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Countdown Wednesday: Hanging Tough

Posted: Wednesday, April 30, 2008 8:59 PM by Countdown
Filed Under:

Running on Empty: In a campaign whose race for the super-delegates is reportedly, secretly, over...In a campaign -- the subtext of which -- has been complaint and even metaphorical martyrdom...They are words that would have sent supporters of Senator Clinton into a paroxysm of rage. That the nation needed a president quote "that has testicular fortitude." Our fifth story on the Countdown: that there is no rage and that there are no death threats tonight, explicable thusly: the gonadial reference was made by a labor leader, as he endorsed Senator Clinton, intending it as a compliment to her fortitude.

Wright Left: In case there was any question-- and, yes, there was-- whether the Obama campaign is moving on from the Reverend Wright, following Senator Obama's definitive renunciation yesterday... the senator's wife provided an answer today. That answer, our fourth story tonight... "next question, please!"

ODDBALL: Hair news, and a tv guest drinks bug water.

Walmart: Always Low  For three days running -- Wal-Mart made it into our nightly list of Worst Persons in the World. Until finally -- on April 1st -- that company announced it was dropping its claim to the money its health care plan paid to Wal-Mart employee Deborah Shank after she was left permanently brain-damaged in a horrific truck accident. Tonight -- in our third story on the Countdown -- it appears Wal-mart has snatched evil from the jaws of goodness. Wal-Mart... is dragging its corporate feet. Debbie Shank's husband - Jim - who took on two jobs to help pay for her ongoing healthcare and who was even forced to divorce her just so she could get a little more money from Medicaid - will join us presently. First - a reminder of just what happened to the Shank Family.

Worsties...see below.

WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD:  CBS reporter Jay Gormley, John McCain and Bill-O vie for tonight's top honors. 

The Littlest Idol:  We're back to this again. Stories my producers are forcing me to cover -- our number one tonight -- the latest, cringe-worthy, You-Tube-able, Paula Abdul meltdown. You and I can claim we don't care. But it's like the late great comic Bill Hicks used to admit about his inability to stop watching the t-v show "Cops"... "I'm like a guy with a sore tooth I can't stop touching with my tongue."

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Comments

  Why all the commercials in last 10 minutes of  Oberman show. Otherwise love the show

Jerry Guralsky Leesburg Fl. (Sent Wednesday, April 30, 2008 9:03 PM)

#1 Hey Countdown --

Are you really saying that producers who work for the Sixth Most Powerful Man in Television News "force" him to cover American "I-dull"?  Puh-leeze.  I believe that like I believe Billo has a hole in his head.  All right, all right.  Bad metaphor.  

But I agree.  As someone said on Morning Joe this morning, if they're going to pay Paula Abdul $10 million a year, she can at least pay attention once a week for an hour.  Most of us would be willing to zone out for a lot less than that.

Anna Molly (Sent Wednesday, April 30, 2008 9:15 PM)

#4 Thank you, Countdown.

Finally, finally, someone said it.  What's wrong with wanting to be with the smartest person in the room?  What's wrong with wanting the smartest president you can get?

That's not elitism ... that's wisdom.

Anna Molly (Sent Wednesday, April 30, 2008 9:18 PM)

Thank you. You are probably the only MSNBC anchor that hasn't made the Wright story the main news story of the day. ENough! It's unbelievable to me that the pundits asks themselves "when will this story die" as they continue to bring it up, and up and up again. I'm ready to turn my tv off. That would include all your MSNBC family counterparts. Please tell them to Move On to more important stories that actually effects American's today and in the future. You know, the war? economy? Hillary and her gas holiday? (no pun intended), health care. You get my point. Thank you.

Els, McMinnville, Oregon (Sent Wednesday, April 30, 2008 9:49 PM)

Follow the source of who booked Reverend Wright's speaking engagements and I believe you'll find the road back to the Clinton campaign...like Watergate not being about a burglary but about the orchestrators in the White House directing it, this story is about how Reverend Wright was booked in such a timely manner into such high profile scenarios...

Marian Lever, Piedmont, California (Sent Wednesday, April 30, 2008 10:16 PM)

Dear Keith,
Can you possibly do more on John McCain and Reverend Hagee, who seems a lot scarier than Reverend Wright - and whom John McCain has NOT repudiated?
Thanks for all your work.

