Quote:

---

Nearly five months after signing off from MSNBC, left-wing news personality Keith Olbermann returned to the airwaves Monday with the relaunch of his signature "Countdown" show on Current TV.

While known for generally opposing Republicans and supporting Democrats, Olbermann signaled that both parties would be targets in his "Special Comment," a segment that was also part of his previous show.

"The nation is losing its independence through the malfeasance of one party and the timidity of the other," he said, according to the show's blog.

Still, the early take from the inaugural show suggested it would lean left, as evidenced by one segment labeled "Inside the Republican Cult."

Guests included liberal documentary filmmaker Michael Moore, Daily Kos blogger Markos Moulitsas and John Dean, a former White House counsel to President Richard Nixon and now a conservative critic. Olbermann said he will be a frequent contributor to the show.

He signed a deal weeks later with Current Media, a company founded in 2005 by former Vice President Al Gore and Joel Hyatt. Besides hosting and producing his new prime time nightly news and commentary show, Olbermann is also Current Media's chief news officer and has an equity stake in the company.

---