1 00:00:04,795 --> 00:00:20,875 Speaker 1: Countdown with Keith Olderman is a production of iHeartRadio. The 2 00:00:20,915 --> 00:00:25,475 Speaker 1: President of the United States must fire FBI Director Christopher Ray, 3 00:00:25,995 --> 00:00:30,035 Speaker 1: and the Senate must hold hearings into Fox News to 4 00:00:30,195 --> 00:00:32,355 Speaker 1: see if it can be stopped and if the Murdoch's 5 00:00:32,355 --> 00:00:37,515 Speaker 1: citizenships can be revoked. The FBI first, because this is 6 00:00:37,595 --> 00:00:40,675 Speaker 1: an immediate, urgent, clear and present danger to the President 7 00:00:40,875 --> 00:00:44,955 Speaker 1: and to the democracy itself. There is, without question, a 8 00:00:45,155 --> 00:00:49,275 Speaker 1: significant element within the Federal Bureau of Investigation that is 9 00:00:49,475 --> 00:00:53,475 Speaker 1: loyal not to the United States but to Donald Trump. 10 00:00:54,035 --> 00:00:56,675 Speaker 1: And this has been permitted to continue by Director Ray, 11 00:00:57,115 --> 00:01:01,195 Speaker 1: and it continues to grow under Director Ray, and if unchecked, 12 00:01:01,195 --> 00:01:03,675 Speaker 1: it will grow into something that will interfere with the 13 00:01:03,715 --> 00:01:07,195 Speaker 1: indictment of Trump and the prosecution of Trump and the 14 00:01:07,195 --> 00:01:11,555 Speaker 1: conviction of Trump. And we know this because it has 15 00:01:11,595 --> 00:01:15,475 Speaker 1: already happened, and the director, who turned a blind eye 16 00:01:15,515 --> 00:01:18,955 Speaker 1: to it as it happened, a Trump appointee, has to go, 17 00:01:19,755 --> 00:01:24,155 Speaker 1: has to be fired by this president right now, regardless 18 00:01:24,235 --> 00:01:29,195 Speaker 1: of the blowback. Extraordinary reporting by the Washington Post reveals 19 00:01:29,435 --> 00:01:33,835 Speaker 1: that starting last May, the FBI Washington Field office, including 20 00:01:33,875 --> 00:01:38,675 Speaker 1: it's now suddenly retired ex chief Stephen d'antoineo tried to 21 00:01:38,715 --> 00:01:42,195 Speaker 1: stop the criminal investigation of the hundreds of classified documents 22 00:01:42,275 --> 00:01:45,435 Speaker 1: Trump stole, including at least one document to telling the 23 00:01:45,515 --> 00:01:48,955 Speaker 1: nuclear capabilities of foreign power, tried to, as the Post 24 00:01:48,995 --> 00:01:53,035 Speaker 1: writers phrased it, shut her the criminal investigation altogether. In 25 00:01:53,115 --> 00:01:57,435 Speaker 1: early June, after Trump's team asserted a diligent search had 26 00:01:57,475 --> 00:02:01,155 Speaker 1: been conducted and all classified records had been turned over. 27 00:02:01,395 --> 00:02:06,635 Speaker 1: In short, these FBI agents, who must be identified and dismissed, 28 00:02:07,155 --> 00:02:11,395 Speaker 1: were willing to take a criminal suspect's word for it. 29 00:02:12,995 --> 00:02:15,715 Speaker 1: And despite the disloyalty of these agents and yet another 30 00:02:15,755 --> 00:02:19,595 Speaker 1: FBI bureau gone rogue this abrogation of their duties to 31 00:02:19,635 --> 00:02:24,435 Speaker 1: this country, there was something even worse. Again, quoting the Post, 32 00:02:25,115 --> 00:02:27,955 Speaker 1: two senior FBI officials who would be in charge of 33 00:02:28,075 --> 00:02:33,515 Speaker 1: leading the search resisted the plan as too combative and 34 00:02:33,675 --> 00:02:39,315 Speaker 1: proposed instead to seek Trump's permission to search his property. 35 00:02:40,115 --> 00:02:43,195 Speaker 1: So the original version from May twenty twenty two of 36 00:02:43,235 --> 00:02:48,035 Speaker 1: this planned criminal irresponsibility by the FBI in the Washington Bureau, 37 00:02:48,235 --> 00:02:51,915 Speaker 1: under the command of Bureau Director Christopher Ray, a Trump appointee, 38 00:02:52,635 --> 00:02:56,195 Speaker 1: was to simply refuse to conduct the search. The Department 39 00:02:56,235 --> 00:02:59,715 Speaker 1: of Justice and a judge had signed off on and 40 00:02:59,875 --> 00:03:06,435 Speaker 1: insist Trump's word Trump's lie should take precedence over all that, 41 00:03:06,795 --> 00:03:10,275 Speaker 1: and then the fallback position was to slow the investigation down. 42 00:03:10,435 --> 00:03:13,155 Speaker 1: And the next fallback position after that, a month later, 43 00:03:13,315 --> 00:03:16,755 Speaker 1: it was for two senior officials to refuse to execute 44 00:03:16,755 --> 00:03:21,395 Speaker 1: the search warrant unless Trump permitted them to enforce the 45 00:03:21,475 --> 00:03:28,235 Speaker 1: laws of this country, fire them all, and prosecute them 46 00:03:28,355 --> 00:03:34,395 Speaker 1: all where possible. Quoting again, some agents were simply afraid. 47 00:03:35,275 --> 00:03:39,675 Speaker 1: They worried taking aggressive steps investigating Trump could blemish or 48 00:03:39,715 --> 00:03:45,755 Speaker 1: even end their careers. What you are afraid the suspect 49 00:03:45,835 --> 00:03:49,835 Speaker 1: will say mean things about you on social media, so 50 00:03:49,875 --> 00:03:53,515 Speaker 1: you propose to prevent his prosecution? Is this a new policy? 51 00:03:53,795 --> 00:03:56,275 Speaker 1: Can I go out and steal a billion dollars tonight? 52 00:03:56,275 --> 00:03:59,155 Speaker 1: Provided I can make FBI agents fearful that I will 53 00:03:59,195 --> 00:04:05,235 Speaker 1: speak badly of them on this podcast quoting the FBI agents. 54 00:04:05,315 --> 00:04:08,435 Speaker 1: Caution was also rooted in the fact that mistakes in 55 00:04:08,595 --> 00:04:14,075 Speaker 1: prior probes of Hillary Clinton and Trump had proven damaging 56 00:04:14,195 --> 00:04:17,635 Speaker 1: to the FBI. The Post also writes, and the cases 57 00:04:17,715 --> 00:04:22,875 Speaker 1: subjected the bureau to sustained public attacks from partisans end quote. 58 00:04:23,475 --> 00:04:27,635 Speaker 1: Let me translate that the rogue FBI field office. No, 59 00:04:27,955 --> 00:04:29,755 Speaker 1: not the one in Washington. This is the one in 60 00:04:29,795 --> 00:04:33,755 Speaker 1: New York. The rogue FBI field office used the threat 61 00:04:33,795 --> 00:04:37,955 Speaker 1: of leaks to throw the twenty sixteen election two Trump, 62 00:04:38,355 --> 00:04:40,275 Speaker 1: and one of the lead New York agents was just 63 00:04:40,395 --> 00:04:44,755 Speaker 1: arrested for working for the Russian who employed Trump's campaign manager. 