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Keith Olbermann’s Tea Time with Tom Tancredo and the ‘Tea Klan’

by Tommy Christopher | 1:50 pm, April 30th, 2010

» 26 comments

Countdown host Keith Olbermann has been on a roll lately. Along with his great new Twitter Report, he has rolled out another of the branded segments that make the show what it is. “Tea Time” is a nightly spotlight on the corners of the Tea Party movement that groups like Freedomworks are trying to push into the shadows.

Still, he would do much better to refrain from phrases like the “Tea Klan,” and just let people like Tom Tancredo and Tim “English Only” James speak for themselves.

As I’ve said before, groups like Freedomworks deserve a lot of credit for trying to eradicate the uglier elements of the Tea Party movement, as they yoke the movement’s energy to the GOP’s policy goals. However, people like Tancredo and James move Olbermann’s “Tea Klan” remark from deep left field onto the edge of the infield.

In last night’s segment, Olbermann highlighted Tancredo’s theory that the Obama administration is deliberately hiding the President’s birth certificate in order to make the Tea Party “look crazy.” Yes, and they’re hiding the UFOs, too, to keep Dennis Kucinich in his place. Credit Alan Colmes for drawing this bit of puss out of Tancredo like a medicated gauze pad.

Then, he plays the most awesomely xenophobic ad ever. Tea Party candidate for Alabama Governor Tim James goes all soft-focus, “The More You Know…” in his hilarious appeal for an English-only driver’s license exams. The best is when he pauses at the end, either deep in thought or cutting an SBD, before looking sincerely at the camera to ask if it makes sense to me. My answer? Not as much sensa as making a reasonable accommodation that hurts no one, and that we’ve already paid for. In fact, what sense does it make to waste taxpayer dollars to untranslate the exam, just so Tim James can feel like his state is purer?

After you watch the segment, head over to Dave Weigel’s WaPo blog, where he has an even better “Talk English!” ad from Pat Buchanan’s 2000 presidential campaign.

ImNotBlue

Does KO do anything original any more, or is his whole program, “Hey, let’s take what XYZ has done, and show it with our logo on it!”

Thin skinned, nasty, AND lazy! Who would have guessed?!
MichelleF

Maybe Keith could post this little diddy of Obama saying if you don’t have papers, you shouldn’t be here.

http://www.breitbart.tv/flashback-obama-argues-for-rule-of-law-in-deporting-illegals-without-proper-papers/

Tommy,
If you wanted to take a shot at real journalism, you could do a piece on it also.
ImNotBlue

Hey, let’s do an experiment!

For all the people crying that the “Speak English” ad is terrible and horrible… let’s see if you can explain to everyone WHY it’s bad.

In other words, why is the desire Americans to speak a common language a bad thing? Oh, and please don’t just say, “it’s racist.” That’s like saying, “it’s bad,” or “he’s nice.” If you think it’s racist, WHY is it racist… what makes it racist?

Those on the right (myself included) have given reasons why it’s a good thing (helps integrate people into one society, safety reasons, and fiscal sense)… so let’s see if you get give some good reasons why trying to get everyone to speak English is a bad thing.
Olby Sucks

It’s quite laughable that someone w/dismal ratings would have a segment on his comedy show dedicated to a movement or group that is supposedy “irrelevant.” Why devote a segment on his show if it’s soooooo “irrelevant?” Seems contradictory to me…

INB, if you want to raise some cackles and get called a “racist” and “bigot,”, go over to any one of the left wing blogs and post the youtube video of “Press 1 for English.” They HATE that video.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Tommy-Christopher/1054638341 Tommy Christopher

Michelle,

I will, but you probably won’t like it. That clip has no relation to the AZ law. If you care about real journalism, maybe you shouldn’t get your news from Breitbart.
MichelleF

Does that matter Tommy? He’s out there vilifying people, saying you could be taking your kids out for ice cream and get asked for proof of citizenship. That is what we call hypocrisy, no?

btw, breitbart just posted the video. I love it when you libs say we shouldn’t get our “news” somewhere like with Glenn, but all they are doing is using that person’s words. Or is that off limits?
Grammie

Tommy Christopher says:
April 30, 2010 at 4:00 pm

Michelle,

I will, but you probably won’t like it. That clip has no relation to the AZ law. If you care about real journalism, maybe you shouldn’t get your news from Breitbart.

