EDITOR’S NOTE: The following is a testy email exchange between The Daily News’ Stu Bykofsky and MSNBC’s Keith Olbermann regarding the latter’s suspension. Olbermann breaks his media silence to berate Byko and takes great offense at Byko’s column from last Thursday which itemized the respective ideological affiliations of guests on Olbermann’s The Countdown and Bill O’Reilly’s The Factor and concluded that O’Reilly was the more fair and balanced. Whether Juan Williams, Alan Colmes or Geraldo Rivera actually qualify as legitimate voices of the left — and not Fox News-financed straw men — remains debatable at best, in our opinion. Still, the exchange makes for an entertaining read as the insults fly fast and furious and much pettiness ensues. Olbermann also goes out of his way to insult the man that suspended him, MSNBC’s Phil Griffin, although Olbermann denies in the email exchange that Griffin is actually the boss of him. Ballsy. All dialogue guaranteed 100% for real.
UPDATE: We’ve been punked, it would seem. Turns out right wing web site The Daily Caller purchased the domain name KeithOlbermann.com over the summer. Long time Olbermann nemesis Tucker Carlson crowed to Michael Calderone at Yahoo News that he planned to use the email address Keith@KeithOlbermann.com. We had it on good authority that this was all legit, but it would appear that is not the case. Our apologies. We will leave this up as penance.
SECOND UPDATE: Keith Olbermann confirms the fakery on Twitter. Sorry, Keith.
THIRD UPDATE: Christ, now it’s on Huffington Post. All of a sudden we feel like a teenage girl who can’t distinguish between good 
attention and bad attention.
LAST UPDATE: Carlson, reached by phone Tuesday night, confirmed he impersonated Olbermann in the email responses to Bykofsky. “Could you resist?” Carlson said. “It was just too funny. The flesh is weak.” Carlson said he didn’t expect the email exchange to be published. MORE
RELATED: In a continuing effort to combat identity theft, New York recently enacted an amendment to the Penal Law making it a crime to impersonate another person or pretend to be a public servant by means of online communication. Specifically, New York’s Internet impersonation law amends section 190.25 of the Penal Law by adding Subdivision 4, making it a crime to impersonate another person by electronic means, including through use of a website, with the intent to obtain a benefit or injure or defraud another person. It also prohibits using such electronic means to pretend to be a public servant in order to induce another person to submit to false authority or to act in reliance on that false pretense. Internet impersonation is a Class A misdemeanor and carries a maximum penalty of a $1,000 fine and a one-year term of imprisonment for each violation or act of impersonation. The new law became effective on November 1, 2008. MORE
*
*
——– Original Message ——–
Subject: [SPAM] From the Philadelphia Daily News
From: “Bykofsky, Stu”
Date: Fri, November 05, 2010 1:44 pm
To:Mr. Olbermann:
I’d like an opportunity to speak to you about your current situation.
I am doing a column for publication Monday. I will be here until 6 p.m., but won’t finish until 1 p.m. tomorrow.
If you would rather respond via email, what I want to know, essentially, is the following:
Do you think you were treated fairly by MSNBC?
Do you consider yourself a journalist or a commentator?
If a journalist, is it proper for you to give your opinions?
If a commentator, should you be anchoring a newscast, such as Tuesday night’s election program?
Do you regret chastising others (Rupert Murdoch) for making political donations?
Is there a difference between what he did and what you did?
Thank you.
Stu Bykofsky
Columnist
Philadelphia Daily News
215-854-5977*
From: keith@keitholbermann.com [mailto:keith@keitholbermann.com]
Sent: Monday, November 08, 2010 2:46 PM
To: Bykofsky, Stu
Subject: RE: [SPAM] From the Philadelphia Daily NewsMr. Bykofsky:
Unfortunately your column (which I just saw) had already run before I read this email. What a shame. I assume you saw the irony in attacking
someone for betraying journalism, while you, a self-described journalist, failed to get a single quote from the person you were attacking. Pathetic. Indeed, beneath contempt. How dare you pose as the heir to Murrow.
You didn’t wait for the facts before writing your screed, but for what it’s worth I, unlike you, am a journalist, not a hack. Was I treated fairly by MSNBC? It’s hard to imagine a dumber question, as I don’t work for MSNBC, but for NBC News. As I’ve said publicly before, Phil Griffin is not my boss (thank god), nor is he intellectually qualified to be. Phil pretends otherwise in public. I’m not his shrink, but I assume it makes him feel better. The remarkable thing is that fools like you believe his fantasies. That pleases Phil, but only exposes your ignorance. The proof? I’ll be anchoring on election night 2012, long after Phil Griffin has moved on to a job for which he’s actually qualified, perhaps on QVC.
