1 00:00:04,795 --> 00:00:21,755 Speaker 1: Countdown with Keith Olderman is a production of iHeartRadio. The 2 00:00:21,915 --> 00:00:26,235 Speaker 1: Washington Post's choice of its headline was the Mari Lago 3 00:00:26,315 --> 00:00:29,555 Speaker 1: workers moving boxes full of classified documents the day before 4 00:00:29,595 --> 00:00:32,715 Speaker 1: the Justice Department stopped by to pick up what it 5 00:00:32,795 --> 00:00:36,715 Speaker 1: had subpoened. But that's not the actual headline in the 6 00:00:36,795 --> 00:00:39,835 Speaker 1: Washington Post story. And the actual headline in the Washington 7 00:00:39,835 --> 00:00:43,315 Speaker 1: Post story is really startling. It could be the biggest 8 00:00:43,435 --> 00:00:47,595 Speaker 1: in this week long festival of leaks, this waterfall of 9 00:00:47,715 --> 00:00:52,355 Speaker 1: sources say Jack Smith is doing this because this leak, 10 00:00:52,395 --> 00:00:54,395 Speaker 1: the one the Post did not think was the headline, 11 00:00:54,435 --> 00:00:58,235 Speaker 1: suggests the Special Council is going to charge Donald Trump 12 00:00:58,315 --> 00:01:04,555 Speaker 1: not just with obstruction, but with espionage. Quote. Prosecutors have 13 00:01:04,795 --> 00:01:09,635 Speaker 1: gathered evidence indicating that Trump at times kept classified documents 14 00:01:09,715 --> 00:01:13,035 Speaker 1: in his office in a place where they were visible, 15 00:01:13,275 --> 00:01:16,795 Speaker 1: and sometimes showed them to others. They have been told 16 00:01:16,795 --> 00:01:19,355 Speaker 1: by more than one witness that Trump at times kept 17 00:01:19,395 --> 00:01:23,395 Speaker 1: classified documents out in the open in his Florida office 18 00:01:23,755 --> 00:01:27,515 Speaker 1: where others could see them, and sometimes showed them to people, 19 00:01:27,675 --> 00:01:33,235 Speaker 1: including aids and visitors. Un quote. So that is literally 20 00:01:33,995 --> 00:01:39,675 Speaker 1: textbook espionage ten years or fine or both, per count 21 00:01:40,515 --> 00:01:44,715 Speaker 1: eighteen US Code seven ninety three gathering, transmitting, or losing 22 00:01:45,115 --> 00:01:50,275 Speaker 1: defense information Paragraph e. Keeping classified documents is one thing. 23 00:01:50,315 --> 00:01:54,795 Speaker 1: But having unauthorized possession of any document relating to the 24 00:01:54,875 --> 00:01:59,395 Speaker 1: national defense and then willfully communicates, delivers, transmits, or causes 25 00:01:59,435 --> 00:02:02,875 Speaker 1: to be communicated to any person not entitled to receive it. 26 00:02:03,875 --> 00:02:09,115 Speaker 1: That is the point the transmission, the communication, That is 27 00:02:09,155 --> 00:02:12,515 Speaker 1: the point at which the option not to prosecute for 28 00:02:12,755 --> 00:02:19,195 Speaker 1: espionage has typically ended. Now, Trump keeping classified documents in 29 00:02:19,235 --> 00:02:22,035 Speaker 1: his office and showing them to people including aids and 30 00:02:22,195 --> 00:02:27,395 Speaker 1: visitors and Mary Lago newlyweds and golfers and passers by 31 00:02:27,515 --> 00:02:31,235 Speaker 1: and lord knows who else, is thus way more egregious. 32 00:02:32,075 --> 00:02:34,035 Speaker 1: But as I have mentioned before, it also comes with 33 00:02:34,075 --> 00:02:40,755 Speaker 1: a complication. Trump has satisfactorily fuzzed up this declassification idea 34 00:02:40,915 --> 00:02:43,475 Speaker 1: that he could conceivably get away with it by quoting 35 00:02:43,515 --> 00:02:47,275 Speaker 1: that first part in that statute about unauthorized possession, and 36 00:02:47,275 --> 00:02:52,075 Speaker 1: it says, no, I granted myself authorized possession, and it's 37 00:02:52,115 --> 00:02:55,995 Speaker 1: nonsensical but stuck under the nose of the correct judge, 38 00:02:56,035 --> 00:02:59,875 Speaker 1: like one he himself appointed, and the espionage stuff could 39 00:02:59,955 --> 00:03:03,675 Speaker 1: disappear from the counts. The rest of what is in 40 00:03:03,715 --> 00:03:06,635 Speaker 1: the Washington Post report is about the much more straightforward 41 00:03:06,715 --> 00:03:09,315 Speaker 1: charges that a different part of the piece implies are 42 00:03:09,395 --> 00:03:13,475 Speaker 1: clearly happening soon. And I'll get to that clearly happening 43 00:03:13,595 --> 00:03:17,195 Speaker 1: soon part in a minute. The Post reports boxes were 44 00:03:17,235 --> 00:03:19,995 Speaker 1: moved by marri Lago staffers under the guidance of the 45 00:03:20,355 --> 00:03:23,595 Speaker 1: valet Walt Nahouda, which we knew. It's been reported for months. 46 00:03:23,635 --> 00:03:26,675 Speaker 1: It's what's on the security video, some of which may 47 00:03:26,675 --> 00:03:29,515 Speaker 1: have been deleted from the security video. The Post also 48 00:03:29,555 --> 00:03:32,635 Speaker 1: has the colorful anecdote that Trump had a dress rehearsal 49 00:03:32,715 --> 00:03:35,715 Speaker 1: for moving these boxes even before the subpoena got there. 50 00:03:36,195 --> 00:03:38,195 Speaker 1: The Post has the lawyer for one of the Naouda 51 00:03:38,315 --> 00:03:42,515 Speaker 1: cruz saying his client was loading boxes onto an suv 52 00:03:42,635 --> 00:03:45,955 Speaker 1: a year ago next Saturday. And they've been showing video 53 00:03:46,035 --> 00:03:49,355 Speaker 1: of that since literally last summer. Remember the suv parked 54 00:03:49,355 --> 00:03:52,995 Speaker 1: next to the private jet with bankers boxes being loaded 55 00:03:52,995 --> 00:03:55,835 Speaker 1: from the car to the plane bound for Trump's golf 56 00:03:55,875 --> 00:03:59,435 Speaker 1: course and cemetery in Bedminster, New Jersey, a year ago 57 00:03:59,475 --> 00:04:02,915 Speaker 1: next Saturday. And don't forget it, Bedminster. If your ball 58 00:04:02,995 --> 00:04:06,715 Speaker 1: gets stuck in soft ground near the t do not 59 00:04:06,995 --> 00:04:09,355 Speaker 1: reach into the ground. Do not reach into the ground 60 00:04:09,395 --> 00:04:12,235 Speaker 1: at Bedminster at the first hole. What you never saw 61 00:04:12,235 --> 00:04:17,875 Speaker 1: the movie Carrie wandered off again. Sorry. All of that 62 00:04:17,915 --> 00:04:21,475 Speaker 1: stuff goes to willful retention of those documents, especially the 63 00:04:21,555 --> 00:04:25,195 Speaker 1: idea of a rehearsal for hiding the boxes, and it 64 00:04:25,315 --> 00:04:30,835 Speaker 1: again renders actual classified status irrelevant, because obstruction of justice 65 00:04:30,915 --> 00:04:34,115 Speaker 1: is still obstruction of justice. If the government has subpoened 66 00:04:34,155 --> 00:04:35,875 Speaker 1: the documents and you say you are going to give 67 00:04:35,875 --> 00:04:37,675 Speaker 1: them the documents, and you say you are giving them 68 00:04:37,715 --> 00:04:39,435 Speaker 1: the documents, and then you say you have given them 69 00:04:39,435 --> 00:04:42,435 Speaker 1: the documents, then it turns out, no, you deliberately hid 70 00:04:42,475 --> 00:04:44,955 Speaker 1: some of the documents and the government does not have them, 71 00:04:45,395 --> 00:04:48,355 Speaker 1: and no, by the way, practiced hiding them. At that point, 72 00:04:48,395 --> 00:04:50,915 Speaker 1: it doesn't matter what the documents are. They don't have 73 00:04:50,955 --> 00:04:52,955 Speaker 1: to be classified. They could be old scripts of the 74 00:04:52,955 --> 00:04:58,675 Speaker 1: Countdown podcast. There were two other items in the post 75 00:04:58,795 --> 00:05:01,435 Speaker 1: report that you can think about over the holiday weekend, 76 00:05:01,475 --> 00:05:06,515 Speaker 1: because they imply his judgment cometh and that rights quote. 77 00:05:07,395 --> 00:05:10,315 Speaker 1: The grand jury working on the investigation apparently has not 78 00:05:10,435 --> 00:05:14,715 Speaker 1: met since May five, after months of frenetic activity at 79 00:05:14,755 --> 00:05:18,395 Speaker 1: the federal courthouse in Washington, which can only mean Smith 80 00:05:18,475 --> 00:05:22,635 Speaker 1: is a already done, or B he's about to be done, 81 00:05:23,115 --> 00:05:27,115 Speaker 1: or C he has another grand jury elsewhere collecting some 82 00:05:27,315 --> 00:05:31,115 Speaker 1: final evidence. And then there's the quote that suggests the 83 00:05:31,115 --> 00:05:36,435 Speaker 1: correct answer is a he's done quote. People familiar with 84 00:05:36,475 --> 00:05:40,595 Speaker 1: the situation said, Smith's team believes it has uncovered a 85 00:05:40,715 --> 00:05:47,515 Speaker 1: handful of distinct episodes of obstructionist conduct. For that to 86 00:05:47,555 --> 00:05:50,795 Speaker 1: be correct, it requires that Smith's team has everything it 87 00:05:50,875 --> 00:05:55,755 Speaker 1: needs to conclude anything. If Smith's team believes it has 88 00:05:55,795 --> 00:06:00,435 Speaker 1: found multiple distinct episodes of obstructionist conduct, and if Smith's 89 00:06:00,435 --> 00:06:03,035 Speaker 1: team has shared this with anybody like whoever then shared 90 00:06:03,075 --> 00:06:06,835 Speaker 1: it with the Washington Post, it means they've got indictments ready. 