Here's the tragic irony of airing "Hubris" on MSNBC

[progressoid]

The painful truth is that Rachel Maddow's employer is complicit in Bush's war. They even fired probably the strongest anti-war voice on TV at the time despite having the highest rated show on the network.

In July 2002, Phil Donahue returned to television after seven years of retirement to host a show called Donahue on MSNBC. On February 25, 2003, MSNBC canceled the show, citing his opposition to the imminent invasion of Iraq by the United States military. Donahue was the highest rated show on MSNBC at the time it was canceled, managing to beat out Chris Matthews' MSNBC show "Hardball" in the ratings.[15] But Matthews was a big proponent of the Iraq invasion and he cultivated a good relationship with MSNBC's management before Donahue came to the network. He played a crucial role in procuring the firing of Donahue and "saw himself as MSNBC's biggest star, and he was upset that the network was pumping significant resources into Donahue's show."[16]
...

Soon after the show's cancellation, an internal MSNBC memo was leaked to the press stating that Donahue should be fired because he opposed the imminent U.S. invasion of Iraq and that he would be a "difficult public face for NBC in a time of war."[17] Donahue commented in 2007 that the management of MSNBC, owned by military contractors General Electric and Microsoft Corp., required that "we have two conservative (guests) for every liberal. I was counted as two liberals."[18] In 2005 Norman Solomon's book Made Love, Got War: Close Encounters with America's Warfare State came to the same conclusion.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phil_Donahue#MSNBC_program

Phil Donahue: Well, I think we signed on in August [2002] and I was gone in February of the following year which is a month before the invasion. MSNBC and its corporate parent, General Electric, were not at all pleased with my anti-war position. And I was outspoken about it.

And a memo was released, and printed by the New York Times from a consultant hired by NBC News. “Donahue appears to take delight in his anti-war stance.” See how we’re marginalized there, “delight.” So I not only opposed the war, I was, I delighted in. …. I mean what kind of crass person am I?

They’re so clever. The propaganda campaign that’s been leveled against the so-called liberal voice.

http://tinyurl.com/839h5m2

On the October 28 edition of FOX News Channel's Hannity & Colmes, veteran talk show host Phil Donahue remarked on being fired from MSNBC in February 2003.

SEAN HANNITY (co-host): What happened at MSNBC?

DONAHUE: Well, we were the only antiwar voice that had a show, and that, I think, made them very nervous. I mean, from the top down, they were just terrified. We had to have two conservatives on for every liberal. I was counted as two liberals.

HANNITY: You have the force of two liberals.

DONAHUE: I mean, you know, it's a shame, you know? Now, we were replaced by Michael Savage, and now they have Chuck {sic: Joe} Scarborough. And by the way, I wish them all well. A lot of the people who worked for me, incidentally, a wonderful crowd of very young, bright people who worked for me, some of whom have now matriculated to other programs on MSNBC. So I want them to do well, but I certainly wasn't -- it was a very, very unhappy time for me.

HANNITY: You felt mistreated? You felt mistreated?

DONAHUE: Well, we were very -- I was isolated, and we were very alone at the end. And then we had nobody supporting us, and our numbers were very decent. We weren't Elvis, but we were often the best number --

HANNITY: You were the highest-rated show on the network.

DONAHUE: Yes. And we were told to leave.

http://mediamatters.org/research/2004/10/29/phil-donahue-on-his-2003-msnbc-firing-we-had-to/132200

Amy Goodman calls out MSNBC over Donahue firing

[monmouth3]

1. Matthews must be so proud of himself....grrrrrrr...n/t

[progressoid]

2. Yeah,

Seems to me, Chris is all about Chris.

[monmouth3]

7. Definitely that plus which way is the wind blowing today. I think he's going to go for rubio..Just

a guess, but he's very two-faced and not a critical thinker at all.

[silvershadow]

10. Right on cue, Matthews decides he's a liberal once the liberals are stronger than they've been in

decades. Of course, he waded in the pool *after it was completely full.

[calimary]

12. After slobbering and drooling over that shameless display on the aircraft carrier.

"We're all neoCONS now!" Speak for yourself, tweety. While we give you the bird.

It's nice that he's gotten with the program now, but I always wonder how sincere or "permanent" that epiphany of his will really be. He's anybody's baby. He's loyal to whoever he thinks is on top and has momentum and is chic this week. I like what he's been doing lately - visibly indignant at what the republi-CONS have been pulling. It's nice that he SEEMS to have come around. But I'm never certain how for-real that is. I don't trust him. I'm delighted to use him while he's useful. But I don't trust him. How soon does he start flipping over to republi-CON worship and and all his shameless fawning again?

