Keith Olbermann is working overtime to have people believe that WaPo’s Dana Milbank, a longtime contributor to his MSNBC program, was forced off the network as a result of pressure from Olbermann over a piece Milbank wrote last week satirizing Sen. Barack Obama’s presidential presumptions.

Not so, says Milbank. “I started contract talks with CNN on July 7,” Milbank told Big Head DC this afternoon. “It has nothing to do with last week’s column. I like Keith, and I’m sorry he’s angry about my departure.”

Milbank began appearing on CNN last night on Campbell Brown’s program — the network’s competitor to Olbermann.

“Keith, working ever harder to court his liberal fan base, obviously wants people to believe he was directly involved in Dana’s exit,” a cable TV honcho not affiliated with CNN or MSNBC told BHDC. “The truth is simply that Dana got a much better offer. And Olbermann decided to spin it his way.”

................................................................................................................................................................................................
comments (19) | digg this | reddit | facebook | del.icio.us | stumble | permalink

Did Keith Olbermann, MSNBC’s chief political anchor, step over the line in criticizing Sen. Hillary Clinton’s response to the Geraldine Ferraro controversy?

And do you believe his claim that he wasn’t implicitly endorsing Sen. Barack Obama?

................................................................................................................................................................................................
comments (30) | digg this | reddit | facebook | del.icio.us | stumble | permalink

So, conservative talker Tucker Carlson has been fired from his 6 p.m. MSNBC show, Tucker. Instead of trying to find a new host with the same name, we hear the network is leaning heavily toward Rachel Maddow, the liberal lesbian who Keith Olbermann desperately wants made into a nationwide star. Maddow has long been a provocative radio gab girl and has had some major success as a guest during MSNBC political panels — chiefly, telling Chris Matthews to his big, yellow face that he’s a sexist. Upon which, his leg got this sort of funny feeling running all up and down. And then he had a stiff drink (allegedly!).

P.S. Now we know why Carlson was so mad at the media on Friday.

................................................................................................................................................................................................
comments (21) | digg this | reddit | facebook | del.icio.us | stumble | permalink

In his “worst person in the world” segment tonight, Keith Olbermann suggested that FOX News Channel underwrites what he called “anonymous slander blogs” to, presumably, bash former FOX talent. Olbermann’s musings came after he referenced the situation of Eric Burns, a news personality who was recently fired by the FOX network.

................................................................................................................................................................................................
comments (2) | digg this | reddit | facebook | del.icio.us | stumble | permalink

Keith Olbermann began writing for the liberal Web site Daily Kos as of yesterday, while continuing his duties moderating presidential debates and anchoring MSNBC election coverage alongside Brian Williams. We’re not trying to be partisan here, but isn’t this all a bit confusing? Liberals frequently complain about FOX News blurring the lines between news and punditry all the time, so doesn’t Olbermann deserve some renewed scrutiny? 

................................................................................................................................................................................................
comments (1) | digg this | reddit | facebook | del.icio.us | stumble | permalink

David Shuster visibly upset. It’s pandemonium!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

................................................................................................................................................................................................
comment | digg this | reddit | facebook | del.icio.us | stumble | permalink

Last night on The Simpsons, Marge dreamt that Keith Olbermann, guest-voicing as himself, labeled her “the worst person in the world” for fast-forwarding through television commercials. Unlike Bill O’Reilly, who regularly receives that dishonor on Olbermann’s program, Marge tried her best to make restitution by watching hours of advertisements.

We can only guess this development means that MSNBC does have some sway over at FOX.

................................................................................................................................................................................................
comments (1) | digg this | reddit | facebook | del.icio.us | stumble | permalink

When MSNBC attempted a few years back to be a liberal alternative to FOX News, putting Phil Donahue on the air, along with several other liberal pundits, bosses at the network were nervous. President Bush’s approval ratings were high, 9/11 was still fresh on everyone’s mind, and conservative TV talk, led by Bill O’Reilly, seemed to be the key to ratings gold.

Not surprisingly, the experiment fizzled after a short time; Donahue was dumped, and MSNBC went on to try to re-brand itself once again.

But now, as the country’s overall attitude has seemingly shifted, so, too, have the attitudes of a new set of bosses. Keith Olbermann, with his nightly commentaries belittling the sins of the White House, has gotten tons of attention. Ditto on Chris Matthews, whose biggest ratings as of late came after he belittled Dick Cheney during a recent book party. The network has swung so far to the left that the cable’s logo has literally turned green, as various hosts promote a “Green Is Universal” theme through the week via special reports on climate change and environmental issues.

“It happened naturally,” Phil Griffin, a senior vice president of NBC News who is the executive in charge of MSNBC, tells the NY Times. “There isn’t a dogma we’re putting through. There is a ‘Go for it.’”

And, now, comes word that Rosie O’Donnell may join MSNBC. If she can come to terms on a deal with the net, she will likely host the 9 p.m. slot each weeknight, which will put her up against CNN’s Larry King and FOX’s Sean Hannity.

Oh, what fun it would be to see Rosie’s antics every night with Olbermann as a lead-in. The duo couldn’t be more different than O’Reilly and Hannity. And, with Olbermann already pushing O’Reilly’s buttons on a nightly basis, the ensuing cable wars would surely heat up even more. And you thought Rosie versus Elizabeth Hasselbeck on The View was a scorcher!

But maybe we’re a little biased ourselves here. After all, we love a good fight.

................................................................................................................................................................................................
comments (4) | digg this | reddit | facebook | del.icio.us | stumble | permalink

Broadcasting & Cable is reporting that MSNBC talker Keith Olbermann will apologize on-air tonight for sharp words he directed at Rudy Giuliani based on his mishearing of a Giuliani quote from a campaign speech.

The probem centers on Tuesday night’s Countdown when Olbermann said Giuliani “accuse[d] the Democrats of coddling [Osama] bin-Laden and [Iranian President Mahmoud] Ahmadinejad a year before the election, and Giuliani is already publicly contending that the Democrats are willing to invite Osama bin-Laden to the White House to negotiate. Sure they are, buster.”

Olbermann next played a clip of Giuliani mocking Democratic candidates Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama for saying that they would invite Ahmadinejad and [Syrian president Bashar al-Assad] to the White House.

But, as B&C reports, “Olbermann heard ‘Assad’ as ‘Osama’ and attacked Giuliani for either lying or engaging in hyperbole for suggesting that the Democrats would invite a terrorist to the White House.”

Earlier: Brian Williams Proves to Be Big Debate Asset

................................................................................................................................................................................................
comments (3) | digg this | reddit | facebook | del.icio.us | stumble | permalink