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Bloggers Respond to Keith Olbermann on Ben Nelson ‘Air Force Base-gate’

by Tommy Christopher | 3:04 pm, December 18th, 2009

» 10 comments

lewistweet On last night’s Countdown, Keith Olbermann ran a segment attempting to debunk the story that the White House had threatened Senator Ben Nelson (D-Nebraska) with closure of Offut Air Force Base in order to secure his vote on healthcare reform. The White House and Ben Nelson categorically deny the charge.

He attacked the apparent sources of the story (Matt Lewis and Michael Goldfarb), and the 20 Senators who are now calling for an investigation. Who’s right, and who’s wrong? Plus Mediaite has exclusive reaction from Lewis and Goldfarb.

Here’s the Countdown segment:

Olbermann is correct to point out that the alleged base-closing couldn’t happen until 2013, but that doesn’t mean the threat wasn’t made. He also references a “partial retraction” by Goldfarb without ever explaining what it was. I asked Goldfarb for his reaction to the segment, and if he knew what retraction Keith referred to: (via email)

There was no retraction. I stand by the story and am confused as to where that came from. My only response to Olberman is that I was disappointed I didn’t make Worst Person in the World.

A source at MSNBC points to an interview Goldfarb gave to Glenn Beck.

I also reached out to Matt Lewis, whose response was amusingly similar: (via email)

A reliable source leaked this information to me, and until proven otherwise, I stand by my source. My only regret is that Olbermann has yet to name me his ‘Worst Person in the World’.

Keith, if you’re reading this, a fitting response might be to put them on your “Best Persons” list. Just a suggestion.

This comes down to “Who do you believe?” Lewis and Goldfarb each have an anonymous source (Mediaite has learned that they did not both use the same source) saying that a threat was issued. Nelson and White House Communications Director Dan Pfeiffer both deny this. Me? I like to believe everyone.

It’s important to note that Matt Lewis didn’t write an article about it, he simply sent a tweet. The degree to which this insulates him from criticism is a new conversation. While I might not have done the same, even a moderately critical thinker could easily evaluate Matt’s tweet on the merits, and suss that it did not, and wasn’t intended to, carry the weight of a news report.

I would further note that I know Matt well enough to know that he’s certainly not making it up, nor is he the type to repeat the utterance of a suspect source. He definitely heard this from someone he believes. Even knowing nothing about Matt personally, just read him or watch his TV appearances. He’s the model of a moderate voice, he doesn’t try to push the ball.

Goldfarb, on the other hand, did write an article about it, and cited a (presumably Republican) Senate aide:

As our source put it, this is a “naked effort by Rahm Emanuel and the White House to extort Nelson’s vote.” They are “threatening to close a base vital to national security for what?” asked the Senate staffer.

Although Goldfarb clarified this later, a careful reading of the quote reveals that his source never actually says the threat came from Rahm Emanuel. This is too cute by 3/4 if it’s being run by a news organization, but Michael Goldfarb is a political blogger. The sourcing is clearly labeled, and its value as news should be easy to evaluate. By blog standards, he’s well within the lines.

My best guess is that there is some kernel of truth here, some kind of exchange happened between someone from the White House and someone from Nelson’s, probably too far down the food chain to be on Nelson’s, Pfeiffer’s, or Emanuel’s radar.

The real problem here, and where Olbermann hits the nail on the head, is the 20 GOP Senators who are now calling for an investigation. In a letter to the Senate Armed Services Committee, they call for a hearing based on “various media reports.”

These are grown men, members of the US Congress’ most deliberative body. They can’t tell the difference between a tweet/blog post and a credible news report? They really want to waste the time and expense of a hearing on what is a clearly-labeled rumor about a demonstrably empty threat?

As far as I can tell, everyone else here is just doing his respective job. These 20 Senators should stick to theirs.

ben nelson, Health Care, Health Care Reform, Healthcare, Im with Stupak, keith olbermann, michael goldfarb, Stupak Amendment, Stupak Is As Stupak Does, Tommy Christopher, twitter, Weekly Standard

http://www.sailrabbits.com Magister

As I understand it, the Sec. of Defense presents a list of possible closures to a nine person commission, who then reviews each candidate to determine whether they serve a vital role in national security which isn’t duplicated somewhere else.

