...and people say Paris Hilton's life is meaningless.  

If you go out in the woods today,
you'd better check Fox News first!
If you go out in the woods today,
Bill says "Prepare for the worst!"
Who cares about some ol' foreign war
when all the bears are on our own shore?
And they want you to be the main course
at their pic-nic!

I'm sorry.

I hate Bill O'Reilly. I hate Fox News. I hate what they stand for and what they apparently believe passes for journalism.

But Countdown recently devoted 20 minutes of a 60-minute show to Paris Hilton (and God knows that was just the tip of the Paris-on-Countdown iceberg). And Keith has been seen to repeatedly plug his own book on the show.

All of which is to say: Pot, meet kettle. Bill O'Reilly is deserving of ridicule for countless reasons, but Countdown -- in its current form, at least -- has absolutely no room to ridicule O'Reilly for pretending to focus on important news while covering fluff. No room at all.

Perhaps there was one other person arrested in the Abu Garaib scandal, there was a certain William Irey whose sister is a member of Congress from Pennsylvania.

Her Husband and Mr Irey had a construction business and have been noted as being among the profiteers in Iraq and may have had a part in Abu Garaib construction.

Mr Irey was arrested and is now in a "rehabilitation" facility for selling child porn gotten "outside the country". All on this much is on the web, though none all in one place.

You guys at MSNBC have such better investigation abilities than a lone surfer, perhaps you could find the other links that the mind screams to make.

I watched Keith's welcome for General Clarke.

I have said this for awhile.Unless we get the real coverage of the war like we did in Vietnam every evening as we sat down to dinner and watched casualties die, and wounded being air lifted,napalm,agent orange being dropped... all thehorror every evening well then Bill O you can take your Bush Spin Zone and sit on it and make your self feel good.
When the American public gets tired of this stupid ass ground hog day that lives with guys who betray them and really have no mission other than to be some kind of "Cops" in Iraq then it will see it's time to come home.
The audacity of some stupid shit like Bill O and then even the Iraqi Govt not wanting to censor this as well as the administration who is pulling the strings there
let's me know what a lot of us know the obvious.
I hope the dumb shits in Congress get it right this time Pelosi.You heard the booooooo's People are tired of the screwing with people being killed and dieing for politics this compromise played right into Rove's hand.Bring home the troops.
The war on terror is not being fought the right way.We need to fight them like they fight as I have said on here already.Infiltrate guerrilla style,old school OSS throat cutting style.Cause division amongst themselves,hmm doesn't' seem that hard.Then let the maggots who want to wreck havoc and hurt people take themselves out.You don't need massive armies to do this or the invasion of countries.
But don't tell anyone that Bill O Mr. no Brain Zone might think it unfit for TV.Probably never heard of the Counter Terroism as described by Rick Rescorla who was a war in Vietnam and died in the Towers after saving many lives.
In the last 4 minutes of this interview that has been on the History Channel he for told how terrorism in big cities would look and how it would have to be fought not with big armies.Don't let the first 4 minutes about Nam distract you from the war on terror if you care because the last 4 minutes I think you will find very revealing,relevant,and prophetic.  

http://www.rickrescorla.com/

this is the video of the interview ...the last 4 minutes pertain to what has happened. K.O. probably as some of you all know all about this guy.

http://www.atomfilms.com/film/voice_prophet.jsp

I know a lot of folks don't watch these but if you do let me know what you think?

Since this countdown item doesn't mean anything, I thought I'd take this opportunity to mention a personal peeve (sp?).

Are you aware that there in only one person in the world at any one time that can by courtesy and protocal be referred to as "Mr." (or as time reveals "Ms.") President. Did you know that it is incorrect to ever refer to a past holder of this office by the title of President (as in President Clinton)?

As I understand it, using Jimmy Carter as an example, when referring to Mr. Carter today you would either say Mr. Carter, Gov. Carter, or former president Jimmy Carter. If the previous president was a member of the military or once was a senator, you can use those titles. When addressing Mr. Carter to his face, you would never call him Mr. President.

