Showing posts with label "Countdown with Keith Olbermann. Show all posts
Showing posts with label "Countdown with Keith Olbermann. Show all posts

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

United Healthcare: No Friend Of Healthcare Reform

This "Countdown with Keith Olbermann" investigation is very revealing:

So much for United Healthcare being neutral on the healthcare reform battle when it arms employees with anti-reform talking points and links to right-wing sites fighting against any reform.
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Tuesday, August 4, 2009

"Countdown's" Olbermann Speaks on Richard Wolffe

Keith Olbermann explains Richard Wolffe in a Daily Kos blog item:
As to Richard Wolffe I can offer far less insight. I honor Mr. Greenwald's insight into the coverage of GE/NewsCorp talks, and his reporting on Richard's other jobs. I must confess I was caught flat-footed. I do not know what the truth is; my executive producer and I have spent the last two months dealing with other things (see above) but what appears to be the truth here is certainly not what Richard told us about his non-news job.
I am confident his commentary to this point has not been compromised - he has been an insightful analyst and a great friend to this show - but until we can clarify what else he is doing, he will not be appearing with us. I apologize for not being able to prevent this unhappy set of circumstances from developing.
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Monday, August 3, 2009

"Countdown" Special Comment Blasts "For Sale" Politicians on Health Legislation

Right on as always (even if you got "Smokey" Joe Barton's state wrong-- correct state is Texas)!
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Richard Wolffe Spreads Anti-Health Reform Talking Points While On "Countdown"

I often liked the work of Richard Wolffe as a oft-guest on "Countdown with Keith Olbermann."
Today, Wolffe's connection with a Republican public relations firm raises troubling questions about whether he can be counted on as an objective source for news.
Here's part of what Firedoglake reported:
Saturday, Glen Greenwald and Ana Marie Cox noted that Richard Wolffe has left the practice of journalism to join the staff of Public Strategies, Inc, a public relations firm headed by former Bush Communications Director Dan Bartlett.

Public Strategies is contracted to provide services to several companies or organizations that have a direct stake in the outcome of the health care debate. Public Strategies advertises its effectiveness by citing its success in defeating property insurance reform in Texas:

"The insurance industry was under fire in Texas for raising rates and suspending sales of new homeowner policies due to a significant increase in mold claims. Policyholders, consumer groups, and legislators representing both sides of the aisle were calling for a rate freeze and further regulation of practices such as credit scoring.

Despite entering the 2003 Texas legislative cycle with significant opposition on both sides of the aisle, insurance industry-supported legislation passed through the legislature free of mandatory rate reductions and any limitations on credit scoring."

Wolffe has reported, or commented on, health care reform for Countdown on numerous occasions. He has interviewed Obama confidant David Axelrod. Wolffe asked Axelrod banal questions like, "Have you lost control of the framing of this debate?" without disclosing that his full-time employer had accepted $60,000 in 2009 to represent the interests of Bristol-Myers-Squibb, one of the nation's largest pharmaceutical companies.
Further, Wolffe didn't mention the fact that the US Chamber of Commerce, which is leading the charge against health care reform, paid his employer $60,000 to represent their interests. On July 21st, Wolffe parroted Chamber talking points as an "analyst" on Countdown:
"I mean, one of the worst numbers he has is on his handling of health care. Well which piece of health care? It‘s so vague and nebulous. I think, at this point—at this moment, it‘s really processy (ph) to focus on approval ratings for issues people don‘t fully understand."
This is just business as usual in Washington. People like Wolffe, who may have entered journalism for the right reason, but have become famous, wealthy, and influential and forget the real purpose of journalism: to accurately inform the public about the objective truth.

Conflict of interest? Hell yes. Should Keith Olbermann himself make a statement about how far away Wolffe has strayed from the reservation and, in effect, pushed talking points laid out by the very public relations interests that are fighting against healthcare reform?
I think he should, and soon.
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Tuesday, July 28, 2009

The Doctor Was DEFINITELY In When It Came To Healthcare on "Countdown"

I never thought I could have seen a better case for real national healthcare reform that that which was presented tonight by guest host Dr. Howard Dean on "Countdown with Keith Olbermann."
In his show, the doctor talked with a Democratic House member. Chris Van Hollen, on prospects for passage along with a former insurance company executive on the need for a real public option.
He also had an author show why the VA (yes, a public entity) offers far better medical coverage than even private insurers and a clip of Jon Stewart taking apart a right-wing critic of the current progressive proposals.
Here's Dr. Dean talking with Van Hollen:

...and with the former insurance official:

...and now on VA health care:

...and finally, Jon Stewart taking apart a right-winger:

Powerful
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