Tucker Carlson

Yeesh.

I can't believe that MSNBC hired him. Then gave him all this press to make him seem like such a guru or honcho.

Leave aside for a moment the fact that Carlson's ratings will never approach that of Phil Donahue's short-lived program on the cable network, a show that was canned because it the ninnies at MSNBC did not want a dissenting voice against the war as the second Iraq war began in March 2003.

Tucker Carlson is at best a bit player. He's not particularly sage, or smart, or witty, or anything. The likes of Jon Stewart wiped up the floor with him back on CNN and that was hardly a rare event. It was unbelievable when PBS hired Carlson but was, I suppose, as smart as hiring Tavis Smiley, who also rarely contributes anything worthwhile to the dialog.

But to have MSNBC grab him - and Faux rejects like Rita Cosby and Monica Crowley - just seemed like another hugely bad situation. Olbermann, sadly, is the only reason to watch the channel, and many don't even like him. An unknown would have been better. But now they have the soporific Chris Matthews, Joe Scarborough AND Tucker providing three of their four hours of primary primetime viewing. Could it be any more weighted toward the right, and not even the more intelligent, rational aspects of the right at that?