Shuster: Suspended!

A note from NBC News President Steve Capus: On Thursday's "Tucker" on MSNBC, David Shuster, who was serving as guest-host of the program, made a comment about Chelsea Clinton and the Clinton campaign that was irresponsible and inappropriate. Shuster, who apologized this morning on MSNBC and will again this evening, has been suspended from appearing on all NBC News broadcasts, other than to make his apology. He has also extended an apology to the Clinton family. NBC News takes these matters seriously, and offers our sincere regrets to the Clintons for the remarks. Thought: Isn't this kind of what happens/the risk you take (and what will continue to happen) when you put "straight reporters" on shows like "Morning Joe" where your personality, wit, humor and spontaneity are what makes it work? (To wit: What "made" Mika Brzezinski? When she broke out of her "straight reporter" mode and ripped up a story about Paris Hilton. How brave! How spontaneous!) True, Shuster made his comment on "Tucker" and not "Morning Joe" but in his current role on MSNBC (part reporter, part pundit, part casual talk show host), it could have happened on either show. A tipster writes in: This Shuster thing is absurd! 1) David is the farthest thing from a sexist in the world. 2) The phrase "pimping out" clearly means something else to our generation. It means using, not prostitution. And the Clintons are clearly using Chelsea when they want to, but keeping her from the press. 3) MSNBC is utterly spineless. Sure, he said something a dumb. But I have never seen a network so quick to throw its own people under the bus. God forbid an MSNBC reporter get subpoenaed. 4) The Clintons are still clearly po'd at Matthews and just want some sympathy. Howard Wolfson should know better than to stir this stuff up on a conference call with reporters. Please. An udder: If you're going to post "tipster" comments about MSNBC, how about this: MSNBC is overwhelmingly biased toward Barack Obama. No honest viewer can watch that network and come away with any other conclusion. They continually show Clinton in the worst of lights, and prop up Obama in a very cheerleading fashion. This happens on both the commentary side with Matthews (which is legitimate, of course), but also the newswheel portion of the daypart. It's pathetic that a network could be so in the tank for one particular candidate. This isn't even debatable. If I were Senator Clinton's campaign, I'd be telling Capus to cut the crap with the one-sided coverage and actually do journalism. What a concept. And an udder (although we're editing some of this to make it PC): This is not the first time he's made outrageous statements like this. In 2004, he said that people who voted for Bush also favored stoning gay people, and in 2006 he said "I am convinced Karl Rove will be indicted" in the Valerie Plame case, which of course was completely wrong. It's good to see this [DELETED] finally getting what he deserves. And now we're done.

Fishbowl

Shuster: Suspended!

Patrick

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