Tom Brokaw: Chris Matthews, Keith Olbermann Have "Gone Too Far"

Tom Brokaw said Sunday at a panel in Denver that MSNBC hosts Chris Matthews and Keith Olbermann have "gone too far" in their campaign reporting.

At the discussion, sponsored by the Joan Shorenstein Center on Press, Politics, and Public Policy, Brokaw chided his colleagues:

"I think Keith has gone too far. I think Chris has gone too far," the veteran NBC newsman said at a forum sponsored by Harvard's Shorenstein press center. But Brokaw said that they are "commentators" and "not the only voices" on MSNBC and that viewers could sort it out.

In June, Brokaw slammed the press drumbeat for Hillary Clinton's exit from the Democratic primary, calling it "inappropriate" and "commentary disguised as reporting." Also in June, Brokaw scolded Olbermann on air for suggesting that Clinton was attempting to "shoehorn" her way into the press coverage, saying, "I think that's unfair, Keith."

Comments

[MemeMagus]

What a joke Brokaw has become. When he interviewed Obama on Meet the Press he interrupted him several times, even telling Obama to, "get to the point". Does he ride McCain the same way? Of course not. He lets McCain ramble through his non-answers at great length, not once telling him to get to the point. Brokaw is a tool, he has the nerve to tell Matthews and Olberman that they are commenting instead of reporting (they are commentators!) while he unabashedly spews his views. The man should be drummed out of the pres corps.

[transparent]

I saw that "get to the point" comment too and thought it was disrespectful and rude. He's washed up and should be sidelined.

[DasBoot]

I couldn't agree more! And it's a persistent pattern. Brokaw time and again uses Republican talking points when interviewing Democrats like John Kerry and Nancy Pelosi, but never vice versa. I guess there is a chemistry between the two old men Brokaw and McCain the rest of us can't see.

[revue]

Tom Brokaw is/was the problem of the past.

Washed-up prune.

[arlonie]

I think they are doing a good job. Brokaw should retire for good. Give it to the young not the old.
The three of them are the only voices the democrates have. Brokaw has done his so move over and let the three run their own shows. They dont need you for a boss.

[neenj]

Brokaw is still unhappy about being out of his evening news anchor job. IMO, Tom wouldn't know the meaning of word "objective" if it smacked him in the face - him with his constant swooning over McCain.

pleeeeaaassseeee!

[DesertLight]

And you think Matthews and KO are "objective?"

Wait! Don't answer.

[wheresthebeef]

It's like watching the goldfish swimming in circles around the bowl repeating "Hey, nice castle...H­ey, nice castle...H­ey, nice castle." MATTHEWS AND OLBERMANN ARE COMMENTATORS, YOU F*CKING POTATO-HEADED MAROON!!!! COMMENTATORS AREN'T EXPECTED TO BE OBJECTIVE! GET IT? I swear...it­'s like being monitor on the short bus, except without the nifty cap and sash ensemble.

[LoloZ]

Olbermann is one of the only people in the MSM who is telling the truth about McCain. Brokaw is a weenie.

[Yuma]

LoloZ:
Thank you so much!

[DesertLight]

I like watching KO on Meltdown, it gives me a heads up on the talking points here.

[jayburd]

You mean truth, right? Talking points for progressives = truth.

[bedyintelesting]

Your sophomoric reply belongs on Daily Kos, where the average age of the commenters is 15. Tom Brokaw is a respected journalist in a medium filled with bloviating, self-important, attention-seeking hacks.

[NappyRoots100]

I am about tired of Tom Browkaw and his sh*t. When he "scolded" Keith on air I was at home screaming at Brokaw, "She needs to concede! If she wants to campaign in 'a man's world' she needs to learn how to lose gracefully!" It was time for her to go, she had lost but instead of doing that and giving Obama and McCain their time in the sun she decides to hold on for, how many days? And for what?

Further commentators were not saying Hillary should drop out. They made a reasoned argument that she could not win on the delegates so she needed to tell people what her game plan was. When there was no mathmatical path to victory she needed to explain why she was still in the race.

[BiGnBulKY]

dont forget her explanantion for staying in the race......­. basically waiting for some ill-fate to happen for Obama .. That alone took her out of the VP list..... and she had no chance of winning , but continued her campaign and ran up a massive debt......

[bedyintelesting]

You and I were not watching the same MSNBC (there must be 2) because Jonathan Alter, Keith Olbermann, Chris Matthews were ALL employing the same rhetotical, pushpolling FOXNews techniques (well, Alter was just flumoxed and beside himself with Hillary's audacity of sticking it out) by questioning why she would want to stick it out until June. It was unprecendented in tv (credible) television journalism. And Brokaw called them out on-air -- they deserved it. Furthermore, all the division we now see playing out is a direct result of media interference in the primaries.

[NappyRoots100]

Greetings!

I still hold that they were simply asking if she can't win, why is she still in the race? It is not like she just passively went through all the primaries. She was on the attack until the very end, attacks that Republicans are still using right now. So I think it was a legitimate question to ask. What was her end game? 2012?

Conversely, I think that the division we see now is directly due to the support for Clinton that she allowed to harden by prolonging the inevitable -after she lost 11 straight contests. Add to that her and her supporters insistance that somehow this was stolen from her by the sexist media and the Obama machine in the DNC rules committee and it is no wonder hostilities are still visible.

[digitalprince42]

I find Brokaw's constant whining and complaining about how Hilary has been treated by the media to be inappropriate. He's starting to become indistinguishable from Hilary surrogates. Not exactly an ideal candidate to host Meet The Press.

This has become a theme this campaign season chide others for not being fair while you yourself are not being fair.

[DesertLight]

Been saying that all along!

[avalanch112]

What has he gone too far on??? Is it that he has the balls enough to call out McCain on his bull and brokaw doesnt.

[SULL930]

Please, give us all a break! Olbermann is as much a legitimate newsman as Conan O'Brien! The man WAS a LOUSY sportscaster, for God's sake! His claim to fame is coining the phrase "EN FUEGO". This is the man who all of you on the left are looking for for straight talk??? NO WONDER you are going down to defeat again in Nov!

[jayburd]

Hey Skeezix, "En Fuego" was Dan Patrick's catchphrase.

Olbermann's were generally more clever than that like, "premature jockularity" or "he will drool the drool of regret into the pillow of remorse."

[wheresthebeef]

Memo to Self: Add SULL930 to the list of people to whom to send an "I Voted for John McCain and ALL I Got Was This Damned "I Voted For John McCain" T-Shirt" T-shirt. .