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Tonight on The Daily Show, “Senior White House Correspondent” John Oliver tried to explain how the American people are simultaneously safe and not-safe. He assured us that the Bush Administration failed in response to Hurricane Katrina only because of a pre-8/29 mindset, and that those mistakes would not be repeated in a post-8/29 world. And he summed up by saying this:

George W. Bush is the right man to lead us in the era post whatever horrible calamity he leads us into next.

On Monday night, from the former site of the World Trade Center, Keith Olbermann talks about this hole in the ground, where thousands died, including four of his friends:

…[F]or me this was, and is, and always shall be, personal.

And anyone who claims that I and others like me are “soft,”or have “forgotten” the lessons of what happened here is at best a grasping, opportunistic, dilettante and at worst, an idiot whether he is a commentator, or a Vice President, or a President.

…

The only positive on 9/11 and the days and weeks that so slowly and painfully followed it was the unanimous humanity, here, and throughout the country. The government, the President in particular, was given every possible measure of support.

Those who did not belong to his party — tabled that.

Those who doubted the mechanics of his election — ignored that.

Those who wondered of his qualifications — forgot that.

History teaches us that nearly unanimous support of a government cannot be taken away from that government by its critics. It can only be squandered by those who use it not to heal a nation’s wounds, but to take political advantage.

Terrorists did not come and steal our newly-regained sense of being American first, and political, fiftieth. Nor did the Democrats. Nor did the media. Nor did the people.

The President — and those around him — did that.

…

How dare you, Mr. President, after taking cynical advantage of the unanimity and love, and transmuting it into fraudulent war and needless death,  after monstrously transforming it into fear and suspicion and turning that fear into the campaign slogan of three elections?  How dare you — or those around you — ever “spin” 9/11?

Just as the terrorists have succeeded — are still succeeding — as long as there is no memorial and no construction here at Ground Zero, so, too, have they succeeded, and are still succeeding as long as this government uses 9/11 as a wedge to pit Americans against Americans.

Crooks and Liars has video.

Update: Olbermann said on Thursday’s show that, by popular demand, the segment will be repeated on Friday night’s show. (If you’re interested, that’s Countdown on MSNBC, 8 PM EDT.)