64 00:04:44,915 --> 00:04:48,395 Speaker 1: So naturally the FBI cannot do anything now because it 65 00:04:48,475 --> 00:04:56,875 Speaker 1: might damage Trump. The bureau also couldn't handle sustained public 66 00:04:56,955 --> 00:05:06,315 Speaker 1: attack from partisans. Seriously, criticism justifiable action, criticism, but still 67 00:05:06,355 --> 00:05:10,915 Speaker 1: just criticism was too much for the big g men 68 00:05:11,155 --> 00:05:14,275 Speaker 1: to handle. What are you running there, Chris Ray? The 69 00:05:14,355 --> 00:05:17,715 Speaker 1: nation's most important investigative force, or a bunch of snowflakes 70 00:05:17,955 --> 00:05:22,875 Speaker 1: worried about how many likes their tweets got and to 71 00:05:22,955 --> 00:05:29,915 Speaker 1: a larger question. The Post's account describes dialogue and running 72 00:05:30,035 --> 00:05:33,395 Speaker 1: arguments four weeks between the Department of Justice and the 73 00:05:33,595 --> 00:05:37,635 Speaker 1: senior FBI figures and within the FBI itself. Why was 74 00:05:37,795 --> 00:05:42,315 Speaker 1: this permitted? The argument should have gone like this, FBI, 75 00:05:42,875 --> 00:05:45,595 Speaker 1: we're the Department of Justice. You work for us and 76 00:05:45,715 --> 00:05:48,595 Speaker 1: the people of this country. Do the job, or you 77 00:05:48,635 --> 00:05:52,275 Speaker 1: are all fired. That's what the dialogue should have been 78 00:05:54,195 --> 00:05:56,915 Speaker 1: the one flaw in fact in the Washington Post reporting 79 00:05:56,955 --> 00:05:59,715 Speaker 1: here is to present thousands of words about what reads 80 00:05:59,755 --> 00:06:04,715 Speaker 1: like a decahedron of approaches or a kaleidoscopic jumble of 81 00:06:04,755 --> 00:06:09,075 Speaker 1: different options and a spectrum of reasonable options being debated. 82 00:06:09,675 --> 00:06:13,235 Speaker 1: There was no such spectrum. To use the old joke, 83 00:06:13,355 --> 00:06:17,275 Speaker 1: the gamut should have run from A to B. There 84 00:06:17,275 --> 00:06:20,955 Speaker 1: are missing classified documents. Trump is a known serial liar, 85 00:06:21,115 --> 00:06:24,835 Speaker 1: con man, kleptomaniac. They had tried to resolve this scandal 86 00:06:24,875 --> 00:06:29,075 Speaker 1: with him on officially and secretly for one year about 87 00:06:29,115 --> 00:06:32,915 Speaker 1: the documents. Trump and his lawyers lied and lied again, 88 00:06:33,035 --> 00:06:38,115 Speaker 1: and lied in writing. A search warrant was issued. Go 89 00:06:38,195 --> 00:06:43,075 Speaker 1: in and executed, or you're fired. The Post does not 90 00:06:43,195 --> 00:06:45,915 Speaker 1: report this, nor anything like this, but there is reason 91 00:06:45,955 --> 00:06:49,715 Speaker 1: to believe the FBI actually sort of did this. Soto 92 00:06:49,795 --> 00:06:54,195 Speaker 1: voce with this former head of the Milktoast agents working 93 00:06:54,235 --> 00:06:58,395 Speaker 1: in the Washington field office. In November, this Stephen d'antoino 94 00:06:58,875 --> 00:07:03,595 Speaker 1: went from the plum job running DC too retired. At 95 00:07:03,635 --> 00:07:07,235 Speaker 1: a meeting at the FBI in August, d'antuono was quote 96 00:07:07,315 --> 00:07:12,755 Speaker 1: adamant the FBI should not do a surprise search d'antuono 97 00:07:12,875 --> 00:07:15,155 Speaker 1: said he would agree to lead such a raid only 98 00:07:15,195 --> 00:07:19,115 Speaker 1: if he were ordered to. D'antuono also questioned why the 99 00:07:19,155 --> 00:07:23,955 Speaker 1: search would target presidential records as well as classified records. 100 00:07:24,475 --> 00:07:28,675 Speaker 1: This idiot wanted to call Trump's attorney, Evan Corcoran, and 101 00:07:28,915 --> 00:07:33,475 Speaker 1: asked him to let them do a voluntary search without 102 00:07:33,595 --> 00:07:39,595 Speaker 1: a warrant. They trusted Corcoran, who represented Steve Bannon. They 103 00:07:39,635 --> 00:07:43,235 Speaker 1: trusted Trump. Those they did not trust or did not 104 00:07:43,355 --> 00:07:46,435 Speaker 1: trust as much, were their own employers at the Department 105 00:07:46,435 --> 00:07:49,235 Speaker 1: of Justice, the judge who issued the search warrant, and 106 00:07:49,315 --> 00:07:52,035 Speaker 1: evidently the people who wrote the goddamned Constitution of the 107 00:07:52,115 --> 00:07:57,315 Speaker 1: United States of America. Quote. We are not the presidential 108 00:07:57,355 --> 00:08:01,315 Speaker 1: records police, d'antuono said, According to people familiar with the 109 00:08:01,355 --> 00:08:05,155 Speaker 1: exchange of goddamn right, you're the presidential records police, half wit, 110 00:08:06,715 --> 00:08:10,155 Speaker 1: You're the presidential records police, or the whatever police we 111 00:08:10,315 --> 00:08:13,595 Speaker 1: tell you to be, whatever the law tells you to be. 112 00:08:14,195 --> 00:08:17,075 Speaker 1: Jesus Christ, is there no way to recall this coward 113 00:08:17,155 --> 00:08:20,195 Speaker 1: d'antoino back from retirement so we can fire him and 114 00:08:20,275 --> 00:08:23,475 Speaker 1: take away his pension. You want money later in life, sir, 115 00:08:23,675 --> 00:08:29,955 Speaker 1: get it from Trump. There is often a robust discussion. 116 00:08:30,595 --> 00:08:33,515 Speaker 1: The Attorney General Merritt Garland said when asked yesterday at 117 00:08:33,555 --> 00:08:37,355 Speaker 1: that farcical Senate hearing about this nightmare scenario of the 118 00:08:37,355 --> 00:08:41,195 Speaker 1: FBI trying to overrule the Justice Department and thwart the 119 00:08:41,275 --> 00:08:45,035 Speaker 1: prosecution of somebody before it could even begin. He added, 120 00:08:45,435 --> 00:08:50,115 Speaker 1: and it's encouraged among investigators and prosecutors. I will say 121 00:08:50,155 --> 00:08:52,595 Speaker 1: this in passing before I get back to the larger 122 00:08:52,635 --> 00:08:58,315 Speaker 1: point about cleaning out this corrupted, preening, dilettantish element in 123 00:08:58,355 --> 00:09:02,835 Speaker 1: the bureau. Irrespective of the actual prosecution of Trump and 124 00:09:02,915 --> 00:09:08,315 Speaker 1: the special counsels and all that, Merrick Garland is as 125 00:09:08,475 --> 00:09:14,595 Speaker 1: useless a public servant as I have ever seen. This 126 00:09:14,795 --> 00:09:17,435 Speaker 1: is a man who seeks the middle in a time 127 00:09:17,435 --> 00:09:20,715 Speaker 1: in which the middle is exploited day and night twenty 128 00:09:20,715 --> 00:09:25,355 Speaker 1: four seven by the far right. When whoever said, and 129 00:09:25,435 --> 00:09:28,795 Speaker 1: it was not Edmund Burke that the only thing necessary 130 00:09:28,835 --> 00:09:31,355 Speaker 1: for evil to triumph in the world is that good 131 00:09:31,355 --> 00:09:35,235 Speaker 1: men do nothing. The good man he meant, was Merrick 132 00:09:35,355 --> 00:09:40,755 Speaker 1: Garland fire Merrick Garland and Christopher Ryan do it simultaneously, 133 00:09:40,955 --> 00:09:43,595 Speaker 1: or one after the other, or have Garland fire Ray 134 00:09:43,635 --> 00:09:47,595 Speaker 1: and then Biden fire Garland. But this bullshit over Trump 135 00:09:47,755 --> 00:09:51,195 Speaker 1: has to stop, and it has to stop now. And 136 00:09:51,275 --> 00:09:54,755 Speaker 1: if we need an entirely new FBI to make it stop, 137 00:09:55,035 --> 00:10:00,115 Speaker 1: so be it. Trump was sitting on top of a 138 00:10:00,235 --> 00:10:04,435 Speaker 1: cash of classified documents he had lied about having re 139 00:10:04,755 --> 00:10:07,835 Speaker 1: turned all of them. He did try to prevent their return. 