Keith Olbermann Suspension Criticized By Reporters, Conservative Pundits

[RamboLiberal]

The backlash against NBC's decision to indefinitely suspend host Keith Olbermann without pay has been swift and vocal -- and from some unlikely voices.

Among media personalities and even straight-forward reporters, there has been a bit of shock over what was viewed as a knee-jerk punishment for a fairly minor ethical lapse. Bill Kristol, the longtime conservative scribe for the Weekly Standard, penned a blog post under the headline "Keep Keith!" extolling MSNBC's brass for muzzling someone whose ideological leanings are fairly self-evident.

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Zach Wolf, of ABC, tweeted: "How is giving $2400 to Raul Grijalva less journalistically sound than his liberal nightly comments? I don't get the MSNBC v. Olberman flap."

Dave Weigel, at Slate, offered that the lesson learned from the saga is "if you're media and you're going to make a political donation, make it to the RGA."

Rich Sanchez, whose tenure with CNN ended in far more nefarious controversy, expressed sympathies for Olbermann's treatment: "Got to work w/ Keith when I was at MSNBC," he tweeted. "He's a solid journalist. Hope this passes."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/11/05/keith-olbermann-suspensio_n_779727.html

[Connie_Corleone]

1. You know it's bad when even conservative pundits are criticizing MSNBC

[dchill]

2. And Rich Sanchez knows...

his "solid journalists!" Sorry, couldn't resist. I support KO.

[LawnLover]

4. Lay off on Sanchez

I used to hate the guy, but after the unfair firing (even John Stewart says it was unfair), I've come to like the guy. He handled the firing well and with class, blaming himself and not CNN or Stewart.

[dchill]

9. Give me a break.

Sanchez is a doofus.
:hi:

[LawnLover]

16. Yeah, he is, but

that doesn't discount that he handled the whole matter with class, rather than doing the blowhard act.

[EFerrari]

8. It's Rick, not Rich. n/t

[dchill]

10. Sorry - Rick Sanchez.

I knew that. How do you spell doofus?
:hi:

[tblue37]

3. "Extolling" means praising--but he *wasn't* praising them, he was

criticizing them, excoriating them, if you will.

[dtmfman]

5. without Keith...it's just msn BS

Pleas pass this around to every board you can think of...thanks...

[Skidmore]

6. It was also roundly cursed and denounced by the 3 bubbas at

my husband's workplace today...the same guys who drool over Palin, though * was a studly toughguy genius prezdent, and never met a tax they liked but they'll be damned if they give up their SS. Hubby said he nearly fell over when they were talking about it and indicated that they watch Keith everynight and consider him a good journalist.

[charlie]

11. Whaaaaat?

Geesh. That's wild. There's just no figuring wingnuts. Not ever.

It can't be the stuff he says. Maybe it's because he looks like Clark Kent?

[Skidmore]

12. Yeah, go figure.

My husband was quite shocked because he ends up listen to daily gush sessions over Palin when they see her on the screen in the break room.

Goobers didn't go to the polls to vote but they were upset that the state got Branstad again for governor. Of course, they didn't want Culver either.

[stray cat]

7. Joe s is cheering

[Curmudgeoness]

13. Huh? A minor ethical lapse? Ethical? Exactly what ethical lapse

are they talking about? I do not see that there is anything unethical about what KO did. The ethical lapse is in the MSNBC policy that states that employees are not allowed to support the candidates that they choose. And really, this cannot be a surprise to anyone at MSNBC or in the audience. So what is the problem?

[leftstreet]

14. Maybe they saw KO as a safe relief valve for all things 'left?'

Fascinating

[Fritz67]

15. Oh God...Bill Kristol?

If Bill Kristol believes Kieth's suspension was unjustified then, based on Kristol's previous track record of being 100% wrong about everything, then Kieth's suspension WAS justified...

No...I can't believe that...

I guess this upgrades Bill Kristol to "Wrong 99.999995% of the time"