Liberal Media Gets Less Liberal

I have been mulling for several days over writing a post about Kennedy's "Ask Not" speech and modern related speeches, but tonight I am flabbergasted by Keith Olbermann's abrupt announcement he is leaving MSNBC. I have often been critical of Keith's style, which is sometimes too sarcastic to be taken seriously by anyone not in his political camp. Nevertheless, he has been an important liberal voice and has carved a path for more circumspect commentators, particularly my political muse, Rachel Maddow. That's why this is a big deal. At a time when Fox News continues to ratchet up the rhetoric from the right and MSNBC's message is threatened by the Comcast merger, I hope Rachel and her MSNBC colleagues like Ed Schultz and Lawrence O'Donnell can take Keith's torch and run with it. In the meantime, I also hope Olbermann finds a new outlet for his unique vision and commentary. I'll miss his show.