140 00:10:08,035 --> 00:10:12,155 Speaker 1: He and his lawyers are almost certainly guilty of obstruction 141 00:10:12,195 --> 00:10:15,955 Speaker 1: of justice just about the searches, never mind the espionage 142 00:10:15,955 --> 00:10:19,675 Speaker 1: and the documents. The FBI agents who tried to slow 143 00:10:19,715 --> 00:10:24,515 Speaker 1: walk then stop the investigation were wrong, and the DOJ 144 00:10:24,795 --> 00:10:29,075 Speaker 1: Counter Espionage prosecutor J Bratt, who for a time humored them, 145 00:10:29,675 --> 00:10:33,355 Speaker 1: was right. So if the agents refusal to do their 146 00:10:33,515 --> 00:10:37,315 Speaker 1: jobs is not sufficient grounds for firing them, and if 147 00:10:37,315 --> 00:10:40,715 Speaker 1: the agent's attempts to interfere with their boss's decisions about 148 00:10:40,835 --> 00:10:44,195 Speaker 1: prosecution is also not sufficient grounds for firing them, And 149 00:10:44,195 --> 00:10:47,235 Speaker 1: if the agent's willingness to defer and remain loyal to 150 00:10:47,515 --> 00:10:50,795 Speaker 1: Trump is also not sufficient grounds for firing them. The 151 00:10:50,915 --> 00:10:55,715 Speaker 1: agents were also all wrong, and certainly that alone is 152 00:10:55,755 --> 00:11:02,835 Speaker 1: sufficient grounds for firing them. And where was Dentono's boss 153 00:11:03,315 --> 00:11:09,515 Speaker 1: during all this? Where was Christopher Ray? Why he was 154 00:11:10,195 --> 00:11:14,755 Speaker 1: on Fox News? Christopher Ray sat down and gave an 155 00:11:14,795 --> 00:11:18,115 Speaker 1: exclusive interview to Fox Non News. And he did it 156 00:11:18,155 --> 00:11:21,555 Speaker 1: the day after the second tranche of dominion defamation documents 157 00:11:21,755 --> 00:11:24,915 Speaker 1: was released, confirming finally and for all time that Fox 158 00:11:24,995 --> 00:11:29,315 Speaker 1: News is not merely just a brand name. It is 159 00:11:29,635 --> 00:11:34,755 Speaker 1: an oxymoron. It is not a news organization. And the 160 00:11:34,875 --> 00:11:38,755 Speaker 1: director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the one who 161 00:11:38,795 --> 00:11:42,315 Speaker 1: put this Cipher d'antoino in charge of the Washington Field office, 162 00:11:42,555 --> 00:11:46,435 Speaker 1: should not have anything to do with Fox Non News. 163 00:11:47,955 --> 00:11:51,155 Speaker 1: He just thumbed his nose at every American who knows 164 00:11:51,395 --> 00:11:57,395 Speaker 1: the elemental fact Fox oxymoron. Included among the Americans who 165 00:11:57,435 --> 00:12:00,355 Speaker 1: know that elemental fact is Joe Biden, and Joe Biden 166 00:12:00,435 --> 00:12:06,755 Speaker 1: must fire Chris Ray, and fire him now and now 167 00:12:06,795 --> 00:12:09,595 Speaker 1: to Fox. And I'm afraid Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer 168 00:12:09,675 --> 00:12:12,875 Speaker 1: does not see it and does not get it. Schumer 169 00:12:12,955 --> 00:12:15,995 Speaker 1: took to the Senate floory yesterday and said, quote, they 170 00:12:16,155 --> 00:12:19,715 Speaker 1: need to stop giving a platform to dangerous and entirely 171 00:12:19,795 --> 00:12:26,475 Speaker 1: unfounded conspiracy theories. They need to do that. Schumer's staff 172 00:12:26,515 --> 00:12:28,835 Speaker 1: released a copy of a six paragraph letter that he 173 00:12:28,915 --> 00:12:31,955 Speaker 1: and the House Minority Leader Akeem Jeffreys wrote to Rupert 174 00:12:31,995 --> 00:12:36,235 Speaker 1: and Lachlan Murdoch and their operational heads of Fox Non News, 175 00:12:36,235 --> 00:12:39,915 Speaker 1: Suzanne Scott and Jay Wallace, and it was addressed direct 176 00:12:40,035 --> 00:12:44,195 Speaker 1: lead to Rupert Murdoch. As noted in your deposition released yesterday, 177 00:12:44,515 --> 00:12:47,475 Speaker 1: Tucker Carlson, Sean Hannity, Laura Ingram, and other Fox News 178 00:12:47,515 --> 00:12:51,555 Speaker 1: personalities knowingly repeatedly and dangerously endorsed and promoted the big 179 00:12:51,635 --> 00:12:55,115 Speaker 1: lie that Donald Trump won the twenty twenty presidential election. 180 00:12:55,475 --> 00:12:58,875 Speaker 1: This sets a dangerous precedent that ignores basic journalistic fact 181 00:12:58,955 --> 00:13:04,475 Speaker 1: checking principles and public accountability. They are just down the 182 00:13:04,515 --> 00:13:07,515 Speaker 1: street from me here. I can see the Murdocks and 183 00:13:07,635 --> 00:13:11,235 Speaker 1: Jay Wallace and Susanne Scott rushing now to google this 184 00:13:11,395 --> 00:13:14,995 Speaker 1: weird phrase in there that they had never encountered before 185 00:13:16,315 --> 00:13:25,395 Speaker 1: fact checking principles. To continue from the Schumer Jeffreys letter quote, 186 00:13:25,635 --> 00:13:29,195 Speaker 1: this is even more alarming after Speaker McCarthy is reportedly 187 00:13:29,235 --> 00:13:33,475 Speaker 1: allowing Tucker Carlson to review highly sensitive security camera footage 188 00:13:33,515 --> 00:13:36,915 Speaker 1: of the events surrounding the violent January sixth insurrection. We 189 00:13:37,075 --> 00:13:40,915 Speaker 1: demand you direct Tucker Carlson, another host on your network, 190 00:13:40,955 --> 00:13:44,275 Speaker 1: to stop spreading false election narratives and admit on the 191 00:13:44,315 --> 00:13:47,675 Speaker 1: air that they were wrong to engage in such negligent behavior. 192 00:13:48,155 --> 00:13:51,155 Speaker 1: Fox News executives and all other hosts on your network 193 00:13:51,155 --> 00:13:53,755 Speaker 1: have a clear choice. You can continue a pattern of 194 00:13:53,835 --> 00:13:58,075 Speaker 1: lying to your viewers and risking democracy, or move beyond 195 00:13:58,395 --> 00:14:02,035 Speaker 1: this damaging chapter in your company's history by siding with 196 00:14:02,115 --> 00:14:08,795 Speaker 1: the truth and reporting the fact a senator. That'll do it, 197 00:14:08,875 --> 00:14:12,595 Speaker 1: for sure. I'm confident Rupert and Lachlan and Tucker are 198 00:14:12,675 --> 00:14:19,195 Speaker 1: quaking in their boots right now a letter. Where are 199 00:14:19,195 --> 00:14:24,395 Speaker 1: the subpoenas? Where are the warnings about prosecution of Rupert 200 00:14:24,435 --> 00:14:28,435 Speaker 1: Murdoch for giving the Trump campaign an illegal donation in 201 00:14:28,555 --> 00:14:33,115 Speaker 1: kind when he let Jared Kushner look at the Joe 202 00:14:33,115 --> 00:14:36,475 Speaker 1: Biden commercials during the twenty twenty campaign before anybody else 203 00:14:36,515 --> 00:14:39,995 Speaker 1: had seen them. Where's the threat to Murdoch to put 204 00:14:39,995 --> 00:14:43,435 Speaker 1: his ninety one year old ass in jail if Carlson 205 00:14:43,475 --> 00:14:46,635 Speaker 1: shows or posts a second of the January sixth video. 206 00:14:46,995 --> 00:14:52,115 Speaker 1: Where is the request for all the above names first 207 00:14:52,195 --> 00:14:57,835 Speaker 1: available dates for a Senate hearing. Fox News executives and 208 00:14:57,955 --> 00:15:00,675 Speaker 1: all other hosts on your network have a clear choice. 209 00:15:01,115 --> 00:15:05,555 Speaker 1: Lying to your viewers or move beyond this damaging seriously, 210 00:15:05,635 --> 00:15:09,715 Speaker 1: Chuck Rupert Murdoch made that choice when his father died 211 00:15:10,115 --> 00:15:14,115 Speaker 1: and left him the Adelaide News in Australia in nineteen 212 00:15:14,235 --> 00:15:19,755 Speaker 1: fifty two. Rupert Murdoch already destroyed that country and Great Britain, 213 00:15:19,755 --> 00:15:21,955 Speaker 1: and he's done more damage to this one than Osama 214 00:15:21,995 --> 00:15:26,955 Speaker 1: bin Laden did. A choice, moved beyond this damaging chapter. 215 00:15:27,755 --> 00:15:30,395 Speaker 1: What do you mean Damaging News Corp Reported a profit 216 00:15:30,595 --> 00:15:34,715 Speaker 1: of one billion, seven hundred million dollars last year. A choice. 