Olbermann to Elizabeth Edwards on His Ill Father - 'If I Didn't Have the Money...'

[Hissyspit]

Run time: 06:20 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YX1CbQMUFyw   Posted on YouTube: September 10, 2009 By YouTube Member: Views on YouTube: 0   Posted on DU: September 10, 2009 By DU Member: Hissyspit Views on DU: 3489

 
MSNBC Countdown w/ KEITH OLBERMANN - 9/9/09: Elizabeth Edwards liked President Obama's joint-session health care speech.

[lbrtbell]

1. I just *knew* he was talking about his dad

Before the program, he alluded to a family member being sick in the past few weeks, and I immediately thought it might be his father. So often, when a spouse dies, the surviving spouse can be more prone to illness or injury, because of the stress of the loss. :(

I do hope Keith's dad is going to be okay. He's had enough grief for one year. When he said, "If I didn't have the money to spread around where it was necessary...what in God's name would I do," and got choked up...it brought tears to my eyes, as well.

[Berry Cool]

6. I thought it likely his father wasn't doing well, also.

You know what the statistics are about elderly people and how long they tend to live after the loss of their spouses. Especially men. It's not good. And Keith has only the one sister to share responsibility for an ill father with--and what with his sister being up in Rochester and having two young children to look after, he's both the geographically closest of the two and the one without his own family to worry about caring for at the same time.

This is a fine example of a man with money being hit by medical hardship who could have said to himself, "If other people can't afford to care for their loved ones the way I can, let them work hard enough and make enough sacrifices to earn the same money I do--THEN they can have it too." But he doesn't. Why? Because he's well aware that while he worked hard and made sacrifices to get where he is today, he's not the only one--his parents did too by helping educate him so well, and he had great teachers, and employers who gave him a chance when he was young and inexperienced OR older and developing a questionable reputation as an employee, and on down the line. He owes them all. AND he also realizes that while he's not planning on being cheated out of what people in his position get paid, it IS way out of proportion in some ways to what he actually does, compared to the work of many other people who toil away in miserable conditions for minimum wage, or what teachers do, etc. He's spent enough time around guys who earn eight figures for playing around with a ball and a bat that he knows our society doesn't pay workers fairly for their worth. So he doesn't pretend the world is fair and that everyone can get the health care they deserve just by working hard to earn it. We can't all be multi-million-dollar news anchors.

He has retained the ability to put himself in the shoes of others less fortunate than himself--even though, like Ted Kennedy, he hasn't had to.

God bless him, and God bless Elizabeth for putting her own issues aside to deal with this one.

[Divine Discontent]

2. two of my absolute most admired people that I've never met.

I've met and talked briefly with her husband, a good man, but I would love to meet her even more so, and share a drink with Keith.

[Hulk]

3. How real these two people are.

I have all the admiration in the world for Elizabeth Edwards, and although Keith Olbermann sometimes gets "a little crazy" with this enthusiasm against the right wing nut cakes in this country, he too is a man that deserves a lot of our gratitude for his voice and energy.

I wish them both the best. Why our country can have such courageous and honest people while still having the likes of vannity, limpballs, malkin, beck, etc, etc...is beyond me. The old phrase, "it takes all kinds" comes to mind, and I STILL don't know WHY "it takes all kinds" to make the world go 'round.

[jeremyfive]

7. Crazy?

I love it when Keith Olberman gets crazy, because he gets crazy about the right things!

Good television!

Unlike the repulsive liar Glen Beck who is having an onair mental meltdown. Drugs?

[GivePeaceAchance]

4. You know I think she could of done a great address of Congress herself. Lovely lady. K&R

[Historic NY]

5. Health care shouldn't be about the ability to pay but about need.

[MrMickeysMom]

8. I find Elizabeth Edwards a much easier person to listen to on this matter with Keith-

I'm glad she's back in the discussion.