On Wednesday, NewsBusters asked: Is the hatred [Keith] Olbermann has been spewing on virtually a nightly basis beginning to take its toll on his fellow on air personalities presaging a looming uncivil war at MSNBC?
Hours later, Politico reported (emphasis added throughout):
Amid a spate of awkward on-air conflicts among MNSBC anchors at this week’s Democratic convention, some staff members say there are sharp internal disputes at the cable network over whether its opinion and personality-driven political coverage has crossed the line.
“The situation at our channel is about to blow up,” a high-ranking MSNBC journalist told Politico on Wednesday.
Michael Calderone's piece continued:
Two other MSNBC sources said some of the testy on-air exchanges between Keith Olbermann — whose quick-witted and often caustic commentary has fueled ratings growth — and other network personalities were a public glimpse of much more intense behind-the-scenes turmoil.
On Wednesday, NewsBusters also asked:
Is this all a function of the extraordinary hatred that comes out of Olbermann's mouth on a regular basis -- oftentimes emulated by people like Shuster as well as Dan Abrams and Rachel Maddow -- beginning to anger folks within MSNBC such as Matthews and Scarborough?
We reported -- as did Politico. You decide.




















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Buttered
August 27, 2008 - 21:40 ET byor Cheese popcorn?
"You can not support the Troops if you do not support their Mission"
Buttered
August 27, 2008 - 22:09 ET by well99The show isnt the Dem convention it is MSNBC and their comedy act.WhoopWhoopWhoop.NyukNyukNyuk.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bit9YxtTamY
If true, MSNBC is going to
August 27, 2008 - 21:45 ET by motherbeltthe extraordinary hatred that comes out of Olbermann's mouth on a
regular basis -- oftentimes emulated by people like Shuster as well as
Dan Abrams and Rachel Maddow -
If it's true that this is causing turmoil, MSNBC is going to have to make a decision: to be a news network (with of course some commentary shows) or have everyone competing to see who can be the nastiest, and become the Jerry Springer Network of Cable News.
mb...
August 27, 2008 - 21:46 ET by Clear thinkerActually, adding a dancing pole to Olbey's set would bring him better ratings.
Making Fun of AGW http://giovanniworld.wordpress.com/
45 Communist Goals for America http://www.nationmakers.com/com_goal
Already Springerish
August 27, 2008 - 21:55 ET by sawing battaWhen the National Enquirer is more accurate and straightforward than your Network, you've got to believe you've jumped the shark to Springerville.
Nice work, Keith. You, Rachel, Shuster and others have drained the brand of respect.
tick tock
August 27, 2008 - 21:44 ET by sawing battasomeone give them more rope....
Idiots
August 27, 2008 - 22:04 ET by Emma GrumpUbermann hasn't been right since they took the bolts out of his neck, and Mathews is an excellent example of why cousins shouldn't marry...
Those that live by the
August 27, 2008 - 22:01 ET by MidAmericaThose that live by the sword shall die by the sword.
MS-NBC = Super-sized version of The View
August 27, 2008 - 22:02 ET by krendlerBunch of partisan, air-headed egomaniacs. Matthews has come completely unraveled in recent years. Olbermann is an abomination. NBC should be embarrassed to have that guy even working in their building. He's the intellectual equivalent of a Jerry Springer or Morton Downey Jr. Always has a teleprompter nearby and anyone with an opposing point of view is kept at least 300 feet away.
Fox may have it's biases, but at least their on-air people are able to think on their feet, frequently inviting guests on with radically different viewpoints. And they act professionally and treat one another with respect.
It'll be a joy watching these clowns at MS-NBC come increasingly unglued as their Savior sinks farther and farther in the polls. I hope Scarborough continues to egg them on.
Ya know, I'm wondering if
August 27, 2008 - 22:07 ET by RESTLESS 1Ya know, I'm wondering if 'ol morning Joe isn't angling for a job at Fox himself. He seems to be wearing out his welcome at MSNBC of late.
Of course, I would probably be trying to get out of there too, so I can't blame him if he is.
"This
liberal would be all about socialize -- uh, uh, would be about
basically taking over and the government running all of your companies."-Maxine Waters 2008
Pat's got a ringside seat
August 27, 2008 - 22:02 ET by Bob McI wonder what Buchanan think's about all this? He must be LHAO!
Think he is Politico's source?
