Olberman and Objectivity

Josh Marshal writes, in part, that disagreeing with Olberman's suspension

doesn't mean I don't see the point of rules barring people in the news business from giving money to politicians. I do. I think they usually make sense.

I think that this position fundamentally misunderstands being as opposed to seeming when it comes to partisan commitments and objective reporting.  As a commentator, as Marshal notes, Olberman is overtly partisan on a network that, it seems, wants to represent itself as the center-left's intellectual home.  Consequently, Olberman's lack of objectivity ought not be a problem.  Fine and dandy.  Is is, however, the case that someone who contributes to a politician, cause, or party loses their "objectivity."  I don't see how this can be the case, unless you want to argue that all political engagement flows from some sort of irrational force and argue that putting your money where your mouth is is a sign of the irrational overtaking the rational. Consider one of America's top scientists and a key figure in reestablishing the rule of reason in the doing of public science: Francis Collins. He is a born again Christians who, apparently, realized the truth of the Trinity after seeing a frozen waterfall.  Despite this clearly irrational moment and his consequent spiritual rebirth, Collins remains a dedicated scientist and has done an excellent job of defending the NIH from the Republicans hatred of science and reason. My point here is that there is no reason to make rules designed to ensure that newsies seem objective when their daily activities can be scrutinized for being objective, particularly when the rules involve curtailing civic engagement.