A major controversy is brewing over next month’s Democratic presidential debate. No, it has nothing to with candidates’ shadiness and/or corruption. This one’s all about one of the proposed moderators, Politico Magazine chief political correspondent Tim Alberta. What’s wrong with Alberta? Well, he used to write for National Review. And that’s just not sitting well with the DNC, or with some PBS (PBS is co-hosting the debate with Politico) and even Politico journalists.

Scoop: The Democratic National Committee and Politico are locked in an argument over the ideological credentials of ⁦@TimAlberta⁩, a proposed moderator for next month's Democratic debate, sources familiar with the matter told NBC News. https://t.co/Bgm1cNNqsh — Dylan Byers (@DylanByers) November 18, 2019

More from NBC News:

At the behest of its publisher, Robert Allbritton, Politico is pushing for Tim Alberta, the chief political correspondent for Politico Magazine, to join journalists from PBS Newshour at the moderators’ desk. The top PBS journalists under consideration are Judy Woodruff, Yamiche Alcindor and Amna Nawaz. Politico’s decision to push for Alberta has rankled officials at the DNC, as well as some journalists at PBS and even Politico, the sources said. The reason: Alberta previously wrote for National Review, a conservative magazine, and has spent the bulk of his recent career chronicling the Republican Party. Democratic Party officials say such a journalist is ill-suited to co-moderate a debate meant to better inform Democratic voters about their potential nominees.

Ill-suited as opposed to whom? Candy Crowley?

PBS objects to @TimAlberta as a debate co-moderator because he used to write for @NRO … but stay with me here … Wouldn't it be a good thing for Democratic voters to see how their primary candidates respond to well-informed yet *challenging* questions? https://t.co/xVCsgwPB0v — David Martosko (@dmartosko) November 18, 2019

Apparently not.

lol tim is fair so we can't have that at a dnc debate — Ryan (@chasinghumility) November 18, 2019

Can’t have candidates being challenged by moderators. https://t.co/RFLpRukmZr — Stephen Miller (@redsteeze) November 18, 2019

Heaven forbid!

Anyone who has read @TimAlberta's work over the years, whether at Politico or NR or NJ, knows this is absolutely ridiculous. He would make a great moderator. https://t.co/eU9y5tG5Je — Adam Wollner (@AdamWollner) November 18, 2019

Alberta's an excellent reporter. And I say that as someone who had some rather harsh criticism of one of his recent stories. https://t.co/5GmkhPzJ68 — Varad Mehta (@varadmehta) November 18, 2019

Former Salon writer Jake Tapper moderated a Republican presidential debate in 2015, and did so very well. This is dumb. https://t.co/akc0s0Hyy8 — Lachlan Markay (@lachlan) November 18, 2019

Have they seen who moderated the GOP debates in 2012 and 2016? Come on. — Brian Riedl (@Brian_Riedl) November 18, 2019

He's very fair. This is dumb. https://t.co/adTXdTlAw6 — Nathan Wurtzel (@NathanWurtzel) November 18, 2019

He'd be great. Grow up, @DNC — Suzanne Rowan Kelleher (@SKelleherWrites) November 18, 2019

The DNC is mad that @TimAlberta wrote for NRO. Good grief. Childish. https://t.co/iMlbDk0eYJ — Kaitlin, gargantuan woman (@thefactualprep) November 18, 2019

Would the same standard apply to Eliana Johnson, Robert Costa, or Betsy Woodruff? If so, it’s an insane standard. If not, it’s reflective of the most embarrassing insularity. — Noah Rothman (@NoahCRothman) November 18, 2019

Having worked with @TimAlberta, I’m irritated by the idea that he would be anything less than absolutely professional in any circumstance. https://t.co/dSqEtKDBCZ — Charles C. W. Cooke (@charlescwcooke) November 18, 2019

What does this say about the DNC’s opinion of their candidate roster?

they want a safe space..not a good strategy for 2020 — Iain McLaren (@iainmclaren) November 18, 2019

Dems are going to get absolutely demolished in the general if they can’t handle Tim Alberta in a primary debate. — Stephen Miller (@redsteeze) November 18, 2019

Yeah, well, they’ll deserve it.

Here’s a chance for journalists and networks to demonstrate some of that firefighting courage they always talk about. Tell the DNC these are the moderators. Period. The candidates & the DNC can then show up or not. https://t.co/i7OmnRZi9y — Stephen Miller (@redsteeze) November 18, 2019

Sounds more than reasonable.