MSNBC is the only network covering the live ceremony from the Vatican commemorating the death of Pope John Paul II with Pope Benedict XVI leading the ceremony. FNC is in the middle of Studio B but not covering it. CNN is running the taped In The Money. For CNN this move is particularly surprising since last night the network devoted its entire primetime broadcast to programming related to John Paul II with a Larry King Live special and a 2 hour CNN Presents special. Yet they don’t cover this official ceremony.

UPDATE: Commentor Missy noted that MSNBC was also the only network to cover the Condoleeza Rice/Jack Straw press conference in Iraq. I’m surprised that FNC ignored that…

The MSN MSNBC group spotted a new ad on MSNBC which plays up the feud between Keith Olbermann and Bill O'’Reilly with the song “Where is the love?” playing in the background…

The ad itself has to do with who had more viewers; Donahue or Countdown? Do note the…ahem…”creative” use of the crawl in some of these images. Looks like things have been wratcheted up again in this feud…
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Howard Kurtz interviewed Dobbs on Reliable Sources. Transcript follows…

HOWARD KURTZ, “WASHINGTON POST”: Lou Dobbs, welcome.

LOU DOBBS, CNN HOST, “LOU DOBBS TONIGHT”: Good to be with you, Howard.

KURTZ: Have you become a crusader on this issue of immigration?

DOBBS: I’m certainly an advocate for truth in the debate, and there are very clear, non-partisan, non-ideological realities that are being absolutely obfuscated by both ends of the political spectrum in this debate on illegal immigration and border security. It’s truly a remarkable situation at this time in our history.

KURTZ: You told the “New York Times” this week, quote, “There’s nothing fair and balanced about me, because there’s nothing fair and balanced about the truth.

DOBBS: Right.

KURTZ: But shouldn’t a cable news anchor be fair?
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What does this make? Five? Six Dobbs pieces this week alone? I’ve lost count. Talk about “flooding the zone”. Anyway, Newsweek’s Jonathan Darman has an interview with Lou Dobbs…

You’re so passionate on this issue, you take such a strong position. Is it appropriate for CNN to give you a platform every night?
Look, there’s a multitude of voices in journalism. No one is compelled to watch my broadcast. My audience expects me to present the news, offer debate and my opinion and the opinion of others as well, on these issues. The fact is that I am passionate about issues such as the outsourcing of jobs, the high cost of free trade, immigration, the failure of government to represent working men and women and our middle class. I’m very sorry to whichever partisan extreme is concerned, but my job is to report an independent, nonpartisan reality, and that’s what we do.