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Bill Press Tells Howard Kurtz That MSNBC Hosts Are ‘Not Calling Anyone Nazis’

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by Tommy Christopher | 1:37 pm, April 10th, 2011

» 38 comments

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” isn’t quite true, and benefits from the fact that Keith Olbermann is no longer at the network. Oddly, though, Olbermann’s record of Nazi references only reinforces the contrast between Beck and MSNBC.

Sure, there are superficial similarities between Beck and Olbermann. Both are strongly opinionated, have extremely loyal followers, and neither is a stranger to the rhetorical use of the Third Reich. Beck rightly drew fire for accusing prominent Jew George Soros of being a Nazi collaborator, while Olbermann compared prominent Jew Floyd Abrams to Nazi collaborator Vidkun Quisling.

But the research for the “Top Ten List” of Keith Olbermann’s Nazi references, compiled by our own Matt Schneider, illustrates the fallacy of the comparison. Only six of those ten were from MSNBC’s air, and those examples stretched all the way back to 1998. Beck, by contrast, makes Nazi references with such comical frequency that during my one visit to Beck’s Mercury Radio offices, I could hear the word “Nazi!” wafting out of the studio into the waiting room. I half-expected “Nazi” to be an all-purpose, “Aloha”-style salutation at Beck HQ.

However, Press also illustrates the need for liberals to hold their figureheads to a higher standard. As I’ve said before, even if the score is 50 to 1 in Nazi references, or other crazy talk, isn’t it better to be able to say “We don’t do that,” and for it to be true?

Also lost in the Beck/MSNBC foodfight is the fact that CNN employs its own noted Nazi-bomb thrower, Redstate’s Erick Erickson.

Here’s the clip, From CNN’s Reliable Sources:

Update: The opening paragraph of this post has been updated to reflect the fact that, as commenters have pointed out, Keith Olbermann is not the only MSNBC host to ever make a Nazi reference.

Bill Press, Erick Erickson, Floyd Abrams, George Soros, Glenn Beck, Howard Kurtz, keith olbermann, Matt Schneider, Reliable Sources, Special Comment, Tommy Christopher, Vidkun Quisling

Barack Must Go

The entire staff at MSNBC aren’t the equivalent of a pimple on Glenn Beck’s rearend. It’s so absurd that Kurt’s and the inspiation behind lead character in the movie ” DESPICABLE ME “, Bill Pess could even attempt to have a fake discussion on the subject. I can’t, for the life a me, understand why Kurt’s would even have a conversation with a left wing pariah like Press……seriously.
cjd ohio 1

well lets not forget, chris matthews and ed schultz, Mr. Press but hey the hell with the truth
murf

TOMMY YOU LAZY HACK , a simple GOOGLE search reveal this

Dear Mr. Press:

We were disappointed by your recent column, in which you stated that the tactics of groups opposed to health care reform were taking “… a page right out of the Nazi playbook” (August 6).

Regardless of the political and substantive differences in the debate over health care, comparisons to the Nazis are outrageous, offensive and inappropriate. Such statements only serve to diminish and trivialize the extent of the Nazi regime’s crimes against humanity, and the murder of six million Jews and millions of others in the Holocaust.

We hope that you will be more careful not to draw such comparisons in the future.

Sincerely,

The Anti-Defamation League

http://www.adl.org/media_watch/radio/20090810-Bill+Press+Show.htm
Moderate

CNN can not be criticized on Reliable Sources. Not only does MSNBC have repulsive personalities but they are far more boring than Beck ever was.
Puter Boi

murf said:
TOMMY YOU LAZY HACK

HEY!
T.C. isn’t lazy……
http://www.perceptionasreality.blogspot.com/ skoorbekim

TC you disappointed more than Kurtz usually does…
No “dog whistle” theories for MSNBC…
What would be the Liberal equivalent to the GOP’s “2012 Southern Strategy”…
Have you ever heard Schultz (the guy you are afraid of) or Ratigan?
Moderate

Tennessee Democrat Rep. Steve Cohen, who is Jewish, stood by his remarks in which he compared Republican attacks on the health care overhaul to Nazi propaganda advanced by Joseph Goebbels. If it ok in Congress, is should be ok for a political hack.
http://www.perceptionasreality.blogspot.com/ skoorbekim

There must be a difference between calling a group of people Nazis and calling them violent racists…
TfT

Not onlyis anything said on reliable sources completely unrealiable anymore because Howie has proven himself to be untrustworthy with his selective criticisms, but comparing Beck to Olbermann? Really Tommy?

