Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Michigan is a great lesson for Dems everywhere: when you have power…use it!

Jack be nimble, jack be quick, hurry up and indict this prick.

But frankly mr. cole, I’ll be happier when you get back to telling us to go fuck ourselves.

Republicans seem to think life begins at the candlelight dinner the night before.

They want us to be overwhelmed and exhausted. Focus. Resist. Oppose.

Republicans don’t want a speaker to lead them; they want a hostage.

Something needs to be done about our bogus SCOTUS.

Make the republican party small enough to drown in a bathtub.

This isn’t Democrats spending madly. This is government catching up.

Relentless negativity is not a sign that you are more realistic.

They were going to turn on one another at some point. It was inevitable.

“I was told there would be no fact checking.”

We will not go back.

Disappointing to see gov. newsom with his finger to the wind.

Never entrust democracy to any process that requires republicans to act in good faith.

Republicans: The threats are dire, but my tickets are non-refundable!

Let’s bury these fuckers at the polls 2 years from now.

DeSantis transforming Florida into 1930s Germany with gators and theme parks.

White supremacy is terrorism.

… gradually, and then suddenly.

Within six months Twitter will be fully self-driving.

An almost top 10,000 blog!

Not loving this new fraud based economy.

“Facilitate” is an active verb, not a weasel word.

You are here: Home / Silly Policy

Silly Policy

by | 90 Comments

This post is in: ,

So now it appears that Chris Hayes will not be filling in for KO, because Hayes gave donations a couple years ago.

An old NCO once told me that as a leader of men- never make a rule you can’t enforce, never make a rule you won’t enforce, and never make a rule that makes you look like an idiot if you do enforce it.

NCO’s are smart people. Phil Griffin? Not so much.

Reader Interactions

90Comments

  1. 1.

    Dusty

    From Hayes’ twitter feed:

    OK: I’m not filling in on Countdown tonight because I didn’t feel comfortable doing it given the circumstances.
    52 minutes ago

    My not hosting tonight has *nothing* to do with several donations I made to two friends *before* I ever signed an MSNBC contract
    51 minutes ago

    So he’s claiming it was his decision and not because of the “no contributions” policy.

  2. 2.

    General Stuck

    From reading about this today, it seems there is more benieth the surface, as is usually the case. Apparently, MSNBC’s parent company of NBC and GE, have long been uncomfortable with not only Olberman, but MSNBC’s left wingish programming slide in general, and were not unhappy with the outcome, at the very least. Of course, GE sent uber cash to various wingnuts, and that is just fine, but an out in the open liberal commentator doing that, calls for getting axed. coupla days after the GOP is once again been voted rightful rulers of white American realm. Notwithstanding the fact they don’ t have the WH, or the senate, but these things of course, are relative.

  4. 4.

    Bob L

    NCO’s are smart people. Phil Griffin? Not so much.

    NCO have to deal directly with the results of their bad decisions, CEO have layers and layers of middle management to protect them from their own screw ups.

    This really is a microcosm of the whole whinny ass titty baby attitude from the upper class we have been seeing from years. Griffin has had his fee fees hurt because Olbermann won’t validate Griffin’s politics so Griffin has to have his revenge even if it costs his company.

  5. 5.

    che

    nope, Chris Hayes himself says it had nothing to do with his own campaign contributions. Said he wasn’t comy subbing tonight considering all that has happened. per his tweets.

  6. 6.

    Zifnab

    So now it appears that Chris Hayes will not be filling in for KO, because Hayes gave donations a couple years ago.

    $5 says the guy they finally pick to be Olbermann’s replacement has given over a grand to the GOP in the last four years.

  8. 8.

    Zifnab

    @General Stuck:

    Apparently, MSNBC’s parent company of NBC and GE, have long been uncomfortable with not only Olberman, but MSNBC’s left wingish programming slide in general, and were not unhappy with the outcome, at the very least.

    Isn’t NBC owned by Comcast now?

    http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/04/business/media/04nbc.html

    I would like to point out that Net Neutrality backers got butchered in the last election. It could be that Comcast and AT&T are just picking off anyone else who might voice dissent.

  9. 9.

