ABOUT THE NEWS HOLE

It's the new award-winning blog* from the cast and crew of the award-winning television news hour** "Countdown with Keith Olbermann."

We heard about this whole "blogosphere" business from Tom DeLay, and came to the immediate realization that we too, "needed to become involved" in it.

So here it is. Covering the big news, the small news, medium-sized and irregular, The News Hole strives to bring everything you love or hate about Countdown to the internets.

Your feedback and hate mail is encouraged.

*Countdown's "Best of the Web Awards" 2007
**The News Hole's "Best of the TV Awards" 2006



Ford CEO Prevents Car Bomb at White House (Update: Or Not)

Posted: Monday, April 09, 2007 1:00 PM by Countdown



From the Detroit News...

Plug it in, fire it up, Mr. President

Ford Motor Co. CEO Alan Mulally with saving the leader of the free world from self-immolation.

Mulally told journalists at the New York auto show that he intervened to prevent President Bush from plugging an electrical cord into the hydrogen tank of Ford's hydrogen-electric plug-in hybrid at the White House last week. Ford wanted to give the Commander-in-Chief an actual demonstration of the innovative vehicle, so the automaker arranged for an electrical outlet to be installed on the South Lawn and ran a charging cord to the hybrid. However, as Mulally followed Bush out to the car, he noticed someone had left the cord lying at the rear of the vehicle, near the fuel tank.

"I just thought, 'Oh my goodness!' So, I started walking faster, and the President walked faster and he got to the cord before I did. I violated all the protocols. I touched the President. I grabbed his arm and I moved him up to the front," Mulally said. "I wanted the president to make sure he plugged into the electricity, not into the hydrogen This is all off the record, right?"

UPDATE:  We've just watched the video of this here in the Countdown newsroom, and well... We think Mr. Mulally is maybe...embellishing his story a bit.  We'll try to get a clip posted here later this afternoon, HERE IS THE VIDEO, from what we can see... almost none of what he says happened... actually happened.

MAIN PAGE

Email this EMAIL THIS

Comments

What is the big deal?? I guess somehow this makes the president look bad?

scott henderson nv (Sent Monday, April 09, 2007 1:31 PM)

Thank God CEO Alan Mulally steered the President away from danger. I would have been so fraught with fear and concern for Bush's safety and well-being I would have quickly caught up to him before he could pick up that chord, grabbed him around the neck, wrestled him to the ground (gave him a few good nuggies on the forehead with my knuckle) and then jerked him up by the tie to quickly make sure he was ok and unharmed. Whew! That would have been close and I would have been a hero.

C A, Tuscaloosa, AL (Sent Monday, April 09, 2007 1:48 PM)

This story is a sham. I have a book coming out called THE HYDROGEN AGE. The hydrogen hybrid vehicle in question is in the book. No way could it 'blow up' by getting a plug in cord next to the hydrogen fueling port. The car is designed to function safely. That simply could not happen. It is a (purposeful or otherwise) figment of a reporters imagination. Then it takes off with the media because it turns a non-story into news, even though it is a lie. Renewable hydrogen technology offers the very best hope for moving the world toward a sustainable future, while eliminating the pollution that causes global warming. The only exhaust coming from an engine fueled by hydrogen is water! You are helping Exxon Mobil to undermine hydrogen so they can continue to make 10 billion or more in profit every 90 days from selling oil. To perpetuate this lie about hydrogen is beneath your show. I have long been a fan of Keith Olbermann because he has the courage to stick his neck out to tell the truth. If you are going to run this ridiculous segment about Bush 'blowing himself up with hydrogen' on the White House lawn, then you should do another segment that sets the record straight. Put somebody like Amory Lovins on, or even me for that matter, to tell the real, and very exciting, truth about hydrogen energy.

Geoffrey Holland (Sent Monday, April 09, 2007 2:10 PM)

He should have let him plug the wrong hole. You couldn't write a better ending.