TOmmy is an MSNBC wannabe.
leftistvermin

I dont listen to liberal talk radio, but I love listening to the commercial breaks during the morning and afternoon drive on leftist talk radio, actually, I should call them PSA breaks because that’s all they play, they can’t sell any ads.
Calvin

I found this and I though it was sort of interesting: http://badtothebohn.wordpress.com/2010/05/16/lewis-black-v-truth-on-glenn-beck/

Make of it what you will.
KirbbDogg2000

The way there talking they make it sound like Keith is still at MSNBC. Keith no matter what he never called for anyone to take up arms to remove Bush. Beck and the rest at fox has done that. Sean Hannty had pull up calling for how to remove Obama. One was asasaination. The lady on the panel did make a point. You never did see Beck and Handty cover election day. MSNBC’s iusse is that they treated Keith and Joe and few others as reporters. There not there as reporters they are comenters. I think that was one the iusse with Joe and Keith giving money to people running for office. MSNBC need to define that line right there. Had they done that sooner and stayed out of Keith bussnes He would still be at MSNBC. NBC is genreal is out of touch with that. And in someways had hunderd MSNBC. Now I never hear Keith make comment like that about Floyd Abums. That’s Dan Aburms dad is it not? Isn’t there some heat between Dan and Keith? I also do remember hearing some about Dylan Ragtan calling for a open revltion and remove Obama. Now that last comment. I’m not to sure about I heard that on Red Eye. so someone is going to have clear that up for me if that is true.
http://www.sarainitalyblog.blogspot.com/ sarainitaly

BS they’re not….

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/nazi-nazi-nazi-chris-matthews-amazing-hypocrisy-called-tea-party-nazis-all-week/

http://newsbusters.org/blogs/jack-coleman/2009/03/04/envious-ed-schultz-likens-limbaugh-hitler

http://newsbusters.org/blogs/brad-wilmouth/2009/02/27/olbermann-garofalo-see-self-loathing-black-guy-michael-steele-limbaug
http://www.sarainitalyblog.blogspot.com/ sarainitaly

http://www.dronetek.net/dronetek/ed-schultz-compares-tea-party-movement-nazi-brown-shirts-demonize-beck-rally

http://newsbusters.org/blogs/noel-sheppard/2011/01/24/matthews-ties-tea-partiers-nazi-stuff-moments-after-bashing-beck-viol
murf

Hey Sara thanks for doing Tommy’s research , he’s too much of an MSNBC apologist to bother.
TfT

SarainItaly:

Are you suggesting that Tommy didn’t do his homework before he wrote this? Is tehre a hat-tip to MM? Perhaps he was spoon fed this story???
KirbbDogg2000

Heres the thing I want to know plus what I asked from my last comment. I thought Comcast was going to take over to change MSNBC.And get rid of some peolpe. Other then Keith leaving. nothing seems to have changed. My question is how much say does Comcast have? why is chris matthews and a few still on MSNBC?
Tommy Christopher

sarainitaly said:
BS they’re not….

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/nazi-nazi-nazi-chris-matthews-amazing-hypocrisy-called-tea-party-nazis-all-week/

http://newsbusters.org/blogs/jack-coleman/2009/03/04/envious-ed-schultz-likens-limbaugh-hitler

http://newsbusters.org/blogs/brad-wilmouth/2009/02/27/olbermann-garofalo-see-self-loathing-black-guy-michael-steele-limbaug

Good point. Post updated.
http://www.perceptionasreality.blogspot.com/ skoorbekim

Here is Matthews not using the word “Nazi”… only its techniques…
http://perceptionasreality.blogspot.com/2010/09/blog-post.html
lonestar77

Nazi comparisons are just a blip on the problematic radar screen for MSNBC. The outright hate and anger that comes from Matthews, Cenk, Schultz, LOD & even Maddow is unparalleled on any other network. None of the MSNBC personalities truly care about any form of substantive debate. They are nothing more than character assassins. They use the form and verbiage of a 14 year-old bully.

