Blake Dvorak, a RealClearPolitics.com blogger, caught this confession from liberal MSNBC anchor Keith Olbermann that his network helps Democrats, and expects Democrats know the obvious. Olbermann let his bias show in a discussion of a John Edwards paid commercial that aired during Olbermann’s hosting segment.Here, without further comment, Olbermann’s exact words:
I don't want to be diverted by talking about commercials in the middle of the show but, Rachel, why on earth did he buy that commercial? I don't think I'm saying anything unknown to the audience, I don't think he would have gotten a hard time from this particular network. Why on earth did we do it that way?
4 comments:
Hi Dad,
This principle used to be known to the FCC as "equal time." If you allowed a commentator with one political perspective (the President) air time then you would allow equal time to an opposing commentator (John Edwards).
I don't think Keith is talking about anything more sinister than this.
Anyway, a night earlier Fox "News" Channel hosted a "Briefing for America" where Gen. Petraeus and Amb. Crocker got to repeat all their tendentious claims, in full, with the active encouragement and embellishments of Brit Hume. So I suggest you not throw stones, lest the proverbial fate befall your glorious glass house.
-Derek
Olbermann said, “I don't think he would have gotten a hard time from this particular network. Why on earth did we do it that way?” In other words, Olbermann is saying that Edwards didn’t have to buy a commercial, since MSNBC would have allowed him to say anything he wanted, including what he said in the commercial, for free. It’s not about equal time, as you suggest. It’s about the stupidity of a Democrat paying for time the Democrat can have for free.
Your mention of Petraeus and Crocker appearing on Fox for free shows you understand what Olbermann was offering to do for Edwards. To that, I would say, Petraeus and Crocker aren’t running for president— they are career US government employees. I would also say that Fox is sympathetic to Bush and those helping him in Iraq. You are making my point. What Fox is to Republicans, NBC, ABC, CBS, CNN, Headline News, CNBC, MSNBC and the Comedy Channel are to the Democrats. Olbermann’s mistake was saying the truth, which we are all supposed to keep hush-hush.
Can we agree on that?
Hi Dad,
So let me get this straight. You are using the hypothetical situation of John Edwards getting 2 minutes of free time on MSNBC, which didn't happen, to excuse Fox "News" giving 60 minutes of free time to Petraeus and Crocker, which did?
And then, beyond that, extending the hypothetical to seven other channels that also failed to provide any Democrat with even a minute of free airtime?
Now I'm really confused.
Aloha,
Derek
Sorry about the confusion, for which I will take responsibility.
What Blake Dvorak jumped on was Olbermann's openly saying that MSNBC would have given Edwards for free the time he paid for with a commercial. It's Olbermann's frank statement that MSNBC would be friendly to Edwards that's at issue. Of course MSNBC would be helpful to Edwards or any of the other leading Democrats who asked for the time--as would CBS, NBC, ABC, CNN, Headline News, CNBC, or the Comedy Channel. Olbermann's slip was saying so on air. You just don't say so openly. Olbermann did. That's all.
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