Talk about a nice little battle on the cable networks. On the under card, we have Christiane Amanpour versus Oliver North (CNN vs. FOX) and for the main fight - Keith Olbermann versus Bill O'Reilly (MSNBC vs. FOX) Are we seeing a pattern here? Welcome to the First Battle of Truthiness, your referee will be Steven Colbert.
Let's Get Ready To RUMBLE!!!
Christiane Amanpour on
Monday Night's Larry King show had a Walter Cronkite moment calling Iraq a "black hole".
"By any indication whether you take the number of journalists killed or wounded, whether you take the number of American soldiers killed or wounded, whether you take the number of Iraqi soldiers killed and wounded, contractors, people working there, it just gets worse and
worse,"
Sounds like a very logically point. A good sign if things are getting better is if PEOPLE STOP DYING!!! I would say that would be a sign of improvement in Iraq. If people are continuing to be killed or wounded, then I would agree that the opposite is happening.
Amanpour continued on about getting to the truth in the Iraq War after a caller asked about the apparent lack of outrage in the American public and media when their government kill innocent women and children (recent Pakistan Missile Attack).
You know, I think -- well, certainly there's been a lot of reporting about it. Perhaps not enough for that view of it. As you know, there's not enough international reporting on American television anyway.
But I think to the bigger point, why are we there? We're there because if we're not, whose word are we going to take for it? For instance, over the bombing in Pakistan, and for instance, over the constant atrocities in Iraq.
Are we going to take the Pentagon paid Lincoln Group who are paying positive stories to be written in the Iraqi press? Are we going to take what the administration tells us? Do you remember at the beginning of this war, Donald Rumsfeld, secretary of defense, told us that these insurgents were just a bunch of dead enders who amounted to absolutely nothing.
Well, that was three years ago. You remember on your own show, not so long ago, the vice president of the United States said that the insurgency was in its death throes, in its last throes. Well, we're there to report what's actually going on and we pay a heavy price for trying to
get to the truth. And the truth is what our business is all about. And that's why we're out there, despite the enormous, enormous personal cost to us, to our families, and to our networks.
Again a very valid argument. However, Oliver North, now I believe a major in the Non-Reality Based Community, went after Amanpour on Bill O'Reilly's Tuesday show.
"It strikes me, Bill, that the purpose of going out there...is to cover the war, document what's going on, perhaps, if you will, prepare the first draft of history...
When one makes the kind of observation she did last night, it crosses the boundaries from being a journalist to a commentator.
That the war has been a disaster is her opinion, and quite frankly the facts on the ground don't support it."
"Facts on the ground don't support it." Hmmm, I am going to need a ruling from Colbert on this one. What say you oh mighty one.
What is important? What you want to be true, or what is true?
Okay, could you expand on that one?
Truthiness is "What I say is right, and[nothing] anyone else says could possibly be true." It's not only that I feel it to be true, but that I feel it to be true. There's not only an emotional quality, but there's a selfish quality.
Then I have to give the Truthiness battle to North, because he is the one that is creating his own facts. He is the commentator blaming a reporter for being a....commentator. Sorry, Christiane you realied too much
on well... the truth and that doesn't fly in today's Truthiness world.
So let us move on to the main card.
On Monday Night's Factor - Bill went off on NBC for taking "cheap shots" at him and Fox. Tuesday Night Olbermann responded. Below is O'Reilly's speech, in sub-block's is Olbermann's general responses, not entirely his exact words. (sorry, his transcript is not out yet).
Big Head: There is a code among most in TV news, a respect in professional courtesy. Thus when guys like Woodruff and Vogt get hurt, the industry stands together.
KO: O'Reilly actually called him Woodwriff, can you atleast get the name right!
Big Head:We're all competing, but ethics dictate that standards of behavior should be met. FOX News has good relationships with ABC News, CBS News and generally CNN, also with most local news operations across the country.
KO: Is that why you put up a billboard across from CNN headquarters mocking their ratings?
Big Head:But "Talking Points" is troubled by the behavior of NBC, which cheap shots FOX News on a regular basis and has been doing so for some time.
KO: Bill, you set them up and we keep hit them out.
Big Head:It is only a few people doing this, but NBC President Robert Wright allows it to happen. Wright knows exactly what's going on, because he's been made aware of it.
KO" Robert Wright is the CEO of NBC Universal, you may have contacted the wrong person. But let's not get our bosses involved. I don't want to disturb SATAN.
Big Head: Now we understand that NBC has major problems. Its prime time programming is dead last. Its cable operations are ratings failures. And the network may lose Katie Couric to CBS, but that is no excuse for unprofessional behavior.
KO: NBC's USA Network was the third highest rated cable network, beating FOX. And as Roger Ailes stress the importance of the "Money Group" (25-54 age group), FOX is down while MSNBC is up. So apparently we are gaining viewers, like you!! (Waves)
Big Head: Consistently cheap shotting a competitor is beneath the fine standards that NBC has set in the past. Robert Wright would be wise to understand that.
KO: Fine Standards? You mean calling up a young producer and talking about....
There is no question the amazing success of FOX News has affected all TV news operations, but CNN, for example, usually competes with class, not bitterness. Likewise, we respect ABC and CBS for their work ethic and competitive zeal.
KO: CBS? Oh yeah, Letterman kicked your ass.
Big Head: But there's something very wrong at NBC. And if it continues, "Talking Points" will go into greater detail about the problems besetting that network. We hope Robert Wright will right the situation and believe he has the power to do it. But perhaps we're wrong about Wright.
KO: Bill made a funny.
Maybe he's out of the loop or maybe he just doesn't care. Well, he should care. We'll let you know what happens.
This is a hard one to call. O'Reilly definitely is dishing out some firm truthiness, but I have to say the smack down returned by Olbermann was impressive. Maybe Truthiness is not a win all situation.
Maybe that is why Olbermann was #1 in January at MSNBC. Truth will ultimately be the winning formula, as long as truthiness is called out. Olbermann and Colbert will be doing a lot of that over the next few months. Hopefully Amanpour will be too.