Even if the allegations had any merit, if the base actually serves a purpose, then it wouldn’t get past the nomination phase unless a majority of commission members were somehow corrupt, which would be a whole other kettle of worms.
TfT

The 20 Senators are doing their job; just like those who called for an investigation in the Plame game. Everyone knows that the leaker was democrat Dick Armitage…..but the whole investigation was started based on various “media reports”.

Given what The Hill is reporting: ““Don’t think we’re not keeping score, brother,” Obama told DeFazio during a closed-door meeting of the House Democratic Caucus, according to members afterward.” any/all threats are on the table from the WH to members who balk at Obamacare.

I love how both Matt Lewis and Michael Goldfarb are now asking to be named WPITW! LOL. Everyone, including mediate, wear that as a badge of honor. Poor Kethy…he is such a joke.
http://www.sailrabbits.com Magister

@TfT: If 20 congresspeople would like an investigation, then that’s their prerogative, but I doubt they’ll ever come to fruition and right now, they’re just playing to headlines. (Though, they very well may decide to open the investigation up a little further into the political considerations of the BRAC process, quite possibly in an effort o protect their own bases down the line)

Otherwise, it’s a big jump from “keeping score” to something as specific as this improbable allegation and one would hope that the threshold of “media reports” is bigger than a tweet.
roxsteady

Two points:
First, The Republican Committee Head is John McCain who Goldfarb worked for up until last year when he said something stupid on CNN or maybe it was Hardball. and couldn’t back it up. Anyway McCain has so far refused to even mention this let alone state his position.

Second, The Democratic counter part who would have to head the committe is Senator Carl Levin. Somehow I doubt he’s going to waste his time on something as stupid as this. Even if it were true, if the “said victim” refuses to say it happend, you’ve got what you needed. End of story. Unless you’re a paranoid wingnut. Or 1 of the 20 idiot Republicans pushing this junk. I can’t believe we all pay them for this kind of representation. I’m glad I didn’t vote for any of these rubes, climate change deniers and morons.
Jim R

I can see why Republicans want to investigate the Obama Administration, for anything, after 1,052 Republican Congressional investigations of the Clinton Administration and ZERO Republican investigations of the Bush Administration – they miss it!

That was so much fun, shooting watermelons in a Congressman’s backyard to prove the Clintons were murderers, investigating “Socks The Cat” fan mail club – ah, the good old days of Republican comity and decorum.
ImNotBlue

roxsteady says:
December 18, 2009 at 7:37 pm

1) What the heck does the first part have to do with anything?

2) So you’d be okay with this ACTUALLY happening… and aren’t bothered by the prospect that people are lying about it? This type of threatening and manipulation for political gain, not for national interest, is okay by you? Really?

Jim R says:
December 18, 2009 at 8:26 pm

Interesting, you don’t mention if the Democrats ever investigated Bush. Well… we know they did, and not they don’t want to investigate Obama. Did they want to investigate Clinton? That’s not how I remember it.

When you’re going to be hypocritical… at least try not to make it THIS obvious. At least make an effort.
ireenawagner

Looks like all three (D) hold-outs will be voting in favor of cloture. Now the debate can begin. Now it’s up to the party of no to show all of America who they truly are. This debate NEEDS to happen!
vitamin d
OxyCon

It’s amusing watching the Far Left media go after government watchdogs.
Remember when they self righteously used to go after the government? Now they go after the government’s critics.
Truth to power! Right Olbermann and Maddow? Lol!
shootfromthehip

Here’s an idea. How about not passing poorly sourced rumors off as news? It’s getting to the point where any dumb GOP blogger can just make anything up with NO REPORTING AT ALL and Fox will put it on the air.
DorseyShaw

Conversation in my mind while reading this.

Me: Why would Lewis tweet about something like that unless he was being a “reporter”???

Me too: Maybe Lewis was just a willing tool of a Republican aide(!) who’s using the only tactic the GOP has ever had in the health care debate… Spreading gossip in order to distract the public’s focus away from the whole reform part. I mean, they are Republicans. Just sayin’.

Me: Ohhh yeahhh. i totally forgot we were talking about Republicans. My bad.