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Countdown Thursday: End of the I-Man

Posted: Thursday, April 12, 2007 8:25 PM by Countdown
Filed Under:

Off the Air: CBS chairman Les Moonves, said the "effect language like this has on young people, particularly young women of color trying to make their way in this society... has weighed most heavily on our minds as we made our decision," cancelling Imus's radio program late this afternoon. His radio affiliates in Portland, Oregon, and Charleston, South Carolina, had already cancelled the program. Moonves' boss, Viacom Chairman Sumner Redstone, had already said he was certain Moonves would "do the right thing" about the program, syndicated to about 70 stations around the country. And this morning, Imus himself had said the cancellation of the MSNBC part of his telecast meant little, because viewership was only a few hundred thousand -- it was radio that mattered, because "millions listened." Not any more.

The End of the Line? Protests, suspensions, advertisers pulling out and now two firings. Will Don Imus be able to rebound from his racist and sexist remarks the way he's rebounded before?

ODDBALL : Rapping squirrels are always cool, right?  What about the Monkey King of Sasaram?

Attack in the Green Zone : One day things are supposedly improving in Iraq and the next day the parliament cafeteria gets bombed. The president says those same people that carried out the bombing will come to America to attack us.

"We Screwed Up, And We're trying to Fix It": That, the exact quote from the White house today in reference to the "lost" emails pertaining to the US Attorneys scandal.

WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD : Karen Tumulty's thin smear of Hillary Clinton, the pet food CEO who coincidentally dumped half his stock just before the big contamination news hit, and the "Geek Squad" guy who came to fix the computer and ended up filming in the shower.

Back to the Really Important News : Sanjaya survives another round on American Idol, and now there's word he's hitting on J-Lo. Kid, you're out of your league. WAY out. In all of the above.

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Comments

Yes, they screwed up by announcing that the emails existed, and trying to fix it by making sure that there are no copies left anywhere.

FreeDem , Wholly Rodent Empire (Sent Thursday, April 12, 2007 8:34 PM)

I don't care how out of my league she is, I'd make a pass at JLo ANY DAY.

Phil C., Madison, WI (Sent Thursday, April 12, 2007 9:24 PM)

Now that Imus is gone, we know who the daddy of Anna's baby is and when those people that actually watch Idol vote to get rid of Sanjaya, we can get back to real news. I love watching "Countdown" but was disappointed these last two nights when so much time was spent on Imus. Yes; it was terrible, awful and disgusting what he said, but I don't believe so much time should have been spent this story. I am hoping this story is dead just like Imus's mike.

L.A., Seattle (Sent Thursday, April 12, 2007 9:43 PM)

LA Seattle: Could not agree with you more.

Tom Y MN (Sent Thursday, April 12, 2007 10:45 PM)

@L.A.: Don't worry... we'll always have Sanjaya. On the subject, isn't it funny that whenever bad news comes from Pennsylvania Ave. or Iraq, we happen to have this parade of non sequiturs blasting over our video? The Romans had their Colosseum to sate the masses, we have tabloid TV. Which is actually better for them because they don't actually have to convince anyone to get up and go anywhere! And they wonder why people are abandoning the media and moving to the internets for their news...

Jack Power (Sent Thursday, April 12, 2007 11:13 PM)

This was the same excuse the Republicans used during Watergate: "Were going to investigate and fix whats wrong". Watch the film "All The Presidents Men".

Justin (Sent Thursday, April 12, 2007 11:59 PM)

I have lived on the West Coast my whole life, I had never even heard of Imus until his cameo mention in the Howard Stern movie. He said something racist, he should get canned. Why all the hoopla? I think any attention payed to Imus, is time taken away from real issues. Real issues like driving a country into a civil war.

Nick M. Los Angeles, Ca (Sent Friday, April 13, 2007 2:10 AM)

Well, I can go to sleep now knowing that in the morning racism, bigotry, misogyny, sexism, homophobia, murder, rape, war, genocide, malaria, HIV/Aides, cancer, pedophilia, illegal immigration and morning breath will forever have been banished from the American landscape because Don Imus is gone, fired, canned, dumped, over, under, over and out. Is he impolite, cranky, rude, dismissive, arrogant, hateful, mean, caustic? Yep, sometimes, stupid, impulsive and a massive poophead sometimes as well. But I say no one, just like no situation, is all or nothing. This evening Keith was the first time you were less than classy. If you haven't been on the Imus show since 1998 then you have the courage of your convictions, be quiet about it. If you talked quietly to the brass at MSNBC about your feelings/discomfort(s) regarding this man, then good for you, you have the courage of your convictions, be quiet about it. I have not ever heard you in such a fit of self promotion, doesn't wear well on you. Be quiet about it, for the sake of sanity would you all just be quiet about it???????????????? .

