By Howard Kurtz

Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, September 8, 2008; Page C01

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/08/AR2008090800008.html?hpid=topnews

MSNBC is removing Keith Olbermann and Chris Matthews as the anchors of live political events, bowing to growing criticism that they are too opinionated to be seen as neutral in the heat of the presidential campaign.

David Gregory, the NBC newsman and White House correspondent who also hosts a program on MSNBC, will take over during such events as this fall's presidential and vice presidential debates and election night.

The move, confirmed by spokesmen for both networks, follows increasingly loud complaints about Olbermann's anchor role at the Democratic and Republican conventions. Olbermann, who regularly assails President Bush and GOP nominee John McCain on his "Countdown" program, was effusive in praising the acceptance speech of Democratic nominee Barack Obama. He drew flak Thursday when the Republicans played a video that included a tribute to the victims of the Sept. 11 attacks, saying that if the networks had done that, "we would be rightly eviscerated at all quarters, perhaps by the Republican Party itself, for exploiting the memories of the dead, and perhaps even for trying to evoke that pain again. If you reacted to that videotape the way I did, I apologize.”

The corporate neocons have succeeded in silencing the truth once again. The McCain/Palin machine’s whining about “liberal bias” has had its intended result, and MSNBC, and the rest of the MSM, has cowered to their corporate might. You will notice that Faux News’ rabid Republican propagandists remain in their positions, and that seems perfectly fine with Tom Brokaw and NBC. Also notice that the DLC had its grimy hands in this affair as well, agreeing with the McCain camp’s whining:

MSNBC's more liberal outlook has boosted its ratings, though it remains the third-place cable news channel. But both parties began castigating its coverage last spring. Steve Schmidt, McCain's top strategist, called the network "an organ of the Democratic National Committee," and Clinton campaign chairman Terry McAuliffe said Matthews was "in the tank" for Obama.

With a viewership of over 1 million, I sincerely hope that Keith will not take this attempt to shut him up, lying down. Truth, like Justice, is blind, and has no bias -- it just is.