217 00:15:35,675 --> 00:15:38,035 Speaker 1: I hate to break this to you, Senator Schumer, but 218 00:15:38,115 --> 00:15:40,315 Speaker 1: Rupert Murdoch made that choice, and if he had to 219 00:15:40,315 --> 00:15:42,955 Speaker 1: make it a million times again, he would choose lying 220 00:15:43,035 --> 00:15:49,075 Speaker 1: to his viewers over moving beyond every single goddamned time. 221 00:15:50,915 --> 00:15:55,435 Speaker 1: Never mind giving Rupert Murdoch a choice, give him a subpoena, 222 00:15:55,555 --> 00:15:58,195 Speaker 1: give him a set of Senate hearings, Give him for 223 00:15:58,355 --> 00:16:02,755 Speaker 1: want something to be afraid of, because Senator, the horrors 224 00:16:02,835 --> 00:16:05,355 Speaker 1: you correctly describe in your letter to him did not 225 00:16:05,595 --> 00:16:09,235 Speaker 1: stop the other day. Tucker Carlson promoted the big lie 226 00:16:09,355 --> 00:16:11,315 Speaker 1: last Friday night, and he will do it again, and 227 00:16:11,395 --> 00:16:12,995 Speaker 1: they will all do it again. And if you are 228 00:16:13,035 --> 00:16:15,915 Speaker 1: not going to use your position of having a majority 229 00:16:15,955 --> 00:16:20,515 Speaker 1: in the Senate, you should go too with Christopher Ray 230 00:16:20,755 --> 00:16:24,235 Speaker 1: and turn that position over to somebody, anybody who is 231 00:16:24,275 --> 00:16:27,235 Speaker 1: willing to actually fight the Rupert Murdochs and the Tucker 232 00:16:27,315 --> 00:16:29,795 Speaker 1: Carlson's of this world and the Christopher Rays and the 233 00:16:29,835 --> 00:16:35,195 Speaker 1: Stephen Dan Twino's. We need fighters. Instead, we have Merrick 234 00:16:35,275 --> 00:16:39,115 Speaker 1: Garland and Chuck Schumer. Doesn't anybody notice this? I feel 235 00:16:39,115 --> 00:16:55,955 Speaker 1: like I'm taking crazy pails still ahead of us in 236 00:16:55,955 --> 00:16:58,875 Speaker 1: this edition of Countdown. I will give Merrick Garland credit 237 00:16:58,915 --> 00:17:01,475 Speaker 1: for something. He not only ruined several of Ted Cruz's 238 00:17:01,515 --> 00:17:06,715 Speaker 1: attempts to fashion soundbites for Fox News during that hearing yesterday, 239 00:17:07,515 --> 00:17:10,075 Speaker 1: he burned him big time when crews couldn't tell the 240 00:17:10,075 --> 00:17:14,235 Speaker 1: difference between a leak and a court filing. Okay, so 241 00:17:14,315 --> 00:17:17,635 Speaker 1: apparently I got the personal account of Senator Mike Lee 242 00:17:17,675 --> 00:17:21,555 Speaker 1: of Utah briefly suspended yesterday. Ironically, I was trying to 243 00:17:21,595 --> 00:17:23,955 Speaker 1: do him a solid and make him look like less 244 00:17:23,955 --> 00:17:26,115 Speaker 1: of an idiot than he really is, which is a 245 00:17:26,435 --> 00:17:30,755 Speaker 1: big idiot. Mike Lee details ahead, and I need a 246 00:17:30,835 --> 00:17:33,035 Speaker 1: break from this stuff, just for the time it takes 247 00:17:33,035 --> 00:17:34,795 Speaker 1: me to tell you the story of the day I 248 00:17:34,875 --> 00:17:38,395 Speaker 1: met the great actor Walter Mathow and discovered that this 249 00:17:38,475 --> 00:17:45,795 Speaker 1: most impersonated of Americans did impersonations of sportscasters, including me. 250 00:17:46,875 --> 00:17:58,155 Speaker 1: That's next, This is countdown. This is countdown with Keith Olberman, 251 00:18:02,275 --> 00:18:05,555 Speaker 1: Moose scripts to the news Larry, some head some updates, 252 00:18:05,555 --> 00:18:10,435 Speaker 1: some snarks, some predictions, dateline Twitter. An account called based 253 00:18:10,755 --> 00:18:14,915 Speaker 1: Mike Lee was the latest to repeat the Russian disinformation 254 00:18:14,955 --> 00:18:18,595 Speaker 1: about Ukrainian President Zelenski. Zelenski said he and his people 255 00:18:18,595 --> 00:18:21,795 Speaker 1: are fighting Russia in Ukraine now so that NATO and 256 00:18:21,875 --> 00:18:25,235 Speaker 1: America will not have to fight Russia elsewhere and send 257 00:18:25,275 --> 00:18:29,475 Speaker 1: its sons and daughters to die there. These Russian asset 258 00:18:29,475 --> 00:18:32,315 Speaker 1: accounts have been editing down the SoundBite, so it seems 259 00:18:32,355 --> 00:18:34,995 Speaker 1: as if Zelenski was saying America will have to send 260 00:18:35,035 --> 00:18:39,235 Speaker 1: its sons and daughters to die in Ukraine. So this 261 00:18:39,555 --> 00:18:43,235 Speaker 1: based Mike Lee account, with an avatar of Utah Senator 262 00:18:43,275 --> 00:18:47,035 Speaker 1: Mike Lee, repeated this crap twice yesterday, and an acquaintance 263 00:18:47,075 --> 00:18:50,315 Speaker 1: of mine, who was the BBC's reporter in Beijing, asked 264 00:18:50,315 --> 00:18:53,675 Speaker 1: me if that could really have fooled a sitting US senator, 265 00:18:53,715 --> 00:18:56,115 Speaker 1: and I said, not a chance, not even Mike Lee 266 00:18:56,235 --> 00:18:59,075 Speaker 1: is that stupid. I also pointed out that the account 267 00:18:59,115 --> 00:19:02,195 Speaker 1: was only started in July of last year, and whoever 268 00:19:02,275 --> 00:19:05,795 Speaker 1: had started it had paid eight dollars for a Twitter 269 00:19:05,915 --> 00:19:10,475 Speaker 1: blue check mark and used that moronic word based in 270 00:19:10,515 --> 00:19:14,915 Speaker 1: the handle. So I reported the account on Twitter as 271 00:19:15,155 --> 00:19:19,195 Speaker 1: impersonation of a sitting senator because who cares about Mike Lee? 272 00:19:19,315 --> 00:19:21,875 Speaker 1: But there really shouldn't be such accounts on Twitter, and 273 00:19:21,875 --> 00:19:23,595 Speaker 1: I thought nothing of it, And then at one thirty 274 00:19:23,635 --> 00:19:27,035 Speaker 1: two pm, Lee tweets from his official account quote, my 275 00:19:27,155 --> 00:19:31,275 Speaker 1: personal Twitter account based Mike Lee has been suspended. Twitter 276 00:19:31,355 --> 00:19:33,115 Speaker 1: did not alert me ahead of time, nor have they 277 00:19:33,195 --> 00:19:36,555 Speaker 1: yet offered an explanation for the suspension. My team and 278 00:19:36,715 --> 00:19:41,315 Speaker 1: I are seeking answers. Well I provided them. I tweeted 279 00:19:41,395 --> 00:19:44,795 Speaker 1: I did it, but instead of contacting me, Lee reached 280 00:19:44,835 --> 00:19:48,235 Speaker 1: out to the two guys who run Twitter, this guy 281 00:19:48,395 --> 00:19:52,715 Speaker 1: Musk and this other guy Cat Turd, And like an 282 00:19:52,715 --> 00:19:56,795 Speaker 1: hour later, Musk tweets this personal account was incorrectly flagged 283 00:19:56,835 --> 00:20:00,475 Speaker 1: as impersonation, which is not totally crazy since it is based. 284 00:20:00,995 --> 00:20:04,155 Speaker 1: I guess that's a joke. Who knows with Musk? But 285 00:20:04,275 --> 00:20:07,715 Speaker 1: I did, I got a senator's account it suspended. They 286 00:20:07,755 --> 00:20:12,115 Speaker 1: restored based Mike Lee, and Lee is very grateful, and 287 00:20:12,315 --> 00:20:16,795 Speaker 1: he's very very stupid staying in the Senate dateline. Washington 288 00:20:16,835 --> 00:20:20,275 Speaker 1: has suggested earlier if at his general purpose appearance in 289 00:20:20,315 --> 00:20:23,035 Speaker 1: front of the Senate Judiciary Committee yesterday, the only way 290 00:20:23,075 --> 00:20:26,155 Speaker 1: Merrick Garland could have said anything less or anything dumber 291 00:20:26,155 --> 00:20:28,635 Speaker 1: would have been if he had been a senator himself. 