Olbermann named O'Reilly "Worst Person" for attacks on NBC, NY Times; Limbaugh placed second

On the July 10 edition of MSNBC's Countdown, host Keith Olbermann named Fox News anchor Bill O'Reilly the "winner" of his nightly "Worst Person in the World" segment for what Olbermann called "the stupid and very possibly libelous claim" that NBC and The New York Times "don't want Iraq to become successful as a nation or to somehow become a wall against terrorism." Olbermann observed, as Media Matters for America documented, that during the July 9 edition of Fox News' The O'Reilly Factor, O'Reilly asserted: "I'm still praying for a miracle, as a stable Iraq makes the world a safer place. I believe that prayer is not being shared in some precincts here in America." Olbermann asked: "Precincts? Like the one in which the guy who said this lives: The United States ought to, quote, 'Hand over everything to the Iraqis as fast as humanly possible. There are so many nuts in the country -- so many crazies -- that we can't control them'? Who said that? Bill O'Reilly, February 20, 2006."

Olbermann named nationally syndicated radio host Rush Limbaugh the "runner-up" for criticizing an op-ed about Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY), as Media Matters also documented. Olbermann quoted from the op-ed, which said, "The most appealing thing about Clinton has always been her enemies, who often seem not in their right mind, screaming that she is a murderer." Olbermann continued: "Comedian's response, 'I don't know who's accusing her of murdering anybody.' " Olbermann declared that "it was Limbaugh himself who first put out the story nationally on his radio show in 1994 that a report was about to be issued that White House counsel Vince Foster was murdered in an apartment owned by Hillary Clinton and the body was then taken to Fort Marcy Park." Olbermann added: "Not even two years ago, Limbaugh said that if [anti-war activist] Cindy Sheehan criticized Sen. Clinton she would, quote, 'end up in Fort Marcy Park.' "

As Media Matters has documented (here, here, here, here, and here), Olbermann frequently names O'Reilly in his "Worst Person" segment. Recently, Olbermann named O'Reilly the "winner" for "reacting to the arrest in the abduction and murder of the Kansas teenager Kelsey Smith, saying, quote, 'This guy [who] is charged has a child and a wife. You know, like he's a white-bread guy. And we're all going, "What is that?" ' "

Limbaugh also frequently appears on Olbermann's list, as Media Matters has noted (here, here, here and here), and Limbaugh was recently named "winner" for complaining that Democrats are not asked "why there are no women and minorities on stage" during presidential debates.

From the July 10 edition of MSNBC's Countdown with Keith Olbermann:

OLBERMANN: The runner-up, comedian Rush Limbaugh criticizing a pro-Hillary Clinton article that observed that the most appealing thing about Clinton has always been her enemies, who often seem not in their right mind, screaming that she is a murderer. Comedian's response: "I don't know who's accusing her of murdering anybody."

In fact, of course, it was Limbaugh himself who first put out the story nationally on his radio show in 1994 that a report was about to be issued that White House counsel Vince Foster was murdered in an apartment owned by Hillary Clinton and the body was then taken to Fort Marcy Park. Not even two years ago, Limbaugh said that if Cindy Sheehan criticized Sen. Clinton she would, quote, "end up in Fort Marcy Park."

And he doesn't remember anybody accusing her of murdering anybody. Memory loss: side effect of prescription-drug abuse?

But our winner, Bill-O attacking NBC and The New York Times with the completely stupid and very possibly libelous claim that these two organizations don't want Iraq to become successful as a nation or to somehow become a wall against terrorism. "I'm still praying for a miracle, as a stable Iraq makes the world a safer place. I believe that prayer is not being shared in some precincts here in America."

Precincts? Like the one in which the guy who said this lives: The United States ought to, quote, "Hand over everything to the Iraqis as fast as humanly possible. There are so many nuts in the country -- so many crazies -- that we can't control them"? Who said that? Bill O'Reilly, February 20, 2006.

Bill O'Reilly, why do you hate Bill O'Reilly? Bill-O, today's "Worst Person in the World."

—A.I.