CNN's Reliable Sources cited Media Matters item in noting "nasty spat" between Olbermann and Gibson over Fox host's comment about those who "have to answer for following the wrong religion"
CNN's Reliable Sources highlighted remarks by MSNBC Countdown host Keith Olbermann, who defended his characterization of Fox News host John Gibson as the "Worst Person in the World." Olbermann gave the "award" to Gibson for his comment, first noted by Media Matters, that non-Christians were "following the wrong religion."
On the January 1 edition of CNN's Reliable Sources, host and Washington Post media critic Howard Kurtz highlighted remarks by Keith Olbermann, host of MSNBC's Countdown, who on the December 27 edition of his program defended his previous characterization of Fox News host John Gibson as the "Worst Person in the World." As Media Matters for America noted, Olbermann bestowed his daily "Worst Person" honors on Gibson on December 2, in recognition of Gibson's November 17 appearance (documented by Media Matters here) on Salem Radio Network's Janet Parshall's America, when Gibson suggested that non-Christians were "following the wrong religion." Gibson further said that non-Christians were "not going to have to answer to me [for following the wrong religion]. We know who they're going to have to answer to."
Kurtz described what he called "a nasty spat" between Olbermann and Gibson and played Media Matters' audio clip of Gibson's appearance on Janet Parshall's America, as well as a video clip from the December 23 edition of Fox News' The Big Story with John Gibson, in which Gibson asserted that Olbermann had "repeated a misquote to justify saying some truly disgusting things about me." Although an on-screen transcript of Gibson's radio comments cited Media Matters as the source of the audio clip and transcript, Kurtz attributed the clip and transcript to "the Media Bistro website." Media Bistro's TV Newser weblog also has covered the dispute between Olbermann and Gibson. Kurtz also played a video clip from the December 27 edition of Countdown, when Olbermann encouraged Gibson to "have the self-respect to acknowledge what he said and to leave the airways for good, because between the remark and the denial, he has sadly forfeited his right to stay here."
From the January 1 edition of CNN's Reliable Sources:
KURTZ: Checking now in the world of media news, MSNBC's Countdown host, Keith Olbermann, has gotten into a nasty spat with his former colleague John Gibson, now with Fox News. As noted by the Media Bistro website, Olbermann named Gibson one of his worst persons in the world, saying Gibson, quote, "revealed a very ugly side to himself while selling his new book about this phony-baloney war on Christmas."
Here's what Gibson said during the November radio interview:
GIBSON [clip]: If somebody is going to be -- have to answer for following the wrong religion, they're not going to have to answer to me. We know who they're going to have to answer to.
KURTZ: Olbermann read that quote on the air. And then last week, Gibson responded to Olbermann's blast by denying that he had said it.
GIBSON [clip]: One of my former colleagues repeated a misquote to justify saying some truly disgusting things about me. Condescendingly, he tisk-tisked that he used to like me. I frankly doubt it, otherwise why would he be so willing to believe trash?
KURTZ: Olbermann then escalated the battle, saying the audio clip proves Gibson made the remarks.
OLBERMANN [clip]: The audio clip is the definitive answer, and I would hope John would now have the self-respect to acknowledge what he said and to leave the airways for good, because between the remark and the denial, he has, sadly, forfeited his right to stay here.
Why would he leave? With O'Liely and Hannitty he is in exellent company.All of them SwiftBoating merrily along.
I just think Keith was a little too towel-snappy with him.
It's titled: THE WAR ON EASTER It's about department stores calling Easter Eggs, Multi-colored spheres! My publisher claims I'll need to get a television show that will allow me to work the words THE WAR ON EASTER into every subject. Then I'm told I'll need to claim that people who don't call them EASTER eggs are following the "wrong religion" . Keith please, please make me the Worst Person in the World. I need all the free publicity I can get.
You know those creepy dead twigs people stick plastic Easter eggs on? Are you pro-Easter Tree or anti-Easter Tree?
They didn't have when I was young, so I'm guessing that they're a perversion of our ancient and sacred traditions. However, I need a strong, resolute leader to tell me what to think before I can make up my mind for myself.
Gibson is O'Reilly "lite" and unworthy of a "spat" with any anchor journalist. Does he have even a clue that this whole war on Christmas thing has fallen on its behind? It would be interesting to know how many copies of the book he sold. Probably even fewer than Dickie Morris' last abomination.
It would be nice if the news could be about the news and not about personalities.
Guess what we're seeing now is the Male Version of a "Cat Fight".
Get over it guys!!
If anything, Gibson should be admonished for what could reasonably be construed as proselytizing. I am Christian, and I don't think a pundit's/commentator's chair on network TV is the appropriate place to be proselytizing. That's why you have TV evangelism. Maybe Gibson ought to get into that line of work.
gossiping about celebrities.
I think it does.
[link to billoreilly.com]
I see Billy has added the New Yorker to his enemies list. What did they do?
[link to mediamatters.org]
[link to mediamatters.org]
The New Yorker said that O'Lielly's fakey Xmas war was fake. That's clearly a personal smear.
I was blessedly away from my computer for two weeks, celebrating Christmas with my family, and missed that piece. I'm glad to report that despite the War on Christmas, we were able to celebrate it unmolested by those horrible, horrible liberals at FAO Schwartz.
You mean MAO Schwartz, right?
During the holidays, several right-wing pundits fell on their swords and injured themselves, some severely. Last week, "true" Christian media warriors, rhetorically fighting to save Christmas from becoming a "Happy Holiday," fell on their own verbal swords. Some had cut off their noses (to spite their faces) while others had been wounded in the buttocks and sustained severe brain damage.
[Cut to commercial...]
We need to send our regards to Olbermann and Kurtz, and call on Fox to "retire" Gibson.
Thank goodness for Media Matters.
... because of people like gibson. his thing that christians are so tolerant of other religions is garbage. what happened in bosnia? the christians killing muslims because of their religion. and what do muslims think? most of them think that not only are we infidels damned but so are muslims in differents sects. like catholics think protestants will burn. i have nothing against the golden rule type of religion, and i don't pretend to know if there's something beyond this. but most religion is intolerance towards others. some of the christians i know are the most un-christian people i know. get over the angels, sitting around on the clouds in heaven, the big boss with the white beard, and deal with what's going on here. and if you think the bible is literally true, you are 1-ten years old, or 2-totally uninformed, or 3-a mental case.
--good one.
John Gibson is just like many Christians. But this time he got caught exposing their beliefs on T.V.
I have asked this question to some conservative Christians: "Do you believe you must accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior to get into Heaven?"
They almost always answer "Yes".
Then I will say: "So all people, including Jews, who don't accept Jesus are going to Hell?"
I watch them quickly backtrack.
Trying to be politically correct, they respond like this : "I feel everyone should be able to practice their own religion and I respect that."
My answer is always : "Even though you know they practice the wrong religion and will go to Hell?"
It's not a cat fight. It's an all too rare case of a responsible, clear thinking media personality pushing back against the blathering nonsense regurgitated on a daily basis by the right-wing nutbags on faux news. We need many, many more Keith Olbermans in this country. Go Keith!
Be sure to listen to Stephanie Miller every chance you get.
AT LEAST OLBERMANS WILL TELL IT LIKE IT IS WHEN IT COMES TO THOSE RIGHT-WINGERS OVER AT FOX NEWS, UNLIKE THE REST OF THE SO CALLED LIBERAL MEDIA !!!!