I know. Means abolutely nothing to you. I just thought I wouldn't be taking up too much of your time if I posted it under this item.

Certainly hope the blog moderator is back from the hospital, the family funeral, the bathroom, or wherever s/he was yesterday.

I tried to call MSNBC in New York to ask if we should send flowers as the moderator had evidently died but the number listed in online yellow pages "is no longer in service". What a hoot.

Fox News is to news what KFC is to chicken.

So...now Billo is imitating Colbert and his bear schtick?  The latter gives us more news and less spin than Billo by far.

DB, regarding the fluff factor on Countdown, yes, true, but at least they DO cover what's going on in Iraq, which Billo has said he won't do.  I agree with a bit of the "pot/kettle" but at least Countdown manages to cover the war.

Neils, Brilliant!  Well done!

Let me know if we're doing a whip-round for flowers for the blog moderator.  I'll put in a fiver.

I disagree with you C.R., KFC has excellent chicken, comparing it to Fox Noise makes no sense.

Bill O'Reilly, you got your war. Shouldn’t you at the very least follow through with reporting on it? You can't, because as Keith and Arianna Huffington pointed out, you’re not a journalist. You don't appear to really know anything about the world yet you have thousands of viewers who don’t realize it. Well, it’s dangerous.  If you’re going to be a part of the media, shouldn’t you at the very least have a clue about something except what the “far left” thinks?  Why do you care about them? People such as you, Rush, Hannity, Malkin, remind me of the voices I read about back in the days of Rosa Parks and then George Wallace. Remember the hate? Has anything really changed? No, but millions of us are trying. Like I said, you got your war. REPORT ON IT. ACCURATELY. I bet you can’t. I see you as just a disc jockey who spins propaganda instead of 45’s.

Janice Karpinski repeating to Keith a statement as told to her:  "They’re just Iraqi’s".  How sad and shameful. How many “just Iraqi’s” have died Bill O’Reilly, Sean Hannity, Bill Kristol?  Surely you must have known a civil war would erupt and hundreds of thousands would be killed. Because as we all know, that's what war is. Or did you forget that somewhere along the way?

Roger Ailes/Fox Propaganda, the next time the Bush Admin. has an "enemy" do us and the world a favor - THINK before "reporting". And then THINK again. Thousands of people are watching. You see, people living in a democracy depend on the media to decipher what the government is doing, because we by nature don't trust our government. Both the media and the government are accountable to us. We want it that way, because we love our country. So if you're going to speak, I ask that you be responsible. Be sure you know what you're talking about. As you can plainly see, lives depend on it.

We really need to bring back media ownership restrictions and the Fairness Doctrine, and completely reform the FCC. I think that the future of our democracy depends on it.

Independent,Tex,..please cut the blog moderator/editor some slack um I am thinking they may have a lot of reasons that are none of our business to do what ever they want to do.Send the flowers to your wife or girl friend you might get lucky.
Isn't reading what you posted on here after you wrote it kind of like a form of written or blog masturbation anyway?
Well I hope those folks don't have to put up with too much shit.It's kind of hypocritical to gripe about all the shit going on in the world then dole out shit about those who give you a space to do it?
Ah what the hell,I call him Jimmy Carter,Jesus,the Lamb,.....old homeless people Christ amongst us sometime and those who work on here more than likely trying to make a living taking care of themselves and their families.

Never really heard of Bill O'Reilly (certainly never watched him or FoxNews) until Keith Olbermann constantly gave him air time on Countdown via his own personal obsession. Sadly if anyone edited Countdown's "fluff" it would not look any different than the "O'Reilly fluff" you showed.

On Tuesday's show, Countdown had about 20 mins. of real (hard) news. The rest was utter fluffy junk. Yesterday, you managed about 25 mins. of hard news. So I would agree with the above comment: pot meet kettle.

