MSNBC Drama Pervades Convention Coverage: Olbermann vs. Matthews For Round 3

***UPDATE: Round 4 and more***

Round 3 of MSNBC infighting came Tuesday night during coverage anchored by Chris Matthews and Keith Olbermann. After Joe Scarborough squabbled with Olbermann and Matthews — and then with David Shuster — this time it was the two anchors who revealed the tension within the MSNBC camp.

Discussing Hillary Clinton's upcoming speech, Matthews began talking about women 's reactions to Hillary. His producers, likely wary of any more cries of sexism against the host and the network, presumably tried to get him to wrap, as he said, "I'll wrap in a second, I'll wrap in a second."

Olbermann then tried to attribute Matthews' point about women voters to Rachel Maddow, to which Matthews said, "Good ideas can be shared."

Then, when introducing Steny Hoyer, Olbermann mocked Matthews for "[going] off at the mouth" and made a hand gesture implying that Matthews talked forever.

"You make that sound, Keith," Matthews said. "I can do the same to you. That's what I thought. And I said it."

Watch:

In other MSNBC-related tension, Page Six reports that Keith Olbermann is trying to ban Tom Brokaw from the network over claims he's made about the fine line Olbermann and Matthews walk as anchor-commentators:

Insiders say Olbermann is pushing to have Brokaw banned from the network and is also refusing to have centrist Time magazine columnist Mike Murphy on his show.

"The idea of anyone trying to ban Tom Brokaw is ludicrous," said one MSNBC-er. Brokaw was on MSNBC for an hour yesterday afternoon. Murphy, who was bumped from Olbermann's show on Monday night, told us, "They told me technical problems and I have no reason not to believe them."

Mike Murphy was also not on Tuesday night, saying Wednesday morning he watched Hillary's speech from a bar.

Comments

[jerseymaiden]

Tom Brokaw never even got excited on 9/11, watching the towers burn and fall! The guy thinks "objective" means "automaton-like." Liberals, democrats, middle-of-the-roaders, basically anyone who doesn't agree with the right wing fundamentalist christian agenda is under attack. I am not going to stand there and be calm when brownshirts are trying to destroy me. Neither is Olbermann, and increasingly, to his credit, neither is Matthews.

The media now is just a big polluted river of conservative propaganda. These guys speak for MY people!!

[merle7]

WELL IF KEITH GOES SO DOES THIS VIEWER. IT WAS VERY REFRESHING TO HEAR THE TRUTH FROM KEITH ,BUT I GUESS THE GOP WANTS IT SURPRESSED LIKE EVEY THING ELSE. I SMELL A RIGHT WING CONSPIRACY, IN THE WORDS OF MY FRIEND HILLARY!!!!!

[123dee]

Please, give all these passionate over worked people a break. Please be reminded, they
are still in mourning for Tim Russert. I miss Tim so much, his smiling face, his opinions,
and I especially enjoyed watching the admiration and respect he received from his colleagues.

I watch MSNBC because everyone is so passionate, so real, a wonderful intelligent and
knowledgeable cast of characters.

[5dancingisraelis]

The people at NBC (and you know who you are, Dan Abrams couldn't cut it and neither could Tucker) are so afraid of the power and the following Keith Olbermann has acquired because of his show, that I'll bet they are ready to pay him his money from his contract and let him go. I WILL NOT watch Tom Brokaw because he is old and boring and needs to retire and I am no spring chicken myself (56). But Keith Olbermann has vitality and passion that T.B. couldn't get if injected with steroids and did a line of coke before he got on the air. And by the way, Brokaw's book and special on the sixties sucked because he completely missed the point of the movement. It was great while it lasted Keith. I would actually watch your show twice each night. I am sorry. The voice of the people, silenced again.

[rshrink]

I think they were all working long hours, so give them some space for losing it after awhile. That business is so filled with pressure. Olbermann has had the courage to speak the truth to Bush, Cheney and the idiots at Fox. You have to know they will come after you, but he was willing to deal with them. I think he deserves our support. The loss of Russert probably gets all of them to thinking about the future.

[danton2000]

If the American people need to turn to the likes of Keith Olbermann to be told the truth the hole we are in just keeps getting deeper. I was glad the left had a counter to Fox in him...For about a week!
He is Bill O's evil twin. That why he can't stop razzing him. I am sad to see the American people subjected to this tabloid journalism masquerading as the real thing. It's for people that can't decide to read People magazine or Us weekly.

[MeLuvHillary]

I used to like Keith, but his become such a pompous pontificating blowhard. The ego he has grown with his success is out of this world. I used to watch him all the time. Hell, I don't like Bill O, but Olbermann's constant gloating was unprofessional and annoying. Lately, he seems to go out of his way to humiliate his coworkers or anyone who disagree with him. He's become petulant child with a loudmouth, demanding everything his way and trys eviserate or mock anyone who disagrees with him. Grow up Keith.

