Olbermann Whacks MSNBC For Liz Cheney Exposure (Without Naming MSNBC)
Since we’re on the topic of all the airtime MSNBC grants to Liz Cheney to act as her pop’s defense attorney and chief flak, it’s worth noting that the network’s own Keith Olbermann is also lampooning the constant platform granted to Ms. Cheney on the networks.
From Olbermann’s Worst Person In The World segment last night (via Nexis):
The bronze to Congressman Lamar Smith of Texas, unveiling his new media fairness circus. I`m sorry, media fairness caucus. A dozen Republican Congressmen, he said, will now point out unfair stories, meet with members of the media, and write op-eds and letters to the editor, because, quote, “the greatest threat to America is not necessarily a recession or even another terrorist attack. The greatest threat to America is a liberal media bias.”
First off, if we really were running a liberal media, who in the world would be dumb enough to book Liz Cheney on every show except “Wheel of Fortune?”
The answer to that question, of course, is Olbermann’s own network, though Olbermann clearly wasn’t singling out MSNBC and was referring to all the culpable networks. Last night, MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow also noted this phenomenon without singling out MSNBC.
A side note: In the blogosphere, the convention is that writers are often allowed to take issue publicly with their bosses and/or the institutions they work for. If the Olbermann-Maddow wing of MSNBC is the kind of on-air version of the liberal blogosphere, it’s interesting that this convention hasn’t quite spread to those precincts, though it probably will soon enough.
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Update: I should probably clarify that the comparison between the blogs and the nets isn’t really a good one. Some blogospheric overlords don’t mind if their employees disagree with them publicly from time to time, but that’s a far cry from on-air types criticizing their network bosses’ decisions, which probably won’t happen anytime soon…
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Any polling on Liz Cheney out there? She must be having a significant impact based on the Olbermanns and Maddows and Sargents of the world . . .
There is polling, and most of it concludes that Liz Cheney is a steaming pile of ****..
Speaking of KO… Congrats on another TPL mention last night. That’s three in a row for TPL and two out of three for yourself, Greg!
@Jake: Do you have a link to the “steaming pile of **** poll?” Ha ha – just a shout out that you made me laugh.
If you think back to the debacle with Don Imus, KO specifically said that his bosses asked him not to weigh in on it. So i think its safe to say that they aren’t allowed to go after people they work with. Its probably also why Joe Scarborough has never been listed as one of the Worst Persons In The World.
@sbj
Thanks.. lol
@Jake: Let’s have an informal poll: who is the bigger steaming pile of ****? I’ll put up, from the right side, Liz Cheney. Now you have to select one of your own . . . Better yet, Greg can inaugurate a weekly “steaming pile” poll on the newsmakers of the week.
I wonder what sbj would have had to say if Chelsea Clinton would have been going on MSNBC in the middle of the Iraq war saying Bush was making us less safe. I wonder if he would have been applauding her just being a “great guest”.
I watch Morning Joe almost every morning, it’s just more entertaining than CNN and when Joe starts “railing”, like he sometimes does, I just mute him until he gets control over himself again. I sent feedback to the show and just said that while I cannot reconcile why they would give L Cheney so much unchallenged airtime, could they at least start having some of the moderate Rep’s out there to counter her “view” (Crist, Powell, Snowe, Collins, McCain etc.)? There are many moderate Rep’s that have disagreed with both Cheney’s and are looking to get passed the “Bush Years”. It was just a suggestion, but maybe Joe can make it happen.
Jenn D
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What do you mean? Joe Scarborough has a moderate Republican on the show all the time. Harold Ford Jr! LOL
The trouble with Joe: he is busy promoting his book with a daily interview by the usual suspects. He is shameless in this, and his sidekick is a willing accomplice. They showed a party at Joe’s book launching: and there in colour was the gang of enablers whose idea of a serious political discourse is to feature self-servers ad seriatum. This gang interview one another on MSNBC and CNN and it is “All in the Family”.
It is no wonder that they have no time to do original stuff. So Drudge sludge and Politico drivel a la Mike Allen gets them off on their daily gabfest.
Pitiful. The incoherent talking to the ignorant.
They don’t like it that Pres O calls them cable chatterers.
@sgw That is the TRUTH!!!LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Chuck Todd busted Scar for trying to sell his book day after day.
.
http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/200906050004
Yesterday Scarborough had Doris Kearns Goodwin on to discuss his book. She could barely get a word in edgewise. He does go on. And did you know that he’s 6′4″ and has a buncha kiddos? That’s why he needs a big freaking car. Oy gevalt.
@alan…I understand your frustration, but the options at 6am are not vast, as far as “live” tv goes…there’s local stuff, CNN and Faux…so I do opt for MJ, Joe gets on my nevres, but at least he tells you he is Conservative, Mika is the one that gets on my nerves…she is suppose to be the “liberal” but she is constantly re-enforcing Joe’s rants, instead of providing an intellectual counter-point. She is much more frustrating than Joe, to me at least.
Mika is a joke. She’s a scold, and her opinions are usually “mmmmmmm” with a cringe. Then she seconds Joe. I would think that growing up at Zbig’s table, she’d learn how to hold her own. But no.
Define “blogosphere”, Greg. On most blogs, even so-called progressive ones, disagreement with management (especially with regard to Obama) will get you banned.
I believe you had your own problems at TPM due to your defense of Hillary Clinton during last year’s primary. Josh basically shut you up by taking your independent blog away.
Carolyn Kay
MakeThemAccountable.com