Joni Banks Syracuse, NY (Sent Friday, April 13, 2007 2:31 AM)

on imus one last time he shouldnt have been fired however i think he should have served a 30 day suspension at the least and i get tired of the media pushing jesse jackson and al sharpton down our throats whenever there are issues that involve Black America

ron c windsor mill md (Sent Friday, April 13, 2007 7:57 AM)

Mr. Olbermann asked how long we would be in the "beginning" stage of the surge. Who can say for sure, but I'm guessing it may be at least as long as we have been in the "last throes" of the insurgency.

Bonnie, Madison, Wisconsin (Sent Friday, April 13, 2007 8:02 AM)

now that the i-man is gone free speech just walked out the door with imus AL WAS RIGHT HIP HOP IS NEXT I can't wait to see JJ and AL side by side screaming that the words of hip hop are OFFENSIVE AND SEXUAL to all women and children great fictional script but the money AL gets from hip hop is real.

free speech nj (Sent Friday, April 13, 2007 8:03 AM)

If MSNBC is going to continue to inundate and dedicate the airwaves and every hour in the day channels with pictures of "poor Imus", and rehash "just what went wrong here" and more or less hold the wake and not ever have the funerallike they have done since Wednesday, why not just pick up the phone and call him back to work - - that way we can at least see if there is any other "latest and breaking news" and maybe we won't have to look at the same pictures of "poor Imus" all day long. David Gregory has to be about worn out now. Bottom line: Imus fired himself. He is to blame. He could not control his vulgar mouth. Let's deal with it, people.

Molly Williams, Jackson, Ms (Sent Friday, April 13, 2007 8:19 AM)

Jack: I totally concur. Was just discussing this with my co-worker, and he summed it up excellently: "Keep us stupid." Keith, dust off your Moral Force and get back to reporting real news. Thanks!

Charity, Princeton, NJ (Sent Friday, April 13, 2007 8:34 AM)

L.A., Tom, Jack: Ditto. Keep the masses stupid and give them their dailey shot of insulin laced with tabloid / soap opera poison. They will be back the next day with their lap dog tongues hanging out for more. Then lead them whereever you want them to go. If you think this is not the strategy in the smoke filled rooms of all wannabe political leaders and savvy business persons keep showing up for your daily shot. On the other hand. Who can blame them. It is exactly what the general public asks for. Supply and demand. We want our stupid tabloid soap opera life shots and they will be more than happy to accomodate. Like creating a mass of junkies (forgive the slur to those addicted to drugs). Keep them high, stupid and out of sight and out of mind. As for the kids, just create video games for the boys and give the girls a hero heart throb like Sanjaya and we'll have their minds too. Now everyone line up, back to the daily game shows.

C A, Tuscaloosa, AL (Sent Friday, April 13, 2007 8:44 AM)

It strikes me that the firing of Imus was rushed a bit in order to be sure it was complete before he met with the Rutgers team. Perhaps some people, say Sharpton and Jackson, were afraid the girls would react with grace and forgiveness after talking with him, which of course would not fit the agenda. What Imus said was seriously out of line but the way the girls have been used since is a great deal worse. For myself at least now I know whether or not I'd vote for Obama.

Dennis, Arvada CO (Sent Friday, April 13, 2007 8:56 AM)

Is it true Imus is the real father of Anna Nicole's baby ----and he was driving the red pickup on the Garden State Parkway?

Vince G Little Egg Harbor Nj (Sent Friday, April 13, 2007 9:12 AM)

Bit the bullet last night and listened to Laura Ingraham for a while. She was all over Keith Olbermann. I could be wrong, but it almost sounded like she believes Keith is to blame for Imus' downfall, instead of blaming Imus himself. She too is warning her listeners to be aware, that talk show radio is changing, and will get worse(?) if a Democrat is elected president in 2008. She couldn't possibly mean there'll be more accountability now could she? And if that's what she meant, since when is accountability on the air waves considered a bad thing? Hmmm.

