During MSNBC's live coverage of President Obama's speech to
Congress, anchor Keith Olbermann tried to discredit Congressman Charles
Boustany immediately after the Louisiana Republican finished giving the
Republican response, as the MSNBC host informed viewers that Boustany -
a heart surgeon - had been "sued for malpractice three times,"
allegedly subscribes to the "Birther" conspiracy theory raising
questions about Obama's citizenship, and was even supposedly taken in
by a scam as he tried to purchase the British title of "Lord."
Olbermann:
Congressman Boustany, we should note, has been sued for malpractice three times. He is a "Birther" who believes there are questions about the President's citizenship, and, as Rachel [Maddow] reported last night, he is a man recorded in court papers to have fallen for a scam in which he tried to buy the British royalty title of "Lord."
The MSNBC host even took a dig at Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal,
tagging as an "epic failure" his speech responding to Obama's State of
the Union last February.
Moments later - after the night's special Countdown show had started
airing - Olbermann again mocked Boustany over being scammed: "In the
Republican response, the goal would seem to be delaying reform.
Congressman - would-be Lord - Boustany of Louisiana proposing that
lawmakers chuck everything out and start over."
By contrast, Olbermann reacted to Obama's speech [1]
by oozing that the speech possessed a "touch of greatness": "It was, to
say the least, a broad and forward thinking speech. On the rhetoric and
the phrasing and the pacing and the design of the speech itself there
seems to have been a touch of greatness."
Below is a transcript of the relevant portions of the Wednesday,
September 9, coverage of President Obama's speech and the Republican
response on MSNBC:
KEITH OLBERMANN, AT 9:10 P.M.: Congressman Boustany, we should note, has been sued for malpractice three times. He is a "Birther" who believes there are questions about the President's citizenship, and, as Rachel [Maddow] reported last night, he is a man recorded in court papers to have fallen for a scam in which he tried to buy the British royalty title of "Lord." He gave the Republican answer tonight. Governor Jindal's epic failure after the State of the Union should have reminded all: Never write the rebuttal before you read the speech.
...
OLBERMANN, DURING COUNTDOWN AT 9:18 P.M.: In the Republican response, the goal would seem to be delaying reform. Congressman - would-be Lord - Boustany of Louisiana proposing that lawmakers chuck everything out and start over.
- Brad Wilmouth is a news analyst at the Media Research Center.