Blog focuses on O’Reilly sexual harassment suit

As of Wednesday, fans of MSNBC’s Keith Olbermann had pledged $43,251.67 to a grass-roots “Save the Tapes” campaign to preserve any alleged audio evidence of Fox News host Bill O’Reilly talking lewdly to Fox News producer Andrea Mackris.

Despite the lack of evidence that such tapes actually exist, hundreds of viewers and website readers have offered to donate anywhere from 2 cents to $1,000, Olbermann said. One viewer e-mailed him: “I don’t have a lot of money but I can afford to pledge $10 to save the tapes.” And one offered $1,000 for a share in the copyright.

On his Bloggermann website Saturday, Olbermann, host of the network’s “Countdown” show, offered Mackris $99,000 to pay off reported debts in return for the tapes, the assumed subject of negotiations with O’Reilly to settle a sexual harassment lawsuit. A hearing asking for such tapes to be turned over is scheduled for Friday.

Olbermann said he is 50% serious, motivated to hold offenders accountable for harassment as a result of observing victims at ESPN. “The other 50% is I just like causing trouble.”