Howard Dean to Host MSNBC Show
Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean, who is traveling the country to champion health-care reform, is taking to the national cable news airwaves for two nights this week.
Dean will be the guest host tonight, and tomorrow night, on the popular MSNBC show "Countdown with Keith Olbermann." The show airs at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. nightly.
Olbermann's show usually includes a "Special Comment" segment, which airs like an op-ed, and a "Worst Person in the World." Typically, Olbermann reserves his worst-person award for either FOX News blowhard Bill O'Reilly or "entertainer" Rush Limbaugh. But any goofy politician or media personality will suffice.
It's likely that the national debate about health-care reform will be a key topic for Dean, especially since he's been on tour promoting his new book: Howard Dean's Prescription for Real Healthcare Reform.
Lawmakers are debating the issue in Washington, yet they are not expected to pass any major legislation before their month-long August recess. It's expected that House and Senate leaders will hammer out a deal in September, and have something on the president's desk by month's end for him to sign into law.
So, any idea who Gov. Dean will praise and who he'll skewer?
In an email to Seven Days, Dean said his worst-person award "will be a surprise."
Oh, goody. I love surprises.
*Shrug* So, the establishment Democratic Party former governor of Vermont joins a long list of celebrity politicians.
Posted by: Jay Vos | July 28, 2009 at 11:05 AM
Very interesting, Shay! Guest hosts don't usually do the Worst Person in the World segment. So Howard must have secured special permission from Keith to do it. I'm curious to see who earns the distinction. It's usually a set of three: Worse, Worser and Worst.
FYI: Keith only does a handful of Special Comments a year, when his blood is really boiling. One particularly poignant one from '08: after Prop 8 was passed in California. In '07, he published a collection of his SC's called Truth and Consequences.
Posted by: Lisa Crean | July 28, 2009 at 03:42 PM
This is somewhat off topic, but would someone PLEASE tell WCAX to retire that awful fake books backdrop. Whenever Dean or Bernie or Steve Benen are on satellite uplinks to networks it makes Vermont look like the lamest backwoods podunk place. I've been in the room where they shoot those interviews and the interviewee is just a foot or two in front of the horrible backdrop, resulting in a harsh shadow -- you can see it in the still in this post. I also suspect the camera they use isn't the freshest one at the station, as the image is noticeably lower in quality compared to feeds from other affiliates around the country.
It's totally distracting and it makes these very smart, articulate Vermonters look bad.
It's great that WCAX allows uplinks to non-CBS networks like MSNBC, but the image that's produced makes Vermont (and Vermonters) seem dismissible. Please step up your game, WCAX!
Posted by: Bill Simmon | July 28, 2009 at 05:13 PM
My thoughts exactly mr. simmons. Even Vermont uplinks can look 21st century now. Especially with a prime time player like Governor Dean continuing to serve us. Heath
Posted by: heath eiden | July 28, 2009 at 10:58 PM
It looks like a hand-me-down from an old Sears portrait studio. I wonder if they have the laser one, too!
http://www.sexypeople-blog.com/2009/07/tiffany_15.html
Posted by: Molly | July 29, 2009 at 09:26 AM
OMG it would be so awesome to see Sen. Leahy in front of that laser backdrop! I'll note that even Tiffany is shadow-free, however.
Posted by: Bill Simmon | July 29, 2009 at 09:52 AM