New York Post - Page Six Jerks!

[Bricker]

Yesterday’s Page Six in the New York Post includes:

MSNBC loudmouth Keith Olbermann flipped out when he opened his home mail yesterday. The acerbic host of “Countdown with Keith Olbermann” was terrified when he opened a suspicious-looking letter with a California postmark and a batch of white powder poured out. A note inside warned Olbermann, who’s a frequent critic of President Bush’s policies, that it was payback for some of his on-air shtick. The caustic commentator panicked and frantically called 911 at about 12:30 a.m., sources told The Post’s Philip Messing. An NYPD HazMat unit rushed to Olbermann’s pad on Central Park South, but preliminary tests indicated the substance was harmless soap powder. However, that wasn’t enough to satisfy Olbermann, who insisted on a checkup. He asked to be taken to St. Luke’s Hospital, where doctors looked him over and sent him home. Whether they gave him a lollipop on the way out isn’t known. Olbermann had no comment.

Now, seriously – the reaction was not ridiculous. We had actual people get anthrax powder in the mail. Why they chose to be so dismissive and contempteous of Olbermann is beyond me. This was just crumby, crappy, jerkish behavior.

[brickbacon]

@Bricker

Yesterday’s Page Six in the New York Post includes:

Now, seriously – the reaction was not ridiculous. We had actual people get anthrax powder in the mail. Why they chose to be so dismissive and contempteous of Olbermann is beyond me. This was just crumby, crappy, jerkish behavior.

I hope this doesn’t ruin the Post’s stellar reputation

[Guinastasia]

You can see Keith’s own version here.

Not only that, but you’ll also notice they gave away the street or area where he lives. That’s just super.

Jesus, even if it was just a stupid prank with some Tide or Cheer, it’s still fucking illegal. And for godsakes, the person had his HOME ADDRESS.

Poor Keith-I just wanted to give him a big hug. (My crush on the man is just getting totally out of control)

[DiosaBellissima]

Olbermann’s response.

I’m slowly falling in love with this man. He’s straight forward, intelligent, and speaks with a passion that just about everyone lacks nowadays- particularly politicians and ‘journalists’. He’s amazing.

[DiosaBellissima]

Curse you, **Guin! **

For you daring to post that link before me, I think you should give me first dibbs on Olbermann. I mean, it’s the considerate thing to do, really.

[Patty_O_Furniture]

Transcript from MSNBC. Scroll down about half way to the paragraph that begins “Powder Puff Spooks Keith”.

Olberman:

Speaking of emergency units and government responses and guys in big safety suits, the Rupert Murdock-owned newspaper, the “New York Post,” may have just impeded an FBI investigation into terroristic threats. I know this because I was a recipient.

The bureau asked us not to report any of the details, so that the person or persons responsible would not know any of the threats had been received by any of the targets and we, of course, complied. I still cannot confirm many of the specifics, again in order to make the jobs of the FBI and the New York Police Department a little easier, but I find it necessary to respond to the genuinely shocking tone with which Murdock‘s paper reported the event and the string of factual errors they made either through negligence or premeditated disregard for the truth.

<snip>

There was no panic and if that needs to be independently verified, I‘m happy to authorize release that 911 call recording.

NYP: “Whether they gave him a lollypop on the way out isn‘t known.

Olbermann had no comment.”

[Patty_O_Furniture]

@Patty O'Furniture

Scroll down about half way to the paragraph that begins “Powder Puff Spooks Keith”.

Correction - story starts two paragraphs before that.

[mhendo]

@brickbacon

I hope this doesn’t ruin the Post’s stellar reputation

Yeah, my thoughts exactly.

This sort of thing is about the standard level of journalistic integrity for the New York Post.

[Biggirl]

The Post’s Page Six guys really ARE jerks. Just recently there was a biiiiig scandal over some page six writer who was blackmailing rich people. He told them to give him a bunch of money and they would be ‘protected’ from nasty items.
Waitaminit. . . . http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/406794p-344411c.html

Yeah, the NY Post is garbage.

