by D. Cupples | It's just not smart to raise boxing gloves against Salon's Glenn Greenwald when one doesn't have actual facts and events on his or her side.
As my co-blogger Damozel put it, MSNBC's Keith Olbermann and Glenn Greenwald went into a room over Olbermann's handling of the FISA issue, and only one of them came back out --
Greenwald.
Mr. Olbermann has been railing against FISA, Telecom Amnesty and President Bush for months -- complete with intense huffing and puffing and nostril flaring. He even called Telecom Amnesty a fascist plot (video available here). On those points, Greenwald agrees with Olbermann's original stance (which has, apparently, changed).
About 10 days ago, Sen. Barack Obama sort of reversed himself on FISA, when he publicly supported a bill that would 1) expand the executive branch's domestic-spying powers, and 2) grant retroactive immunity to law-breaking telecom companies.
No one can validly doubt that Mr. Olbermann has an Obama cheerleader since January, swishing his pleated blue skirt and shaking his matching pompoms.
When Sen Obama used his popularity not to fight FISA but to publicly support it, Olbermann discussed it on his show with uncharacteristic lack of intensity and passion -- as though discussing a congressional resolution bestowing the title "friend" upon certain species of the insect world.
Mr. Olbermann even went as far as claiming that Sen. Obama had a clever plan to help pass the new FISA bill then to criminally prosecute all those telecom folks who broke the law and whom FISA would give immunity from civil suits. Hmmm.
In response, Mr. Greenwald "tore him a new one," as the vernacular goes.
Apparently embarrassed over been called out for biased "journalism" (or hypocrisy or flip-flopping), Mr. Olbermann wrote a diary at Daily Kos that attempted to defend his bias (or hypocrisy or flip-flopping). In it, Mr. Olbermann did some name calling (against Mr. Greenwald) but didn't effectively explain his own reversed rhetoric against politicians who support FISA and Telecom Amnesty.
In response, Mr. Greenwald tore Olbermann a second new one, which begins as follows:
"Keith Olbermann went to Daily Kos to respond to what I wrote yesterday regarding his and Jonathan Alter's statements on Obama's support for the FISA bill. Despite his having packed his response with substance-free invective, I'm going to keep the reply as dispassionate as possible because I'm not interested in engaging in some personality-driven spat of the type that he seems to enjoy.
"What's more, in the scheme of things, I don't consider Keith Olbermann to be The Enemy or, comparatively speaking, even a particularly bad influence to be targeted. I wrote about his comments yesterday because they reflect a broader trend that I do think matters...."
Mr. Greenwald's second hole-tearing article is systematic, logical and definitely worth reading -- as is his point that uncritically protecting a politician for doing something bad is what inspired in many Americans the post-9/11, blind faith in President Bush that enabled the Bush Administration to create so many immense and long-term problems for our nation.
Note: though he does criticize Sen. Obama for his FISA stance, Mr. Greenwald does continue to support him against Sen. McCain. Mr. Greenwald simply doesn't think that his support should have to be blind or unquestioning.
Related BN-Politics Posts
* Domestic Spying & Telecom Amnesty: the Bigger Issues
* Domestic Spying Started Before 9/11, and Money Changed Hands
* Bush & Senate Republicans Protect Telecoms, Soil Privacy Rights
* U.S. Intel Chief Made False Statements re: Domestic Spying
The really dumb thing Greenwald has done in my opinion is try to get amnesty from the O-O supporters by saying "he continues to support him against Sen. McCain."
Dumb! Really that is just dumb after a brilliant article that goes after a politician on principle, then throw your own integrity out the door by saying that you will support the lying cheating tilt o whirl vying for the job of Commander in Chief? THAT will get him nowhere – the Obots but in big trouble (note the other O’s anger and response at Kos). THE idiots who’ve drank the disaster-aid will not see you as one of them unless you have the anti O’s in your blood. Don't you know there will be no criticizing the messiah – the chosen one, he who will save the world?! You’ve got to believe to be a fascist! OH!
I liked that you noticed they are all wearing the blue dress and waving pom poms. I mentioned that to my husband and he said - Gross that doesn't conjur up good images for Obama or help the Clintons. I said it doesn't matter it's all part of the same sick game politicians play. They can never tell the truth (spin) and they are expert liars - right to your face they'll lie. It is absolutely amazing then that people turn around and vote for any of these people.
Posted by: Danny | June 29, 2008 at 08:56 PM
Danny,
I was talking about Olbermann wearing a pleated blue skirt and shaking matching pompoms. :)
As I've said before, I understand why people are torn over Obama v. McCain. Obama has done things that make him not deserve Dems' votes, and McCain has done things that make him not deserve Dems' votes.
Rocks and hard places.
Posted by: Deb | June 29, 2008 at 09:52 PM