 00:51:54,395 Speaker 1: get me to tell Katie that she was not going 788 00:51:54,395 --> 00:51:56,315 Speaker 1: to be White House correspondent so he did not have to. 789 00:51:56,795 --> 00:51:59,275 Speaker 1: He kept bringing it up, what do you think Katie 790 00:51:59,315 --> 00:52:03,475 Speaker 1: would think? And then I'd switch the topic to fantasy football, 791 00:52:03,755 --> 00:52:05,475 Speaker 1: and then he'd say, well, let me ask you about 792 00:52:05,515 --> 00:52:07,395 Speaker 1: Katie in the White House job. We did this for 793 00:52:07,475 --> 00:52:12,035 Speaker 1: ninety minutes, and finally I said, Okay, Chuck, I've avoided 794 00:52:12,075 --> 00:52:15,115 Speaker 1: it long enough. Maybe I could call her and soften 795 00:52:15,195 --> 00:52:17,635 Speaker 1: the blow for her. And that's when he said, well, 796 00:52:18,035 --> 00:52:19,915 Speaker 1: I'm going back to DC tonight, so if I want 797 00:52:19,915 --> 00:52:24,635 Speaker 1: to catch that last train, I better leave. Bye. Chuck 798 00:52:24,715 --> 00:52:27,915 Speaker 1: is not subtle. I'll spare you the other crap from 799 00:52:27,955 --> 00:52:30,355 Speaker 1: the fantasy league. Suffice to say, I was reminded of 800 00:52:30,395 --> 00:52:33,155 Speaker 1: how annoyingly and obviously he used to conduct himself when 801 00:52:33,195 --> 00:52:36,435 Speaker 1: I read that last May, one of Chuck's guest bookers 802 00:52:36,475 --> 00:52:39,555 Speaker 1: for the now no longer on TV Meet the Press 803 00:52:39,635 --> 00:52:43,355 Speaker 1: Daily show had emailed the office of Alaska Congressman Don 804 00:52:43,475 --> 00:52:45,475 Speaker 1: Jung hoping to get Young to appear the next day, 805 00:52:45,515 --> 00:52:48,715 Speaker 1: which would have been the ultimate great guest get because 806 00:52:48,755 --> 00:52:53,475 Speaker 1: Don Jung had died two months earlier. Anyway, this fantasy 807 00:52:53,515 --> 00:52:56,075 Speaker 1: football league was fun and unique in that there had 808 00:52:56,075 --> 00:52:59,235 Speaker 1: only been one change in its composition in all that time. 809 00:52:59,955 --> 00:53:02,995 Speaker 1: Chuck's team defeated mine in the Fantasy Football super Bowl 810 00:53:02,995 --> 00:53:07,595 Speaker 1: one year, and mostly he was just annoying, like he 811 00:53:07,795 --> 00:53:10,035 Speaker 1: was on the air. Nothing worse than that, and then 812 00:53:10,715 --> 00:53:15,795 Speaker 1: on June nineteenth, twenty nineteen, Representative Alexandria Ocazio Cortes AOC 813 00:53:16,355 --> 00:53:19,995 Speaker 1: ripped the Trump administration's migrant policies. She said, quote, the 814 00:53:20,115 --> 00:53:22,915 Speaker 1: United States is running concentration camps on our southern border, 815 00:53:22,915 --> 00:53:25,595 Speaker 1: and that is exactly what they are. They are concentration camps. 816 00:53:25,875 --> 00:53:29,275 Speaker 1: End quote. Chuck went on MSNBC and said the following 817 00:53:29,315 --> 00:53:32,355 Speaker 1: in response, quote, you can call our government's detention of 818 00:53:32,395 --> 00:53:34,835 Speaker 1: migrants many things, depending on how you see it. It's 819 00:53:34,875 --> 00:53:38,355 Speaker 1: a stain on our nation, maybe, a necessary evil to 820 00:53:38,435 --> 00:53:41,955 Speaker 1: others to deal with an untenable situation, perhaps, but do 821 00:53:41,995 --> 00:53:44,515 Speaker 1: you know what you can't call it. Chuck then played 822 00:53:44,515 --> 00:53:48,075 Speaker 1: the clip of AOC calling it concentration camps, and Chuck resumed, 823 00:53:48,235 --> 00:53:50,715 Speaker 1: if you want to criticize the shameful treatment of people 824 00:53:50,755 --> 00:53:53,035 Speaker 1: at our southern border, fine, you'll have plenty of company, 825 00:53:53,155 --> 00:53:58,995 Speaker 1: but be careful comparing them to Nazi