How Ed Schultz transformed from MSNBC lefty to the American face of Moscow media

[DonViejo]

By Paul Farhi December 20 at 2:58 PM

Ed Schultz used to be the bombastic lefty host of a syndicated radio show and daily MSNBC program. He befriended Hillary Clinton, called Donald Trump “a racist” for his birther views, and once beseeched God to take Dick Cheney “to the promised land.”

In 2014, he ripped Russian President Vladi­mir Putin’s “nasty” human rights record. He also torched American conservatives for siding with the Russian president as a counter to President Obama. “Putie is their new hero,” sneered Schultz. But the times have changed. And so has Ed Schultz.

In mid-2015, MSNBC handed Schultz his last paycheck. After six years on the air, the ratings of his daily program, “The Ed Show,” were soft and MSNBC was going for more news in Schultz’s time slot, not opinion. His daily radio show had ended the previous year.

So Schultz went back to his lakefront home in Detroit Lakes, Minn., and took stock. At 61, after a lifetime in broadcasting, he concluded he wasn’t done. In early 2016, he returned to television, albeit in an unlikely place and role for a guy who once styled himself as a “prairie populist.” He became the lead news anchor for RT America, the domestic network of what was once known as Russia Today, a globe-spanning multimedia organization funded by the Russian government.

Schultz, in other words, went to work for “Putie.”

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https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/how-ed-schultz-transformed-from-msnbc-lefty-to-the-american-face-of-moscow-media/2016/12/20/320713f4-c322-11e6-8422-eac61c0ef74d_story.html?utm_term=.a72abec64f2b&wpisrc=nl_evening&wpmm=1

[Tarheel_Dem]

1. $$$$ over ideals. I knew he was phoney. n/t

[TheBlackAdder]

26. Well, at least one thing can be said... he doesn't hide the fact he's a Russian media operative.

.


Unlike those at FOX, ABC, CBS, NBC and MSNBC.


.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

2. He started his career as a conservative.

He only became a liberal talker because he couldn't compete successfully with the likes of conservative talkers like Limbaugh, Hannity, and Savage.

[nycbos]

4. Yup

[NightWatcher]

3. Ed used to be a repuke. He goes where the $$ is.

[livetohike]

30. Exactly! n/t

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

5. So, no more "Pootie Poots" from him I take it? nt

[hrmjustin]

6. Ed sold his soul to Putin just like others.

[Thinkingabout]

7. I used to watch his show on MSNBC and then I could see the sliding away from the

principles I used to appreciate, Schultz is going to say what is necessary to get the money, the RT assignment was the last straw to me. He tried to show his unions side, that did not last long.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

8. What's a soul going for these days, Ed?

Seems like it's a buyer's market right now. In Ed's case, apparently the buy-off was a private jet.

[bravenak]

9. I knew he would

[LenaBaby61]

10. Mike Papantonio of The Ring of Fire is now also ...

I've watched him for a very long time going back to his Air America days, also when he used to be a frequent guest on Ed's show when ED was on MSNBC. Papantonio's still a pit bull on many consumer issues affecting the working Mike and Fran, and he used to not be so fond of Russia.

BUT .....

But SLOWLY, he's turning into an apologist for putin tang/russia, and his tone is growing LESS negative/angry towards tRumptin. He recently implied that there's too much hysteria over the alleged russian cyber-hacking into our GE election. I believe I heard him say that there is no proof of it, and that we need to stop the hysteria towards Russia/Putin.

Anyway ....

He has a new show soon called America's Lawyer ......



Sad to see that he's now coalescing around trumputin and the ruskies.




(Oh Dear, is that a RT logo there on his promotional pic )....

[Bucky]

14. Nothing is worse than finding out who the Judas is sitting at your table

...other than not finding out.

I liked Papantonio. he had a substantive style and was less annoying than Farris Cousins or Robert Kennedy Jr. But he took the money and sold out his county. He and Ed Schultz are dead to me.

But what hurts most is Thom Hartmann

[eniwetok]

24. are they getting paid?

I don't know what deal Schultz has with RT, but from listening to Hartmann since his Air America days... I don't believe he's getting paid by RT. So no... I'm not going to write off Hartmann or Papantino.

[Bucky]

31. Based on what I've read, Hartmann is getting an in-kind donation.

They're letting him use their studios for free. I'm not sure how his techies, if they're even his employees, are being paid.

So yes, he's "getting", in terms of saving, at least tens of thousands of dollars of studio costs every month so he can do his tv show. Given that the donor is a foreign propaganda organization paid for by a government whose human rights atrocities are in the news right now, that is a pretty big conflict of interest.

No respectable journalist would compromise his appearance of objectivity like that.

[Jamaal510]

11. If there's one

silver lining about this election, it is that it brought out some people's true colors who I thought were our allies, such as Big Ed. I had a few disagreements with what he said on his MSNBC show about trade, but I used to like his show overall especially when he brought attention to the voter ID laws. I knew that he was once a Republican, but I never expected him to bash Clinton while defending Trump and Putin so strongly. He just turned out to be another pundit who lacks any core principles, and who goes whichever way the political winds blow.

