Olbermann awarded National Review writer third "Worst Person" award; Limbaugh named "Worst Person" for still defending Michael J. Fox attacks
On the October 30 edition of MSNBC's Countdown, host Keith Olbermann awarded National Review writer Stephen Spruiell "the bronze" in his nightly "Worst Person in the World" segment for, as Media Matters for America documented, "[c]omplaining that I [Olbermann] too often refer to President Bush as 'Mr. Bush,' that it's my, quoting him, 'way of saying that Bush holds office illegitimately.' " Olbermann credited Media Matters for drawing attention to Spruiell's assertion, stating: "[I]t turns [out], and we thank the Media Matters website for this, so does Mr. Spruiell's boss. Writing in National Review since 2001, William F. Buckley himself has referred to the president as 'Mr. Bush' more than 150 times."
Additionally, Olbermann named nationally syndicated radio host Rush Limbaugh "Worst Person" for "claiming that TV networks speeded up the video from the day he first called [actor] Michael J. Fox a faker." Olbermann added: "He also denies that he was mocking or making fun of Fox's symptoms of Parkinson's disease." As Media Matters noted, Limbaugh purported to have apologized for his comments about Fox, who has Parkinson's disease and appeared in a campaign ad for Missouri Democratic Senate candidate Claire McCaskill, yet continued to attack Fox and baselessly question the veracity of Fox's condition in the ad. Limbaugh frequents Olbermann's "Worst Person" segment and recently received runner-up for stating that "terrorists around the world, especially these in Iraq, are voting Democrat [sic] today," as Media Matters also noted.
From the October 30 edition of MSNBC's Countdown with Keith Olbermann:
OLBERMANN: The bronze to someone named Steven Spruiell of National Review. Complaining that I too often refer to President Bush as "Mr. Bush," that it's my, quoting him, "way of saying that Bush holds office illegitimately." In fact, Mr. Spruiell, it's my way as not referring to him as, quote, "Bush." I call him, quote, "Mr. Bush." And it turns out, and we thank the Media Matters website for this, so does Mr. Spruiell's boss. Writing in National Review since 2001, William F. Buckley himself has referred to the president as "Mr. Bush" more than 150 times.
Our runner-up, Congresswoman Jean Schmidt [R] of Ohio. She says she's not advocating it, but she believes, quote, "It's something we need to look at." What is it? Storing nuclear-waste shipments from around the world inside her own congressional district. She says this a week and a half before the people in the district will decide whether or not to send her back to Congress. She thinks it could create hundreds, maybe thousands of jobs. To say nothing of a nice, healthy green glow in the community 24 hours a day.
But our winner, comedian Rush Limbaugh, who is now claiming that TV networks speeded up the video from the day he first called Michael J. Fox a faker. He also denies that he was mocking or making fun of Fox's symptoms of Parkinson's disease. Well, just look at this again. And by the way, nut job, it is regular speed.
LIMBAUGH [video clip]: He is exaggerating the effects of the disease. He is moving all around and shaking and it's purely an act.
OLBERMANN: We didn't alter it; maybe we should have. Limbaugh actually says, quote, "It is absurd and ridiculous for them to make this charge that I would make fun of somebody in this circumstance."
I'm going to make a controversial suggestion here on behalf of mankind, I think. Rush, your lies used to be slightly entertaining, but no more. Please go back on the drugs.
Comedian Rush Limbaugh, today's "Worst Person in the World."
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Olbermann hits it on the head. Had Rush just bit his tongue (even in the slightest) and just said nothing... let his insensitive remarks fall by the wayside... it would be done.
But, he can't. It's pathologic. Probably why he's who he is...and probably why I can't stand the guy (among other reasons).
"Comedian" Rush Limbaugh. That would explain the absurdity of the things Rush says but wouldn't explain why they're still not funny.
Limbaugh hasn't apologized, has he?
He said "If I'm wrong, I apologise, but he's acting--it's all an act."
The classic nonapology apology.
I have a brother-in-law who thinks it's okay to mock people like Fox. He just made a tasteless joke about stem cell research and the "Christopher Reeve Fan Club," his name for people who support stem cell research.
What's funny though is Countdown I never miss it. hard to decide though, who provides the better material: Rush or Billo.
As for Kerry's gaffe, he hasn't been one of those telling us to "stay the course" for the past two-plus years, when even our intelligence agencies report we're creating more terrorists than are being eliminated.
The irony: those who have never served criticising one who did. And please don't trot out the president's National Guard service. We still don't know where he was for ... how many months? When I served in the Marines, we called that "Unauthorized Absense" (UA). For Bush, what, just a clerical error?
He proves time and time again that he is devoid of empathy, humanity and compassion --clinical symptoms of sociopathy. Yes, Keith. Maybe he needs to go back to the drugs...
Perhaps somewhat overlooked in this whole controversy is the fact that Rush doesn't just think Fox was faking, but rather that he is "exploiting" his illness - as if Fox's self-interest in the potential for stem cell research in curing his illness somehow 'taints' his perspective. This, of course, coming from a multimillionaire pundit who rails against taxing the wealthy . . . clearly no 'self-interest' there. . .
As to Kerry, clearly the joke was mangled, but it was certainly mangled in a way such that what came out suggested that getting an education keeps you out of Iraq. Since there is no draft in effect in the United States the comment makes no sense on its face, hence providing ample evidence that the joke didn't come out as intended. Needless to say, not the type of gaff you want occurring a week before the elections . . .
If there is any human being in this country who would change their vote based on Kerry's comment, then humans are simply too stupid for democracy to work.
Still, look for the pundits to be surprised by the sudden late surge in republican turnout (a surge that exists nowhere but in the voting machines). Look for them to be surprised in 2008 and 2010 too.