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Countdown Wednesday: The Surge Before The Surge

Posted: Wednesday, July 23, 2008 8:59 PM by Countdown
Filed Under:

Double Talk Express: Which came first, the surge or the surge? Apparently, the surge did. In our fifth story on the Countdown: Senator McCain -- who yesterday wanted you to believe that the surge pre-dated the Sunni awakening in Anbar -- now wants you to believe that the surge started before President Bush said it did. If that is not confusing enough... The presumptive Republican nominee would also have you believe that the surge....and the Anbar awakening... and the counter-insurgency in Iraq... are all the very same thing.

Message for History: Senator John McCain...Having been confused about the basic timeline of the surge...Having accused his opponent, basically, of sedition... Tonight, in our fourth story on the Countdown, following that up... by questioning Senator Obama's commitment to preventing another Holocaust.

ODDBALL: a runaway chimp and a dinosaur on the loose in downtown LA

Polling Ahead: A first look at tonight's NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll on the presidential race would seem to show status quo: Obama up by six points, again.... but with a Keith number of a little over 11. But in our third story on the Countdown: inside the numbers there is at least one remarkable piece of data... And who better to go inside the numbers but Chuck Todd -- who will do so, presently.

Worsties...see below.

WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD: Bill-o, Brian Kilmeade, and a certain Independent Senator vie for tonight's top honor.

Down the Tube: If the Bush administration has seemed somewhat vexed by The Internets and The Google -- and, for that matter, by various representations of actual information....Then nothing could be quite as baffling as The You Tube. And in our number one story on the Countdown, the President recently cracked jokes about the mortgage meltdown and the housing crisis... when he thought he was in safe territory, and not being recorded. Yeah -- not so much.

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Comments

If no one else is absolutely mindboggled by the crap that McCain appears to be getting away with, they must not be paying attention.  Between a redefining of the word "surge" and Obama somehow being pro-genocide, I just don't know what to think.  If that man gets elected, I'm gonna dig a hole an go live in for four years. Perhaps I'll dig a news hole ...

Alice Radley (Sent Wednesday, July 23, 2008 10:02 PM)

Heckuva job, Dubya!

Rick Baumgartner (Sent Wednesday, July 23, 2008 10:46 PM)

Re. #5 :Which came first "the Surge" or The errr, other Surge ? whatever...McSame spokeman Tucker Bounds in his explantion of the McCain statement claiming Gen. Petraeus said "the surge is the reason why the Anbar Awakening was so successful" hmmm.  wasn't the "Awakening" in late 2006 , and the "Surge" announced by Bush in Jan. 2007 ?  

Erik Shawn, Marlboro , VT (Sent Wednesday, July 23, 2008 11:16 PM)

This whole trainwreck a/k/a the McCain campaign has me a little worried. It's bad enough to think the Twin Cities are going to be inundated with thousands of less-than-enthusiastic Republicans very soon; I'd sure hate to have them turn into a party in revolt. Or would that be a revolting party?

ek, mpls mn (Sent Wednesday, July 23, 2008 11:44 PM)

Keith Olbermann is by far the BEST EVER journalist ever to appear on TV. He's factual, fair and well prepared for his show. Continue the great telecasting for you are a pleasure to listen to. As for McCain he's spent too much time in the senate and has become overly senile, but what do you expect from a republican. God bless you Keith!

John, Roanoke, VA (Sent Wednesday, July 23, 2008 11:52 PM)

Excellent catches on McCain's flubs on the Iraq "surge," but I think reporters should keep pressing McCain hard on domestic issues as well.  Like the many problems with our economy, for example, what plans does he have to improve anything?  It doesn't look to me that he has any.

Susan, VA (Sent Thursday, July 24, 2008 12:36 AM)

While watching Senator McCain standing in front of a wall oc cheese and rambling on about the surge, my mind flashed to an image of Tim Conway as Micky Hart on the Carol Burnett show.  I was waiting for the elephant story.

Most of you are probably too young to know what I am referring to.  Take a look on YouTube.

Melissa Grau, Bellefontaine, OH (Sent Thursday, July 24, 2008 1:04 AM)

Great work exposing this foul up by McCain and CBS and then following up with his McCain's ridiculous attempts to extricate himself from his mess.  We need a special comment on McCain's tactics:  i.e., the comments about Obama wanting to lose a war to win an election; "condoning" genocide (when McCain has taken the same position in the past); blaming Obama for the the increased gas prices; trying to manipulate the press into more coverage by whining about the lack of coverage.  His behavior is disgusting and so few are evening calling him out on it.

Deborah, Dallas, Texas (Sent Thursday, July 24, 2008 10:02 AM)

Keith, you do have the best news show on TV.  My son bought me your book " Truth and Consequences" for my birthday and I can't wait to start reading it.  He is also hooked on your show.  Keep up the good work!!!!

JoAnn, Moundsville, WV (Sent Thursday, July 24, 2008 11:03 AM)

This edit was obviously premeditated with the goal of eliminating McCain gaffe. The editors had the audacity to use a hero shot of McCain and Petraeus as the cutaway.

It all begs the question: Who was in on the edit? Someone from McCain's campaign?

Dave Therault Waterbury, CT (Sent Thursday, July 24, 2008 1:53 PM)

Thank heaven for you Keith and Rachael, for keeping the straigt talk lies of McCain from getting out of control. I love you both.

Rosa Lake City, SC (Sent Thursday, July 24, 2008 6:00 PM)

I agree that Keith Olbermann is the best journalist on TV, especially exposing this garbage that CBS tried to get away with.  But why are so many journalists keep pretending or tip-toeing around the real issue of why McCain is so close in the polls to Obama.  It's that 400-year-old, 500-pound, ugly gorilla in the room!!!  Racism!!!

Christine, Cordova, SC (Sent Thursday, July 24, 2008 6:32 PM)

I seem to recall news about the surge's first action was to buy off the Sunni's with lots of $cash and weapons if they'd stop shooting at us. No?

II.  In these endless debates re: vice-pres picks, why are there no musings related to Cheney possibly
having changed the nature of the office forever?

P. Rose, Sioux Falls, SD (Sent Thursday, July 24, 2008 7:50 PM)



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