Rachel Maddow’s rant about Keith Olbermann: “And, FOX News!”

From last night on MSNBC:

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“They run as a political operation, we are not. Yes, Keith is a liberal and so am I, and there are other people on this network whose political opinions are shared with you, our beloved viewers. But we are not a political operation, we are a news operation.”

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Please. Admitting that you’re a liberal is akin to having Madonna admit that she’s provocative. Or, having Howard Stern admit that he’s a shock jock.

Well, duh.

But denying that MSNBC is a political operation is the height of media dishonesty, the kind of dishonesty that has sent the once high-flying cable network into the dust bin of also-rans.

Fox News has Geraldo Rivera, Alan Colmes, Juan Williams and Shepard Smith.  Who does MSNBC put on during any prime time broadcast who describes themselves as a conservative, for any other purpose than for ridicule, hyperbole or personal attack?

I’ll wait while you compile the list.

…

…

Crickets.

MSNBC is destined to go the way of Air America. The network is losing in the marketplace of ideas, and the reason for the hemorrhaging is not that Fox News is a “political operation.” No, the reason is that Fox News really is a news operation, and that MSNBC is not only a political operation, but a particularly bad one. It’s a bad political operation masquerading as a news network, and it’s anchor baby directly and intentionally violated company ethics policy by donating campaign cash to the very guests he had on his show.

Physician, heal thyself.

If NPR was right to fire Juan Williams, should MSNBC fire Keith Olbermann? UPDATE: Olbermann suspended

We’ll see how this shakes out, but if Keith Olbermann can directly and deliberately violate NBC News policy on campaign contributions and keep his job, it shows an incredible hypocrisy on the part of the media.

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MSNBC host Keith Olbermann made campaign contributions to two Arizona members of Congress and failed Kentucky Senate candidate Jack Conway ahead of Tuesday’s election — a potential violation of NBC ethics policies.

Olbermann, who acknowledged the contributions in a statement to POLITICO, made the maximum legal donations of $2,400 apiece to Conway and to Arizona Reps. Raul Grijalva and Gabrielle Giffords. He donated to the Arizona pair on Oct. 28 — the same day that Grijalva appeared as a guest on Olbermann’s “Countdown” show.

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You will recall that NPR fired Juan Williams for merely stating an honest opinion about his feelings towards Muslims when getting on a plane.  NPR’s problem with Williams was apparently not what he said, but where he said it—on a Fox News broadcast of the O’Reilly Factor.

Olbermann’s transgression appears much more severe.  NBC's policy on political contributions is clear.  You don’t do it unless you get clearance from the top.  Olbermann apparently didn’t.

Should he keep his job?

UPDATE: Indefinitely Suspended