Earlier today MSNBC "indefinitely suspended" talking head Mark Halperin for an on-air remark he made about President Obama. This is what Mr. Halperin said:

"I thought he was kind of a dick yesterday."


I've never heard of Mark Halperin, I don't have a TV; I read that he is Time magazine's lead political reporter too. Well, I don't read Time either. I don't know what his politics are, I don't think President Obama's a dick--"kind of a dick"-- I don't know what President Obama did yesterday to be kind of a dick in Mr. Halperin's opinion.  I cannot imagine the President was crushed that "Mark Halperin" said he was kind of a dick yesterday.

Indefinitely suspended for saying the president was kind of a dick on one day?  Really?

Maybe it's the immediacy of television. You can't say things on TV that you can write.  I don't know, an indefinite suspension still seems overkill. Calling someone kind of a dick...well, kind of a d***, is pretty mild in my book, but then my book is filled with asterisks.