91 00:06:08,395 --> 00:06:12,835 Speaker 1: I know, I know, MDS Mullard derangement syndrome. I know, 92 00:06:13,395 --> 00:06:22,555 Speaker 1: I know, I know. So Also a little more on 93 00:06:22,715 --> 00:06:27,035 Speaker 1: Ron DeSantis and that wonderful unplanned moment of silence for 94 00:06:27,155 --> 00:06:31,795 Speaker 1: his presidential campaign during his presidential campaign announcement on whatever 95 00:06:31,875 --> 00:06:35,555 Speaker 1: is left of the website formerly known as Twitter. The 96 00:06:35,675 --> 00:06:39,835 Speaker 1: website platformer has the technical explanation. It is not, in 97 00:06:39,835 --> 00:06:44,315 Speaker 1: fact a technical explanation. It is an explanation of cheapness. Quote. 98 00:06:44,835 --> 00:06:47,995 Speaker 1: Perhaps the most important thing to know about Space's technical 99 00:06:48,075 --> 00:06:52,555 Speaker 1: problems over the past several months. Musk cut the space's team, 100 00:06:52,555 --> 00:06:55,595 Speaker 1: which once numbered as many as one hundred employees, down 101 00:06:55,635 --> 00:07:02,955 Speaker 1: to roughly three people. Three people. Wait, there's more quote. 102 00:07:03,035 --> 00:07:07,915 Speaker 1: Musk's own Twitter app crashed repeatedly during the event. We're told, 103 00:07:09,035 --> 00:07:13,475 Speaker 1: nice work, Elmo, and it turns out there have been 104 00:07:13,515 --> 00:07:17,835 Speaker 1: two other ron de glitches. As Axios reported the promotional 105 00:07:17,915 --> 00:07:20,835 Speaker 1: video for the campaign launch, you couldn't hear on Twitter 106 00:07:20,875 --> 00:07:24,635 Speaker 1: spaces it was, as we say in the business sweetened 107 00:07:25,675 --> 00:07:29,155 Speaker 1: the pack never back Down took a speech by DeSantis 108 00:07:29,235 --> 00:07:33,315 Speaker 1: in Fort Saint Lucie, Florida, on November fifth, twenty twenty two, 109 00:07:33,435 --> 00:07:36,955 Speaker 1: a speech which was not during a military flyover, and 110 00:07:37,075 --> 00:07:40,915 Speaker 1: it used AI to add in fighter jets in the 111 00:07:40,955 --> 00:07:47,075 Speaker 1: sky over DeSantis's shoulder and also the woosh they made. 112 00:07:47,275 --> 00:07:51,235 Speaker 1: Then last night, DeSantis resumed his TV tour his we 113 00:07:51,275 --> 00:07:54,155 Speaker 1: should watch things are going so badly, maybe a studio 114 00:07:54,235 --> 00:07:57,115 Speaker 1: light will fall on him TV tour. He went on 115 00:07:57,155 --> 00:08:00,955 Speaker 1: the Eric Bowling Show on Newsmax. Yes that's the one 116 00:08:00,995 --> 00:08:04,475 Speaker 1: that's been beating Anderson Cooper. In the ratings and mid interview, 117 00:08:04,995 --> 00:08:10,715 Speaker 1: the split screen of Bowling and DeSantis froze, but the 118 00:08:10,795 --> 00:08:15,355 Speaker 1: audio continued, So you saw Bowling eyes almost completely closed, 119 00:08:15,635 --> 00:08:19,075 Speaker 1: looking stoned, in other words, looking like he always does. 120 00:08:19,715 --> 00:08:24,955 Speaker 1: And DeSantis eyebrows locked in the upright position, and shoulders 121 00:08:25,075 --> 00:08:27,435 Speaker 1: hunched and frozen in a way that made him look 122 00:08:27,515 --> 00:08:31,675 Speaker 1: shorter than he even is. All the time DeSantis kept 123 00:08:31,675 --> 00:08:37,155 Speaker 1: talking without moving his mouth. I mean, at some point 124 00:08:37,235 --> 00:08:38,915 Speaker 1: you may want to look into whether or not all 125 00:08:38,955 --> 00:08:47,155 Speaker 1: these things are signs Ronda and Elmer Stewart. Rhodes will 126 00:08:47,195 --> 00:08:50,595 Speaker 1: go to jail insisting he is a political prisoner, and 127 00:08:50,715 --> 00:08:53,715 Speaker 1: guess what he's not. And the judge who sentenced him 128 00:08:53,795 --> 00:08:57,395 Speaker 1: yesterday said, plain of day, he's not. Judge amit Meta 129 00:08:57,595 --> 00:09:00,715 Speaker 1: sentenced the founder of the Oathkeepers to eighteen years in 130 00:09:00,755 --> 00:09:03,675 Speaker 1: prison for his role in January sixth, and he sentenced 131 00:09:03,755 --> 00:09:06,515 Speaker 1: Kelly Meg's of the Oath Keepers to twelve years. And 132 00:09:06,595 --> 00:09:08,835 Speaker 1: after Rhodes then went off in one of his angry 133 00:09:08,915 --> 00:09:12,355 Speaker 1: rationalizations about saving the country, Judge made us silenced roads 134 00:09:12,555 --> 00:09:16,115 Speaker 1: and per reporters on the scene silenced the courtroom itself 135 00:09:16,155 --> 00:09:19,715 Speaker 1: when he then said, we all now hold our collective breaths. 136 00:09:19,755 --> 00:09:24,035 Speaker 1: With an election approaching, will we have another January sixth? 137 00:09:25,635 --> 00:09:30,115 Speaker 1: Somebody gets it all this you probably already knew. What 138 00:09:30,195 --> 00:09:34,355 Speaker 1: you may not know was uncovered by David Kurtz of TPM, 139 00:09:34,675 --> 00:09:37,635 Speaker 1: who decided to examine his website's archives to see if 140 00:09:37,635 --> 00:09:39,915 Speaker 1: his memory was correct and that they had been covering 141 00:09:39,995 --> 00:09:44,915 Speaker 1: roads for years, long before he descended into vigilantism and 142 00:09:44,955 --> 00:09:48,875 Speaker 1: delusions of grandeur and sedition. Rhodes was once a Ron 143 00:09:48,995 --> 00:09:52,395 Speaker 1: Paul staffer. He was at Yale Law. He started the 144 00:09:52,435 --> 00:09:55,675 Speaker 1: oath Keepers in two thousand and nine and within months, 145 00:09:55,995 --> 00:10:00,435 Speaker 1: literally on February nineteenth, twenty ten, in a suit and 146 00:10:00,475 --> 00:10:04,315 Speaker 1: a tie, and before he allegedly lost an eye after 147 00:10:04,395 --> 00:10:06,555 Speaker 1: drop his gun while he was serving as a gun 148 00:10:06,675 --> 00:10:13,475 Speaker 1: safety instructor. He got his first national exposure, the first 149 00:10:13,595 --> 00:10:17,835 Speaker 1: national television hit for Stuart Rose, his first step down 150 00:10:17,875 --> 00:10:21,595 Speaker 1: the public path to eighteen years in prison for sedition 151 00:10:22,595 --> 00:10:26,915 Speaker 1: and who platformed him first? Where was Stuart Rhoad's first 152 00:10:27,315 --> 00:10:35,155 Speaker 1: national TV Oathkeepers interview? It was on Fox News with 153 00:10:35,275 --> 00:10:44,675 Speaker 1: Bill O'Reilly, I told you so, all right, let me 154 00:10:44,755 --> 00:10:49,715 Speaker 1: leave you laughing Trump Junior trying to insult DeSantis but 155 00:10:50,115 --> 00:10:53,595 Speaker 1: instead swapping his own father's name for DeSantis and winding 156 00:10:53,675 --> 00:10:58,635 Speaker 1: up insulting Dad Check and Dad thinking as he's talking 157 00:10:58,675 --> 00:11:01,395 Speaker 1: about Jack Smith that the upcoming vote is the twenty 158 00:11:01,475 --> 00:11:06,395 Speaker 1: twenty election. Check policy, grounds or personality. Trump has the 159 00:11:06,475 --> 00:11:12,395 Speaker 1: charisma of a mortician and the energy that makes Jack Smith. 160 00:11:12,915 --> 00:11:17,755 Speaker 1: He's a harasser and an abuser of our people. In 161 00:11:17,875 --> 00:11:22,395 Speaker 1: order to obstruct and interfere with the twenty twenty presidential election, 162 00:11:22,515 --> 00:11:27,155 Speaker 1: that's why they're doing it. Geniuses, father and son. So 163 00:11:27,275 --> 00:11:29,715 Speaker 1: it's Memorial Day weekend, and I will have a podcast 164 00:11:29,755 --> 00:11:31,235 Speaker 1: for you on Monday, and I'm not sure if it 165 00:11:31,275 --> 00:11:33,995 Speaker 1: will be new or old or half and half because 166 00:11:34,035 --> 00:11:37,155 Speaker 1: we have all kinds of possible breaking news. Although I 167 00:11:37,155 --> 00:11:39,755 Speaker 1: really doubt Trump will be indicted on Memorial Day weekend. 