Countdown's Worst Persons: Columbus, Doughy Pantload & Adm. Mike Mullen
By Logan Murphy Monday Jan 14, 2008 5:01pm
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Monday's Worst Person in the World segment on Countdown started with Christopher Columbus, who, according to a new study at Emory University, may have been responsible for the introduction of syphilis in Europe after returning from the New World. The silver went to Jonah Goldberg for his obvious ignorance of the definition of the word "fascism" and blatantly making things up without doing any research for his new book. Finally, the gold went to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Adm. Mike Mullen for his lousy handling and non-explanation of the recent non-incident involving the allegedly the Iranian Navy and U.S. warships in the Straits of Hormuz:
Olbermann:"...So you guys tried to fake another Gulf Of Tonkin incident using some clown with a CB radio and the lethal threat posed by the S.S. Minnow!"
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1mpeach!
I love watching the evolution of Chisopher Columbus's reputation from what I learned as a child. It may be true that the victors write history - but their writing can still be rewritten later.
Jonathan Goldberg! I was thinking of how Jonah would be proud of being on the list but then Keith gets his name wrong. Priceless
Don't doubt for a minute that Iran's actions were very provocative, VERY VERY provocative!
Where did "doughy pantload" come from? I've read the expression a lot since his book came out. I know he looks pretty soft and wimpy, but is that all there is to it?
At this point Keith Could Easily Expand the List to 5 a day....and it would still be full every day...maybe C&L should start a list - TOP 100.....I would like to nominate Chris Matthews for re-running that Bob Johnson tape incessantly...and creating conflict and fueling fires that he didn't need to....thanks for always mentioning Keith...
fiver @ 5:
He's been called that for awhile. At least a couple of years. I have no idea who bestowed the apt handle on him, but it's probably a name we'd recognise. There's no wiki entry for it though.
miss_kitty @ 7:
Thanks miss kitty. :) I checked wikipedia too and had no luck.
Another 'KO' by 'KO'.......'the truth will set us FREE'.
I asked him at kos, "Have you heard the one about the Filipino monkey"?
BREAKING NEWS!
Dennis Kucinich has won his final battle with NBC at the Nevada Supreme Court. Dennis WILL be allowed to participate in the debate tonight!
Yoohoo!
cygnusx1isahole @ 11:
Score one for freedom of speech.
miss_kitty @ 7:
"The Goldberg Principle" came from one of the regular commenters at Balloon Juice, I think. It might be myiq2xu, who also comments from time to time. At least they were taking credit for it on their Goldberg post a few days ago.
But Doughy Pantload? I dunno...it'll probably prove out to be another "Kilroy was here"- impossible to credit to a single author. But I hope not.
Great news cygnusx1isahole! Keep saying "impeach" Dennis; maybe the "big three" will be forced to take a stand.... Nah, but I can still hope...
The bit about Columbus bringing syphilis back to Europe is actually old news. I remember reading about it several years ago in either Discover or Scientific American (can't remember which). It was originally thought that the Europeans brought syphilis to the Americas, but researchers found bones with the telltale pockmarks of syphilis infection that pre-dated Columbus.
It might be myiq2xu, who also comments here from time to time.
Blue Buddha @ 15:
I think the "new" news is DNA confirmation.
cygnusx1isahole @ 11:
Sorry, but as I write this they are still in court, it hasn't been decided yet!
Andy K @ 13:
Don't quote me on this but I believe it spread via Atrios and others from this "Give Jonah A Nickname" contest at Rox Populi after he got into a major flame war over who knew more/better about the Middle East with Prof. Juan Cole. (I'll let you guess who won that one by a landslide.)
Doughy Pantload was on Tom Hartmann's show today... if you are interested, you may access the archives here:
http://www.thomhartmann.com
Click on "listen to archives" and then today's date.
Nicole Belle @ 19:
Don't quote me on this but I believe it spread via Atrios and others from this "Give Jonah A Nickname" contest at Rox Populi after he got into a major flame war over who knew more/better about the Middle East with Prof. Juan Cole. (I'll let you guess who won that one by a landslide.)
[emphasis added]
Depends on who defines "won" and "landslide".
Admiral Mullen has tried to cover his ass, and improve his survival chances, by suggesting that Gitmo should not exist.