    MikeBoyScout

    An investigation by my better half has uncovered a donation made by me to another professional liberal blogger.

    To avoid controversy I am voluntarily suspending my commenting without pay for the next 30 minutes in sympathy with KO.

  10. 10.

    Brian S (formerly Incertus)

    Hayes might be telling the truth when he says it has nothing to do with the donations. He caught a lot of shit on Twitter right after the Olbermann news hit, and might have realized how much damage his reputation would take if he did the show.

  11. 11.

    lamh32

    I posted this in the early thread that was getting a bit too long in the tooth.
    Did Keith Olbermann even violate NBC policy?

    Check out the fine print of what NBC policy said, as of 2007, about political activities on the part of NBC employees:

    “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. Such activities may include participation in or contributions to political campaigns or groups that espouse controversial positions. You should report any such potential conflicts in advance to, and obtain prior approval of, the President of NBC News or his designee.”

    Emphasis mine. This is a bit difficult to parse. But this does seem to say that those who are worried that their “standing as an impartial journalist” would be jeopardized by political activity should report it. Last time I checked, Keith Olbermann doesn’t pretend to be an “impartial journalist.”

    Likewise, neither do Joe Scarborough or Pat Buchanan, both of whom have also given political contributions. It seems possible that none of these three would think they may have violated company policy.
    Odder still, an anonymous NBC insider told Gawker that it’s common knowledge within the organization that MSNBC’s left-leaning personalities aren’t necessarily required to follow NBC News rules. That makes sense, since MSNBC is pushing the envelope politically in a way NBC, obviously, isn’t.

    Again: We don’t know yet what happened here. MSNBC’s P.R. department is not responding to inquiries about whether Scarborough or Buchanan notified MSNBC brass before making their contributions. But it’s certainly fair to ask, if they’re axing Olbermann.

    The fact that it’s not even crystal clear that Olbermann violated NBC policy suggests that this could be a pretext for getting rid of him because he has difficult relations with management, or worse, because MSNBC is terrified of critics who claim it’s becoming the lefty version of Fox News.

  12. 12.

    soonergrunt

    There is only one answer that actually makes sense here, and we all know what that answer is:

    IOKIYAR

  14. 14.

    sherifffruitfly

    I love you Cole, but either keep up with latest-breaking tweets, or just don’t post.

    lols

  15. 15.

    General Stuck

    @Zifnab:

    oops, forgot about that, but Comcast is even wingnuttier than GE, which of course, per it’s pending purchase of NBC, I am sure had no impact on this event.

    smacks self up side head

  16. 16.

    lamh32

    So I know it’s no big deal, but does it wig anyone else out, that no one from MSNBC has even commented AT ALL. I really wonder if Rachel will. I suspect she won’t, even though it was her substituting for Keith and his “championship” of her that got her in the door at MSNBC right? Cause ya’ll know Joe Scar cannot stand Rachel M.

    But not word the first.

    It’s funny, cause with the suspension, MSNBC has made itself the story.

    Did NBC Nightly News even mention it?

  18. 18.

    eemom

    as noted earlier, there are a lot of very happy zillion dollar an hour media lawyers heading out to the Hamptons this evening.

    And a lot of sad little associates toiling away back at the office. : (

  19. 19.

    Zifnab

    You know, Olbermann did idolize Edward R. Murrow. And Murrow did get fired for being a lefty sympathizer. I suppose one could argue that Keith is getting exactly what he’s always wanted.

  21. 21.

    Roger Moore

    @soonergrunt:
    The real offense is disagreeing with the boss. If you want to donate to somebody the boss approves of, everything is OK. If you want to donate to somebody the boss hates, tough luck. If NBC is putting partisan restraints on Olberman’s political donations, I’d expect him to have a pretty solid wrongful termination case.

  22. 22.