168 00:11:40,195 --> 00:11:42,315 Speaker 1: Then again, I didn't think Ronald McDaniel would say that 169 00:11:42,355 --> 00:11:44,875 Speaker 1: a default on the national debt would bode well for 170 00:11:44,915 --> 00:11:48,475 Speaker 1: the Republican presidential candidates, confirming that the Republican Party has 171 00:11:48,515 --> 00:11:53,155 Speaker 1: completely lost any understanding that its political posturing and judicial 172 00:11:53,155 --> 00:11:57,675 Speaker 1: and legislative terrorism has actual consequences, including, in this case, 173 00:11:57,995 --> 00:12:02,195 Speaker 1: immeasurable damage to the very corporations that own said Republican 174 00:12:02,195 --> 00:12:07,395 Speaker 1: presidential candidates, losing understanding that what you do and say 175 00:12:07,555 --> 00:12:11,475 Speaker 1: means more than just points on some scoreboard. That exists 176 00:12:11,515 --> 00:12:14,555 Speaker 1: only in your own head, that it affects the real 177 00:12:14,635 --> 00:12:19,155 Speaker 1: world and people's lives. This may be the theme of 178 00:12:19,195 --> 00:12:22,915 Speaker 1: America in the twenty first century. It happens everywhere. It 179 00:12:22,955 --> 00:12:29,755 Speaker 1: has happened at MSNBC. That's next, This is countdown. This 180 00:12:30,075 --> 00:12:38,435 Speaker 1: is countdown with Keith Olberman. I was surprised to be 181 00:12:38,515 --> 00:12:40,875 Speaker 1: going through my notes and find that this moment of 182 00:12:40,955 --> 00:12:45,875 Speaker 1: confession was seven years ago. This week, I may have 183 00:12:46,075 --> 00:12:51,235 Speaker 1: indicated that I lament what one of my inventions, MSNBC 184 00:12:51,555 --> 00:12:56,155 Speaker 1: has become. It has slipped from analysis and cynicism into 185 00:12:56,715 --> 00:13:01,395 Speaker 1: talking points and posturing and cheerleading. And if NBC suddenly 186 00:13:01,395 --> 00:13:03,515 Speaker 1: wanted it to be a right wing operation, a lot 187 00:13:03,595 --> 00:13:06,995 Speaker 1: of the hosts could stay and just grow mustaches or 188 00:13:07,075 --> 00:13:09,755 Speaker 1: dye their hair or use aliases, because it long ago 189 00:13:09,995 --> 00:13:15,555 Speaker 1: ceased to be about the issues and instead became about them. 190 00:13:16,515 --> 00:13:19,235 Speaker 1: The good news for MSNBC in this context is that 191 00:13:19,315 --> 00:13:22,675 Speaker 1: CNN is a tire fire with no signs of dying down. 192 00:13:23,555 --> 00:13:27,635 Speaker 1: The bad news is the political spectrum needs a healthy, 193 00:13:27,835 --> 00:13:31,315 Speaker 1: robust MSNBC advocating from the liberal point of view, but 194 00:13:31,435 --> 00:13:36,635 Speaker 1: just as importantly pushing democrats to actually earn our support. 195 00:13:37,515 --> 00:13:41,355 Speaker 1: The entire primetime lineup at MSNBC still consists of, depending 196 00:13:41,355 --> 00:13:44,195 Speaker 1: on the night, either only people who were my guest 197 00:13:44,195 --> 00:13:47,475 Speaker 1: hosts who we spun off into their own shows, or 198 00:13:47,515 --> 00:13:51,595 Speaker 1: them and another person we considered for doing that with, 199 00:13:52,155 --> 00:13:53,955 Speaker 1: but she could not be bothered to learn how to 200 00:13:54,075 --> 00:13:58,755 Speaker 1: use a teleprompter. Most of them turned out personally, sadly, 201 00:13:59,355 --> 00:14:03,475 Speaker 1: to have been false friends and mercilessly ambitious and brutal. 202 00:14:06,075 --> 00:14:09,915 Speaker 1: I never saw any of this coming. On the other hand, 203 00:14:10,275 --> 00:14:16,435 Speaker 1: one day one of them admitted it. Early on the 204 00:14:16,475 --> 00:14:21,315 Speaker 1: afternoon of Monday, May twenty third, twenty sixteen, I bounced 205 00:14:21,315 --> 00:14:23,675 Speaker 1: out of my New York City apartment building, began to 206 00:14:23,755 --> 00:14:27,715 Speaker 1: walk past the tourist trap brunch spot in the lobby, 207 00:14:28,355 --> 00:14:32,395 Speaker 1: and froze there at one of the cramped outdoor tables. 208 00:14:32,475 --> 00:14:35,915 Speaker 1: Staring up at me in blank surprise that must have 209 00:14:35,995 --> 00:14:38,395 Speaker 1: matched my own staring down at him in blank surprise, 210 00:14:39,435 --> 00:14:44,595 Speaker 1: was Lawrence O'Donnell. I decided to go silly, Hey, get 211 00:14:44,635 --> 00:14:47,995 Speaker 1: out of my house. He laughed, I laughed. It didn't 212 00:14:48,035 --> 00:14:52,595 Speaker 1: seem forced. He introduced me to his companion, his daughter. This, 213 00:14:52,795 --> 00:14:56,795 Speaker 1: my dear is Keith Ulderman. Keith started us all at MSNBC, 214 00:14:56,955 --> 00:15:00,075 Speaker 1: and then he left, and and here Lawrence gave one 215 00:15:00,075 --> 00:15:06,875 Speaker 1: of his long pauses, and we crashed it. I wanted 216 00:15:06,915 --> 00:15:09,715 Speaker 1: to be generous, I started to politely contradict him, and 217 00:15:09,755 --> 00:15:15,755 Speaker 1: I just couldn't do it. Yeah, pretty much anyway, About 218 00:15:15,795 --> 00:15:18,675 Speaker 1: thirty seconds of courteous nothingness followed, and I wish the 219 00:15:18,675 --> 00:15:22,435 Speaker 1: O'Donnell's well, and then I left. It was the most 220 00:15:22,555 --> 00:15:25,995 Speaker 1: pleasant experience I ever had with Lawrence o'donald. In fact, 221 00:15:26,035 --> 00:15:28,515 Speaker 1: it might have been the only pleasant experience I ever 222 00:15:28,555 --> 00:15:33,555 Speaker 1: had with Lawrence O'Donnell. After I finally convinced and bullied 223 00:15:33,635 --> 00:15:37,555 Speaker 1: and blackmailed MSNBC management into letting Rachel Meadow become the 224 00:15:37,595 --> 00:15:40,195 Speaker 1: regular guest host for my show, and she aced it, 225 00:15:40,675 --> 00:15:43,555 Speaker 1: and then rightly got her own show, and she aced 226 00:15:43,595 --> 00:15:47,635 Speaker 1: that and became a star. I went looking for a 227 00:15:47,675 --> 00:15:50,235 Speaker 1: new guest host. My first idea was a frequent guest 228 00:15:50,275 --> 00:15:53,995 Speaker 1: we had named Chris Hayes. I didn't get far. Management 229 00:15:54,035 --> 00:15:56,835 Speaker 1: had its own idea and my input was not required. 230 00:15:57,235 --> 00:16:01,435 Speaker 1: They wanted former Vermont governor and Democratic presidential hopeful Howard Dean. 231 00:16:02,355 --> 00:16:05,435 Speaker 1: And Howard is a really smart guy and great on TV. 232 00:16:05,915 --> 00:16:09,075 Speaker 1: But Howard had a bit of a teleprompter problem. One 233 00:16:09,115 --> 00:16:13,235 Speaker 1: of my producers swears that Howard once read Good Evening. 234 00:16:13,275 --> 00:16:17,875 Speaker 1: I'm Howard Dean, former governor of Vermont. This is countdown. 235 00:16:19,355 --> 00:16:21,395 Speaker 1: I do know. Whatever he did on the air, it 236 00:16:21,475 --> 00:16:24,035 Speaker 1: was bad enough that one week when I was off 237 00:16:24,075 --> 00:16:26,395 Speaker 1: and at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, 238 00:16:26,435 --> 00:16:28,955 Speaker 1: and a baseball news story broke and he was filling 239 00:16:28,955 --> 00:16:31,755 Speaker 1: in for me. My producers called me there and asked 240 00:16:31,755 --> 00:16:34,995 Speaker 1: me to come on from the streets of Cooperstown and 241 00:16:35,075 --> 00:16:38,315 Speaker 1: be a guest on my own show, just to help 242 00:16:38,475 --> 00:16:43,515 Speaker 1: Howard Dean out. Anyway. Their next idea was a guy 243 00:16:43,515 --> 00:16:46,435 Speaker 1: who had been kicking around MSNBC since its founding in 244 00:16:46,515 --> 00:16:50,875 Speaker 1: nineteen ninety six. Lawrence O'Donnell was one of the original 245 00:16:51,035 --> 00:16:58,315 Speaker 1: MSNBC Friends, The MSNBC Friends, political pundits who sat on 246 00:16:58,435 --> 00:17:02,035 Speaker 1: clearstools at a clear table or in a set designed 247 00:17:02,035 --> 00:17:05,155 Speaker 1: to look like a booth at a coffee shop. No, 248 00:17:05,275 --> 00:17:09,115 Speaker 1: I'm not making this up. Among the friends were and 249 00:17:09,435 --> 00:17:13,715 Speaker 1: Colter and Laura Ingram. If you can believe it, once 250 00:17:13,955 --> 00:17:17,835 Speaker 1: or twice an hour, the rather CNN like all news 251 00:17:17,875 --> 00:17:20,555 Speaker 1: coverage on MSNBC in its first couple of years would 252 00:17:20,555 --> 00:17:25,275 Speaker 1: pause and three or more of these friends would appear, 253 00:17:25,875 --> 00:17:32,155 Speaker 1: chew over the MSNBC headlines, and then disappear. Lawrence O'Donnell 254 00:17:33,035 --> 00:17:36,235 Speaker 1: was one of the friends. It was as bad as 255 00:17:36,275 --> 00:17:40,795 Speaker 1: it sounds. Then Lawrence o'donald pretty much disappeared. You would 256 00:17:40,835 --> 00:17:43,355 Speaker 1: see him on MSNBC as a guest every once in 257 00:17:43,435 --> 00:17:46,995 Speaker 1: a while, but mostly he pursued his acting and producing career. 258 00:17:47,075 --> 00:17:50,035 Speaker 1: He played President Bartlett's father on the West Wing, the 259 00:17:50,075 --> 00:17:54,075 Speaker 1: one who beat him throughout college. Lawrence was very convincing, 260 00:17:55,075 --> 00:17:57,355 Speaker 1: and then around two thousand and eight, we started getting 261 00:17:57,395 --> 00:18:00,275 Speaker 1: pressure to bring him in as a guest on Countdown, 262 00:18:00,555 --> 00:18:02,995 Speaker 1: like once a week or twice a week. I was 263 00:18:03,075 --> 00:18:04,955 Speaker 1: not sure what that was all about, but he had 264 00:18:04,955 --> 00:18:07,915 Speaker 1: been a Senate staffer and he knew the healthcare debate 265 00:18:07,955 --> 00:18:11,435 Speaker 1: and other wonky stuff pretty well. So I gave my 266 00:18:11,555 --> 00:18:14,795 Speaker 1: assent for whatever that was worth. Not long after that, 267 00:18:14,915 --> 00:18:18,035 Speaker 1: Lawrence came into my office. He really needed my support, 268 00:18:18,075 --> 00:18:21,115 Speaker 1: he said, to get him more involved in MSNBC. He 269 00:18:21,195 --> 00:18:24,115 Speaker 1: knew I had gone to bat for Rachel, and before her, 270 00:18:24,795 --> 00:18:27,315 Speaker 1: I'd gone to bat for Tom Brokaw and for people 271 00:18:27,355 --> 00:18:29,515 Speaker 1: like Chuck Todd and Chris Hayes and others who are 272 00:18:29,515 --> 00:18:33,515 Speaker 1: now getting steady incomes from NBC. I don't