Olbermann really let 'em have it. That much is not in doubt.

Now for my own serious commentary.

Olbermann's mostly silly show "Countdown" is merely the same entertaining crap as Tucker Carlson, as Joe Scarborough, as Rita Crosby, as Bill O'Rielly, as Dan Abrams, as Nancy Grace. It's just a package aimed at scooping up some advertising revenue from a sliver of the market demographic that won't watch the other stuff.

I watch Olbermann's show every evening for the first twenty minutes. It's one of the very few places available on any mainstream TV outlet where you can even get that much of a liberal take on the news of the day. Unless of course, you include The Daily Show and the Colbert Report, which in a way, Olbermann seems to be aping.

I think MSNBC keeps Olbermann on a very short leash, infusing his one-hour show with 40 minutes of juvenile garbage like Top Three Soundbites, Celebrity News, Worst Persons in the World, and the faux "Stories My Producers are Forcing Me To Do."

And this is why I have a problem with you Kieth. You want to be taken seriously. You get all righteously indignant about some idiotic speech by Rumsfeld that will be forgotten a week from now. That's fine.

But I have a really hard time taking you seriously any more because the rest of your show is usually wasted air time. With so very little mainstream time devoted to covering the day's news from a bit of a left wing perspective, you waste your hour with pablum.

What's the rationale? Is it that you really DO have to do what the producers force you to do? I doubt it. Is it that you hope to lure in the unconverted or undecided middle-of-the-roaders who may get drawn in by the comedy and then start taking your message to heart? Fat chance.

Your MSNBC network has focus-grouped your show and they want you to stick to your lefty demographic. You are up against O'Rielly in most markets and those folks all goose-step in unison. They aren't coming over for your brand of humor. And middle of the road folks are likely tuned in to the "Newzak" of Paula Zahn.

So all you've got us, Keith. And all we've got is you. And as far as I'm concerned, you're not giving me enough. I want you to drop all that stupid shit Top Soundbites and other time-wasting junk and get on with a full hour of going after these sons-of-bitches in the White House.

You were right to go after Rummy and your well-crafted rebuttal has been replayed on Air America and quoted world wide. But it is remarkable only in that you do it so rarely. You need to screw these motherfuckers to the wall each and every night for a whole sixty minute show. God knows, the Bush administration gives you enough raw material that you'd never run out of things to call attention to.

Sending Ms. Pissy out on the road is hardly going to bolster support from American woman unless the Stepford Wives are back in business.

Reuters News Service

Fort Benning, Ga. Sept. 1, 2006 --

The President and First Lady Laura Bush shared a tearful goodbye to their twin daughters, Barbara and Jenna Bush, both 24 years old, this afternoon at the beginning of the Labor Day weekend. The twins, dressed in desert cammo BDUs and carrying 75 lb. rucksacks and M-16 rifles, are shipping out with a brigade-sized element of the 4th Infantry Division being redeployed to Iraq for a fourth year-long tour of duty.

Both women are recent graduates of the U.S. Army Infantry School's Non-Commissioned Officer Academy and will take up their duties as rifle squad leaders with the rank of E-5. Both woman both felt so strongly about their father's commitment to "Stay the course" and to "Finish the job" in Iraq that they enlisted ten months ago and asked that they be given no special treatment.

When asked why they didn't follow in their father's footsteps and get into the National Guard in some position that would keep them out of harm's way, the women both responded that they were ashamed of their father's lack of courage and decided, for the sake of the American people and all those who have made great sacrifices for their country that they would join the fight and take their chances just like any other American soldier or Marine.

"When it was dad's time to go, he bugged out," Jenna said. "We want to show America that we're more like our grandpa than our dad."

When asked if they were afraid of getting wounded or killed, Barbara scoffed, "What the hell do you think any of us soldiers are feeling right now as we leave our country and really don't know if we're going to be killed or badly wounded. You damned reporters ask the most stupid questions." Barbara then kissed her mother, first lady Laura Bush one last time and shook the President's hand and took her place in formation with her platoon.

A reporter called out to the President as he headed for his limo, "What about more funding for the V.A. hospitals, Mr. President, now that your own kids might be losing some limbs or have permanent injuries from concussions?"

The President stopped, turned toward the reporter and started to say something. But he stopped and just stared at him for a moment. Then he turned away and disappeared into the limo.

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