concentration camps, because 826 00:53:58,995 --> 00:54:01,915 Speaker 1: they're not at all comparable in the slightest A lot 827 00:54:01,915 --> 00:54:06,875 Speaker 1: of people me included, were stunned. Well. Kasio Cortes never 828 00:54:06,955 --> 00:54:10,795 Speaker 1: mentioned the Nazis, and concentration camps did not begin with 829 00:54:10,875 --> 00:54:14,035 Speaker 1: the Nazis or Hitler. They began with the British in 830 00:54:14,115 --> 00:54:16,235 Speaker 1: the Boer War in South Africa at the turn of 831 00:54:16,235 --> 00:54:18,995 Speaker 1: the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Yet here was Chuck putting 832 00:54:18,995 --> 00:54:21,755 Speaker 1: a word in her mouth, and that word was Nazi, 833 00:54:22,195 --> 00:54:24,395 Speaker 1: and then he attacked her for something she never said. 834 00:54:24,475 --> 00:54:27,715 Speaker 1: He lied about her. He lied, Chuck Todd made it 835 00:54:27,835 --> 00:54:31,915 Speaker 1: up on the news. I was furious enough to email 836 00:54:31,995 --> 00:54:34,755 Speaker 1: him that night. I thought by now somebody at NBC 837 00:54:34,795 --> 00:54:38,755 Speaker 1: would have pointed out that concentration camps and Nazi death 838 00:54:38,795 --> 00:54:42,195 Speaker 1: camps are not the same thing. But no, NBC had 839 00:54:42,195 --> 00:54:45,235 Speaker 1: simply tweeted out the clip of Chuck lying about the 840 00:54:45,275 --> 00:54:48,595 Speaker 1: congresswoman and putting the word Nazi in her mouth, as 841 00:54:48,635 --> 00:54:52,155 Speaker 1: if it were something NBC News should be proud of. 842 00:54:53,635 --> 00:54:58,035 Speaker 1: Chuck was furious at me. He emailed back, quote, come on, 843 00:54:58,235 --> 00:55:00,235 Speaker 1: own up, that she invoked the wrong image and should 844 00:55:00,235 --> 00:55:02,475 Speaker 1: have simply walked the imagery back. And I wrote him 845 00:55:02,475 --> 00:55:04,435 Speaker 1: back that the person who had to walk back imagery 846 00:55:04,435 --> 00:55:08,155 Speaker 1: here him, since he had said Nazi and she had 847 00:55:08,195 --> 00:55:12,115 Speaker 1: not said Nazi. On my angriest day, he now replied, 848 00:55:12,235 --> 00:55:14,155 Speaker 1: I'd like to think I treated you with more respect 849 00:55:14,195 --> 00:55:17,555 Speaker 1: than this sad. I feel like we won't recover from this, 850 00:55:17,635 --> 00:55:20,635 Speaker 1: and we had recovered from a lot. I wrote back 851 00:55:20,635 --> 00:55:22,635 Speaker 1: to Chuck that we weren't going to recover from anything 852 00:55:22,675 --> 00:55:25,875 Speaker 1: if he insisted that all concentration camps were Nazi death 853 00:55:25,915 --> 00:55:29,475 Speaker 1: camps and that somebody who never said Nazis owed somebody 854 00:55:29,555 --> 00:55:34,675 Speaker 1: else an apology for what not saying Nazis. There was 855 00:55:34,715 --> 00:55:37,235 Speaker 1: no getting past the reality that Chuck had no idea 856 00:55:37,235 --> 00:55:40,235 Speaker 1: that he was one hundred percent in the wrong here, 857 00:55:40,555 --> 00:55:45,195 Speaker 1: historically wrong, factually wrong, ethically wrong, not a leg to 858 00:55:45,275 --> 00:55:49,715 Speaker 1: stand on. So I of course began to contemplate the 859 00:55:49,795 --> 00:55:54,875 Speaker 1: year ahead in fantasy football. I couldn't face it. I'm sorry, 860 00:55:55,235 --> 00:55:58,075 Speaker 1: I let real life and fantasy sports mix, and I 861 00:55:58,235 --> 00:56:01,995 Speaker 1: just I just couldn't spend another autumn having to deal 862 00:56:02,075 --> 00:56:05,715 Speaker 1: with Chuck Todd. Chuck had offen and said that he 863 00:56:05,795 --> 00:56:07,675 Speaker 1: was now just too busy to play in the league 864 00:56:07,715 --> 00:56:10,315 Speaker 1: anymore and he would have to leave it this year. 865 00:56:11,395 --> 00:56:15,035 Speaker 