Lame: Olbermann Trashes Coulter for 'Banned for Life' Story -- But His Show Bans All Conservatives

Lame: Olbermann Trashes Coulter for 'Banned for Life' Story -- But His Show Bans All Conservatives

By Tim Graham (Bio | Archive)
January 7, 2009 - 20:00 ET

It was utterly unsurprising to see Keith Olbermann trashing Ann Coulter on Tuesday for the Drudge Report’s "phony martyrdom story" that she was "banned for life" from NBC.

But Olbermann seems so devoid of introspection that he didn’t consider the obvious: every conservative has been effectively "banned for life" from his hermetically sealed show for years. For as much as this lecturing Murrow wannabe boils over with contempt for Bill O’Reilly, his Fox foe offers liberals air time for a counterpoint, while Keith’s set has a broad range of opinions – from Obama-loving to Obama-stalking. See Keith unload:

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Number one: best childish, desperate, self-hating whiner, Ann Coulter. never has anybody who respected a news organization less wanted, needed, begged for the attention of that news organization more. After in her latest republishing of her one idea with another new title, portraying NBC as a purveyor of lies which has been, quote, "caught promoting a fraud," she not only pleaded to appear on evil NBC first, before Fox, before Fox News, before right wing radio. She not only pleaded to launch the book`s publicity tour on NBC, but she proved so emotionally fragile that when that NBC appearance was canceled, she concocted a phony martyrdom story that she had, quote, "been banned for life from NBC."

The Coulter-ban rumors aren’t that interesting if NBC had never allowed her on before, like many conservatives. NBC has a right as a private organization to choose its guests, or keep a banned-for-life list. It’s interesting because she’s been a prominent repeat guest on Today, and allegedly open-minded liberals of an Olbermannesque bent starting organizing a pressure campaign to get her banned.

A media critic can easily suspect that Drudge’s story was a set of anonymous quotes from top NBC officials, and therefore suspect. But notice how NBC waffled around giving any real detail to their internal discussions. Besides, by this logic, most Bob Woodward books should never get the dramatic promotion they get on the Today show, as much as they’re loaded with quotes from anonymous top officials. Back to Keith’s lecture, where it left off:

Incredibly, even as she was spreading that lie, Ms. Coulter was also behind the scenes supplicating herself, crying, bleating, screeching, begging, even, old, unreliable, non-journalistic, untrustworthy, immoral, hypocritical NBC to please, please, please let her come on to promote her book, which is, in part, about why how evil, unreliable, non-journalistic, untrustworthy, immoral and hypocritical NBC is.

The question, of course, is what kind of ethics, what kind of standards, what kind of self-respect would somebody have to have to go to such lengths to appear on a network that one considers the embodiment of falsehood and deception? The answer, you`d have to no have no ethics and no standards and no self-respect. For if you think that NBC is full of virtual pimps of dishonesty, if you`re going on NBC, Ann, what does that mean you think you are?

This is a lame argument. For example, I think PBS is a taxpayer-funded left-wing sandbox. But if a PBS show invited me for an interview, I don't think accepting it would ruin me by association, as Olbermann seems to suggest.

Keith is clearly suggesting that he would never appear on his nominee for a channel with no standards, Fox News, since it's full of those "pimps of dishonesty." Don't forget he was willing to take big paychecks from Rupert Murdoch to be a failed Fox Sports anchor for a while.

This should on some level be considered an official NBC News rebuttal of the Coulter story, since Keith is one of their highest-paid hosts and his show begins with a flutter of official NBC peacock logos and music. Remember this when NBC or MSNBC asserts someone else’s political chatter is too nasty for the virgin ears of our democracy.

—Tim Graham is Director of Media Analysis at the Media Research Center.

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Am reading the book now

January 7, 2009 - 20:11 ET by legacyrepublican

I am reading the book now. It is very good and she is not pulling any punches. Sorry KKKeith, you need to read it before you slam her.

Does anyone really watch

January 7, 2009 - 20:12 ET by thebutlerdidit

Does anyone really watch this show? I mean, really? As for Ann, she was supposedly "begging" to come on? I have to wonder at that.

→ No butler

January 7, 2009 - 20:15 ET by Cool Arrow

But we get the crib sheet here in case there's a test.

LYDSEXICS UNTIE!

Cool, I just can't imagine

January 7, 2009 - 20:25 ET by thebutlerdidit

Cool, I just can't imagine sitting through a whole episode of this crap without having some sort of an episode, myself. I appreciate everyone here who watches this swill, they deserve hazard duty pay.

tbdi

January 7, 2009 - 20:28 ET by botg

i for one can see Ann saying:

"Oh Keith, please, please, PLEASE, let me come on your show" while kweefey hides behind a secretary, she'd murderlize him!

“The way to stop discrimination on the basis of race is to stop discriminating on the basis of race.” -- Chief Justice John Roberts

Botg

January 7, 2009 - 21:02 ET by thebutlerdidit

KO can't have any one that is a conservative on, they might disrupt his diatribe on Bush being a traitor, murderer, criminal, thief, etc., etc. If BOR went away, and now with Bush leaving, what in the world will he talk about? I agree with Greg Gutfeld, Keith's obsession with O'Reilly borders on homo-erotic.

