Morgan named "Worst Person" for attacks on VoteVets.org's Soltz

Summary: On Countdown, Keith Olbermann named Melanie Morgan the "winner" of his nightly "Worst Person in the World" segment for asserting that Jon Soltz, co-founder and chairman of VoteVets.org, violated military law by engaging in political activism while serving in the Army Reserve.

During the August 15 edition of MSNBC's Countdown, host Keith Olbermann named right-wing radio host Melanie Morgan the "winner" of his nightly "Worst Person in the World" segment for asserting that Jon Soltz, co-founder and chairman of VoteVets.org, violated military law by engaging in political activism while serving in the Army Reserve, as Media Matters for America documented. Olbermann stated that Morgan's claim "will come as something of a surprise to active reservist Lindsey Graham and active reservist Stephen Buyer." Olbermann continued: "Though, like Jon Soltz, they are in the reserves, they seem to be engaged in some politics. Reservist Graham is the Republican senator from South Carolina, and reservist Buyer is the Republican congressman from Indiana." Olbermann added: "And according to Melanie Morgan, they'd both better quit their offices before the reserves find out they're breaking the law. A law, of course, that exists only in the empty head of Melanie Morgan." Indeed, as Media Matters noted, military law -- the Uniform Code of Military Justice and other applicable regulations -- does not prohibit reservists from engaging in political activity. Morgan made the claim both in an August 10 column on the conservative website WorldNetDaily and on the August 9 edition of San Francisco radio station KSFO's The Lee Rodgers & Melanie Morgan Program.

From the August 15 edition of MSNBC's Countdown with Keith Olbermann:

OLBERMANN: But our winner, right-wing water carrier Melanie Morgan, blasting Jon Soltz, the head of VoteVets.org and our frequent guest here. Morgan claims Soltz is, quote, "actually a reservist and he has no business -- well, he's in violation of the United States Marine Corps Code of Justice by making these kind of outrageous political and partisan statements."

Morgan goes on to claim that that code says military reservists cannot engage in politics. This will come as something of a surprise to active reservist Lindsey Graham and active reservist Stephen Buyer. Though, like Jon Soltz, they are in the reserves, they seem to be engaged in some politics. Reservist Graham is the Republican senator from South Carolina, and reservist Buyer is the Republican congressman from Indiana.

And according to Melanie Morgan, they'd both better quit their offices before the reserves find out they're breaking the law. A law, of course, that exists only in the empty head of Melanie Morgan, today's "Worst Person in the World."

—M.G.