1: So on August eleventh, twenty nineteen, more in sadness than 866 00:56:15,075 --> 00:56:17,875 Speaker 1: an anger, I asked the commissioner of the league if 867 00:56:17,995 --> 00:56:21,195 Speaker 1: Chuck was coming back for the twenty nineteen season. I 868 00:56:21,195 --> 00:56:24,715 Speaker 1: don't know, maybe not was the answer. I said, Look, 869 00:56:24,755 --> 00:56:27,595 Speaker 1: this is not him or me. I'm not asking you 870 00:56:27,715 --> 00:56:30,075 Speaker 1: to not let him come back. It's not like that. 871 00:56:30,475 --> 00:56:32,075 Speaker 1: But if he tells you one way or the other, 872 00:56:32,155 --> 00:56:34,675 Speaker 1: let me know, because I just can't stand another year 873 00:56:34,715 --> 00:56:37,035 Speaker 1: of him. He takes all the fun of it out 874 00:56:37,035 --> 00:56:40,075 Speaker 1: of it for me. I understand, said the commissioner. It's 875 00:56:40,075 --> 00:56:42,635 Speaker 1: a shame, but why do it if it's not fun. 876 00:56:43,515 --> 00:56:46,515 Speaker 1: At eight am on the morning of August fourteenth, twenty nineteen, 877 00:56:46,555 --> 00:56:49,635 Speaker 1: the official email notifying everybody of the new fantasy football 878 00:56:49,675 --> 00:56:52,675 Speaker 1: season went out. I was not listed among the players. 879 00:56:52,955 --> 00:56:56,675 Speaker 1: Nineteen minutes later, I got an email from Chuck Todd's 880 00:56:56,715 --> 00:57:00,755 Speaker 1: subject line, it's just a game content quote just play. 881 00:57:00,995 --> 00:57:03,075 Speaker 1: I won't speak to you, and please do me the 882 00:57:03,075 --> 00:57:05,475 Speaker 1: same courtesy. Grow the f up and know I am 883 00:57:05,515 --> 00:57:09,755 Speaker 1: not editing this. He really wrote, grow the f up. 884 00:57:10,555 --> 00:57:12,675 Speaker 1: I wrote back that I thought he'd become part of 885 00:57:12,715 --> 00:57:15,475 Speaker 1: the problem that imperils our nation and I didn't want 886 00:57:15,475 --> 00:57:17,555 Speaker 1: to have anything more to do with him. I ended 887 00:57:17,595 --> 00:57:21,515 Speaker 1: it with quote, do not contact me again. At ten 888 00:57:21,755 --> 00:57:25,675 Speaker 1: thirteen am, he contacted me again. Amazing, how you believe 889 00:57:25,715 --> 00:57:28,075 Speaker 1: what you believe about me? I'm sorry for ever helping 890 00:57:28,115 --> 00:57:32,755 Speaker 1: you get credibility. I did not reply. At ten eighteen, 891 00:57:32,795 --> 00:57:36,315 Speaker 1: he wrote me again again. I'm happy to never speak 892 00:57:36,315 --> 00:57:38,275 Speaker 1: with you again. I'd prefer to pretend you don't exist. 893 00:57:38,355 --> 00:57:43,195 Speaker 1: Don't make me care about you that boy. When Chuck 894 00:57:43,275 --> 00:57:45,715 Speaker 1: Todd asks you to not make him care about you, 895 00:57:45,715 --> 00:57:49,755 Speaker 1: you are in deep and dangerous waters. Boy. Another Chuck 896 00:57:49,755 --> 00:57:52,275 Speaker 1: email at ten twenty nine, you are truly a tiny 897 00:57:52,315 --> 00:57:54,875 Speaker 1: little man. I don't even feel sorry for you anymore. 898 00:57:54,995 --> 00:57:58,395 Speaker 1: You have done this to yourself, and here I made 899 00:57:58,435 --> 00:58:00,635 Speaker 1: a mistake. I did not ask him what he felt 900 00:58:00,795 --> 00:58:05,115 Speaker 1: sorry for me about and what I had done to myself. Zoom, 901 00:58:05,395 --> 00:58:08,235 Speaker 1: it was about losing the twenty eighteen Fantasy Football Super 902 00:58:08,275 --> 00:58:11,715 Speaker 1: Bowl to him. At eleven oh nine, another email quote, 903 00:58:11,755 --> 00:58:14,955 Speaker 1: you deliberately misinterpreted what I said shot first, and then 904 00:58:15,075 --> 00:58:19,915 Speaker 1: rationalized the mistaken shot with some convoluted, full of bleef explanation. 