How Not To Run A Liberal TV Network

By Charles P. Pierce on January 31, 2014

In Fast Copy, his vastly underrated novel about Texas, newspapers, and Texas newspapering in the 1930s, Dan Jenkins writes of his hero, "newshen" Betsy Throckmorton, that her approach to local news -- to wit, actually covering it -- so inflames a prominent local merchant that he storms into her office and threatens to pull all his advertising. 

In response, Betsy tells the guy that she is suspending him, and that his advertisement is no longer welcome in her newspaper and, basically, he can go to hell or Waco, his choice. 

Naturally, by the end of the encounter, the goober is begging Betsy to take his advertising back. What can I tell you, but I think MSNBC chief Phil Griffin is no Betsy Throckmorton.

We wrote yesterday about the storm of fauxtrage that arose over an anonymous MSNBC tweet concerning a new commercial from the Cheerios people. This prompted an ungainly dive from the "liberal" network in the face of the flying howler monkeys. However, yesterday, the surrender became abject. 

Photo Illustration by DonkeyHotey via Flickr/Special to The Politics Blog 

 Obvious anagram Reince Priebus, the empty suit in the emptiest job in American politics, threatened to keep every Republican off MSNBC unless heads rolled to his satisfaction. 

Whereupon Griffin apologized again, and assured Priebus that he had fired the anonymous staffer who'd put up the tweet in the first place and, pretty please, would Priebus allow nutballs like Tim Huelskamp to come on MSNBC again? 

Flushed with triumph, Priebus pretended once again to be an important person.

"So, look, this was a first step. It was the first time I talked to Mr. Griffin. He reacted pretty quickly, and now we have to stay on top of it," Priebus told conservative pundit Sean Hannity. "So, you know what? It's sort of like being on probation, I guess. But the fact of the matter is we're here, we're watching them and it's our responsibility - and it's mine in particular, I think -also to stand up for our party. That's what I did today, and I'll do it again. I promise you that."

Good for you, junior. Here's a juicebox. Now run along.

There is no more powerless person in American politics than Reince Priebus, and few entities more powerless than the Republican National Committee which, last time around, couldn't even keep its primary calendar straight.

The power in the Republican party lies now in the vast network of independent organizations funded by the same claque of about 15 plutocrats, and what power does not lie there lies in the elements of organized theocracy.

Reince Priebus is a not very convincing marionette who couldn't even get elected to the Wisconsin state senate. What he knows about politics you could put up his ass and have room for a change of clothes. Priebus should have been told to fuck off and come back when he shows the ability, in the immortal words of Bob Knight, to lead a whore to bed.

 I realize that, unlike Roger Ailes, whose organized slander, pander and propaganda festival never apologizes for anything, and who could give a rat's ass if a Democrat ever entered his studios again, Griffin has the great deadweight of NBC News on his back while he tries to do his job.

 (I imagine that they've only just now revived Tom Brokaw, the man who invented World War II, and pried him off the fainting couch. and that the Dancin' Master, who still has a job despite this immortal moment, will have a segment on Sunday in which Priebus can flex it up again.)

I appreciate the problem. But some poor bastard -- whose identity, I guarantee you, the flying monkeys are at the moment seeking because they need an actual head on the wall -- has lost a job behind this now because Griffin took a ridiculous figure like Reince Priebus seriously. This is like getting held up by mail.