    El Cid

    O/T, but this look back to 1961 for that era’s Beckite TeaTard ‘movement’:

    An attractive Dallas housewife sees little of her neighbors these days. “I just don’t have time for anything,” says Mrs. Bert Shipp. “I’m fighting Communism three nights a week.” In Hollywood Hills. TV Commercial Producer Marvin Bryan spends his spare time working for the local Freedom Club, which is dedicated to opposing “compromisers” in local and national government and to smoking out liberals in the community. Says Bryan: “We don’t want to coexist with these people. We don’t want our children to play with their children.”
    __
    At a Freedom Forum meeting in Greenwich, Conn., 800 citizens recently paid $5 apiece to sit through a day of patriotic films, speeches on dialectical materialism and attacks on the U.S. State Department, federal income tax, philanthropic foundations and Harvard University. Questions to speakers were written out, explained Mrs. Charles Chapin, one of the meeting’s sponsors, in order to screen those coming from Communists who might be in the audience.
    __
    These are only a few of the manifestations of a U.S. phenomenon: the resurgence of ultraconservative anti-Communism. Hundreds of groups and subgroups—with such names as Project Alert, Americans for Constitutional Action, Survival U.S.A. and Crusade for Americanism—have popped up across the U.S., in some cases springing from nothing to several thousand members almost overnight.
    __
    More than 100 anti-Communist study groups are being conducted in Dallas alone. Because their membership is sometimes secret and usually heavily interchangeable with other groups, no sure estimate of their strength is possible.
    __
    The far-rightists intend to figure in as many congressional campaigns as possible next year. California’s Representative John Rousselot, a member of the John Birch Society, is talking of running for the Senate in the 1962 G.O.P. primary against Incumbent Thomas Kuchel. Arkansas Congressman Dale Alford has already begun to use far-right material in a buildup against Senator J. William Fulbright.
    __
    Says Indiana’s Clarence Manion onetime dean of Notre Dame Law School and a veteran anti-Communist lecturer and writer, who claims to have 350 Conservative Clubs in operation: “I’ve never seen anything like this. As one who has faced a great many empty seats in recent years. I’d say the whole atmosphere has changed in recent months.

    The difference then was that mainstream Republicans condemned the movement as extreme and as scandalous for continually accusing various political and civic leaders of being Communists or Soviet or Chinese agents. (Eisenhower, for example.)

  24. 24.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @eemom: It is near the end of the year, I am sure that some of the associates welcome the opportunity to hit or exceed their billable hour quota.

  26. 26.

    soonergrunt

    @lamh32: Yeah. Brian Williams noted it at the end of the broadcast, but didn’t make any observations out of those strictly necessary to report the event.

  27. 27.

    'Niques

    Am I the only one who sees this as the beginning of the end of ANYONE contradicting the RW message machine? Net Neutrality has been an ongoing fight we are destined to sooner or later lose. If MSNBC cans Rachel, we’ll be left with only comedians to tell the truth.

    The networks are sitting on a boatload of money from the recent campaign ads, so they can do anything they want.

    Fuck.

  28. 28.

    chadwig

    Actually, Hayes just tweeted:

    OK: I’m not filling in on Countdown tonight because I didn’t feel comfortable doing it given the circumstances.
    1 minute ago via Brizzly

    My not hosting tonight has *nothing* to do with several donations I made to two friends *before* I ever signed an MSNBC contract

    http://twitter.com/chrislhayes

  29. 29.

    lamh32

    The funny thing is I have no idea who the dude is that’s subbing in Chris and Keith’s place?

    Do we all agree, that this is probably the end of Countdown?

    I’m guessing CNN is ecstatic, they can def beat MSNBC now, what with the “boycott” to come (/snark)

  33. 33.

    Zifnab

    @General Stuck: Not discounting the general theory, but given the turnover it does make sense that Olbermann would be canned now rather than four years ago when GE was in charge and could have just canned him for some bullshit reason prior to his gaining popularity.

    Comcast doesn’t give a shit about ratings. They’re more interested in cornering the market on Internet TV. And with Comcast owning NBC and News Corp owning Facebook, MySpace, and YouTube and Hulu split between them, it looks like an internet takeover from where I’m sitting.

    Let the privatization of the interwebs begin in earnest.

  34. 34.

    General Stuck

    With the supreme court working like little wingnut beavers undoing any and all restraints on corporate power, including the outright purchase of elections. And liberal voices getting scrubbed off the waves. Well, all I can say is.

    Punetang!!

  35. 35.