Aaron, Los Angeles, CA (Sent Monday, April 09, 2007 2:14 PM)

**chuckle** Is that Cheney squinting in the background waiting for it to go !BOOM!

JRunning, Owasso, OK (Sent Monday, April 09, 2007 2:18 PM)

bush smirks sarcastically as he calmly attempts to stick the live electrical charging cord into the hydrogen tank. The hydrogen fuel detonates from the arch created when he places the live cord against the rim of the full hydrogen tank. The Improvised Explosive Device, a weapon now common in Iraq, claims yet another life. A startled nation mourns as it begins its recovery from a destructive presidency. --- I know that many will consider Mulally a hero for saving bush’s life, but had he hesitated just a brief moment to fix his tie or wipe a scuff mark from his shoe…

JW, Chicago (Sent Monday, April 09, 2007 2:30 PM)

In answer to Scott: Yeah, pathetically, it does. It's what's known in political circles as the "killer rabbit" effect: i.e., some really trivial piece of footage that makes a politician look like a total idiot/ spaz / fruitcake. Perception is reality, at least to those watching the tube.

Quellan T, Rhode Island (Sent Monday, April 09, 2007 3:00 PM)

Plugging an electrical cord into a tank full of highly volatile hydrogen is pretty scary. Ford Motor Co. CEO Alan Mulally did us all a big favor by preventing George from blowing up: he saved the White House from serious structural damage and the world from a President Cheney

Kenn Bowen, Winterset, IA (Sent Monday, April 09, 2007 3:12 PM)

Uh ... it would seem to concern me more if someone could actually "blow themselves up" by plugging cord into the wrong spot on the car, not that someone (anyone, including the president) might not understand where the charging port was on a car they never saw before. Ford ... you got some work to do if this truly were a "problem" to be worried about.

John, Harrisburg, PA (Sent Monday, April 09, 2007 3:13 PM)

I wouldn't be suprised if these clean cars would try and kill the "president" for the mass money funds that oil and coal companies and lobbies recieve from that administration.

Justin, Santa Barbara, California (Sent Monday, April 09, 2007 3:42 PM)

Quellan: We need no trivial piece of footage to make the determination that Bush was, is and always will be a total idiot, spaz, fruitcake. Take away the car, the CEO, the jerk in the back of the picture with the glasses on and just look at the expression on Bush's face. Study it good. If that isn't an expression that says "everytime I try something, anything, I botch it most of the time so I better get ready once again to make with that stupid giggle then blame the Dems or Bill Clinton for any negative consequences". Now bring back the car and that jerk with the glasses on and you can clearly see him bending slightly for a look see under the car for any explosives so he can create an excuse to declare war against Ford because he has intellignece reports that al-queda and Ford are in cahoots.

C A, Tuscaloosa, AL (Sent Monday, April 09, 2007 4:26 PM)

Kenn Bowen, Winterset, IA (Sent Monday, April 09, 2007 3:12 PM) Your response raises a number of questions. How does one “plug” an electrical cord into a hydrogen gas tank? Even if one could how much voltage would be required to break down the hydrogen gas in order to cause a spark, i.e. what is the dielectric strength of hydrogen? I guess hydrogen tanks are not well sealed and are prone to leaking?

scott henderson nv (Sent Monday, April 09, 2007 4:50 PM)

Once again this shows that the leaders of the free world aren't fit to lead anything. These two have their finger on the button!!Holy Irony Batman

Bill Rochester NY (Sent Monday, April 09, 2007 5:06 PM)

Don't think I'll by one ... or it. (The Story)

Gerald Von Riesen (Sent Monday, April 09, 2007 5:09 PM)

Bill Rochester NY (Sent Monday, April 09, 2007 5:06 PM) Your logic is infallible. President standing next to electric hybrid car holding a power cord implies lack of leadership abilities… I see… Not…

scott henderson nv (Sent Monday, April 09, 2007 5:24 PM)

I'm not a fan of Bush and I am a fan of alternative energies, but people, re-read John from Harrisburg's reply. The president isn't wrong on this one. If Mulally were correct then Ford has some engineers and designers to speak with.

