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Clintons V. Msnbc


Interesting moment from the latest Clinton campaign conference call. Washington Post media reporter Howie Kurtz asked Howard Wolfson about a comment by MSNBC's David Shuster that the Clinton campaign had "pimped out" Chelsea on the campaign trail.

Wolfson went on a tear, saying the comment was "beneath contempt." Kurtz said MSNBC had apolgized, but Wolfson said he was unaware of any apology delivered personally to Chelsea. Then, in what I take as an implicit reference to Chris Matthews's recent apology for cracks he'd made about Hillary, Wolfson referred to "a pattern here at this particular network." He also added rhetorically: "Is this part of a pattern? Is there something that folks are encouraged to do or not do?"

Wolfson said Hillary might be done with MSNBC debates. "I at this point can't envision a scenario where we would continue to engage in debates on that network," he said.

This is a long-running tension. Earlier this month a Clintonite told me he thought it an open question whether Fox is fairer than MSNBC to Hillary.

P.S. Wolfson remains undaunted on seating the Florida and Michigan delegations. "Florida and Michigan have voted and we think that those votes and those preferences matter."

--Michael Crowley