Tears Of a Clown

Keith Olbermann, MSNBC's resident clown, committed an infraction that proved to be no laughing matter. When it was discovered that he contributed money to two Democratic House candidates in Arizona and the (alas, failed) Senate campaign of Jack Conway in Kentucky - $2400 each, for a total of $7200 - MSNBC suspended him indefinitely for doing so. Although the channel's two most visible conservative commentators, former congressman Joe Scarborough and veteran political operative Pat Buchanan, have contributed money to Republican candidates, Olbermann's apparent crime is that he donated the money without prior permission from his bosses. As he gave the money about five days before Election Day, it seems he couldn't wait that long.

Needless to say, MSNBC's viewers - yes, there are some! - see this punitive action as the equivalent of swatting a mosquito with a baseball bat, and they are demanding that Olbermann be re-instated on his show "Countdown" immediately. A petition being circulated by BoldProgressives.org, having been signed by 200,000 people (including me, in full disclosure) received coverage from the New York Times, and Rachel Maddow declared on her show that MSNBC was feeling the public's outrage.

This is a positive sign for those who appreciate Olbermann's passionate and incisive commentary and all of those who believe that such punishment hardly fits something that barely constitutes a crime. Who do you think would Olbermann, as a private citizen, have given money to? It's not as if he ever pretended to be a nonpartisan reporter. He's a commentator, for Pete's sake! Why does he need "permission" to help candidates he believes in?

If MSNBC president Phil Griffin doesn't bring Keith Olbermann back soon, than he's the worst . . . person . . . in the world!