remember his 273 00:18:33,755 --> 00:18:36,515 Speaker 1: argument on his own behalf. I do remember I didn't 274 00:18:36,515 --> 00:18:38,715 Speaker 1: have much of a reason to say no, and he 275 00:18:38,835 --> 00:18:40,995 Speaker 1: wasn't asking me to do a lot, so I said yes. 276 00:18:42,035 --> 00:18:44,675 Speaker 1: The next thing I knew, I was reading a memo 277 00:18:44,755 --> 00:18:47,555 Speaker 1: announcing that Lawrence O'Donnell had been appointed as the new 278 00:18:47,595 --> 00:18:51,875 Speaker 1: full time guest host of Countdown. This was in the 279 00:18:51,915 --> 00:18:54,355 Speaker 1: winter of two thousand and nine twenty ten, when my 280 00:18:54,435 --> 00:18:57,475 Speaker 1: late dad was fighting so valiantly to stay alive after 281 00:18:57,595 --> 00:19:01,475 Speaker 1: colon cancer and more importantly, a series of infections. Dad 282 00:19:01,475 --> 00:19:04,955 Speaker 1: had the immune system of an alien. The average white 283 00:19:04,955 --> 00:19:07,675 Speaker 1: cell count in a healthy adults between four thousand and 284 00:19:07,755 --> 00:19:11,595 Speaker 1: eleven thousand. One night, Dad's was at thirty three thousand, 285 00:19:12,235 --> 00:19:14,515 Speaker 1: and the doctors told me to prepare to make the 286 00:19:14,555 --> 00:19:18,475 Speaker 1: call to let him go. They had one antibiotic left 287 00:19:18,515 --> 00:19:21,675 Speaker 1: to try on him. The next morning, Dad's white cell count, 288 00:19:21,675 --> 00:19:26,635 Speaker 1: which had been thirty three thousand, was eight thousand. Onward, 289 00:19:26,755 --> 00:19:31,955 Speaker 1: he fought, Unfortunately, he was eighty years old and he 290 00:19:31,995 --> 00:19:35,835 Speaker 1: had not exercised since Harry Truman was president, and eventually 291 00:19:35,875 --> 00:19:39,195 Speaker 1: he ran out of Houdini tricks. I had been visiting 292 00:19:39,275 --> 00:19:41,755 Speaker 1: him twice a day for six months while still doing 293 00:19:41,795 --> 00:19:45,115 Speaker 1: Countdown and the NBC Sunday Night Football Show. But now, 294 00:19:45,555 --> 00:19:48,995 Speaker 1: as it hit late February of twenty ten, his bright 295 00:19:49,115 --> 00:19:51,995 Speaker 1: days became fewer and farther in between, and the hope 296 00:19:52,035 --> 00:19:54,635 Speaker 1: that was propelling me to keep being his full time 297 00:19:54,675 --> 00:19:59,235 Speaker 1: caregiver and Countdown's full time host both began to fade. 298 00:19:59,315 --> 00:20:01,195 Speaker 1: In the last two weeks of my dad's life, as 299 00:20:01,235 --> 00:20:03,995 Speaker 1: the doctors tried all the long shot things, I asked 300 00:20:04,115 --> 00:20:09,635 Speaker 1: MSNBC for a leave of absence. Finally the inevitability became inarguable, 301 00:20:09,675 --> 00:20:13,115 Speaker 1: and we let Dad go. On Saturday, March thirteenth, twenty ten. 302 00:20:13,715 --> 00:20:16,155 Speaker 1: My sister held his hand and I read him his 303 00:20:16,195 --> 00:20:18,835 Speaker 1: favorite Thurber story, and as soon as I finished it, 304 00:20:19,195 --> 00:20:23,675 Speaker 1: he exhaled deeply and peacefully, and he died. I think 305 00:20:23,715 --> 00:20:28,835 Speaker 1: I took another week off, maybe two, and I vaguely 306 00:20:28,835 --> 00:20:31,955 Speaker 1: recall emails from friends at Countdown that I may have 307 00:20:31,995 --> 00:20:36,195 Speaker 1: paid passing attention to, but I really didn't. Most of 308 00:20:36,235 --> 00:20:39,275 Speaker 1: the staff, including people who came up from Washington like 309 00:20:39,355 --> 00:20:43,635 Speaker 1: Howard Feynman or Gene Robinson of the Washington post always 310 00:20:43,715 --> 00:20:47,715 Speaker 1: friends to me. They attended my dad's memorial service. I 311 00:20:47,795 --> 00:20:50,995 Speaker 1: believe Lawrence O'Donnell, who was, of course filling in for 312 00:20:51,075 --> 00:20:53,195 Speaker 1: me on Countdown, was there too, but maybe not, I 313 00:20:53,235 --> 00:20:56,835 Speaker 1: do not remember. And then came the day when I 314 00:20:56,875 --> 00:20:59,155 Speaker 1: went back to the office full time and my assistant 315 00:20:59,275 --> 00:21:03,515 Speaker 1: grabbed me both hands on my wrist. You did not 316 00:21:03,635 --> 00:21:07,235 Speaker 1: answer my email, she said, with a fervency she rarely exhibited. 317 00:21:07,475 --> 00:21:10,795 Speaker 1: For God's sake, do not ever leave me alone with 318 00:21:10,875 --> 00:21:15,355 Speaker 1: Lawrence O'Donnell again, I snapped back to attention. Had he 319 00:21:17,155 --> 00:21:20,515 Speaker 1: bothered her? Not that way, she said, But he's a 320 00:21:20,555 --> 00:21:22,675 Speaker 1: son of a bitch. He treats me and everybody who 321 00:21:22,715 --> 00:21:24,795 Speaker 1: is in a producer here like dirt. And since you 322 00:21:24,915 --> 00:21:27,155 Speaker 1: didn't read my emails, I just have to tell you this. 323 00:21:27,315 --> 00:21:29,675 Speaker 1: He's trying to get you fired so he can take 324 00:21:29,715 --> 00:21:32,315 Speaker 1: over Countdown. And if you think he's nuts, one of 325 00:21:32,355 --> 00:21:34,915 Speaker 1: your senior producers is in on it too with him. 326 00:21:36,795 --> 00:21:40,155 Speaker 1: I have to admit, even now, of all the things 327 00:21:40,275 --> 00:21:44,275 Speaker 1: I went through at that very very strange place MSNBC, 328 00:21:44,795 --> 00:21:50,955 Speaker 1: even now, this story still shocks me. The senior producers 329 00:21:50,955 --> 00:21:53,635 Speaker 1: of Countdown consisted of a guy who'd been a producer 330 00:21:53,635 --> 00:21:58,075 Speaker 1: who booked satellite transmissions for MSNBC until I asked that 331 00:21:58,115 --> 00:22:01,755 Speaker 1: he'd be promoted. And one was a guest booker for 332 00:22:01,795 --> 00:22:04,515 Speaker 1: the daytime shows until I asked that she be promoted. 333 00:22:05,115 --> 00:22:07,875 Speaker 1: Another was a line producer who was well regarded only 334 00:22:07,875 --> 00:22:10,275 Speaker 1: for his ability to time a show until I asked 335 00:22:10,275 --> 00:22:12,915 Speaker 1: for him to be promoted. And then there was the 336 00:22:12,955 --> 00:22:14,675 Speaker 1: old friend of mine who had been blown out of 337 00:22:14,875 --> 00:22:18,275 Speaker 1: ESPN in a sexual harassment porn link email scandal and 338 00:22:18,395 --> 00:22:20,915 Speaker 1: was headed back to college to start his career all 339 00:22:20,955 --> 00:22:23,795 Speaker 1: over again, until I asked that he'd be hired and 340 00:22:23,795 --> 00:22:27,555 Speaker 1: then promoted. I did some digging, and I was going 341 00:22:27,595 --> 00:22:29,835 Speaker 1: to confront O'Donnell about it when somebody told me he 342 00:22:29,875 --> 00:22:33,235 Speaker 1: had tweeted something negative about me and about countdown. So 343 00:22:33,275 --> 00:22:34,715 Speaker 1: I got a hold of him and I said, this 344 00:22:34,795 --> 00:22:38,155 Speaker 1: did not seem to be in keeping with MSNBC traditions 345 00:22:38,195 --> 00:22:41,635 Speaker 1: and rules, you know, the ones about not peeing inside 346 00:22:41,675 --> 00:22:43,195 Speaker 1: the tent. And he said, what do you know about 347 00:22:43,275 --> 00:22:47,395 Speaker 1: MSNBC traditions. I've been here since nineteen ninety six. I 348 00:22:47,475 --> 00:22:52,355 Speaker 1: never left and came back. So I went to my boss, 349 00:22:52,395 --> 00:22:54,435 Speaker 1: the president of the network, Phil Griffin, the one who 350 00:22:54,475 --> 00:22:57,195 Speaker 1: would not hire Rachel Meadow. And before I could say 351 00:22:57,195 --> 00:22:58,915 Speaker 1: they'd have to get rid of him, Griffin said it 352 00:22:58,915 --> 00:23:01,715 Speaker 1: was all academic. They were preparing the press release as 353 00:23:01,755 --> 00:23:04,795 Speaker 1: we spoke for Lawrence's new show at ten o'clock call 354 00:23:04,875 --> 00:23:07,715 Speaker 1: the last Word, and oh, by the way, Keith, two 355 00:23:07,755 --> 00:23:09,875 Speaker 1: of your senior producers are going with him to run 356 00:23:09,875 --> 00:23:14,715 Speaker 1: his show. If this sounds vaguely familiar to you, it 357 00:23:14,835 --> 00:23:18,595 Speaker 1: is the plot of the pilot for the old Aaron 358 00:23:18,715 --> 00:23:23,835 Speaker 1: Sorkin HBO series Newsroom. I was still friendly with Aaron then, 359 00:23:23,955 --> 00:23:27,275 Speaker 1: so he actually asked. As I related this to him 360 00:23:27,595 --> 00:23:30,355 Speaker 1: in real time in emails and phone calls, he asked 361 00:23:30,355 --> 00:23:32,715 Speaker 1: if he could use it in the plot, rather than 362 00:23:33,515 --> 00:23:35,515 Speaker 1: just what he often did, which was to use it 363 00:23:35,555 --> 00:23:39,795 Speaker 1: without asking. The problem was none of this made any 364 00:23:39,915 --> 00:23:42,475 Speaker 1: sense in the real world. Although it made a pretty 365 00:23:42,515 --> 00:23:45,355 Speaker 1: good pilot for Aaron Sorkin in going into the ten 366 00:23:45,435 --> 00:23:49,875 Speaker 1: PM slot, Lawrence O'Donnell would be replacing a rerun of Countdown, 367 00:23:50,155 --> 00:23:52,875 Speaker 1: and even if o'donald did much better in the ratings, 368 00:23:52,955 --> 00:23:56,435 Speaker 1: much much better, there was no way it could ever 369 00:23:56,515 --> 00:24:00,795 Speaker 1: make enough money to make the move make sense. O'Donnell's 370 00:24:00,835 --> 00:24:05,515 Speaker 1: new show would necessarily cost MSNBC between ten and fifteen 371 00:24:05,555 --> 00:24:08,755 Speaker 1: million dollars to produce every year. Didn't have anything to 372 00:24:08,755 --> 00:24:12,075 Speaker 1: do with him. That was the cost. The Countdown rerun 373 00:24:12,675 --> 00:24:16,715 Speaker 1: cost not ten fifteen million dollars a year. It count. However, 374 00:24:16,875 --> 00:24:19,595 Speaker 1: much they paid the guy who pushed the play button 375 00:24:19,875 --> 00:24:25,035 Speaker 1: that fired up the videotape of the Countdown replay amortized. 