On Monday, former liberal MSNBC anchor and sportscaster Keith Olbermann admitted that he had dated Kyrsten Sinema, a Democrat from Arizona, more than 10 years ago.
The moderate senator didn’t escape the disapproval of Olbermann, who presently broadcasts a podcast, who said that she used to be even more leftist than him.
The former SportsCenter and Countdown host was responding to Sinema’s Kentucky address, in which she was praised by Republican Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and stated her support for bringing back the 60-vote requirement for all nominations, including those for judicial positions.
“When we dated, in 2010–2011, Kyrsten was a real progressive, well to my left,” Olbermann wrote. She has now embraced the political industry, where there are never any individuals involved and simply processes.
Then he mockingly proposed that Sinema take over as host of Meet the Press in lieu of Chuck Todd, another frequent target of the former MLB on Fox anchor’s ire.
Before being elected to the Senate, Sinema was a vocal opponent of the Iraq War and a critic of capitalism. She also served on Green Party presidential candidate Ralph Nader’s 2000 campaign. Sinema has not yet responded to the allegations.
Olbermann has previously been connected to a number of high-profile women across the political spectrum, including conservative firebrands Ann Coulter and Laura Ingraham as well as MSNBC’s Katy Tur. Olbermann last made a regular appearance on television when he left ESPN in October 2020.
TV mogul Aaron Sorkin has already drawn inspiration from Olbermann’s background to create characters for his series SportsNight and The Newsroom.
On a daily basis, the former Current TV anchor’s Twitter account features a mix of heated debates, criticism of Trump, and initiatives to prevent stray dogs from being put down.
During a speech at the McConnell Center, named after the senator, 80, who was elected in 1984, Sinema said, “Not only am I committed to the 60-vote barrier, I have an extraordinarily controversial position.”
I honestly believe that the 60-vote requirement should be reinstated in the regions where it has already been done away with. She suggested that we restore it. That was a reference to the domains of judicial and executive nominees, where the filibuster is not allowed.
After a brief round of clapping, Sinema cracked a joke.
Not everyone agrees with that, she continued, since it would make it more difficult for us to ratify executive appointees and judges in each administration. But if we did restore it, I think we’d really see more of that middle ground in every aspect of our administration, which is what, in my opinion, our forebears intended.
After delivering a well-worn tale about how the Senate serves as the “saucer” to chill the “emotions” of the House, a body she said sometimes bowed to the passions of the moment, Sinema made the assertion during a question-and-answer session.
‘While it is frustrating as a member of the minority in the United States Senate — and equally as frustrating in the majority, because you must have 60 votes to move forward – that frustration represents solely the short-term angst of not getting what you want,’ she said. We shouldn’t always obtain what we want right away since later, with a clearer head, you realize that it definitely went too far.
She likened the majority, who sometimes became irritated, to kids. Parents in the room, she reminded them, “know that the greatest thing you can do for your kid is not to give them everything they want.”
She spoke out against laws that “fuel our short-term cravings.”
Sinema also discussed the political power of Congress, which will be decided in the next election.
“As you are all aware, the House and the Senate alternate control every few years. In only a few weeks, it probably will alter once again, she added.
Before a ceremony at the self-described center where she received a bottle of bourbon, McConnell introduced Sinema and commended her for resisting efforts to alter the filibuster.
He remarked that Kyrsten Sinema’s decision to stand up and declare that she would not violate the institution in order to accomplish a short-term objective and defend the institution “against kind of the crowd” required “one hell of a lot of guts.”
I can’t emphasize enough how crucial she has been to the Senate as a whole, McConnell remarked.
Regarding his 37-year Senate tenure, he referred to her as “the most productive first-term senator I’ve seen.”
She is a true centrist and a dealmaker, which is something the Democratic Party now lacks, according to McConnell.
The Future of Political Discourse and the Importance of Bipartisanship was the subject of her lecture.