Steve Capus, Phil Griffin, and the rest of the NBC good old boys are on a vigorous hunt for the leak behind today's scathing Tim Russert v. Keith Olbermann item, which the network has flat-out denied.

But there's one place in particular, Jossip hears, that their attention is aimed:

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With all our talk about Chris Matthews losing his job to David Gregory when the 5pm anchor's $2m/year contract is up next year (if Phil Griffin has his way), one might think Matthews' current band of merry crew members might be worried about losing their jobs.

Not the case, says one insider.

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Yesterday TVNewser rebuffed our story about Keith Olbermann and David Gregory's on-air dust-up – where Keith slammed his fist on the table to get David to quit hogging camera time and wrap up his panel discussion – quoting an insider who says, "As usual, Jossip is trying to create conflict where there is none." Adds TVN: "A source who was in the control room Tuesday night tells us Olbermann was actually trying to get the attention of the floor director, so he could get to a commercial break, and be back with live coverage at the top of the hour."

Was that control room source a one Phil Griffin, also known as MSNBC's chief?

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Perhaps before Clinton, Obama, or McCain is crowned president this November, MSNBC's David Gregory will have alienated every other on-air talent at the network.

So far he's already earned the ire of Chris Matthews (MSNBC head Phil Griffin wants to replace the Hardballer with Gregory); Joe Scarborough (he stormed off the set when Gregory was allowed to hog camera time, though he's never liked him much).

And as of last night? Keith Olbermann.

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Some background on Tuesday night's primary coverage dust up between MSNBC's Joe Scarborough and David Gregory:

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Despite our lengthy reports on MSNBC's inner workings, Jossip continues to get asked back to appear on the network. (Okay, yesterday's David Gregory item might have officially killed our welcome.) But Arianna Huffington, here with some familiar faces, thinks she's been banned from 30 Rock thanks to her dubbing Meet the Press host and D.C. bureau chief Tim Russert as "EZ Pass," thanks to his letting Washington's elite get a free pass on his Sunday chat show.

Keith Kelly's "sources" (Huffington herself?) claim the blog diva got the news of her blackball on Tuesday night while she was dining at Barbara Walters home, though NBC News SVP Phil Griffin claims, "I haven't seen the book. I don't know anything about it."

Then again, Huffington does have a new book, Right is Wrong, to promote, and what better way to get the word out than fluff up a story like this? Sure, if true, potential bookings on Countdown and Hardball are out, but perhaps she'll get a nice rant-laden plug on The O'Reilly Factor.

JOSSIP REPORTS

There's a big reason why MSNBC would like to quiet any knowledge of David Gregory's off-camera behavior and sluggish ratings. David Gregory, you see, is supposed to be the next Chris Matthews.

Oh, did we say next?

We meant he's supposed to replace Chris Matthews.

Promise not to tell?

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NBC News SVP Phil Griffin, here with Dan Abrams, on MSNBC's talent: "Our people are not in straitjackets. They speak openly; they're passionate. There's a liveliness and richness to the conversation that you don't see on CNN or Fox. Do we leave ourselves open a little more? Yeah. But I think it's part of our success." Funny, because when David Shuster said "pimped out," Griffin screamed at him and wanted him fired. That doesn't sound like someone who cares for people who speak openly. [LAT]

"Absolute bullshit" is what some MSNBC staffers are calling the notion that NBC News brass doesn't care about daytime programming. The reaction comes from our item this morning, where a former network staffer with close ties to MSNBC insisted "Zucker does not give a shit about the ratings of the daytime news block on MSNBC. [...] All they care about is MSNBC 'sales prime, because that’s where they think the money is." From what we're hearing from the calls that are coming from inside the house, MSNBC chief Phil Griffin is insisting dayside remains a priority.

If you're working in daytime at MSNBC, start counting your days. Or your hours — because you're the least respected part of NBC News, at least when it comes to Jeff Zucker's interests, and GE's shareholders. You're not making your parent company very much money, or enough to satisfy them when it comes to deciding who's gotta go to save some $40 million. And no matter how hard you try, your ratings and revenue mean little.

"Zucker does not give a shit about the ratings of the daytime news block on MSNBC," says a well-placed network insider. "The sales people are always telling this to the NBC News management. All they care about is MSNBC 'sales prime,' because that's where they think the money is. This in my view is so fucking stupid as to be unimaginable, but that's NBC U."

So what about MSNBC primetime? Peter Lauria called it "sacrosanct" in the Post this morning, but that's not entirely true, either, claims our source. Dan Abrams would've lost his on-air gig had they been able to sign Rosie O'Donnell. Tucker Carlson took a pay cut just to keep his job when his contract was renegotiated. And while MSNBC chief Phil Griffin has always liked Chris Matthews, he is "not happy about Hardball," says a source, and "finds it 'boring.'" Keith Olbermann, with his fat new $4 million contract and respectable ratings, it the only one who should be 100 percent comfortable. Not that folks like Matthews are going anywhere – let's not start that rumor – but it's possible they could lose some authority of their shows in an effort to reinvigorate them.

As MSNBC staffers have their walking papers prepared, the hunt is on for who's leaking info from the inside about all those job cuts coming. Peter Lauria's item in today's Post inadvertently points the finger at now-former Washington D.C. chief and Hardball EP Tammy Haddad, since Lauria wrote that she "left MSNBC of their own volition" when, as even mid-level staffers know, is a complete farce. (She left after a spat with Chris Matthews, where he blamed her for his low ratings.) Lauria also describes axed daytime programming VP Susan Sullivan in the same light, but Sullivan was forcibly removed and relocated to to NBC's San Francisco affiliate, where she is news director. If either were providing info, of course, they get to write her own happy ending.

MSNBC chief Phil Griffin and NBC News SVP Mark Whitaker (the former Newsweek who came aboard in the spring) are trying to keep tempers cool as the message travels up the ladder to NBC News chief Steve Capus. So it's Griffin's new hire – Shannon High-Bassalik, the Miami news director he plucked from the outside, and who took over Dan Abrams' job as general manager in October when MSNBC moved to 30 Rock – who's responsible for mediating. She'll also be your point person for addressing those building rumors that everyone from operations to the news desk is at risk.

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