    Southern Beale

    @‘Niques:

    Am I the only one who sees this as the beginning of the end of ANYONE contradicting the RW message machine?

    Nope. We’re back to communicating on fliers tacked on telephone poles.

    Alternately, the overreach by the right wing corporatists to control the message could be the spark that ignites a real rebellion.

    But probably not.

  37. 37.

    Joseph Nobles

    The Wall Street Journal piece does not actually say Hayes won’t be hosting because of the donations. It simply inserts the information into the copy in such a way to lead its readers to make the erroneous conclusion.

  39. 39.

    soonergrunt

    Bill in Portland, Maine has a great idea:

    Meanwhile, I was thinking of something we could collectively do to support Keith Olbermann in addition to raising holy hell. Then I went to Amazon.com and noticed that George W. Bush’s lame attempt at revisionist history is #1 on their bestseller list. Keith has a new book out, too. It’s called Pitchforks and Torches. I’m thinking it might be fun if everyone in the progressive netroots bought a copy and knocked Bush off his perch. Yeah. That might be real enjoyable.

    http://www.amazon.com/Pitchforks-Torches-Worst-Posturing-Republicans/dp/0470614471/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1288992100&sr=1-1
    Which our host could add to his Amazon store. I’m just sayin’.

  41. 41.

    General Stuck

    @Zifnab:

    Yea, I see that happening too, on a lot of fronts. I think we are witnessing a grand play for an Oligarchy of sorts, with what appears a multi front assault on any and everything uncorporate and unprofit maximizing. And by extension, unGOP.

    But putting up a lot of roadblocks on the internet at this stage of it being largely unfettered for over a decade, is not going to go over well with the public who has grown used to paying a fee and surfing at the speed they paid for. Not to mention censoring pol content and the like.

    I may be a pollyanna, but I really do see a major backlash coming in the years to come, even for apathetic Americans on learning about their government and how it is fucking them royally. Of course, by that time, there may only be a ruling class, and peasant class, and a police class to keep the rif raff in line for the plutocrats/ For a schilling, we might can visit the Middle Class Museum though.

  42. 42.

    El Tiburon

    How forcefully does Maddow denounce his? I think she should go full-throttle and lay into mgmt.

    If they can Olbermann, how can they not can the much more liberal Maddow?

  43. 43.

    You Don't Say

    @Cat Lady: He hammered some Republican. (Sorry, don’t know which one, they all look alike to me.) Mostly about taxes and taking cheap shots at Pelosi. I know a lot of people don’t like him, and I certainly get tired of him, but he has his moments when he calls an asshole an asshole to his face.

  45. 45.

    Dave C

    I don’t particularly like KO, so I won’t shed any tears if it turns out that this firing wasn’t bogus, but I really hope that whatever standard is enforced here ends up being enforced fairly and across the board (I’m looking at you, Joe Scarborough!).

  50. 50.

    AhabTRuler

    I really hope that whatever standard is enforced here ends up being enforced fairly and across the board (I’m looking at you, Joe Scarborough!).

    SRSLY? No way in hell. It would take something like a dead intern to get rid of Joe Scar.

    Eh, maybe if Mika “hits her head on a desk”.

  52. 52.

    Southern Beale

    Cenk guested for Ed Schultz? I’m sure they won’t make THAT mistake again! I love Cenk.

    Okay, this wins the prize:

    “I think Stew Beef had it right.

    “Right now, MSNBC has been trying to win a game of Calvinball. And FoxNews is Calvin. Well, they’re not going to win (duh!).

    “The solution is to not play FoxNews’ game. Play their own damn game. Like a rousing game of “We’re not going to just talk about American politics and fill time with American puff pieces like CNN.”

    “Take a cue from the Beeb and NPR. Give good coverage on politics, fair, neutral, direct – you know, like Cronkite used to do – and when you’re out of politics, talk about brown people getting killed in countries that don’t contain the words “United,” “States,” or “America.”

    “Also, cancel “Lockup.” In fact, cancel it, feed all the tapes to a shredder, and then destroy the VCR that plays it on an endless loop all weekend long.

    Finally. Good. I’m glad to have an Olbie-free vacation. He’s become a crank and a blowhard.”

