Olbermann named Limbaugh "Worst Person," flagged Lehrer post about Morgan
On the May 17 edition of MSNBC's Countdown, host Keith Olbermann named nationally syndicated radio host Rush Limbaugh the "winner" of his nightly "Worst Person in the World" segment for complaining that, as Media Matters for America noted, Democrats are not asked "why there are no women and minorities on stage" during presidential debates. On the May 16 broadcast of his radio show, referring to the May 15 Republican presidential debate, Limbaugh asserted that "there's a template developing for the Republican debate last night. 'How come there are no women and minorities on stage?' I guess you forgot about 2004." He added: "And I guess -- you know, the Democrats never get those kinds of questions because it's always assumed that they're fair and just, and not discriminatory and all that." During the "Worst Person" segment, Olbermann said: "Or, and this is just a theory, maybe it's because at the Democratic debate there were women and minorities on the stage. I thought you were a more worthy opponent than this, sir. I forgot you were comedian Rush Limbaugh: today's 'Worst Person in the World.' "
Olbermann also named Republican strategist Bay Buchanan the "Runner-Up" for asserting in her new book, The Extreme Makeover of Hillary (Rodham) Clinton (Regnery Publishing), that Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (NY) is defined by a "debilitating" "lack of confidence and self-esteem," and that, "after days of research, I was led to a fascinating field of study involving narcissistic personality style." As Media Matters documented, Buchanan then referred to an endnote -- which is apparently missing from the book -- that purportedly offers "symptoms of the related disorder," despite her assertion earlier in the book that she is "not ... a medical professional." Olbermann highlighted the fact that Buchanan's endnote apparently does not exist, and added: "Also, that phrase 'days of research,' Bay, it may not be as impressive as you thought when you wrote it."
Finally, Olbermann gave conservative radio host and Move America Forward (MAF) chairman Melanie Morgan the "bronze" for her appearance on the May 8 edition of Public Broadcasting Service's The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, during which, in Olbermann's words, "she proceeded to shout (co-founder and chairman of VoteVets.org Jon) Soltz down every time he tried to speak." Olbermann had awarded the producers of the NewsHour the "bronze" on Countdown's May 10 "Worst Person" segment for hosting Morgan to discuss Iraq policy despite her extensive history of spreading false, misleading, and unsubstantiated claims regarding the Iraq war, as Media Matters has noted....
http://mediamatters.org/items/200705180002?f=h_clips