EW YORK - <span id="lw_1220903150_0">MSNBC</span> is replacing <span id="lw_1220903150_1">Keith Olbermann</span> and <span id="lw_1220903150_2">Chris Matthews</span> as co-anchors of political night coverage with <span id="lw_1220903150_3">David Gregory</span>, and will use the two newsmen as commentators. <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td align="center"><span>ADVERTISEMENT
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The change reflects tensions between the freewheeling, opinionated MSNBC and the impartial newsgatherers at <span id="lw_1220903150_4">NBC News</span>. Throughout the primaries and summer, MSNBC argued that Olbermann and Matthews could serve as dispassionate anchors on political news nights and that viewers would accept them in that role, but things fell apart during the conventions.

Gregory, the veteran Washington hand, will anchor MSNBC's coverage of the presidential and <span id="lw_1220903150_5">vice presidential debates</span> and election night, network spokesman Jeremy Gaines said Sunday. The change was first reported by <span id="lw_1220903150_6">The New York Times</span>.

The tipping point appears to have come during the <span id="lw_1220903150_7">GOP convention</span> when Olbermann criticized MSNBC for showing a <span id="lw_1220903150_8">Sept. 11</span>-themed video prepared by the Republicans.

MSNBC executives, who had publicly defended their anchors' roles while privately monitoring them throughout the political season, made the change over the weekend after discussions with Olbermann. Despite the controversy around him, Olbermann has been a hero with left-leaning viewers and keyed MSNBC's growth among coveted young viewers.

During her acceptance speech last week, Republican vice presidential candidate <span id="lw_1220903150_9">Sarah Palin</span> talked about the "Washington elite" not accepting her qualifications for the job. Some delegates on the convention floor began chanting, "N-B-C, N-B-C."

Olbermann began to have difficulty keeping his opinions in check, or simply stopped trying.

He sarcastically dismissed <span id="lw_1220903150_10">GOP pundit Pat Buchanan</span> on the air after Buchanan said the Republicans had been enlivened by the entrance of a conservative Republican.

"Those reading US Weekly with the picture of her and her youngest daughter with the word `scandal' written across it won't be so happy," Olbermann said.

He expressed little sympathy at another point when GOP anger at rumors over the Internet about Palin were being discussed.

"We'll see if people feel sorry for unfounded rumors on the Internet," he said. "If that's the case, <span id="lw_1220903150_11">Senator Obama</span>'s probably standing up and cheering and waiting for people to feel sorry for him."

Perhaps most embarrassing, <span id="lw_1220903150_12">Joe Scarborough</span> was discussing positive developments in John McCain's campaign at one point when Olbermann was heard on an offstage microphone saying: "Jesus, Joe, why don't you get a shovel?"

Scarborough, a former Republican congressman and host of MSNBC's "<span id="lw_1220903150_13">Morning Joe</span>," got in another nasty on-air exchange with MSNBC reporter <span id="lw_1220903150_14">David Shuster</span>, and Matthews snapped at Olbermann on-air when it appeared Olbermann was criticizing him for talking too much.

All the drama made MSNBC a punch line when top <span id="lw_1220903150_15">NBC anchor Brian Williams</span> appeared on Comedy Central's "<span id="lw_1220903150_16">The Daily Show</span>" last week. "Is there no control?" host <span id="lw_1220903150_17">Jon Stewart</span> asked him. "`Is it `Lord of the Flies?'"

A sheepish Williams said that every family has a dynamic of its own.

"But does MSNBC have to be the Lohans?" Stewart said.

Olbermann was in Denver during the Democratic national convention, but performed his co-hosting duties for the <span id="lw_1220903150_18">GOP convention</span> in a New York studio. <span id="lw_1220903150_19">NBC President Steve Capus</span> said the decision was not political, that Olbermann had been sent back to anchor coverage of Hurricane Gustav.

MSNBC's decision comes just before Olbermann's "Countdown" show is set to air, on Monday, his interview with <span id="lw_1220903150_20">Barack Obama</span>. That will put Olbermann in direct competition with his nemesis, Fox News Channel's Bill O'Reilly, who interviewed Obama last week and is airing a portion of it Monday in the same 8 p.m. EDT time slot.

Olbermann is worse than oreilly, and that's saying something.

lol at fox news

 

Originally Posted by Randers

lol at fox news

What does Fox News have to do with the article?

 

Originally Posted by brianyut

Olbermann is worse than oreilly, and that's saying something.

Meh. Apples and oranges. Olbermann is honest about his partisanship. He readily admits that he wants Republicans to lose. O'Reilly pretends that he's "impartial" and an "independent". It's probably more accurate to compare Olbermann with Sean Hannity, who is also honest about his partisanship, than O'Reilly.

That being said, it probably doesn't make sense for Olbermann to be anchoring the RNC or election night coverage. But Brit Hume does it for Fox, and he's not partial either.

This is much ado about nothing. MSNBC has deliberately targeted young liberals with their "news" channel. Fox targets conervatives. CNN is schizophrenic. Anyone who relies on any of them as their sole source of information will not be well served. Use the remote, or better yet, turn off the TV and use Google News.

olberman v.s reilly in the ratings is like the Irvine Angels vs the new york yankees. Did I mention they are 10 yearolds?

O'Reilly annoys the shit out of me, and I am a republican. All he ever wants are his guests to agree with his talking points. His head is so big these days. It is only a matter of time before it explods on air. Listening to him whine every fucking day for the past few months because Obama had not gone on to see the great Bill O'reilly was driving me nuts. Now every guest for the next week will come on and tell him how great his Obama interview was.

 

Originally Posted by dpottz

 

Originally Posted by Bob Futon

 

Originally Posted by Pghfan987

Jon Stewart = pure gold

Stewart's still funny and better than most out there but that show was way funnier 2000-2003. The writing was far more balanced then. They still take shots at both sides but the audience is like a Ward Churchill pom-pom brigade.

i think if a democratic president had a 33% approval rating, they'd be ripping on their party, too

Meh, the Democratic Congress has a lower approval rating than the POTUS. I am a conservative and don't agree with the liberal slant of the Daily Show, but it makes me LOL, so I watch it.