Here's a question for the RJ.

Why do your news staffers moderate partisan events?

Last year, Sherm Frederick, who writes a column, moderated a Republican U.S. Senate candidate forum sponsored by a Republican group.

We're not saying that's a proper role for a publisher, but he is an opinion columnist.

Nate Tannenbaum is not.

He is the "journalist" who does the RJ on TV feature on the paper's website.

Essentially, the former weatherman with the iconic bowtie, reads some highlights of the daily paper.  It's typically unwatchable and speaks to the paper's lack of understanding of the digital age.

Tannenbaum is a journalist employed by the paper. Think of him as the RJ's anchor.

Yet Tuesday night he was the master of ceremonies at the Democratic District Court candidate kick-off event at Moon nightclub in the Palms.

Tannenbaum had a hard time silencing the rowdy legal crowd until he started literally shushing them and telling folks they could gather near the stage because there was another bar nearby.

He didn't so much as work the room as he killed the festive mood. "Anybody have tickets for Garrison Keillor tonight at UNLV," he asked. "I do."

That didn't stop the chatting, so Tannenbaum pointed to the results of the Massachusetts race (about 20 minutes after the AP had called it for the Republican.)

"Maybe some of you are watching the election results," he said. Then he read the news like any good anchor -- with a straight face -- to a partisan crowd that didn't want to hear it.

Eventually he got folks quiet enough to hear the program. And he announced the candidates -- all Democrats -- running for seven Clark County District Court seats.

Tannenbaum said nothing partisan and the judicial races are non-partisan affairs.

But the entire point of Tuesday's event was to kick off campaigns for Democratic candidates for the bench. And Tannenbaum was on the invitation as master of ceremonies.

Is this really a proper role for a journalist?