COMCAST, MSNBC's NEW OWNER, GAVE $50,000 TO CANDIDATES Olbermann OPPOSED!!

[tpsbmam]

New member, ProgressiveLiberal, posted this in the huge Olbermann thread and I didn't want it to get lost so I'm re-posting with definite kudos to ProgressiveLiberal!

From:
http://crooksandliars.com/karoli/what-role-did-comcast-play-keith-olbermanns

Comcast now owns MSNBC after their acquisition was completed earlier this year, despite protestations from many of us. A look at campaign finance disclosures for several organizations shows that Phil Anschutz, major shareholder and content partner with Comcast, donated large sums of money to the First Amendment Alliance, one of the largest outside groups targeting Democrats in the 2010 midterm elections.

The Anschutz Corporation, wholly owned by Phil Anschutz, gave $50,000 on 9/24/2010 to the First Amendment Alliance. The two candidates targeted by the First Amendment Alliance? Jack Conway and Michael Bennet.

Keith Olbermann gave to Jack Conway's campaign along with Raul Grijalva and Gabrielle Giffords.

In addition, the Anschutz family donated $169,900 to Republican candidates and committees during the 2010 election cycle, according to Open Secrets.

Additionally, Comcast Corporation has contributed $125,000 to the Republican Governors' Association in the 2010 cycle (as of 9/30/2010).

[lbrtbell]

1. K&R

This needs to be reposted during the early evening, so more people can see this.

It's an outrage!!

[BlueCaliDem]

2. Using the contract excuse

they were merely targeting and punishing Keith for fraternizing with the enemy - Democrats.

This was clearly politically motivated, and it's clear Comcast wants to give Keith the boot, and send a message to the likes of Rachel, Ed, and Lawrence.

This what you get when you allow corporations huge tax cuts! They can spend all that extra cash on targeting pols who don't cater to them. This is disgusting.

[FarPoint]

14. They will get someone to lie and say

that he shared openly BEFORE the donation and was up front about the matter....MSNBC is claiming Keith never shared that he was going to donate...Donating is not the problem per MSNBC, it;s the not disclosing that a donation was going to be made that rang their bell and caused the suspension until 2099....

[BlueCaliDem]

18. That wouldn't be difficult, but I don't think Keith did this to be partisan

even though you've got to ask yourself, how did they find out?

That said, I believe Keith made this happen/leaked out this info to prove a point.

Jon Stewart, if you can recall, compared Keith and Rachel to O'Reilly and Hannity, and MSNBC to Faux. He really took offense to that.

Now, at least, and as Rachel pointed out last night in her show, you can see the huge difference between the two networks.

Fox allows, not only donating to Republican candidates, but they're allowed to let them fundraise right there on air AND advertise rallies and such in favor of their chosen Republican candidates.

[Stellar]

28. I do believe Rachel had 'some' input into what she said last night but

she's still an employee there and she'll say what she must to say to appease her bosses.

UPDATED: Before Bush Donor Takeover Of MSNBC, Network Selectively Applies Rules To Suspend Olbermann

http://thinkprogress.org/2010/11/05/burke-comcast-msnbc/

[Individualist]

21. Absolutely!

[tularetom]

3. You're wasting your time trying to get me to hate Comcast

Because I already hate the miserable sumbitches.

It is the greediest most customer unfriendly company in America. And that includes Halliburton and BP.

Their service sucks and their politics sucks.

Glad I no longer have to deal with them.

[pacalo]

4. "Opposed" -- you might want to edit out an "s" from your heading.

:hi:

[tpsbmam]

7. Merci beaucoup!

:P :toast:

[pacalo]

8. *high five*

:hi:

[Poboy]

5. K&R

[deacon]

6. Ahhhhhhh, so this what it was all about. Busted. n/t

[laughingliberal]

33. There was never a doubt in my mind. It's not that he donated. It's who he donated to. nt

[onenote]

35. Comcast's PAC donated to Giffords and Grijalva

and gave nothing to their opponents. The story in the OP is a pile of crap.

