Olberman's reaction to the "Saudis financed 2004 Election theft" story

[CatWoman]

He ain't buying it -- some snippets:

NEW YORK — As of early Friday evening, at least 60 viewers and readers had forwarded me cut-and-pastes of— or links to— an amazingly intricate conspiracy theory on-line piece that intertwines the Presidential election, Homeland Security, the FBI, $29,000,000 in payoffs, Enron, and the Saudi Royal Family— seemingly everybody except the Visiting Nurse Association of Skaneateles, New York.

Each e-mail has come with the same question: could this possibly be true?


After Iran-Contra, nobody can discount the theoretical possibility of any international conspiracy to commit… well, to commit anything. But in the absence of verifiable facts, and in the middle of a sea of unidentified sources and usage of the words “reportedly” and “apparently,” it is often instructive to see if the writer, and the mere journalistic structure of what he’s written, can even maintain what artists like to call “verisimilitude” - the mere appearance of truth.

I’d have to put Mr. Madsen’s story in the same category as the on-line report that I had been fired by MSNBC on November 12th for attempting to cover voting irregularities.

I might add as an additional caution that I just saw that report posted anew on another Website. And apparently I’m still standing.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6533008/#041127a

[robbedvoter]

1. Not a bad idea to be cautious - there's enough tinfoil and

con artists in this field. It's responsible to evaluate carefully.
I for one trust Madsen's track record and expect more details will flesh out this story.

[asjr]

4. I feel Obermann is correct in being cautious. That is what makes

a true journalist. I don't think he is dismissing it out of hand, just needs more information. He doesn't want to create a "Dan Rather" moment. Rather was on the right track and his professional "friends" turned on him. But of course that was the "politically correct" attitude of the mediawhores. They should have stood by Rather.

[ibegurpard]

2. Someone e-mail him and ask him

(and this has nothing to do with this story in particular) to ask the question "Why is the United States government willing to go to the mat to challenge a Ukrainian election based upon discrepancies between exit polls and results? In this country, it's cause for calling for doing away with the exit polls."

[robbedvoter]

3. That is a good question - and I am told he touched it briefly.

More is needed.

[Cocoa]

6. Olbermann calls it a "spectacular irony"

referring specifically to Dick Lugar questioning the Ukraine election, and introducing his blog entry on John Zogby and Warren Mitofsky's comments on the exit poll question.

Scroll down to the Nov. 24 entry.

[ibegurpard]

11. Good

The fact that this doesn't get more scrutiny in the press is astounding and evidence that the media is either inept or part of the problem.

[glarius]

5. Obermann has a posting on his blog for today and seems to be a bit more

optomistic about the vote counting situation....Scroll down to after he talks about Dick Ebersoll.....Here's a link...

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6210240/

[pacalo]

8. Thanks, gladius. I was about to say that the article in the first post

is dated. I'm very much interested in how Keith's opinion develops this week, because someone posted on DU this weekend that he & Wayne Madsen were going to talk.

[troubleinwinter]

7. A DU poster, who has been in touch with Madsen and Olberman...

Says that O and M were talking by phone this weekend. So it should be interesting to see what Olberman has to say about it this week.

I am neutral on Madsen's stories, and am relying on Olberman's 'take' after the two have a chance to talk. Madsen may be able to divulge more info to a fellow journalist than to the public.

I am highly suspicious of the $29m check issued through a "financial institution" that Canada has indicated is a fraud used in the Nigerian letter scams.

Glad our Olberman is on it! If we hear no more from O on this after this past weekend, I will assume he deems Madsen's stories suspicious or bogus.

[Cocoa]

9. you don't have to wait

it's safe to conlclude RIGHT NOW that Olbermann deems these stories suspicious or bogus.

[troubleinwinter]

10. Just curious if anything has changed after a phone con. this weekend.

But I suspect you're right.

[shance]

12. Pull back on the Keith Olbermann fan club would you?

Olbermann while a good journalist, is no more or no less equipped than most of us who have worked on the electronic voting issue for the past few years. He just happens to have a show on MSNBC. Thats terrific, but

Why grant him omnipotent power?

We are grateful for Olbermann's work on the issue, and he definitely deserves appreciation and accolades for his coverage on electronic voting, but why the God certification for him? In truth hes doing a job that every other journalist should be doing.

As far as Madsen versus Olbermann, Wayne Madsen could most likely fly galaxies around Olbermann in comparison to who actually knows more about the inside scoop of it all when it deals with all the conflicts of interest surrounding this case. I appreciate Olbermann's skepticism, but it borders a little on cocky.

I also think its important, once again, not to get too dependent on one mainstream media source. I think its easy to become broad sided again.

Its important to keep in mind that Olbermann works at NBC, which of course is owned by General Electric, the third largest defense contractor, which means they make big profits with Administration's like the one we presently have.

My point is Olbermann can probably fly so high and far on the electronic voting subject and then will be called back to the ground. I could be wrong but take a look at what surrounds him.


The truth is the truth, not because its BETTER truth from someone else. We need to remove the rose colored glasses.

[AuntPatsy]

13. Ditto, good point....

[Ducks In A Row]

14. it's ok by Madsen. His feelings aren't hurt

anyways, he never expected any of the MSM, Olbermann included, to pay attention to him. That's why he's relying on the real media, the independents like Pacifica