Should MSNBC Have Suspended Keith Olbermann?

by SodaHead News Posted November 05, 2010 21:18:14

Related Topics: Keith Olbermann, Senate, Election, Midterm Elections

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	Yes	764 votes	49%
	No	722 votes	46%
	Undecided	82 votes	5%

Just like famous people die in threes... now talking heads seem to fall from their networks in threes as well. First Rick Sanchez from CNN, then Juan Williams from NPR and now the left-leaning Keith Olbermann bites the dust from MSNBC. Well, kinda.

Just days following the Midterm Elections in which critics called MSNBC's coverage of the historic political upheaval "'The View' without Elisabeth Hasselbeck," Olbermann has been suspended indefinitely from the station without pay.

Ouch.

The suspension doesn't come from something he said on air, though that may surprise many of you, rather it comes after his bosses got word that Olbermann had donated to three Democratic candidates over the course of the election season.

"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," MSNBC president Phil Griffin said in a statement.

Politico reported Friday that Olbermann gave $2,400 each (seems kinda stingy, no?) to Reps. Raul Grijalva and Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona and to Kentucky Senate contender Jack Conway. While NBC News does not forbid its employees from contributing financially to candidates, it requires them to get permission from NBC News execs before doing so.

Olbermann defended his donation saying, "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."

+14

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MOMMA THOMAS November 05, 2010 22:50:06 (edited)

No

+13
HAVE FOLLOWED KEITH'S CAREER EVER SINCE HE WAS A LOCAL SPORTS REPORTER. ...ALWAYS LOVED TO HEAR HIS OPINIONS, ...AS WELL AS HIS EMOTIONAL DEEP-FELT OUTBURSTS.

SINCE WHEN DOES A MAN'S EMPLOYER DETERMINE ANOTHER'S RIGHT/FREEDOM TO MAKE A POLITICAL CONTRIBUTION...WITH THEIR PERMISSION?
>> See Replies

Wadie Malaty January 22, 2011 03:55:48

No

Few liberals say it as they see it. Yet many conservatives do. We need open, courageous and honest voices. I am tired of liberals being apologetic. Instead MSNBC lets Keith go. I hope he flourishes somewhere else and we the liberals will follow him.

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sydneymunoz68 November 20, 2010 19:02:57 (edited)

No

NO BIRTH CONTROL SHOULD NOT BE FREE!!this is like telling everyone to go out there and have sex because their is birth control.By the time I AM 24 25 26 OR SO IM GOING TO BE MAD CAUSE EVERYBODY IS ALREADY GOING TO HAVE HAD SEX BY THEN.AND SOO WILL YOUR KIDS.

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xoxo November 17, 2010 00:39:00

No

this is really stupid. you shouldn't have 2 ask for permission to donate money. this wasn't bad enuf 2 be suspended w/no pay

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marchantmarchant November 16, 2010 12:52:04

No

Way too much emphasis on something trivial meanwhile the true crooks get awary with pure murder in some cases.

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socialm... to marchan... December 03, 2010 05:12:55

Yea like the huge paycheck target gave to the anti-gay Right.

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red November 16, 2010 05:57:19

Yes

+2
I think they should have fired the Left-wing bias'd jackasz.

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socialm... to red December 03, 2010 05:16:23

I wouldn't trade Olberman for your Right wing biased slut Palin, but I would trade him for the entire Faux network .... and at that point I am sure Olberman would be happy to retire and enjoy life for once, like many of us whose past to the present skies have been clouded by the evil conservative darkness suffocating the world.

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red to socialm... November 08, 2011 08:24:01

Pay no attention to Obama's past as the socialist tries to reshape America in an image even this rookie barely understands. Stick to Liberalism. After all the only thing that counts is that you feel good in your liberal guilt. Not results.

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Luke of Oak Hills November 16, 2010 03:09:08

No

+1
I've said this before and I will say it again, the majority of the people on SodaHead are teabagger or republicans. Therefore, a question as such will definately get a "Yes, he should has been suspended" response from the masses.

I think Keith is doing a EXCELLENT job opening the eyes of americans who are interested in FACTS.

