Keith Olbermann suspended indefinitely at MSNBC

Ah, that liberal media!

In stark contrast to Fox News' active on-air politicking and campaign donating, MSNBC  suspended commentator Keith Olbermann indefinitely after he acknowledged he gave the maximum legal donation of $2,400 to Arizona Reps. Raul Grijalva and Gabrielle Giffords and Kentucky Attorney General Jack Conway, who opposed Tea Party standard-bearer Rand Paul.

This bolsters rumors that the company has been conspiring with itself to be rid of Olbermann. They have new talent, (Maddow, and O'Donnell) who could easily step into the prime time spot).

No one has ever accused Olbermann of being anything but a progressive partisan commentator, but nonetheless he broke NBC's rules by making the campaign donations.

NBC rules states, “Anyone working for NBC News who takes part in civic or other outside activities may find that these activities jeopardize his or her standing as an impartial journalist because they may create the appearance of a conflict of interest.”

Fox News talent will gloat over this and feign superiority. Problem is: Fox simply has no such rules for Hannity and O'Reilly, Olbermann's equals on Fox. Easy for them to be righteous.

Comments

[Puget Sound]

Please don't get rid of Olberman, he is the perfect representative of the far left.
Please, please, please...just slap him on the knuckles and let him go back to being Olby.

I see over on DailyKos they are dredging up the fact that back in 2006! --2006-- Joe Scarborogh donated to pal who was running in an Repub race.

I wonder though if AFTER donating to his pal, did Joe Scarborough bring his friend on and provide a friendly interview like Olby did?

[Mike Barer]

That's a dumb ass move on Olbermann's part because it undermines his credibility and makes a big bulls-eye on the cause. That said, at least he is not taking money.

[Andrew]

It doesn't undermine his credibility at all. He's just puting his money where his mouth is. That's considered a virtue in some circles.

[Chucks]

Imagine my shock when I learned that NBC has standards.
The reality is Comcast does not need exclusive contracts from Obama as GE did. This is an opportunity to get out of Olbermann's contract without having to spend a lot of shareholder money.
MSNBC had just fired Rick Sanchez. I suspect that Schultz is next, maybe Mr Tingles. Comcast certainly wants to be rid of the ratings killers.
Maddow is probably safe for the time being as her ratings have not tanked as badly as the rest of them.
Maybe Phil Griffin will can his
own self for the piss poor job he has done. He has done about as well with MSNBC as who ever is in charge at KVI has done there.

[Coiler]

I wasn't shocked to here Slant Head Hannity donated 5k to Michele Bachmann, but I haven't heard of any suspension.

[Bill]

That would be because Fox News has no such rules....surprise!

[Andrew]

chucks, CNN fired Sanchez, not MSNBC. You're poorly informed. Please spend more time reading and less time posting.

[Chucks]

You are right about Sanchez. Sorry.

[AtStarbucks]

At least he's not trying to poke massage therapists in Oregon.

[Puget Sound]

The difference between Chucks and Andrew is when Chucks makes a mistake or is called out he responds.
Andrew, on the other hand, likes to toss out half baked theories and fails to back 'em up.

[jesus]

Fox on air "talent" doesn't have to contribute to their favorite righties - for one, many of them are already on the payroll (palin, gingrich, huckabeed, that guy who just became governor somewhere) and for another the big boss Murdoch has already given $2 MILLION to the RNCC. they do this and worse every day, wouldn't know what to do if they had any sort of ethical sstandard sudenly imposed upon them... For example, how different will Palin's appearances on fox be when she runs? still get soft ball interviews by Greta, and anus lickings by sean, free air time on Oreilly and tears with beck...it won't be any different at all.

[Andrew]

I think Comcast has a conservative agenda, and that this is just the tip of a campaign to dismantle MSNBC. What they did to Olbermann is a texstbook case of firing on a technicality. If they truly wanted him to remain they would have either looked the other way or dealt with it is some other manner. Someone wanted Olbermann gone, and that's all you need to know about what happened today.

[Andrew]

Fuck you I back up my theories and they're fully baked.

[Fred]

Best thing that could've ever happened to MSNBC. Olbermann should go host SportsCenter reruns. What a buffoon.

[Puget Sound]

Fuck you I back up my theories and they're fully baked.

Posted by: Andrew | November 05, 2010 at 01:38 PM

Yeah, but the problem is that the center filling consists of shit.

Now be careful, or I'll ask Duff to break away early from his Friday afternnoon Mensa Meeting to come over here and attend to you.

[Andrew]

If you don't have anything to say about Keith Olbermann or Seattle talk radio then please refrain from posting. Thanks.

[Chucks]

Fred! Why do you want to mess up SportsCenter? That turd just needs to be flushed, never to be seen again.

