Petraeus/Betray Us…
Everyone has been talking, either in support or in opposition to, that MoveOn.org ad regarding General Petraeus being called General Betray Us. But MoveOn weren’t the first to use this term…
August 16, 2007 Thursday
SHOW: COUNTDOWN 8:00 PM EST
COUNTDOWN for August 16, 2007
BYLINE: Keith Olbermann
GUESTS: Jonathan Alter, Brandon Friedman, Arianna Huffington, Kevin Poulsen, Uri Geller
LENGTH: 7161 words
HIGHLIGHT: Which of these stories will you be talking about tomorrow?
KEITH OLBERMANN, MSNBC HOST: Which of these stories will you be talking about tomorrow? The Petraeus report, less Petraeus, more betrayaeus (ph). The definitive assessment of the surge will not only not be written by General Petraeus, it will not be presented by General Petraeus. Secretaries Gates and Rice will be the messengers. The White House insists General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker will be there to testify.
Update: Olbermann Watch noted this a week ago…
Update 2: This KOS link provides more backstory to the origins of this nickname…
Good for Keith!
Comment by berberry — September 21, 2007 @ 11:53 am
A little late to the game on this Spud.
Comment by randy — September 21, 2007 @ 11:58 am
Was it reported anywhere else that Keith Olbermann used that term nearly a month before MoveOn.org published it in the New York Times? Keith Olbermann is going to get himself fired one day. It’s only a matter of time. Republicans should boycott NBC and MSNBC.
Comment by Nobody — September 21, 2007 @ 12:11 pm
“Republicans should boycott NBC and MSNBC.”
Please do.
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“I can’t stand those people - and their incompetence is astounding,” - Author John Grisham
Comment by elmonica — September 21, 2007 @ 12:18 pm
Of course he is going to steer clear of this… I would look for that transcript to be scrubbed from MSNBC.com very soon… or if not deleted, “modified” to exclude the term.
Comment by Nobody — September 21, 2007 @ 12:35 pm
The nickname apparently comes from the military itself. One soldier posted about it a few years back on the conservative website blackfive. Another said it was common nickname said behind his back while he was commanding the 101st. Moveon didn’t invent it and Olbermann certainly didn’t invent it. But hey give in to your hate and believe whatever you want.
Comment by Steve — September 21, 2007 @ 12:53 pm
Can we all just read the quote again, PLEASE!
“The Petraeus report, less Petraeus, more betrayaeus (ph). The definitive assessment of the surge will not only not be written by General Petraeus, it will not be presented by General Petraeus.”
Keith is stating the report is NOT from Petraeus! George Bush is betraying us by lying about who (or what) is the origination of this report.
Good God people, learn to STOP, READ and then TYPE! Man you guys are all just goofballs!
Comment by P.A.M.B. — September 21, 2007 @ 1:34 pm
Nice theory, #8, but what about that onscreen graphic: “Will Petraeus Betray Us”? It didn’t read “Will Bush Betray Us”, did it?
Comment by johnny dollar — September 21, 2007 @ 1:46 pm
Hell, I think Keith ought to openly take credit for it. I would.
Comment by berberry — September 21, 2007 @ 2:00 pm
I’ve read in many places that the actual nickname “Betrayus” initiated in the actual soldiers ranks.
Well sourced diary here- http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/9/18/215826/698
Comment by Marji — September 21, 2007 @ 2:11 pm
This is bogus.
The first person to use the term Betrayus was Rush Limbaugh. He called GOP senator Chuck Hagel “Senator Betrayus”. There was no outrage whatsoever from the GOP even though Hagel is a war hero. These people are such hypocrites.
Comment by MikeD — September 21, 2007 @ 2:21 pm
Something a caller says on a radio talk show vs something an anchor says on a news broadcast? I don’t think standards are the same for people who call talk radio vs self-styled “journalists”.
Comment by johnny dollar — September 21, 2007 @ 2:37 pm
Hey J Dollar - add the url for the screen grab or are you just “quoting” some one else that says it exists?
I agree berberry! When a military person turns HIMSELF into a politician (any one read the article about how he said he wants to run for President) he/she crosses the line while in uniform. Remember McCarther was fired for this behavior.
The military are revered because they have always been and must always be above politics.
Comment by P.A.M.B. — September 21, 2007 @ 2:40 pm
> add the url for the screen grab or are you just “quoting” some one else that says it exists?
Huh? The URL was already posted by Spud.
Comment by johnny dollar — September 21, 2007 @ 2:48 pm
14# Do you mean General Douglas MacArthur? Who is McCarther?
Comment by Ree — September 21, 2007 @ 3:11 pm
Rather ironic that “Betrayus” came from the soldiers themselves. I’m curious to see how widely it will be reported on the cable/network news that the name actually originated within the military ranks.
Comment by STP — September 21, 2007 @ 5:03 pm
“Something a caller says on a radio talk show”
Not a caller. The host, Mr Rush Limbaugh called Senator Chuck Hagel, GOP war hero, “senator Betrayus”. There was no protest from the GOP, the same hypocrites pretending to be outraged now.
Comment by MikeD — September 21, 2007 @ 5:08 pm
You guys really don’t see the difference in a new personality or an entire organization calling a general “Betrayus” on television and in the newspaper… versus a private who actually works under the general calling him that on a blog of some sort? You guys can’t get the difference of a small audience, versus a big audience? What about when the two comments were said? Why did the soldier say that? It’s not the name, people, its the context and the timing in which it was used. Duuuh.
And (responding to ol’ MikeD) how does calling someone “Senator Betrayus” when their last name is “Hagel” even make any sense? Are you sure you’re not just trying to… oh I don’t know… connect some things that have no relationship to each other?
Comment by ImNotBlue — September 21, 2007 @ 5:09 pm
> Not a caller. The host, Mr Rush Limbaugh
I’m not sure you have that right. I’ll bet you didn’t hear it yourself, did you? Heh.
I take it from the comparison you draw that you consider Olbermann NOT to be a reporter or a journalist, but instead a partisan entertainer, a Rush Limbaugh but for the left. That is certainly the clear meaning of comparing a radio talk show and an alleged “newscast”. In that case, I would have to agree with your point.
Comment by johnny dollar — September 21, 2007 @ 5:21 pm
Maybe people under Gen. Petraeus made the comment but probably not in the context of him actually betraying his country! It could have been how many of us sometimes think of our superiors when they do something with which we disagree, as in betraying their underlings due to personnel or logistics issues. But I doubt they would imply that he had actually betrayed the country for which he has dedicated his life and career!
Comment by Missy — September 21, 2007 @ 7:47 pm
Someone from the “Daily Kos” stated that the troops invented the name for Patraeus…Who? what troops went on the record and stated this is what they called a decorated Army General…what unit did they serve in, and when were they under his command? Who is fact checking the Daily Kos?
Comment by Ree — September 21, 2007 @ 8:38 pm