I thought that clip was from CNN.

Ah, I’ve got it now, Tommy. Brieibart monkeyed with the legit clip from CNN to make it LOOK and SOUND like BHO expressed a perfectly reasonable opinion on the subject. Being a lawyer BHO could NOT possibly have been implying that old adage that hard cases make bad law.
MichelleF

ps, you still seem to be a little sore from the beat-down andrew gave you a while back.
sponge bob

” Along with his great new Twitter Report, he has rolled out another of the branded segments that make the show what it is. “
” make the show what it is “.
This is telling.
You are obviously a fan but have no idea how to label it. Popular ? Koko gets crushed in the ratings every night.
Fair ? He only puts on one side . The side that agrees with him.
Well liked ? Only by the far left. Even people that work at the station, despise him.
I know. How about the number one show not on Fox ?
That’s how Koko describes it.
Tommy Christopher

Grammie,

the difference is, CNN didn’t present the clip as Obama saying something he didn’t actually say.

Michelle,

as I recall, it was Andrew who fled the scene. You can see that in my *unedited* video clip.
Grammie

sponge bob says:
April 30, 2010 at 4:45 pm

If the current trend continues he may become the SECOND BEST show not on Fox.

Maddow is beating him about 1/2 the time now. Poor KoKO!
The_Reasonable_Lib

MichelleF says:
April 30, 2010 at 2:04 pm
Sadly, Mr. President has papers and has released them. Also in your clip Mr. Obama is arguing you should be here legally, which myself and most liberals agree with, not that the gov’t can walk up to you on the street and ask if you’re legal.
The_Reasonable_Lib

MichelleF says:
April 30, 2010 at 4:10 pm
No, you shouldn’t get your news from Glenn. Despite what you may think, many people are doing actual journalism. Glenn isn’t. It’s not journalism if you put a spin on it. If I’m correct, huffpost presented an article about the PR measure when it was first introduced. I’m sure that there are many other sites that did so as well. I particularly liked Glenn’s special on Black conservatives where he asserted that all civil rights leaders (Dr. King included) were conservatives, a fail of epic proportions. Glenn claims liberals put a spin on things, but he puts a conservative revision on history. You want objective journalism? Go to factcheck or politifact. Heck, Stephen Colbert does more actual journalism than Beck. I don’t think I’ve seen a politician, dem or repub, ever best him on his show.
MichelleF

RL,
You’re back!! I haven’t heard from you since you ridiculed me on another thread for saying something that was actually true. Welcome!

Oh and Tommy,
I saw the encounter and you didn’t come out on top. If you’re talking about how you couldn’t shut up, then I’ll grant you that, but that doesn’t mean you “won”. You actually looked like a complete tool.
The_Reasonable_Lib

MichelleF says:
April 30, 2010 at 5:53 pm
Yes, I had a test to take =D And are you referring to the happy meal thing? Oh yes, I read your post. And no, you’re wrong!!! The jist of that article is a crack down on the companies who refuse to post nutritional values or to provide healthy alternatives. As is a common conservative tactic, you misconstrued the facts (see, i can marginalize too). And that doesn’t prevent you from addressing the actual issue in my post.
SteveMG

It’s stuff like this from Olbermann that has rightly earned the phrase “McCarthyite” from the likes of Baltimore Sun TV critic David Zurawik.

Tim James is running for the Republican Party’s nomination for governor. He’s not a member of the Tea Party He’s a registered Republican and has been all of his life. He’s the son of the former governor and has run for that office before. What makes him a “Tea Partier”? (yeah, he’s a nut; at least if this ad is evidence of his views).

This isn’t journalism. This is ugly smearing. The headline of this post should be “Olbermann Smears Tea Partiers”.

We all complain about the ugliness in our political discourse and stuff like this is why.

To be sure, Olbermann could do a serious and reasoned story on the ugly elements in the Tea Partiers (although, again, I have no idea as to how Tim James is part of that movement. Does anyone?). There indeed are some crazy and dangerous types in that cause. But this isn’t an example of it.