Pat, Boston, MA (Sent Friday, April 13, 2007 9:15 AM)

When Imus says, "I'm not fighting for my job, I'm fighting for my life," he means it. Anyone who watches his show knows that he probably has congestive heart failure and other disorders. His job keeps him alive and it is the core of his soul. Then when "hip-hop" music is performed on television by black males who jump around grabbing their crotches and black women shake their "booty" in the face of men, then Imus is far beyond the problem. The words he spoke have been on the street for years. By the time he said them on television, they were already hackneyed in our society.

Sandra Plush, Seattle, Wash. (Sent Friday, April 13, 2007 9:46 AM)

I remember Don when he was actually funny. A few years back I tuned into his TV spot on MSNBC and to my dissapointment found a man who most resembled certain acquaintences (bitter, contentious, pointlessly out-of-touch). Over the course of the last few years I would occasionally tune in to see if Imus had recovered any of his former spark. For the most part, I was uninspired. This is a sad end in a slow downward spiral. A whimper and not a bang.

Larry M. Beasley, Wisconsin, Milwaukee (Sent Friday, April 13, 2007 10:21 AM)

i am waiting for next big story that will take over the airways.

gaye ishuin pennsville nj (Sent Friday, April 13, 2007 10:24 AM)

Keith, I know you have to cover the Imus story and you will more then likely be talking about it again tonight, but could you please not say the horrible phrase again. It has been repeated enough by every News show out there and so I'm sure most of your viewers have heard it, so it doesn't need to be repeated again. I hope you will consider this request. Thanks

Sheila Friend (Sent Friday, April 13, 2007 10:27 AM)

Misleading statement that Charleston, SC had cancelled Imus. It had nothing to do with his remarks. The local station had already decided not to renew the show because people in Charleston don't listen to that lib crap. His ratings were next to nothing. Please investigate before you try to mislead the public. It's not hard for most journalist to pick up the phone, it just seems that MSNBC , NBC, and CBS always try to give half truths in their reporting

Larry Charleston, SC (Sent Friday, April 13, 2007 10:33 AM)

Everyone hold on, mayby those darn emails will mysteriously show up in the White House residence on some table. It's happened before with those Rose Law Firm records.

Larry Charleston, SC (Sent Friday, April 13, 2007 10:36 AM)

It was terrible what Imus said on his radio show, but I don't believe the punishment fits the crime. I had not realized how much of a racist Rev. Sharpton is until now. Sharpton's campaign against Don Imus is nothing less than a desperate grab for publicity. Throttling somebody for making an irresponsible comment that has done as much good as Imus has just doesn't make sense. There are numerous occasions where Sharpton, Jackson and others have made racist comments publicaly, but now are intent on ruining a man's career over the same mistake. Everyone seems affraid of calling out Sharpton, for fear of backlash from the African American community, but I'm not. Sharpton is a hypocrite. There is enough "real" race issues out there for Sharpton to grapple with, but he chooses not to. The hard race issues, the ones that don't show well on TV, don't appeal to Sharpton. NBC, CBS folks, you are very weak. Why don't you have the balls to report the real issues facing our country, rather than an agenda forced upon you? Just because Sharpton and Jackson stood with Martin Luther King, one of America's greatest citizens, doesn't nessesarily mean they're (Sharpton and Jackson) worth a damn. I believe Sharpton and Jackson are guilty of perpetuating racism, rather than curing it. If you are one the folks who believe that Don Imus said those things with hate in his heart, then you are truely confused and misinformed. Shame on you NBC, CBS etc., you are rapidly becoming entertainment just like FOX.

Stephen Marder, Portsmouth, Virginia (Sent Friday, April 13, 2007 10:46 AM)

I hope to Christ that we have heard the last of Don Imus on Countdown. There is so much that is important out there than the fate of a 66 year old shock jock. Thirty-five minutes devoted to Don Imus while 45 seconds was the time covering Iraq. Pardon me while I puke.

