As for his MSNBC departure and arrival on CNN, Milbank tells TVNewser: “It predated the column and nothing occurred along the lines Keith described.” A week ago tonight, Milbank appeared on Countdown and was identified as “MSNBC political analyst.” An insider tell us Milbank’s contract with MSNBC expired earlier this year.
And from <a href="http://www.mediabistro.com/fishbowlDC/television/milbank_talks_about_olbermann_90892.asp” target=”_blank”>Fishbowl DC:
“The CNN contract was negotiated long before the Obama column,” Milbank tells FishbowlDC. He says that there are “no hard feelings” although he takes exception to Olbermann’s characterization of things on last night’s program (more on that later here on FishbowlDC).
“It’s just that CNN’s a better fit for me and my philosophy of holding all parties to account,” says Milbank. He will be a political analyist for CNN, mostly with Campbell Brown but “wherever they want me.”
Translation: MSNBC is a bunch of partisan hacks?
And here’s Olbermann’s response:
Dana appeared with us the night before his column appeared with the truncated Obama quote – and did so under the terms of his contract which both he and MSNBC obviously considered still in force. After the column, he contacted us, joking he was glad I hadn’t put him on the “Worst Persons” list, and then discussing with the producers coming on to clarify or explain what he wrote. Out of appreciation for his work for us, I had delayed a permanent decision on whether he should again appear on Countdown. Dana used this time to make another deal, which he told us about the day before he appeared on another network.