(Thank goodness I can change the channel to watch crappy baseball via Cubs & Sox).

I would like to see the celebrity death match: Olberman vs. O'Reilly. A little claymation ass beating would really send him over the edge. But the sad part of that is, that O'Reilly isn't worth the time and effort of it all. And neither is my posting of this. He's is a classic example of a waste of human skin.

They are coming out with a new three stooges movie, starring the big fat head, paris and rosie. Has anyone else staarted getting migraines or am I the only one. Keith, when you receive your script on what you are reviedwing for the day, does your head spin around like in the movie "The Exorcist"?

I am so sick of the bs on all these people: the big head for being a total creep, liar and satanic pog: rosie for just being rosie and now kicking people off her blog site for writing mean things about her, i bet the person who did this actually goes by the name BarbaraWalters, and Paris: so now she wants to pose for Playboy and is corresponding with the bunnies. Whatever happened to her new found religion? Does anyone actually care about the news anymore, our fearless men and woman who may or may not come home and no one can give us a date? THe young woman missing in Ohio and the freak that took her and emotionally destroyed a todler?

If there was truly an island for misfit people, these three need to take up permanent residentency here. Please allow space for Rove, Dick Head Cheney, Shrubbie and Rush, let will be one hell of a block party, who can out do who at being a creep. Peace, Denise

BA - Point noted. Thanks. I'll keep my thoughts to myself. No offense meant.

I am kind of amused by this obsession over Bill 0.  Actually I find his program entertaining and informative. As compared to some liberal media he is fair and balanced. I tend to agree with his position that some media that tend to focus a lot of attention on the war do so to promote their anti war propaganda.  

You guys have me laughing as usual.  Thanks.  I needed it.  

BTW - Colbert actually got the "bear thing" from Bill O'Liar.  His program is actually a spoof on "The Factor".  BillO doesn't get it (figures).

I don't mind a little time on the show devoted to the celebrity crapola as long as the rest of the program is meaty, but I do mind when the National Enquirer takes over virtually the whole thing.  

I hound people to watch the show to give a little balance to their Faux News obscession and when they come back at me about how the show is just infotainment, I have no real response.  It seems that the day they finally try to shut me up and tune in to watch is a Paris Hilton day and they tell me that they get more from BillO the creep.  My chances of ever getting them to watch again are about 1 in a million.  

The Nixon administration would have kept on ticking until Dickies last day in office, the Vietnam war would probably still be going on, and we would probably be chin deep in the whole Iran Contra thing if the media hadn't informed us about what is going on so it could be stopped.  

The reason that BushCos tenticles are in everything is that he keeps getting away with it.  He is only NOW being subjected to some scrutiny.  Every rock that gets turned over has a smelly underside with evil crawling out from underneath.  The fact that things have gotten this bad is an indictment of everyone who had a hand in it as well as those whose job is to keep us informed.  That includes Congress and the media.  

Well, lemme get off my great big giant soap box and thank Countdown for some really great stories this week.  A little fluff - no problem, but please keep the emphasis on the "good stuff".  Countdown is the only place I can really send people who refuse to watch PBS or listen to AAR.

I see what you may be trying to do Countdown but frankly, why would anyone send annything that has to do with Bill O'Reilly (especially if it includes a picture or some video of the guy) to a friend?

Yeah, Colbert did the bear skit and I didnt get it until I saw the real BillO 'skit'.
And I see the rants about the P. Hilton coverage. I understand you have to do what you have to do. But you can even it out by covering Giuliani abandoning the ISG.    No pressure. ;)

Sam in Bluefield, my apologies.  It was a poor attempt at a Lewis Black joke.  

