MSNBC -- where Tonya Harding is the thoughtful one

On the May 15 edition of MSNBC Live, while previewing an upcoming interview with former figure skater Tonya Harding, anchor Tamron Hall stated: "Well, remember when there were those reports out that Hillary Clinton would use the so-called 'Tonya Harding strategy' to perhaps take out Barack Obama? Well, we're going to talk to the real Tonya Harding about her place in history and now her infamy within American politics. Yes, really, Mika." MSNBC anchor Mika Brzezinski responded: "Oh, my God." Hall said: "That's ahead on MSNBC. No, really. Really, we are." Brzezinski added: "I can't believe that. It's great."

From the 12 p.m. ET hour of MSNBC Live on May 15:

HALL: Well, she's been called the most tarnished woman in the history of sports. Tonya Harding, the Olympic skater linked to the attack against fellow competitor Nancy Kerrigan just before the 1994 Winter Olympics. But she says the world only knows half of her story. Now she's revealing shocking new details about the incident, as well as tales of rape and abuse in a book called The Tonya Tapes. Earlier, I had a chance to speak with Tonya Harding. She says she's disclosing such personal details in an effort to send a message.

[...]

HALL: Let me ask you this. You talk about the way people view you. Obviously, big presidential race, and the "Tonya Harding option" actually came up in the news. Reportedly that was one of the options that Senator Clinton's campaign was looking at and that they would do anything to take out Senator Barack Obama. Your name became synonymous -- or is synonymous with taking out the other person. I know you had to have heard this. What did you feel, and how do you feel when even your name comes up in a situation like politics?

HARDING: Well, you know what? Whatever people said, it doesn't matter. It's their opinion. But I think that there's more important issues that we need to deal with in this world and that they need to focus on the candidacy at hand and hopefully help this country.

HALL: But did you cringe when you heard this, though?

HARDING: I just heard about it just a little while ago, and I just thought that it was really sad that they have to talk about me and not the problems in the world.

HALL: All right, Tonya. Thank you very much.

MSNBC -- where the "journalists" are interested in meaningless sensationalism and the supposedly dim Harding is the one who's asking for reporters to cover important topics.