Olbermann Apologizes To Viewers -- And Slams NBC Over Political Donations Flap

[cynatnite]

In an open letter to his viewers today, MSNBC host Keith Olbermann thanked them for the "ground-rattling" support he received following his suspension, and also apologized for "having precipitated such anxiety and unnecessary drama."

Olbermann was suspended last week for making contributions to three Democratic candidates. Last night MSNBC President Phil Griffin announced that Olbermann would be reinstated Tuesday night.

In the letter, obtained by the New York Times, Olbermann writes:

You should also know that I did not attempt to keep any of these political contributions secret; I knew they would be known to you and the rest of the public. I did not make them through a relative, friend, corporation, PAC, or any other intermediary, and I did not blame them on some kind of convenient 'mistake' by their recipients. When a website contacted NBC about one of the donations, I immediately volunteered that there were in fact three of them; and contrary to much of the subsequent reporting, I immediately volunteered to explain all this, on-air and off, in the fashion MSNBC desired.

http://tpmlivewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/11/olbermann-apologizes-to-viewers-slams-nbc-for-inconsistently-applied-policy.php

[Tx4obama]

1. Here's a link with more info

Olbermann Apologizes to Viewers, But Not to MSNBC
http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/11/08/olbermann-apologizes-to-viewers-but-not-to-msnbc/

[Little Star]

6. I left a reply on the NYT web site.

[dkf]

2. Is that a hit on Joe "it was my wife's donation" Scarborough?

Lol.

[virgogal]

3. Good for him----he was royally screwed.

[Tx4obama]

4. Has anyone found a link to the FULL letter from Keith yet? n/t

[xchrom]

5. Awesome. Nt

[Tx4obama]

7. Here's a Scribd link with the FULL LETTER

http://www.scribd.com/doc/41623368/A-Statement-to-the-Viewers-of-Countdown

[cynatnite]

8. He learned of his suspension through the media!

That is harsh!

on edit: Sorry, I forgot to thank you for finding this. Thanks! :)

[Waiting For Everyman]

9. Thanks!

[tularetom]

10. I bet Politico was having orgasms when they discovered this little tidbit

but what I'd like to know is who told them?

It obviously was not Olbermann and I doubt if it was the candidates themselves.

I suspect one of Keith's fellow employees at MSNBC.

Possibly somebody who has exhibited this sort of sneaky back stabbing behavior in the past.

http://markcrispinmiller.com/2010/10/chris-matthews-urged-msnbc-to-fire-phil-donahue/

[tblue37]

11. Note this:

". . . after my representative was assured that no suspension was contemplated (emphasis added), I was suspended without a hearing, and learned of that suspension through the media. "