Being a registered voter, being a citizen of these United States, being a member of the minority (atheist) human race, I believe I can think FOR MYSELF. I do not need any program to tell me what news I should or should not listen to! Why would anyone want to accept a single news source as their ONLY news source? This is a reason I do NOT OWN A TELEVISION! I can listen (and watch most times) BOTH sides of any issue because it they are available through reputable sources on the Internet. It just takes a little (emphasis on little!) effort and research. Afraid of a little work? hmmmmm? If you are, then go ahead and become a zombie and have someone else think for you.

If not, get away from that television and do some research!

Come on people. Think for yourselves!

LeeLee - we certainly do think for ourselves.  Lookie lookie at everything we post including links to other information.  It just that there are batcrap crazy folks who won't believe anything unless it comes out of the TV machine.

Good, faithful, meaty reporting makes people hungry for more.  That's when they may go to a website or news site to dig deeper, but we need to whet their appetite first.

The facts are that Fox News is #1 and Bill O'Reilly is #1 on Fox News. Did I really have to spell it out for you?

Independent, Texas,No offense either, I have eaten crow and cream with masters,and my amends run long for my verbal disasters.
The troops in the trenches like these editors make it all happen and work hard.We are all sharing this same ride thanks to what little is left of our Freedoms and MSNBC facilitating things like this blog.
I worked for 25 years in the trenches with some of the biggest egos on the planet(the California Legislature,the Senate,then all of em as well) in a non-partisan job,with the troops in the trenches;and you know well, with out those troops the brass has its problems.
I saw some mean things happen to people because of ego's to regular folks trying to make a living.I do not care for shit like that and I hate when folks are played against one another like in the South for so many years for money and all the other reasons for money to divert the attention from who is profiting be it this war be it economics.  
Now the Scooter Libby's,Dubya's ,Gonzos,Bill O's,Cheney's,and Roves who believe hurting others is funny and stabbing the other guy in the back is a virtue. These pastie  faced "cactus covers" wouldn't know the meaning the meaning of Honor,Courage,Loyalty,and TRUTH.
Can "Gonzorreha" be prevented by a condom.Perhaps a cute pink condom one with all the Liars(Bush,Cheney,Rove,Ect. names on it in protest
draped over the Washington Monument.I'm sure Green Peace or some innovative Anti War organization might could facilitate that.

Hey, db, guess what, you better turn on Billo's show tonight. I hear he's covering news much meatier than anything Keith is covering. He's going to do a story on LESBIAN STREET GANGS! (I wonder if any bears are involved!)

As for Paul Gardner--who cares whether Billo or Pox News are #1 or not? You don't really think ratings are proof of who has the "best" show, do you? If so, I pity you, you poor thing.

Careful, if this gets played often, is Billo going to claim it in his ratings?

Tru M - Yes, 90% of the time the best shows get the best ratings. That's hard for you to understand, isn't it? Don't pity me. I don't live in Cleveland.

Bill was right. We left the woods, and the bears followed us home.

Paul Gardner comments: "The facts are that Fox News is #1 and Bill O'Reilly is #1 on Fox News. Did I really have to spell it out for you?"

One need only note that "American Idol" has been a ratings juggernaut despite having no more substance than a bowl of meringue. Better luck at the next spelling bee.

The difference between the pot and the kettle is that there is at least some meat in the pot, not just the empty calories.

And thank'ee kindly, Buttercup for the kind words.  :)

LeeLeeOne - While we "think think" for ourselves, you "keep keep" drinking that Kool-Aide!!

Paul Gardner, Cincinnati Ohio - Yeah, ok buddy!! "The Simpson’s" has excellent ratings too, so I guess this "cartoon's" ratings prove Countdown distorts the truth!!

Keep drinking that Kool-Aide Paul, and toast one with Bill-O while you're at it!! You can have one helluva "Kool-Aide" party in the "Holy City of Cincinnati", while the remainder of us sane people discuss FACTS with Tru M in Cleveland!!

Better yet, the "Land of Oz" might be a better place for all of your Kool-Aide drinkers to convene; as for some odd reason, I am hearing the song "If he only had a brain" over and over again in my head!!