Another suspect
August 28, 2008 - 04:32 ET by sarcasmoI think it's Joe instead (but with very minimal thinking we can narrow it down to those 2 and perhaps Tucker Carlson -- if they even still let him hang around the set following his Ron Paul coverage sins, which despite the conspiracy theories regarding Olberloon's alleged hiring/firing powers are what actually got Tucker canned IMO). Pat's a pundit and Tucker's a Luke Russert style journalist's kid, and they simply don't leak as much as former politicians who've actually gotten elected like Joe tend to leak, IMO.
JMR
The tax & spend drug war looks racist in the real world.
<Rubbing hands
August 27, 2008 - 22:05 ET by seanrobins<Rubbing hands together gleefully - glint in eye - giggling inexplicably>
sean robins
blog.seanrobins.com
Olbermann,
August 27, 2008 - 22:09 ET by RESTLESS 1Proof that any idiot can be successful in this great country.
"This
liberal would be all about socialize -- uh, uh, would be about
basically taking over and the government running all of your companies."-Maxine Waters 2008
What makes me sick...
August 27, 2008 - 22:12 ET by unkeeafThese MSNBC types try to hide behind the banner of hard news objectivity (Olby, Mathews, Shuster, Maddow) while the folks who do the same at Fox News are out in the open as partisans (Hannity, O'Reilly, etc.).
That's what really makes the positioning of MSNBC so disgusting. It's a lie.
MSM = PR firm for the Democrat Party
“The situation at our
August 27, 2008 - 23:04 ET by jdhawk“The situation at our channel is about to blow up,”
Ok, after the complete shock of the above wears off (oh, sure, I am serious, yeah), let me see a show of hands of those that give a crap?
What? No one . . .
Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?
August 28, 2008 - 07:13 ET by motherbeltAnyone? Anyone? Bueller?
What a car wreck
August 27, 2008 - 23:21 ET by KC MulvilleThis is hilarious. Egos Gone Wild.
I suspected things were cracking there.
August 28, 2008 - 01:36 ET by Jersey DaveI suspected that things were cracking at MSNBC when Chris Jansing bailed. She's an old school reporter and anchor in the Joe Friday mold, all business, straight up, one of the best news pros they had there for many years. She went to a nice West Coast place I think, but for years she was the go to person in the morning anchor spot, one of their best reporters in the 2000 Florida uproar and in the 2004 campaign, as well as after Sept. 11, 2001. She also hosted a very nice show they had called "The Ethical Edge." I kind of miss that one myself.
She's guested a couple times but left MSNBC a while back and I suspected that something was up, the more straight up newsies can't be too fond of some of the "mission creep" of the opinion folks now pushing so hard one way and into the coverage of what is often covered as straight news traditionally.
Tom Brokaw basically not giving a rip about Olbermann is another thing. Brokaw has no worries on legacy or chops from these pikers so why they are after him is a mystery, they would seem to have a lot more to lose in trying to go after him than they would gain, especially as he is semi retired now.
The mornings were the only time I really watched that channel, it was like day and night, literally, between their fine news crews and the over laden and over lefty comment team. It seems the news crews are being further marginalized.
Dare I say it but the Fox folks have more of an understanding of when to do news and when to do commentary.
As for Ms. Jansing she's just the best. NBC proper could do worse than to go with her on NBC Network News casts or stuff like Today. Her pulling the rip cord at MSNBC after all those years had me wondering, it looks like the recent stuff coming out now is confirming it. I knew Keith O. was in "Van Down By The River" mode for a while now but if he really was going after Russert's job before he passed, wow, talk about greedy, and talk about deluded. If he is the big mover there now at that network they are in deep trouble, I do not believe that this will end well for anyone at that network in that case. He's believing his own mania and that is never a good thing.
This is a text book case of egos over business sense
August 28, 2008 - 07:08 ET by c5thenThis is exactly what happens when the egomaniacs are allowed to run the show. There is no attempt at ballance or humility or objectivity or ny of the normal controls that a reasonable person woul expect. It's basically "The Daily KOS" as a cable network.
All hate, all the time. For over a year now I have resused to watch it. MSNBC is blocked.
The day that "politician" became a career choice is the day we started losing the Republic. Let's get it back! Alan Keyes '08.
Sick
August 28, 2008 - 10:31 ET by cvgbuckeyeI don't approve of this sick joke and I am only repeating it in an evidencial spirit, so here goes:
This is 3rd party heresay but an old college friend recieved an email from Chris Matthews that contained the following joke that Olbermann apparantly got wind of that Matthews was circulating:
What is black and blue all over and hates sex? The young boy tied up in Olbermanns closet!