‘Greetings From Exile’: Olbermann Sends First Post-Suspension Tweet
- Posted on November 7, 2010 at 4:45pm by
Scott Baker
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There is only so much you can do with 140 characters or less:
The message comes as Politico is reporting that Olbermann was suspended after refusing to give an on-air apology:
Olbermann told his bosses he didn’t know he was barred from making campaign contributions, although he is resisting saying that publicly. Olbermann may not hold as many cards as he thinks. He makes $7 million a year and MSNBC‘s prime time is not as dependent on him as it was before the addition of Rachel Maddow and Lawrence O’Donnell, who make considerably less.
Mediaite’s Tommy Christopher, meantime, is exploring they hypothesis that this might all be a cooked up publicity stunt:
One wrinkle that hasn’t been explored is an intriguing notion that a colleague of mine floated to me. Could the whole thing be an ingenious part of MSNBC’s re-branding effort, a publicity stunt with the dual purpose of drawing a sharper contrast with rival Fox News? Was 11/5 an inside job?
Deliberately or not, the Olbermann suspension is accomplishing great things for MSNBC. First of all, this thing is generating enough publicity to make P.T. Barnum look like Greta Garbo.
Mediaite also used the kerfuffle as justifiable reason to bring back a little Keith Classic:
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Comments (190)
rstarce
Posted on November 7, 2010 at 5:38pmWhat point is everyone trying to make between what MSNBC says their contracts are with their employees and people at Fox and who or what they support. Are you saying FOX and MSNBC contracts are identical? Why not find out the real reason behind his suspension, that would make more sense.
Report Post »NoProlesHere
Posted on November 7, 2010 at 5:37pmI think that he will be hired on by NPR faster than gas prices hit $4.00 per gallon by Dec. 31st.
Report Post »Sledgehammer
Posted on November 7, 2010 at 5:33pmWhen msnbc suspended him, I felt a calmness through the Force, now that the pety sith (not to confused with the dark sith) has raised his pety head again, I feel a disturbance. Quick call the tax sith on him!
Report Post »red penny
Posted on November 7, 2010 at 5:30pmETHICSGIRL: Looked at mediamatters link.Don’t know what the FOX policy is on contritutions to political funds but if it precludes same; Fox will end up firing most everybody.BTW: I don’t believe much that mediamatters says in the first place.
Report Post »chuchu12
Posted on November 7, 2010 at 5:29pmif they were actually concerned about profits as they should be due to their responsibility to their shareholders instead of spreading the God awful tripe that they spread, then they would do the wise business move by putting reruns of Gomer Pyle or The Jeffersons in that spot. The ratings and profits would quadruple.
Report Post »TRUTHSEEKINGAL
Posted on November 9, 2010 at 5:22amI would tune in every night for Red Skeleton reruns. “Good night & God bless.
Report Post »politics101
Posted on November 7, 2010 at 5:23pmI’m glad he found himself “tweetless”. I have found him “brainless” for years.
Report Post »JSherrillj
Posted on November 7, 2010 at 5:20pmHate Keith but he should not have been fired. I invested in our democracy and that is fine. MSNBC sucks soooo bad. I can only watch long enough to see what advertisers to stop using..
Report Post »uncleherbert
Posted on November 7, 2010 at 6:57pmhate is wrong word, dispise yes, its all about his contract! not hard to understand!
Report Post »13thGenerationAmerican
Posted on November 7, 2010 at 5:18pm“I have been thinking that I would make a proposition to my Republican friends… that if they will stop telling lies about the Democrats, we will stop telling the truth about them.” –Adlai Stevenson
Report Post »Psychosis
Posted on November 7, 2010 at 5:53pmlol you an idiot, but thats ok, we like our pet troll
Report Post »lvamervet
Posted on November 7, 2010 at 6:12pm@13thgen…………I Think You Touch Yourself To Much………..get out of your mommy’s basement
Report Post »troyvar
Posted on November 7, 2010 at 6:31pmDoesn’t look like you have very many Republican friends, just sayin’…
Report Post »RepubliCorp
Posted on November 7, 2010 at 7:31pmWhy the flag of a Provincial privateer motto: Appeal to Heaven? A Privateer wouldn’t like big government?
