Lorem Pass on Psaki and ‘civility’?

MSNBC’s plan to poach White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki from the Biden administration and set her up with a plush commentary gig is not sitting well with some NBC News employees.

Imagine that. Even the employees of an infamously pro-Democratic news organization are grossed out by the inherent sleaziness of the revolving door between media and government.

“Vexed staffers from the Washington bureau” held an “impromptu phone call” this month with NBC News president Noah Oppenheim regarding the Psaki hiring, according to CNN.

A few employees reportedly “complained to their superiors that the tentative hiring tarnishes the NBC News brand.”

Negotiations between Psaki and MSNBC are taking place even while “she is still in her post as White House press secretary,” some groused.

However, rather than address staffers’ concerns head-on, Oppenheimer “reaffirmed the distinction … between NBC News and MSNBC’s opinion programming.” Oppenheimer was also careful to tell staffers “to continue doing their jobs as normal.”

It’s commendable that NBC staffers are allegedly voicing discomfort (albeit anonymously) regarding the Psaki situation. But unfortunately, their remarks will likely do little to dissuade MSNBC from taking on the current White House press secretary. Their objections will also do little to slow that revolving door between the press and the government, allowing partisan operators to jump from politics to journalism with little to no relevant newsroom experience in between. It has been spinning furiously for decades, and no amount of quietly voiced criticisms will slow it.

Perhaps you’ve heard of George Stephanopoulos.

Before joining ABC News, his background in journalism consisted entirely of serving as a sports broadcaster for his college radio station. Right out of Columbia University, where he received a bachelor of arts degree in 1982 in political science, Stephanopoulos worked for former Democratic Rep. Ed Feighan of Ohio. Stephanopoulos then earned a master’s in theology from Balliol College. After that, he was right back at it, working for former Democratic Rep. Dick Gephardt of Missouri. Stephanopoulos later worked for Michael Dukakis’ failed 1988 Democratic presidential campaign. Next, he landed a gig working in former President Bill Clinton’s “war room.” After leaving the Clinton White House in 1996, ABC News hired Stephanopoulos, where he immediately became a fixture on the network’s flagship news programs, including This Week, World News Tonight, and Good Morning America. In 2019, ABC signed Stephanopoulos to a four-year deal valued at around $15 to $17 million.

Not bad for a professional political operative who came to news reporting with basically no relevant background experience whatsoever.

Then there’s the late Tim Russert, whose academic background was in law and political science. NBC News hired him in 1984 after serving as an aide to Democratic New York Gov. Mario Cuomo. Before working for the governor, Russert served as chief of staff to former Democratic Sen. Daniel Moynihan of New York. Before that job, Russert oversaw one of Moynihan’s law offices. When NBC News recruited him, he was put to work “behind the scenes, helping supervise the coverage of major events,” as the Los Angeles Times put it. By 1989, Russert was NBC’s Washington bureau chief. Pretty good for a guy whose professional background consisted entirely of serving Democratic officials. One of Russert’s most significant sins still offers up cringeworthy journalism — he hired NBC’s current political director, Chuck Todd.

Wait until NBC’s staffers hear about this!

There are less notable examples, including the people with solid backgrounds in journalism who transitioned back and forth between professional politics and news reporting. CNN’s Jake Tapper, who once served as press secretary to former Democratic Rep. Marjorie Margolies-Mezvinsky of Pennsylvania. There’s Diane Sawyer, who served as a staff assistant to former President Richard Nixon. CNN’s Chief National Security Correspondent Jim Sciutto served in the Obama State Department. Then, of course, is President Kamala Harris’s former spokeswoman, Symone Sanders, whom MSNBC hired in 2022 to host a weekend show.

Psaki jumping to MSNBC directly from serving a Democratic politician would not be an exception in this industry. It would be part of the norm.

‘CIVILITY’

MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough is a significant proponent of civility, especially in politics.

Well, sometimes.

“Public service is a noble calling,” the cable host said in 2021. “We can encourage the best among us to serve by showing civility to those members of Congress with whom we strongly disagree.”

Unsurprisingly, his pro-civility advocacy is relatively one-sided. When Republicans act like clods, you better believe he’s Johnny-on-the-spot with fierce denunciations. When it’s a Democrat

flinging the poo, however, Scarborough can barely manage even an indignant “Harrumph!”

MSNBC’s Morning Joe last week hosted Democratic National Committee Chairman Jaime Harrison, who used his time on the cable news program to accuse Republican Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas of being a “little maggot-infested man.”

Scarborough, who prides himself on his show’s promotion of civility, waited until after the break to issue a mealymouthed “now, now.”

“In a Senate where there’s Ted Cruz and Lindsey Graham, Tom Cotton is the lowest of the low,” Harrison said. “You know, a few years ago, when Barack Obama was the president of the United States, there was a person he appointed to be the ambassador to the Bahamas — a friend of his, Cassandra Butts. Cassandra worked on Capitol Hill. We all knew her. She was brilliant. Cassandra had leukemia. She was up for confirmation, and Tom Cotton blocked her confirmation. For 835 days, she waited to be a confirmed ambassador to the Bahamas. And when asked why he was holding up her confirmation, he said because he wanted to hurt Barack Obama.”

Cotton’s office denies this. Also, Butts was reportedly not aware she had leukemia until shortly before her death. Harrison intentionally fudged the timeline.

“It shows you who this little maggot-infested man is,” the Democratic National Committee chairman continued. “He does not deserve to have that pen. He doesn’t deserve to be in the United States Senate, representing the good people of Arkansas . ... He put his hand on the Bible, took an oath of office to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States, and he uses it as a play toy.”

Harrison added, “That is the Republican Party we see today. It is a party built on fraud, fear, and fascism. And they don’t deserve to be in power.”

As he spoke, Morning Joe co-host Mika Brzezinski interjected with the occasional “yeah.” She then ended the segment with, “Thank you very much for being on this morning to talk about the state of our politics today.”

After the break, Scarborough tiptoed around his guest’s behavior.

“Obviously, it has gotten very heated and personal,” he said. “I’d say it’s critical for both sides to pull back from that any way they can. This isn’t bothsiderism, but it’s important at times to call out what you see and keep it to a certain level [of] decorum.”

Better be careful.

Harrison may never agree to come back on the show after that tongue-lashing. ⋆