Olbermann Boils Over on Rudi

Tonight on Countdown, KO fired off a blistering counter-attack on Giuliani's outrageous terror claims - ripping into the record of the Republican party's inability to wage a war or prevent the worst terrorist attack on United States soil.

This is not the mere politicizing of Iraq, nor the vague mumbled epithets about Democratic “softness” from a delusional vice president.

This is casualties on a partisan basis — of the naked assertion that Mr. Giuliani’s party knows all and will save those who have voted for it — and to hell with everybody else.

And that he, with no foreign policy experience whatsoever, is somehow the messiah-of-the-moment.

Even to grant that that formula — whether posed by Republican or Democrat — is somehow not the most base, the most indefensible, the most un-American electioneering in our history — even if it is somehow acceptable to assign “casualties” to one party and “safety” to the other — even if we have become so profane in our thinking that it is part of our political vocabulary to view counter-terror as one party’s property and the other’s liability ... on what imaginary track record does Mr. Giuliani base his boast?

Which party held the presidency on Sept. 11, 2001, Mr. Giuliani?

Which party held the mayoralty of New York on that date, Mr. Giuliani?

Which party assured New Yorkers that the air was safe and the remains of the dead recovered and not being used to fill potholes, Mr. Giuliani?

Which party wanted what the terrorists wanted — the postponement of elections — and to whose personal advantage would that have redounded, Mr. Giuliani?

Which mayor of New York was elected eight months after the first attack on the World Trade Center, yet did not emphasize counter-terror in the same city for the next eight years, Mr. Giuliani?

Which party had proposed to turn over the Department of Homeland Security to Bernard Kerik, Mr. Giuliani?

Who wanted to ignore and hide Kerik’s organized crime allegations, Mr. Giuliani?

Who personally argued to the White House that Kerik need not be vetted, Mr. Giuliani?

Which party rode roughshod over Americans’ rights while braying that it was actually protecting them, Mr. Giuliani?

Which party took this country into the most utterly backwards, utterly counterproductive, utterly ruinous war in our history, Mr. Giuliani?

Which party has been in office as more Americans were killed in the pointless fields of Iraq than were killed in the consuming nightmare of 9/11, Mr. Giuliani?

Drop this argument, sir.

You will lose it.

Comments

[SV]

Holy Moley, you could see Keith getting more and more furious with every sentence! He needs a new name for these things - it wasn't a mere "comment", he was calling down the Wrath of an Aggrieved Nation on Rudy's ass.

[Mad as Hell]

Bravo Keith! The leading Rethug candidates are all under the impression that this country wants and needs more of the same. I do believe that the entire Rethuglican party has had their brains removed, and they are all nothing more than dutiful robots. Karl Rove is sitting at the command center pushing all the same buttons he's been pushing for 6 years now. There just isn't any other explaination!

[donna]

Keith is the only mainstream media spokeperson most of us have.

Isn't that sad?

[Phil Skrobacky, Thornhill,Ontario, Canada]

Thank G-D America that you still have a few brave media types willing to tell the truth! Dissent and framing arguments in a reasoned fashion reveals just how bankrupt all Bush enablers really are when it comes to getting America out of this never ending war. Guiliani demonstated courage just for one day and has been trying to cash in on it eversince. He won't own up for his lack of preparation prior to 911 unless Mr. Olbermann's poignant questions are posed to him every time he starts to babble. Democrats must vigorously fight back and confront Republican propaganda head on for the sake of all the free world, who still respect America for people such as Keith Olbermann!

[Silvio Levy]

Bravo Keith Olbermann.

[Ed Venella]

Thank you Keith...you continue to prove in such a reasoned and intelligent manner, that at least we have one clear and honest voice that speaks out against the evil cabal of sleeze that emanates from King George's court and his minions of dishonesty and terror. Rudy G's latest tirade is unforgivable and disgusting.

Again Keith...may we all thank you for your courage and honesty...and remember that "dissent is the essential fabric of patriotism."

[Mark Mywords]

Mitt the hunter
McCain the old-guy
Rudy the usless

The GOP is out of EVEN bad ideas
Their remaining in power is soooo sad

Gore on ENVIRONMENT
Clinton on HEALTH CARE
Edwards on LABOR
Obama on EDUCATION
ANY OF THEM ON PEACE ON EARTH

It is our party of GOOD IDEAS against the GOP LITTLE BRAINS

[domga]

Just what America needs... a president in a dress assuring us he alone can stop planes from flying into buidings... go home Rudy G.

[Farhad Abdolian]

Excellent reaction to the BS of the "hero" of 9/11!

It is so sad to watch this. Almost 6 years after the september 11 attacks, not a single US officials have been questioned for their failure to do their job.

US is so much like Iran during Khomeini (the government, and partially the society) that is frightening.

The behavior of the politicians in the US, democrats or republicans is like watching an episode of the Monty Pythons but this is not a sarcasm, what we see and hear is the reality of todays politics in the US that is spreading into Europe and the rest of the world as well.

How come there are no other reporters who question this kind of outrageous comments from this gang of criminals who are destroying the world while them and their friends are making unbelievable amount of money.