292 00:20:29,115 --> 00:20:31,995 Speaker 1: But in the middle of an attempt by Ted Cruise 293 00:20:32,075 --> 00:20:35,675 Speaker 1: to create some nice soundbites for Fox News, Garland did 294 00:20:36,355 --> 00:20:40,075 Speaker 1: blow Ted Cruise up, which is nice. As you know, 295 00:20:40,275 --> 00:20:45,955 Speaker 1: the FBI rated Donald Trump's Smartlago home, and subsequent to 296 00:20:46,035 --> 00:20:50,475 Speaker 1: that raid, there have been multiple leaks about what was 297 00:20:50,515 --> 00:20:54,115 Speaker 1: discovered there, including a photograph of documents that were discovered there. 298 00:20:54,155 --> 00:20:58,235 Speaker 1: Did you know about the leaks? The photograph was a 299 00:20:58,315 --> 00:21:03,155 Speaker 1: filing in court in response to a motion filed by 300 00:21:03,235 --> 00:21:06,315 Speaker 1: mister Trump. It was not a as the kids say, 301 00:21:06,755 --> 00:21:11,075 Speaker 1: boom ahead. The late great actor Walter Matthau, who loved 302 00:21:11,115 --> 00:21:15,035 Speaker 1: sports so much he used to gamble on baseball spring 303 00:21:15,035 --> 00:21:19,115 Speaker 1: training games. Think about that for a second. He also 304 00:21:19,195 --> 00:21:23,515 Speaker 1: loved sports so much he did impressions of sportscasters, including me. 305 00:21:24,235 --> 00:21:26,235 Speaker 1: The Story of the Day I met the great star 306 00:21:26,355 --> 00:21:45,115 Speaker 1: of the movie The Odd Couple coming up. Thank you, 307 00:21:45,275 --> 00:22:01,715 Speaker 1: Nancy Faust before the Walter Matthau storytime for the daily 308 00:22:01,795 --> 00:22:04,555 Speaker 1: roundup of the miscreants, morons and Dunning Kruger effects best 309 00:22:05,315 --> 00:22:09,875 Speaker 1: who constitute today's worst persons in the world. The bronze 310 00:22:10,635 --> 00:22:17,635 Speaker 1: Congresswoman Lauren Bobert tweeting quote sometimes a meme that it best. 311 00:22:18,195 --> 00:22:21,195 Speaker 1: The meme is captioned maps showing the only place my 312 00:22:21,275 --> 00:22:24,355 Speaker 1: tax money should go to, And it's an image of Earth, 313 00:22:24,475 --> 00:22:28,395 Speaker 1: but with everything except the United States erased, well, everything 314 00:22:28,395 --> 00:22:32,155 Speaker 1: except the continental United States. Bobert apparently doesn't want her 315 00:22:32,235 --> 00:22:35,635 Speaker 1: tax money going to Alaska or Hawaii or Guam or 316 00:22:35,675 --> 00:22:38,355 Speaker 1: anything else not among the forty eight. And if that's 317 00:22:38,355 --> 00:22:41,675 Speaker 1: the new rule, I don't want my tax money going 318 00:22:41,675 --> 00:22:45,955 Speaker 1: to her district in Colorado, La runner up Congressman Byron 319 00:22:46,115 --> 00:22:49,635 Speaker 1: Donalds of Florida, who some are suggesting would be the 320 00:22:49,675 --> 00:22:54,035 Speaker 1: Republican nominee to succeed Ronda Santis as governor of Florida. 321 00:22:54,635 --> 00:22:59,315 Speaker 1: Problem is Donald's ain't too smart. He has confirmed to 322 00:22:59,355 --> 00:23:01,475 Speaker 1: Scott mcfrown of CBS News that he met with the 323 00:23:01,595 --> 00:23:06,555 Speaker 1: January sixth defendant, Victoria White. She was free on condition 324 00:23:06,635 --> 00:23:08,995 Speaker 1: that she would not return to Washington d C. In 325 00:23:09,035 --> 00:23:11,395 Speaker 1: the interim, and then she went to the Capitol to 326 00:23:11,435 --> 00:23:16,515 Speaker 1: meet with capital staffers and January sixth defendants and Byron Donalds, 327 00:23:16,555 --> 00:23:19,715 Speaker 1: who inside the capitol met with one of the firm 328 00:23:19,715 --> 00:23:22,955 Speaker 1: and accused of attacking the capital and trying to overthrow 329 00:23:22,955 --> 00:23:27,235 Speaker 1: the government. Byron Donalds was a part of But our 330 00:23:27,315 --> 00:23:33,035 Speaker 1: winner Ronda himself, Governor Ronda Santis, the man who wears 331 00:23:33,075 --> 00:23:35,235 Speaker 1: those high heeled boots so he doesn't look like the 332 00:23:35,355 --> 00:23:38,595 Speaker 1: shrimp he is. Not only did he use the levers 333 00:23:38,595 --> 00:23:41,915 Speaker 1: of Florida government to take away Disney's control of the 334 00:23:41,915 --> 00:23:45,795 Speaker 1: community in which it built Disney World in the early seventies, 335 00:23:46,195 --> 00:23:50,035 Speaker 1: but he's now appointed a board the Central Florida Tourism 336 00:23:50,115 --> 00:23:53,915 Speaker 1: Oversight District, to monitor not just what Disney does their 337 00:23:54,115 --> 00:23:58,315 Speaker 1: business wise, but what Disney puts in its entertainment products. 338 00:23:58,875 --> 00:24:01,915 Speaker 1: The board includes the head of a quote Christian ministry 339 00:24:02,275 --> 00:24:05,915 Speaker 1: and the president of the local cell the Federalist Society. 340 00:24:06,435 --> 00:24:09,395 Speaker 1: DeSantis has told them to force Disney to stop quote 341 00:24:09,435 --> 00:24:13,035 Speaker 1: trying to inject woke ideology. I think all of these 342 00:24:13,075 --> 00:24:15,035 Speaker 1: board members very much would like to see the type 343 00:24:15,075 --> 00:24:19,715 Speaker 1: of entertainment that all families can appreciate, like governor men 344 00:24:19,875 --> 00:24:23,635 Speaker 1: in high heels, Like all fascists, DeSantis has left the 345 00:24:23,675 --> 00:24:26,475 Speaker 1: final stage of his scheme to direct every Disney movie 346 00:24:26,475 --> 00:24:31,555 Speaker 1: and TV show and maybe espn to chance or God 347 00:24:31,675 --> 00:24:34,755 Speaker 1: because he thinks God works for him. DeSantis has left 348 00:24:34,755 --> 00:24:39,395 Speaker 1: out Disney's obvious solution here. How much would another community, 349 00:24:39,875 --> 00:24:44,195 Speaker 1: something in the Carolinas, I don't know, Louisiana, maybe San Juan. 350 00:24:44,675 --> 00:24:47,995 Speaker 1: How much would they give Bob Eiger and Disney to 351 00:24:48,315 --> 00:24:51,955 Speaker 1: close the current Disney World in Orlando, Florida and put 352 00:24:52,035 --> 00:24:55,795 Speaker 1: up a new disney World in their town, And what 353 00:24:55,875 --> 00:25:01,515 Speaker 1: would become economically of Orlando without Disney World. Then Iger 354 00:25:01,595 --> 00:25:04,395 Speaker 1: could take all the irreplaceable stuff from the old Disney 355 00:25:04,395 --> 00:25:07,395 Speaker 1: World and move it to the new place in San Juan, 356 00:25:07,635 --> 00:25:09,835 Speaker 1: and then invite De Santis up to the shell of 357 00:25:09,875 --> 00:25:12,955 Speaker 1: the old place in Orlando and let him watch as 358 00:25:12,995 --> 00:25:21,675 Speaker 1: Bob Iger burns the remnants to the ground. Supervise this ron. Wait, 359 00:25:21,995 --> 00:25:24,995 Speaker 1: my victim won't just stand still while I slap up 360 00:25:25,035 --> 00:25:42,715 Speaker 1: at him? To Santis. Two days worst Parsanda and still 361 00:25:42,755 --> 00:25:45,155 Speaker 1: ahead on countdown, A break from my trips through the 362 00:25:45,235 --> 00:25:48,675 Speaker 1: Fox files to instead tell the story one of the 363 00:25:48,795 --> 00:25:53,755 Speaker 1: nicest celebrities, probably the nicest I have ever met. First, 364 00:25:53,755 --> 00:25:56,075 Speaker 1: in each edition of Countdown, we feature a dog in 365 00:25:56,075 --> 00:25:59,475 Speaker 1: need you can help. Every dog has its day. Today 366 00:25:59,475 --> 00:26:02,635 Speaker 1: it is Magnus, and Magnus was saved from the New 367 00:26:02,715 --> 00:26:06,715 Speaker 1: York City Pound by Happy Go Lucky Mastiff Rescue. But 368 00:26:06,795 --> 00:26:09,955 Speaker 1: as often happens in that hellscape of the New York Pound, 369 00:26:10,675 --> 00:26:14,195 Speaker 1: Magnus caught pneumonia in the pound and is now at 370 00:26:14,235 --> 00:26:17,235 Speaker 1: an animal hospital being treated. And while they are hopeful 371 00:26:17,275 --> 00:26:19,875 Speaker 1: he will pull through, the expenses are piling up and 372 00:26:19,955 --> 00:26:22,835 Speaker 1: the rescue right now is stuck with all of those expenses. 