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Olbermann Is Neither Fair Nor Balanced On Obama’s Spending Freeze

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by Tommy Christopher | 9:49 am, January 27th, 2010

» 31 comments

Isn’t Countdown host Keith Olbermann supposed to be inside some kind of tank for President Obama? That’s what I keep hearing, but you wouldn’t know it to watch his segment on the POTUS’ proposed SOTU spending freeze. It’s one thing to say that the freeze is a gimmick and a bad idea, but quite another thing to not tell the whole story. For a guy who constantly mocks Fox News’ “Fair and Balanced” slogan, Keith displayed a marked lack of both.

About 2 minutes into this clip, Keith points out that it was Senator John McCain who proposed a spending freeze during the 2008 campaign, only to have the idea “heartily rebuffed” by Obama. Then, he plays the same clip everyone else is playing to illustrate how candidate Obama opposed a spending freeze, while President Obama proposes one:

What’s missing from Keith’s segment is the fact that what candidate Obama said at that debate is exactly what he’s saying now. From ABC News’ Jake Tapper:

But there is a key difference. Senior administration officials say the freeze they’re proposing wouldn’t be an across the board freeze on every program — some spending would go up, other programs and agencies would be frozen or experience cuts. It would be an overall freeze on the totality of the discretionary non-security budgets from 2011 through 2013.

In the first presidential debate, then-Sen. Obama said in response to Sen. McCain’s freeze proposal, “the problem with a spending freeze is you’re using a hatchet where you need a scalpel. There are some programs that are very important that are currently underfunded.”

In the second debate he said an “across-the-board freeze” is “an example of an unfair burden-sharing. That’s using a hatchet to cut the federal budget. I want to use a scalpel so people who need help are getting help and those of us like myself and Senator McCain who don’t need help aren’t getting it. That’s how we make sure that everybody is willing to make a few sacrifices.”

The White House will argue their proposal is a scalpel.

This isn’t a secret, and it’s not as if every media outlet that runs this doesn’t know that Obama’s freeze differs from McCain’s in exactly the way he said it should. That just doesn’t make for a compelling “Gotcha!”

You would, however, expect Keith Olbermann to afford the President that measure of fairness, especially since it doesn’t damage his central thesis that the spending freeze is a bad idea. You would expect it because this is the same kind of fake flip-flop attack that was used ad nauseam against John Kerry in 2004.

In fairness to Olbermann, Rachel Maddow does the same thing, introducing that debate clip by saying that John McCain lost the election “proposing this idea.” On the other hand, she does an excellent job of showing why Obama’s spending freeze is bad politics and bad policy:

Strangely enough, one of the voices of reason on all of this has been liberal blogger Oliver Willis, whos ort of predicted this in a post called “The Liberal Blogosphere Goes Fox News.” He talks about the “collective pants-wetting” on the liberal blogs when the news of the freeze first leaked:

We saw that on Monday with the leaked story that the Obama administration planned some spending freezes. What we know about the proposal:

* It exists
* Defense spending is exempt
* If/when there’s a second stimulus or jobs bill it is exempt
* Health care reform would be exempt
* It is targeting redundancies, waste, excess, etc.
* The details of what will be targeted have not been released yet

That halfway story seemed to be all liberals needed in order to issue their own Fox News Alerts about the betrayal and then began the parade of frankly embarrassing hysteria.

If you don’t know Willis, he’s very much a liberal “team player.” If he’s calling out his fellows, you know something’s up.

It’s also worth noting that mere hours transpired between my article about Evan Bayh undermining the President constantly, and Evan Bayh undermining the President again. Now, it looks like Keith Olbermann is part of that tag-team.

In fairness to Olbermann, I have no idea how much he is involved in actually writing or researching these segments. Keith’s a really smart, engaged liberal, but he’s also a very busy guy, and maybe this fell through the cracks, and he didn’t think to correct it on the air. Maybe he’ll take the time to correct it tonight, before the President’s speech.

barack obama, Countdown, Countdown with Keith Olbermann, Evan Bayh, fox news, John McCain, Keth Olbermann, President Obama, SOTU, spending freeze, State of the Union, Tommy Christopher, White House

mndasher

Olbermann is unbalanced about everything. Let me rephrase that; Olbermann is mentally disturbed. Seen a few clips of him on the net, never have watched his show, or the network he is on. — Is MSNBC affiliated with Air America?
liberalontogeny

So Tommy,

Are you stating that there in essence no spending freeze? That candidate Obama doing exactly what he stated he would do via debate (more specifically 2nd debate). That Maddow not really correct in stating “bad politics and bad policy” because Pres. Obama using a scalpel as he has consistently stated he would do?

