MSNBC TV host rallies for president

Scarborough supported the president during a campaign stop in Florida.
KNIGHT RIDDER NEWSPAPERS
MSNBC's journalistic integrity took another nap last week when one of its featured prime-time news-talk hosts became a featured player at a campaign rally for President Bush.
Former Florida Congressman Joe Scarborough, host of the network's weeknightly "Scarborough Country," applauded, cheered and waved to the crowd while with the president during his stop Aug. 10 in Pensacola, Fla.
"I appreciate Joe Scarborough, and I'm glad to know he's still standing and making a living," Bush said in a speech carried live on the new ABC News Now digital cable network.
Seated in the front row behind the president, Scarborough could be seen onscreen throughout the speech. Patrick Buchanan, filling in on "Scarborough Country," made no mention of the appearance. But "Countdown" host Keith Olbermann playfully wondered who "that guy" was after his show aired a snippet of Bush's speech.
Political ties
Last month, salaried MSNBC commentator Ron Reagan Jr. championed stem-cell research during a speech at the Democratic National Convention before returning the same night to his regular gig on "Hardball." He also co-hosted a late-night show with Scarborough.
Many network news people have previous political ties. Chris Matthews, Diane Sawyer and Tim Russert respectively worked for Tip O'Neill, Richard Nixon and Daniel Patrick Moynihan before switching to TV news. But is it asking too much for networks to bar their anchors, reporters and commentators from publicly aligning themselves with political candidates and causes?