Olbermann Resusitated - Surprise, Surprise

No crow on my menu today (read here). If anything, I'm more convinced than ever that the public - or at least Keith Olbermann's fan club - has been had.

BJ of DemWit, who has also written about this escapade, emailed me this morning with an opinion and a link to The Progress Report on Think Progress. I will leave it up to BJ to publish her opinion but here are some highlights from our progressively thinking friends.

Only a fool would deny the following:

. . . While Olbermann should and will return to host Countdown, the incident illustrates a vital difference of integrity. While MSNBC suspended Olbermann for a private campaign donation, Fox News is encouraging its commentators to launch, create, endorse, promote, and raise funds for Republican candidates while the parent company is donating millions directly to the GOP. . .

. . . Olbermann is a long-standing progressive champion who always shares his opinions openly, but also takes seriously his role as a responsible conveyor of facts. The difference between Olbermann and a myriad of Fox pundits -- and the difference between MSNBC and Fox News itself -- is the difference between a news operation and a partisan political machine.

But.

. . . unlike Olbermann, Scarborough cleared his contribution in 2006 (and presumably did so this year). Buchanan is a contributor rather than a host, and CNBC is exempt from NBC's policy. Ultimately, while the description of Olbermann as an "impartial journalist" isn't exactly correct, he -- like Scarborough -- is bound by NBC policy, and thus should have disclosed his donation and -- despite his reported reluctance -- admitted to his error.

And then it's back to the same old comparison to FOX News and its total lack of pretext to having any kind of standards:

While NBC, MSNBC, Newsweek, the New York Times, Reuters, ABC, CBS, NPR, Dow Jones, and U.S. News & World Report all either forbid or restrict political contributions to prevent appearance of partiality, Fox News has shrugged off the thinly-veiled "fair and balanced" slogan to become a powerful propaganda network delivering a comprehensive platform for the GOP.

Again, this is absolutely verifiably true, but  KO's transgression stinks like an overflowing cesspool on a hot humid day in the middle of summer. He's simply too smart not to be aware that what he was doing was a breach of contract. To claim otherwise is foolhardy at best. The only explanation left, in my opinion, is that this was indeed a PR stunt and, if so, it stinks even worse than a false claim of ignorance.

Here's more from TPM:

According to the Times, he also criticized NBC for its "inconsistently applied" policy that he didn't even know existed.

Editorial: K.O.'s K.O.

Well, I've certainly flip-flopped all over the ball park over the issue of Keith Olbermann's suspension and whether or not it was justified. From the moment it broke, something didn't quite smell right to me and it still doesn't. My gut reaction was a prim, "rules are rules."

Then I began reading some very excellent arguments which were put forth by Reality Zone who published an article from Fairness and Accuracy In Reporting (FAIR). Others include Oh!pinion and Politics Plus. These are all top-notch blogs whose writers are smart and talented and who possess admirable integrity. Coming at it from different directions they argue that NBC has treated KO unfairly. They almost have me convinced, but something keeps nagging at me just the same.

I go to Progressive Eruptions where Shaw writes about Rachel Maddow's reaction to the action and my nose starts sniffing again. By the time I get to Menopausal Stoners and Useless Trivia and Mindless Rants  it's begun to twitch like a dog with St. Vitus Dance. And this is why.

I don't give a flying flip what Joe Scarborough got away with, or what FOX News does or even GE. I just don't think their lack of ethics has any bearing on Keith Olbermann. Nor do I think KO's good and noble contributions to the liberal cause have any bearing on the situation. Nor does the small amount he donated. And this is why.

It is about Olbermann and the contract he signed with NBC, a contract that is binding, a contract that states in plain English that journalists must check with management before donating to a political campaign. FOX News excepted, this is pretty standard in the world of ethical journalism. He has no more right to break this contract than anyone else has a right to unilaterally suspend a legal agreement. Sure, all kinds of others have gotten away with it, but that doesn't make it okay for Olbermann to get away with it. It especially doesn't make it okay for a champion of truth and honesty to get away with it. It especially doesn't make it okay for a respected journalist to get away with it. And this is why.

Any journalist who possesses an ounce of brains and a thimble-full of integrity will at all costs avoid even the slightest appearance of wrong doing. Drama King that Olbermann can be sometimes, he's by no means short on brains. So, why? Why would he do something that he is smart enough to know ain't kosher? And this is the crux of the problem with me.

Menopausal Stoner writes in her article, Suspending KO = Effective PR, "I'm thinking there's a special comment from Keith - already in production - where he says being suspended was appropriate because it distinguishes MSNBC from FOX."

Progressive Eruptions quotes Rachel Maddow: “He made three personal political donations to candidates in this last election cycle,” she said. “The reason that resulted in Keith’s suspension is that, here at MSNBC, there is an explicit employee rule against hosts making contributions like that. . . . But if you do not ask in advance, you are bound by the rule.”

Smell anything yet?

If this is, and I'm beginning to think it is, some kind of PR stunt, or if it's manufactured news, or just bad theatre, Olbermann is seriously out of bounds. Not only is this kind of crap entirely unethical, he's sinking to the level of FOX News. And if my suspicions are correct? I'll leave that up to NBC.

And if my suspicions are wrong? I'll be wearing feathers in my mouth.

UPDATE, Sunday, 11/07: From Politico:

BEHIND THE CURTAIN: Network sources tell Playbook that Keith Olbermann was suspended because he refused to deliver an on-camera mea culpa, which would have allowed him to continue anchoring “Countdown.” Olbermann told his bosses he didn't know he was barred from making campaign contributions, although he is resisting saying that publicly. Olbermann may not hold as many cards as he thinks. He makes $7 million a year and MSNBC's prime time is not as dependent on him as it was before the addition of Rachel Maddow and Lawrence O'Donnell, who make considerably less.