Besides, we all know that there’s no shortage of Hitler references coming from MSNBC. Additionally, there’s been no shortage of Hitler references coming from Dem members of Congress. The last one being last week.

Tommy, you can pretend that Beck uses Hitler references more than any of your peers & like-minded pols but it’s just simply incorrect.
lonestar77

TfT said:
SarainItaly:

Are you suggesting that Tommy didn’t do his homework before he wrote this? Is tehre a hat-tip to MM? Perhaps he was spoon fed this story???

Hah. Just about ALL of his stories are spoonfed. I’ve only seen a handful of original anything. Olbermann was “rip & read” from the lefty kook blogs. Tommy is “rip & write”.
ChiliPeppersFan

KirbbDogg2000 said:
The way there talking they make it sound like Keith is still at MSNBC. Keith no matter what he never called for anyone to take up arms to remove Bush. Beck and the rest at fox has done that. Sean Hannty had pull up calling for how to remove Obama. One was asasaination. The lady on the panel did make a point. You never did see Beck and Handty cover election day. MSNBC’s iusse is that they treated Keith and Joe and few others as reporters. There not there as reporters they are comenters. I think that was one the iusse with Joe and Keith giving money to people running for office. MSNBC need to define that line right there. Had they done that sooner and stayed out of Keith bussnes He would still be at MSNBC. NBC is genreal is out of touch with that. And in someways had hunderd MSNBC. Now I never hear Keith make comment like that about Floyd Abums. That’s Dan Aburms dad is it not? Isn’t there some heat between Dan and Keith? I also do remember hearing some about Dylan Ragtan calling for a open revltion and remove Obama. Now that last comment. I’m not to sure about I heard that on Red Eye. so someone is going to have clear that up for me if that is true.

i never point out spelling, that’s not why we post here and it’s pretty weak to attack people on that and i would be the last to talk about grammar bad how is it…but dude, could you post that again in english?
SteveMG

It seems to me to important to note that Bill Press worked for MSNBC and is currently listed on their website as a “contributor.”

I’m not sure if he still is one, i.e., a contributor, but he does appear somewhat regularly on the network.
tatboy

So, bottom line Bill Press is a LIAR. A person who, when the facts don’t suit him, LIES. NOTHING from now on Bill Press says can be trusted as we now know he doesn’t let facts get in the way of a good rant. Once more kids… Bill Press is a proven LIAR.
Rescuedog

“eck rightly drew fire for accusing prominent Jew George Soros of being a Nazi collaborator, while Olbermann compared prominent Jew Floyd Abrams to Nazi collaborator Vidkun Quisling.”

Who on earth is Floyd Abrams?
http://www.sarainitalyblog.blogspot.com/ sarainitaly

just providing the facts. :O)
SteveMG

Who on earth is Floyd Abrams?

He’s probably the pre-eminent First Amendment scholar in the nation and a man who has spent most of his adult life defending and advocating for free speech.

And yes, he’s the father of Dan Abrams, the proprietor of this site.

He’s about as much a Nazi as Peter Pan is (or would be).
BadGenome

CNN LIES!
KirbbDogg2000

@BadGenome

Love the picture And @SteveMG

I’ve heard of Floyd he was one Dans old show on MSNBC I just wanted to be sure to the relation between him and Dan. I was also asking about any iusse’s between Dan and Keith. I’ve hear this and that. and Keith even said of things a few years back. if there was iusses that might have been why Keith would call out Floyd like that. To get at Dan. That’s what i was trying to get to.
Paleoconservatarian

Once again, Howard Kurtz, what did Beck “make up?”

Take something… ANYTHING… and disprove it, or you’re just as guilty of the behavior you point to and condemn in this clip.

