Joe Scarborough suspended from MSNBC for campaign donations

[onehandle]

Source: Politico

MSNBC said Friday that it is suspending “Morning Joe” co-host Joe Scarborough for two days after he acknowledged giving eight previously unknown $500 contributions to friends and family members running for state and local offices during his tenure at the network, a violation of parent NBC’s ban on political contributions by employees without specific permission from the network president.

“I recognize that I have a responsibility to honor the guidelines and conditions of my employment, and I regret that I failed to do so in this matter,” Scarborough said in a statement. “I apologize to MSNBC and to anyone who has been negatively affected by my actions,” he said, adding that after he was made aware of some of the contributions, he called MSNBC president Phil Griffin “and agreed with Phil's immediate demand of a two-day suspension without pay.”

POLITICO had sought comment from the network after finding evidence that Scarborough gave at least five previously unknown $500 contributions while serving as an MNBC host – all to Republican candidates to whom he was close who were running for state legislative seats in or near Scarborough’s hometown of Pensacola, Fla. After being contacted by POLITICO about the donations, Scarborough voluntarily disclosed three other $500 contributions to a friend running for county office in Florida.

Scarborough’s suspension, during which he will not be paid, will end Wednesday, Griffin said in a statement, adding “As Joe recognizes, it is critical that we enforce our standards and policies.”

Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1110/45411.html

[daleanime]

1. What!!

Not indefinitely!:wow:

[activa8tr]

28. GREAT POINT! That speaks VOLUMES about the management at

MSNBC.

[polmaven]

58. Well, I guess........

Since KO was reinstated in 2 days, I suppose MSNBC couldn't turn around and suspend Scar "indefinately". (They would not then be able to claim KO was not reinstated due to the pressure from viewers.)

[asjr]

2. Why did it take so long?

[Sky Masterson]

3. It was bullshit when they did it to KO and It is bullshit that they are doing

it to Joe. I find it best to be consistent in my outrage.

[daleanime]

5. No what they doing to 'Joe'...

is an attempt at covering up the bullshit.

[Sky Masterson]

8. Maybe a little.

Joe is getting off pretty damn easy. Keith had no idea how long he was going to be suspended or even if he was coming back.
They are doing it because they got caught and have to do it.

[daleanime]

11. Exactly...

and I'm not sure why, but that really ticks me off.:mad:

[Turborama]

12. Yep. They tell Joe straight off the bat it's 2 days, Keith got "indefinite"

Which could have meant "forever" for all he and anyone else knew.

[me b zola]

16. That is how it strikes me

~an attempt to CYOA.

[davidwparker]

32. +1

Exactly.

[pattmarty]

25. E-X-A-C-T-L-Y

[Lucy Goosey]

7. It's definitely bullshit, but they kinda had to do it to Joe...

...because they did it to Keith. Spreading the bullshit around equally and all.

[Sky Masterson]

9. exactly!

:thumbsup:

[Warren Stupidity]

41. It is like a make up call in basketball.

Screwing up the first call does not get resolved by screwing up a second call, it just adds to the accumulated bad calls.

[daleanime]

Nice example!

:fistbump:

[daleanime]

43. 'stupid computer'

:yoiks:

[BrklynLiberal]

4. ...goose...gander...

[pearl]

6. This is an ass covering measure

Bastards. :puke:

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

10. Smoke and mirrors.

and dead interns

[spin]

13. If MSNBC had halfway decent management ...

they would beat Fox in the ratings.

The morale at MSNBC must be terrible.

[musiclawyer]

22. Yes, MSNBC management is lame

To move to the #1 spot they need to

1. Lobby to get the station on tier one of all cable and satellite

2. Give Cenk is own show;

3. Give Shuster his own show

4. Move tweetie to some benign spot like late morning, or just cancel him

5. Do a show called "fox lies" -- Covering nothing but fox lies so that the prime time anchors dont have to carry so many bricks by themselves and are freed up to do more reporting

6. Do a show called "DC corruption"--Nothing but spotlight on corruption --both sides.

7. Move the jail shows to 3 am- 6am

And I'm not a professional broadcaster. Imagine the other really good ideas out there that pros could come up with. But not MSNBC What a shame.

[JDPriestly]

37. Great ideas. I hope you e-mail them to MSNBC.

[dchill]

14. So, Joe was gonna take a couple days off anyway...

So they decided on a little kabuki.

[tex-wyo-dem]

61. Exactly what i was thinking...

Less CYA, more of a stunt.

Look how the story is presented: conservative host "volunteers" information and reasonably & honorably takes his punishment "like a man." A not-so-veiled attempt to make the liberals look like a bunch of whiners in contrast, or as you put so well, kabuki.

[peace13]

15. Dear MSNBC, Please do not unsuspended this man.

We do not care to see his mug on your network again. Thanks, Kim

[avebury]

17. The difference in suspension is

Joe Scaborough won't have over 300,000 people signing an online petition to get him back on. Keith was brought back quicker because of the public outcry.

[CLANG]

64. I would have been real interested in seeing the outrage

I bet there wouldn't have been much.

[Loge23]

18. This is just silly now. (eom)

[peace13]

19. My email to MSNBC...

Please do not un-suspend Joe. His show is a train wreck. Thank you in advance, Kim

[activa8tr]

29. Great! We should start one of those petitions and get 300,000 people to

say what you said.

[Celtic Raven]

38. I'd sign it!

Wouldn't you like to see their faces if we shut down the phone/email systems again, but to keep Joe OFF the TV!

:rofl:




(I've never watched his show. I only watch KO & Rachel on MSNBC.)