Tamsin Willard, New York, NY (Sent Wednesday, April 30, 2008 10:31 PM)

What happened to the comments on Bush's Hillarity? Were they too disgusting to print.

nuanced (Sent Wednesday, April 30, 2008 10:35 PM)


Please Keith!!  Ask Chuck Todd how the contests so far have matched up to that "leaked" Obama camp primary/caucus cheat sheet!  I remember up until the Potomac Primary that Chuck had said it was pretty accurate.  Has it changed since then?

Krissy, Los Angeles (Sent Wednesday, April 30, 2008 10:37 PM)

Keith is keeping it real.  For the rest of us.

Love you Keith!

DJ (Sent Wednesday, April 30, 2008 10:57 PM)

Keith is keeping it real.  For the rest of us.

Love you Keith!

DJ (Sent Wednesday, April 30, 2008 10:57 PM)

Keith,
I enjoy your show very much! You are intelligent, entertaining, funny, quite handsome, and never wrong about anything, except that purple tie.

Karin (Sent Wednesday, April 30, 2008 11:11 PM)

"Running on Empty"  Amazing!! Am I the only one to pick up on perhaps the smallest comment but most telling of Senator Clinton and her years of soft money?  In the clip she says that she hasn't pumped gas in ?? years.., that the secret service does it.  Wake up America, she hasn't grocery shopped, paid for a haircut, pumped gas and I will bet, bought toilet paper in many a moon..., this candidate is so out of touch with the working class - come on all you soccer moms who have to "pump and pay" for your own gas - she doesn't get nor will she until she walks in your shoes in today's economy!!

Uncle Petey

Pete D, Los Angeles, CA (Sent Wednesday, April 30, 2008 11:31 PM)

Please Keith, don't be like the other news channles 24/7 coverage of the Rev. Wright.Really there are a lot more people in this world worried about how they are going to pay bills and can they afford to buy food that would last more than a week. This is the 21st century and people want to keep people divided over nonsense.

charity, texarkana, tx (Sent Thursday, May 01, 2008 12:30 AM)

Alright Media!!.........I have heard enouogh of Obama, Wright; Wright, Obama.  I thinks its the media thats keeping this topic alive.  Get off the band wagon and start focusing on the issues of both democratic candidates: jobs, high gas prices, economy and the war).  Are not these issues much more important than a persons religious beliefs?

Rick Mayernik, Montana (Sent Thursday, May 01, 2008 12:33 AM)

Aw come on, Karin, I like the purple tie.  I also like Countdown.  It's a real treat to watch a commentary show with some intelligence and wit, two items conspicuously missing from the other news commentary shows.  

Beej, Lincoln, Nebraska (Sent Thursday, May 01, 2008 1:00 AM)

Dear Keith,

Senator McCain wants to repeal the federal gas tax for three months to save us a few hundred dollars. This is a totally stupid liberal Republican idea once again. Does he understand that millions of hard-working Americans depend on gas tax revenues for work? What do I tell the roadway contractors, engineers, construction workers, and bus manufacturers when we run out of money to pay them this summer? "Take a three-month vacation and check back in October." McCain is a danger to the American workforce. He just doesn't understand the way the economy works.

Thomas Fisher, Tucson, Arizona (Sent Thursday, May 01, 2008 1:16 AM)

Thanks Keith, for the best show on television!

Ellen, El Paso,Texas (Sent Thursday, May 01, 2008 1:30 AM)

All the commercials come at the end of Countdown because, once again, the producers have short-circuited the show, meaning their timing was way off.

Full Moon (Sent Thursday, May 01, 2008 7:58 AM)

After watching(tivo) the Bill O rant about NBC last night,I have to warn you to watch your back, Keith. Bill is out to getcha! Would someone please get him back on his chain?!

Lillie Cohen (Sent Thursday, May 01, 2008 8:59 AM)

Keith's probably on top of this, but just in case -- I would like to nominate the girls softball team of Central Washington University as Best Persons in the World.  Seriously.  

http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/24392612/

Linda O. Lakewood, Ohio (Sent Thursday, May 01, 2008 10:12 AM)

I agree with a previous blogger about it is time we vote for a smart president.  We have tried DUMB and that didn't work very well.

JoAnn, Moundsville, WV (Sent Thursday, May 01, 2008 10:29 AM)

I have a new plan. Let's canel the Presidential Election this year. Let's spend four years with an empty White House and see how things go.

