Bernie Sanders Issues Statement on Keith Olbermann

[cal04]

http://senatus.wordpress.com/2010/11/05/sanders-issues-statement-on-keith-olbermann/

“It is outrageous that General Electric/MSNBC would suspend Keith Olbermann for exercising his constitutional rights to contribute to a candidate of his choice. This is a real threat to political discourse in America and will have a chilling impact on every commentator for MSNBC.

“We live in a time when 90 percent of talk radio is dominated by right-wing extremists, when the Republican Party has its own cable network (Fox) and when progressive voices are few and far between.

“At a time when the ownership of Fox news contributed millions of dollars to the Republican Party, when a number of Fox commentators are using the network as a launching pad for their presidential campaigns and are raising money right off the air, it is absolutely unacceptable that MSNBC suspended one of the most popular progressive commentators in the country.

“Is Rachel Maddow or Ed Schultz next? Is this simply a ‘personality conflict’ within MSNBC or is one of America’s major corporations cracking down on a viewpoint they may not like? Whatever the answer may be, Keith Olbermann should be reinstated immediately and allowed to present his point of view.”



Sanders Statement on Olbermann Suspension
http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2010/11/05-12

[Dappleganger]

1. As always I stand with Bernie.

He speaks for me.

[GoCubsGo]

106. Let's hope he speaks before the lame duck Congress...

...and gets them to do something about remedying the Citizens United decision, because in the end, this is what this is really all about.

[aquart]

2. I love Bernie.

[Pathwalker]

3. Watch out, Senator. There's a bus on its way, and you will be

thrown under it, pronto!

[malaise]

4. Love you Bernie

:hug:

[Better Believe It]

5. K & R

[negativenihil]

6. as the husband of a vermonter...

all i have to say is GO BERNIE!!!!!!!!!

[madmax]

7. WTG Bernie one of the few sane men left in the country

wish we could clone him, too.

[inna]

8. Huge K&R

This is NOT good. Corporate takeover of democracy is nearly complete.

[Naturyl]

9. You can always count on Bernie.

Bernie is as solid as they come in this country. He's the real deal.

[nadinbrzezinski]

10. Bernie gets it, but he has for years

why we need to BREAK DOWN The fucking media conglomerates.

[WA98296]

11. Thank YOU Bernie!

[gateley]

12. I love Bernie. I just love him. nt

[katty]

13. yes, Bernie--it IS. This is ego conflicts and jealousy

just net bosses bullshit.

[Odin2005]

14. Go Bernie!

[WillyT]

15. Go Bernie !!! - K & R !!!

:bounce::woohoo::bounce:

:patriot:

:kick:

[azmouse]

16. Awesome!

:thumbsup:

[EFerrari]

17. K&R

LOL

[moondust]

18. Highly recommended!

K/R

[Catherina]

19. Ber nie needs to know that MSNBC allowed Scarbie to set a precedent. Rec'd n/t

[lamp_shade]

20. Wow.

[xchrom]

21. Recommend

[neobeetle]

22. You the man Bernie!

[Lasher]

23. I have been thinking about who I would like to see in the 2012 Democratic primary for President

So far my list includes Robert Reich, Alan Grayson, and now Bernie Sanders.

[tomg]

54. Love Reich, but over Krugman?

I think we are on the same page, maybe a sentence or two off.

[AsahinaKimi]

24. [phone]!

Bring in the magnifying glass...and let the sunshine in.

[Swamp Rat]

25. k&r

[Poboy]

26. Bernie is one of the great ones. -nt

[mod mom]

27. Love Bernie!!!!!! dead on.

[Speck Tater]

28. Bernie Sanders is GREAT. I love his fried chicken drive-thru too. ;-) nt

[Gold Metal Flake]

29. Bernie Sanders is my political party.

[xocet]

30. K & R n/t

[Hubert Flottz]

31. K&R

[southern_belle]

32. I really need to check on the

real estate in Vermont. It's time for me to move and Vermont sounds like my kind of place.

[truebrit71]

33. Thank you Bernie for saying it so eloquently..

..

[RamboLiberal]

34. K&R - Love Bernie

[Waiting For Everyman]

35. Thank you, Bernie! How great is this?

I'm tweeting and FBing this one.

Thanks, cal04.

Btw, does Keith have a FB page? Messages of support would be very visible that way.

[highplainsdem]

36. K&R. Thank you, Bernie!

[Doremus]

37. [phone]+++++ THANK YOU Bernie!!! nt

[earth mom]

38. K & R

:kick:

[LibDemAlways]

39. Wish I lived in Vermont so I could vote for him. One of

the few people of integrity in politics.

[David Zephyr]

40. Bernie Sanders.

!

[YankeeLeft7x]

41. Great Statement of the Year!!!!! - Keep Reading this over and over again!

Bernie Sanders has just written the Greatest Statement of the Year!!!!

