Keith Olbermann ’79 told anecdotes about his time on the hill, gave a special comment on the importance of strikes and labor unions, and controversially answered questions in front of a packed audience in Bailey Hall on Tuesday. The political and sports commentator, known for his show Countdown on MSNBC, graduated from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and majored in communication.

His most charged comment came when he said, “most conservatives are wildly stupid,” in response to a question about liberals resorting to name calling to dismiss conservatives. The question was asked by the president of the Cornell Republicans.

Olbermann opened the talk with anecdotes on his time at Cornell, confirming that he barely graduated. He said that he did not know he had graduated till the Friday before graduation. Olbermann also took 28 credits his final semester at Cornell.

“I handed it [my diploma] to my dad and said here is your receipt,” Olbermann said about his graduation.

A frequent theme throughout the talk was derogatory statements towards Ann Coulter ’84, who in March of 2009 attacked Olbermann for not having a true Ivy League degree because he graduated from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

He said, “Ann Coulter ’84, also her IQ.”

When an audience member showed Olbermann an article about his last show on MSNBC in The Cornell Review, which Coulter founded, he read a small portion aloud before using it to wipe up purposefully spilled water. When the writer later asked a question and expressed his feeling of respect, Olbermann smoothed out the crinkled paper.

Noting the irony, Olbermann discussed Karl Rove’s upcoming visit to Cornell. He said, “I’m here tonight as Karl Rove’s opening act…Karl will not be, according to Ann, speaking at Cornell.”

After the amusing anecdotes, Olbermann became serious and gave his strong personal view on HR 1135, a bill that would deny eligible striking workers food stamps.

“A choice of the legal right to strike or a moral right to eat food instead of cardboard,” he said. His style was similar to special comments on Countdown.

Olbermann used the bill as a lead into the importance of unions and strikes. He also touched on the controversial anti-union bill in Wisconsin. He ended the political discussion with his thoughts on conservatives.

“There is a jerk in the Supreme Court named Scalia,” he said.

He continued to say that the biggest fear of a Republican is that “some poor person in the middle of the night has a dollar a rich person deserves.”

To end the evening, Olbermann said, “To end on a bi-partisan note…no political humorist is actually funny.” He thanked Cornell for his warm welcome back.

Written by Jennifer Schlesinger