Conservative media figure and Wheel of Fortune host Pat Sajak made headlines recently when he apologized for introducing America to “bitter-sounding, hate-mongering name-caller” Keith Olbermann on his short-lived late night talk show. This touched off a feudlet with Olbermann, who pointed out that Sajak’s role in his success was slightly less pivotal than Al Gore‘s in the invention of the internet. In fairness to Sajak, though, his claim isn’t wholly without merit. Even given Olbermann’s resume´ to that point, Sajak did expose him to a new, more pop culture-oriented audience.

Advertising

Since Sajak is in the apologetic mood, are there any other “bitter-sounding, hate-mongering name-caller(s)” that he regrets giving the “Sajak Bump?” After the jump, check out the boost Sajak gave to up-and-coming radio star Rush Limbaugh, and the near-riot that ensued.

First of all, if Keith Olbermann qualifies as a “bitter-sounding, hate-mongering name-caller”, then surely the man whose latest, greatest hits include calling President

Obama a “Jackass” and “Imam Obamadenijad” rates an even more profuse apology. Not only did Sajak have Rush on as a guest, he liked what he saw so much that he handed Limbaugh the reins as a fill-in host just weeks before The Pat Sajak Show was cancelled. Here’s what happens when Rush gets an audience that he can’t hang up on: (from March 10, 1990)

In another Olbermann parallel, while the Countdown host denies that his recent suspension was a ratings conspiracy, Limbaugh sees the wheels a-turning in that CBS audience:

LIMBAUGH: …they had a series of producers that had nothing do with your show that were assigned to this one, and the audience was totally stacked against me, it was…SAJAK: Studio audience.LIMBAUGH: Studio audience was entirely stacked against me, and I — to this day, I don’t know, and I’m being very charitable here — I don’t know if it was done on purpose, with the intent to sabotage my effort, or if it was done on purpose as a result of a misunderstanding during production meetings about some of the things I said I might find challenging and eager to do.

Sajak seems like a reasonable, if a bit clueless, guy. In that earlier Rush appearance, he actually debated Limbaugh about sensible gun regulation, and aside from dubbing him a bitter hate-monger, Sajak was actually quite

charitable about Olbermann’s gifts as an entertainer.

As such, it only seems fair that Sajak issue a similar mea culpa where Limbaugh is concerned. How about it, Mr. Sajak? Want to buy a vowel? “I’m S_rry.”

Tags: Keith Olbermann, MSNBC, Pat Sajak, Rush Limbaugh