[Marley23]

@Bricker

Now, seriously – the reaction was not ridiculous. We had actual people get anthrax powder in the mail. Why they chose to be so dismissive and contempteous of Olbermann is beyond me.

You’re a smart guy, Bricker. Are you really telling me you can’t figure out why the Post would do that? They’re assholes, they have an axe to grind, and it’s what they do.

[Guinastasia]

@DiosaBellissima

Curse you, **Guin! **

For you daring to post that link before me, I think you should give me first dibbs on Olbermann. I mean, it’s the considerate thing to do, really.

No way-you snooze, you loose!

(Have you gotten your hands on a copy of The Worst Person in the World yet? It’s hilarious!)

[D_Odds]

If you’re going to read the Post (and I don’t care if you picked it someone else’s just because you needed reading material for the ‘library’), you really can’t be offended by it. The Post’s purpose is to search out new lows in journalism. It’s a contest for their writers, whose use of complete sentences amazes (although I’m sure Word’s grammar check works overtime in that office). That rag is so useless, I wouldn’t even use it as toilet paper if I were homeless.

[Guinastasia]

D’oh, that should be you snooze, you lose. See, when it comes to Keith, I get all confused and I can’t concentrate.

I think D_Odds what was so offensive about this is, as was pointed out, they basically interfered with an ongoing investigation, revealed the living area of a nationally known figure who isn’t all that popular with some, and laughed at a very real threat.

[Bricker]

@Guinastasia

D’oh, that should be you snooze, you lose. See, when it comes to Keith, I get all confused and I can’t concentrate.

I think D_Odds what was so offensive about this is, as was pointed out, they basically interfered with an ongoing investigation, revealed the living area of a nationally known figure who isn’t all that popular with some, and laughed at a very real threat.

Correct. It’s not the low journalistic standards – it’s the irresponsibility.

[The_Weird_One]

Keith Olbermann for President!

[Sweet_Mercury]

@Bricker

Yesterday’s Page Six in the New York Post includes:

Now, seriously – the reaction was not ridiculous. We had actual people get anthrax powder in the mail. Why they chose to be so dismissive and contempteous of Olbermann is beyond me. This was just crumby, crappy, jerkish behavior.

Not to mention that “flipped out” may or may not be speculative about his behavior. He claimed he acted in a calm manner regarding the situation, and gave his permission to release the 911 call as evidence.

[Beadalin]

@Biggirl

The Post’s Page Six guys really ARE jerks. Just recently there was a biiiiig scandal over some page six writer who was blackmailing rich people. He told them to give him a bunch of money and they would be ‘protected’ from nasty items.

Hell, maybe it was a Post person who sent the shit to Keith. Wouldn’t really surprise me.

[Menocchio]

[highjack] Hey, we never did catch whoever sent out that anthrax to journalists and congressmen back in 2001, did we? I mean, Osama’s one thing, but I’d like to know who’s passing around biological weapons. [/highjack]

[Diogenes_the_Cynic]

I wonder what those NY Post guys would do if the same thing happened to them. Are they suggesting that proper course would be to dismiss it and do nothing? Calling 9/11 and getting checked out at a hospital seems perfctly reasonable to me. It would be kind of stupid NOT to do those things, especially for a public figure who generates a lot of animosity for his opinions. I would expect Bill O’Reilly to do exactly the same thing.

Good OP, Bricker.

[kaylasdad99]

@Diogenes the Cynic

I wonder what those NY Post guys would do if the same thing happened to them. Are they suggesting that proper course would be to dismiss it and do nothing? Calling 9/11 and getting checked out at a hospital seems perfctly reasonable to me. It would be kind of stupid NOT to do those things, especially for a public figure who generates a lot of animosity for his opinions. I would expect Bill O’Reilly to do exactly the same thing.

Good OP, Bricker.

And now that you’re on record as wondering that, Dio ya better hope it doesn’t happen to them. 'Cos around these parts lately, wondering out loud can be a hazardous pastime, depending on what you’re wondering.

Why, of course I hope that I’m just being jocular and over the top.