Sean (Sent Monday, April 09, 2007 5:45 PM)

Look at you Scott trying to make fun of and belittle Mr. Bowen's (IA) posting. Of course such hydrogen tanks are well sealed and not prone to leaking. What Mr. Bowen was trying to say is that GW Bush is not well-sealed and is prone to leaking. The spark created would not blow the hydrogen but would accelerate an explosion from all the hot air leaking out of Bush. Geeeessshhhh!!!

C A, Tuscaloosa, AL (Sent Monday, April 09, 2007 5:46 PM)

C A, your fanatical hatred of Bush has clearly resulted in a rather tenuous hold on reality. I recommend abstention of two weeks from any type of media.

scott henderson nv (Sent Monday, April 09, 2007 7:33 PM)

Scott: We have already established your age as being 14 or 15. No need to debate a teen in here that has a lot of maturing to do. One who cannot distinguish hate from a dislike for behavior is using a teenage black and white perception of his/her world. And if I have the chronological age incorrect please forgive. I'll grant you a more adult chronological age if that is the truth, but I will have to remain with a 14 - 15 year old mentaility. Your postings are validation of this as they are all black and white as well. No give and take. All take. Somewhat like the Bush administration. If you think you are in a blog here on Countdown where GW Bush is not disliked, and immensely so for his behavior (and not hated because I and most would perhaps accept an invite to a barbeque at Crawford with him, well maybe with Laura) then you had better go back and read 99.9% of the postings listed here in the last year or so. Make that in the last 6 years or so.

C A, Tuscaloosa, AL (Sent Monday, April 09, 2007 8:02 PM)

Scot, Henderson Nv. - in answer to your question - YEP!

beaverdambob (Sent Monday, April 09, 2007 8:27 PM)

Well, as selling point for the President's concern for the environment and Ford's ability to build safe vehicles... This one failed on both side of the Edsel test. He should have kept his mouth shut. But, then again does a company getting kickbacks from the oil industry want a hydrogen car to succeed? Hmmmm...

Walter Murdock, Cincinnati, OH (Sent Monday, April 09, 2007 8:41 PM)

This is news?

Jane, Southern Mississippi (Sent Monday, April 09, 2007 9:53 PM)

I totally believe it! :) Real or not, it's a very funny story and made me laugh. Lighten up people. :)

Dean Croll, Pittsburgh, PA (Sent Monday, April 09, 2007 10:04 PM)

First I was po'd that Mulally stopped him. Now I'm po'd that he lied about it. I can't even dream about "what might have been".

John D Wood Sr (Sent Monday, April 09, 2007 10:05 PM)

Now if you REALLY want a tinfoil-topper conspiracy theory, try this: Instead of giving himself airs or trying to make Bush look bad, Mulally was trying to make the hybrid CAR look bad -- so Ford can go back to concentrating on gas-guzzling designs. (And no, I don't buy that theory, or the car-go-boom theory, or the "Captain Industry saves the President" bilge. However, I DO believe Shrubya looks bad, no electricity required.)

Niels, "Bayou DeGradeabelle", Post-Katrina MS (Sent Monday, April 09, 2007 11:24 PM)

I smelled a rat when I first heard this story yesterday. If the hydrogen "outlet" or whatever it is that is supposed to accept hydrogen fuel is so close to what an electrical outlet looks like, it would be easy for anyone to make the same mistake. This, in my opinion, is too obvious a design flaw for any automobile manufacturer to make--way more obvious than where Ford decided to locate the fuel tank on their Pinto models (remember them?) Mr. Mulally is definitely embellishing the story for his own self-aggrandizement. My only other question is, why would a good corporate CEO who stands to make millions in bonuses and stock options that he doesn't deserve want to make the president look stupid?

R. Northern California (Sent Tuesday, April 10, 2007 12:08 AM)

Hydrogen, like ethanol, is the wrong answer. Burning food and water as fuel... as our population grows and climates change? Geez. Who cares if he plugged it in the wrong spot? I'm sure the engineers installed a failsafe.