373 00:26:23,035 --> 00:26:25,995 Speaker 1: If you can donate, you can find Magnus on my 374 00:26:26,075 --> 00:26:29,795 Speaker 1: Twitter feeds, or even just contact the Veterinary Emergency Group 375 00:26:29,835 --> 00:26:34,555 Speaker 1: directly at two one two two two two thirty five hundred. 376 00:26:34,675 --> 00:26:38,315 Speaker 1: It's two one two two two two thirty five hundred, 377 00:26:39,035 --> 00:26:43,035 Speaker 1: and just your retweet today will help him. I thank you, 378 00:26:43,675 --> 00:27:05,275 Speaker 1: and Magnus, thanks you. Finally, the number one story on 379 00:27:05,315 --> 00:27:08,235 Speaker 1: the Countdown and my favorite topic me and things from 380 00:27:08,235 --> 00:27:11,115 Speaker 1: my career and my life, and it is to me amazing, 381 00:27:11,155 --> 00:27:14,235 Speaker 1: even after all this time, that you could meet somebody 382 00:27:14,315 --> 00:27:17,755 Speaker 1: just once in your life, but years later be moved 383 00:27:17,795 --> 00:27:21,715 Speaker 1: to tears upon learning of their death. Then again, the 384 00:27:21,715 --> 00:27:25,035 Speaker 1: man in question was named Walter Mathou, and if he 385 00:27:25,115 --> 00:27:27,835 Speaker 1: was not the most popular American comedic actor of the 386 00:27:27,915 --> 00:27:30,515 Speaker 1: last half of the twentieth century, he was close to it. 387 00:27:30,995 --> 00:27:34,755 Speaker 1: And maybe more importantly, he was the most skilled, minimal 388 00:27:34,795 --> 00:27:37,995 Speaker 1: touch American actor of the last half of the twentieth century. 389 00:27:37,995 --> 00:27:40,355 Speaker 1: In other words, he was the man who, on stage 390 00:27:40,435 --> 00:27:42,755 Speaker 1: or on camera, seemed to be doing the least amount 391 00:27:42,755 --> 00:27:46,715 Speaker 1: of actual acting while still keeping you utterly convinced that 392 00:27:46,755 --> 00:27:49,275 Speaker 1: the guy you saw in the screen was not Walter Mathou, 393 00:27:49,555 --> 00:27:52,875 Speaker 1: but was Oscar Madison, and was not Walter Mathou, but 394 00:27:53,075 --> 00:27:55,475 Speaker 1: was Max Goldman, and was not Walter math Out, but 395 00:27:55,675 --> 00:27:58,435 Speaker 1: was Willie Gingrich, and was not Walter math Ou but 396 00:27:58,635 --> 00:28:02,275 Speaker 1: was Mel Miller, even though mel Miller had a Southern accent, 397 00:28:02,355 --> 00:28:04,755 Speaker 1: smoked a pipe, had horn rimmed glasses, and supposed he 398 00:28:04,755 --> 00:28:09,835 Speaker 1: went to Vanderbilt. We all knew Walter Mathou. It felt 399 00:28:09,835 --> 00:28:12,595 Speaker 1: like we knew him personally, because he managed to miracle 400 00:28:12,675 --> 00:28:15,395 Speaker 1: every time he performed. It was all him up there, 401 00:28:15,435 --> 00:28:18,275 Speaker 1: and yet at the same time it was not him 402 00:28:18,315 --> 00:28:22,835 Speaker 1: at all. Anyway. October one was his birthday, which is 403 00:28:22,875 --> 00:28:25,235 Speaker 1: what brought this extraordinary man to the front of my 404 00:28:25,315 --> 00:28:28,875 Speaker 1: mind again. I will get to my meeting with him first. 405 00:28:28,915 --> 00:28:31,675 Speaker 1: Walter Mathou's best friends as an adult, where his partner 406 00:28:31,675 --> 00:28:34,155 Speaker 1: in half a dozen films, Jack Lemon, and my dear 407 00:28:34,235 --> 00:28:37,315 Speaker 1: friend Norman Lloyd, the one man history of Hollywood, who 408 00:28:37,315 --> 00:28:38,995 Speaker 1: he lost in twenty twenty one at the age of 409 00:28:38,995 --> 00:28:43,795 Speaker 1: one hundred and six. Norman loved Walter, and Norman loved 410 00:28:43,835 --> 00:28:46,875 Speaker 1: talking about Walter, and there was an amazing amount of 411 00:28:46,875 --> 00:28:50,235 Speaker 1: things to talk about about Walter. Norman told me that 412 00:28:50,315 --> 00:28:53,315 Speaker 1: on the last of the Grumpy Old Men movies that 413 00:28:53,395 --> 00:28:55,355 Speaker 1: he and Lemon made together, I think it was called 414 00:28:55,635 --> 00:28:59,275 Speaker 1: Grumpy Old Men were doing this for the money. Mathou 415 00:28:59,395 --> 00:29:01,755 Speaker 1: wanted to wrap up one day of shooting quickly. He 416 00:29:01,795 --> 00:29:04,035 Speaker 1: was scheduled to film a scene in a water slide 417 00:29:04,035 --> 00:29:06,315 Speaker 1: made up to look like a sewer through which his 418 00:29:06,395 --> 00:29:09,995 Speaker 1: character was escaping. As the lunch break was called, he 419 00:29:10,035 --> 00:29:12,435 Speaker 1: said to Lemon, come on, Jack, let's go rehost the 420 00:29:12,475 --> 00:29:14,715 Speaker 1: water slide thing. This way. We can do it in 421 00:29:14,715 --> 00:29:17,795 Speaker 1: one take. Get the hell out of here anyway. Don't 422 00:29:17,795 --> 00:29:19,395 Speaker 1: you have to wait an hour after eating before you 423 00:29:19,395 --> 00:29:23,235 Speaker 1: can shoot through a sewer? They went to the sewer 424 00:29:23,355 --> 00:29:26,275 Speaker 1: water slide set. Walter Mathou grabbed the raft he was 425 00:29:26,275 --> 00:29:28,955 Speaker 1: supposed to ride, and he jumped in. As he went 426 00:29:28,955 --> 00:29:31,075 Speaker 1: through it, he studied all the corners and where the 427 00:29:31,115 --> 00:29:33,675 Speaker 1: cameras would be, so he knew where to make his faces. 428 00:29:34,555 --> 00:29:36,595 Speaker 1: And seconds later he was shooting out the far end 429 00:29:36,595 --> 00:29:39,035 Speaker 1: of the water slide onto the giant inflatable twelve foot 430 00:29:39,035 --> 00:29:42,515 Speaker 1: square air mattress placed there to break his fall, or 431 00:29:42,555 --> 00:29:44,995 Speaker 1: he would have been doing that except it was lunch 432 00:29:45,435 --> 00:29:48,555 Speaker 1: and the teamsters had deflated the mattress then moved it 433 00:29:48,635 --> 00:29:52,035 Speaker 1: away because the set was on lunch break. So Walter Mathow, 434 00:29:52,075 --> 00:29:54,395 Speaker 1: then seventy three years old, came flying out of the 435 00:29:54,395 --> 00:29:59,835 Speaker 1: water slide onto the pavement. He broke his collar bone, 436 00:30:00,515 --> 00:30:02,795 Speaker 1: which is just about as painful a thing as you 437 00:30:02,875 --> 00:30:07,995 Speaker 1: can break. No, Walter Mathou screamed. Jack Lemon raced over 438 00:30:08,035 --> 00:30:10,195 Speaker 1: to him. Walter, Walter, are you all right? No? Not? 439 00:30:10,395 --> 00:30:15,755 Speaker 1: Jack called nine one oh oh? Lemon panicked, Can I 440 00:30:15,755 --> 00:30:18,635 Speaker 1: help you, Walter? Can I Can I get you something? Walter? Yes, Jack, 441 00:30:18,715 --> 00:30:23,795 Speaker 1: get me nine one one oh oh. Lemon continued to panic, 442 00:30:24,475 --> 00:30:28,075 Speaker 1: But until they come. Are you okay, Walter? Are you comfortable? 