Olbermann Slams Challenge to ‘Civil War’ Label

Posted on Dec 3, 2006

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Keith Olbermann handed L. Brent Bozell III the “Worst Person in the World” award for challenging NBC’s decision to refer to the Iraq war as a civil war.  President of the Media Research Center, Bozell had said of NBC’s decision, “Probably 100 generals in the field in Iraq would disagree.”

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Transcript from Media Matters:

  OLBERMANN: But first, time for “Countdown’s” latest list of nominees for “Worst Person in the World.” And there’s a theme tonight: reactions to the NBC editorial decision to start calling the Iraq civil war, the Iraq civil war.

  The bronze to Rush Limbaugh’s fill-in host, Roger Hedgecock. No, that’s not really his name, is it? OK, Roger Hedgecock. “The murder rate in Baghdad, the people being killed in Baghdad, is lower than the murder rate of Washington, D.C.,” he says. “Is Washington, D.C. in a civil war?” Well, the statistics from the Brookings Institution are in. The rate of death by violence in Baghdad is actually about seven times greater than that of Washington. Nice try, Skeezix.

  ... But tonight’s winner, the inimitable bozo himself, Brent Bozell, creator of the self-described Media Research Council [sic: Center]. Even though in August and September alone, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs, General [Peter] Pace, and General [John] Abizaid and General [George] Casey and General [Peter] Chiarelli all admitted that at minimum, Iraq could be headed to civil war, Bozell said of the decision to call it a civil war, quote, “Probably 100 generals in the field in Iraq would disagree.” OK, name them. We’re waiting. Make it easier, just name 25. Brent Bozell, today’s “Worst Person in the World.”

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