Report Post »Dstarr55
Posted on November 7, 2010 at 5:15pmIf this is a trick by MSNBC for ratings I don’t think it is working – I didn’t see too many people outside of the standard MSNBC bobble heads standing up for him. This is not a Juan Williams injustice outcry – he broke a contract and it’s hard to defend. Juan was doing what others at NPR was doing and the fact they singled him out was what made it outrageous.
Report Post »starman70
Posted on November 7, 2010 at 9:37pmA global hug? UUUUUGH!!! That’s supposed to make us feel sorry for him?
Report Post »neverending
Posted on November 7, 2010 at 5:12pmFinally – someone is telling the truth about little barry boy – oooppps – sorry about that I thought he was talking to and about obama!!!! Good enough for me.
Report Post »clockwatcher
Posted on November 7, 2010 at 5:11pmI hope he spents some quality time with his boyfriend now that he has the rest of his off. HA,HA
Report Post »Samualadams
Posted on November 7, 2010 at 5:10pmHe doesn’t deserve to lose his job, only his ill spent money he put on the dems.
Report Post »He doesn’t even have enough viewers to warrant his 7 million a year.
TRUTHSEEKINGAL
Posted on November 9, 2010 at 5:17amHere comes another “saved” job by Obamaos stimulus…
Report Post »o280949
Posted on November 7, 2010 at 5:09pmWhile he is “off” lets hope he gets the needed mental health help!!! This guy is not right!!
Report Post »Capt_Spalding
Posted on November 7, 2010 at 5:06pmIf an anchor is taken off MSDNC does anyone notice? I mean, doesn’t someone have to actually be watching in the first place? Just sayin’…
Report Post »teahugger
Posted on November 7, 2010 at 5:13pmThis is probably VERY upsetting to his viewer.
Report Post »red penny
Posted on November 7, 2010 at 5:01pmI knew MSNBC was stupid but to have paid “ OLBERFOOL” 7 mil per annum is unbelieveable.Management there must have been smoking something or worse.I don’t care if I ever hear about him or MSNBC again for I never watched their crap to begin with.
Report Post »EthicsGirl
Posted on November 7, 2010 at 4:58pmI think there is more to this… some people think that Olbermann may have messed with the wrong person at MSNBC. I don’t think so. Call me a conspiracy theorist, but I wonder if firing Olbermann for a relatively benign offense (considering MSNBC’s standards!) is really for another reason? Right after Olbermann was fired, Rachel Maddow discussed Sean Hannity’s donations and endorsements in comparison. Perhaps the goal is so that pressure builds to fire Sean Hannity? Do you think he is a fall guy? Just sayin.
Report Post »red penny
Posted on November 7, 2010 at 5:07pmSurely you JEST. Hannity has a huge audience and is a serious money maker for FOX.
Report Post »EthicsGirl
Posted on November 7, 2010 at 5:17pmRed Penny, I don’t think Fox would fire Hannity, but I am saying that while MSNBC presents itself (laughably) as “objective”, Fox will be a target. I just did a quick online search & found this already: http://mediamatters.org/research/201010270005.
Report Post »EP46
Posted on November 7, 2010 at 5:18pmFox does not have the same kind of contract that msnbc had. If the truth is being told obbie broke a contract…nothing to do with Fox practices.
Report Post »troyvar
Posted on November 7, 2010 at 5:48pmDon’t know for sure, but I don’t think Hannity signed the same contract as Olbermann. I guess even when you make 7 figures you have to have someone read the fine print.
Report Post »AirForceBrat
Posted on November 7, 2010 at 6:06pmDoes Fox have the same contractual guidelines/restrictions, as MSNBC?
Just thought this looks more like a publicity stunt. Juan Williams got so much attention when he had his issue with NPR, maybe MSNBC is hoping that Keith will generate the same type of attention/outrage. The only problem is, Juan is better at what he does, and is well liked and respected, and even though he is a Liberal, he is much more likable, and STABLE than KO, IMO!
Report Post »bry
Posted on November 7, 2010 at 6:29pmEthicsgirl, there is more to this, no doubt, but Sean is not in the line of fire. Oaferman has been Juanwilliamed.
Now, about that global hug Keith is imagining….pathetic.
Report Post »Smoovious
Posted on November 7, 2010 at 6:47pmyeah, agree or disagree with Juan Williams, you can have an honest, thoughtful, debate with him, and you know he sincerely wants what is best for the country.