A for accuracy, and as usual

January 7, 2009 - 20:16 ET by Fairlight

A for accuracy, and, no suprise here, well written.

My favorite Olbermann diatribe...

January 7, 2009 - 20:26 ET by directorblue

...My favorite Olby meltdown went something like this.

Keith Olberman has a TV

January 7, 2009 - 20:39 ET by Beukeboom

Keith Olberman has a TV show?!?

I keep waiting for Keith's

January 7, 2009 - 20:42 ET by obageegee

I keep waiting for Keith's head to explode....

Exploding Talking Heads

January 7, 2009 - 20:45 ET by Sergeant ROCK

If it would help the ratings...

BTW.. is Olberman really Max Headroom?

Bolton/KEYES 2012

Since I have no respect for him and don't take him seriously

January 7, 2009 - 21:03 ET by Jnoble

...I can't get worked up or angry over anything he says or does like some here do. I don't even think he truly belives most of what he says. He and his show is a joke and everyone knows it.

I'd love to see Ann show up

January 7, 2009 - 21:47 ET by HockeyKid

I'd love to see Ann show up on Bathtub Boy's set. He wouldn't be able to string three words together before losing bladder control.

I think of him as "Edward Rn't Murrow".

"Beauty is only skin deep, but liberal's to the bone." - me

Notice how he quotes NBC

January 8, 2009 - 11:49 ET by kg

Notice how he quotes NBC and twists it into a Coulter quote.

NBC said she would no longer be welcome at NBC and she just clarified NBC's statement.

Don't let the facts get in the way of a good rant Olbermoron.

"Forget change, I want improvement!"

I've got a great idea.

January 7, 2009 - 21:54 ET by pbthinker

Here's a great idea, Newsbusters works out a deal with the cable and satelite providers, to have a pay-per-view debate between Coulter and Olbermann with a $1,000,000 prize to the winner. The reason Olbermann doesn't have any conservatives on his show is he can't win a debate with them because, most often, he not only doesn't have the facts to back him up, he also doesn't have command of the facts, only his opinions.

I'd pay to see him debate Ann Coulter or Newt Gingrich, either of whom would put this guy so far down a hole he wouldn't be able to host another show on MSNBC.

Election 2008-God's way of showing us that elections count.

Emergency Care

January 7, 2009 - 21:59 ET by Sergeant ROCK

Will there be a physician standing by to sedate Olberdork when things go horribly wrong for him? Or will it just be a cop with a taser?

Bolton/KEYES 2012

I hope it's the TASER!

January 7, 2009 - 21:59 ET by Free Stinker

I hope it's the TASER! ;-)

"Gov. Palin has been subjected to one of the most massive and dishonest pile-on smear attacks in the history of liberal media." -- Lowell Ponte

Sgt Rock

January 7, 2009 - 23:43 ET by thebutlerdidit

No, they will just call the local zoo to bring over an elephant tranquilizer administered with a blow gun.

The sad thing is, people like the Kos kids think he is a real journalist.

What they're not telling you

January 7, 2009 - 22:41 ET by KC Mulville

How lame is right! Lauer was particularly ridiculous. He argued that since they had invited her on before, that forever proved NBC's "fairness." (Of course, remember Chris Matthews when he ambushed Coulter with Elizabeth Edwards?).

So why does she go on these shows? As William F. Buckley said, if a publisher is going to pay you millions of dollars, the least you can do is help them sell your book. I have no doubt that the publisher prepared an extensive tour, with all the usual bookings, and that included NBC.

Does anyone think that Ann Coulter called NBC a few days ago, begging to be on NBC? This is a part of the publishing book tour routine. Publishers pay staffers whose entire job is to make these bookings. Olbermann is being obtuse, as usual, by trying to portray this appearance as a favor to Coulter in the first place.

I would have no trouble imagining that the publisher and NBC's publicity department had worked out a standard ho-hum appearance for Coulter's book tour. But when the ultra-liberals at the Today show heard about it, they were politically incensed for having to give That Woman a voice, so they decided to take matters into their own hands. They decided to sandbag Coulter, like the clique-queens at the local high school. "We'll show her!" And then Coulter went right back at them, and now they're steaming mad.

And these anchors are so transparent! They claim to be willing to discuss serious issues, but they're distracted by her tone. What a crock! Are they proving their own shallowness by saying they won't discuss a serious topic because of someone's tone? Well then, let's ask: why they haven't investigated these issues themselves? Why did they have to wait for Ann Coulter to investigate these issues? How come they didn't tell us that 70% of prison inmates were products of single-parent families? Remember, they're in the news business. They claim to know what's going on. After all, it's not an industry that can defend itself on the grounds of ignorance.

I better stop here. The more I think about it, the angrier I get. I've already erased a whole paragraph on the contrast between Coulter's "tone" and Al Franken's tone ... you know the buffoon who titled his books, "Rush Limbaugh Is a Big Fat Idiot and Other Observations" and "Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them: A Fair and Balanced Look at the Right."

