Tensions at MSNBC bubbled to the surface during the Democratic Convention as the network’s anchors and correspondents argued angrily on the air.
On Tuesday afternoon, “Morning Joe” host Joe Scarborough, a former Republican congressman, accused correspondent David Shuster of taking a “cheap shot” at him by mentioning his party affiliation.
Scarborough sniped sarcastically: “I feel so comforted by the fact that you’re an independent. I bet everyone at MSNBC has ‘independent’ on their voting cards.”
Then on Tuesday night, “Hardball” host Chris Matthews shouted at a producer who tried to cut him off: “I’ll wrap in a second!”
He proceeded to argue with “Countdown” host Keith Olbermann about who was talking out of turn, The Wall Street Journal reported. Matthews took offense as Olbermann made a flapping-lips hand gesture — while House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer sat on-screen waiting to be interviewed.
MSNBC and NBC have come under fire from top-rated evening talk show host Bill O’Reilly for what he sees as the networks’ heavy bias in favor of Democrat Barack Obama.
O’Reilly wrote in his most recent column: “With much of the nation sampling TV coverage of the Democratic Convention, things are getting a bit dicey for NBC News. For months, that organization has tilted heavily toward promoting Barack Obama for president, thereby violating journalistic tenets.
“According to a recent study by the Media Research Center, NBC News has the most lopsided pro-Obama coverage among national TV news operations. The MRC found that pro-Obama reports outnumber anti-Obama reports by 10 to one on NBC News, an amazing statistic.”
O’Reilly earlier this year lashed out at Jeffrey Immelt, CEO of NBC’s parent company General Electric, calling him a “pinhead” and a “despicable human being.”
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