Olbermann awarded Barnes "best rationalization" for criticism of Obama for bucking conventional wisdom on Iraq

On the October 9 edition of MSNBC's Countdown, during his nightly "Goofballs and Good Guys" segment, host Keith Olbermann honored Fox News host and Weekly Standard executive editor Fred Barnes with the "best rationalization" award for his claim -- documented by Media Matters for America -- that Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) is not "strong on national security" because he opposed, in 2002, the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq "when the entire world believed Saddam Hussein ... had weapons of mass destruction." Olbermann stated: "[B]est rationalization -- Fred Barnes of 'Fixed News' claiming Senator Obama's position on Iraq is not as strong as Obama thinks it is. That his ... 2002 speech came, quote, 'in a time when the entire world believed Saddam Hussein in Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. ... I don't think that shows that he is very strong on national security, which he needs to be,' unquote." Olbermann concluded: "So, he is not strong on national security because he was right and you, Fred Barnes, were totally damned wrong."

From the October 9 edition of MSNBC's Countdown with Keith Olbermann:

OLBERMANN: These stories ahead but, first, time for our "Goofballs and Good Guys."

Here are Countdown's top three "Best Persons in the World": Number 3 -- best rationalization -- Fred Barnes of "Fixed News," claiming Senator Obama's position on Iraq is not as strong as Obama thinks it is. That his 2000 speech came -- his 2002 speech came, quote, "in a time when the entire world believed Saddam Hussein in Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. And yet, Barack Obama was against the war at that point. I don't think that shows that he is very strong on national security, which he needs to be," unquote.

So, he's not strong on national security because he was right and you, Fred Barnes, were totally damned wrong.

—A.I.