376 00:24:28,435 --> 00:24:31,355 Speaker 1: Later that day, a sympathetic NBC executive called me up 377 00:24:31,355 --> 00:24:34,915 Speaker 1: and explained the move to me. First, Griffin was convinced 378 00:24:34,955 --> 00:24:38,115 Speaker 1: O'Donnell was about to leave us and sign with CNN. 379 00:24:39,515 --> 00:24:41,995 Speaker 1: I said, well, that's a good idea for everybody involved 380 00:24:42,035 --> 00:24:46,355 Speaker 1: except CNN. Turned out CNN had not even talked to him, 381 00:24:46,395 --> 00:24:50,235 Speaker 1: but Griffin did not know that. More importantly, Comcast had 382 00:24:50,235 --> 00:24:54,075 Speaker 1: already finalized its agreement to buy NBC effective the following January, 383 00:24:54,155 --> 00:24:56,635 Speaker 1: and as part of the deal, they were entitled to 384 00:24:56,675 --> 00:24:59,595 Speaker 1: review what all the executives in the company had done, 385 00:24:59,795 --> 00:25:02,715 Speaker 1: and they had already looked at MSNBC president Phil Griffin 386 00:25:02,715 --> 00:25:07,715 Speaker 1: and discovered he had never done anything. In panic, Griffin 387 00:25:07,755 --> 00:25:10,235 Speaker 1: told colleagues he had to launch a new show of 388 00:25:10,315 --> 00:25:17,075 Speaker 1: his own immediately. This is the series Aaron Sorkin should 389 00:25:17,075 --> 00:25:20,315 Speaker 1: have made As to the producers who left my show 390 00:25:20,355 --> 00:25:24,035 Speaker 1: to go with O'Donnell while my father was dying, one 391 00:25:24,035 --> 00:25:25,915 Speaker 1: of them told me a couple of years after she 392 00:25:26,035 --> 00:25:29,595 Speaker 1: left MSNBC for the last time, every day when I 393 00:25:29,595 --> 00:25:32,115 Speaker 1: went into that last Word office, I realized you were 394 00:25:32,155 --> 00:25:35,795 Speaker 1: getting your revenge on me without even having to lift 395 00:25:35,795 --> 00:25:39,875 Speaker 1: a finger. Lots of people I've worked with, probably a 396 00:25:39,875 --> 00:25:44,075 Speaker 1: majority of people i've helped, have behaved like Lawrence O'Donnell, 397 00:25:44,155 --> 00:25:48,915 Speaker 1: because remember, it's television. It is a mental illness. The 398 00:25:49,075 --> 00:25:51,435 Speaker 1: comparatively healthy people are the ones who acknowledge it's a 399 00:25:51,435 --> 00:25:56,355 Speaker 1: mental illness. But Lawrence O'Donnell was something special. A year 400 00:25:56,435 --> 00:25:59,755 Speaker 1: before my dad died, almost to the day, In fact, 401 00:25:59,795 --> 00:26:02,475 Speaker 1: I was in Los Angeles appearing on Bill Maher's show, 402 00:26:02,915 --> 00:26:04,395 Speaker 1: and one of the other guests that night was the 403 00:26:04,395 --> 00:26:07,995 Speaker 1: act Carrie Washington. She was very nice to me, very sweet, 404 00:26:08,155 --> 00:26:11,115 Speaker 1: a very big fan, and she asked to stay in touch. 405 00:26:12,035 --> 00:26:14,715 Speaker 1: Sure enough, after my father died, after the memorial, after 406 00:26:14,715 --> 00:26:16,795 Speaker 1: I was back at work, I had to go to 407 00:26:16,875 --> 00:26:19,675 Speaker 1: his house for the first time since he had passed away. 408 00:26:19,755 --> 00:26:23,355 Speaker 1: It was about as much fun as it sounds. In 409 00:26:23,395 --> 00:26:25,875 Speaker 1: the car on the way back into New York City. 410 00:26:25,995 --> 00:26:29,555 Speaker 1: The solemnity of it. Both my parents died within eleven 411 00:26:29,555 --> 00:26:32,355 Speaker 1: months of each other. It really hit me for some 412 00:26:32,435 --> 00:26:35,835 Speaker 1: reason for the first time, full force, and I was 413 00:26:35,875 --> 00:26:40,075 Speaker 1: about to lose it when the car approached a billboard 414 00:26:40,155 --> 00:26:42,795 Speaker 1: overlooking the West Side Highway in New York City. And 415 00:26:42,835 --> 00:26:45,875 Speaker 1: whose big smiling face was on the ad on that billboard, 416 00:26:47,075 --> 00:26:50,395 Speaker 1: Carrie Washington, And it flashed me right back to her 417 00:26:50,475 --> 00:26:53,475 Speaker 1: kindness in LA and it helped me overcome this bump 418 00:26:53,555 --> 00:26:56,715 Speaker 1: in my morning. So I wanted to drop her a note, 419 00:26:56,875 --> 00:27:02,195 Speaker 1: nothing big, nothing suggestive. I wasn't hinting at asking her out. 420 00:27:02,595 --> 00:27:05,875 Speaker 1: Just you never know how you might help somebody in 421 00:27:05,915 --> 00:27:10,755 Speaker 1: a time of crisis. Thanks for letting me smile. That 422 00:27:10,875 --> 00:27:13,475 Speaker 1: was the whole message. I asked my assistant to figure 423 00:27:13,475 --> 00:27:14,755 Speaker 1: out how to get it to her, and that was 424 00:27:14,835 --> 00:27:19,555 Speaker 1: the end of it, except a week later, the fact 425 00:27:19,595 --> 00:27:22,235 Speaker 1: that I wrote her a note wound up in a 426 00:27:22,315 --> 00:27:30,595 Speaker 1: column written by an colter. I was astonished, how why, 427 00:27:30,795 --> 00:27:35,035 Speaker 1: and colter it was her usual the brain doesn't quite 428 00:27:35,355 --> 00:27:37,875 Speaker 1: work right kind of stuff. She implied. I was hitting 429 00:27:37,915 --> 00:27:40,435 Speaker 1: on Carrie Washington and said how stupid I had to 430 00:27:40,435 --> 00:27:42,915 Speaker 1: be to not realize she was involved with somebody, and 431 00:27:42,995 --> 00:27:45,635 Speaker 1: on and on and on, no mention of my father's passing, 432 00:27:45,955 --> 00:27:48,995 Speaker 1: or the mar show or the billboard or her smiling face. 433 00:27:50,275 --> 00:27:52,915 Speaker 1: I went back to my assistant and I said, hey, 434 00:27:53,395 --> 00:27:56,795 Speaker 1: what on earth did you do with that note to 435 00:27:56,915 --> 00:28:00,395 Speaker 1: Carrie Washington? And she said, oh, I gave it to 436 00:28:00,515 --> 00:28:04,955 Speaker 1: this Laurence O'Donnell guy. And I said, good God, why 437 00:28:04,955 --> 00:28:07,835 Speaker 1: did you do that? And she said, well, he's dating 438 00:28:07,915 --> 00:28:10,475 Speaker 1: Kerrie Washington. I thought you knew that. I thought that's 439 00:28:10,515 --> 00:28:14,235 Speaker 1: why you asked me to get it to her. So 440 00:28:14,435 --> 00:28:17,275 Speaker 1: it wasn't hard to figure out from there. Lawrence had 441 00:28:17,315 --> 00:28:20,835 Speaker 1: called his old friend from the old MSNBC Friends of 442 00:28:20,915 --> 00:28:24,635 Speaker 1: nineteen ninety six and Colter and told her about the note, 443 00:28:25,075 --> 00:28:28,235 Speaker 1: inventing whatever motive his jealous little mind could dream up. 444 00:28:28,795 --> 00:28:31,715 Speaker 1: It should have gotten him fired from NBC, but unfortunately 445 00:28:31,755 --> 00:28:34,075 Speaker 1: his boss was just as much of a fourteen year 446 00:28:34,075 --> 00:28:37,115 Speaker 1: old emotionally as he was. And meanwhile, I had decided 447 00:28:37,155 --> 00:28:40,475 Speaker 1: to get out of MSNBC anyway when the time was ripe. 448 00:28:40,715 --> 00:28:44,115 Speaker 1: As it turned out, it ripened in January twenty eleven. 449 00:28:44,155 --> 00:28:47,675 Speaker 1: I've told that story in other episodes, like sixty of them. 450 00:28:47,795 --> 00:28:51,555 Speaker 1: It's kind of complicated. And since nobody ever actually asked 451 00:28:51,595 --> 00:28:53,995 Speaker 1: me why count Down the TV show ended, I've probably 452 00:28:54,035 --> 00:28:57,355 Speaker 1: got another sixty episodes worth of information about that anyway 453 00:28:58,795 --> 00:29:03,155 Speaker 1: in twenty fifteen, since repeatedly over the following ten years, 454 00:29:03,195 --> 00:29:05,915 Speaker 1: there were overtures by both sides to bring Countdown and 455 00:29:06,075 --> 00:29:09,995 Speaker 1: Me back to MSNBC. In twenty fifteen, during the World Series, 456 00:29:09,995 --> 00:29:13,195 Speaker 1: in fact, the then president of NBC News, Andy Lack, 457 00:29:13,835 --> 00:29:16,075 Speaker 1: asked me to come back and do a new show 458 00:29:16,075 --> 00:29:19,595 Speaker 1: at MSNBC and move to Los Angeles and have a 459 00:29:19,635 --> 00:29:24,195 Speaker 1: co host, a conservative, and not do any commentaries. And 460 00:29:24,235 --> 00:29:27,875 Speaker 1: actually this new show was somehow less appealing than it sounds. 