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red to Luke of... November 16, 2010 05:59:16

+1
That is becasue about 30 percent of Democrats can't read or use a computer.

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Luke of... to red November 18, 2010 07:36:54

+1
@red, you are obviously a teabagger. I will pray for you and others like you to take your heads out of Sarah Palin's a%! and see the light.

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swbatt to Luke of... November 25, 2010 14:10:32

+1
puke.

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red to Luke of... November 28, 2010 08:06:43

+1
Luke, pray for yourself. Pray that you are not a worm for the rest of your useless life. Go back to bed and watch your gay porn!

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Luke of... to red November 06, 2011 03:09:48

How sad that you are so unhappy with yourself. I WILL CONTINUE TO PRAY FOR YOU UNTIL YOU ACCEPT WHO YOU ARE AND RESPECT YOURSELF.

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red to Luke of... November 08, 2011 08:25:23

Another Liberal who thinks he knows all but knows nothing. Go back to high school. Try to finish this time.

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BARRY0619 to Luke of... December 03, 2010 17:42:17

And we will pray that you make an attempt to get your GED and take some economics and finance courses in college so that you will have a clue as to what is going on around you.

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socialm... to red December 03, 2010 05:18:28

One minute we are the elitists controlling the universities and another we can't read or cybertype. Do, moron cite your sources of facts when you post percentages.

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red to socialm... December 05, 2010 09:36:23

Here's a percentage. 100 percent of socialm comments are a waste of my time

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BARRY0619 to Luke of... December 03, 2010 17:39:00

First off, they are called Tea Party Patriots. Funny how you call patriotic citizens of all political affiliations ( Democrat, Republican, and Libertarian ) that are members of the Tea Party , a homosexual term. ( teabagger ) It makes it blatantly obvious where your mind is...or what's left of it.

Lastly, if Keith is the person you rely on to force feed you your facts, you are a sad case.

By the way, " definately " is actually spelled Definitely...LOL !

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Luke of... to BARRY0619 November 06, 2011 03:05:59

You and others like you coined "teabagger". I had nothing to do with it. Furthermore, I've never heard the word until I saw a "teabagger" protest on Fox Noise a year or so ago. The protesters were calling themselves "teabaggers"

So, "teabagger" do not blame me for something I had nothing to do with.

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jabo November 15, 2010 02:07:28

Yes

+1
The choices should have been, vote yes for suspension, or vote yes for firing him. Olbermann, Maddow and Mathews, are the slimiest people giving out the news of any station, even Hannity isnt half as bad as them. Oh also forgot, Joy Behar should have been in that pigpen too.
They were at their slimiest on election night. Not one conservative voice in that studio. At lleast Fox has some liberal views and representatives.

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hijinx_10 November 15, 2010 01:13:45

Yes

+2
Olbermann is a jerk

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Luke of... to hijinx_10 November 18, 2010 07:34:46

@hijinx_10, You think he is a jerk because he tells the truth.

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swbatt to Luke of... November 25, 2010 14:11:18

+1
puke

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sydneym... to hijinx_10 November 20, 2010 19:15:01 (edited)

NOO!! IT SHOULD NOT BE FREE!!

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Mr. STFU November 14, 2010 16:45:36

Yes

+1
While I support the position of the employer of enforcing policy that was clearly in place prior to the incident, I feel it was a bit harsh. The issue is not whether he was being true to his political belief by making the campaign contributions, nor is there a direct comparision evident between this and Fox as Fox makes their own corporate policy and can do as they see fit - this should remain a simple case of cause and effect. Break a rule - bad things happen.

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socialm... to Mr. STFU December 03, 2010 05:22:53

Republicans have abused the democratic process to usher in fascism for more than 30 years. Where is their punishment?

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Mr. STFU to socialm... December 03, 2010 19:18:39

Not sure that I would make as sweeping as a generalization as that though I believe the GOP has been more oft used as a corporate, elitist tool for change for anti-populist agenda. That being said, it's more a function for political currency in trade for power, something that both sides of the aisle engage in more often than either will admit to. This has little to do with Olbermann's decision to err against company policy - his was a decision built where conviction trumped logic.