Keith O always left me questioning his motives…
– Smoov
Report Post »illinoisnana
Posted on November 7, 2010 at 7:57pmWhy are they so worried aboutV what FOX does? unless they are so jealous of their ratings that they have set them up as their idols. They sound like a bunch of kids: my mom says FOX does it so we can do it, no! your mother says you can’t, will why does FOX get to do it and we can’t, you get the jest CHILDISH!
Report Post »Beatrice
Posted on November 7, 2010 at 8:06pmFirst of all, Keithy wasn’t fired. The word that has been presented is “suspended”: probably, a temporary procedure to ascertain the status +/- of his worth/significance as to his viewing constituency’s opinion. Hey, $7M per year for screaming inane, obnoxious, mindless untruths/drivel nightly is v-e-r-y “LARGE”.
Second, it is my understanding that Hannity or any journalist can donate to any organization, candidate, and/or charitable cause up to a particular amount of money as long as it is divulge to the principals…… in advance.
Fox is NOT GOING to fire Hannity soooo don’t start salivating breathlessly with palpable anticipation.
It is my opinion that this entire Olberman episode is a drama test shoot for “Desperate Blowhards”. Ole Keithy may be wwaaaaayyyy better suited for this type of venue.
Report Post »GerriDavid
Posted on November 7, 2010 at 8:12pmAs far as I know Fox News has no rules about donating to political campaigns and Hanity is right up front about who he is and who he supports. Olberman is supposed to be a NEWS man. That is the difference!
Report Post »Simpleman78
Posted on November 7, 2010 at 8:38pmI can‘t stand Oberdork but I don’t see what’s the big deal. Everyone knows that MSLSD is in the tank for the Dems, so what if he made contributions…He supposedly violated some NBC News rule (I can’t believe there is one) Slap his wrist and move on (no pun intended) But I smell a rat EVERYTHING those clowns do over there is “out to get Fixed News”…ie Keanu Reeves Madow’s comments about Hannity.
Report Post »Proud American in Buffalo
Posted on November 7, 2010 at 8:54pmI think people have to think this “issue” through. Keith Oberman was paid by GE(NBC”s Parent Company, for now at least.) People like him and and all of the host on Fox News a after pm are paid to express their Opinions. I am going back to see if opinion shows are included within NBC’s Practice regarding journalists and the prohibition of election contribution in the name of objective journalism.
I do not think that these restrictions could possibly pass !st Amendment muster.
Report Post »kenny
Posted on November 7, 2010 at 4:58pmhe just big joke
Report Post »Darth_Soros
Posted on November 7, 2010 at 4:57pmI guess he finally figured out how to get the keyboard to reach all the way into the bathtub.
Report Post »BetsyRoss1
Posted on November 7, 2010 at 4:54pmDid they take him off sunday night football too? I certainly hope so, psmbc gives me the creeps!
Report Post »chatom
Posted on November 7, 2010 at 5:57pmHe hasn’t been on SNF at all this year. THANK GOD!!! I had to mute him all last year whenever he opened his piehole. I wouldn’t listen to him if he was announcing the end of the world.
Report Post »CitizenVetUSA
Posted on November 7, 2010 at 9:17pmI understand they are sending him down to the minor leagues to announce AAA and AA Cactus Fall Baseball League in Arizona………. :-)
Report Post »michelepfaff
Posted on November 7, 2010 at 4:53pmHe is such an idiot. Glad he is off the air – now…who’s next???
Report Post »WISEPENNY
Posted on November 7, 2010 at 9:11pmHopefully “Chrissy the sissy” Matthews is next to be booted off the air.
Report Post »HUGGINGMYBABIES
Posted on November 8, 2010 at 2:02pmI vote Madcow!
Report Post »Liberaless in Seattle (I wish)
Posted on November 7, 2010 at 4:52pmhaha, the video is good for a few laughs. Olbermann is going to have a stroke.
Report Post »SnapTie
Posted on November 7, 2010 at 4:51pmHope his Mom doesn’t go pleading for his job back. I know it must be hard on her when he won’t come out of his room for dinner.
