Posted by chicagomedia.org on May 24, 2009 at 19:49:53:
Olbermann Rescinds Charity Offer For Cowardly Hannity, Donates $10K For Mancow's Waterboarding
Last month on his Fox News show, torture enthusiast Sean Hannity claimed he would agree to be waterboarded "for charity…for the troops's families." MSNBC's Keith Olbermann immediately took up Hannity's pledge, offering $1,000 to charity for every second Hannity withstood waterboarding.
Over the next 30 days, Hannity went completely silent on his pledge, opting not to go anywhere near the subject of waterboarding again. Olbermann repeatedly reminded Hannity of his pledge to donate to charity in his name, but to no avail.
Last night on Countdown, Olbermann announced that he was rescinding the offer to Hannity, and instead giving $10,000 to charity following radio host Erich "Mancow" Muller's waterboarding attempt. Olbermann promised to donate to the charity Veterans of Valor, founded by Sgt. Klay South, who administered the waterboarding to Muller. Olbermann revealed that Mancow's publicist had contacted Olbermann's show yesterday to see whether Olbermann would make a similar offer to Mancow as he did for Hannity:
OLBERMANN: Mancow Muller had the guts to put his mouth where his mouth was, and the guts to admit he was dead wrong. As you saw, he not only said it is torture, but that he had nearly drowned as a boy, and it is drowning, and that he would have admitted to anything to make it stop.
So the offer to the coward Hannity - a thousand dollars a second he lasted on the waterboard - is withdrawn.
And to Mr. Muller, whose station's publicity person contacted us yesterday saying she'd heard I'd offered ten thousand dollars to anybody who would do what he did -
You got it. Ten thousand dollars to the military-families charity of the man who did the waterboarding, Veterans Of Valor. [...]
As to Hannity, you are now unnecessary.
Watch it below.
Olbermann also announced that Mancow will appear on his show next week.
Transcript:
This is where I normally remind Sean Hannity that it is so many days since I took him up on his offer to be waterboarded for charity, without any reply from him.
But with today's development, the point is moot.
"Mancow Muller" had the guts to put his mouth where his mouth was, and the guts to admit he was dead wrong. As you saw, he not only said it is torture, but that he had nearly drowned as a boy, and it is drowning, and that he would have admitted to anything to make it stop.
So the offer to the coward Hannity - a thousand dollars a second he lasted on the waterboard - is withdrawn.
And to Mr. Muller, whose station's publicity person contacted us yesterday saying she'd heard I'd offered ten thousand dollars to anybody who would do what he did…
You got it. Ten thousand dollars to the military-families charity of the man who did the waterboarding, "Veterans Of Valor."
Mr. Muller will join us on this news hour next week. As to Hannity... you are now unnecessary.