Tom, San Jose, CA (Sent Friday, April 13, 2007 11:30 AM)

Was Imus wrong? Absolutely! Yes, Imus is off the air. It's over. But, I have a query or two. Who’s going to bear the banner for our disabled veterans and troops? Who’s going to call out the brainless politicians? Who’s going to help raise millions of dollars for our next privately owned veterans medical facility? Who’s going to make light of our everyday existence? It won’t be the television networks or the radio stations or the newspapers and it won’t be the politicians, and it won’t be the KKK or the NAACP, It won’t be the Religious Right or the Rainbow Coalition.

Richard Carey, Mattapoiset, MA (Sent Friday, April 13, 2007 11:41 AM)

Tom, San Jose: Right on the money Tom. Lets let Anna-Nicole RIP as well.

Ian Patton, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada (Sent Saturday, April 14, 2007 10:36 AM)

If the news media had put as much attention the last three years to telling the truth about the iraq war, then it may have ended sooner and thousands of lives would have been saved. However, you have gotten Mr. Imus off the air....Hypocrites

Wayne Amos, Bellaire, Ohio (Sent Saturday, April 14, 2007 1:47 PM)

Keith, I know you have the best show on cable. You are a stand up guy and I am an ardent viewer. Your comments on Imus' firing was to the point and correct. The vitriolic format however, spoke to the heart of White America. That is why he was paid millions and his show lasted so long. The true picture of White America is that the Rush Limbaugh's, Bill O's, Glen Beck's and their ilk are going to step up now to support Imus' fans. He was just the tip of the iceberg. The fact that the Rutgers young ladies are now receiving "DEATH THREATS" speaks volumes to the heart and nature of White America. I am positive Imus did not ask his fans to threaten those young ladies, yet that trend now has a life of it's own. It's the same life that has permeated the core of America for 500 years. This is the reality gleaned from the exposure of Imus. He was the "dayrider" under the "sheet" of White America. They had their morning coffee with Imus laughed at his vitriolic rhetoric, then went to work and pretend not to be RACIST. Its anger over his firing is over the "busting" of a pretense that has worked for years. Now his well known friends have to stand and be accountable for themselves. What an I-MAN opener.

Wilberta Berry Pittsburgh, Pa. (Sent Saturday, April 14, 2007 2:08 PM)

Imus is many things. Liberal is not one of them. He supported Bob Dole in '96. I don't know who he backed in 2000 or in '04. If he backed Kerry in '04 it was due to Kerry's record of service. Rightly or wrongly Imus supported veterans running for office. This is not a litmus test for liberal or conservative. Tom in San Jose all I can say is amen to that. Doesn't it strike you as odd that whenever the heat is on the bushies there is always another story to distract the public?

Bill Rochester NY (Sent Saturday, April 14, 2007 2:53 PM)

Imus is many things. Liberal is not one of them. He supported Bob Dole in '96. I don't know who he backed in 2000 or in '04. If he backed Kerry in '04 it was due to Kerry's record of service. Rightly or wrongly Imus supported veterans running for office. This is not a litmus test for liberal or conservative. Tom in San Jose all I can say is amen to that. Doesn't it strike you as odd that whenever the heat is on the bushies there is always another story to distract the public?

Bill Rochester NY (Sent Saturday, April 14, 2007 2:57 PM)

Larry did you have a good weekend? Hooked up with some fellow goobers from the Klan meeting did you? I am well aware that Charleston is where the shooting started in the Civil War. Your side lost. Get over it . You now live in the U.S.A. not the C.S.A. One more thing; if the U.S. ever receives an enema. Charleston is where the tube goes in

Bill Rochester NY (Sent Saturday, April 14, 2007 3:47 PM)

If the 1.3 million people who listen to Imus every morning refused to buy product of those sponsors who pulled out, and refused to turn on NBC or CBS radio or tv, and spoke out against Sharpton and Jackson, where would that leave us. I have refused to subscribe to satellite radio but if Imus where on it I would have it. And what's all the talk about Imus having said this on FCC regulated airwaves. Turn it off. You have a choice. Many times Imus said things that I found offensive - I turned him off. That said, he had far more interesting interviews, music, news than any other media out there, and I for one have been stirpped of getting my daily dose of thought provoking material to get me through the day. Not to mention the feel good to know that someone out there is doing something for the masses selflessly. I will no longer buy product of those sponsors who turned on him, and will certainly not now give Obama consideration as a viable presidential candidate, nor will I tune into any media affiliated with NBC or CBS. BTW - I was digusted with his comments about the Rutgers team and thought he should be suspended with warning that if he crossed the line again he would be fired. He has done too much good to be treated any differently!

