Although I enjoy watching Olbermann and Maddow from time to time, I find myself doing so with an increasingly critical eye. Yes, I find that the information they provide tends to have a much greater basis in reality than what I encounter from Glenn Beck and Sean Hannity. However, I also recognize that they have at least one thing in common with their Fox "News" counterparts: they exist primarily in order to keep a political base agitated.

In his frequently over-the-top anger and "special comments," Olbermann seems to be moving closer and closer to O'Reilly, not so much in content but certainly in tone. This can be entertaining, but I find myself laughing at Olbermann's antics as much as I feel similarly enraged by whoever he happens to be bashing at the moment.

Both MSNBC and Fox "News" are deliberately agitating their respective bases. I have no doubt that this encourages political action on the part of their audiences, and that probably is a good thing. However, both also seem to be contributing the the blurring of news and opinion. In the long run, I'm not sure this serves the interest of a democratic society.

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