[Turborama]

20. The reason we don't hear about this happening to any of Faux' staff

Is because they don't have to worry about any guidelines and/or conditions regarding donating to Republicans or their party.

[CreekDog]

21. Two day suspension? What, Saturday and Sunday?

:rofl:

they don't even know what they are doing

[slay]

23. The execs at MSNBC probably waited so long to make sure there weren't any

DEAD INTERNS lying around his office this time. fuck joe scarborough.

[RedCloud]

24. Where is the petition to keep him suspended?

[katnapped]

26. Will anyone even notice when he comes back?!? n/t

[K8-EEE]

27. WTF, re: "After he was made aware of some of the contributions..?"

He's not aware when he's giving out $500 to people? Oh Joe, over here!

[activa8tr]

30. How does one start a petition like they did for Keith only this time to

KEEP JOE UNEMPLOYED forever!!!!!

[Control-Z]

31. What?

No petition for Joe? :sarcasm:

[kestrel91316]

33. He should have been suspended "indefinitely" just like KO was,

left hanging and wondering if he still had a job. This window-dressing is not equivalent.

[Crowman1979]

34. Maybe the executives at NBC should suspend themselves.

Hell I'd suspend them for turning snl into shit.

[redirish28]

35. I have to wonder if they are doing Joe's suspension as a way to boost

his ratings. KO saw a boost after he came back. But I love the way it is the same length of time as KO.


I honestly think Griffin wants to see if he gets the same response for what he did to Joe.

[activa8tr]

40. Maybe so. Maybe Joe saw what it did for Olbermann and wanted in!! or

should I say "out" for a couple days.

[David Zephyr]

36. The executives at NBC have managed to step on their tiny dicks again and again.

ANd that's quite an accomplishment. ;-)

[shireen]

39. at least KO did NOT apologize to MSNBC.

The rule is dumb. KO and Scarborough should not have to be suspended for their contributions.

KO handled it right ... he apologized to us for dragging us into this drama, but not to MSNBC.

[demigoddess]

42. MSNBC=CYA

not buying it.
They had to make it look like fair and balanced. Don't buy it.

[Blasphemer]

59. Exactly...

If this policy was so important, they would have discovered Scarboroughs transgressions years ago and dealt with them then. KO was specifically targeted for a reason and this move with Scarborough is blatant CYA.

[Mike Nelson]

44. Too little, Too late

his show is awful, too.

[sarcasmo]

45. I think I read somewhere the President of MSNBC has donated heavily Republican.

Is this all to do with the Comcast merger?

[alp227]

46. What a desperate PR move. n/t

[24601]

47. Why isn't he whining? It;'s no fun if he just takes it like a mature

professional instead of complaining all over the place!

[Omaha Steve]

48. MSNBC suspends host Scarborough for GOP donations

Source: AP

By DAVID BAUDER

NEW YORK (AP) - MSNBC said Friday that "Morning Joe" host Joe Scarborough will be suspended for donating to four Republican candidates in local Florida races, two weeks after Keith Olbermann was suspended for making political contributions to Democrats.

Scarborough said he agreed with the two-day suspension, which is the same duration as Olbermann's.

The donations, first reported by the website Politico, came between 2004 and 2008. Scarborough, a former Republican congressman from Florida, made eight donations of $500 apiece to campaigns for Florida offices being run by his brother, George, former congressional staffer David Stafford and family friends Don Gaetz and his son, Matt Gaetz. All are Republicans.

"Because the contributions involved local, non-competitive races - and were given for personal rather than political reasons - I mistakenly believed I did not need approval from MSNBC," Scarborough said. "I also apologize for that oversight."

Read more: http://apnews.excite.com/article/20101119/D9JJE0AO0.html

---

In this May 9, 2009 file photo, Joe Scarborough attends the 2009 White House Correspondents' Association Dinner in Washington. MSNBC says it's suspending morning host Joe Scarborough for two days without pay for making political contributions.The eight donations, each for $500, violate NBC News policy, MSNBC president Phil Griffin said Friday, Nov. 19, 2010. (AP Photo/Evan Agostini, file)

[Salviati]

49. Sounds to me like MSBNC is trying to cover it's ass...

[Rosa Luxemburg]

50. only 2 days?

[bemildred]

51. Couldn't just let it die, could they?

:popcorn:

[Quantess]

52. Being a charmless, overbearing windbag (or douchebag, take your pick) should be reason enough.

Why did MSNBC hire him in the first place?

[Riley18]

53. WTF? He gets to agree to a 2 day suspension. Keith's

was an indefinite suspension. They present it as though he offered to take two days off or something. I never watch his show because he seems like a tool.

[Ian David]

54. Keith was "Suspended Indefinitely" and was possibly about to be fired, like Shuster was.

Joe Scum gets told, "Relax, it'll just be a two-day suspension."

This is not an equal punishment.

[Hawkeye-X]

55. Since the fucker's blatant, please terminate his contract.

Thank you.

Turn MSNBC liberal.

Hawkeye-X

[Omaha Steve]

56. My apology for the dupe

I did the search under the title and nothing came up????

[disillusioned73]

57. For a second, I thought this was a joke...

now I realize it's just MSNBC insulting my intelligence. CYA mode is in full effect

[The Uncola]

60. Who do they think they are fooling?

I mean besides Teabaggers and assorted other dumbfuck rightie chumps.

Another insult to our intelligence by MSNBC. WTG, assholes.

[City Lights]

62. K&R even though this is nothing but a CYA move by msnbc. nt

[mvd]

63. At least they didn't let him off easier

But I think they should change their policy because people like Joe S. and Keith O. are more talk show hosts than news people.