I hope that clears up your misconceptions.
KO
*
——– Original Message ——–
Subject: RE: [SPAM] From the Philadelphia Daily News
From: “Bykofsky, Stu”
Date: Mon, November 08, 2010 2:38 pm
To:Failed to get a quote, Mr. O?
I emailed you at two locations on Friday and checked as late as Sunday night for a response. Other news outlets reported you had not returnedtheir calls.
I should “Wait for the facts”? For how long? 48 hours seems like more than enough.
The facts are not contested – you made contributions to Democratic candidates, you didn’t disclose that fact and then you interviewed once of them – without disclosing it to your viewers. I was interested in your motives, and how you imagine the role that you fill at MSNBC/NBC/GE.
(You don’t work for MSNBC, Phil Griffin is not your boss, but he gets to suspend you. Very interesting.)
If you want to be a journalist, act like one. Start by reviewing the SPJ Code of Ethics.
Tell me, Mr. O, how many people have you attacked without even trying to get a quote?
If you do anchor election night 2012, and I hope you do for the hyperbolic entertainment value, please be honest with your audience. Announce which Dems you have contributed to. Or maybe honesty doesn’t come into play with a self-righteous wretch such as you.
You are a hypocrite for attacking others for what you do yourself.
And you are a gutless hypocrite for hiding from reporters with valid questions. Being called a “hack” by a shameless faux journalist like you is a compliment.
I hope that clears up your misconceptions, which are myriad.
Stu Bykofsky
Columnist
Philadelphia Daily News
215-854-5977
I report, you deride*
From: keith@keitholbermann.com [mailto:keith@keitholbermann.com]
Sent: Monday, November 08, 2010 4:58 PM
To: Bykofsky, Stu
Subject: RE: [SPAM] From the Philadelphia Daily NewsDear Stu,
Since you’re obviously a moron, I won’t waste your time or mine writing more emails you clearly can’t understand. But I do want to correct
As if.
I could have Phil Griffin fired tomorrow if I felt like it, trust me. And if he keeps yapping about me in public, I may. For the moment, however, keeping Phil around is like having a drunk chimp in the office — more amusing than threatening.
Feel free to correct the record in your “column.”
KO
*
From: keith@keitholbermann.com [mailto:keith@keitholbermann.com]
Sent: Monday, November 08, 2010 5:46 PM
To: Bykofsky, Stu
Subject: RE: [SPAM] From the Philadelphia Daily News“May be” a moron? No, you’re definitely a moron.
——– Original Message ——–
Subject: RE: [SPAM] From the Philadelphia Daily News
From: “Bykofsky, Stu”
Date: Mon, November 08, 2010 3:10 pm
To:
To you, I may be a moron, but I’m not the one with a credibility problem.
Flame away, Mr. O. Didn’t your mama ever tell you about sticks and stones?
I realize your attention span is that of an ant, but you were invited to submit your “letter” for “publication.”
You did not “respond” nor did you respond to the previous questions put to you. Were they too hard?
I’ll help you. Here they are again
Do you regret chastising others (Rupert Murdoch) for making political donations?
Is there a difference between what he did and what you did?Hey! Tomorrow night, what will be your act – contrite or defiant? Or just scowling and loud?
I can’t wait to see.
Stu
P.S.: I couldn’t possibly correct the record to reflect what you tell me without calls to NBC management for verification. Tell you what – get The New York Times to correct the record, because it reported what I did, then my liberal tabloid will pick it up from there.*
From: Bykofsky, Stu
Sent: Monday, November 08, 2010 6:11 PM
To: ‘keith@keitholbermann.com’
Subject: RE: [SPAM] From the Philadelphia Daily NewsCan [I] be a “worst person,” too? Please!
Name-calling from a self-energized, smug elitist who doesn’t realize his waste stinks doesn’t answer any of my questions, Keith.
You seem to have an anger-management problem in addition to your inability to focus on anything you don’t want to hear.
But I proved that last Thursday, didn’t I?
Go back into your silo surrounded by your sycophants, big boy.
Buh-bye.
Best wishes for excellence and honesty in journalism,
Stu
P.S.; You really do have an amazing ability to ignore every serious point raised about your conduct. Supernatural, almost.