Could he fear that Gitmo might be a personal destination, if anyone leaks that the voice tapes of the Straight of Hormuz reveal that it was Admiral Mullen himself who intoned on the tape,
'IN FIFTEEN SECONDS ALL YOU BASTARD INFIDEL YANKEE HOOLIGANS DIE'?
(That portion of the tape has not yet been released, and if members of the US Navy under the rank of Admiral, know what's good for them, it never will be. Still, there's a chance...
Whether we're at war or not, we gotta start a draft for service folks in this nation.
The assh*les we're getting as 'volunteers', e.g, Admiral Mullen, are ridiculous.
Thank you Nichole. Too bad Professor Cole didn't take that bet.
"Doughy Pantload"
Now that is funny!
john doe @ 18:
You're correct. However, MSNBC has a contradictory article on its website saying Dennis is in. Looks like a last minute decision will be made. They're probably trying to exhaust Dennis so even if he does participate he'll perform sub-par.
"So you guys tried to fake another Gulf Of Tonkin incident..."
Another way to look at this is that it may have been a move to prevent another Gulf of Tonkin. Take a gander: http://www.ips.org/blog/jimlobe/?p=93
My nominee for the worst person in the world is General Electric owner of MSNBC. Corporations are people, you know. Let's take a closer look at GE, the company who wants to decide which candidates YOU get to see in the Democratic debate tonight.
GE’s history with nuclear power is an ugly one. In the 1940s-1960s the company ran experiments on humans with radiation, including irradiating the reproductive organs of prison inmates in Walla Walla, Washington, without warning them of the risk of cancer. Other tests were run on the elderly and hospital patients. General Electric intentionally released large amounts of radiation into the air from the Hanford Nuclear Reservation in Richland, in order to see the distance it would travel. These atrocities were revealed in hearings in 1986 held by Representative Edward Markey of Massachusetts. The company has also been accused of knowingly poisoning its workers at the Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory in Schenectady, New York with radiation and asbestos.
http://www.corpwatch.org/ article.php?list=type&type=16
Why so negative? We need a 'Countdown Best Of'.
For starters, I recommend the as-yet-unknown republican lead Senator, who in the midst of a raging, acrimonious debate in the republican Senate caucus, resolved a lengthy dispute about what to label the newly refurbished Senate toilets.
Church-going Right-wingers were in favor of 'Men', and 'Women'.
Liberal Lefties wanted 'Gentlemen', and 'Ladies'.
This rational, realistic Senator resolved the dispute by ruling, 'We'll make all the toilets unisex, and label them, alternately, 'Pimps, and 'Hos'.
GE (MSNBC) also wins today's silver medal for the worst person in the world for making Dennis Kucinich fight all the way to the Nevada Supreme Court for the right to particpate in tonight's Democratic Debate. Lets take another close look at GE, the company holding our Democracy hostage:
…General Electric is currently attempting to overturn the US Superfund Law of 1980, which allows the government to hold polluters responsible for cleaning up their toxic chemicals. GE argues that it is “unconstitutional” for the Environmental Protection Agency to force the company to pay $500 million for the cleanup of the Hudson River, where GE dumped carcinogenic PCBs, or polychlorinated biphenyls, over three decades. In March 2004, a federal appeals court has revived GE’s lawsuit. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that GE is trying to change the Superfund Law: the company is responsible for 78 Superfund sites around the US.
http://www.corpwatch.org/ article.php?list=type&type=16
At the end of this program was a great final word about O'Reilly ambushing people who he dont agree with. It was "How to talk to an OReilly ambush" by mentioning loofahs, Andrea Mackris, etc, it was great. And hit on the larger point that OReilly and his cross between brownshirts/Keystone Cops approach is sadly the way he tries to silence dissent. Classic, old fashioned bullying, and its backed by HIS employers. Thats FOX Noise.
And all it does it make Keith that much more liked for speaking the truth, or so we hope. I think that everyone at GE is not gonna allow this shit to happen anyway, not that they are spotless themselves in the Bush war machine.
But at least they have the guts to allow someone to interject truth in the mainstream, and that alone is increasingly rare. What happens when they squelch even lone voices like Keith in the media?
That FCC vote has me worried these fuckers are just getting their games on.
