Limbaugh "Worst Person" for claiming VA Tech shooter was a "liberal"

On the April 20 edition of MSNBC's Countdown, host Keith Olbermann named nationally syndicated radio host Rush Limbaugh the "winner" of his nightly "Worst Person in the World" segment for claiming that the perpetrator of the April 16 shootings at Virginia Tech was a "liberal," as Media Matters for America documented. Olbermann quoted Limbaugh saying: "This guy had to be a liberal. You start railing against the rich, and all this other -- this guy is a liberal. He was turned into a liberal somewhere along the line. So it's a liberal that committed this act."

Additionally, Olbermann awarded Fox News host Bill O'Reilly the "bronze" for defending Republican presidential candidate Tommy Thompson's statement in an April 16 speech to the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism that "earning money" is "sort of part of the Jewish tradition." Olbermann said: "Bill-O has now explained there was no insult, nor stereotyping there by Mr. Thompson. He was basically giving the crowd a compliment and saying, 'You're good businesspeople.' "

Both Limbaugh and O'Reilly are frequent recipients of Olbermann's "Worst Person" honors. Limbaugh was named "Worst Person" during the March 29 edition of Countdown for attributing criticism of Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales to "racis[m]." Likewise, Olbermann named O'Reilly "Worst Person" on March 23 because, as Media Matters documented and Olbermann explained, O'Reilly "had his radio engineer turn off the mike of his own co-host, Lis Wiehl, because she said Gonzales-gate mattered and because she reminded him, under the president's offer to Congress, [White House senior adviser] Karl Rove and company would not have to testify under oath."

From the April 20 edition of MSNBC's Countdown with Keith Olbermann:

OLBERMANN: The bronze to Bill-O. You'll recall that Republican presidential hopeful Tommy Thompson told the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, quote, "I am in the private sector, and for the first time in my life, I'm earning money. You know, that's sort of part of the Jewish tradition, and I do not find anything wrong with that." He added, "What I was referring to, ladies and gentlemen, is the accomplishments of the Jewish religion. You've been outstanding businesspeople, and I compliment you for that."

Bill-O has now explained there was no insult, nor stereotyping there by Mr. Thompson. "He was basically giving the crowd a compliment, and saying, 'You're good businesspeople.' " So, Bill, if somebody said, "You Irish are the best sexual harassers," you'd take that as a compliment?

[...]

OLBERMANN: But the winner, comedian Rush Limbaugh, explaining to his radio audience that Cho Seung-Hui was, well, let me quote it: "This guy had to be a liberal. You start railing against the rich, and all this other -- this guy is a liberal. He was turned into a liberal somewhere along the line. So it's a liberal that committed this act."

He was a delusional paranoid, Rush. He was disconnected from reality, Rush. You can't be a delusional paranoid, disconnected from reality, Rush, and have a political ideology. I mean, Rush, you couldn't have that political ideology of yours and be a delusional paranoid disconnected from reali -- never mind.

Comedian Rush Limbaugh, today's "Worst Person in the World."

—A.I.