    Someone longs for the good ol’ days. Sigh.

  53. 53.

    Allan

    Time for an update based on Chris Hayes’ tweets, which have greater credibility than a WSJ blog.

    Seriously, the last thing we need to do right now is slag on Chris for being put in an awkward situation by his incompetent employer, and then making the wise decision to extricate himself from it.

  59. 59.

    dlnelson

    Welcome to corporate owned right wing media. There is no room for commentary, only fire breathing, scandalous mongering, no facts reporting. It is what sells. Forget the facts folks, get used to republican sound bites, and Joe Schmo leaning back in his chair pooh poohing they both (the sides) do it. How anyone can be that gross so early in the morning, with his sidekick mugging for the camera – can even get a rating is beyond me. I cannot stand those weasels. I would rather play with raccoons in the daytime. The Washington J on C span and all C span programming is quickly becoming a right wing 24/7 event. We need to protect the internet at all costs. We are all servants now.

  60. 60.

    FlipYrWhig

    It’s a good think MSNBC didn’t just sink a lot of money into branding their network based on their lineup of prime-time stars!

  61. 61.

    FlipYrWhig

    @dlnelson:

    Forget the facts folks, get used to republican sound bites, and Joe Schmo leaning back in his chair pooh poohing they both (the sides) do it.

    Joe Schmo’s agent told him his name was too ethnic, so he changed it to “Jon Stewart.”

    I keed, I keed…

  64. 64.

    calipygian

    @elcid

    The last paragraph of that 50 year old Time article is depressingly relevant:

    Simply denouncing the policies of the far right is not likely to temper its fanaticism, for it thrives on martyrdom—and is only too happy to add its critics to its list of subversives. If the members of the far right are to be wooed back into normal channels of political expression, politicians must patiently face the task of convincing them that at the present time the real danger to the nation lies from without, and that the way to fight that danger is to encourage unity at home and unflinching policies abroad that reflect the best interests of the U.S.

    Read more: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,895749-6,00.html#ixzz14SJo1daS

  69. 69.

    eemom

    also, too — apologies to all those who take this as a serious omen of RW censorship armaggeddon……but in my evil opinion it is all just funny as shit.

    If (1) there really wasn’t a “policy” that KO violated, and/or it was applied unequally, and (2) he has a contract that was violated by this “suspension,” he is gonna either (1) be back on Monday or (2) sue NBC’s corporate ass from here to kingdom come. That’s really all there is to it.

  70. 70.

    MattR

    @El Tiburon:

    How forcefully does Maddow denounce his? I think she should go full-throttle and lay into mgmt.
    __
    If they can Olbermann, how can they not can the much more liberal Maddow?

    I just want to know in advance if Rachel does not denounce this on her show does it mean that she is a corporate shill or does it mean the situation is not as egregious as the blogosphere is making it.

  73. 73.

    freelancer

    @Cacti:

    He was a hero to me back in the day, but nowadays, with more voices out there, he’s kind of revealed himself to be kind of a left wing hack, blinded by his hate for all things Murdoch. He did give us Rachel.

  74. 74.

    Jay

    Alison Stewart, whom I love, should guest on the condition that she can share the anchor’s table with Jon Meacham, then, the minute the cameras roll, she should do what it is clear she has wanted to do since they started working together on PBS, and punch Meacham in the face.

    I would enjoy that, as would many readers of this blog.

  75. 75.

    Larry Bird

    I kind of like people who say they are conducting objective interviews to not have any tangible ties to the subject of the interview. Thats just me I guess. Why are people pissed? Is it because Fox would never do it? Fox is shameless. Why is that organization being used for comparison? MSNBC set a policy (stupid or not) and enforced it. All this “Here comes the end of anyone contradicting the right wing message machine” is honestly hysterical and delusional. Politico called them on it knowing the contributions were a story and MSNBC had the choice to look like Fox News hypocrites and protect people their base of viewers love or do the right thing and suspend (not fire) a guy who violated company policy.

    On a unrelated note…. I like everyone on MSNBC but that guy who screams at the tv, Schultz. Please fire him.

  76. 76.