[Mustang Sally]

Very well put.

Hubris, Keith, Hubris...

[SensibleAmerican]

MSNBC = MSNetwork of BarackC--ksuck--s ...

[Carolab]

Well, if he IS a "pompous pontificating blowhard" I'm glad because we NEED one on OUR side to counter O'Reilly, Hannity, Scarborough and their ilk!

[MeLuvHillary]

With all do respect, I want someone better than their ilk.

[MM5]

HuffPo seems to be going after Olbermann in a big way...seems to be running several stories a day suggesting that he is pushy and controlling. What is the idea? I like him - who else to counter all the big mouths from the right???

[hoopesaz]

I think that's the problem. The best counter to the big mouths on the right is NOT to introduce a big mouth on the left. The left loses credibility (just like the right does) when it's key mouthpiece is a biased loud-mouth who only acknowledges one side of the debate.

MSNBC needs to lose Keith. The left defeats the right when they stick to true journalism...when they unashamedly pursue the facts. Anything else should be left to Huffpo and the blogs...they more than counteract the right blowhards.

[democratforever1988]

you sir are an idiot!

[clearthinker2008]

Yes, it is. Nothing else has worked.

[grundycenterboy]

i very much beg to differ. olbermann does his homework. olbermann doesn't feel compelled to be funny, for good reason: this is serious stuff.

there is no more hateful, vitriolic, venom-spewing person behind a microphone than rush limbaugh. and the fact he is heard on hundreds of stations DAILY is precisely why america desperately needs the likes of keith olbermann.

and when you think about FOX's status as the semi-official mouthpiece of the republican party, i, for one, can't help but feel america could benefit from another 5 or 6 keith olbermanns.

(however, i do wish his vocabulary wasn't so damn over-the-top.)

just 2¢.

[ihateolbermann]

I am a democrat who is for Obama, but I really dislike Olbermann. And if he thinks for one minute that he is fit to wear the shoes of Tom Brokaw or even be anywhere near that man's league he is sadly mistaken. He is a cocky arrogant jerk who seems to be having his way right now, but hopefully it won't last. When I was in college I was taught that a true journalist should be objective and try to remain neutral when reporting. It's a sad state of affairs when a jounalist decides who can speak and who can't . Even if you think the person is an idiot, isn't that what free press is about??

[319]

Matthews was livid. How dare anyone insinuate that he does not have original ideas. Jealousy rears its hiddeous head. However, KO did use the term "us" not the singular he, as in Matthews. What a hothead Matthews was.

[aubrey8]

Come on Olbermann go the whole 9 yards and ban Matthews too...

[MargaretO]

Matthews was off-kilter in his ragging at KO with the mocking bit. KO say "us" when he made the gesture. Personally, I think Matthews is still not feeling well since his recent illness. He isn't looking very well, either.

Mike Murphy a centrist. Say what? At least he is a fairly decent Republican pundit when he speaks. I can usually tolerate him. Unlike Joe Scarborough and Pat Buchanan nutjobs.

[hoopesaz]

He said "us", but referring to a piece where only Chris was speaking. Doesn't take a college grad to understand what he was saying. And you have no idea what is going on behind the scenes.

[leahlea]

I have never liked olbermann very much. I don't think Matthews should ever be matched up with him. He appears to me to be disrespectful and not at all tolerant of anyone who may have differing ideas or views contrary to his. Chris Matthews has always seemed to me to want to get at the truth.

[lizr]

Chris Matthews has no respect for anyone and runs off at the mouth constantly. He talks over all his guest, very rude.

[Chuckbutcher]

Who wrote this "centrist Time magazine columnist Mike Murphy on his show," crock into a HuffPo story? If I should expect an accurate description of Murphy anywhere it ought to be HuffPo, instead I read a Reichwinger wet-dream description presented as straight up reporting.

Sourcing counts when estimating the reliability of a story and Page 6 is about as credible as George W Bush. The effect of misrepresenting Murphy's credentials and agenda is to make Olberman appear as a prima dona jealously barring a competitor. Murphy is factually challenged shill for the Republican Party, he is in no way an analyst, as little as I care for Pat Buchanan's politics he does actually analyze political situations. This is pretty subpar stuff.

[heyjoe]

I love Keith O, Love Eugene, Love Rachel and sometimes Matthews. I JUST CANNOT STAND BROKOW. He is an absolute idiot. Take him off, please.

[jaycasey]

What's wrong with Brokaw? I think he's a great journalist.

I don't know what's going on at MSNBC but the anchor/commenters better grow up and act professionally or they are going to lose their gains on Fox. Watching their bickering made me embarrassed for them.

[lizr]

Brokaw used to be great, but now he is just a raw partisan, though he manages to appear otherwise.