Report Post »DesertRose1960
Posted on November 7, 2010 at 6:29pmHis mother is dead. She died of advanced cancer that she never knew she had. It was discovered after she collapsed and never regained consciousness. His father fell out of bed and suffered a series of painful, lingering complications and infections before dying after six months in the hospital. Keith lost both of his parents within a year. Go ahead, make some joke about it. It spurred Keith to work towards health care coverage, and the ability to have “end of life counciling”. His family never knew if they acted in his mother’s best interests, she had never discussed the issue with them.
Report Post »UlyssesP
Posted on November 7, 2010 at 6:39pmto:
DesertRose1960
From Me:
I don’t care what inspired this dumb ass to get a hard on over health care.
gckings19
Posted on November 7, 2010 at 7:38pminstead of screwing up the health care system he should have taken care of his parents. I would never have let that happen to my parents. hes a selfish loser.
Report Post »be heard
Posted on November 7, 2010 at 7:57pmDesertRose1960
He makes $7 million a year and he couldn’t buy health insurance for his parents or pay their medical bills. He would rather have health care pass so the American people can pay for it.
Report Post »DesertRose1960
Posted on November 7, 2010 at 8:13pmYou misunderstand. Keith‘s mother died because she didn’t want to bother anyone and kept her symptoms to herself. She was only diagnosed after she collapsed and went into a coma. Keith’s father was insured, he got the best care that money could buy, but he ran into people at the hospital who didn’t have health insurance, and couldn’t afford the help they needed. He was very clear about why he wanted to help get health care through. He asked his viewers to front the costs of 6 free health clinics. They treated 10,000 people, many of them hadn’t seen doctors in years. At least one woman left without treatment because she was dying and couldn’t be helped. Keith doesn’t think that anyone in the greatest nation in the world should be in that position, neither do I. But I guess the freedom to die of treatable illnesses and to have your teeth rot head is something to be protected at all costs!
Report Post »MAULEMALL
Posted on November 7, 2010 at 10:03pmWhat a Crock… Maybe she couldn’t deal with the fact that she raised a self absorbed POS…
Whatever his reasoning, the harm he is doing to my country, all for his inflated ego he can go piss up a rope…
Report Post »silveracer44
Posted on November 7, 2010 at 4:51pmthis makes me smile :)
Report Post »SheriS
Posted on November 7, 2010 at 4:50pmObviously, he didn’t bother to read his contract. I read on some website that employees were banned from making political contributions! If that is true, this blathering idiot deserves to be fired not just suspended. Dumbness is no excuse for anything these days when you are appearing on TV!
Report Post »Liberaless in Seattle (I wish)
Posted on November 7, 2010 at 4:53pmHe’s the hot shot of the network. Content in contracts don’t apply to god like figures like Olbermann.
Report Post »grandmaof5
Posted on November 7, 2010 at 5:57pmTypical, sign it before you read it and then find out what was in it. Congress, pay attention to Keith because you will soon be on permanant suspension if you don’t “read the bill” and listen to the American people.
Report Post »drbage
Posted on November 7, 2010 at 5:58pmWhoa, wait a minute, liberals don’t read such mundane things as contracts or bills which they are about to pass! As Sen Max Baucus who wrote a great deal of healthcare stuffing said, “I employ experts to do the reading. I don’t have time and that language is too difficult to understand.” Looks like Overbearingmann needs to get a new lawyer. (Wonder if this is why the ABA and all lawyers’ assns. kept their mouths glued shut during the whole healthcare fiasco?!)
Report Post »AmericanPatriot01
Posted on November 8, 2010 at 12:56amthey kept their mouths shut because they got the libturds to ignore the part of any tort reform, at all into the bill. That one portion would have been able to reduce the cost of medicine by as much as a third to half of the current cost.
Report Post »MAULEMALL
Posted on November 7, 2010 at 4:49pmIf olbermo gets back on msnbc I will stop my comcast subscription and give Verizon all my buisness.
Report Post »Max jones
Posted on November 7, 2010 at 4:55pm……And this is notable, because…….?
Report Post »MAULEMALL
Posted on November 7, 2010 at 5:05pmBecause here in tea party land I‘ll bet that it’ll be more than just a couple who will do the same…
Report Post »MAULEMALL
Posted on November 7, 2010 at 5:19pmhttp://www.comcast.com/Corporate/Customers/contactus/ContactUs.html
Here you go Blazers… Give them your opinion
Report Post »Robert W
Posted on November 7, 2010 at 5:24pmSpooky dude junior.
