U.S. Congressman Raúl Grijalva released a statement yesterday on Keith Olbermann's suspension without pay from MSNBC due to the contributions Olbermann made to Grijalva and U.S. Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and Kentucky Senate candidate Jack Conway:

I am personally distressed and saddened by the news of Mr. Olbermann's suspension. If there were any way to undo what has been done, I would do it in a heartbeat. Mr. Olbermann is a respected media voice who has done good work at MSNBC for seven years, and I feel the network has overreacted with such a severe penalty. I welcome and appreciate his support, and the fact that his contributions were made as a private citizen — not as the host of Countdown — should be taken into consideration before MSNBC or the wider media make any final conclusions.

Unlike other national talk show hosts who use their programs to deceive the public or hawk self-promoting financial schemes, Mr. Olbermann has used his show to educate, inform and bring common sense to our airwaves. I would rather return the money he contributed than see this incident used to take him off the air. He made no effort to disguise his contributions from the Federal Election Commission, and at no time has he misled the public as to his intentions. MSNBC should reconsider its suspension and restore Mr. Olbermann as the host of Countdown.

Or here's another way of looking at it from Grijalva's challenger Ruth McClung from her Facebook page:

I will happily take 1/3 credit for the “indefinite suspension without pay” for Keith Olbermann! I am also proud that Jesse Kelly from my neighbor district can take another 1/3 credit. Go Arizona. We were 2/3 responsible for the removable of Keith Olbermann. Should Raul Grijalva ever want of boycott Arizona again, w...e will have to find another show to proclaim it on.

And even though AP declared Grijalva the victor, McClung said on her campaign website today she's not ready to concede until every ballot is counted.

Thank you everyone for your encouragement and support!

Rest assured, I will not concede while there is a number of ballots still uncounted. Pima Co., our biggest voting block, is almost finished but Maricopa Co. still has many tens of thousands left to count.

Do I think we still have a chance to win? Probably not because of statistics. But we all fought hard for each vote and we want each one to be treated as important in the outcome of this election. Every

voter has a right to have their voice heard, and in a race this close, I feel it would be unfair to my supporters and all the people who have worked so hard on this campaign, if I did anything less than fight to the finish."

Viva the People! God Bless you all!

Ruth