Greg Mitchell
November 5, 2010
Just hours after Politico dug up the fact that MSNBC host Keith Olbermann, a few days ago, had donated to three Democrats running for office this week, the cable news network suspended the newsman/commentator without pay indefinitely.
A New York Times report just posted suggests that an NBC executive indicated that this was not a step toward terminating Olbermann.
Chris Hayes of The Nation was asked to host tonight's show, but the Times subsequently reported that the invitation has been rescinded.
It's not clear if MSNBC policy is no donations at all for top staffers or all staffers, or only donations that are "approved," or what. The Olbermann case has an added twist that he interviewed one of the candidates on air just before sending his campaign money, and that he anchored Election Night coverage.
Liberal bloggers were quick to point out that MSNBC's Pat Buchanan made at least five donations to candidates in recent years. He is a contributor, not a host/anchor, however. MSNBC's Joe Scarborough, once and current host, donated $4200 to House candidate in 2006. It recently came to light that Fox's Sean Hannity, and his wife, each gave $5000 to Michele Bachmann. Neil Cavuto has also donated to candidates.
Greg Sargent at the Washington Post raises the question: Did Olbermann even violate the network's policy? Activists are already circulating petitions and jamming NBC phone lines.
Olbermann has not yet responded to the suspension but earlier he had acknowledged the donations, saying they were his first, and hinting that this was not so bad compared to Fox practically fundraising for candidates on its nightime programs. Some of his fans worry that since he has sometimes clashed with top NBC execs they will use this episode as an excuse to fire him -- a la the Juan Williams / NPR episode.
Interesting take by Jeff Bercovici at Forbes: "Another question in all this is whether the looming acquisition of NBC Universal by Comcast played any role in [MSNBC President Phil] Griffin’s response. Whether he was disparaging his colleagues in public or blurring the roles of anchor and commentator, Olbermann has always required a great deal of special care and handling, and Griffin has always been careful to give it to him. But with the merger now facing a potentially difficult approval process in a Washington suddenly swarming with Republican lawmakers, NBC can hardly afford to be giving ammunition to its conservative critics."
Andy Borowitz tweets: "MSNBC's new motto: "Lean Forward, so we can kick your ass out of the building."
More to come, stay tuned here.
Greg Mitchell's award-winning book The Campaign of the Century and the birth of media politics has just been published in a new editon.
What is the difference, they can't effect the vote and they are like anyone else who would want to donate. I hope that he comes back i love watching him, and why does certain members of the press get away with donating especially fox news. I bet they have more donations then is reported. And this was Keith's first known donation. Gee whiz this stinks.
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