[NuclearDem]

9. Why am I not surprised?

Keith stands out as a voice of reason and sanity (you know, like every good progressive should be)...and Comcast fired him for it.

I hope Keith sues...this was so obviously politically-motivated it stinks.

[Pisces]

10. Big surprise, that their hypocrisy has no boundaries.

[OHdem10]

11. ComCast has not completed the deal with GE yet???

[Judi Lynn]

12. This needs to be widely read. Thanks, tpsbmam. Rec. n/t

[onenote]

34. No, this needs to be widely ignored, as it is mostly a pack of falsehoods

Apart from the fact that the Comcast/NBCU deal is still being reviewed and has not been consummated, and the fact that Philip Anschutz is not a major shareholder of Comcast or a person with any influence over Comcast, or the fact that Comcast's current Chairman (Brian Roberts) and its past Chairman (Ralph Roberts) have given thousands of dollars to Democratic candidates, there is the fact that Comcast's PAC (which overall favored Democrats over repubs by a 55/45 margin) gave $2500 to Grijalva and nothing to his opponent, $2000 to Giffords, and nothing to her opponent. The PAC didn't give anything to Conway, but it also didn't give anything to Paul.

All of the above facts are a matter of public record. The fact that the original story misstates so many facts ought to give anyone saluting this article pause and wonder why they are being used this way.

[chill_wind]

13. K & R. n/t

[a kennedy]

15. kicking this for the morning folks....

:kick:

[Waiting For Everyman]

16. What a nerve!!!

There's a tonnage of ethics issues just in that OP excerpt, while on the other hand KO was yanked off the air not even for ethics but for a trivial company policy technicality - which wasn't even imposed on everybody else.

Ethics? That bunch wouldn't know ethics if it fell out of the sky on top of them. Yet they're the guardians of some "standard" they're enforcing or upholding here?

Bullshit. The emperor isn't wearing any clothes. We didn't fall off a turnip truck yesterday.

This is pure, writ-large, ugly CENSORHIP, and of a major national news figure.

[Le Taz Hot]

17. I was unaware that Comcast now owns MSNBC.

I'll be canceling my cable subscription soon so when they ask me why I'm canceling I can site the firing of K.O. (not really the reason but they don't have to know that).

[TBF]

19. Since Dec. 2009 - but I'm not clear if regulators have approved the deal yet.

Here's a story on the merger, Comcast puts in money & gets 51% (control).

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34247302/ns/business-media_biz/

[onenote]

31. No, the deal has not been approved and it has not been consummated

[tpsbmam]

20. Kicking this for the morning crowd. n/t

[felix_numinous]

22. May this truth give him back his job!!!

Did KO donate in the past to Democratic candidates while he was at MSNBC, and they turned a blind eye? Is this the most convenient time for MSNBCs owners to get rid of him?

[defendandprotect]

23. hmmmm..... Comcast also makes $500 million or more yearly from internet PORNOGRAPHY....!!!

Is this monopoly cable company someone we shoudl be permitting to now

be another monopoly corporate owner of NBC????

[onenote]

36. Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell and the Moral Majority would be proud of you

[femrap]

24. I fuking hate

Corporations....and I in particularly detest fuking right-wing media companies. Do you think Robin Hood could steal the riches from this family and share with the needy?

[MissDeeds]

25. K&R

:kick:

[RoccoR5955]

26. MOTHRA FOKKERS!!!!!!

That was the first thing out of my mouth!
I knew it had to be something like that!

[Plucketeer]

27. Obviously obvious - what's going on here

The question is - what's the fix? What's the REAL FIX? There needs to be an outlet - a bullhorn, if you will - for OUR SIDE!

