On Tuesday night’s Countdown, fiery host Keith Olbermann delivered one of his trademark Special Commentâ„¢ segments on the roiling controversy surrounding the Susan G. Komen breast cancer charity’s decision to de-fund, then maybe re-fund, Planned Parenthood‘s screening services. He compared the incident to McCarthy-era “witch hunts,” and said that Komen founder and CEO Nancy Brinker had “dishonored both her sister’s memory, and this essential cause.”

On the Monday night premiere of his Current TV show, host Keith Olbermann informed viewers that this version of Countdown would be “a newscast of contextualization,” presented with the point of view that the “weakest citizen in this country is more important than the strongest corporation” and that “the nation is losing its independence through the malfeasance of one political party and the timidity of another.”

In a web-only Special Comment, former and future Countdown host Keith Olbermann defended filmmaker Michael Moore against criticism (notably from MSNBC’s Ed Schultz) of the liberal icon’s statements on the killing of Osama bin Laden. While Olbermann stated up front that he had no problem with the way the shooting went down, he defended Moore’s right to “question” the official story, and called Schultz’s attack on Moore “outrageous.”

After a weekend of blogging and tweeting attacks from Current TV Chief News Officer (is it just me, or does that sound like a job posting for TASS?) Keith Olbermann, conservative pundit S.E. Cupp struck back this morning with a Special Comment of her own. Responding to Olbermann’s relentless barrage of insults about her intelligence, her honesty, and her parents, Cupp turned the former Countdown host’s signature segment against him.

During a discussion of Glenn Beck‘s departure from Fox News’ air on Sunday’s Reliable Sources, progressive radio host Bill Press joined host Howard Kurtz in pushing back against the idea that MSNBC’s opinion personalities are somehow equivalent to Beck. While Press and Kurtz were correct in their overall assessment, Press’ declaration that MSNBC hosts are “not calling anyone Nazis” is only true because Keith Olbermann is no longer at the network. Oddly, though, Olbermann’s record of Nazi references only reinforces the contrast between Beck and MSNBC.

A century from now, children in social studies classes will look at the news reports of this decade and define our generation by how many news people appeared to constantly be on the verge of tears on television. Last night it was Lawrence O’Donnell‘s turn, who admitted that, although he had little experience with Planned Parenthood, he had friends who would be severely hurt by the organization’s defunding.

The meta-media feud that united Bill O’Reilly and Keith Olbermann in opposition to Ted Koppel continued this weekend, as Koppel appeared on CNN’s Reliable Sources, and responded to the former Countdown host’s response to Koppel’s November op-ed piece, “The Death of Real News.”

Detoxing Countdown fans got a double-shot of web-only methadone Wednesday, as the former MSNBC host dropped a video edition of his “Worst Persons” segment and the first “Special Comment” of the post-Countdown era. The subject was President Obama’s Libya policy, and Olbermann, perhaps uncharacteristically, kept the hyperbole to a minimum, and delivered some of the most clear-eyed criticism I’ve seen since the unrest in Libya began.

Despite earlier reports that he would end the segment, Keith Olbermann announced Monday night that Countdown‘s “Worst Person in the World” segment will continue in some form, but under a different name.

He explained the fact that the segment was rooted in satire, but that some still thought he was literally claiming that these were the actual worst people in the world, and “there’s potential danger in that.”

The tragic shooting in a Tuscon area Safeway that killed 6 individuals and put Rep. Gabrielle Giffords in critical condition has caused significant ripples in the political media. Amid fingerpointing about “violent rhetoric,” Countdown host Keith Olbermann led the charge with a “Special Comment” calling for an end to such discourse. According to one report, it appears that Olbermann is putting his money where his mouth is, and permanently ending his “Worst Person in the World” segment, but MSNBC tells Mediaite that no decision has been made.

In a special Saturday episode of Countdown, spurred by the mass shooting that claimed six lives and left Rep. Gabrielle Giffords clinging to life, host Keith Olbermann declared an end to violent political rhetoric. In doing so, he ran through a laundry list of conservative examples of same, plus one of his own, and while critics may paint this as merely an opportunistic attempt to bludgeon those with whom he disagrees, his overarching theme is worth serious consideration.

During his patented Special Comment segment last week, Countdown host Keith Olbermann showed his displeasure with President Obama’s compromise on the Bush Tax Cuts by comparing it to Nazi appeasement. At Monday’s White House briefing, I asked Press Secretary Robert Gibbs if the White House had any reaction to the comparison. Gibbs responded that he doubted the President had heard Olbermann’s remarks, reiterated that the White House thinks the compromise is a good deal, and addressed the appeasement charge. See Gibbs’ response after the jump.

