Cliff Schecter: Thank you, Mr. Olbermann

[babylonsister]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/cliff-schecter/thank-you-mr-olbermann_b_29291.html

I still remember becoming a Keith Olbermann fan a little over a decade ago, back when he made ESPN worth watching with his infectious sense of humor and obvious passion for his work. Little did I know then, that he would become one of the most important media voices in a decaying Democracy run by bantam-weight hucksters and partisan troglodytes.

Well, if you didn't see Keith last night, there is simply no way I can do it justice. He found a way to perfectly express the anger I have felt since 9/11, which fits neatly into one simple category: Betrayal. As Olbermann said on his show last night, speaking of himself, for me this date will always be personal. Not just because like many people my family lost friends. But I grew up in New York, learning when I was young to look up when I exited any subway station, so that the Twin Towers could be my compass. And I was unlucky enough to be in the vicinity that terrible day, as I was working on a campaign and it was primary day in New York.

I will never forget watching, with my own eyes from Delancey Street, as the second plane plowed into its target. And then saw the terrible aftermath unfold, not sure whether to run towards the burning towers or in the other direction. I had actually walked through the North Tower the day before, because I was in the area delivering campaign literature to a supporter in Battery Park City, and thought to myself that I might as well take a walk through, as it had been a while (I had moved to DC two years before).

So yes this will always be personal. And that is why, when I suspended my dislike for President Bush, and allowed myself to be among the 90% desperately hoping for him to succeed in the wake of that hoffific day. I was also putting my trust in him that he would do the right thing for all of us. We know how that worked out about as well as trusting Rush Limbaugh with your grandma's painkillers.

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