443 00:30:29,275 --> 00:30:32,315 Speaker 1: Walter Mathou was in sheer agony, but he realized through 444 00:30:32,355 --> 00:30:35,515 Speaker 1: the fog of pain, that one of the oldest jokes 445 00:30:35,515 --> 00:30:39,355 Speaker 1: in show business was actually happening to him. Finally, in 446 00:30:39,475 --> 00:30:48,715 Speaker 1: real life, Am I comfortable? I make a nice living? Jack? Oh? Oh? 447 00:30:49,075 --> 00:30:51,395 Speaker 1: My friend Norman Lloyd used to go hiking with Walter 448 00:30:51,475 --> 00:30:53,315 Speaker 1: Mathou in the Hollywood Hills, and he told me that 449 00:30:53,355 --> 00:30:56,835 Speaker 1: one day Walter was unusually quiet. The two had gone 450 00:30:56,875 --> 00:30:59,995 Speaker 1: a mile or so when Mathou suddenly stopped and grabbed 451 00:31:00,035 --> 00:31:03,195 Speaker 1: Norman by the arm. NORMI did you know at the 452 00:31:03,355 --> 00:31:07,035 Speaker 1: end Beetho and was so deaf he thought he was painting. 453 00:31:08,115 --> 00:31:10,755 Speaker 1: Norman smiled, snorted, and started to say that it was 454 00:31:10,795 --> 00:31:13,835 Speaker 1: the dumbest thing he'd ever heard. But halfway through norman sentence, 455 00:31:13,875 --> 00:31:16,635 Speaker 1: Matthou had already turned away from him and was back 456 00:31:16,715 --> 00:31:21,315 Speaker 1: walking again. Another mile passed in silence, and now Matthou 457 00:31:21,395 --> 00:31:23,955 Speaker 1: slowed down and faced his friend Norman. This is important. 458 00:31:23,995 --> 00:31:27,035 Speaker 1: I have something to tell you, Norman said. His heart skipped. 459 00:31:27,035 --> 00:31:29,515 Speaker 1: He thought there was something wrong. What is it, Walter? 460 00:31:30,635 --> 00:31:32,755 Speaker 1: Did you know at the end Beethoven was so deaf 461 00:31:32,795 --> 00:31:36,675 Speaker 1: he thought he was painting? Now Norman just shook his head. 462 00:31:37,515 --> 00:31:40,115 Speaker 1: As they completed their five mile hike through the hills, 463 00:31:40,155 --> 00:31:44,075 Speaker 1: Mathou stopped roughly once every mile and repeated the same line. 464 00:31:44,795 --> 00:31:46,795 Speaker 1: Did you know at the end Beethoven was so deaf 465 00:31:46,835 --> 00:31:50,835 Speaker 1: he thought he was painting? Norman told me. It totally 466 00:31:50,955 --> 00:31:53,795 Speaker 1: unnerved me. When we got back to where we parked 467 00:31:53,835 --> 00:31:56,315 Speaker 1: our cars, I felt like I had to avenge myself somehow, 468 00:31:56,355 --> 00:31:59,275 Speaker 1: so I blurted out to him, Walter, did you know 469 00:31:59,395 --> 00:32:02,235 Speaker 1: at the end Beethoven was so deaf he thought he 470 00:32:02,275 --> 00:32:07,435 Speaker 1: was painting, Norman said. Mathow looked at him, screwing his 471 00:32:07,555 --> 00:32:10,995 Speaker 1: great craggy face into a resentful sneer as he did, 472 00:32:12,075 --> 00:32:14,915 Speaker 1: what the hell are you talking about? Thought he was painting. 473 00:32:14,955 --> 00:32:19,595 Speaker 1: That's the dumbest thing I ever heard, as I said. 474 00:32:19,595 --> 00:32:21,955 Speaker 1: I met Walter Mathow once when I was a local 475 00:32:21,955 --> 00:32:24,635 Speaker 1: sportscaster in Los Angeles. I was invited to host a 476 00:32:24,715 --> 00:32:28,755 Speaker 1: charity event at the Hollywood Park racetrack. I ordinarily did 477 00:32:28,795 --> 00:32:31,755 Speaker 1: not do these things because to do them I would 478 00:32:31,755 --> 00:32:35,835 Speaker 1: have to take the day off. But when the organizer said, oh, 479 00:32:36,075 --> 00:32:39,555 Speaker 1: and Walter Mathow will be there, I just asked for directions. 480 00:32:40,635 --> 00:32:42,875 Speaker 1: First time I had ever imagined what it was like 481 00:32:43,035 --> 00:32:46,475 Speaker 1: to be a sportswriter or to be a sports broadcaster. 482 00:32:46,835 --> 00:32:48,675 Speaker 1: It was when I was nine years old and I 483 00:32:48,715 --> 00:32:52,555 Speaker 1: saw Walter Mathou portray Oscar Madison in the movie The 484 00:32:52,635 --> 00:32:55,235 Speaker 1: Odd Couple. It was exactly what I wanted to be 485 00:32:55,715 --> 00:32:58,835 Speaker 1: and where I wanted to live and how I wanted 486 00:32:58,875 --> 00:33:02,395 Speaker 1: to eat. And I wanted to get a chance to 487 00:33:02,395 --> 00:33:06,635 Speaker 1: tell him that. So at the charity dinner, I screwed 488 00:33:06,715 --> 00:33:09,555 Speaker 1: up my courage. I introduced myself. I told him all that, 489 00:33:09,635 --> 00:33:13,675 Speaker 1: and he replied, I hate you. I was so crushed 490 00:33:13,795 --> 00:33:19,355 Speaker 1: I almost passed out, and clearly Walter Mathou recognized this. No, no, no, 491 00:33:19,395 --> 00:33:21,515 Speaker 1: I don't hate your work. I watch you every night 492 00:33:21,515 --> 00:33:24,635 Speaker 1: on Channel two Action News, you and Jim Lampley and 493 00:33:24,715 --> 00:33:27,915 Speaker 1: Brie Lampley and Jim Lampley. But I hate the fact 494 00:33:27,915 --> 00:33:29,915 Speaker 1: that you don't have an accent of any kind. Where 495 00:33:29,955 --> 00:33:34,755 Speaker 1: are you raised? Iowa? I did not know where this 496 00:33:34,835 --> 00:33:37,995 Speaker 1: conversation was going. I said, I was from the Bronx. Originally, 497 00:33:38,235 --> 00:33:41,915 Speaker 1: it's not right, I'm from Brooklyn. Could you tell the 498 00:33:41,955 --> 00:33:43,875 Speaker 1: hell kind of speech teacher? Did you have? Yet? You 499 00:33:43,915 --> 00:33:46,955 Speaker 1: sound like Iowa? I explained, my father had said that 500 00:33:46,995 --> 00:33:48,795 Speaker 1: if I wanted to go into broadcasting. I could not 501 00:33:48,955 --> 00:33:52,355 Speaker 1: talk quote like the rest of us. Walter looked away 502 00:33:52,355 --> 00:33:54,675 Speaker 1: from me and then back, and he said, very wise words. 503 00:33:54,795 --> 00:33:59,755 Speaker 1: Your father was a speech teacher. No, I said, architect. 504 00:34:00,835 --> 00:34:03,395 Speaker 1: His eyes flared. How in the hell does that work? 505 00:34:04,675 --> 00:34:07,075 Speaker 1: I started to explain, when it suddenly dawned on me 506 00:34:07,115 --> 00:34:09,875 Speaker 1: that we were discussing this only because he said he 507 00:34:10,035 --> 00:34:12,635 Speaker 1: hated the fact that I did not have an accent. 508 00:34:14,035 --> 00:34:17,355 Speaker 1: I asked him, why, no accent means I can't do 509 00:34:17,355 --> 00:34:22,875 Speaker 1: an impression of you. Well, this caused me to pause. Impressions. 