MSNBC Spokesperson: Shuster Will Not Be Fired And Will Return To Network
February 13, 2008 -- 3:09 PM EST // //
Updated below.
Over at TPM Election Central I just reported that Hillary had agreed to a Feb. 26th debate on NBC after threatening to boycott the network's debates in the wake of MSNBC reporter David Shuster's "pimp" remark about Chelsea.
This naturally prompted the question: What does this mean for Shuster, who was suspended from MSNBC for the remark and has been in limbo ever since Hillary publicly suggested that his suspension wasn't enough?
Well, it turns out that he won't be fired and will be coming back to the network. Asked about Shuster's fate, MSNBC director of communications Alana Russo tells me this:
"He remains on suspension indefinitely, but he will not be fired and will be returning to MSNBC."This suggests, I think, that MSNBC wants to wait until after the debate with Hillary is safely over before bringing Shuster back. Also, it bears pointing out that however crude and dumb Shuster's remark was, this was never primarily about him. It was about Chris Matthews.
A great deal of grievance had already been built up between MSNBC and the Hillary camp over Matthews' less-than-chivalrous treatment of Hillary on the network. In denouncing Shuster's remark, the Hillary campaign has chastised the network in general for the tone of its political coverage and pattern of sexist remarks. And though Camp Hillary has always been careful not to name Matthews, this is primarily who they were talking about.
But the Hillary camp just wasn't going to take on Matthews publicly. Shuster was an easier target. So it was Shuster's remark that gave the Hillary camp the opening they need to finally pull the trigger and go after the network in hopes that Camp Hillary's high-profile criticism -- and the attendant media attention -- would send a message to MSNBC that it was time for Matthews to cool it with the anti-Hillary broadsides.
At any rate, it looks as if Shuster will survive this. Whether it will have an impact on Matthews and the network's coverage generally is another question.
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Update: Over at The Huffington Post yesterday, Rachel Sklar made a convincing case that Shuster is little more than a scapegoat for Matthews' ongoing shenanigans.
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