O'Reilly is a prime illustration of the adaptation by the Neocons, of Fudd's First Law of Opposition (Firesign Theater).  That being, "If you push something hard enough, it will fall over.'  In their case, the half lies that are supported by half truths.  It's as if they took the old glass half empty or half full and put a turd in it and said it is 'More' than half full.  For too long, people who were in opposition to their tactics, sat by and waited for the larger audience to reject these said tactics, but that didn't happen.  That "Silent" Majority was eventually known as the "Too Lazy, Dumb, Bored, Gullible, Mean, Calculatingly Miscalculating, Wannabesomebody, Whatever.." Majority, and direly in need of a tune-up.  The Sports World's loss was the Real World's gain, when Mr. Olberman signed on to remove the turd from America's Glass, and let us see how much water and air was really there.  Then allow us to decide, sans kopros, for ourselves.  What we get from Olberman is a KO-Job.  What we get from O'Reilly is a BILLO-Job.  So remember, when your Optic Nerve leads to your Anus, you get a Shitty Outlook on Life.

You need to get Ron Paul on your show to talk about ending the Iraq occupation.

BA. Blog Masturbation?  You're not typing one-handed are you?

To Neil in MS - thanks for repeating my original comment. You're the best.

And to Pam Bignardi, who ties up this and other blogs with her countless rants and useless and pointless "knowledge," I WILL toast one with O'Reilly in the fall when the Bengals are kicking the Browns ass in both "Holy Cincinnati" and Tru M's stomping ground .... Cleveland, "the mistake by the lake."

Oh wow, Paul, GOOD ONE! Nobody EVER came up with "Mistake by the Lake" to describe Cleveland before!!!!...OK, we no longer need doubt, Paul Gardner is a troll. And he will soon be drinking his Kool-Aid in Cincinnati, the city all other Ohioans wish they could cut off the state and allow to drift down the river because it embarrasses us to even have it around. Only one good thing ever happened there...but it sure didn't have to do with their politics. Enjoy Porkopolis, Paul!!!!

Thank you for admittimg that everybody knows Cleveland as "the mistake by the lake." If they didn't know it then they do now. We've both said it a total of 3 times. I really don't know how the bad reputation started but I remember when Bengals coach Sam Wyche took the microphone at then Riverfront Stadium when the Bengals were playing the Browns and a few roudies threw some garbage on the field ..  Wyche screamed over the PA system, "REMEMBER, YOU DON'T LIVE IN CLEVELAND .. YOU LIVE IN CINCINNATI." We still don't know for sure. It may have been Cleveland fans who threw the stuff in the first place. Anyway, the world found out that Cincinnatians were expected to act better than those who inhabit Cleveland, "the mistake on the lake." Damn! Now I've said it again. That makes 4 times total that "WE'VE" said it. Tell me, does the main sewer system still run through the Metro Zoo? That was pretty ugly, as I remember. but the Rainforest at your zoo was pretty nice. We have one too. In fact, the Cincinnati Zoo is ranked as one of the best in the country. And one of the best reproduction rates in the world. Ah, but Cleveland has the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Unusual building. The only thing wrong with it is they let anybody who has ever recorded a song have a plaque or display in there. Its not as special as it once was. Porkopolis, er, Cincinnati is great. Every town has a heritage and we're proud of ours. Ever hear of Tall Stacks? One of the Top 100 events in the country along with our Labor Day gigantic fireworks display. Spectacular! A geat place to raise a family. Kool-Aids stands everywhere! Drop down when the Indians play the Reds .. but don't throw any garbage on the field.

American media has turned it's back on its responsiblilities to its citizens for the holy dollar.  You used to get reporting, but they have forgotten to ask "why".  You have hundrieds of shows about celebrities, but no one speaks about Iraq, or even why 9/11 occured.  Do they think the american people are to stupid to understand, or does the political system want it this way.  I think you are losing your democracy day by day.

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