510 00:34:24,155 --> 00:34:28,875 Speaker 1: This is nineteen ninety one. In nineteen ninety one, Walter 511 00:34:28,995 --> 00:34:32,595 Speaker 1: Mathou was one of the top five most impersonated voices 512 00:34:32,955 --> 00:34:38,595 Speaker 1: in America. Anybody who did impressions, good or bad, professional 513 00:34:38,715 --> 00:34:43,235 Speaker 1: or amateur. Anybody did a Walter math Ow You did 514 00:34:43,275 --> 00:34:47,395 Speaker 1: your Sammy Davis, you're Howard Cosell. You're Walter Mathou. Wait. 515 00:34:47,875 --> 00:34:53,275 Speaker 1: I said to him, you do impressions of sportscasters, Yes, 516 00:34:53,715 --> 00:34:57,515 Speaker 1: he said, proudly. Would you like to hear him? I said, 517 00:34:57,635 --> 00:35:01,515 Speaker 1: I'll pay cash. I don't normally do these, but seeing 518 00:35:01,555 --> 00:35:04,235 Speaker 1: you are in the business, I will just for you. 519 00:35:04,995 --> 00:35:08,115 Speaker 1: I practice these a lot. By the way, twenty years later, 520 00:35:08,195 --> 00:35:13,875 Speaker 1: Norman Lloyd confirmed for me math Ou did do sportscaster impressions. 521 00:35:13,915 --> 00:35:16,235 Speaker 1: He did practice them a lot. This was not some 522 00:35:16,235 --> 00:35:20,515 Speaker 1: sort of bit. Now back in nineteen ninety one, math 523 00:35:20,515 --> 00:35:23,555 Speaker 1: Ou cleared his throat, he shook his shoulders. Let's start 524 00:35:23,595 --> 00:35:28,915 Speaker 1: with the best, and it sounds something like this, Hello, everybody, 525 00:35:28,955 --> 00:35:31,435 Speaker 1: this is Vin Scully at Dodger Stadium. What do you think? 526 00:35:32,595 --> 00:35:37,395 Speaker 1: It sounded exactly like Walter Mathou. Didn't sound like Vince Scully. 527 00:35:37,955 --> 00:35:40,715 Speaker 1: It didn't even sound like a bad impression of Vince Scully. 528 00:35:41,915 --> 00:35:43,955 Speaker 1: It didn't even sound like a bad impression of Walter 529 00:35:44,075 --> 00:35:46,475 Speaker 1: math Out. It was it was just Walter math Out talking. 530 00:35:47,635 --> 00:35:52,355 Speaker 1: Thinking quickly, I said, uncanny, mister math Ou, thank you. 531 00:35:52,435 --> 00:35:54,955 Speaker 1: I work on Vinnie especially odd. He's my favorite. Now 532 00:35:54,995 --> 00:35:56,955 Speaker 1: the big mouth. Hello again, this is Howard co Sell 533 00:35:56,995 --> 00:35:59,155 Speaker 1: at ringside. About that one. I think I got most 534 00:35:59,195 --> 00:36:03,795 Speaker 1: of the inflection. Goodness, mister Mathou. It's like he's in 535 00:36:03,835 --> 00:36:07,275 Speaker 1: the room with us. This went on for many minutes. 536 00:36:07,675 --> 00:36:13,835 Speaker 1: Kurt Goudie, Chickherne Al Michaels, several local LA radio announcers. 537 00:36:14,235 --> 00:36:16,995 Speaker 1: I cursed myself for not having brought a tape recorder 538 00:36:16,995 --> 00:36:20,755 Speaker 1: with me. Walter Mathou did impressions of sportscasters and they 539 00:36:20,755 --> 00:36:25,835 Speaker 1: were all terrible, but he said he couldn't do one 540 00:36:25,835 --> 00:36:29,275 Speaker 1: of me because I had no accent. I was complimented 541 00:36:29,515 --> 00:36:33,835 Speaker 1: and crushed. After a very nice event, saluting his friend 542 00:36:33,835 --> 00:36:36,155 Speaker 1: and neighbor in the front row seats at the Laker Games, 543 00:36:36,435 --> 00:36:39,715 Speaker 1: doctor Robert Curlin, we called it an evening, and as 544 00:36:39,715 --> 00:36:42,195 Speaker 1: everybody got up to leave, I asked Walter Mathow to 545 00:36:42,275 --> 00:36:45,595 Speaker 1: autograph my program from the dinner my pleasure. He said, 546 00:36:46,235 --> 00:36:48,755 Speaker 1: nice work tonight, but I still don't get how you father, 547 00:36:48,795 --> 00:36:51,235 Speaker 1: the architect was also a speech teacher, but never mind. 548 00:36:52,435 --> 00:37:00,275 Speaker 1: In the program, he wrote this, listen, Keith quit kidding around. No, don't, 549 00:37:01,035 --> 00:37:06,155 Speaker 1: Walter Mathou. It was lovely. And then he did something 550 00:37:06,195 --> 00:37:08,755 Speaker 1: that took my breath away, something I have tried to 551 00:37:08,795 --> 00:37:13,755 Speaker 1: do anytime circumstances permitted me to. He picked up his program, 552 00:37:14,435 --> 00:37:18,355 Speaker 1: he handed it to me and he said, now you 553 00:37:19,115 --> 00:37:26,155 Speaker 1: signed mine. Can you believe that I only met him 554 00:37:26,195 --> 00:37:29,275 Speaker 1: the one time, but that gesture stayed with me to 555 00:37:29,355 --> 00:37:34,395 Speaker 1: such a degree that this happened nine years later. I 556 00:37:34,435 --> 00:37:36,195 Speaker 1: woke up at the crack of dawn to go host 557 00:37:36,195 --> 00:37:38,395 Speaker 1: the baseball game of the week at Fox Studios in 558 00:37:38,515 --> 00:37:42,515 Speaker 1: LA It was Saturday morning, July first, two thousand. It 559 00:37:42,595 --> 00:37:46,675 Speaker 1: was nine years and about two weeks after I met 560 00:37:46,715 --> 00:37:51,115 Speaker 1: Walter Mathou and on the all news radio station. There 561 00:37:51,155 --> 00:37:55,475 Speaker 1: was one big story that morning in Los Angeles. Overnight 562 00:37:55,555 --> 00:37:59,955 Speaker 1: the great actor Walter Mathou had died heart attack, aged 563 00:38:00,155 --> 00:38:19,475 Speaker 1: seventy nine. I burst into tears. Thank you for listening. 564 00:38:20,155 --> 00:38:22,155 Speaker 1: Countdown has come to you from the studios of the 565 00:38:22,155 --> 00:38:26,475 Speaker 1: Olderman Broadcasting Empire, high atop its headquarters in the Sports 566 00:38:26,555 --> 00:38:31,395 Speaker 1: Capsule Building here in New York. Here are the credits. 567 00:38:31,515 --> 00:38:33,915 Speaker 1: Most of the music was arranged, produced and performed by 568 00:38:33,915 --> 00:38:36,435 Speaker 1: Brian Ray and John Philip Chanelle, who are the Countdown 569 00:38:36,555 --> 00:38:40,275 Speaker 1: musical directors. Produced by t Ko Brothers. All orchestration and 570 00:38:40,355 --> 00:38:44,075 Speaker 1: keyboards by John Philip Chanelle, guitarist, bass and drums by 571 00:38:44,075 --> 00:38:47,915 Speaker 1: Brian Ray. Other Beethoven selections have been arranged and performed 572 00:38:47,955 --> 00:38:51,755 Speaker 1: by No Horns allowed. The sports music is the Alderman 573 00:38:51,875 --> 00:38:54,035 Speaker 1: theme from me ESPN two, and it was written by 574 00:38:54,075 --> 00:38:58,195 Speaker 1: Mitch Warren Davis courtesy of ESPN, Inc. Musical comments by 575 00:38:58,275 --> 00:39:01,915 Speaker 1: Nancy Faust, the best baseball stadium organist ever. Our announcer 576 00:39:01,955 --> 00:39:05,395 Speaker 1: today was Larry David. Everything else was pretty much my fault. 577 00:39:05,875 --> 00:39:08,035 Speaker 1: So let's countdown for this, the seven hundred and eighty 578 00:39:08,075 --> 00:39:11,595 Speaker 1: sixth day since Donald Trump's first attempted coup against the 579 00:39:11,635 --> 00:39:15,235 Speaker 1: democratically elected government of the United States. Arrest him now 580 00:39:15,875 --> 00:39:19,835 Speaker 1: while we still can. The next scheduled countdown is tomorrow. 581 00:39:19,915 --> 00:39:22,795 Speaker 1: Until then, I'm Keith Olderman. Good morning, good afternoon, good night, 582 00:39:23,475 --> 00:39:45,115 Speaker 1: and good luck. Countdown with Keith Olderman is a production 583 00:39:45,235 --> 00:39:50,555 Speaker 1: of iHeartRadio. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, 584 00:39:50,635 --> 00:39:53,995 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.