On the April 27 edition of MSNBC's Countdown, host Keith Olbermann awarded Fox News host John Gibson “the bronze” in his nightly “Worst Person in the World” segment for describing the Iraqis as “knuckle-dragging savages from the 10th century” and arguing that they are at “fault” for the situation in Iraq, as Media Matters for America documented. Olbermann quoted Gibson saying on the April 23 broadcast of his Fox News Radio show: “We invaded the place, we knocked over Saddam, and then Iraqis began killing each other. ... [B]ut who is doing this killing? Give me a break. These are Iraqis killing each other. So what did we do? If you're saying it's our fault that we unmasked them as knuckle-dragging savages from the 10th century -- fine! I'll take credit.”
From the April 27 edition of MSNBC's Countdown with Keith Olbermann:
OLBERMANN: The bronze goes to Gibby. John Gibson of “Fox Noise” explaining to his radio listeners the U.S. is not responsible for civilian deaths in Iraq, saying, “We invaded the place, we knocked over Saddam, and then Iraqis began killing each other. ... [B]ut who is doing this killing? Give me a break. These are Iraqis killing each other. So what did we do? If you're saying it's our fault that we unmasked them as knuckle-dragging savages from the 10th century -- fine. I'll take credit.” End quote.
Yeah, but John, you also keep telling us it's Al Qaeda and foreign fighters doing the killing in Iraq, and if it's really the fault of those people you call “10th century,” “knuckle-dragging savages,” why exactly do we have to stay there to save them?
C. Murphy Hebert is an intern at Media Matters for America.