Olbermann named Hannity “Worst Person” for saying Dem debaters were not questioned on “partial-birth” abortion, NIE

Written by Matthew Biedlingmaier

Published

On the June 18 edition of MSNBC's Countdown, host Keith Olbermann named Sean Hannity the “winner” in his nightly “Worst Person in the World” segment for claiming to be “frustrated” by purported differences between the Democratic and Republican presidential debates: “The Democrats don't get the questions on partial-birth abortion or asked if they've read the National Intelligence Estimate [NIE]. It seems like the Republicans are getting more scrutiny.” However, as Media Matters for America noted, two Democratic candidates were asked during an April 26 debate about the abortion procedure that critics call partial-birth abortion, and at a June 3 debate, two Democratic candidates were asked whether they regretted not reading the September 2002 NIE on the threat posed by Iraq.

Hannity made his remarks about the debates during the June 14 edition of Fox News' Hannity & Colmes. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's (D-NY) response to the NIE question was specifically noted by Republican pollster Frank Luntz -- the guest on the June 14 broadcast -- during an appearance on Hannity & Colmes 10 days earlier.

On Countdown, Olbermann noted the abortion and NIE questions posed at the debates and added: “Thanks for paying attention out there, Slappy. Sean Hannity, today's Worst Person in the World.”

As Media Matters has noted (here, here, here, here, and here), Olbermann frequently names Hannity in his “Worst Person” segment.

From the June 18 edition of MSNBC's Countdown with Keith Olbermann:

OLBERMANN: But our winner, Sean Hannity, who told his audience that he was, quote, “frustrated” that at the Republican debates, the candidates got asked questions about partial-birth abortion or not reading the National Intelligence Estimate, but in the Democratic debates, the candidates did not.

Even though in the April debate in South Carolina, [former] Senator [John] Edwards [D-NC] and [Sen. Barack] Obama [D-IL] were asked about partial-birth abortion, and in the New Hampshire debate two weeks ago, Senators Clinton and Edwards were asked about not reading the National Intelligence Estimate. Thanks for paying attention out there, Slappy. Sean Hannity, today's “Worst Person in the World.”