So let's get this straight: Keith Olbermann makes an ass of himself for calling Scott Brown names, Joe Scarborough stands up for fair play, and Olbermann, getting a grip, at least temporarily, on his own bad behavior, apologizes after being called out by Jon Stewart. (Smart move, Keith, for your own sake: Stewart, not you, is the closest thing we have these days to the moral authority of Edward R. Murrow.)
So what does MSNBC suit-in-chief Phil Griffin do? Does he applaud Scarborough for helping his own network do damage control? No, he decides to muzzle Scarborough.
As Griffin wrote in his muzzling memo:
"We have many strong personalities with differing, passionate opinions, but it is important to remember that we are all on the same team, I want to reiterate my long-standing policy: We do not publicly criticize our colleagues. This kind of behavior is unprofessional and will not be tolerated."
Griffin knows, of course, that Olbermann really runs MSNBC. He's the network's marquee name, even if he antagonizes a lot more people than he attracts. And more to the point, Olbermann was Griffin's idea. So he has to protect his investment in KO, for as long as he can. The problem, of course, is that KO is so volatile that his good behavior can only be temporary.
But in the meantime, Scarborough better watch it. Because when Olbermann goes back on the warpath, Scarborough will be the first in line for exile. After all, there are all those geniuses at the late and mostly unlamented Air America who now need gigs.