    Polly

    My e-mails to the NBC/MSNBC honchos are all bouncing back. Does any one else have this problem?

  78. 78.

    Pancake

    Here’s a sampling of some of the correspondence that has been sent to the honcho over at MSNBC. The arguments made for bringing Olbermann back are compelling and well made in a surprisingly professional manner. In fact, the correspondence is so persuasive that Olby will be brought back in a New York minute, without any doubt.

  80. 80.

    TooManyJens

    @Larry Bird:

    I kind of like people who say they are conducting objective interviews to not have any tangible ties to the subject of the interview. Thats just me I guess. Why are people pissed?

    It would be one thing, and eminently reasonable, to have a policy saying that a host can’t interview someone they’ve donated to.

    It’s another thing to have a policy that your on-air personalities can’t donate to any candidates, except when they can. And lo and behold, the times when they can turn out (so far, at least) to be the times they’ve donated to Republicans.

    I’m not pissed that Olbermann got suspended, exactly — if he knew he was breaking the rule, then what did he expect? But I’m getting pretty leery that there’s selective enforcement going on here. I also think it’s pretty stupid in general for MSNBC to try to claim that Olbermann and other hosts don’t have a political point of view. They were hired to report on the news from their particular points of view. And that’s fine, and MSNBC should just be honest enough to embrace it.

  81. 81.

    Larry Bird

    @TooManyJens: @TooManyJens:

    What selective enforcement? Joe Scarborough promoting starbucks looking like a idiot on a morning show isn’t the same as a anchor on a election night broadcast interviewing the opponent of a guy he gave money to two hours before polls closed. If you want Olberman in the same class as Scarborough fine but I bet Keith doesn’t consider it that way and would probably be pissed at the association. On-air personality and objective news anchor who covers elections and other topics in a supposedly straight manner are not apples to apples. Olberman put himself out there as a guy giving you the straight dope. The campaign contributions coupled with the interviews looks kind of unethical.

    You all have way too much faith in Olberman and people in the news you are fond of. Is it possible some day some how Keith would support something you do not? Wouldn’t you call him out for giving a softball interview to a group or person he gave money to that you dislike?

  82. 82.

    mclaren

    …Never make a rule you can’t enforce, never make a rule you won’t enforce, and never make a rule that makes you look like an idiot if you do enforce it.

    If those principles were enforced, no laws in America would exist. The American so-called “justice” system would disappear tomorrow.

  83. 83.

    TooManyJens

    @Larry Bird: I don’t even like or watch Olbermann, and I have no idea what you’re talking about re: Starbucks. Scarborough gave money to Republicans’ campaigns.

    I agree with you about the interview; it’s skeevy, and that’s the kind of thing that there should correctly be policy against. I don’t agree that Olbermann is supposed to be giving the news in a “straight” (read: nonpartisan) way. He’s a liberal who gives the news from a liberal point of view. Which, again, I don’t think is a bad thing.

  84. 84.

    ricky

    I am so glad Rachel stood up for Keith, MSNBC, wishes he were back, there’s no double standard as so many have screamed cuz Joe asked real nice, and this proves we are better than FOX. Now that I have demonstrated my integriloyalty, can I haz 8-9, pls?

  88. 88.

    Joseph Nobles

    Of course someone at the Daily Kos has discovered a large donation made by Joe Scarborough this campaign season, made after Joe flew down to Alabama to campaign for the guy.

    Tomorrow’s going to be fun to watch.

  89. 89.

    JenJen

    @Joseph Nobles: The Scarborough question is pretty big, I think. Rachel Maddow tonight was most certainly referring to Scarborough when she said she understood and accepted NBC’s policy, she just wanted it to be applied equally and consistently. (If anyone missed her show tonight, do try to catch a repeat and especially the last five minutes where she addresses the Olbermann suspension.)

    I guess we’re going to have to wait till Monday to see how this all shakes out, though. I’m pretty sure that’s why they always let you go on a Friday…

  90. 90.

    El Cid

    @calipygian: People would be surprised how much they’d notice about today’s situation if they dipped back into the Times or other archives, say in the 1930s, or 1950s, or 1960s.

Comments are closed.