905 00:58:21,155 --> 00:58:24,475 Speaker 1: This presumably was the silly little detail about him lying 906 00:58:25,195 --> 00:58:29,675 Speaker 1: and saying Representative Ocasio Cortes had referred to Nazi concentration camps. 907 00:58:29,715 --> 00:58:33,955 Speaker 1: Then he wrote that what she said quote evokes Gash Chambers, 908 00:58:34,595 --> 00:58:37,795 Speaker 1: and I think that's where we should leave it. A 909 00:58:37,835 --> 00:58:41,235 Speaker 1: fantasy sports league is just a fantasy sports league, and 910 00:58:41,275 --> 00:58:44,155 Speaker 1: having been in various kinds of them since nineteen good 911 00:58:44,235 --> 00:58:48,275 Speaker 1: God eighty five, I often wonder if they aren't kind 912 00:58:48,315 --> 00:58:53,155 Speaker 1: of therapeutic, cathartic pressure valve for our inner demons. I 913 00:58:53,195 --> 00:58:56,035 Speaker 1: do know this. You find out a lot about the 914 00:58:56,075 --> 00:59:00,115 Speaker 1: other people in a fantasy sports league. So when that 915 00:59:00,315 --> 00:59:03,755 Speaker 1: baseball player slapped the other baseball player over the reserve 916 00:59:03,875 --> 00:59:07,035 Speaker 1: running back, they kept on his roster, and most people said, 917 00:59:07,435 --> 00:59:11,195 Speaker 1: I just don't understand why he slapped him. I said, oh, 918 00:59:11,715 --> 00:59:26,995 Speaker 1: I understand why he slapped him. I've done all the 919 00:59:27,035 --> 00:59:28,995 Speaker 1: damage I can do. Here. Countdown has come to you 920 00:59:28,995 --> 00:59:31,595 Speaker 1: from the Vin Scully Studio at the World headquarters of 921 00:59:31,595 --> 00:59:35,355 Speaker 1: the Olderman Broadcasting Empire in New York. I hope it 922 00:59:35,395 --> 00:59:37,195 Speaker 1: was of sufficient length to make up for their not 923 00:59:37,275 --> 00:59:39,915 Speaker 1: being one last Friday. Here are the credits. Most of 924 00:59:39,915 --> 00:59:42,435 Speaker 1: the music was arranged, produced, and performed by Brian Ray 925 00:59:42,435 --> 00:59:45,595 Speaker 1: and John Phillip Chanel, who are the Countdown musical directors. 926 00:59:45,915 --> 00:59:49,315 Speaker 1: All orchestration and keyboards by John Phillip Chanel, guitars, bass 927 00:59:49,315 --> 00:59:51,795 Speaker 1: and drums by Brian Ray, and it was produced by 928 00:59:51,795 --> 00:59:55,755 Speaker 1: Tko Brothers Other Beethoven selections have been arranged and performed 929 00:59:55,795 --> 00:59:58,715 Speaker 1: by the group No Horns Allowed. The sports music is 930 00:59:58,755 --> 01:00:01,155 Speaker 1: the Olderman theme from ESPN two, and it was written 931 01:00:01,195 --> 01:00:05,395 Speaker 1: by Mitch Warren Davis courtesy of ESPN Inc. Comments from 932 01:00:05,475 --> 01:00:09,035 Speaker 1: Nancy Faust The best baseball stadium organist ever. Our announcer 933 01:00:09,115 --> 01:00:12,115 Speaker 1: today was my friend John Deane. Everything else was pretty 934 01:00:12,155 --> 01:00:14,275 Speaker 1: much my fault. So that's countdown for this, the eight 935 01:00:14,395 --> 01:00:17,315 Speaker 1: hundred and eighty first day since Donald Trump's first attempted 936 01:00:17,355 --> 01:00:20,395 Speaker 1: coup against the democratically elected government of the United States. 937 01:00:20,515 --> 01:00:23,195 Speaker 1: Don't forget to keep arresting him while we still can. 938 01:00:24,035 --> 01:00:27,795 Speaker 1: Happy birthday, Sis. The next scheduled countdown is tomorrow. Till then, 939 01:00:27,795 --> 01:00:30,635 Speaker 1: I'm Keith Ouldraman. Good morning, good afternoon, good night, and 940 01:00:30,875 --> 01:00:43,795 Speaker 1: good luck. Countdown with Keith Olderman is a production of iHeartRadio. 941 01:00:44,075 --> 01:00:49,235 Speaker 1: For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, 942 01:00:49,475 --> 01:00:51,475 Speaker 1: or wherever you get your podcasts.