Why Cenk Uygur left MSNBC TV. Is the Reverend Al Sharpton a rascist?

It’s a sad day in Mudville, USA, when the powers-that-be dictate the news, isn’t it? The establishment and Washington did not appreciate Cenk Uygur’s critical tone and demanded that he tone it down. MSNBC TV is owned by G.E., a company that Cenk Uygur often criticized. And Washington, including Congress and President Obama, were virtually challenged and criticized by Cenk Uygur every night. No wonder they did not like his tone.

Al Sharpton told Leslie Stahl recently that he would never criticize President Barack Obama:

LESLEY STAHL, CBS (OFF CAMERA): Sharpton told us that having a black president is a challenge: if he finds fault with Mr. Obama, he’s aiding those who want to destroy him. So he has decided not to criticize the president about anything – even about black unemployment that’s twice the national rate.

(In other words, it is okay to criticize white politicians but not black politicians. Is that not a rascist position, Reverend Al Sharpton?)

Is it any wonder that Al Sharpton is now Cenk Uygur’s replacement on MSNBC TV?

Cenk Uygur did not fail in his ratings. He placed number 2 at his time slot, second to Fox News, beating out CNN at that hour. In fact, he increased the ratings of the 6 PM MSNBC TV program over that of last year when Ed Schultz hosted the show at that time.

Cenk Uygur has degrees in law from Columbia and in business from Wharton’s School of Business. These are very impressive educational credentials for a political journalist, especially when our economy is at the forefront of the American public’s consciousness. Al Sharpton attended Brooklyn College for two years before dropping out. Can one compare the sophistication of these two individuals? I cannot understand what Al Sharpton is saying half of the time on MSNBC TV. Can you?

Howard Kurtz on Reliable Sources interviewed Cenk Uygur about his departure from MSNBC and suggested that Cenk was removed from the show because of his strident tone, and not because he challenged politicians. Cenk Uygur disagreed, saying that it was not his style, but the substance of his presentation on the show that was the cause of his removal from the show. Cenk believes that Washington objected to his repeated attacks on the President, the administration, and both the Democratic and Republican parties, and, in response, these groups pressured MSNBC to have Cenk tone down his attacks. In support of his argument, he observed that his replacement, Al Sharpton, had said in a recent interview by Leslie Stahl that he would never criticize President Barack Obama. One can only ask why someone would make such a blanket statement, especially one who is supposed to be a voice of truth and justice.

Although Cenk Uygur, like many talk show hosts on television, at times became heated during exchanges with guests, he conducted himself as a gentleman and always argued from facts, never indulging in ad hominem or personal attacks. In my opinion, Cenk Uygur was removed from the show, not because of his ratings, or because of his aggressive and challenging tone, but because he ceaselessly attacked the Washington establishment, exposing their lies and hypocrisy, including those of President Barack Obama.

Listen to the interview of Cenk Uygur by Howard Kurtz and judge for yourself. I was very disappointed in Howard Kurtz’s posture during that interview since he is supposed to be the true voice of journalism. Can journalists have two masters? Are journalists to be ruled by their employers and their sponsors, or by the public’s need for truth? Howard, your position in the interview revealed your true allegiance.