There is a movement afoot to relieve NBC White House reporter David Gregory of his job. There’s a web site with a petition questioning Gregory’s “journalistic integrity,” and their argument is that his hatred of the President has caused him to do “damage to NBC News’ reputation.” (I had thought the proximity of NBC News and MSNBC’s Keith Olbermann had pretty much flushed the outfit’s rep.)

The petition is below the fold:

We, the undersigned, are becoming increasingly concerned about the well-being of NBC News’ Chief White House Correspondent David Gregory. He has become increasingly ill due to Bush Derangement Syndrome and has turned to alcohol in an attempt to sustain this illness.

In the past month, Mr. Gregory has become part of the stories he is supposed to cover. This is not the proper role of a journalist, especially someone as powerful of Mr. Gregory, who covers President Bush and the White House.

Consider:

• On February 13, Mr. Gregory yelled at White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan in an exchange about Vice President Cheney’s handling of his shooting accident. Mr. Gregory said: “Don’t be a jerk to me personally when I’m asking you a serious question.”
• On March 2, Mr. Gregory was a guest on Don Imus’ program. He was on the phone from India, where he was traveling with President Bush. Throughout the interview, Imus tried and was unable to conduct an intelligent conversation with Mr. Gregory, who appeared to be intoxicated.

These two episodes illustrate serious breaches in journalistic integrity. Mr. Gregory has done damage to NBC News’ reputation and the reputation of journalism as a whole. Journalists should report the story, not become a part of it. Mr. Gregory, who was unable to control his emotions at a White House press conference and behaved inappropriately on a nationally syndicated radio program, is unfit to work for NBC News.

Therefore, in an effort to save NBC from further embarrassment, we ask that you immediately fire Mr. Gregory or ask him to resign.

I don’t know how serious this is, and I doubt NBC News will take it as such, but I applaud this petition. For the sake of all that is decent, I hope NBC News keeps Gregory off their Daily Nightly blog. Writes Gregory on that blog:

I remain enthralled with this part of the world and the growing U.S. interest in India as a counterbalance to China — militarily and economically.

He’s also enthralled, evidently, with their liquor and, perhaps, opium.

SIGN THE PETITION at www.FireDavidGregory.com.