461 00:29:29,075 --> 00:29:31,835 Speaker 1: But the punchline of all punchlines is contained in what 462 00:29:31,915 --> 00:29:36,395 Speaker 1: Lack wanted to call my new twenty fifteen MSNBC show 463 00:29:36,395 --> 00:29:38,795 Speaker 1: That Never Was. It tells you all you really need 464 00:29:38,835 --> 00:29:41,635 Speaker 1: to know about the last word with Lawrence O'Donnell and 465 00:29:41,795 --> 00:29:45,915 Speaker 1: MSNBC and O'Donnell's place in TV history at its demise 466 00:29:46,875 --> 00:29:51,475 Speaker 1: and the end of MSNBC. NBC new president Lack was 467 00:29:51,595 --> 00:29:54,595 Speaker 1: brimming with enthusiasm about this name that he had come 468 00:29:54,675 --> 00:29:57,315 Speaker 1: up with for my new show, A good the perfect 469 00:29:57,355 --> 00:30:00,635 Speaker 1: title Lack told me, we're going to call it The 470 00:30:00,795 --> 00:30:06,315 Speaker 1: Last Word with Keith Olberman, and I didn't laugh for guffaw. 471 00:30:06,435 --> 00:30:09,755 Speaker 1: I just said, Andy, you have a show called the 472 00:30:09,835 --> 00:30:15,075 Speaker 1: Last Word, The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell. Andy Lack 473 00:30:15,235 --> 00:30:19,355 Speaker 1: now laughed, huh, hopefully not for much longer. I don't 474 00:30:24,435 --> 00:30:27,395 Speaker 1: still ahead on Countdown Fridays with Thurber and my father's 475 00:30:27,435 --> 00:30:31,835 Speaker 1: favorite Thurber story. Of many favorites, it's the one he 476 00:30:31,955 --> 00:30:35,635 Speaker 1: like best. First. In each tradition of Countdown, we feature 477 00:30:35,635 --> 00:30:37,955 Speaker 1: a dog. Indeed, you can help. Every dog has its day. 478 00:30:38,075 --> 00:30:42,075 Speaker 1: Sam warms up from shy to friendly to silently resting 479 00:30:42,115 --> 00:30:45,555 Speaker 1: her head in your lap. She's forty seven pounds, mixed breed, 480 00:30:45,595 --> 00:30:48,795 Speaker 1: a golden brown, two years old, and she was dumped 481 00:30:49,115 --> 00:30:51,795 Speaker 1: at the kill shelter in New York by her humans 482 00:30:52,235 --> 00:30:54,835 Speaker 1: after some kind of altercation, they said, with her sister. 483 00:30:54,915 --> 00:30:57,315 Speaker 1: Nobody knows what happened, but it was Sam who wound 484 00:30:57,395 --> 00:30:59,995 Speaker 1: up with bite marks and with that kind of history, 485 00:31:00,035 --> 00:31:01,555 Speaker 1: even if it was all made up, the New York 486 00:31:01,555 --> 00:31:05,235 Speaker 1: Pound will kill her sooner rather than later. She can 487 00:31:05,275 --> 00:31:07,915 Speaker 1: be adopted by almost anybody on the East Coast. She's 488 00:31:07,995 --> 00:31:09,795 Speaker 1: ready to go, or you can pledge to make a 489 00:31:09,835 --> 00:31:12,675 Speaker 1: donation to help a rescue pull her. If she does 490 00:31:12,715 --> 00:31:14,955 Speaker 1: not make it out, you're under no obligation. If she does, 491 00:31:14,995 --> 00:31:17,595 Speaker 1: we'll let you know how to fulfill your pledge. Look 492 00:31:17,635 --> 00:31:21,675 Speaker 1: for Sam photos and video of her on my Twitter feeds. Hi, 493 00:31:21,755 --> 00:31:46,595 Speaker 1: thank you and Sam, thanks you to the number one 494 00:31:46,635 --> 00:31:49,395 Speaker 1: story on the Countdown and Friday's with Thurber. And I 495 00:31:49,435 --> 00:31:54,475 Speaker 1: don't know when I went to Sullivan became my father's 496 00:31:54,555 --> 00:31:57,755 Speaker 1: favorite Thurber story. I suspect it was in the hospital 497 00:31:57,755 --> 00:31:59,555 Speaker 1: when I was reading to him in the last six 498 00:31:59,555 --> 00:32:01,715 Speaker 1: months of his life. I know I read it to 499 00:32:01,795 --> 00:32:04,115 Speaker 1: him at least half a dozen times, the first five 500 00:32:04,155 --> 00:32:08,875 Speaker 1: by his quest. The last time he did not request it. 501 00:32:09,115 --> 00:32:11,675 Speaker 1: In fact, and this is the most perverse kind of 502 00:32:11,755 --> 00:32:15,555 Speaker 1: compliment I think any res writer has ever received. I 503 00:32:15,715 --> 00:32:18,555 Speaker 1: read this story to him. It was the last thing 504 00:32:18,595 --> 00:32:20,195 Speaker 1: that I read to him. In fact, it was the 505 00:32:20,275 --> 00:32:22,435 Speaker 1: last thing he did on earth, was to listen to 506 00:32:22,475 --> 00:32:27,635 Speaker 1: this story in a state of semi consciousness. He waited 507 00:32:27,715 --> 00:32:30,555 Speaker 1: till the end of it. He took one deep, satisfied breath, 508 00:32:30,635 --> 00:32:34,955 Speaker 1: and he died. I don't recommend this, but I think 509 00:32:34,995 --> 00:32:37,635 Speaker 1: it does speak to the quality of the writing I 510 00:32:37,755 --> 00:32:43,515 Speaker 1: went to Sullivant by James Thurber. I was reminded the 511 00:32:43,555 --> 00:32:46,435 Speaker 1: other morning by what I don't remember, and it doesn't matter, 512 00:32:46,795 --> 00:32:49,395 Speaker 1: of a crisp September morning last year when I went 513 00:32:49,435 --> 00:32:51,995 Speaker 1: to the Grand Central to see a little boy of 514 00:32:52,115 --> 00:32:55,155 Speaker 1: ten get excitedly on a special coach that was to 515 00:32:55,195 --> 00:32:58,595 Speaker 1: take him to a boys' school somewhere north of Boston. 516 00:32:59,235 --> 00:33:02,355 Speaker 1: He had never been away to school before. The coach 517 00:33:02,515 --> 00:33:06,035 Speaker 1: was squirming with youngsters. You could tell after a while 518 00:33:06,355 --> 00:33:10,515 Speaker 1: the novitiates shining and tremulous, and a little odd from 519 00:33:10,515 --> 00:33:13,475 Speaker 1: the more aloof boys who had been away to school before. 520 00:33:14,115 --> 00:33:17,955 Speaker 1: But they were very much alike at first glance. There 521 00:33:18,155 --> 00:33:20,075 Speaker 1: was for me, in case you thought I was leading 522 00:33:20,155 --> 00:33:24,555 Speaker 1: up to that, no sharp feeling of old lost years 523 00:33:24,595 --> 00:33:27,315 Speaker 1: in the tense atmosphere of that coach. Because I never 524 00:33:27,355 --> 00:33:28,915 Speaker 1: went away to a private school. When I was a 525 00:33:28,915 --> 00:33:33,915 Speaker 1: little boy. I went to Sullivant School in Columbus. I 526 00:33:33,955 --> 00:33:35,835 Speaker 1: thought about it as I walked back to my hotel. 527 00:33:36,915 --> 00:33:40,235 Speaker 1: Sullivant was an ordinary public school, and yet it was 528 00:33:40,315 --> 00:33:43,835 Speaker 1: not like any other I have ever known of. In 529 00:33:43,915 --> 00:33:47,315 Speaker 1: seeking an adjective to describe the Sullivant School, of my 530 00:33:47,475 --> 00:33:50,355 Speaker 1: years nineteen hundred and nineteen hundred and eight, I can 531 00:33:50,435 --> 00:33:56,795 Speaker 1: only think of tough. Sullivant School was tough. The boys 532 00:33:56,835 --> 00:33:59,875 Speaker 1: of Sullivant came mostly from the region around Central Market, 533 00:33:59,915 --> 00:34:03,635 Speaker 1: a poorish district with many families of the laboring class. 534 00:34:04,675 --> 00:34:06,915 Speaker 1: School district also included a number of homes of the 535 00:34:07,035 --> 00:34:09,515 Speaker 1: upper classes, because at the turn of the century, one 536 00:34:09,715 --> 00:34:13,435 Speaker 1: or two old residential streets still lingered near the shouting 537 00:34:13,475 --> 00:34:16,795 Speaker 1: and rumbling of the market, reluctant to surrender their fine 538 00:34:16,835 --> 00:34:19,795 Speaker 1: old houses to the encroaching rabble of commerce and become 539 00:34:20,675 --> 00:34:25,115 Speaker 1: as a last. They now have more vulgar business streets. 540 00:34:26,555 --> 00:34:30,555 Speaker 1: I remember always, first of all, the Celibant baseball team. 541 00:34:31,315 --> 00:34:33,995 Speaker 1: Most grammar school baseball teams are made up of boys 542 00:34:33,995 --> 00:34:35,755 Speaker 1: in the seventh and eighth grades, or they were in 543 00:34:35,795 --> 00:34:39,435 Speaker 1: my day, But with Sullibant it was different. Several of 544 00:34:39,475 --> 00:34:42,515 Speaker 1: its best players were in the fourth grade, known to 545 00:34:42,555 --> 00:34:46,595 Speaker 1: the teachers of the school as the terrible fourth. In 546 00:34:46,675 --> 00:34:55,235 Speaker 1: that grade you first encountered fractions and long division, and 547 00:34:55,395 --> 00:35:01,435 Speaker 1: many pupils lodged there for years like logs in a brook. 