What really makes you go “hmmm,” though, is the fact that, just days before Olbermann’s indefinite suspension, the Countdown host announced the “indefinite suspension” of the “Worst Persons in the World” segment, in an explicit bid to draw just the contrast that his own suspension has. We’re through the looking glass here, people.

Adding fuel to this little can of conspiracy Sterno is the way in which this story broke. Are we to believe that the staff of Politico just happened to be whiling away their lunch breaks on the FEC website, stumbled across Olbermann’s donations, and had the tingling Spidey-sense to wonder if they violated NBC News’ policies?

Or did someone (we’re looking at you, Phil Griffin) feed the story to Politico on purpose?