My goodness. Keith Olbermann got good and ticked off at Rummy's remarks to the American Legion.
Mr. Rumsfeld’s remarkable speech to the American Legion yesterday demands the deep analysis—and the sober contemplation—of every American.For it did not merely serve to impugn the morality or intelligence -- indeed, the loyalty -- of the majority of Americans who oppose the transient occupants of the highest offices in the land. Worse, still, it credits those same transient occupants -- our employees -- with a total omniscience; a total omniscience which neither common sense, nor this administration’s track record at home or abroad, suggests they deserve.
Dissent and disagreement with government is the life’s blood of human freedom; and not merely because it is the first roadblock against the kind of tyranny the men Mr. Rumsfeld likes to think of as “his” troops still fight, this very evening, in Iraq.
It is also essential. Because just every once in awhile it is right and the power to which it speaks, is wrong.
That's only the first third. Read the rest here. Watch the video here.
Posted by Linkmeister at August 31, 2006 12:01 AM | TrackBackThat's a great piece.
Posted by: Ed Martz at August 31, 2006 08:32 AMNews commentators run a great risk when they dare to invoke Murrow's name and words lest they themselves fail to meet the challenge.
We remember Murrow 50 years later for his courage and his conviction. It's my firmest hope that this piece by Olbermann will be equally well-remembered and equally as important in turning the nation aright again.
Posted by: Brian at August 31, 2006 03:51 PMHe said tonight that he'd been overwhelmed with the amount of congratulatory e-mail he got for saying it.
It's a damned shame it needed to be said, but I'm glad he did.
Posted by: Linkmeister at August 31, 2006 04:08 PMEmotionally, I am sympathetic to the thrust of Obermann's piece, but I cannot agree with his inflammatoty use of the term "fascism".
What we are facing is something that surely is at variance with the needs and aspirations of the vast middle class, but is does not rise to the level to those despicable regimes of the 20th century.
Posted by: pixelshim at September 3, 2006 03:43 AMI cannot agree with his inflammatoty use of the term "fascism".
Whose? Olbermann is rebutting Rummy's (and his boss's, and Cheney's) use of that word. They're the ones who've been claiming that "Islamofacscists" (a term coined by the loonier right-wing bloggers, I think) pose an existential threat to the US.
Posted by: Linkmeister at September 3, 2006 09:12 AM