Fighting speeches with speeches: The art of rebuttal
MSNBC’s Keith Olbermann responds to a speech given by former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld
On his MSBNC show “Countdown— August 30, 2006, Keith Olbermann answered a speech by Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld in which Rumsfeld equated criticism of the war in Iraq with appeasement of Hitler during the 1930s.
The man who sees absolutes, where all other men see nuances and shades of meaning, is either a prophet, or a quack. Donald H. Rumsfeld is not a prophet.
Writing well is the best revenge. This elegant opening lays out Olbermann’s position on his adversary, warranted by the high stakes Mr. Rumsfeld set by attacking the intellect and morality of dissenters.
We end the countdown where we began, our #1 story, with a special comment on Mr. Rumsfeld’s remarkable speech to the American Legion yesterday.
Where some of us might see a cheap shooting gallery, Olbermann signals that he is going to take the high road on this:
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