[DuffsMom]

Just interrupted Duff deep in Mensa thought and asked for input. He said Andy knows not of 'baking'...everything's deep fried with him...and then he gave a brief :)

[Chucks]

LOL Mom! Andy keeps leaving out crucial ingredients anyway.

[Puget Sound]

If you don't have anything to say about Keith Olbermann or Seattle talk radio then please refrain from posting. Thanks.

Posted by: Andrew | November 05, 2010 at 01:57 PM

I guess it must hurt both you and Keith to have your policies repudiated in such a fashion.

Not to worry Andrew, it will be 2012 soon enough and you can deal with a ticket of Rubio/Christie.

[Puget Sound]

Mother Duff
Thank you.

[Puget Sound]

William Kristol had it best.

"MSNBC’s suspension of Keith Olbermann is ludicrous.

First, he donated money to candidates he liked. He didn’t take money, or favors, in a way that influenced his reporting.

Second, he’s not a reporter. It’s an opinion show. If Olbermann wants to put his money where his mouth is, more power to him.

Third, GE, the corporate parent of MSNBC, gives money to political organizations. GE executives and, I’m sure, NBC executives give money. Why can’t Olbermann?"

[Chucks]

All and all a great week, wouldn't you say.
First of all, the American people rose up and got rid of a number of the rat bastard commies and socialists from congress and got rid of a few in the senate as well as cleaning up many state governors positions and state legislatures. We have a beautiful Republican woman to care for the 3rd District here.
Although the temp job that I had been working came to an end, the dealer gave me a substantial cash bonus to show his gratitude.
Now the biggest lunatic on cable TeeVee has been kicked to the curb.
I think that I shall broil some fillet Mignonne's, king crab legs and crack open a bottle of vino(yes joanie, you can still get wine that doesn't come out of a box), steam some broccoli and celebrate before I kick in to another year of unemployment insurance.

[Chucks]

Come on Putz, Olbermann is the one that always said he was a journalist in the image of Edward R Murrow. He even signed off his show as Murrow would have.
It does not matter that we knew he had no resemblance to a journalist. He pretended to be one on TeeVee every day.

[Andrew]

Putz lauds Bill Kristol for expressing skepticism, but faults me for it. Chucks hates on social programs while bragging about the good life on the dole. Between the two of you, you have negative equity in character.

[Puget Sound]

To Chucks, KS, and the Usual Suspects

A wonderful tribute to the Speaker of the House
Thanks, for the memories....with apologies to Bob Hope

[Puget Sound]

I get what your saying Chucks, but the thing with Olby is that he was such a 'great' representative of the far left.

Bon Appetite. I love the line about not drinking wine out of a box.

Andrew, you and I are in agreement with Olby and his suspension.

[Puget Sound]

Ah, I see Duff and Nevets have been busy.

Enjoy
here

[Fremont]

So sorry you lost your job and have resorted to The Dole, Chux! So Big Commie Gummint is working out for you, right? Your beloved Repugs will not be extending unemployment benefits for you, however...

[Chucks]

It was only a temp job. I covered for a man while he recovered from a heart attack. He got better, I got punted. It was expected.

[Andrew]

Chucks got a shout out on the Dave Ross show for railing against unemployment, and collecting unemployment, and seemingly having no principles, making him the third or fourth commentor on this blog to be addressed by name by a locally employed radio personality. They pretend they aren't reading, but they know this is the only place where they can find true objectivity.

[Puget Sound]

Chucks is working when it is available and using the unemployment system when it makes sense.
If you have evidence of a crime or hypocrisy, Andrew, then bring forth your facts.
I'll pause whilst you scamper away.

[Andrew]

Speaking of true objectivity, I heard Luke Burbank run overtime into what was supposed to be a commercial break. Had Dave Ross been in the chair he wouldn't have let that happen. Luke is used to doing a podcast and routinely runs rants lasting 45 minutes or longer. It confirms my early fears over Burbank being entrusted with the Dave Ross brand, that his lack of self-discipline might cause hurt the show's clean, professional image. It's the same deal with his podcast, which frequently starts late and has a random duration. He also tends to go on tangents and Dave has to get him back on topic.

Burbank is a talented talker, my wife just started listening to KIRO instead of KUOW becuase of Burbank, but he needs to accept that the world places a premium on uniformity and professionalism. He needs to stop treating planet Earth with the same carelessness that he might treat his disorganized bedroom.

I'd like to see Burbank take over for Dave whenever Dave retires, and succeed. Luke alludes to Ross making the big bucks, and I bet he'd love to land a sweet deal with Bonneville, but he has to fit into the professional form before than can ever happen.

[Andrew]

Putz, the word you're looking for is hypocrisy.

[Andrew]

Dave Ross read one of chucks posts on the air, and he had said something to the effect "I don't believe in unemployment, but I collect it anyway to get back the money the gubmint' has taken from me", in other words, "I hate it while I'm loving it."

