Olbermann Highlights Dead Woman’s “Whistle Ass” Blast at Bush
MSNBC’s Keith Olbermann on Thursday night found it newsworthy to highlight a story dug out of a newspaper in Madison, Wisconsin about a woman who passed away who wanted her obituary to include how she thought President Bush was a “liar” and a “whistle ass." The obit stated: “Memorials in her honor can be made to any organization working for the removal of President Bush.”
MRC analyst Brad Wilmouth caught this gratuitous item from Olbermann on the August 21 Countdown:
“We report the story tonight of Sally Barron and her death, and why her family mentioned President Bush in her obituary. We do so on the premise that his fellow Republican Theodore Roosevelt was right when he wrote, 'To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but it is also morally treasonable to the American public.'
“Sally Barron was a cook, the mother of six kids, and the widow of an iron miner turned small town mayor in Wisconsin. When she died there Monday at age 71, her children put the following message in her obituary: 'Memorials in her honor can be made to any organization working for the removal of President Bush.' Ms. Barron's daughter told the Capital Times of Madison, Wisconsin, quote, 'She thought he was a liar. She'd always watch CNN, C-SPAN, and, you know, she'd just swear at the TV and say, 'Oh, Bush, he's such a whistle ass,'” unquote. Services for Mrs. Barron will be conducted tomorrow in Stoughton, Wisconsin."
To believe that it’s not unpatriotic to criticize the President does not mean you must highlight every tacky attack on him by cranks.
The August 21 Capital Times carried the story, about the obituary, which Olbermann picked up, “Obituary backs 'removal of Bush'; Woman 'thought he was a liar.'”
To proclaim as "newsworthy" any schoolyard taunt of a Republican president (or politician) shows the liberal bias in the media. Editors must arbitrate what is worthy of coverage; the public turns to reporters to collect facts and report an account of the days events. There is not enough time to tell everything that happens around the world in a day. What makes the cut at the end of the day is as telling as what doesn't make the cut.