Olbermann, Plus A Little More On Pelosi

Some of you brought up Keith Olbermann on the last thread. I guess I'm just in a sour mood as this week winds down about the various people on my side of the row boat, but I think he was foolish to make those donations, unless he told some superior about them first.

Ngavc asked what my policy was. I donated to one statewide candidate who is a friend and whose race I knew I would have no remote chance of writing about. Other than something like that, I won't make donations. True, it's quite obvious what side I'm on, and I don't have to be like that WashPost editor who didn't even vote. In fact I already told you all that I voted, and how pleased I was to be able to pull the lever in Maryland for utterly unthreatened Democrats up and down the line.

But I draw the line at donations. Money...does things. It changes the nature of one's rooting interest. I feel funny about it. Others of my type, clearly affiliated opinion journalists, don't. That's up to them, and I wouldn't judge them, but this is just how I feel.

Indefinite suspension seems a bit harsh. If indefinite ends up meaning a week, that's okay, I guess. But we still need to know more. Did Olbermann run his three donations by any brass? And did Joe Scarborough run his donations (both to one person, a personal friend) by any brass? How do we know Olbermann's benefactees weren't personal friends? It isn't clear how NBC differentiates between these two. They're both opinionators.

Interesting comments re Pelosi, with many of you scattered across the board and defying partisan expectations. As I am, I guess. I just don't think it passes the average-Joe-Jane-common-sense test: what, they got hammered to death, and they're not changing coaches? Just doesn't track.

Final note: A friend just this instant sent me this, from Slate. Evidently - get this, now - Mick Jagger was ticked at Keith Richards' remarks about him in the latter's new book, so Mick wrote a several-thousand word letter to Bill Wyman complaining. Problem: There are two Bill Wymans. One's the bassist, the other is a rock journalist. Apparently, if this is for real, Mick sent his missive to the wrong Wyman. So now all of us get to read what Mick intended for Bill's eyes only. And I think I'll leave you in peace with that. Enjoy your weekend.

UPDATE, A LITTLE BIT LATER: The comment thread suggests that this is a hoax. Got me. Well played. It read awfully true, except that Mick seemed to be writing to bassist Bill as if he were a stranger. Anyway, it was still a fun thing to read. Funny Wenner dig.

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