Jimmy Williams, an outspoken and openly gay contributor to MSNBC, said goodbye to the network last week after five years.
Some may know Williams for his blunt demeanor and steady stream of “homo” jokes on his Twitter feed. Posting recent pictures of his beautiful surroundings and dog, Moses, on Instagram, he wrote, “Not sure I can get gayer. Wait no, #instagay #instabeard #instaporch #instagaydawg.” Others know him as a longtime Capitol Hill Senate aide who worked for Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and befriended a slew of reporters while he was at it.
Williams, now the editor-in-chief of the lefty Blue Nation Review, he’ll still occasionally appear on MSNBC. But he says he’ll also pop up on networks like CNN and FNC.
Indeed, his farewell is “sweet bitter” because it didn’t have anything to do with his performance.
“It’s simply a reflection of Msnbc moving away from opinion journalism to straight news reporting,” he told The Mirror. “I’ve had one Hell of a run, learned how to use my political skills in a manner different than as a staffer and lobbyist, and now I get to do it for all media outlets. In this ever-changing media world we live in, I’m the luckiest guy standing since I’ve basically done it all. Now on to the next best thing.”
In a goodbye note he posted to Facebook, he profusely thanked and complimented all the hosts of “The Cycle.”
Sadly, today is my last day as an MSNBC Political Contributor. I’ll appear on the 3pm hour of the last live airing of the Cycle with the great team that’s been there for me from the very beginning nearly five years ago: Elizabeth Korona, Mary Volovski Murphy and Brian Nerkowski. Many many others joined later including Daniel Holway, Abby Borovitz Friedman, Ali Marie, Traci Oshiro. And of course, Krystal Marie Ball and Abby Huntsman, who I may or may not have always agreed with, yet they loved me anyway. Toure, your spirit can’t be tamed, thank God, and Ari your legal mind is a blessing. Two people not on FB, Tammy Caputo and Steve Friedman, taught me everything I know about covering the news and sitting on the other side of a camera from you, our audience. Without them, I simply wouldn’t be where I am today and so I love and thank them.
To our viewers, this is sweetbitter, not the other way around. I’ll still appear on Msnbc but you’ll most likely see me on CNN and Fox too. And of course you’ll find my daily videos, interviews, and written opinion journalism at BNR where we are breaking the rules and the records everyday in this fastchanging world that’s called journalism.
So join my tv family and me today during the 3pm hour when we’ll “break it down” for you; like we always do and like you always have.
And I thank and love you for that.