[Cha]

12. Well said, Jamaal, about the political wind ****** he

better not ever try to get back to being a so-called "lefty".

[Bucky]

15. Amen

Thank you.

[question everything]

13. Searching this site, I notices that this was reported back in July

and, I suppose, I missed it.

Thus, it does come as a surprise. I did not watch his MSNBC show but I remember many here were quite upset when it was cancelled. I occasionally listen to his radio show and agreed.

Still, people have to make a living, I suppose.

And, let's face it: I think that Chris Matthews used to be a Republican; Jon Stewart voted for Bush in 2000 and, no doubt many more.

Thus, we need to remember that even our favorite commentators, like actors, singers, ball players, all are performers and will do what is required for their roles.

[Bucky]

16. There's a huge difference

between taking a job you don't like and engaging in propaganda to attack your own country. Of course people like Ed Schultz and Donald Trump are doing both. Trump is mentally sick, but Schultz is selling out his cause and his country for nothing but cash.

If he ju just needed a job, he could have become a sportscaster in Spokane or a weatherman in Dubuque. He was a national figure, he could've gone anywhere. So this isn't about money, this is about More Money and about his loyalty to his country.

[SticksnStones]

19. Just as a matter of point...

Jon Stewart voted for the first Bush, in 1988... Not the second in 2000

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2011/06/jon-stewart-admits-he-voted-for-george-hw-bush-over-michael-dukakis-in-1988.html

[question everything]

20. Oh, OK. Thank you.

Just knowing that he voted for "a Bush" was flabbergasting to me.

[SticksnStones]

23. It knocked the wind out of me as well...

[Egnever]

17. Schultz is a professional pundit

He doesn't give a shit about anything but money.

[eniwetok]

18. So Thom Hartmann Is Also A Putin Shill?

https://www.rt.com/shows/big-picture/

[question everything]

22. Did not realize the address that you sent..

I just glanced at the story and ran away. Hope did not get any cookies. It says that Hartman discusses a topic and I did not go any further. I suppose he can discuss a topic on this site without being an apologist to Putin, and Trump which, apparently, Schultz is.

[eniwetok]

25. really.... you're afraid of cookies?

You don't know you can delete them as well as temp files? And if there were any security threats from this site... ie, it tried to install malware, it would have been flagged long ago.

[DanTex]

27. I question his decision to broadcast on RT.

I like Hartmann, and apparently he owns his show and has full editorial control. Still, I think it's questionable for any journalist to in effect collaborate with a Russian government propaganda outlet.

[SalviaBlue]

39. I'm glad Thom is on RT. He says he has complete control over content. I believe him.

I am glad he is on RT, since I have RT on my cable package and therefore can see his show on my TV. Otherwise, I would only be able to access him online.

[otohara]

36. Not A Putin Shill, He's

just been pooping on the Democrats for years now along with a certain Senator who's name I won't mention.

The lefty media did us no favors this year. They demonized Hillary to boost the other primary candidate, saw that it was popular with BOB crowd, cash came rolling in...but then when it was Hitler vs Clinton time many tried to pull back the damage they had done but alas it was too late for some.

Months of #NeverHillary rhetoric by the left helped achieve this fucking nightmare we are about to live.

I'm sure all this was music to Trump/Putin's ears...Watching, reading, listening to Alt-lefty media demonstrated they didn't like her either - "lock her up" and "Hillary for prison" started on the left..

[baldguy]

38. Yes.

[Vinca]

21. Anything for a buck.

[truebluegreen]

28. Why not ask how MSNBC transformed

from "lefty" to just one more corporate suck-up?

It seems a more pertinent question than wherever Ed Schultz disappeared to.

[FloridaBlues]

29. I listened and subscribed to Ed's podcast for years

For the most part I liked hearing him on radio and MSNBC than slowly he started to change and than all the Hillary bashing started while on tv, so I wasn't too sad to see him leave. Since he has been on RT tv the man has gone full circle on dem bashing Pretty much full time. I can't listen anymore to his 10 min podcast.
He had a million followers now it's down to a few thousand.
I was surprised to hear Mike Pap join RT.
I'm sure they are getting paid a pretty penny and the Russians must like them now!

[Raine]

37. THAT is what I would like to know too..

MSNBC has really sold out and from what I've heard is going to go even further to the "dark side" after the Dumpster takes office.

[AngryAmish]

32. First he took Comcast's $, now Putin's

They are all the same.

[nini]

33. He's just another Media Whore

..like the rest of them.

[AngryAmish]

34. Remember MediaWhoresonline...

Good times.

[nini]

35. Yes.. I loved that site

That's where I found out about DU.

[TeamPooka]

40. The reason Ed is doing this and American companies moving jobs overseas and oil

companies cozying up to dictators is all the same
Most Americans are brought up to worship dollars over religion, ideology or democracy and would gladly sell out any of those to cash in.

[Scurrilous]

41. K & R