Can Olbermann, moderating a debate, be tough on the Democrats? His response to WP's Howard Kurtz

WP: Media Notes
By Howard Kurtz
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, July 23, 2007

Debating Olbermann

In a "special comment" earlier this month, MSNBC's Keith Olbermann called on President Bush to resign for commuting Scooter Libby's prison sentence, saying: "In that moment, Mr. Bush, you became merely the president of a rabid and irresponsible corner of the Republican Party. And this is too important a time, sir, to have a commander in chief who puts party over nation."

Now Olbermann has been picked to moderate a Democratic presidential debate, sponsored by the AFL-CIO, on Aug. 7. Which raises a legitimate question: Can a cable host who regularly bashes Bush be tough on the Democrats?

Olbermann says his work at the debate will resemble his co-anchoring role of past election events: fair. "I agree that the water carriers on the right have a perception problem," he says. "This is a non-issue from all sides . . . .

"I realize the far right understands that the pitchmen it turns to in lieu of newscasters could not be trusted to leave their commentary at home, and treat an actual news event as such, but fortunately I'm a journalist who does periodic commentary, and not a snake-oil salesman pretending to be an analyst or newsman."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/linkset/2005/04/11/LI2005041100587.html?hpid=news-col-blogs (Scroll down.)

If you accuse the media of being liberal, they'll bend over backwards trying to prove they aren't. You can "game the system", that way.

I hope Olbermann ignores this crap, and moderates the debate the way he wants to.

I couldn't agree more that the "water carriers" have a "perception" problem; it's an understatement.

Go, Keith!

I expect he could muster the same sort of impartiality for a debate.

but I also think Olbermann will do a good job and be unbiased and tough where necessary.

class--Kurtz has sleaze.

were OK>...here we go again.................democrats are slurred and slammed while the republicans are raised above the fray...ha ha ha ha ha ha why don't they interrogate matthews as to why he kisses republican ass and smells them all OVER? Now I'd like to know the answer to that one.

... made time for commentary at the end of the ABC, NBC or CBS news program. This, of course started changing at the end of the 60's...

I feel that as long as Olberman divides his time in who is bashed (which he has done during special commentary, but more evenly during "worst person in the world" segments) then I feel he not only can be unbiased, but would be unbiased.

I look forward to this debate and I think it will be fair!

Thanks for the reminder.

Ya gotta love that Keith!