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	<title>Mediaite &#187; John Z</title>
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		<title>Ziegler Offers Olbermann $100K To Debate After  &#8216;Crush on Palin&#8217; Remark</title>
		<link>http://www.mediaite.com/online/ziegler-offers-olbermann-100k-to-palin-related-debate-after-keiths-crush-remark/</link>
		<comments>http://www.mediaite.com/online/ziegler-offers-olbermann-100k-to-palin-related-debate-after-keiths-crush-remark/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 20 Oct 2009 12:55:58 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Tommy Christopher</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Columnists]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Online]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[TV]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ACU]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[American Conservatives Union]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Countdown]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[CPAC]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[David Keene]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[John Z]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[john ziegler]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[John Ziegler and Keith Olbermann]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[John Ziegler Punched By David Keene]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[keith olbermann]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sarah Palin]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tommy Christopher]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.mediaite.com/?p=36899</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[On last night's edition of <em>Countdown</em>, <strong>Keith Olbermann</strong> and Democratic strategist <strong>Chris Kofinis</strong> had themselves a good chuckle about the confrontation between <strong>John Ziegler</strong> and ACU chairman <strong>David Keene</strong>. Kofinis called the showdown a "good old conservative rat fight," and Olbermann wondered if Ziegler was "defending his own crush." In a Mediaite exclusive, Ziegler offers $100,000 to Olbermann's favorite charity to an on-air debate about the former Alaska Governor.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.mediaite.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/olby_zig.jpg" alt="olby_zig" title="olby_zig" width="300" height="189" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-36959" />During <a href="http://www.mediaite.com/online/why-david-keene-threatened-to-punch-me-at-wcpac/">his interview with ACU Chairman <strong>David Keene</strong></a>, <strong>John Ziegler</strong> name-checked Countdown host <strong>Keith Olbermann</strong> several times. On last night&#8217;s edition of Countdown, Olbermann returned the favor. He and Democratic strategist <strong>Chris Kofinis</strong> had themselves a good chuckle about the confrontation, with Kofinis calling the showdown a &#8220;good old conservative rat fight,&#8221; and Olbermann wondering if Ziegler was &#8220;defending his own crush.&#8221; In a Mediaite exclusive, Ziegler reacts by challenging Olbermann to a debate about the former Alaska Governor, and puts his money where his mouth is.<span id="more-36899"></span></p>
<p>Check out the video, followed by Ziegler&#8217;s full reaction.</p>
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<p>I contacted John Ziegler for a reaction to the piece, and this is what he had to say:</p>
<blockquote><p>Wow. That is even more bizarre than I thought it would be.</p>
<p>First, if Olbermann really had ANY interest in knowing what motivated this (which he asks his not even tangential guest about several times) why didn&#8217;t he just ask me about it? If he was afraid I would destroy him in a live interview (which of course I would) why not do one on tape? If he didn&#8217;t want to give me the face time, why not at least speak to me off the air?</p>
<p>The real answer is that this had nothing to do with the Republican Party per se but rather a call for authenticity in the leadership of the conservative movement (those are different things). At one point Olbermann claims that I am motivated (bizarrely, moments after substantiating some of my other inquires of Keene) by &#8220;defending a crush.&#8221; For the record, my passion for defending Sarah Palin has nothing to do with any of her womanly qualities.</p>
<p>This may shock people, but my defense of her is not even politically based. It is motivated purely by the level of unfairness of the coverage of her. I honestly believe that I would have reacted the same way if she were ugly and a Democrat (not that it would have ever happened to her if that was the case), but I can understand why Olbermann couldn&#8217;t possibly understand such principled consistency or being motivated by something other than one&#8217;s own self interest and/or what they feel in their pants.</p>
<p>I will make this offer to Olbermann. If he has me on the show to debate Palin-related issues, live, for a full hour, I will pay his favorite charity $100,000, which is more than any profit I am ever likely to make from my film &#8220;Media Malpractice.&#8221; This offer is 100% real.</p></blockquote>
<p>We&#8217;ve forwarded John&#8217;s offer to MSNBC, and are awaiting a response.</p>
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