This story just breaks my heart!

BREAKING: MSNBC Suspends Keith Olbermann Indefinitely

By Lachlan Markay | November 05, 2010 | 14:10

MSNBC suspended Keith Olbermann indefinitely today after news broke that he had given the maximum allowable contribution to three Democrats without disclosing it to his viewers.

CBS News reported on the suspension about 20 minutes ago, with a more detailed statement from MSNBC brass:

“I became aware of Keith’s political contributions late last night,” Phil Griffin, President of MSNBC, said in a statement. “Mindful of NBC News policy and standards, I have suspended him indefinitely without pay.”

Olbermann, who does not hide his liberal views, has acknowledged donations of $2,400 each to Kentucky Senate candidate Jack Conway and Arizona Reps. Raul Grijalva and Gabrielle Giffords during this election cycle.

NBC’s ethics policy generally bars political activity, including contributions, without the approval of the president of NBC News, Steve Capus, according to a 2007 story on MSNBC.com.

“Anyone working for NBC News who takes part in civic or other outside activities may find that these activities jeopardize his or her standing as an impartial journalist because they may create the appearance of a conflict of interest,” it says. “Such activities may include participation in or contributions to political campaigns or groups that espouse controversial positions. You should report any such potential conflicts in advance to, and obtain prior approval of, the President of NBC News or his designee.”

In a statement released before the suspension as announced, Olbermann said: “I did not privately or publicly encourage anyone else to donate to these campaigns, nor to any others in this election or any previous ones, nor have I previously donated to any political campaign at any level.”

As NewsBusters noted in a post on Thursday, Olbermann has often claimed that he is “not a liberal,” as he once put it. Though that claim was always dubious, to say the least, it is simply laughable in light of Olbermann’s political contributions, and now the news of his suspension.

His donations - undisclosed, remember - also raised the issue of a double standard, given Olbermann’s criticism of Fox News parent company News Corporation’s political activities. As Ed Morrissey wrote Friday morning:

I don’t think that Olbermann’s contributions mean too much on their own. We all know from watching his broadcasts that he dislikes Republicans and cheerleads for Democrats, so these contributions do nothing for his credibility in any direction. The question here is whether NBC will hold MSNBC to its ethical standards, and the hypocrisy of shrieking about Fox’s contributions while donating his own.