[Puget Sound]

Andrew,
While Chuck's employers paid in to Unemployment for years on behalf of Chuck it was part of his compensation package.
So now that he needs it, he is entitled to use it.
For you to deny him that, is in fact an act of hypocrisy.
We call this a 'Teachable Moment' in the trade.

[OSK]

Anyone who thinks Maddow is just a talking head should watch her show in Alaska from last week. Her interview of Miller while walking through a gauntlet of obstacles was amazing, as was her simple Q&A with folks on the street that were protesting Eric Holder for being against guns and unable to state even one cogent reason why. She can be a bit strident but her analysis is usually solid. Here's the link to the Miller interview. In the same show she interviewed Murkowski and McAdams. That's good jounalism.

[jesus]

Yer kiddin me. Chucks is on the teat, bitchin about the lazy libtards always suckin on the gubmint teat? votin fer good christ fearin merkuns who will put an end ot this welfare state once and fer all and freedum to (sp?)? classic.
ps - brilliant to spend your unemployment (err, my money) on wine and filets

[Andrew]

It just seems to me that a person shouldn't complain about a program that's allowing them to pay their rent and put food on their table. Had unemployment benefits never existed in chucks utopia, he'd be selling himself out as a low rent manwhore on Pacifica Avenue right now.

[jesus]

First they came for the illegals but I wasn’t illegal. Then they came for the lazy libtrads, but I wasn’t a libtard; then they came for the holier than thou, no sense of irony, hypocrites and…HAY whaddya mean yer cuttin’ off MY benefits?! I earned those! I just need some time! C’mon man, have a HEART! You try to get a job in this economy! What would Jesus do? This is UnAmerican! WAAAAIT….

[Andrew]

nailed it

[Chucks]

Thank you for your concern, but I have been a lifelong saver. I bought the year old used Town Car rather than the new one. I bought the used Rolls, Mustang and F series trucks. The T Bird was new because my bride insisted that she get one new car in her life.
I have saved every year. I really am ok. It has not been a bed of roses, but all in all, life is good.
But thanks for thinking of me.
I am really disappointed in those of you that just don't understand states rights.

[jesus]

maybe you can explain it to me in your spare time. I am particularly interested in the 10th amendment vis a vis the commerce clause, and the plethora of Supreme Court precedent interpreting the same over the decades. Maybe you could cc the justices as apparently they have it wrong as well. looking forward to it.

[JulyAugustSeptember]

I don't think Maddow fits the 5 o'clock spot. KeithO can be strident, sure, but so what--he's my kind of strident.

[Mark C.]

I don't care that Keith is so strident or partisan, he just doesn't have the depth that I love in Rachel, and now in Lawrence O'Donnell. I think these two have kind of shown Keith as a little shallow. I like that the Rachel and Lawrence aren't afraid to interview the other side. Keith speaks to the echo chamber. As a true progressive, I love the give and take of robust debate.

[BlackRhino]

It’s not Chucks, its Chuck S which Dave teed off upon. You see this slimy Chuck S seems to think a meme is a great stand-in for the truth in debate circles but in real life…not so much. It’s like the old man that doesn’t believe in indoor plumbing. Because he doesn’t believe in it he doesn’t want to be taxed for it; never taking into account the numerous kids utilizing the infrastructure at the local school. At the same time he’s using the system to flush his shit. That’s how you know it’s a meme, hypocrisy wrapped in the excuse “ I paid for it, so I’ll use it”.

[KS]

The indefinite suspension of Bathtub boy is arbitrary and capricious. Mr. Griffin is a buffoon. He should also check Maddow and Matthews and Morning Joe too and see if they have donated to Demo-rat candidates and suspend them and be consistent.

I am perplexed why Major Garrett - a class act and former WH correspondent would want to be affiliated with a loon network like MSLSD, if that is in fact true.

[KS]

"Jesus" - you are the poster boy for libtard !

[BlackRhino]

He should also check Maddow and Matthews and Morning Joe too and see if they have donated

Posted by: KS | November 05, 2010 at 07:33 PM

In case you haven’t heard, the Obertard was yoinked due to his reluctance to inform management of his objective. You see, MSNBC has an imperative in place were upon the employees have to alert management of this undertaking. Therefore, management should know who is breaking the rule and punish when needed. Joe Scarborough has donated in the past with management oversite. I know you don’t understand this type of ethical decree since your right wing media outlets don’t practice the same.

[Puget Sound]

i watched maddow's performance/commentary on Olberman.
it was laughable. she completely missed the point in an attempt to cloak herself/msnbc in a holier than thou position. LMAO

Does anyone think that Hannity isn't in Michelle Bachman's camp when he interviews her on his Political Opinion Show? Is anyone surprised he donated money to her reelection?

Jeez, BR. Get a clue.