[In the second debate he said an “across-the-board freeze” is “an example of an unfair burden-sharing. That’s using a hatchet to cut the federal budget]

[That’s how we make sure that everybody is willing to make a few sacrifices.”]
Tommy Christopher

Liberalontogeny,

1. Please get shorter screen name (that goes for a lot of you)

2. No, I didn’t say any of those things.

What I did say is that both Olbermann and Maddow advance the false meme that Obama is proposing the same thing he opposed when it was McCain’s idea. They are not the same thing.

I also said “(Maddow) does an excellent job of showing why Obama’s spending freeze is bad politics and bad policy.”

Does that clear it up?
dhg

Olbermann is taking the liberal democratic hard core left line like Robert Reich and a few others who basically believe spending and they associated taxing is the way to salvation.When anyone regardless of who or why suggests otherwise they come out screaming.Reich believes it will push us back to recession,Olbermann doesn’t have enough focus to think anything beyond “spend good not spend bad”.
http://www.swissarmyjew.com Keeva

Olbermann’s grasp of reality is so tenuous that this is hardly a surprise. He and Maddow are now in the phase of political/media life that I call, “eating their own young.” Having championed President Obama into the White House and run out of convenient Republican targets, they are now turning on themselves to get the meat they need for ratings.

Olbermann: “Oh no, the president is acting responsibly and trying to limit spending on our beloved welfare state. What do we do?”
Maddow: “Attack! Ignore reason and attack!”
http://www.swissarmyjew.com Keeva

As a secondary note, this is not new. Conservative media turned on the GOP in the last years of the Bush administration and Liberal media turned on Clinton.
liberalontogeny

Tommy Christopher

Actually you have 1 more character in you screen name that I do. Anyway, no not cleared up.

Much of the article is spent suggesting that Olbermann (and little bit Maddow) disingenuous with his coverage of Pres. Obama’s ‘spending freeze”

Then you go to suggest that Pres. Obama never did “really” suggest opposition to a spending freeze using the scalpel theory. Which WH stated some programs up in funding, others down in funding. Targeted.

But Pres. Obama is consistent with candidate Obama.

So I would have to conclude that Olbermann and Maddow know about the consistency, know that scalpel being used to target under performing line item cuts but refusing to disclose that to their viewers. Perhaps Olbermann and Maddow supported scalpel approach before they were against scalpel approach (unless there is some record during campaign where they called out Candidate Obama’s scalpel approach).
Jim R

Both Keith and Rachel should issue a correction and given their past history probably will.

It’s a shame they didn’t make the distinction between McCain’s across the board freeze suggestion and Obama’s scalpel because it detracts from the broader valid points of lending credibility to failed conservative economic mantras, missing the opportunity to at least educate the American public about the value of Keynesian Economics and the 1937 lesson that prematurely cutting back government spending and taxes during a recovery can cause a massive relapse.

More broadly, even with the proviso of the needed correction or clarification, it demonstrates the intellectual honesty by the left in criticizing a first year President to push harder for progressive change while the right almost uniformly cheer-leaded Bush/Cheney until in his final year, when it was clear his conservative policies had abjectly failed across the board.

The “liberal” media served as nothing if not a conveyor belt for right wing conspiracy theories against Clinton from the get go, so the notion that they turned on him in the last year doesn’t hold water.

Bush had 70-80% approval among Republicans when he left office.

.
m

Olbermann did a segment that nobody in Fox News would ever do: attack the commander in chief that they’re rooting for. For eight years, Fox News had their cameras and mics up the proverbial buttocks of the Bush Administration and regurgitated everything they said with a smile on their face rivaling 2 girls 1 cup.
liberalontogeny

Using Gallup:

Pres. Bush had average of 67% approval from Republicans his last year in office (low of 55%):

Gallup-Bush

Pres. Obama has average of 84% approval from Democrats his first year in office (low of 81%)

Gallup-Obama
Johnny M

Thanks Tommy for pointing this out. I havent understood the impulse reaction from the Left and failure to point out how minimlistic this is and doesnt really effect any of the spending they feel will stimulate the economy. It should be a fairly simple reaction to this news that seems to be going off track; the right should aknowledge that this is a good plan, however suggest that it doesnt go far enough. And the left shouldnt use half-quotes, out of context against the President. It makes the left seem further from reality in regards to budget deficits.

The other thing I dont like that Maddow, Olby, and other liberal commetators have done over this dispute is come to the conclusion, “the people voted against a freeze when they voted against McCain.” What proof is there that this was the issue that unfied all voters against McCain? Its a far-reach to assume a vote for Obama meant a vote for all liberal policies, as nearly every policy poll shows.
ImNotBlue

m says:
January 27, 2010 at 11:45 am

“YOU LIE!” Hehehe… it’s not as dramatic online, but seriously… you’re a liar, and your statement is 100% false.

______

I think this highlights some upcoming difficulties for Olbermann. He’s representative of the Liberal left… not necessarily the Democrats, and not necessarily the White House. He tried that a while back, and got burned for it (see the FISA flip-flop).

