Olbermann: Unlike Palin, Pitbull Can 'Keep Its Mouth Closed'

By Media Research Center
http://www.mrc.org/cyberalerts/2009/cyb20090115.asp#5
January 15, 2009

On Tuesday's Countdown on MSNBC, after a segment with the Washington Post's Eugene Robinson at the end of the program in which he and host Keith Olbermann lambasted Sarah Palin over her recent interview with Esquire magazine, the Countdown host made a crude joke at Palin's expense as he introduced the Rachel Maddow Show. Olbermann: "But, apropos of Palin, I can't remember who said this, but it came to mind: What's the difference between a governor of Alaska and a pitbull? You can train a pitbull to occasionally keep its mouth closed. Do you know who said that? Because I can't remember."

After laughing hysterically, Maddow responded: "No, I can't. No, that's new to me. Is that the safe thing to say here?"

[This item, by the MRC's Brad Wilmouth, was posted Tuesday night, with video added by Ken Shepherd, on the MRC's blog, NewsBusters.org: newsbusters.org ]

Below is a complete transcript of the exchange from the Tuesday, January 13, Countdown on MSNBC:

     KEITH OLBERMANN: It's Rachel's turn. Barbara Boxer her special guest tonight on the Clinton confirmation hearings. But, apropos of Palin, I can't remember who said this, but it came to mind: What's the difference between a governor of Alaska and a pitbull? You can train a pitbull to occasionally keep its mouth closed. [RACHEL MADDOW LAUGHS] Do you know who said that? Because I can't remember.
     RACHEL MADDOW: No, I can't. No, that's new to me. Is that the safe thing to say here?
     OLBERMANN: I think so. I didn't, that's not mine. That's somebody else's.
     MADDOW: Thank you, Keith.
     OLBERMANN: Thank you, Rachel.