"I'll make you some Ovaltene to help you feel better from what that mean man Keith said about you"-Lucianne Goldberg to her awful son
The bronze medal for worst person also goes to GE (owner of MSNBC). GE is trying to censor the only Peace Candidate, Dennis Kucinich, from tonight's debate. I wonder why GE doesn't want Dennis to be heard?? Hum...?
General Electric is one of the world’s top three producers of jet engines, supplying Boeing, Lockheed Martin and other military aircraft makers for the powering of airplanes and helicopters.
The “war on terrorism” has seen GE’s military contracts rise substantially. But the company’s “defense” side has been doing well for a while. GE and other military contractors got a big boost under the Clinton administration from Presidential Directive 41 which stated that it was the job of US diplomats to promote arms sales abroad in order to safeguard American jobs; this directive tied the promotions of diplomats to how effectively they hocked US armaments.
http://www.corpwatch.org/ article.php?list=type&type=16
Speaking of Doughy Pantload, there is a thread at AMAZON.com on his book titled "Is this book the worst book ever?"..LOL
hahaha credit where credit is due though, Olberman simply replaced status quo candidates in the recent FOX debates with "government" and his own comments resembling mocking the fear mongering, as well as "Gulf of Tonkin" with Ron Paul's response in the debates. That is, assuming he watched the full debate. (note FOX cut minutes from Ron Paul's answers in their re-run of the debates)
switchgrass @ 27:
Thanks, that is very encouraging.
By the way, to anyone who says that these tiny speedboats (in the video of the incident) couldn't possibly do anything to the big naval warships, perhaps you should read up on the USS Cole.
I'm not saying that this incident was provocative or not (I don't have any idea), but its best not to sound too ignorant when discussing things like this.
Old Billy @ 36:
the us navys new agies destroyers are armed with phalanx machine guns radar aimed and can turn a speed boats into splinters in a matter of seconds , i dont think the cole and a destroyer allready for an attack have anything in common!!!!!!!!!
first off the uss cole was anchored in harbor,all destroyers as with most warships have a 24 hour watch sentry on its bow and stern , they are armed, thier is an armed watch on the quarterdeck in the middle of the ship on a destroyer one officer one chief petty officer or a rated petty officer and a messenger of the watch who is useually not armed but the officer of the deck and the rest are armed, the bow sentry first saw that terrioris boat approaching he should have waned off the occupents of the boat, and warned the quarterdeck watch , if anyones to blame for the terriorists sucedeing in thier attack it was the sentrys on duty!!!!!!!!!!!
tyree @ 37:
Fair enough, if they see it coming. I'm just saying that the boat doesn't have to be big to be a problem. The Cole had phalanx CIWS too - they just didn't fire.
S.S. Minnow? More like the Pal Joey.
tyree @ 38:
Even after the bombing attack, the sentries on the Cole were not authorized to fire on a suspicious small craft. The rules of engagement were to only fire if fired upon. The rules of engagement were the problem, much like the response to hijacked aircraft in the US on Sept. 11, 2001.
tyree @ 37:
The Phalanx can turn a speed boat into cinders in seconds. To hype a threat of "speedboats" is not only foolish on the neocons part, it also neglects the fact that if we decide to escalate a shooting match in the Straits of Hormuz and Iran decides to actually USE weapons against the Fifth Fleet, they might use something more lethal than 5 speedboats. Maybe the Pentagon and the media need to tell people that an SS-22 "Sunburn" anti-ship missle, if acquired by Iran, gives those destroyers only 25 seconds to engage when detected on radar, if detected at all. No room for error if trying to shoot down this with the Phalanx.
And the neocons are shrieking about SPEEDBOATS!
Old Billy @ 39:
the cole was not at battle stations! and the crew was lax in thier dutys of protecting the cole , the captain if he didnt explain the dangers possible to the ship in a harbor with such a bad reputation was allso at fault!!!!!!! at anchor the phalanxes ammunition is stored and not redily asseble in a fas emergency!
MSNBC sucks....Keith Olbermann is not so "great" either.
Keith Olbermann constantly has the likes of Howard Feinman, Richard Wolff, Andrea Mitchell, and Dana Milbank, on his show. Thus, Olbermann has the same Washington insider jerks that keep showing up on all the other crappy MSNBC shows. Other than his "Special Comments" Olbermann's "Countdown" show is not so wonderful.
