MSNBC Host: 'We’re Not Liberal!'; 'Do We Have Some Progressive Voices? … Maybe'

April 14th, 2009 8:36 PM

Everything you thought you knew about MSNBC political slant - throw it out the window, because one MSNBC host says you're probably wrong.

MSNBC's Contessa Brewer, appearing on "The Mark Reardon Show" on St. Louis KMOX 1120 AM radio on April 13. Brewer defended her network against the perception that it is a liberal cable news channel.

"No, but we're not liberal," Brewer said. "No, we're not liberal. We're not liberal. That's crazy - that's crazy talk."

According to Brewer, since MSNBC has a program hosted by former Republican Florida Congressman Joe Scarborough and has Pat Buchanan as a contributor that absolves the network of having the "liberal" label attached to it.

"I'm a middle-of-the-road kind of person," Brewer added. "I'm a smart thinker. If it makes sense, it doesn't matter if it's conservative or if it's progressive, which I think is the label they'd rather use - then I'm going to say what I say and sometimes I get a lot of crap for it."

A couple of Brewer's most outspoken moments over the past week have been her disapproval that President Barack Obama wasn't receiving an honorary degree from Arizona State University, both on April 10 and April 13.

Still, Brewer insisted that since there is the possibility that some of the voices are on MSNBC are "progressive," that doesn't make them "the liberal channel."

"But look Mark, MSNBC is not the liberal channel," Brewer said. "Do we have some progressive voices, some people who lean left? Yeah, maybe. But, are we the liberal channel? Come on."

She said those who think otherwise haven't watched enough MSNBC and are basing their judgment on snippets.

"I think if that's the perception, it's based on people who don't watch more than a segment or two at a time."