The San Diego Union Tribune’s Chris Reed says that Keith Olbermann has jumped the shark with his FNC/Al Qaeda comment…

Unbelievable.

Olbermann is a hugely talented broadcaster and one of the smartest guys around, but his tunnel vision on politics is wearisome. The mainstream media is loaded with liberals as dishonest and slanted as Fox News’ GOP stalwarts; sorry, as bad as Fox News is, nothing it has done compares with Dan Rather’s use of forged documents to try to prevent W.’s re-election.

Beyond that, both parties are full of contemptible hacks who protect their donors and who are more interested in manipulating people with wedge issues than solving problems.

For someone as sharp as Olbermann to look at this landscape and see only one class of bad guys is baffling and off-putting.

The O’Reilly Factor has apparently dropped its Most Ridiculous Item of the Day. A new daily feature began today where O’Reilly names a “patriot” and a “pinhead” of the day. Johnny Dollar emailed in the following…

Hmm. That concept reminds me of something, but what…?

What indeed?

Norah O’Donell has returned from Maternity Leave. She anchored MSNBC’s 3pm hour today…

FNC ranked 9th in primetime for basic cable last week. CNN ranked 28th and MS didn’t rank in the top 30. FNC’s New Hampshire was not only ranked 40th in the top basic cable programs last week; the highest program ranking of any cable news program for the week.

Tonight on the FX series “Damages,” FNC’s Greta Van Susteren reprises her role as herself. On tonight’s episode, the characters of Patty Hewes (Glenn Close) and Ray Fisk (Zeljko Ivanek) appear on “On the Record with Greta Van Susteren” to discuss the case involving Arthur Frobisher (Ted Danson). Patty Hewes appeared on “On The Record” in the series debut episode, so she visits Greta again to discuss the case.

While doing the cameo, Greta filmed a behind-the-scenes diary for EXTRA on the set of “Damages” that will be teased with a clip during EXTRA tonight and will be posted on www.extratv.com.

MSNBC beat CNN in the Demo last night due to weak numbers at 8 and 9 on CNN’s part. Morning Joe scratched in the Demo as did Mad Money, On the Money, and Donny Deutsch. Anderson Cooper 360 from Iraq beat everyone at 10pm in the Demo. I am somewhat surprised the Petraeus/Crocker interview didn’t net FNC a higher number at 9pm considering how big a get it was.

Cable News Daily Ratings for September 10, 2007

P2+ Total Day
FNC – 929,000 viewers
CNN – 509,000 viewers
MSNBC – 376,000 viewers
CNBC – 225,000 viewers
HLN – 276,000 viewers

P2+ Prime Time
FNC – 1,640,000 viewers
CNN – 697,000 viewers
MSNBC – 566,000 viewers
CNBC – 238,000 viewers
HLN – 590,000 viewers

25-54 Total Day
FNC – 249,000 viewers
CNN – 175,000 viewers
MSNBC – 128,000 viewers
CNBC – 66,000 viewers
HLN – 114,000 viewers

25-54 Prime Time
FNC – 338,000 viewers
CNN – 205,000 viewers
MSNBC – 244,000 viewers
CNBC – 78,000 viewers
HLN – 190,000 viewers

Morning programs P2+ (25-54)
FOX & Friends – 938,000 viewers (358,000)
American Morning – 397,000 viewers (189,000)
MSNBC Live (7-9am) – 217,000 viewers (a scratch with 30,000)
Robin & Co. – 242,000 viewers (116,000)
(more…)

This is a bit overdramatic. You could be excused if you mistakenly thought you were witnessing the closing moments of Star Wars with Luke Olbermann firing a proton torpedo into the FNC Death Star while a helpless Darth O’Reilly spins off into space.

Can we please have some perspective here? It was one win in the Demo (based on Live+SD ratings and not Live ratings…more on that later in another post). Just one win. But the positive PR emanating out of Secaucus is disproportionately high. Look, I won’t diss MSNBC because Olbermann finally edged out O’Reilly in a fair fight (e.g. not skewed by breaking news or a special event) for the first time (caveat: Live+SD vs. Live). But at the same time this is hardly the time to be doing cartwheels and cracking open the champagne either. Not over one day’s ratings to be sure.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. For a trend you need long term data. Setting aside the Live+SD vs. Live issue, what we’ve seen is short term data at best. I won’t say that it’s not possible that Countdown is on an upswing and O’Reilly has reason to be worried. But I certainly am not going to say it’s the only possible conclusion to come to. There are alternate conclusions just as viable. And I like keeping my mind open to the possibility that this could all change next week.

UPDATE: Case in point…last night’s 8pm numbers (in Live+SD for an apples to apples comparison to Friday)

The O’Reilly Factor — 2,308,000 viewers/510,000 in 25-54 demo
Countdown with Keith Olbermann — 876, 000 viewers/388,000 in 25-54 demo

UPDATE: Totally off topic but as long as I’m relaying Live+SD Demo numbers, Abrams beat Larry King last night…

Portfolio’s Jeff Bercovici blogs about Olbermann’s Playboy comments…

Comic exaggeration is part of Olbermann’s shtick — this is, after all, someone who names a new “Worst Person in the World” every night. But equating Fox News and Rupert Murdoch with racists and killers is neither funny nor particularly insightful. It’s shrill and unattractive, and reeks of the same blowhardism that Olbermann is usually the first to skewer. I know the O’Reilly feud has been great for Countdown’s ratings, but it’s time to ease up.

Yesterday, CNN launched the Iraq Fact Desk. It will feature prominently all week as CNN reports on and gives context to official accounts of conditions in Iraq.