B, Springfield, OR (Sent Tuesday, April 10, 2007 1:39 AM)

Doggone it...someone is always stopping Bush right before he sticks his finger in a light socket...no really this is good laughs

Rick, Winston Salem, NC (Sent Tuesday, April 10, 2007 10:57 AM)

Even though W. is truly capable of heinous things that he can commit upon himself which would include pretzels, choking, and the like, one must look closely behind to his handlers who also know of these things. In his visit to the Harley-Davidson manufacturing facilities in York, Pennsylvania, recall that you see the president sitting upon a bike which does not show the back tire properly chocked. Even W.'s handlers realize that an average person could easily sit upon a motorcycle with the stand down except this guy who has to have the back wheels chocked so that he, given his capabilities, can't fall down. I think that the Ford CEO should not have gone off half-cocked about the harm he may have potentially placed W. in by allowing W. to potentially get the orifaces wrong and stick the "hot plug" into the hydrogen oriface. Anybody else would know the difference except W. However, his handlers know all about this with the bicycle accidents, segue mishaps, and so forth. Bush may be a walking mistake to happen but his handlers are all too aware of this potential making the Ford CEO a little too given to being a School Marm protecting its ward. Still, no bananas for the Ford guy even though an opportunity might have been there.

Provenance (Sent Tuesday, April 10, 2007 1:01 PM)

Sorry Scott it's Georgieboys inability to speak a complete sentence, tell the truth or find his own ass with both hands that make him unfit for leadership.

Bill Rochester NY (Sent Tuesday, April 10, 2007 4:47 PM)

It takes 3.5 Kg of Natural gas for 1 KG of Hydrogen. So this ford FCV Edge does aproximately 15 mpg!! 1 KG Natural gas is equivalent to 1 gallon of fuel.

Fred (Sent Tuesday, April 10, 2007 9:58 PM)

You people are very impressive. Can't decide if it is more entertaining to watch the hydrogen-hybrid backbiting or the lathering up of Bush haters. Nice work.

Bob (Sent Wednesday, April 11, 2007 12:19 AM)

C.A. ~~~ My Dear Gentleman from Alabama: You are the GREATEST! I am laughing so hard, I am crying! Thank you, thank you! Scarlet!

SCARLET GLENDALE, ARIZONA (Sent Sunday, April 15, 2007 10:11 PM)

God forbid anything happen to Bush and Cheney, this country would be a total terrorist nuclear diaster if Pelosi became President. And those that might survive would live in a socialist state.

mark riechard, dayton, oh (Sent Sunday, April 15, 2007 10:55 PM)

Lighten up a little, folks, and realize humour for simply what it is when it's presented. Alan is just a funny, story telling kind of guy by nature. No more, no less....

Grant, Seattle, WA (Sent Sunday, April 15, 2007 11:31 PM)

Whoa! Folks, has it not occurred to anyone that a garden variety extension cord has the female end exposed. The male end, with the exposed prongs is stuck in the socket somewhere else. What possible harm could have come here? I smell a fat rat!

James, Burlington, IA (Sent Monday, April 16, 2007 12:02 AM)

And Your Point?

R. Harrare (Sent Monday, April 16, 2007 11:02 AM)

The burning Bush. Its in the Bible right?

Anthony Murphy (Sent Tuesday, May 22, 2007 2:01 PM)



SEND A COMMENT

PLEASE READ: All comments must be approved before appearing in the thread; time and space constraints prevent all comments from appearing. We will only approve comments that are directly related to the blog, use appropriate language and are not attacking the comments of others.

Message (please, no HTML tags. Web addresses will be hyperlinked):

Your name, city and state (John Doe, Seattle, Wash.): 

 Your e-mail address (jdoe@msnbc.com):

Your website (it's okay if you don't have one):

Remember me? (We'll keep it private)

TRACKBACKS

Trackbacks are links to weblogs that reference this post. Like comments, trackbacks do not appear until approved by us. The trackback URL for this post is: http://thenewshole.msnbc.msn.com/trackback.aspx?PostID=116213