"COUNTDOWN WITH KEITH OLBERMANN" NOTABLE QUOTES FOR DECEMBER 10-14, 2007

"COUNTDOWN WITH KEITH OLBERMANN" NOTABLE QUOTES FOR DECEMBER 10-14, 2007

NEW YORK – December 19, 2007 – Following are quotes from "Countdown with Keith Olbermann" for the week of December 10-14. "Countdown," a unique newscast that counts down the day's top stories, telecasts weeknights, 8-9 p.m. ET on MSNBC. Complete program transcripts are available at www.tv.msnbc.com.

Olbermann, on thousands turning out for a Barack Obama rally where Oprah Winfrey was appearing: "What happens when they find out that Oprah is not the one running for president?"

Olbermann: "Dr. Torkel Klingberg, leading a Swedish team that has discovered what appears to be a filter in a brain that blocks out irrelevant information. The irrelevance filter that might explain why some people can focus better or remember better or have an attention deficit disorder or – what was I saying?"

Olbermann: "An unnamed firefighter in England helped free two men trapped in an elevator. They kept going from floor to floor but the doors wouldn't open. The men were Elvis impersonators so, thus said our comic fireman, 'There were two of them so they weren't exactly lonesome tonight.'"

[Referring to Michael Schumacher, retired Formula One auto racing champion, and his family running late for a flight in Bavaria.]
Olbermann: "When [the] cab picked the Schumachers up… Schumacher introduced himself, told the cabbie to sit in the passenger seat, and Schumacher drove to the airport himself. The family made the flight, but out of habit, Schumacher got out of the cab, sprayed everybody with champagne, and wore a series of 42 different baseball caps with different advertisers' names on it while giving interviews to astonished passers-by."

Olbermann on the New York Knicks' woes: "[Knicks Coach Isiah] Thomas [said] it's the fans' fault because they 'don't have a good sixth man' – the basketball term for the positive influence fans can have. Firstly, among their players, the Knicks don't even have a good third man."

[Referring to Sen. Kit Bond (R-Mo.) saying that waterboarding is 'like swimming, freestyle, backstroke.]
Olbermann: "Waterboarding is to the backstroke, as Kit Bond is to an actual leader."

Michael Musto, Village Voice: "Britney [Spears] is the new Liz Taylor, minus the two Oscars and the charity work."

Olbermann: "Us Weekly is reporting that Ms. [Britney] Spears has been tapped to play Mary in a modern film version of the nativity. Mother of God, indeed!"

[Referring to Katie Holmes telling InStyle magazine that husband Tom Cruise compliments her by saying, 'you look good. I hope security is going with you.']
Paul F. Tompkins, VH-1's "Best Week Ever": "Compliments like this are so awkward… not helping to squash the gay rumor about Tom Cruise."
Olbermann: "She also says they fell in love in an instant. Does Mr. Cruise impress you as the impulsive type?"
Tompkins: "Well, Keith, it's easy to be cynical. But, it only takes an instant to sign a secret marriage contract."

[Referring to Russian winter enthusiasts who do ballet in cold temperatures]
Olbermann: "Nothing says happy holidays like a bunch of fat 50-something-year-old Russians wearing tutus and shaking their stuff. That's why they call it 'Nutcracker.''

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