MSNBC is suspending Joe Scarborough for a few days.
"I recognize that I have a responsibility to honor the guidelines and conditions of my employment, and I regret that I failed to do so in this matter," Scarborough said in a statement. "I apologize to MSNBC and to anyone who has been negatively affected by my actions," said, adding that after he was made aware of some of the contributions, he called MSNBC president Phil Griffin "and agreed with Phil's immediate demand of a two-day suspension without pay."
POLITICO had sought comment from the network after finding evidence that Scarborough gave at least five separate previously unknown $500 contributions while serving as an MNBC host – all to Republican candidates to whom he was close who were running for state legislative seats in or near Scarborough’s hometown of Pensacola, Fla. After being contacted by POLITICO about the donations, Scarborough voluntarily disclosed three other $500 contributions to a friend running for county office in Florida.
This is getting to be silly.
NPR fires Juan Williams. Roger Ailes hires him for $2 million, then calls NPR executives, "Nazis".
MSNBC suspends Keith Olbermann indefinitely. The left responds by pointing out undisclosed donations by Scarborough, with the help of Politico. MSNBC suspends Scarborough.
Meanwhile, David Vitter got re-elected, and John Ensign's running for re-election in 2012. Charlie Rangel is still a US House member. A new crop of Republicans at every level of government - from municipal elections to governors to Congress - is getting ready to ride into office on the wave of anonymous attack ads.
Money is not speech, but it sure is a heck of a megaphone to amplify your voice. Money can be used to drown out the voices of the journalists who are actually telling the stories that Americans need to know. And news cycle after news cycle is taken up by the latest story on the media's coverage of itself.
I hope to God that this diary doesn't make the wreck list, but I'm sure someone else's Joe Scarborough diary will.
UPDATED: Oh, hell. This story is getting traction. If you're going to read it, at least donate to Orange to Blue 2012.