Bill Press is RIGHT IN FRONT of you, MAKING STUFF UP; particularly, in this case, saying that MSNBC doesn’t resort to the Nazi references (it does, and frequently).

You’re a media analyst, and let this go all while accusing Beck of making things up without proving them. Pot? Meet your black self.
Dem4Ever

ChiliPeppersFan said:
i never point out spelling, that’s not why we post here and it’s pretty weak to attack people on that and i would be the last to talk about grammar bad how is it…but dude, could you post that again in english?

I thought the guy was having a stroke.
Paleoconservatarian

I see that Tommy Christopher, again, cannot stay on point, raising the fact that Beck does also frequently talk about Nazis. What he doesn’t tell you is that, quite often, those Nazi references were references to Nazis. It’s well known that Beck’s show has several part – comedy, politics, etc. A big part of that is lessons from history, the role of man’s relationship with power and the nature of evil. If one cannot discuss Nazis under the this type of discussion without incurring criticism, one is also morally obligated to castigate every history book on the topic and era as inflammatory hyperbole.

Christopher also editorializes when he says that Beck came in for ‘righteous’ criticism when he said George Soros was a Nazi collaborator. But George Soros was a Nazi collaborator. By George Soros’ own admission. Not that working for the Nazis under duress would make Soros share Nazi ideology – nor was that Glenn Beck’s point. Far from it, Beck absolves Soros for the act. What he, and others since the 60 minutes interview aired, have found more disturbing is the seeming lack of remorse or subsequent pangs of conscience on Soros’ part for having participated in the act.

Christopher’ final assertion that somehow liberals possess a morally superior position over that of conservatives from which to hold their figureheads to a higher standard, asides from being obviously and insultingly partisan, is just plain wrong headed. Moral obligations flow not from a need to satisfy a political advantage but from the existence of moral absolutes themselves.
WildMan

Oh Howie, Bill Press??? LOLOLOL Uhh Howie, the only sane person your little group of 4 was Amy Holmes. She also happens to be very smart. If you and the other guests would look at the daily ratings you’d find that the knuckleheads on PMSnbc reside down in the deep recess of the sewers of New York City. Yes Beck had gone overboard lately but, good grief, check out the wackos over on LSDnbc. Man that place must have rubber lined walls and everyone of the talking heads must be strapped to the floor with chains and cuffs. That place is an insane asylum run by juveniles. Oh well, Amy got it right. Maybe hire her as your fill in and then take a 2 year vacation.
More Liberty5

To quote Colby Hall:
“The truth is that Tommy IS an unabashed liberal – which is why we like him.”
J Baustian

Paleoconservatarian said:
I see that Tommy Christopher, again, cannot stay on point, raising the fact that Beck does also frequently talk about Nazis. What he doesn’t tell you is that, quite often, those Nazi references were references to Nazis. It’s well known that Beck’s show has several part – comedy, politics, etc. A big part of that is lessons from history, the role of man’s relationship with power and the nature of evil….

Christopher also editorializes when he says that Beck came in for ‘righteous’ criticism when he said George Soros was a Nazi collaborator. But George Soros was a Nazi collaborator. By George Soros’ own admission.

Indeed. It is one thing to call one’s political opponents “Nazis” or “Nazi sympathizers” or “Nazi collaborators”.

But George Soros has admitted that when he was a child, he and his father collaborated with the Nazi occupiers. The repeating of biographical material, when it originated with Mr Soros himself, is not slanderous — not in the way that many Democrats and other leftists use the term to impugn their opponents.

If you want to really annoy the leftists, inform them that Mussolini and Hitler were both leftists… that the National Socialist Working Peoples Party was a leftist party, and that Mussolini was editor of the chief Socialist Party newspaper in Italy before starting the Fascist Party.
Nachi

If not, they certainly should be. There are plenty of wannabe Nazis around. In other words,” be one – just don’t use the name”?? “Ich bin ein Republican!”
X-3

Bill Press Tells Howard Kurtz That MSNBC Hosts Are ‘Not Calling Anyone Nazis’

Since when you lying sack of crap?
alex020588

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