Top Items:


Keep Keith! — On Olbermann's unjust suspension. — MSNBC's suspension of Keith Olbermann is ludicrous. — Second, he's not a reporter. It's an opinion show. If Olbermann wants to put his money where his mouth is, more power to him. — Third, GE, the corporate parent of MSNBC, gives money to political organizations.
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UPDATED: Before Bush Donor Takeover Of MSNBC, Network Selectively Applies Rules To Suspend Olbermann — UPDATED: We have been notified that Comcast has not yet officially taken over MSNBC/NBC Universal. Although Comcast has tentatively finalized a deal to purchase a majority stake in NBC …
Discussion:
OpenSecrets.org and AMERICAblog News


Olbermann 'Doesn't Answer' to NBC News Standards — MSNBC chief Phil Griffin suspended Keith Olbermann today for violating “NBC News policy and standards” by donating to three Democratic congressional candidates last month. But according to an NBC News source, MSNBCers have been exempt from those rules for years.


Keith Olbermann Suspended From MSNBC Indefinitely — Blowback to the political donation is immediate, and shocking. — Statement from Phil Griffin, President of MSNBC: … More coming, obviously. — Ok, let's decompress. First of all, “indefinitely” is David Shuster language.
Discussion:
The Right Scoop, Gawker, National Review, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, The Politico, The Daily Caller, NewsReal Blog, Hit & Run, Raw Story, JOSHUAPUNDIT, Donklephant and The Awl

Olbermann's Replacement? Wait for It... Chris Hayes, tapped Friday by MSNBC to fill in for the indefinitely suspended Keith Olbermann as host of the prime-time political show “Countdown,” gave money to two Democratic campaigns in recent years. Now, following that disclosure, MSNBC says Mr. Hayes won't get the gig after all.
Discussion:
Top of the Ticket, Don Surber and ECHIDNE of the snakes


Support Olbermann? No freaking way; Poll added — As you all know, that mashed-up bag of gas with pancake make-up on it Keith Olbermann has been “suspended indefinitely” by MSNBC for making and failing to disclose political contributions to three Democrats — including open-borders Democrat …
Discussion:
Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog


Political giving not unusual on cable — A search of campaign finance records shows that MSNBC host Keith Olbermann is hardly the only cable news host who has written a check for a candidate in recent years. — With the distinction between journalism and punditry increasingly blurring …
Discussion:
Roger Ailes


Scarborough, Buchanan Also Made Political Contributions — MSNBC suspended host Keith Olbermann today, following revelations that he made campaign contributions to three Democrats in the elections — a violation of MSNBC policy. — But a search of OpenSecrets.org reveals that MSNBC host Joe Scarborough …
Discussion:
Daily Kos

Keith Olbermann Suspended from MSNBC — Keith Olbermann has been suspended indefinitely without pay from MSNBC for making donations to three Democrats in violation of NBC's ethics policy. — “I became aware of Keith's political contributions late last night,” Phil Griffin, President of MSNBC, said in a statement.
Discussion:
NewsBusters.org blogs, Examiner, The Maddow Blog, Democracy in America, Yahoo! News, The Daily Caller, Scared Monkeys, The Atlantic Online, Firedoglake, Salon, Nice Deb, Gawker, The Huffington Post, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, The Politico, Patterico's Pontifications, Mediaite, Pajamas Media, Indecision Forever, Zandar Versus The Stupid and Shakesville

OLBERMANN'S CHECKBOOK.... [Update: there's an important follow-up to this story]

Olbermann suspended by MSNBC
Discussion:
Media Matters for America, Washington Monthly, TalkLeft and Outside the Beltway

Olbermann Suspended Without Pay After Political Contributions
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, First Draft, AlterNet.org, Lawyers, Guns & Money, The Nation and The Atlantic Online

And Buchanan? — So Olbermann is suspended for making political contributions.
Discussion:
The Plum Line

Did Olbermann violate NBC ethics code by contributing to Democrats?
Discussion:
TVNewser, AMERICAN DIGEST, National Review, Washington Post, Pajamas Media, NewsBusters.org blogs, NO QUARTER and Dennis the Peasant

Olbermann suspended for Dem contributions
Discussion:
Power Line, HazZzMat, Yahoo! News, Pajamas Media, Weasel Zippers, The Politico, Ben Smith's Blog, Don Surber, Right Pundits, The Hill, theblogprof, Gateway Pundit and Atlas Shrugs