/Farhad

[Mark Richards]

Nailed it. Brilliant, and resonant.

I only wish the two of them could go on face to face. One would need a heap of paper towels (and disinfectant) to clean up all the spittle, but it would be beauteous to see that corrupt sonofabitch rammed in the ass.

Hmmm - perhaps Rudy G. might arrange for such an attack should a democrat win in 2008?

[T. Barr Arizona]

Terrific!! How refreshing to hear common sense being spoken!

Olbermann is a hero at a time when there are so few!!

[dfort]

Wait a minute -- aren't terrorists supposed to LOVE Democrats? Isn't it the Democrats who are furthering Al Qaeda's evil agenda with every move they make? Now I'm confused.

[RP, California]

Right on, except for one major detail. "Which party took this country into the most utterly backwards, utterly counterproductive, utterly ruinous war in our history, Mr. Giuliani?" Make that the last 30 years, and it is accurate. The Democrats got us into WWII, against the will of the people, by setting up the Pearl Harbor attack. They also set up the Cold war by invading Russia in 1918 (2 regiments led by MGEN William Graves), and exploding 2 nukes in an already totally defeated Japan in 1945.

[Bevin Gilmore]

There is NO difference in what Guiliani said and what the Bush/Cheney White House has been saying. A vote for anyone but them is a vote for "the enemy," "the terrorist."

[Melissa]

I wish someone would ask Rudy two questions. One, why did he destroy all the evidence of the 9/11 attacks. Two, who was it that told him to move away, building seven is going to come down. Hero, my foot. Terrorist is more like it.

[big dave from queens]

Giuliani was an utter failure as mayor on almost every issue except garbage cleanup.

Had Giuliani listened to the FBI, built an operable Command Center elsewhere, given the firefighters the equipment they asked for prior to 2001, and knew how to coordinate depts in an emergency, many of the 2700 people who died in NYC that day would have survived.

Now if you count these deaths in official crime stats, New York City had more violent murders than any city in America when Giuliani was mayor. But I'll omit this fact and simply point out that from 1994 to 2001, violent crime went down 53% all across America but only 46.8% under Giuliani. Had NYC had a better mayor, NYC would have equaled or exceeded the national average.

[Sue, St Louis]

Hope Rudy wins the Republican nomination though -- he'll be easy to beat!

To R.P. in California. World War II was "utterly backwards, utterly counterproductive, utterly ruinous war"?

Are you serious?

If memory serves the second world war defeated fascism (hardly backwards), freed countless millions from tyranny (bearly counterproductive) and helped establish one of the biggest economic booms the United States has ever seen (not even close to being 'ruinous').

The Cold war started AFTER WWII and NOT in 1918, and Japan was anything but defeated in 1945 having vowed to fight to the last man..Hiroshima and Nagasaki, dreadful as they were, served to give notice to the Japanese that "the last man" was an option that would be very, VERY unpleasant and very, VERY real if they didn't surrender..

Back on topic, K.O. is the bravest man in America and my respect for him grows more and more...He is the ONLY man on national TV with the stones to call it like it is and speak truth to power..

Good for him. Long may he continue!

[SJ Michigan]

I thought Keith was going to explode last night while he was saying this. Dissent is one thing that makes the rightwingers mad. You notice that they can say what they please? But when a Democrat says something to the contrary, they call them liars, terrorists or want them to step down as in the case of Sen. Reid? Free speech indeed! We can show these morons that we're damn sick and tired of the way things have been going for the last 6 1/2 yrs, and their time at the trough is over!
There's lots of things that can be done to help get rid of these lying, theiving, warmongering, murdering,hypocritical a$$holes.
Protests, putting up signs, organizing(and attending town meetings), honking horns and having your headlights on,sign impeachment petitions, also calling/writing/emailing your congressman/woman that is YOUR voice in DC.
It's time to get the ball rolling and get bush, cheney and rove out of DC, preferably run out of town on a rail.
We can do it America, so lets get going.

[Melissa]

I wish someone would ask Rudy two questions. One, why did he destroy all the evidence of the 9/11 attacks. Two, who was it that told him to move away, building seven is going to come down. Hero, my foot. Terrorist is more like it.

[Dusty]

Thank you Keith.....FUCK YOU NAZI scum bag guiliani

[Sinjohn]

Great job, Keith.

I still cannot understand why 9/11 has continued to be the GOPs ace in the hole, as it has been, to be uttered every other sentence, in the highest of reverential tones, and is still being used in that fashion, I see.

The first year or so, I can understand why it worked so well. But it has been 5 1/2 years. The shock has worn off and the grief is not as intense as was the case back then.

I think we have gained a different perspective on that horrible day, whether the politicians, any of them, realize it or not.

We know too much, now, for 9/11 to be the GOP mantra anymore.

By the time the actual election year rolls around, the Goopers may well be running from 9/11, as fast as their little criminal feet can take them.

I've been wondering if they(the Repugs) wouldn't engineer another *terrorist* attack next year before the election to strike fear into us once again? If so, it won't work, at least not with me.

Thank you for saying this, Keith. Please continue to speak up, loud and long.