The Fact Desk, led by CNN correspondent Tom Foreman and CNN senior Pentagon correspondent Jamie McIntyre, will be viewers’ central fact-checking source to provide details on what has been said in the past, how progress is defined and measured, what details are possibly being left out, places in which positive developments have been made, and where official government assessments may differ from other analysis.

Following yesterday’s progress report from Gen. David Petraeus and U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker, the Fact Desk examined their testimony in light of previous Iraq assessments. Transcript segment follows from the 3pm hour of CNN’s Newsroom…

LEMON: You’re looking at testimony now from these hearings. Representative Tom Lantos questioning General Petraeus, as well as Ambassador Crocker about Iran. Also diplomatic surge rather than a troop surge. And also asking General Petraeus just exactly how much influence his recommendation would have on other parts of the war, like the war in Afghanistan.

So lots of information, lots of facts to check when it comes to both of these men testifying today, more specifically General Petraeus. Congress listens when he talks. CNN’s Iraq Fact Desk is checking the general’s testimony. Our Senior Pentagon Correspondent Jamie McIntyre is on the Fact Desk duty.
(more…)

TVNewser is reporting that Dave Ramsey has been seen inside FNC’s building. However, an FNC insider with knowledge of the comings and goings inside 1211 tells ICN that Ramsey has not even been in the building once this year…

The Politico’s Daniel W. Reilly blogs about General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker appearing on FNC last night…

America’s two top officials in Iraq - Army Gen. David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker - appeared on Fox News Monday night, dismissing claims they had manipulated their latest assessments of the war in Iraq at the behest of the White House. “It was my assessment,” Petraeus said. “Those [findings] were mine. They were not the White House’s, or anyone else’s.” Crocker offered a similar assertion of independence, saying he did not clear his testimony with anyone and the president did not attempt to manipulate his findings. Earlier, a full page ad in The New York Times by the liberal group, MoveOn.org, accused Petraeus of manipulating intelligence to help sell President Bush’s troop surge strategy in Iraq. The ad ignited a political firestorm on Capitol Hill, with House Republicans introducing a resolution condemning it. The pair sat down with Fox News anchor Brit Hume after a marathon session Monday before a joint session of the House Armed Services and Foreign Affairs committees. Petraeus told Hume he gave a “forthright” assessment to Congress, saying that “military aspects of the surge have largely achieved success.” Crocker said that “the goal of a stable, secure Democratic Iraq” is “attainable,” and the “trajectory of political and diplomatic gains is up.” Still, both men acknowledged there was a lot of work left to do in Iraq, especially reforming its security forces and helping to achieve some sort of national political reconciliation. Pressed by Hume on Iran’s role in the conflict, Patraeus acknowledged, it was “harmful…no two ways about it.’’

Howard Kurtz held his weekly chat yesterday (via FishbowlDC)

Baltimore: Re: FOX and MSNBC as partisans: The equivalency is absurd. While MSNBC has Olbermann, it also has Joe Scarborough, Dan Abrams, Tucker Carlson and others who are either to the right or in the middle. Fox has O’Reilly, Sean Hannity, Brit Hume (who I know has an illustrious reporting career, but is pretty much in the tank fro the administration).

Howard Kurtz: What about Alan Colmes???

Actually, I’d feel better about that if Sean ever let Alan ask Fred Thompson a question.

Quo Vadimus has the video from this morning’s Morning Joe where Joe Scarborough talks about Keith Olbermann beating Bill O’Reilly in the Demo according to Live+SD ratings. On a related note, I hope to have a post up later on today with new information on the Live vs. Live+SD ratings issue.

As CBSNews.com’s Matthew Felling speculated on Morning Joe this morning, perhaps Olbermann’s move to NBC is paying dividends by exposing sports fans, who remember Olbermann from his SportsCenter days and are now checking out his cable news program.

To be fair, though, the Morning Joe team made it seem as if Olbermann had more viewers than O’Reilly overall, which he did not, but as Olbermann pointed out himself on Friday, all that he cares about (and all anyone should care about) are the demographic ratings.

MSNBC won the Demo on Saturday for Total Day and Primetime and won it on Sunday for Primetime. FNC won it on Sunday for Total Day.

Cable News Live Ratings September 8, 2007

P2+ Total Day
FNC – 621,000 viewers
CNN – 409,000 viewers
MSNBC – 399,000 viewers
CNBC – 162,000 viewers
HLN – 227,000 viewers

P2+ Prime Time
FNC – 694,000 viewers
CNN – 470,000 viewers
MSNBC – 429,000 viewers
CNBC – 227,000 viewers
HLN – 231,000 viewers

25-54 Total Day
FNC – 168,000 viewers
CNN – 153,000 viewers
MSNBC –211,000 viewers
CNBC – 63,000 viewers
HLN –89,000 viewers

25-54 Prime Time
FNC – 147,000 viewers
CNN – 181,000 viewers
MSNBC – 237,000 viewers
CNBC – 80,000 viewers
HLN – 83,000 viewers

Cable News Live Ratings for September 9, 2007
(more…)

Greg Gutfeld and Andrew Levy respond to Keith Olbermann’s FNC comment. (via Johnny Dollar)

The Minneapolis Star-Tribune has an update regarding former MSNBC anchor Randy Meier (via FTVLive)

Still miss Randy Meier? Well then, go watch him at www.walltowallmedia.com.

Meier, who refused to say what he was up to last time he was asked, is hosting “Behind the Blueprint,” a TV show about building a home using principles of environmentally friendly design. It’s scheduled to debut at noon Sept. 22 on KARE 11.