But what this means in television terms is that KO’s already relatively small audience, might continue to shrink. He’s carved out a nice little niche there, but it looks like he might start cutting it down further… and that could become a problem. If KO goes too “specialty,” he’ll wind up with “Countdown.com: Olbermann’s weekly rants”… but that’s a far cry from a television show.
Tommy Christopher

Liberalotolaryngology,

you’re right, but my name an easily be shortened to Tommy, or TC, or Mr. X (my preference, let’s see if it catches on).

As far as the freeze goes, I have no problem with what Keith and Rachel said about the political wisdom of the move, only their attempt to equate it to McCain. The worst part of this is the timing, as it can only be seen as a reaction to the conservative narrative on healthcare and Scott Brown.
Puter Boi

Tommy?

I vote for TC…

Top Cat!
The most effectual Top Cat!
Who’s intellectual close friends get to call him T.C.
Providing it’s with dignity.

Top Cat!
The indisputable leader of the gang.
He’s the boss, he’s a pip, he’s the championship.
He’s the most tip top,
Top Cat.

Yes he’s a chief, he’s a king,
But above everything,
He’s the most tip top,
Top Cat.

Top Cat!
liberalontogeny

Mr. X

Well since I didn’t initiate screen names, you can use mine as is. No need to lengthen it, misrepresent it either. That speaks volumes about you. Disrespectful comes to mind.

I’m Just pointing out the screen name that appeared for you when you made a request.

Since you provided an article for us to read. And you answered my questions. I still have to state my conclusions from your article that they are misleading MSNBC viewers with their editing choices. Unless you want to correct that because you did not imply that with your own article?
Zakk

Didn’t Candidate Obama also make fun of McCain for suggesting that healthcare plans be taxed?
sarainitaly

I think you could have just stopped here:
Olbermann Is Neither Fair Nor Balanced

hehe
Tommy Christopher

liberalontogeny,

I was joking, no disrespect intended.

Yes, I am saying they misled their viewers. I guess we differ on the extent to which I said they did. I thought that was fairly explicit, though, not implicit.
Tommy Christopher

Zakk,

again, this is a superficial “Gotcha.” McCain wanted to tax 100% of everybody’s health plans. That’s galaxies away from the Cadillac tax. That doesn’t make the Cadillac Plan tax a good idea, but it ain’t the same thing, either.

In the big picture, though, I can see how the distinction rings hollow to Obama’s labor supporters.
Puter Boi

Here ya go, TC….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=230cRNAXGlc
sarainitaly

didn’t Obama mock McCain and Hillary for suggesting mandates?
libra blue

This freeze business is nothing more than an attempt by the Obama administration to appear fiscally responsible. It is the same thing as a store raising prices right before running a big sale. Unfortunately, many people are stupid enough to fall for it.

@sarainitaly,

“I think you could have just stopped here:
Olbermann Is Neither Fair Nor Balanced”

Good one!
Tommy Christopher

Sara,

yes, he did. It was the biggest flaw in his candidacy’s health care plan, and one that I pointed out at the time. You can’t get rid of pre-existing condition exclusions without a strong mandate.
Tommy Christopher

Puter Boi,

Mr. X sounds cooler. Isn’t there a song for that?
ImNotBlue

Olbermann’s “imbalance” is the #1 reason I can’t watch his program.

It makes my rocking chair jealous.

Ba-DUM! Try the veal.
Puter Boi

TC?

No song found yet…but here’s a pic for ya to post next to your new name….
OK….I’ll work on that one…

http://torino.theoffside.com/files/2009/02/simpson-mr-x.jpg
writer

I just can’t believe that a man who practically foams at the mouth, swearing and calling names at anyone who disagrees with him, would be anything less than fair.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Stewart-Smithwick/187101524 Stewart Smithwick

An across the board is a good idea. The way it could work is that you decrease the taxes on the people as well and let them boost the economy, not the government. The people are responsible for the economy not the government. The government is NOT the answer. Sorry but the only thing I ever want the government to do for me is protect me and the country and stay our of my business.
Cecelia

Well, it shouldn’t come as any suprise that Olbermann’s reporting more resembles an ax murder than a surgical exploration.

The fact that you can’t trust him to ascertain distinctions when reporting on Pres. Obama, whom he supports, ought to make abundantly clear why he has so many complaints concerning his performance from those he hates.
pyrope

I think Joe Wilson should give the Republican response–he could sum up all that -0bama says in only two words.

As for Olbermann not being “fair and balanced” is concerned; that’s a no brainer. Largely though, I think Mr. Olbermann’s problem is that he is mentally UN-balanced.
StewartIII

ChickaBOOMer — Beyond Salvage: Keith Olbermann Pisses Off The Wrong Target
http://chickaboomer.blogspot.com/2010/01/keith-olbermann-pisses-off-wrong-target.html