Keep Reading this over and over again!

[Poboy]

112. Yep. It would be nice if others would also say what the score really is .

Fox is a pure propaganda outfit, pushed by right wing extremists.

[suffragette]

42. K&R

[indimuse]

43. God BLESS Bernie!

knr!!

[Individualist]

44. Bravo Bernie!

[Mosaic]

45. A man among ants

[glinda]

46. k & R n/t

[The Uncola]

47. Bernie is great. See how a persoin with scuples...

..loyalty and integrity acts, Mr President?

[Enthusiast]

48. K&R, Bernie speaks truth (again) nt

[Enthusiast]

49. I suspect this is only the start.

They will now do away with net neutrality.

[City Lights]

50. I love Bernie and wish we had more like him.

Rec'd.

[kwolf68]

51. I LOVE Bernie...

Damn I love that man.

I never thought I was a socialist, but I can't think of ever not agreeing with him.

I can just hear him saying those articulate words now in that thick New England accent.

Bernie Sanders = American Treasure...he actually gives a shit about those without power and that without voice.

[PatrynXX]

52. I wish I could vote for you

He has the facts. Any smart person knows whoever hosts Countdown tonight is holding a gun to their head. Chris Hays clearly wasn't that stupid. Only one that will. hey Phil why don't you host.. So we can say YOUR FIRED you chickenshit.

[johnfunk]

53. K&R, go Bernie!

[me b zola]

55. K&R

[madokie]

56. Right on Bernie

sure wish he'd move to oklahoma and run for office, we need someone like him in a bad way, Alan Grayson would be more than welcome too. I thought that was the best duo of the congress critters.

[Poboy]

57. .

[Name removed]

58. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Name removed]

60. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[EvilMonk]

59. Translation:

"We just lost our primary "Message Enabler"!"

Oh noes!

:puke:

[blackspade]

61. Post 58 = LAME

Peddle your translation elsewhere

[RoccoR5955]

65. Evil Monk, needs to go back to the monestary. n/t

[LaPera]

62. "Petition: Put Olbermann Back On The Air NOW!"

http://act.boldprogressives.org/sign/petition_olbermann/?source=huff

[dmr]

74. Thanks

:hi:

[Faygo Kid]

79. Signed.

Fox News will not be happy until all dissenting voices are gone. NBC is buckling.

[Little Star]

63. I love Bernie!!! k&r

[RoccoR5955]

64. GO BERNIE!!!!!!

I <3 Bernie!

[Egnever]

66. I dont know Bernie

that sounds a little kneejerk to me.

[prodigals0n]

67. +1 Love Bernie. Got to move to Vermont someday. eom

[2critical]

68. Love you, Bernie; Fuck you, NBC

[Stellar]

69. Thank You Bernie!

:loveya:

[DesertFlower]

70. i love bernie.

[SaveOurDemocracy]

71. Bernie is a great man of courage and personal integrity.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

72. Bernie's got it right

it most certainly was not about simply breaking NBC's internal rules

[tpsbmam]

73. Damn I love Bernie. I mean I seriously love the guy......

:loveya: :loveya: :loveya: :loveya: :loveya: :loveya: :loveya: :loveya: :loveya: :loveya:

:::::::okay, off to take cold shower::::::::::

[dpbrown]

75. I stand with Bernie

Perfectly said.

[elzenmahn]

76. Bernie's one of the good guys, no doubt...

...and please, contribute to his re-election campaign NOW. He's going to have a huge target on him when he's up for re-election, I guarantee it...

[BallardWA]

77. Go, Bernie, Go!

You choose your battles, I know, so it's wonderful to know that this is as important to you as it is to us. Thanks.

[laughingliberal]

78. Bernie's Da Bomb! K&R nm

[veganlush]

80. you said Bernie! thank you!...n/t

[abelenkpe]

81. This is why I love Bernie Sanders

If only there were more like him. :)

[JDPriestly]

82. Thank you, Bernie Sanders.

It is time for Congress to review media control issues.

Republicans keep talking about the "liberal media," and we Democrats are unhappy because we perceive the media as too conservative.

It's time for both parties to talk about ending the media consolidation that prevents diversity in the media.

If the Republicans do not agree to move to insure media diversity, that is a clear indication that the media has, in fact, a right-wing bias and serves them very well.

This is not an issue of free enterprise. The media airwaves belong to the public.

By the way, Time Warner was generous to Barbara Boxer's campaign, I heard. I don't know what the story is on that. Can anyone verify and explain it?

[ezmerelda39]

83. Sounds like MSNBC

has just sold out to the highest bidder..time to start a publicly funded (not through the government) network for news we can count on. While we are at it let's add a viable third party to go along with keeping progress alive.

