Phil Donahue, David Schuster, Keith Olbermann ... MSNBC Hits The Trifecta?

[BLUSH]

MSNBC has a history of firing its most outspoken reporters/hosts.

How long will Comcast give Rachel?

Place your bets ...

[davidinalameda]

1. you do know why David Schuster was fired

right?

[SayitAintSo]

2. No do tell.... I liked him a lot

Where did he land ?

[Ruby the Liberal]

4. 9ish months of wilderness or so, now print media/radio in DC

He filed a pilot for CNN in violation of his contract after coming back from suspension for talking about the Clintons "whoring out" Chelsea for Hillary's campaign. Ugly stuff.

I missed him and wish it hadn't all gone down as it did - on all sides.

[TheWraith]

13. Uh, not quite what he said.

He said "pimping out," which is about an order of magnitude less offensive.

[Ruby the Liberal]

14. Thanks for the correction.

Memory isn't the best these days.

:toast:

[BLUSH]

5. Supposedly he was considering going to CNN ... BUT

do you know why Phil Donahue was fired?

(He was the first to speak out against the Iraq war back in 2002.)

If you are going to work for MSNBC, you can only be so outspoken.

Less so, now with Comcast in charge, it seems.

[davidinalameda]

15. David Schuster filmed a pilot for a show on CNN

without the knowledge or permission of his bosses at MSNBC

I know that Donahue was fired because of his views but it's disingenuous to put Schuster in the same category with Donahue and perhaps Keith

[Ruby the Liberal]

3. Rachel is a liberal, but she is a different breed. Totally different approach.

Keith, Ed, Cenk - they all go after the core from the idealist perspective.

Rachel has the same (if not stronger ideals), but has that gene se qua (sp?) that puts her on a psychological footing over people like me (who lend idealistic). Reference her takedown interview of Michael Steele last night, with him apologizing to her the whole time for not being "allowed" to come on earlier.

There is something about Rachel that transcends punditry, hosting, politics.

I only wish I could put my finger on exactly what it is. Hopefully someone here sees what I am seeing and has the words I am struggling to find.

[BLUSH]

6. There is something about Rachel

That would make for a great movie!

:)

[Ruby the Liberal]

7. Less the hair gel, aye?

:rofl:

[bananas]

17. je ne sais quoi

http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/je_ne_sais_quoi

[DURHAM D]

8. Don't forget to put Ashley Banfield on the list.

From her wiki entry:

In April 2003, in a speech at Kansas State University, Banfield raised concerns regarding media coverage of the conflict in Iraq. She also spoke against "cable news operators who wrap themselves in the American flag and go after a certain target demographic", and specifically named Fox News Channel as an example.<3> The New York Times reported that her speech angered NBC management, who rebuked her and lowered her profile.<2>

"I was office-less for ten months ... No phone, no computer. For ten months I had to report to work every day and ask where I could sit. If somebody was away I could use their desk. Eventually, after ten months of this, I was given an office that was a tape closet. They cleared the tapes out and put a desk and a TV in there, and a computer and phone. It was pretty blatant. The message was crystal clear. Yet they wouldn't let me leave. I begged for seventeen months to be let out of my contract. If they had no use for me, let's just part ways amicably—no need for payouts, just a clean break. And wouldn't allow it. I don't know what his rationale was—perhaps he thought I would take what I felt was a very strong brand, and others felt was a very strong brand, to another network and make a success of it. Maybe that's why he chose to keep me in a warehouse. I will never forgive him for his cruelty and the manner in which he decided to dispose of me."

[BLUSH]

10. Wow, thank you for reminding about her!

Ashley Banfield ... and the list grows.

[jillan]

9. Add Dan Rather to that list - even tho it was a different network.

[BLUSH]

11. maybe it's time for Phil Donahue, David Schuster, Keith, Rachel, Ashley, et al ....

to form an MSNBC UNDERGROUND network!

[gauguin57]

12. Fire one more man and they can do a male version of "The View."

Looking forward to the "hot topics"!

Juan Williams can be the Elizabeth Hasselbeck of the group.

[BLUSH]

16. Elizabeth Hasselbeck

Bring back Lisa Ling!

[Rockholm]

18. Ashleigh Banfield....Don't forget her!

[barbiegeek]

19. REC. This is very important pattern, keep it up Blush! :)

Ashley Rocked. But you couldn't have a smart, honest & pretty reporter with journalistic integrity. I always thought they was trying to sex her up like the fox girls and she seemed unhappy. Who was that journalist who always flirted with her and she would get annoyed (her body language).

[barbiegeek]

20. Found it: John Stewart on Ashley Banfield

http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/thu-october-4-2001/for-hire

[sarcasmo]

21. Bet the wife this morning Rachel won't make a year.