Briefing: Greg Mitchell on MSNBC’s Olbermann About-Face

Briefing: Greg Mitchell on MSNBC’s Olbermann About-Face

Briefing: Greg Mitchell on MSNBC’s Olbermann About-Face

By this past weekend, says Greg Mitchell, the media’s focus had shifted from the elections to Keith Olbermann’s suspension for donating money to Democratic candidates. Not a peep, of course, about the amount that MSNBC’s parent company, GE, had given throughout the campaign season.

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The big story last week was the elections: Republicans take back the House! Nearly $5 billion spent on campaigns across the country—most of it from faceless corporate donors! But by the weekend the focus had shifted: Keith Olbermann was suspended from MSNBC for donating money to three Democratic candidates. Not a peep, of course, about the amount that MSNBC’s parent company, GE, had given throughout the campaign season.

In this environment, The Nation‘s media blogger, Greg Mitchell, joins The Nation on Grit TV to talk about George W. Bush’s book tour, Fox News anchor Chris Wallace joking with Jon Stewart about Fox’s employing Republican candidates for 2012 and a profile of The Nation in Monday’s New York Times

The Nation on GRIT TV is a weekly video collaboration between The Nation and GRIT TV with Laura Flanders. Watch for Monday briefings, Wednesday commentaries, weekend conversations and more at TheNation.com. For full half-hour episodes of The Nation on GRIT TV, or local television air times visit www.grittv.org.

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With the midterm elections now firmly upon us, the question is whether Democratic candidates will do more than merely occupy ballot lines as mild alternatives to the red-hot crisis that is Donald Trump.

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Onward,

Katrina vanden Huevel
Editor and Publisher, The Nation

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