Really, at some point the left needs to stop rewarding Olbermann.
Grammie

Tommy Christopher says:
April 30, 2010 at 4:52 pm

Grammie,

the difference is, CNN didn’t present the clip as Obama saying something he didn’t actually say.

What am I missing here,Tommy, b/c no matter what the presentation the clip is the clip.

Surely you aren’t asserting that presentation represents the truth of any matter as opposed to the actual content that is being presented? True, I see quite a few of the editors here attempting to do that with limited success in swaying me. Does that mean that you only approve the tactic when it reinforces your ideology and/or point of view?
MichelleF

RL, they will ban they if they don’t deem the meals are healthy enough. It’s not posting the info, it’s what they are serving. That’s pretty plain and simple. And all of the libs I saw debating it were all for the gov’t getting a say in what we eat and don’t eat. I knew you would find a way to say it isn’t true,

McDonald’s and other restaurants that offer toys or little gifts with their kids’ meals are the target of a move by supervisors in California’s Santa Clara County to ban such promotions “unless the restaurants meet nutritional guidelines,” the Los Angeles Times writes.

The Associated Press says: “Believed to be the first of its kind, the ordinance is aimed at curbing childhood obesity. Opponents say it is another example of too much government meddling in family affairs.”

According to the Times:

“As a compromise to win majority support, the five-member board agreed to put off implementing the measure for 90 days, to give the fast-food industry time to come up with a voluntary program for improving the nutritional value of children’s meals.”
MichelleF

Tommy Christopher says:
April 30, 2010 at 4:52 pm

Grammie,

the difference is, CNN didn’t present the clip as Obama saying something he didn’t actually say.

What am I missing here,Tommy, b/c no matter what the presentation the clip is the clip.

He’s saying breitbart manipulated the vid. That’s what they always say when they can’t defend it.
ImNotBlue

MichelleF says:
April 30, 2010 at 5:53 pm

RL,
You’re back!! I haven’t heard from you since you ridiculed me on another thread for saying something that was actually true. Welcome!

Really, you caught RL lying too? Man… still not correcting mistakes. I wonder how “reasonable” he/she thinks that makes him/her.

_____

Wow… a whole day went by, and nobody answered my question. Not even Tommy. Hmmm.
The_Reasonable_Lib

MichelleF says:
April 30, 2010 at 7:54 pm
Once again, that’s a crack down on the businesses. You’re acting like Big Brother is going to come to McDonald’s and snatch a kid’s toy out of his hands which simply isn’t true because as I said again you are misconstruing the facts, I have not lied. What you are saying and what the article is saying are very different. Those quotes don’t affirm your argument either. And yes, I do believe restaurants should offer more nutritious meals, that’s a big problem in America today.
The_Reasonable_Lib

ImNotBlue says:
May 1, 2010 at 1:40 am
Caught me lying? Neither you nor her have caught me lying. I don’t recall my convo with you, but I know that I am not a liar. As for Michelle, she was misconstruing the facts. If you read the article and the conversation in full rather than resting on the words of another conservative, you would see that. That’s very reasonable, wouldn’t you agree? Reading something in full before jumping to conclusions? Your idea of reasonable is when a person agrees with you, when that’s not what being reasonable is.
writer

The left has a point in mocking anyone who pushes for a common language. It makes much more sense for everyone to speak a different language. Just grunt and point, or draw pictures. Of course, that would make phone conversations more difficult, but the main thing is to stay politically correct and make sure no one feels left out or put upon. Common sense be damned.
Integr8d

And how many other countries have a national language?

Funny how Mediaite will cover Hawking’s comments on space aliens and ridicule Kucinich’s.
ImNotBlue

The_Reasonable_Lib says:
May 1, 2010 at 10:30 am

So the other day, when I called you out for lying, provided you a link, and then corrected your misstatements… that never happened?

Perhaps I just equate “reasonable” with “reasoned” and “honest.” Apparently, you’re not really into demonstrating either of those. Why?
MichelleF

What you are saying and what the article is saying are very different.

How so RL?