Didn't hear any "tone" complaints then, did we?

The msm has no interest in

January 8, 2009 - 08:34 ET by Smartypants

The msm has no interest in the actual truth as it exists; they care about their agenda. Their idea of fairness is having a conservative on their shows, as if that alone demonstrates impartiality. They then proceed to harangue theses guests over the tiniest of issues, while liberals come on their airwaves spewing ridiculous charges and are rarely questioned about them. In terms of this "tone" nonsense, when was the last time any liberal was called out for having a bad "tone"? Michael Moore, Al Franken, Keith Olbermann (on NBC's own airwaves no less) spew some of the most hate-filled invective possible, and I've never seen any of these individuals criticized for having a bad "tone" (other than on right wing blogs).

Ann Coulter Banned by Google?

January 8, 2009 - 08:49 ET by avenar

I followed a link to Ann's article this morning:

http://www.humaneven...

and then I got this message:

"Reported Attack Site!
This web site at www.humanevents.com has been reported as an attack site and has been blocked based on your security preferences. "

When I clicked "Why is this Site Blocked", it reported:

What is the current listing status for www.humanevents.com?

Site is listed as suspicious - visiting this web site may harm your computer.

Advisory provided by Google

Is it just me? Did I do something wrong or has Ann Coulter been banned from Google as well?

I hope I'm wrong. Must be my mistake. I found it unbelievable.

You're not wrong

January 8, 2009 - 09:27 ET by choselife3x

Google is slightly to the left of Marx. They banned me once from using it saying they thought my computer might be harmful. Kicker is, I'm on a BlackBerry!!
I was apparently looking up too many conservative sites. VERY suspicious.
When I found out they were rabid lefties I switched to Ask. I won't use Google at all now just on principle.

In order to be pro-choice, one must first be born. Ah, the irony.

Is Olberman on medication?

January 8, 2009 - 09:15 ET by mizflame98

If he's not, he should be.

Perfect Demotivator for the Obama Administration

http://www.despair.com/government.html

I'm Not Missing A Thing, Am I?

January 8, 2009 - 09:47 ET by flyingmonkey

I've never watched Keith Olbermann's show and for some reason, I don't feel that I'm missing anything.

Is it some kind of faux SNL type, tabloid show???

The man is not only mentally

January 8, 2009 - 09:52 ET by marpel

The man is not only mentally ill, but Ann Coulter has a much bigger "set" than he does. If Keith were to debate Ann, it be would like bringing a knife to a gunfight... You go, Girl!

Did anyone see her on O'Reilly last night? He was an A-hole to her...much like Lauer, Kathy Lee and Hoda were on the Today Show.

Coulter on O'Reilly

January 8, 2009 - 10:41 ET by Lord Erond

O'Reilly poses an interesting dilemma to me. I am firmly of the belief that he is "looking out for me" as he says. However, I dislike his opinion of Ann and her tactics as he says. It's my opinion that most people fail to recognize the Absurdem et reducto arguments that Ann frequently engages in. Ann has a marvelous linguistic and argumentative style that I liken to being knifed by a stilletto then bleeding to death before you even know you've been stabbed. I wholeheartedly believe in one of Ann's central tenets that you can not be nice to liberals, you can not rationalize with liberals and you certainly can't convince a liberal of how boneheaded some of their arguments really are.

O'Reilly tries to do that sometimes. And did Bill forget his tirade at Barney Frank? Would that qualify as personal? Is it ever appropriate to scream at a sitting Senator, no matter how much of a degenerate pimp liar he is?

"What you can not enforce, do not command" -Sophocles-

→ Coulter/O'Reilly

January 8, 2009 - 10:51 ET by Cool Arrow

I'm with you Elrond. I like O'Reilly, but he seems restreained in much of what he wants to say. He always wants to bring up the "far right" when he hits the "far left", except all he has on the "far right" are skinheads. And there ain't no way we will allow ourselves to be associated with those fools. On the other hand, the homosexual activists who paint swastikas on churches are full card carrying members of the left.

LYDSEXICS UNTIE!

O'Reilly made the mistake

January 8, 2009 - 14:37 ET by marpel

O'Reilly made the mistake of trying to intimidate Ann Coulter by "chastising" her on her style. I think she has a much more effective style than he does. He's been getting on my nerves for the past few years now.

At first, I felt he was looking out for "the folks", but now, I think he sees himself as our leader and instructor. He was trying to "instruct" Ann Coulter last night and it was offensive.

Hey marpel... Howdy...I

January 8, 2009 - 15:01 ET by bigtimer

Hey marpel...

Howdy...I caught that last night too...she cleaned his arrogant clock...and then some.

You can be sure he did not like this one little bit...I did!

America isn't the problem...America is the solution." ~ Rush Limbaugh

KO for Senate

January 8, 2009 - 12:52 ET by boomercon

Is KO perhaps from MN? Or maybe some other super blue state?

The Dems need KO, and yes, Chris M. too, in their senate. That would just about round it out: Sen. Franken (D); Sen. KO (D); and Sen. Chris M. (D). Little Harry could then reign supreme over that circus. We'd very soon have a Republican Senate again.