548 00:35:02,875 --> 00:35:05,155 Speaker 1: Some of the more able baseball players had been in 549 00:35:05,155 --> 00:35:09,395 Speaker 1: the fourth grade for seven or eight years. Then too, 550 00:35:09,475 --> 00:35:11,795 Speaker 1: there were a number of boys who had not been 551 00:35:11,835 --> 00:35:14,315 Speaker 1: in the class past the normal time, but were nevertheless 552 00:35:14,315 --> 00:35:18,755 Speaker 1: deep into their teens. They had avoided starting to school 553 00:35:19,115 --> 00:35:22,195 Speaker 1: by eluding the truant officer until they were ready to 554 00:35:22,235 --> 00:35:24,915 Speaker 1: go into long pants, but he always got them in 555 00:35:24,915 --> 00:35:27,995 Speaker 1: the end. One or two of these fourth graders were 556 00:35:28,035 --> 00:35:31,835 Speaker 1: seventeen or eighteen years old, but the dean of the 557 00:35:31,875 --> 00:35:35,675 Speaker 1: squad was a tall, husky young man of twenty two 558 00:35:36,395 --> 00:35:39,315 Speaker 1: who was in the fifth grade. The teachers of the 559 00:35:39,315 --> 00:35:41,475 Speaker 1: third and fourth had got tired of having him around 560 00:35:41,475 --> 00:35:43,635 Speaker 1: as the years rolled along and had pushed him on. 561 00:35:44,795 --> 00:35:49,355 Speaker 1: His name was Dana Wayeney, and he had a mustache. 562 00:35:50,115 --> 00:35:52,595 Speaker 1: Don't ask me why his parents allowed him to stay 563 00:35:52,595 --> 00:35:55,795 Speaker 1: in school so long. There were many mysteries at Sullivans 564 00:35:55,915 --> 00:35:58,555 Speaker 1: that were never cleared up. All I know is why 565 00:35:58,635 --> 00:36:01,435 Speaker 1: he kept on in school and didn't go to work. 566 00:36:02,235 --> 00:36:05,675 Speaker 1: He liked playing on the baseball team, and he had 567 00:36:05,675 --> 00:36:08,195 Speaker 1: a pretty easy time in class because the teachers had 568 00:36:08,195 --> 00:36:11,555 Speaker 1: given up asking him any questions at all years before. 569 00:36:12,995 --> 00:36:15,715 Speaker 1: The story was that he had answered but one question 570 00:36:15,755 --> 00:36:18,275 Speaker 1: in the seventeen years he had been going to classes 571 00:36:18,315 --> 00:36:22,155 Speaker 1: at Sullivant, and that was what is one use of 572 00:36:22,235 --> 00:36:28,555 Speaker 1: the comma the kami, said Dana, embarrassingly unsnarling his long 573 00:36:28,675 --> 00:36:31,355 Speaker 1: legs from beneath a desk much too low for him, 574 00:36:31,795 --> 00:36:35,795 Speaker 1: is used to shoot marbles with. Kami's was our word 575 00:36:35,835 --> 00:36:38,835 Speaker 1: for those cheap ten percent marbles, in case it wasn't yours. 576 00:36:40,275 --> 00:36:43,715 Speaker 1: The Sullivant School baseball team of nineteen hundred and five 577 00:36:44,275 --> 00:36:47,395 Speaker 1: defeated several high school teams in the city and claimed 578 00:36:47,395 --> 00:36:49,795 Speaker 1: the high school championship of the state, to which title 579 00:36:49,835 --> 00:36:53,475 Speaker 1: it had, of course, no technical right. I believe the 580 00:36:53,475 --> 00:36:56,875 Speaker 1: boys could have proved their moral right to the championship, however, 581 00:36:57,195 --> 00:36:59,035 Speaker 1: if they had been allowed to go out of town 582 00:36:59,195 --> 00:37:02,075 Speaker 1: and play all the teams they challenged, such as the 583 00:37:02,115 --> 00:37:06,075 Speaker 1: powerful Dayton and Toledo Nines. But their road season was 584 00:37:06,075 --> 00:37:10,235 Speaker 1: called off after a terrific fight that occurred during one 585 00:37:10,275 --> 00:37:16,355 Speaker 1: game at Mount Stirling or Picquah or Xenia, I can't 586 00:37:16,355 --> 00:37:21,035 Speaker 1: remember which. Our first baseman, Dana Whaney, crowned the umpire 587 00:37:21,075 --> 00:37:24,355 Speaker 1: with a bat during an altercation overcalled strike and the 588 00:37:24,395 --> 00:37:27,515 Speaker 1: fight was on. It took place in the fourth inning, 589 00:37:27,555 --> 00:37:29,795 Speaker 1: so of course the game was never finished. The battle 590 00:37:29,875 --> 00:37:32,555 Speaker 1: continued on down into the business section of the town 591 00:37:32,635 --> 00:37:36,475 Speaker 1: and raged for hours, with much destruction of property. But 592 00:37:36,675 --> 00:37:39,915 Speaker 1: since Sullivan was ahead of the time seventeen to nothing, 593 00:37:40,515 --> 00:37:42,635 Speaker 1: there could have been no doubt as to the outcome. 594 00:37:44,035 --> 00:37:47,595 Speaker 1: Nobody was killed. All of us boys were sure our 595 00:37:47,675 --> 00:37:50,635 Speaker 1: team could have beaten Ohio State University that year, but 596 00:37:50,675 --> 00:37:55,915 Speaker 1: they wouldn't play us. They were scared. Wayney was by 597 00:37:55,955 --> 00:37:58,395 Speaker 1: no means the biggest or toughest guy on the Grammar 598 00:37:58,435 --> 00:38:00,995 Speaker 1: School team. He was merely the oldest, being about a 599 00:38:01,115 --> 00:38:05,275 Speaker 1: year the senior of Floyd, the center fielder who could 600 00:38:05,355 --> 00:38:07,555 Speaker 1: jump five feet straight into the air without taking a 601 00:38:07,595 --> 00:38:12,275 Speaker 1: running start. Nobody knew, not even the Board of Education, 602 00:38:12,355 --> 00:38:16,635 Speaker 1: which once tried to find out whether Floyd was Floyd's 603 00:38:17,075 --> 00:38:23,715 Speaker 1: first name or his last name. He apparently only had one. 604 00:38:23,795 --> 00:38:26,955 Speaker 1: He didn't have any parents, and nobody, including himself, seemed 605 00:38:26,955 --> 00:38:30,195 Speaker 1: to know where he lived. When teachers insisted that he 606 00:38:30,275 --> 00:38:32,195 Speaker 1: must have another name to go with Floyd, he would 607 00:38:32,195 --> 00:38:36,555 Speaker 1: grow sullen and ominous and they would cease questioning him 608 00:38:36,555 --> 00:38:40,395 Speaker 1: because he was a dangerous scholar in his schoolroom brawl, 609 00:38:40,435 --> 00:38:43,155 Speaker 1: as mister Harrigan, the janitor found out one morning when 610 00:38:43,155 --> 00:38:46,715 Speaker 1: he was called in by a screaming teacher. All our 611 00:38:46,795 --> 00:38:50,555 Speaker 1: teachers were women to get Floyd under control. After she 612 00:38:50,675 --> 00:38:53,875 Speaker 1: had tried to whip him and he had begun to 613 00:38:54,035 --> 00:38:59,555 Speaker 1: take the room apart, beginning with the desks. Floyd broke 614 00:38:59,595 --> 00:39:02,435 Speaker 1: into small pieces the switch she had used on him. 615 00:39:02,995 --> 00:39:06,435 Speaker 1: Some said he also ate it. I don't know, because 616 00:39:06,475 --> 00:39:08,675 Speaker 1: I was home sick at the time with mumps or something. 617 00:39:09,675 --> 00:39:13,555 Speaker 1: Harrigan was a burly, iron muscle janitor, a man come 618 00:39:13,555 --> 00:39:16,395 Speaker 1: from a long line of coal shovelers, but he was 619 00:39:16,475 --> 00:39:18,915 Speaker 1: no match for Floyd, who had to be sure the 620 00:39:18,955 --> 00:39:22,435 Speaker 1: considerable advantage of being more aroused than mister Harrigan. When 621 00:39:22,435 --> 00:39:25,795 Speaker 1: their fight started, Floyd had him down and was sitting 622 00:39:25,795 --> 00:39:27,835 Speaker 1: on his chest in no time, and Harrigan had to 623 00:39:27,835 --> 00:39:30,235 Speaker 1: promise to be good and to say that's what I 624 00:39:30,315 --> 00:39:35,755 Speaker 1: get ten times before Floyd would let him up. I 625 00:39:35,795 --> 00:39:38,995 Speaker 1: don't suppose I would ever have got through Sullivant School 626 00:39:39,035 --> 00:39:42,755 Speaker 1: alive if it hadn't been for Floyd. For some reason, 627 00:39:42,795 --> 00:39:47,035 Speaker 1: he appointed himself my protector, and I needed one. If 628 00:39:47,035 --> 00:39:49,595 Speaker 1: Floyd was known to be on your side, nobody in 629 00:39:49,635 --> 00:39:52,915 Speaker 1: the school would dare be after you and chase you home. 630 00:39:53,395 --> 00:39:55,675 Speaker 1: I was one of the ten or fifteen male pupils 631 00:39:55,715 --> 00:40:00,155 Speaker 1: in Sullivant School who always or almost always knew their lessons, 632 00:40:00,635 --> 00:40:03,555 Speaker 1: and I believe Floyd admired the mental prowess of a 633 00:40:03,595 --> 00:40:07,115 Speaker 1: youngster who knew how many continents there were and whether 634 00:40:07,195 --> 00:40:11,355 Speaker 1: or not the sun was inhabited. Also, one time, when 635 00:40:11,435 --> 00:40:13,995 Speaker 1: it came to be my turn to read to the class, 636 00:40:13,995 --> 00:40:17,675 Speaker 1: we used to take turns reading American history aloud, I 637 00:40:17,755 --> 00:40:21,515 Speaker 1: came across the word ducane and knew how to pronounce it. 638 00:40:22,355 --> 00:40:26,715 Speaker 1: That charmed Floyd, who had been slouched in his seat 639 00:40:26,755 --> 00:40:30,195 Speaker 1: idly following the printed page of his worn and penciled textbook. 