Word of the Day for Thursday, December 3, 2009

roborant \ROB-uh-ruhnt\, adjective:

1. Strengthening; restoring vigor.

noun:
1. A strengthening medicine; a tonic; a restorative.

I thought it was robo-rant [ROH-BOH-rant], and I thought it described that thing that hosts MSNBC’s Countdown.

The Sultan of Smug is giddy to hear that Rahm Emanuel and David Axelrod agree with him that Fox News is “not a news organization.” However, about 3 minutes later, he plays a clip from Fox News of Arlen Specter criticizing the GOP.

Hey Keithers, why do you rely on reporting from those non-journalists at that non-news organization to support your condemnation of the Republican party? If Fox News is such a shitty organization, why don’t you go out and get your own scoops?– or better yet, interview a single person who disagrees with you.

On Countdown tonight, the Sultan of Smug could hardly contain his giddiness in playing “gotcha” with Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) about the “individual mandate” for health insurance. Here is the statement from Grassley that the Sultan played:

This is the first time in the 225-year history of our country that we have forced you as a constituent, any of our constituents, to buy a product. You know, you’ve been free to buy or not buy. But now for the first time you’re gonna have to buy health insurance… I’m not a lawyer, but let me tell you, I’ve listened to some lawyers speak on this, and you know it’s a relatively new issue, and I don’t think we’ve ever had this issue before of having to buy something. And a lot of constitutional lawyers are saying it is unconstitutional or at least a violation of the tenth amendment. Now maybe states could do this, but can the federal government do it? So I have my doubts.

Keith immediately zings Grassley with, “You heard of insurance on cars, Senator Grassley? Mandatory insurance on cars?”

I am going to guess that not only is Senator Grassley obviously aware of mandatory insurance on cars, but that he is aware that proponents of the mandate may cite such laws as precedent– I think it’s safe to assume that’s why he included the caveat, “maybe the states can do it.”

Guess what, Keith? The states can, and do, require auto insurance. The federal government does not, cannot and should not, for the reasons clearly stated by Senator Grassley.

Maybe if Keith Olbermann didn’t assume everybody he disagrees with is some combination of retarded, evil and dishonest, he’d avoid failling into traps himself.

Then again, I guess it doesn’t really matter– after all, not even Keith Olbermann watches Countdown with Keith Olbermann.

UPDATE: Here’s the video–

A perfect example of how much less thinking is required when you are permitted to repeatedly cry “racist!” without challenge.

UPDATE: More nuanced, trenchant commentary from the Sultan of Smug and the Kabuki Kid, via Hot Air.

The Sultan: “The line of racist attacks against the President, sometimes poorly disguised as birthers or deathers or whatever, is that what’s in play here, principally?”

I don’t think he’s right about the birthers, but I can at least understand how somebody seeking the specter of racism might find it in the claim that Obama was born abroad. But “deathers”– which I am guessing refers to people talking about “death panels?”– really? Was the Sultan so enchanted by the parallelism of “birthers and deathers” that he didn’t even bother to think through what the words actually mean? An accusation of racism is a powerful and destructive thing, even if it’s just a shortcut to thinking. It’s kind of disgusting how arbitrarily and recklessly Keith Olbermann brandishes it.

Then again, I guess it doesn’t really matter– I mean, not even Keith Olbermann watches Countdown with Keith Olbermann.

Not even Keith Olbermann watches Countdown with Keith Olbermann. Because if he did, surely he would remember that protesters have indeed been called “political terrorists”– by none other than Keith Olbermann.

More MSNBC comedy here.
UPDATE: More hilariously highfalution sanctimony (via Hot Air).

In one segment of “Countdown with Keith Olbermann,” the host struggles mightily to formulate a single coherent question or statement when he is not spinning off on bizarre, impertinent tangents.

Sublimate is a great word, but he clearly doesn’t know what it means so he probably shouldn’t use it.

Created at Xtranormal.

In the first four minutes of Countdown with Keith Olbermann, I point out a little hypocrisy, misinformation and a general lack of integrity from the Sultan of Smug.

Beginning at 1:30, most of the footage from St. Louis is video I shot personally. I wonder if Keith knows he’s supporting terrorists by broadcasting their videos.