Roland Martin's War Of Words With Chicago Sun-Times Columnist Neil Steinberg

Roland Martin, temporarily filling in as host of "No Bias, No Bull" while Campbell Brown is on maternity leave, is profiled by the Washington Post's Howard Kurtz Monday. Kurtz notes that Martin is the first African American primetime cable news host since Alan Keyes' shortlived 2002 MSNBC stint.

In the relatively flattering — if not particularly newsworthy — article, Kurtz quotes Chicago Sun-Times columnist and Martin detractor Neil Steinberg, and gets an juicy back and forth war of words from both parties (on page 2 of the profile):

One who still hasn't taken to Martin, now a commentator on Tom Joyner's radio show, is Chicago Sun-Times columnist Neil Steinberg. They clashed bitterly on Martin's old radio show.

"I see him as a man who can't think, can't talk, and here he is doing both on television," Steinberg says. "I find it mystifying that CNN would take this local laughingstock and inflict him on the rest of the nation."

Martin, who says he "smacked him around" on the radio over a controversial column, calls Steinberg "a media wimp . . . a know-it-all with a penchant for being snotty."

Read the full article here.

Posted by Danny Shea

Comments

[talkitreal]

Roland is fine, sure he is not the most intelligent on the block, and he doesn't always have a quick response, or a follow up question for visiting guests, or the visiting pundits he has on the show, who sometimes are telling outright lies, BUT what I find charming about Roland (sometimes), is when he just calls things like he sees it. Roland, unlike most, doesn't go out of his way to try to spin things, He sees things, and often speaks about them, just like a regular American.

[HallStyle]

Correct! Frankly the show is better off with Roland as the host than with Campbell Brown!

[Gabblog]

I admit I have never heard of Steinberg but my assessment of Roland Martin would be censored from this post. I just don't get it...he is just a another Jackson copy.

[ediva75]

RIGHT ON ROLAND!!

I normally don't watch CNN at 8pm hr but I do like to check in and watch when he is on temporarily while Campbell is on maternity leave.

[destruct1]

"no bias, no bull".....i still find that to be so funny.

[Mister C]

Leave my Boo alone......LOL

[ChiGuy]

Being in Chicago, I am quite familiar with Neil Steinberg'­s.....uh..­..work.

Martin's assessment in the final line above is spot-on.

[vernbvb]

I like Roland Martin because he thinks for himself and you rarely hear him regurgitating something that he read in the papers or heard someone else say. Even if no one else agrees with him, he doesn't waver when he has taken a stand on something. He is fair and respectful of others and that in itself is refreshing.

[noudidnt]

This is true. So many talking heads are simply repeating what they've (and we've) heard before, especially Mark Whathisface, the Washington bureau chief at NBC. Roland has his moments, but over all he is very astute.

[iamnumba1]

Well said. I agree. I'll have to watch his show...but I can't stomach Campbell Brown, she's a flip-flopper.

[Gabblog]

What???? every time I watch the show he is saying and using the same mannerisms as Jackson and Ford...well maybe they are copying him...No more bias or bull here than Campbell & Roland have.

[naijaman]

Wow...handbags!!!

[Kanye East]

Ha! Have always hated RM. Especially when talking about anything to do with the race. Campbell is a lot sexier, too.

[ediva75]

Campbell Brown to me comes off rather wishy washy in her viewpoints since being on CNN. One day I am agreeing with something she says and the next day I am like what the **** on something she says!! I liked her ALOT on Saturday Morning Today Show but from the grapevine I read she left there when she wasn't considered for the replacing Katie Couric spot (now held by Meredith Viera). I like when Martin makes scared folks like Kanye East in his talk about race because it needs to be called out on when it is wrong on all sides.

[noudidnt]

Why does the topic make you uncomfortable? LOL

[Shieldmaiden]

Yeah...don't like him. His homophobia annoys me. I barely watch CNN anyway.

[ebanks84]

Not a Roland Martin fan but I will watch the show to see if he makes a difference. I did not like Campbell Brown at all but I do congratulate her on her new baby. She'll make a wonderful mother I'm sure :)

[The20515]

I like Roland. I enjoyed watching him over the 2008 Election Cycle. His approach on CNN is a nice contrast to the late afternoon/evening CNN lineup.

http://twitter.com/The20515

[iyamchazz]

Too many people still think that a black man on radio or TV,
must either be Amos or Andy. There is a book Franz Fannon
entitled...Black skin, white heart. That for sums up the nature
of Alan Keyes.

[iyamchazz]

Note: There is a book by Franz Fannon & That for me sums up the nature...

[Bankenstein]

That book is probably very informative but there's no need to read it. All one would have to do is watch "The Boondocks" and pay attention to the Uncle Ruckus character.

[robXdion]

There's a lot of Uncle Ruckuses these days. People called me Huey Freeman for a long time and I had no idea what that meant until I watched the show. The comic strip didn't do it justice. McGruder covers a lot of issues, but he leaves out things I don't think he's experienced.

[just4shiggles]

CNN is well on it's way to becoming the new fox "news". That's the last thing this country needs!

[basschakra]

screw CNN. it's all about THE ED SHOW and the PSYCHO TALK segment!!! FINALLY someone callin' the repugs out in their own language...loud and in their face!! GO ED!!!

[obamagal]

Agreed! I thought Psycho Talk was great - and as well, "Obama's Top Ten"! He's sharp.

[iyamchazz]

Big Eddy is good!

[farii]

the ed show is going to be huge.remember i said that.soon he'll be on prime time.

[montecarlo408]

I watched yesterday and I am really impressed. He has c@jones. I like that! He has a faithful viewer in my family.

[iamnumba1]

Ed is cool.