Comcast is not going to change their ways. Their not going to all of a sudden have a change of heart. I'm beginning to think Sharon Angle is onto something - the something about 2nd amendment solutions. :nuke:

[butterfly77]

29. K&R!

[frogmarch]

30. Here's a similar article

http://www.examiner.com/political-buzz-in-washington-dc/msnbc-s-owners-give-millions-political-contributions

I posted it on Facebook.

snip:

WASHINGTON - After Politico's reporting that MSNBC host Keith Olbermann recently donated $7,200 to Democratic candidates, in violation of NBC's company rules that restrict employees from making political contributions, MSNBC president Phil Griffin suspended Olbermann indefinitely without pay. However, as reported by media watchdog, Fairness & Accuracy In Reporting (FAIR), it appears that MSNBC's parent company, General Electric (GE) along with potential new owner Comcast, both violated the company's "news policy and standards" by each donating millions of dollars in campaign contributions.

In a statement, FAIR pointed to Center for Responsive Politics data, showing that GE made over $2 million in political contributions during the 2010 election cycle alone. In addition, GE spent over $30 million on lobbyists during the same election cycle and gave over $400,000 to Democratic and Republican governors since last year.

When comparing Olbermann's donations to other NBC employee violations that went unpunished, there is a major contradiction in policy enforcement. In 2004, it was revealed that NBC chief executive Robert Wright donated thousands in campaign contributions. Later, in 2007, it was uncovered that fellow MSNBC host Joe Scarborough made a $4,200 donation to a Republican candidate. However, both Wright and Scarborough actions resulted in no suspensions or firings.

~~

More at the link.

[onenote]

32. Not this shit again

We rightly lambaste the right wing for spreading lies and then we accept as true stories on the Internet that can't stand up to a moment's fact checking


First, Comcast's purchase of NBCU (which owns MSNBC) has not been completed. Its still being reviewed by DOJ and FCC.

Second, Anschutz is not a major shareholder of Comcast. He is not an officer or a director and doesn't hold any other position of influence over the company. I'm not sure what sort of "content partner" he is supposed to be since there is no evidence that he's directly involved in any joint ventures with Comcast.


Third, the current Chairman of Comcast is Brian Roberts, who succeeded his father, Ralph Roberts, in the position. Ralph Roberts, Brian Roberts,and other members of the Roberts family donated over $105,000 to political candidates and/or PACs in the 2009-10 cycle -- not a single cent was directly contributed to repubs. Among the Democrats receiving Roberts' family contributions: Harry Reid, Chuck Schumer, Michael Bennet, Richard Blumenthal, Daniel Inouye, and Sander Levin. Comcast's PAC donated to Democrats over repubs in 2010 by a 55/45 margin.

Check opensecrets.org if you don't believe me.


It would help if folks making these sorts of arguments actually had their facts straight.

[TicketyBoo]

38. I appreciate

your efforts at truth-telling. I count on things on DU being accurate.

[onenote]

39. thanks. it bothers me when companies that actually support Democrats get falsely tarred

And I'm not saying Comcast is a bastion of progressivism or that all of its executives are supporters of the Democratic party. Like most companies, its PAC ends up giving to candidates on both sides of the aisle because that is the way the game is played. And while I'm not a Comcast subscriber (they don't serve my community), I know a lot of folks in nearby areas that have Comcast and its pretty clear that Comcast could do a better job of customer service. But when you dig into the facts, its clear that the claims in the OP are nonsense. Indeed, the Comcast PAC gave money to both Giffords and Grijalva and didn't give any money to their repub opponents.

[sufrommich]

42. Who needs facts when there's drama to be stoked. nt

[TK421]

37. I just knew there was something like this...explains everything

[onenote]

40. Since it is a pack of falsehoods, it explains nothing

See posts 34 and 35

[TK421]

41. My apologies for not researching this..I was getting ready to head out the door

to visit my Mom in the hospital...but whenever I see the name Comcast I just see red because I hate them that much

It was an emotional reaction on my part

[onenote]

43. I don't have their service but have friends who are quite frustrated with them

I get that part, but I don't like it when companies whose top executives include major Democratic party donors get labelled as repub. Thanks for your response!