[chill_wind]

84. K & R. Thank you to Bernie. n/t

[krispos42]

85. "We live in a time when 90 percent of talk radio is dominated by right-wing extremists..."

“We live in a time when 90 percent of talk radio is dominated by right-wing extremists, when the Republican Party has its own cable network (Fox) and when progressive voices are few and far between."


As the wealthy and powerful have planned and worked hard for.

[McCamy Taylor]

86. Gonna hear a lot of politicians on this.

My prediction: GE will never get Cap & Trade now. The Dems will not want to look as if they were blackmailed into doing it. And the Tea Baggers are sure not going to pass Cap & Trade.

Mayvbe GE is hoping Jeb Bush will give it to them?

:rofl:

[beforeyoureyes]

87. Psssssssssst....Bernie Sanders for President in 2012

[Iwillnevergiveup]

88. Rec #300

Love Bernie and Keith!

[bliss_eternal]

89. Great statement...!

Thanks for posting.

Honestly, this suspension begs the question (for me at least), is he being punished for not assisting the right wing with their attempts to take back the house, etc.?

Whatever it is, thier reaction deserves legal response and less of our dollars (through boycott of any of their sponsors we can alleviate from our lives).

[deacon]

90. He said it best. n/t

[donheld]

91. k & R

[Douglas Carpenter]

92. kick and recommend!!

[farmboxer]

93. We can always count on Bernie!!!!!!!

Go Bernie go!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[felix_numinous]

94. What news organization donates millions to the Democratic Party?

None---right. But one news commentator gets made an example of because those bastards cannot bear to hear the naked truth he slams them with every night. Fucking cowards.

[EmeraldCityGrl]

95. Thank you Bernie. You can not sign away your first

amendment rights. IF the SCOTUS has determined that corporations can contribute billions to the candidate of their choice,
then that right is extended to citizens at the very least. Keith's contract becomes irrelevant. I'm saving all future donations for
Keith's legal fund. He has one hell of a lawsuit.

[Joe Fields]

96. I like Bernie Sanders, but what Keith did was wrong.

What Keith did was unethical. Pure and simple, and his giant ego made it easier to be made an example of, by MSNBC.

[lupinella]

97. K&R

Love to Bernie!

[Carolina]

98. K&R love Bernie

[SunsetDreams]

99. K&R Thank you Bernie!

[cate94]

100. K & R

Bernie is correct. Keith should be able to donate to whomever he chooses.

[DCofVA]

101. Thank you, Bernie

:patriot:

[orbitalman]

102. Bernie is SOOOOO Excellent...

America would be in good hands if all congressmen were like him.:)

[Honeycombe8]

103. Playing devil's advocate....Bernie's flat wrong.

The issue is not whether Keith has the right to contribute to candidates. The issue is a company policy that Keith signed on to, when he became employed by the company.

Sure, we all have the right to disregard company policies. And the company has the right to then fire anyone who disregards their policies. Otherwise, what good would policies be, if employees had to abide by them only if they felt like it, or only if some employees got special treatment and didn't have to abide by them.

But MSNBC did not fire Keith. They suspended him w/o pay. Keith forced their hand. The company HAS to do something when an employee breaks a company policy. It has to. And that's a pretty mild punishment (if it's not a long suspension, which I suspect will be the case, since Keith's show is MSNBC's #1 program).

So buck it up. If you're gonna break the rules, be man enough to be accountable for it.

(The bigger question to me is....did Keith intentionally go behind his employer's back and contribute and intentionally not tell his employer? If that's what happened, well, that says a lot about Keith's ethical character. The ethical thing to do would be to tell your employer you're going to do such and such, that you disagree with the policy, and take the knocks. Or, better yet, you could ask for permission to contribute, and MSNBC might have said yes, since Keith's show is an opinion partisan show and not a news broadcast.)

Flame away. That's how I see it, no matter WHO did it. Just because I like Keith doesn't make his employer the bad guy. We're all grown up. We know we have to pay the price if we break the rules. It would be the same if I DIDN'T like Keith, or he were a teabilly, or a progressive. No difference.

BTW, this is Rachel Maddow's position.

[cleanhippie]

104. Sorry, Bernie, while I agree with you, you are wrong.

We are protected from the GOVERNMENT taking our Constitutional rights, not from private companies that require you to waive certain rights as part of your employment contract.

[Wingmasters]

105. Olbermann move to REAL Network ;

Take Rachel with you .

[Kajsa]

107. Thank you, Bernie.

K&R

[Goldstein1984]

108. I like Bernie Sanders

This kind of courage is why.

[Canuckistanian]

109. There, an even 400

Go Bernie!

[craigmatic]

110. It's too bad Sanders isn't officially a dem. We need voices like his in the party.

[Poboy]

111. .