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red to socialm... November 08, 2011 08:28:59

Obama, who stomps on the Constitution, is the real face of facism. You Liberals are blind, deaf, dumb and a waste of my time!

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Laura November 13, 2010 22:41:31

Yes

+2
It should have been longer than 2 weeks. He knew the rules. To enforce the provision against being biased in the news MSNBC restricts donations to political parties or candidates. This would apply, even if the candidate was a close friend or relative.

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Luke of... to Laura November 18, 2010 07:38:45

You are a hypocrite.

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Laura to Luke of... February 06, 2011 02:58:51

Hardly. The rules are there for everyone. Either go by them or go somewhere else where you have rules you'll obey.

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sydneym... to Laura November 20, 2010 19:14:44

+2
NOOOOO!!NOOOO AND NOOO!!!PEOPLE LIKE YALL SHOULD JUST GO OUT THEIR AND TELL TEENS/KIDS ITS OK FOR YALL TO HAVE SEX..WHAT R-TARDS..NO IT SHOULD NOT BE FREE ..NOW DO YOU SEE WHY??

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Joker2874 November 13, 2010 19:43:14 (edited)

Undecided

Maybe a verbal reprimand..but not sure about a suspension..Newspapers all over the country pub-lish who they endorse 4 office all the time..from a small town mayor..to President of the United States..How is that different from this?..That Olbermann went to a politician's fund raiser dinner or made a few donations..Who cares really ? Did he effect how U voted in your area on Election Day? I doubt it..Most of the Fox News commentators (like Rush, Hannity & O'Reily)..seem like theyr practically running 4 office all the time (wannabee senators) than reporting the news..Isnt that what Fox News is suppose to report the news, on a wide variety of nat'l & global events & issues? Not just what Democrats did wrong again on Capitol Hill..I know I'll get a comment(s) that CNN & MSNBC do the same on Republicans..Yes, but not as much as Fox News..This whole Olbermann thing is waaay overblown...Again, who cares ?!

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jabo to Joker2874 November 15, 2010 03:00:13

+1
It couldn't have happened to a more deserving person. Maybe they will fire him next time.
FYI... It was an NBC/MSNBC policy, and he knew it when he was hired, 'Nuff said

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sydneym... to Joker2874 November 20, 2010 19:04:57

+2
THE ANSWER SHOULD BE NOOO!!!!

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Stan November 11, 2010 12:09:17

No

+1
The talking heads at Fox News actually attend, and sponsor T-Baggers rallies, and as a citizen Kieth is not able to make political donations. Here is a Corporation who can spend any amount to buy our elections, and an individual citizen is fired for making a donation. Maybe the Supreme Court should give American citizens an individuals rights like they did for corporations. Boy, our democracy is going down the tubes!

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Laura to Stan November 13, 2010 22:42:38

This is a news network trying to be unbiased. Fox does not try to be unbiased

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Stan to Laura November 14, 2010 00:49:27

What does his reporting of the news, and his civil rights to think and believe in what he wants to in private, have to do with bias? He didn't declare that he had made donations to Democrats during his news hour, nor did he try to influence anyone else to donate to the Democratic party. His CORPORATE CEO made that public, otherwise nobody would have ever known. Are you claiming that all or any newsman or women do not have their own private political convictions, or vote those convictions? Your charge has absolutely no merit. Wow, I am stunned at your admission that Fox is indeed biased, which means everything they present is not news, but they are an arm of the Republican/Conservative, and T-Bagger parties. In that context, Fox News (An oxymoron as they make up the news) is there simply for entertainment, and nobody should take anything they say as facts, truth, or reality. They lie, just like the Republican party, Glenn Beck, Hannity, Bill O'rielly, Sara Palin, and Michell Bauchman lie. That's quite an admission, and I applaud you for admitting it.

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Laura to Stan November 14, 2010 02:55:09

I think we are basically on the same side here. What I meant to say was that he knew the rules when he joined MSNBC. He broke the rules, therefore, he is subject to being suspended. I did not know that it was the MSNBC Corporate CEO who made the donations public but regardless, the rules are the rules.

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