As a reverend and a powerful public figure, Al Sharpton could say whatever he wanted, however he wanted. That doesn’t carry over to his role as the full-time host of MSNBC’s PoliticsNation, which premiered as a bit of a mess. But it appears Sharpton didn’t understand the full extent of the job’s limits on his public persona as a civil rights activist. In fact, a newspaper reporter had to inform the new host that he could not endorse or campaign for political candidates. “I cannot write checks, but I can make endorsements if I choose,” Sharpton said. Actually, a network spokesperson clarified, “Rev. Sharpton will be adhering to NBC News policies now that he’s an MSNBC host. NBC News prohibits employees from campaigning for candidates without prior consent from management.” Sharpton doesn’t foresee a problem now that he has a nightly platform to talk policy. “To be honest with you, a lot of what MSNBC does is considered on the left,” he explained. And he’s not looking for Larry King longevity anyway: “Where I go after the presidential race, we’ll see.”
For Sharpton, an Odd Stage [WSJ]
Related: How Did Al Sharpton End Up With a Show on MSNBC? [NYM]
