Tom Brokaw: NBC's 'Moral Center'

Politico reports that Tom Brokaw is NBC's "moral center and conscience."

In November, President Obama awarded Brokaw the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his career, including his bestselling “The Greatest Generation,” saluting World War II veterans. Behind the South Dakota native’s everyman appeal, Brokaw is an adroit internal politician with a keen understanding of power.

Brokaw, who turned 75 last week, has the title of “special correspondent,” but wields internal and public power far beyond his on-air role, because of his celebrity and moral authority, and his relationships with top executives of NBC and its parent, Comcast.

One NBC veteran said: “Tom is seen as the wise counsel, and what he says goes a long way. He’s not shy about making his opinion known about these things.”

...Brokaw is said by friends to be very upset about the controversy. “It’s a horrible mark on NBC, and reflects badly on everyone,” said one friend. The network executive described Brokaw as “the moral center and conscience of NBC News – the glue, the ballast, the backbone, the GPS.”

If Brokaw, recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, isn't counseling NBC execs to show Williams the door and quickly, then his "moral center" is terribly askew.

I'm sure the White House is concerned that one of its favorite cheerleading outlets has been badly discredited.

I'm sure the White House wouldn't be pleased if NBC acknowledged that its news operation was a joke and fired Williams.

But, the reality is, NBC News is a joke and Williams is a serial liar.

The longer "wise counsel" Brokaw stays quiet the more unwise he is revealed to be.

Brokaw is putting his own vaunted legacy at risk.