Posted on AOLNEWS.COM
by Andrea Stone, Senior Washington Correspondent
(Nov. 5 ) — Here’s one story you will be talking about tomorrow.
MSNBC liberal talk show host Keith Olbermann has been suspended indefinitely without pay from MSNBC after his boss learned he had violated newsroom policies by giving campaign contributions to three Democratic candidates for Congress.
That is the same Keith Olbermann who pummeled Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. for giving $1 million to the Republican Governors Association in order to buy “campaign influence.”
Oops.
In a terse statement today, MSNBC TV President Phil Griffin said, “I became aware of Keith’s political contributions late last night. Mindful of NBC News policy and standards, I have suspended him indefinitely without pay.”
The news that the liberal flamethrower had thrown cash to three congressional candidates was first reported by Politico.
Olbermann acknowledged in a statement that he made the donations:
“One week ago, on the night of Thursday October 28 2010, after a discussion with a friend about the state of politics in Arizona, I donated $2,400 each to the re-election campaigns of Democratic Representatives Raul Grijalva and Gabrielle Giffords,” Olbermann said. “I also donated the same amount to the campaign of Democratic Senatorial candidate Jack Conway in Kentucky.”
Olbermann said he did not use his influence to solicit donations from others for the candidates.
“I did not privately or publicly encourage anyone else to donate to these campaigns, nor to any others in this election or any previous ones, nor have I previously donated to any political campaign at any level,” Olbermann said.
The shocking news, as the often holier-than-thou commentator might put it, came at an interesting time. Three days earlier, stung by ridicule at last week’s Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear, Olbermann said he would shelve his trademark daily segment, “Worst Persons in the World.”
NEW YORK (AP) — MSNBC says Keith Olbermann will be back on the air Tuesday, ending his suspension for violating NBC’s rules against making political donations after two shows.
MSNBC’s chief executive Phil Griffin said late Sunday that after several days of deliberation, he had determined that two days off the air was “an appropriate punishment for his violation of our policy.”
(Nov. 5 ) — Here’s one story you will be talking about tomorrow.
MSNBC liberal talk show host Keith Olbermann has been suspended indefinitely without pay from MSNBC after his boss learned he had violated newsroom policies by giving campaign contributions to three Democratic candidates for Congress.
That is the same Keith Olbermann who pummeled Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. for giving $1 million to the Republican Governors Association in order to buy “campaign influence.”
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November 7, 2010 Update
The following news item really says that MSNBC’s most popular program cannot be kept off the air because MONEY speaks louder than behavior.
NEW YORK (AP) — MSNBC says Keith Olbermann will be back on the air Tuesday, ending his suspension for violating NBC’s rules against making political donations after two shows.
MSNBC’s chief executive Phil Griffin said late Sunday that after several days of deliberation, he had determined that two days off the air was “an appropriate punishment for his violation of our policy.”
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