When will Keith Olbermann put Chris Matthews, Tucker Carlson, and Joe Scarborough, Andrea Mitchell, Norah O'Donnell, Tim Russert, and Willie Geist in the "Worst Persons" Category? If he has any "journalistic" integrity, the time is up already!
fiver @ 17:
Seems to me that evidence on skeletons found near Pompei confirmed that syphilis pre-dates Columbus' journey by appx. 1300 years.
Old Billy @ 41:
i do not know what the sentrys orders were on cole i remember standing dock watch for my destroyer in pusan korea dureing the war, my orders were not to arm my carbine it was night and thier were dockside lights shineing on me , as soon as i relieved the other sentry i slamed a round into the chamber , as thier were armed north korean gurellias in the area , i said fuck the orders i aint getting caught falt footed,
Radically Moderate @ 45:
Also in pre Columbian England.
I thought there were two different syphilises, a fairly benign one in the New World and a more virulent strain in Europe that combined, and created the superstrain.
See this link
Radically Moderate @ 45:
Really?! I never heard that. I know that the forensics on the skeletons in Pompeii showed that they were elderly or slightly malnourished. In other words, they knew the volcano was going to erupt, so they left behind the weak and the poor.
miss_kitty @ 47:
its funny we allways thought the marines brought sylipllis back to america!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Mr. XXXX @ 44:
Well, you can' please all the people, all the time. Maybe he needs to invite some wingnuts on and he can yell at them, stab the air with his finger and shake his head back and forth wildly while giving a "Special Comments" harangue of the Bush Admin., all the while the hapless wingnut has his mike cut and his exit blocked.
First up: Jonah Golberg to talk about his book on this special edition of "Special Comments"
Isn't it an impeachable offense to authorize the faking of a military attack or "provocation" by another nation as an excuse to go to war against that nation without seeking a declaration of war from Congress?
The fact that you are completely ignoring the Dennis Kucinich / MSNBC affair should qualify you and MSNBC as Worst Persons In the World!
Well, isn't it possible that the Vikings (or other early seafarers, i.e. cod fisherman) brought syphilis to the new world where it mutated and the Columbus dudes then brought the mutated strain back with them? I've been reading some early American history, and while I cannot attest to what biological/molecular markers the folks on the east coast are using, generally it has been in poor favor with the scientific community to agree with the medievalists that syphilis came from the new world. It would seem somewhat karma appropriate, considering how diseases from the old world wiped out 90% of the new world.
Yet another attempt to drum up a war with Iran under false pretenses.
Did Olberman miss that this is another impeachable offense, or by now does all that go without saying?
Andy K @ 13:
As for "The Goldberg Principle," yes, twas I.
But other commenters came up with the new verbs "goldberged" and "goldbuggered."
It seems to me that the kick me sign with "Doughy Pantload" was first taped to his back by TBogg.
Well technically it was a VHF radio. Just sayin'
HEY!! That's supposed to be a PREVIEW. Ratbastard HTML coding crap buttons. grrr.
Oops. Well, I guess it was and I am ever so confused. Preview does work. Ratbastard HTML coding crap buttons. grrr.
What I was gonna say ...
Yeah, give the man props for remembering. :D
LiberalTarian @ 59:
You too :) . Thanks.
Bush actually succeeded in weeding out all the generals that were more intelligent than him. I guess that is one way to prolong war profiteering.
I heard the famous Jonah Goldberg being interviewed by Thom Hartmann yesterday morning. Hartmann was shooting zingers toward Goldberg, rapid fire, much of it related to Jonah's twisted framing of anti-tobacco legislation as "liberal fascism". Hartmann was anticipating a good meal. Jonah was getting shrill. Then the break music came on. Hartmann, likely sensing that he'd soon be playing with Jonah like a cat with a doomed mouse, asked if Jonah would come back after the break. Goldberg hurriedly replied, "I've got another interview," and left the phone as quickly as possible.
Goldberg has always been lazy, but has pulled off a living by acting with a certain sense of entitlement that only his mother could tolerate. Were the world wiser and his benefactors less well-endowed with discretionary spending allowances, Jonah would be a mall rat, chucking down the fries and popcorn every Wednesday at the matinee. Instead, he preens himself as some kind of "conservative" hoodwink, when he hasn't a clue about what it means to be conservative, except for the times when Ann Coulter rides him bareback.
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