Murdoch reveals ‘arrogant’ Obama — TWO generations ago, Rupert Murdoch bowed to pressure from the White House to suppress the biggest story of his life - that the American president John F. Kennedy was indifferent to the political fate of Australian Prime Minister Robert Menzies.
Discussion:
Ben Smith's Blog and New York Magazine
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Murdoch: Bloomberg called Obama ‘arrogant’
Discussion:
Political Punch, Hot Air and Weasel Zippers

Dems split over Pelosi bid for minority leader — Battle lines are emerging in the House Democratic Caucus over Speaker Nancy Pelosi's (D-Calif.) possible bid to stay on as the minority leader. — Liberal Democrats are mobilizing in support of Pelosi remaining at the head of the party …
Discussion:
Daily Kos, The Politico, TigerHawk, Hot Air, Comments from Left Field, The Impolitic, Capitol Alert and JammieWearingFool
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O'Donnell, Who Lost By 17 Points, Still Sending Out Press Releases Attacking People — O'Donnell didn't cost us one seat; she cost us three. Chalk Rossi's and Buck's loss up to her as well. — But here's O'Donnell saying it wasn't her “standing up for principle” that cost her the election, but shady machinations against her.
Discussion:
Pajamas Media and protein wisdom

Joe McGinniss Wants to Be Taken Out of “Sarah Palin's Alaska” — The premiere episode of “Sarah Palin's Alaska” began with the former governor's piqued version of a minor scandal of the summer — author Joe McGinniss renting the house next to hers as he researched his biography of Palin.
Discussion:
GOP 12, Althouse and The Huffington Post


The GOP's 2012 Game Plan — Sen. Mitch McConnell says Republicans will keep the country focused on the unpopular elements of the president's agenda, especially health care. — 'It's a great first step. " That's the way Washington's resident realist, Mitch McConnell, is describing this week's GOP electoral triumph.
Discussion:
The New Republic, American Power, Beltway Confidential and The Daily Dish
RELATED:

The Irrelevance of Mitch McConnell
Discussion:
The New Republic, Talking Points Memo and CNN


If the Tea Party Prefers Bachmann to Hensarling, What Good Is It? — The New York Times reports that Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.), a “Tea Party heroine,” plans to challenge Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas) for the post of GOP conference chair, the fourth-highest House leadership position, in the new Congress.
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Corker , on Mission to Reform Spending, Responds to Being on Tea Party Purge List
Discussion:
The Hill

USN&WR: ‘December issue will be our last printed monthly sent to subscribers’ — Memo to US News & World Report employees — RE: Completing Our Shift to the Digital World — Colleagues, We're finally ready to complete our transition to a predominantly digital publishing model with selected, single-topic print issues.
Discussion:
Outside the Beltway, MyFox Philadelphia, TechCrunch and New York Magazine, more at Mediagazer »


Ex-President George W. Bush rips wisdom of Barack Obama, Sarah Palin and John McCain to friends — Former President George W. Bush is privately critical of Sarah Palin (below), but stops short of criticizing the likes of Barack Obama in his upcoming memoir ‘Decision Points.’
Discussion:
Firedoglake and The Moderate Voice

The ego factor: Can Obama change? — In the anthology of Barack Obama quotations, one of the classics came just hours before the event that made him the hottest property in American politics. — As Obama walked toward the arena at the 2004 Democratic National Convention in Boston …
Discussion:
Ben Smith's Blog, Pajamas Media, Althouse, Commentary and Betsy's Page


David Brooks illustrates how clueless Easterners can be without local knowledge about My Midwest — A frequent theme in this blog is the importance of local knowledge for development. David Brooks helpfully illustrated in his column today on my home region the Midwest.
Discussion:
The New Republic, EconLog and Commentary


AARP Blames ObamaCare for Hike in Employee Health Insurance Costs — In 2009, the AARP argued that the health care law was a good deal for seniors. That remains to be seen, and a large number of seniors seem to disagree. Regardless, it appears it's less of a good deal for employees.
Discussion:
Associated Press and Beltway Confidential


Josh Marshall And The Weed — Josh Marshall confesses that although he despises our drug laws, he probably would have voted against Prop 19: … How to rationalize the irrational? From the post cited, I'd say Reason One is: I'm older. Reason two: er, see Reason one.
Discussion:
Althouse
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What Happened to Prop 19 — Why did the Pot Legalization proposition …
Discussion:
American Power, Ezra Klein, The League of Ordinary …, Hit & Run and TPMDC