Pat Buchanan out at MSNBC

Pat Buchanan speaks about Tim Russert to reporters outside NBC's bureau June 15, 2008 in Washington, DC. / Photo by Brendan Smialowski/Getty Images

Updated Feb. 17, 2012, 12:03 AM ET

NEW YORK - MSNBC dropped conservative commentator Pat Buchanan on Thursday, four months after suspending him following the publication of his latest book.

The book "Suicide of a Superpower" contained chapters titled "The End of White America" and "The Death of Christian America." Critics called the book racist, anti-Semitic and homophobic, charges Buchanan denied.

MSNBC President Phil Griffin said last month that he didn't think Buchanan's book "should be part of the national dialogue, much less part of the dialogue on MSNBC."

The network said on Thursday that "after 10 years, we have decided to part ways with Pat Buchanan. We wish him well."

Buchanan, in a column posted on Thursday, called the decision "an undeniable victory for the blacklisters."

The former GOP candidate had seemed increasingly out of place on MSNBC as it emphasized liberal commentary in recent years. But he kept a regular presence, even forging an unlikely chemistry with talk show host Rachel Maddow despite disagreeing on most issues.

Buchanan wrote that advocacy groups like Color of Change and the Anti-Defamation League brand people as racists or anti-Semites if they dare "to venture outside the narrow corral in which they seek to confine debate." They seek to silence and censor dissent while proclaiming devotion to the First Amendment, he said.

"I know these blacklisters," he wrote. "They operate behind closed doors, with phone calls, mailed threats and off-the-record meetings. They work in the dark because, as Al Smith said, nothing un-American can live in the sunlight."

The liberal media watchdog Media Matters for America said that MSNBC made the right decision in letting Buchanan go.

The book "was not his first, nor his worst offense," said Ari Rabin-Havt, executive vice president of Media Matters. "He's been making the same racially insensitive, anti-Semitic and homophobic statements for the past 50 years."

[Rajah999]

Bad move MSNBC. I almost never agreed with him but I loved that you had him on there. His presence and participation kept the commentary and discussions lively and intriguing and prevented them from devolving into echo chamber repetition of pious recitations of liberal creeds and the interpretations of the news that such lack of diversity would lead to. . To have such a great advocate for such ugly ideas was a great for debate and really examining why one believes what he or she does.

[cowabunga4131]

Now if they could just get rid of the Reverend Al Sharpton I would start watching MSNBC again.

[_Liann_]

Another goose-stepper bites the dust. Good riddance, taking out the trash. NEXT!

[_Liann_]

Hey, it's daylight now, and I say Buchanan should be barred from media for life for sociopathic, insane, and pro-criminal-attacks verbal bashing of American citizens who don't share a skin color with him.

[wfw3536]

MSNBC move will only hurt their very poor ratings. You know your in trouble when you are fight CN for the bottom of the polls spot.

[fredrickh]

So they have a problem with Pat because they think he is a racist but they don't have a problem with Al Sharpten - who is a racist, a race baiter, a jew hater, a holocaust denier, a tax cheat,a flim flam man,a phoney preacher, etc. I guess being a democrat and a liberal means never having to say your sorry. MSNBC is all about diversity - a lot of different looking people who all thing the same.

[bet365]

You are really damn stupid if you believe anything you just said. If you got a problem with MSNBC, watch Fox News where they tell so many lies than you can count.

[RobAla]

I have never read the book, but MSNBC is famous for it's intolerant extremist left wing bomb throwers as commentators. Let's see if MSNBC decides to curb some of that, as well.

[ANYBODY_BUT_BARRY]

Can someone please show me where he has been racists, or homophobic? You can't? Interesting. MSNBC, bottom of the barrel.

[_Liann_]

He's been racist on GOOGLE. Check it out: GOOGLE Pat-Buchanan-Racist.

[antoniof123]

The last time there was a black list it was made by the Republican party.

Many still remember McCarthy he almost destroyed America and I guess Pat wants him back.

This man will always be a joke he forgets histroy that is why he lost his election bid.

[credibility2]

Buchanan spoke the truth and MSNBC couldn't handle the truth. As an Independent, I no longer watch MSNBC since their hosts are racist, hate-filled, heterophobic, etc. Their personas were offensive and hideous.