He might deny it, using a lace doily of a fig leaf that would embarrass even Rush Limbaugh, but Countdown host Keith Olbermann‘s “Special Comment” Tuesday night heavily featured that most Godwinian of rhetorical devices: the Nazi comparison. Angrily responding to President Obama‘s compromise on the Bush Tax Cuts, Olbermann quoted Winston Churchill extensively, ran down a laundry list of missed opportunities and broken promises, and even lent support to a primary challenge to the President.

Embedded in Keith Olbermann‘s Special Comment from last night‘s Countdown was the fact that the show had recently killed a segment in which President George W. Bush was alleged to have plagiarized portions of his new book, Decision Points. Citing weak evidence in the Huffington Post’s source piece, Olbermann asked “Would Fox have (killed the segment)? Would CNN have?” Excellent question! After the jump, see who ran with what plagiarism story, including one that was too good even for Olbermann to resist.

Say it ain’t so, Keith! Say it ain’t so!

Countdown host Keith Olbermann, in a fit of (toned-down) pique at Jon Stewart‘s false equivalence of MSNBC with Fox News, announced tonight that he is “suspending” the “Worst Persons in the World” segment, with an eye toward killing it. To many of the show’s viewers, this is the best part of the show, and equating its elimination with taking the high road misses the point entirely. Don’t kill “Worst Persons,” just be the better person.

MSNBC’s “Lean Forward” re-branding campaign will be the biggest in network history, and it kicked off last week with the first two Spike Lee-directed ads.

The broad themed promos will give way to more specific, host-centered ads – which you can now see online (and below):

Since early this morning, Press Secretary Robert Gibbs has been the object of ire from liberals for comments he made regarding criticism from the “professional left.” After clarifying, but not apologizing, to HuffPost’s Sam Stein, Gibbs missed today’s briefing (Deputy Press Secretary Bill Burton attributed it to “sniffles and a sore throat”), but Burton further refocused Gibbs’ remarks toward liberal cable personalities. Tonight, Grand Poobah of the ‘Professional Left’ Keith Olbermann delivered a Special Comment directed back at Gibbs.

Want to know what MSNBC’s Keith Olbermann thinks of Robert Gibbs‘ “professional left” comment? You’ll have to wait until Countdown tonight – but it will happen, and will come in “Special Comment” form.

Michael Moore will give his take as well. This is probably not what Pres. Obama wants right now, on the night of these midterm primaries.

Keith Olbermann‘s Special Comments are as hit-or-miss as it gets in cable news. Some of them manage to get at the heart of controversial matters that affect millions in a touching way. Others make you wonder whether Ben Affleck snuck on the set and reprised his SNL impression of Olbermann without anyone noticing. Last night’s comment on the BP oil spill– a topic on which Olbermann could have easily slipped into over-the-top rhetoric– manages to eloquently express the frustration Americans feel without turning the disaster into more meaningless cable news fodder.

Give credit where credit is due: Keith Olbermann‘s Friday apology, however slight, was a rare thing, indeed, in the world of political punditry. While I don’t doubt that Keith had a true moment of self-recognition here, I’m also fairly certain that this apology was equal parts reflection and self-preservation. Will it be enough to stave off the Jon Stewart Wrath-O-Matic?

Just hours after Jon Stewart‘s sharply observant takedown of Keith Olbermann‘s Special Comment segments, the Countdown host launched into a diatribe that made Stewart’s segment look like a love letter. In railing against yesterday’s hotly debated Supreme Court decision, he effectively said it was worse than slavery, and compared Floyd Abrams, who is Jewish, to a Nazi.

Is Keith losing it?

This is what happens when your late-night show tapes at 5 in the afternoon. Last night Jon Stewart took on Keith Olbermann‘s 3-day Scott-war against the newly-elected Republican Senator from Massachusetts, incinerating the Countdown host’s Special Comment segment along the way. In a case of life imitating art, Olbermann parodied the Special Comment hours after Stewart taped his takedown, saying that yesterday’s Supreme Court decision legalizing corporate campaign contributions was worse than the Dred Scott decision.

On last night’s Countdown, Keith Olbermann laid out a pretty stark prescription for President Obama on the war in Afghanistan: Get out now. He makes a lot of excellent points, and some less so, but Olbermann glosses over an 800 lb fact. Both he and the moderate left spent the bulk of the Bush administration [...]

Keith Olbermann delivered an hour-long “Special Comment” last night that was entirely focused on “health care reform in this country.” By sharing what he called the “eye-opening and jaw-dropping” ordeal of his father falling gravely ill and being hospitalized, the Countdown host referenced his father’s recent experiences as a patient and his own as a primary witness. The entire episode after the jump.

If you happen to be a fan of Keith Olbermann‘s occasional, lengthy, “Special Comment” monologues, you’re going to love tonight’s show.

And if you’re not, well you may want to avoid MSNBC for the entire 8pmET hour. That’s right, tonight night will be an hour-long Special Comment.