The Executive Branch has brought us nothing but problems for years. Maybe the White House should belong to the Smithsonian and become a monument to decades of BS and what not to do with, and within, a branch of government.

Your welcome.

Another problem solved. I'm going out and have a great day. I feel much better now. Tell the "Three" to give the millions left for their campaigns to our suffering Veterans and get back to DC and DO THEIR JOBS.

Peter Bright, West Bloomfield, MI (Sent Thursday, May 01, 2008 10:59 AM)

I guess I'm a 'soccer mom' but I agree with Pete D from L.A.  Hillary's WAY out of touch with working class people.  I wish they wouldn't fall for this, especially considering her 109,000,000 tax return, her inability to pump gas, shop for groceries, use a coffee-maker...  AND, McCain is just as bad.  His wife is worth about 100,000,000 at last count.  Of course, don't ask him, because he'll change his story every time, as he does on all issues.  Obama is the clear choice her.  I hope this thing ends in his favor after May 6th.

Missy (Sent Thursday, May 01, 2008 11:28 AM)

I think this comment by Joe Klein of Time is one of the most observant about Rev. Wright:
"When he spreads canards like the one about the AIDS conspiracy, he is telling them that white power is so overwhelming that it's almost impossible to succeed. The success of Obama's candidacy sends the very opposite message, which may be why Wright is so threatened by it."

pjonathan, Madison, Wisconsin (Sent Thursday, May 01, 2008 11:44 AM)

Hi Keith, I love ur show and it's the most outstanding show ever on American TV can produce. Keep up the good job, I love your fantactic character and personality. You have the regal look and you conduct yourself dignified. Rev Wright is nobody and the way you have handled that situation is very commendable. I really appreciate your level headed presentation of the show. Keep up the good work.

Anthony S Nathan, Los Angeles, California (Sent Thursday, May 01, 2008 12:35 PM)

Is it just me or does Hillary exhibit the same "stay-the-course" attitude as Bush?  Do we really want someone who will never give up and follow through any strategic blunder? No matter how many americans get hurt?  hummmmmmm....

Krystal Views, texas (Sent Thursday, May 01, 2008 1:17 PM)

Regarding the Rev. Wright controversy, using the Clinton standard, comparing it to the Catholic Church abuse scandal every Roman Catholic in America should have left the Church.
I am a Roman Catholic.

Tim Sullivan, Narragansett, RI (Sent Thursday, May 01, 2008 1:17 PM)

Hey Keith,
Was Hilary wearing any Gucci products when she was standing behind that labor leader who made comments about latte and Gucci wearing crowd going for Obama?

KrishK (Sent Thursday, May 01, 2008 1:50 PM)

It always makes me chuckle when a politician says that America deserves a president as good as the American people.  Actually I was hoping for someone quite a bit better.

nuanced (Sent Thursday, May 01, 2008 2:39 PM)

How about a new feature telling us how many $ we collected from fines Companies "agree to pay the U.S." for ending an investigation along. And show us who is "overdue" and who the Bushies said "you don't have to". Wachovia just agreed to $10 million and there must be dozens or hundreds of these over the past few years. How about it!

Harry Moroz Wilmington, DE (Sent Thursday, May 01, 2008 3:22 PM)

I know Pat Buchanan is a co-worker, but from now on when we hear Wright, we say "Brief to Whitey".  2nd email sent about Buchanan and MSNBC is censoring discussion.

Marion, Macon, Georgia (Sent Thursday, May 01, 2008 7:01 PM)

Dear Keith,
Can you possibly do more on John McCain and Reverend Hagee, who seems a lot scarier than Reverend Wright - and whom John McCain has NOT repudiated?
Thanks for all your work.

Abdi Adan (Sent Thursday, May 01, 2008 7:09 PM)

Good Evening Keith, Just read your article on the internet and I enjoyed the idea of knowing that you and Chris will be covering the policial arena.You guys keep it REAL and say it like most Americans feel on a daily basises.Once the elections are over I am hoping you will stay focus on Congress and the Senate.It appears that when they feel we are holding them accountable,watching them,they tend to do a better job,go figure...Thank you once more for all that you guys do at MSNBC.Keep up the cool work

DeborahB, Las Vegas,Nevada (Sent Sunday, June 29, 2008 11:30 PM)



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