640 00:40:31,315 --> 00:40:34,435 Speaker 1: How you know that was ducane, boy, he asked me 641 00:40:34,515 --> 00:40:38,315 Speaker 1: after class. I don't know, I said, I just knew it. 642 00:40:39,195 --> 00:40:42,395 Speaker 1: He looked at me with round eyes. Oh that's something 643 00:40:42,635 --> 00:40:45,795 Speaker 1: he said. After that word got around that Floyd would 644 00:40:45,795 --> 00:40:48,235 Speaker 1: beat the tar out of anybody that messed around with me. 645 00:40:49,475 --> 00:40:51,595 Speaker 1: I wore glasses from the time I was eight, and 646 00:40:51,675 --> 00:40:53,835 Speaker 1: I knew my lessons, and both of those things were 647 00:40:53,835 --> 00:40:59,075 Speaker 1: considered pretty terrible at Sullivant. Floyd had one idiosyncrasy, though, 648 00:40:59,315 --> 00:41:03,155 Speaker 1: In the early nineteen hundreds, long warm furry gloves that 649 00:41:03,195 --> 00:41:06,995 Speaker 1: came almost to your elbows were popular with boys, and 650 00:41:07,075 --> 00:41:10,675 Speaker 1: Floyd had one of the biggest pairs in school. He 651 00:41:10,755 --> 00:41:15,515 Speaker 1: wore them the year round. Dick Peterson was an either 652 00:41:15,755 --> 00:41:17,915 Speaker 1: greater figure on the baseball team and in the school 653 00:41:17,915 --> 00:41:20,515 Speaker 1: than Floyd was. He had a way in the classroom 654 00:41:20,515 --> 00:41:28,835 Speaker 1: of blurting out a long, deep, rolling be for no 655 00:41:29,035 --> 00:41:32,795 Speaker 1: reason at all. Once he licked three boys his own 656 00:41:32,875 --> 00:41:36,515 Speaker 1: size single handed, really single handed, for he fought with 657 00:41:36,595 --> 00:41:39,715 Speaker 1: his right hand and held a mandolin in his left 658 00:41:39,715 --> 00:41:44,515 Speaker 1: hand all the time. It came out uninjured. Dick and 659 00:41:44,635 --> 00:41:47,835 Speaker 1: Floyd never met in mortal combats, so nobody ever knew 660 00:41:47,875 --> 00:41:51,275 Speaker 1: which one could beat, and the scholars were about evenly 661 00:41:51,315 --> 00:41:55,035 Speaker 1: divided in their opinions. Many a fight started among them 662 00:41:55,035 --> 00:41:58,355 Speaker 1: after school when the argument came up. I think school 663 00:41:58,395 --> 00:42:01,515 Speaker 1: never let out at Sullivan without at least one fight 664 00:42:01,555 --> 00:42:03,475 Speaker 1: starting up, and sometimes there were as many as five 665 00:42:03,595 --> 00:42:05,515 Speaker 1: or six raging between them. The corner of Oak and 666 00:42:05,555 --> 00:42:08,515 Speaker 1: sixth Streets and the corner of Rich and Fourth Streets 667 00:42:08,555 --> 00:42:13,515 Speaker 1: four blocks away. Now and again, virtually the whole school 668 00:42:13,635 --> 00:42:16,115 Speaker 1: turned out to fight the Catholic boys of the Holy 669 00:42:16,275 --> 00:42:20,635 Speaker 1: Cross Academy in fifth Street near town for no reason 670 00:42:20,675 --> 00:42:24,155 Speaker 1: at all. In winter with snowballs and ice balls. In 671 00:42:24,235 --> 00:42:28,755 Speaker 1: other seasons with fists, brick bats, and clubs, Dick Peterson 672 00:42:28,875 --> 00:42:34,835 Speaker 1: was always in the van, yelling, singing, being whirling all 673 00:42:34,835 --> 00:42:36,675 Speaker 1: the way around when he swung with his right or 674 00:42:36,675 --> 00:42:39,355 Speaker 1: if he hadn't brought his mandle in his left and missed. 675 00:42:40,555 --> 00:42:42,955 Speaker 1: He made himself the pitcher on the baseball team because 676 00:42:42,955 --> 00:42:46,395 Speaker 1: he was the captain. He was the captain because everybody 677 00:42:46,475 --> 00:42:50,155 Speaker 1: else was afraid to challenge his self election except Floyd. 678 00:42:51,235 --> 00:42:53,475 Speaker 1: Floyd was too lazy to pitch, and he didn't care 679 00:42:53,515 --> 00:42:56,755 Speaker 1: who was captain because he didn't fully uncomprehend what that meant. 680 00:42:57,315 --> 00:43:01,915 Speaker 1: On one occasion, when Earl Baddock, a steamfitter's son, had 681 00:43:01,955 --> 00:43:04,875 Speaker 1: shut out Mound Street School for six innings without a hit, 682 00:43:05,275 --> 00:43:07,675 Speaker 1: Dick took him out of the pitcher's box and went 683 00:43:07,755 --> 00:43:11,435 Speaker 1: in himself. He was hit hard and the other team scored, 684 00:43:11,475 --> 00:43:13,635 Speaker 1: but it didn't make much difference because the margin of 685 00:43:13,675 --> 00:43:17,555 Speaker 1: Sullivant's victory was so great the team didn't lose a 686 00:43:17,595 --> 00:43:22,115 Speaker 1: game for five years to another grammar school. When Dick 687 00:43:22,155 --> 00:43:24,835 Speaker 1: Peterson was in the sixth grade, he got into a 688 00:43:24,915 --> 00:43:30,715 Speaker 1: saloon brawl and was killed. When I go back to Columbus, 689 00:43:30,755 --> 00:43:33,755 Speaker 1: I always walked past Sullivant's school, and I have never 690 00:43:33,795 --> 00:43:36,075 Speaker 1: happened to get there when classes were letting out, so 691 00:43:36,115 --> 00:43:38,995 Speaker 1: I don't know what the pupils are like. Now. I 692 00:43:39,035 --> 00:43:41,995 Speaker 1: am sure there are no more Dick Peterson's and no 693 00:43:42,115 --> 00:43:47,715 Speaker 1: more Floyd's, unless Floyd is still going to school there. 694 00:43:49,115 --> 00:43:52,395 Speaker 1: The playyard is still entirely bare of grass and covered 695 00:43:52,435 --> 00:43:55,315 Speaker 1: with gravel, and the sycamore still lining the curve between 696 00:43:55,355 --> 00:43:58,675 Speaker 1: the schoolhouse fence and the Oak Street car line. A 697 00:43:58,755 --> 00:44:01,955 Speaker 1: streetcar line running past a schoolhouse is a dangerous thing 698 00:44:01,995 --> 00:44:04,435 Speaker 1: as a rule, but I remember no one being injured 699 00:44:04,435 --> 00:44:07,955 Speaker 1: while I was attending Sullivant. I do remember, however, one 700 00:44:07,995 --> 00:44:10,875 Speaker 1: person who came very near being injured. He was a 701 00:44:10,955 --> 00:44:14,915 Speaker 1: motorman on the Oak Street line, and once when his 702 00:44:15,035 --> 00:44:17,955 Speaker 1: car stopped at the corner of six to let off passengers, 703 00:44:17,955 --> 00:44:20,795 Speaker 1: he yelled at Chudy Davidson, who played third base on 704 00:44:20,835 --> 00:44:22,755 Speaker 1: the ball team and was a member of the Terrible Fourth, 705 00:44:22,795 --> 00:44:26,235 Speaker 1: to get out of the way. Chudy was fourteen years 706 00:44:26,235 --> 00:44:29,075 Speaker 1: old but huge for his age, and he was standing 707 00:44:29,115 --> 00:44:33,075 Speaker 1: on the tracks taking a chew of tobacco. Come on 708 00:44:33,195 --> 00:44:35,595 Speaker 1: down off of that car. I'll not kip lock off, 709 00:44:36,595 --> 00:44:38,755 Speaker 1: said Shouty, in what I can only describe as a 710 00:44:38,875 --> 00:44:43,835 Speaker 1: sullivant tone of voice. The motorman waited until Shooty moved 711 00:44:43,875 --> 00:44:47,275 Speaker 1: slowly off the tracks. Then he went on about his business. 712 00:44:48,315 --> 00:44:50,195 Speaker 1: I think it was lucky for him that he did. 713 00:44:51,835 --> 00:44:58,195 Speaker 1: There were boys in those days. I went to Sullivant 714 00:44:58,835 --> 00:45:14,595 Speaker 1: by James Thurber. I've done all the damage I can 715 00:45:14,635 --> 00:45:16,435 Speaker 1: do here. Here are the credits. Most of the music 716 00:45:16,515 --> 00:45:19,115 Speaker 1: was arranged, produced and performed by Brian Ray and John 717 00:45:19,115 --> 00:45:22,795 Speaker 1: Phillips Chanel, who are the Countdown musical directors. All orchestration 718 00:45:22,875 --> 00:45:25,875 Speaker 1: and keyboards by John Phillip Chanelle, guitarist, bass and drums 719 00:45:25,915 --> 00:45:29,035 Speaker 1: by Brian Ray, and it was produced by Tko Brothers. 720 00:45:29,275 --> 00:45:31,915 Speaker 1: Other Beethoven selections have been arranged and performed by the 721 00:45:31,915 --> 00:45:35,635 Speaker 1: group No Horns Allowed. Sports music is the Olberman theme 722 00:45:35,635 --> 00:45:38,315 Speaker 1: from ESPN two and it was written by Mitch Warren Davis. 723 00:45:38,555 --> 00:45:42,395 Speaker 1: Courtesy of ESPN Inc. Musical comments from Nancy Fauss the 724 00:45:42,395 --> 00:45:45,555 Speaker 1: best baseball stadium organist ever. Our announcer was my friend 725 00:45:45,635 --> 00:45:48,795 Speaker 1: John Dean, and everything else was as usual, pretty much 726 00:45:48,835 --> 00:45:51,395 Speaker 1: my fault. So that's countdown for this, the eight hundred 727 00:45:51,395 --> 00:45:54,755 Speaker 1: and seventy first day since Donald Trump's first attempted coup 728 00:45:54,755 --> 00:45:57,795 Speaker 1: against the democratically elected government of the United States. Do 729 00:45:57,915 --> 00:46:00,875 Speaker 1: not forget to keep arresting him while we still can. 730 00:46:01,795 --> 00:46:04,955 Speaker 1: The next scheduled countdown is Munday, Memorial Day. As I said, 731 00:46:05,155 --> 00:46:09,355 Speaker 1: might be a full encore performance, might be headlines in 732 00:46:09,395 --> 00:46:13,915 Speaker 1: an encore I don't know. If I've got something, you 733 00:46:14,115 --> 00:46:18,235 Speaker 1: download it. If you've heard it before, don't listen anymore. 734 00:46:18,515 --> 00:46:21,635 Speaker 1: I won't take it personal till then. On Keith Oldremman, 735 00:46:21,675 --> 00:46:29,315 Speaker 1: good morning, good afternoon, good night, and good luck. Trump 736 00:46:29,435 --> 00:46:33,275 Speaker 1: has the charisma of a mortician. Countdown with Keith Olderman 737 00:46:33,435 --> 00:46:37,915 Speaker 1: is a production of iHeartRadio. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, 738 00:46:38,075 --> 00:46:42,115 Speaker 1: visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get 739 00:46:42,155 --> 00:46:43,075 Speaker 1: your podcasts.