Leaning Backward: (MS)NBC Suits Strike Again

NBC has suspended Keith Olbermann for making campaign donations. Specifically:

$2,400 to Congresspersons Raul Grijalva and Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona, who won their elections, and Jack Conway, Kentucky AG who lost to Rand Paul. Grijalva was re-elected despite death threats, racist campaign literature depicting him as a Mexican "bandido," and a package mailed to his office containing a toxic substance. Thanks for contributing to some good Democrats, Keith.

Here's the thing: $7,200 in campaign contributions hardly rises to the level of $2.5 million contributed by Fox owner Rupert Murdoch to the RNC and Republican Governors Association. Murdoch said he was contributing to his "friend" John Kasich, former Fox host, who won a narrow race for governor of Ohio. Friend or not, Rupert's millions provided Kasich and the successful GOP candidates for governor in other states plenty more juice than Keith's modest contributions. Michael C. Moynihan, writer for the libertarian magazine Reason, made a lot of sense in criticizing MSNBC president Phil Griffin:

“Isn’t it unfair to hold Olbermann, who is one of the most partisan people on television (if not of Earth), to the same standards as, say, Brian Williams? Countdown exists to promote Democratic candidates and liberal policies, which is just fine by me. So why shouldn’t Olbermann, as a private citizen, be allowed to donate money to those candidates he plumps for on television?”

Please don't tell us Tom Brokaw and Charlie Rose had a hand in this. Every time they trot old Tom out of mothballs, trouble follows.