Two Faces Of Dave

Via D-Day, Jameson Foser puts together the timeline on NBC's David Gregory... giving Mark Sanford's office a "friendly outlet" on one hand...and attacking the White House for giving a heads up to HuffPo's Nico Pitney for asking a question on the other.

Here's an email Gregory sent to an aide to South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford, in an effort to book Sanford on Meet the Press:

Hey Joel ...

Left you a message. Wanted you to hear directly from me that I want to have the Gov on Sunday on Meet The Press. I think it's exactly the right forum to answer the questions about his trip as well as giving him a platform to discuss the economy/stimulus and the future of the party. You know he will get a fair shake from me and coming on MTP puts all of this to rest.

Let's talk when you can.

That was on June 24 -- just four days before Gregory grilled Axelrod about coordinating the subject of questions with reporters.

Gregory later followed up with another email:

[C]oming on Meet The Press allows you to frame the conversation how you really want to...and then move on. You can see (sic) you have done your interview and then move on. Consider it.

So, Gregory was not only coordinating with Sanford's staff about what topics Gregory would ask Sanford about, should the South Carolina Governor agree to appear on Meet the Press -- he was telling the aide he would allow Sanford to "frame the conversation how you really want to."

And then, just a few days later, Gregory took to the air to denounce the White House and Nico Pitney for coordinating about the subject of a question. Incredible.

Naah. Just the Village at work. It's what they do. HuffPo and other bloggers (well, other bloggers besides me anyway) are a threat to the Village hierarchy. If David Gregory can't act as a fixer, then what purpose does he serve?

Actual journalism?