[monmouth3]

18. I wouldn't be surprised if Rubio catches his eye...LOL...n/t

[calimary]

23. And gives him that feeling that runs up his leg, you mean?

What an infant.

I swear. He's nothing but a schoolyard nebbish who wants to be the first kid in the front row of the next playground fight. He'll be the first one there, yelling "FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!" And he'll NEVER be the one with skin in the game. Just yelling from the sidelines for others to go in and knock each other around so he can watch.

[monmouth3]

24. Yes, just like the guy who always sits in a room with his back to the wall. Always looking and

weighing the odds...What an operator.

[rhett o rick]

27. I have less respect for someone like Tweety that plays the winnig side than I do

for the actual criminals. Cheney is a creepy, crawly war criminal but he doesnt care if you know it. Tweety will kiss Bushy's ass if he thinks it's expedient. Chris Mathews is the worst of the worst. Sycophant to the highest bidder.

[WCGreen]

15. Isn't his show the worst preformer on the network...

[monmouth3]

17. I don't know. The first one comes on during commute times so they show the second at 7:00...I'll

check on that when I can..

[Bluenorthwest]

3. Those who were correct must be made invisible so that those who were wrong can take promotions

while claiming everyone was simply 'duped' in a sort of comic adventure they were on with Bush/Cheney and company.
A nation that cherishes failure and punishes wisdom is doomed.

[truedelphi]

20. Well said. For all our "choices" in the media,

No matter what channel on Mainstream TV, we are lulled into accepting America as the Empirical Controller of Every Human Destiny. Those channels let us know we have only two choices: We pretty much get Fascism Dark, or Fascism Lite. And in someways, Fascism Lite is scarier, because as long as smiles and the cult of personality get full approval (Or what passes for it, anyway,) the ending of democracy in America is accomplished through sleight of hand and the nefarious back room deals.

My theme song for the last ten years is "Smiling Faces."
On edit -- the group singing this is "The Undisputed Truth" though they sound like the Temptations.

[riderinthestorm]

4. K&R Important point. nt

[deminks]

5. Ashleigh Banfield was another voice silenced by then GEMSNBC.

Particularly for a speech she gave at Kansas State.

http://www.alternet.org/story/15778/msnbc%27s_banfield_slams_war_coverage

I hear she is on CNN now. Maybe at ABC News later this year? I hope I can catch her at ABC.

[progressoid]

25. I imagine there were a lot of people silenced.

If not fired, then by the threat/fear of being fired.

[randr]

6. Not one mention of who profited from the war was an egregious omission

And we all know who they are.

[HughBeaumont]

8. GE are war profiteers. That's Jack Welch's shite influence right there.

He was behind the scenes in late 2000 demanding the network call the election for Bewsh. Don't tell me he didn't have a lot at stake for The Reich of Rotten's ascent. Even to this day, he's on CNBC every three weeks ratcheting up the Republican "FREE MARKETZ" narrative with his fellow pig Joe Kernen.

[Bake]

14. Jack Welch will burn in hell

And he can't take his millions with him.

Bake

[mn9driver]

9. You beat me to it.

Donahue's firing was by far the clearest indication yet that the MIC had essentially taken over. And the only change since then is that their control has increased.

[progressoid]

11. I was pissed when they fired him.

He was one of the few sane voices on M$M. That's when I turned to the internet.

[samsingh]

13. this is especially courageous for Maddow to take on

[progressoid]

16. It's OK to do it now. Public support for the war tanked a few years ago.

[mahannah]

19. Missing from the interviews was Phil Donahue. Maybe he'll be on tonight.

[truedelphi]

21. Welcome to DU, Mahannah. n/t

[Uncle Joe]

22. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, progressoid.

[Wilms]

26. ^

[rhett o rick]

28. I love Dr. Maddow. But to me the big story isnt that Cheney is evil, but who in the corp-media

cashed in their principles and kisses George Bush, the Dim-Son's ass.

[Whisp]

29. Fuck you, Tweety!!!!

I didn't know this about him vs. Donahue. omg.

what a fucking creepy asshole FAKE!!!

[ljm2002]

30. Amy Goodman is a great American...

...and one of the very best journalists of my lifetime.