Report Post »MAULEMALL
Posted on November 7, 2010 at 5:25pmNBCU_Transaction@Comcast.com
Report Post »Here’s the email address… And thanks Max for getting me motivated to get the info out…
cap0ne
Posted on November 7, 2010 at 5:50pmbetter start cancelling.. This is obviously a publicity stunt that all the news networks swallowed hook line and sinker!
Report Post »betterthantv
Posted on November 7, 2010 at 6:13pmDon’t jump the gun. Comcast doesn’t take over til the first of the year. Word is, MSNBC is in for a COMPLETE makeover next year. There’s no way Comcast is going to put up with their horrible ratings.
Report Post »unionrockstar
Posted on November 7, 2010 at 6:20pmNo obermann it’s screwed your are
Report Post »Rational Man
Posted on November 7, 2010 at 6:24pmMade me a little sick to learn Doberman was getting 7 million a year to spew all that hatred, lies and garbage.
Maybe it’s hazardous duty pay for wading into “it” that deep.
Report Post »lillymckim
Posted on November 7, 2010 at 6:34pmI wish he would just go away like he didon ESPN …just go away….
Report Post »5
Posted on November 7, 2010 at 7:07pmCNN took of KnuckleHead Rick. PMSNBC took off Overbite. I think they should be on. It’s America, not Cuba. I think they’re both fools, but have a right to say anything they want to.
MORE IMPORTANT OUR GUYS COULD GO & NOT THEIR BOSS but GOD ie.Obama
I also think this might be a set up so when FCC Mark Lloyd TV Czar and Obama deside to take Fox News and Talk radio off they can come back to these two and say, “These two were took off because of what they said.” so, Rush, Beck, O’reilly, Hannity, Levine, Ingraham and all the rest of our voices could be taken away because the King couls say Looking what we did to OUR Guys.
Report Post »beekeeper
Posted on November 7, 2010 at 7:41pmI find it too co-incidental that Olbermann publicly takes the high road, after how many years of “Worst person of the Week” he abruptly announces he will suspend the segment, then days later he is caught-up in a policy issue that suspends him indefinitely.
If he were suspended temporarily OR permanently, it could be viewed as a discipline action, a measured response to a defined offense, but an open-ended penalty with no explanation, other than “he broke the rules,” well, that has a hard time passing the smell test…
I don’t think it was a ratings ploy, I think instead it was a way for his boss to act immediately, but not commit to a particular time frame for the suspension. I do believe the length of the suspension, and the amount of money saved (what would it be, $7M divided by say 200 days is what, $35K/night?), will be weighed against audience reaction – the more free press, the longer the suspension. When the noise level drops, Keith will be back, breathing new life into this non-story.
Report Post »WORKS FROM HOME
Posted on November 7, 2010 at 7:49pmTwiting is the perfect media for Olbermann(bird brain).
We need to watch our reps every move and make sure everyone knows what they are doing. Blog about it and get paid. http://whamhost.info/
LSX
Posted on November 7, 2010 at 8:28pmDitto on the publicity stunt…
One could hope the buffoon would be banished to never-never land but we all know Progressives have nine lives.
Report Post »mizflame98
Posted on November 7, 2010 at 8:44pm@BETTERTHANTV
Report Post »Posted on November 7, 2010 at 6:13pm
If COMCAST takes over on the 1st of the year, then it was a HUGE waste of time and money for the new Lean Forward campaign that is suppose to last 2 years.
God_Country
Posted on November 7, 2010 at 9:36pmComcast doesn’t take over til the first of the year which is still a few months away, give them a chance a least….
Report Post »walkwithme1966
Posted on November 7, 2010 at 11:11pmWell, go ahead and do it because news it Keith is back on Tuesday night!!! http://maboulette.wordpresscom
Report Post »CYCLONE
Posted on November 8, 2010 at 1:24amF U …cheeseball
Report Post »TxGold
Posted on November 8, 2010 at 9:06amYeah, but blubber-man is such comic relief!!!!!!!
Report Post »TSUNAMI-22
Posted on November 8, 2010 at 9:33amToo bad he’s still a douche bag. Yawn……
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