Keith Olbermann, al-Zarqawi, Joe McCarthy, and Bill O'Reilly

Keith Olberman finally got fed up.

While writing back insulting emails can never be good strategy, I can't imagine even a string of the most horrendous curse words and insults approaching the antagonism level of such an outrageously illogical statement as calling Abu Musab al-Zarqawi Olbermann's "hero."

Granted, it's just a taunt. But unlike the taunt of a string of insulting four letter words or similar, it is a taunt that is also usually, at least in part, based upon a profound ignorance and miscontruction of what are fairly serious issues.

So, as the Daily News gleefully reports, Olbermann lost his cool and wrote back to a few of the worst emailers, hurling insults right back at them. Unprofessional, inadvisable, and flat out wrong, and for which, Olbermann apologized.

On a seemingly unrelated note, McCarthyism, from the 1950's, has become synonymous with political persecution and "witch hunt." (See also the highly acclaimed film "Good Night and Good Luck.")

One rather well written website, however, seems to have otherwise merged the two:

Wondering if Olbermann would name Worst Person in the World someone who engages in McCarthy-esque “acriminious” exchanges in which that person writes “insulting and frequently obscene” e-mails. That person? Keith Olbermann.

The only commonality here is that the issue was politics, and unfair. And by this extremely broad, if not almost ubiquitous standard, it would seem that the original e mailers are the more apt (if, again, poor) comparison. All Olbermann did was write some insulting emails back to emailers who used twisted and emotionally inflammatory logic in their hurled political insults.

Keith Olbermann, always providing a good story -- even when it's not about Bill O'Reilly, whom, in tepid defense of the Website's analogy, Olbermann calls "this generation's Joe McCarthy. From a broadcast of MSNBC's Countdown, as reported by media matters, here :

He has solidified in his status as this generation's Joe McCarthy. Just like the"Red Baiter," he now has his own list. His website reads: "The following media operations have regularly helped distribute defamation and false information supplied by far left Web sites." The list: the New York Daily News, the St. Petersburg Times, and MSNBC! You call it defamation, Bill. We call it precise quotes from your show.