Lois (Sent Saturday, April 14, 2007 4:21 PM)

What ever happened to "sticks and stones will break my bones but names can never hurt me?" So Imus said what he said,and said he was sorry, and people act like he's worse then Bin Lauden,(ask the 911 victims what hurt really is) and that comments aren't spoken about everyone of ALL colors. I saw a black man on the news calling Imus a "crotchety old white man" the other day. What makes THAT any more right? African-Americans are no longer a minority in this country, are they? I see just as many of them as white people. Every one has something to say, but its "okay" as long as no one says anything even jokingly about blacks. It's about time to stop the victim mentality, and KNOW that names won't destroy your life, they really won't. Imus did not deserve to be canned, he said he was sorry, and those women are still winning basketball players. What ever happened to forgiveness?? (should we ask Reverend Jackson?) Quit with RACE!RACE!RACE! LET IT GO ALREADY.

stacey,Ellwood City, PA. (Sent Saturday, April 14, 2007 6:48 PM)

Imus has been removed from the air. What he did was wrong, he apologized for it, he even met with the team after he was fired. He has done a lot of charity work, that doesn't pardon his mistake. But the likelihood remains that if he chooses to he will return to the air, on another cable channel or another station and join the whole list that has done the same. And where is the outrage for the rappers, Howard Stern or Opie and Anthony?

Mark, Dunkirk, NY (Sent Saturday, April 14, 2007 7:56 PM)

Ditto on overflowing coverage of things like Imus, Anna Nichol, and American Idol idiots (is that a bigoted slur?). The issue is the perpetration of bigoted catch phrases. Language in the 'public media' and music perpetuates the language used by the viewers/listeners. Or is it the other way around? I'm not a fan of right-wing talk radio or TV stations. Aren't there other hosts of different political persuasions who talk trash too? It's great that this story is evolving into discussion of a very important issue. But let's not be bigoted about who has the corner on bigot talk!

M. Meyer, Sacramento, CA (Sent Saturday, April 14, 2007 9:00 PM)

Why is it MSNBC can fire a guy like Imus but keeps playing the show about Jeffrey Dahmer? Are you stuck on cannibilism? And why are not Rev. Sharpton and Jesse Jackson held to the same standards you expected of Imus?

Charles H. Layne (Sent Saturday, April 14, 2007 11:25 PM)

I do not think Imus punishment fits his comments. The appropriate punishment for Imus would be to spend a Friday night to early Saturday where some real hoes are and to call them nappy headed hoes. And if he last the evening then he should have his job back.

John Doe (Sent Sunday, April 15, 2007 12:14 AM)

Not to beg the Imus situation, but I have not had a chance to respond until now. I think that most everyone agrees that Imus' comments towards the Rutgers women were abominable at the very least. HOWEVER, the cancellation of his radio and television broadcasts is just another example of corporate hysteria in situations like this. As far as the Rev.'s Sharpton and Jackson are concerned, "if you live in glass houses, don't throw stones." Sharpton is guilty of making the same types of remarks (but no one can talk about that), AND settled that lawsuit out of court. Why wasn't he fired for what he said? Imus is one of the few on talk radio that gets down to the brass tacks on many situations, especially political ones, and truly motivates people to get involved and do something. Where was corporate America when the Walter Reed Hospital crisis became public? Where was corporate America when soldier's death benefit amounts became public? Nowhere to be found. And, hey, Rev. Sharpton and Rev. Jackson, our military does include people of all races that live in this country. Now, since Imus is gone, we will only be able to hear what the news media wants us to hear, not what's REALLY going on. If that's not censorship, I don't know what is.

Jill Hart, McPherson, KS (Sent Sunday, April 15, 2007 10:04 AM)

this is all about politics - the I man became to powerful in the political arena and the powers to be used this oppertunity to bring him down - they did not want him to influence the upcoming election - the I told it like it was and was instrumental in making things happen in congress - the vets I man helped need to show support for the good he has done for them

chuck perryopolis (Sent Sunday, April 15, 2007 11:06 AM)

Laughter is the best medicine for the heart and mind. True Imus made a mistake with what he said but so did Eddie Murphy, Richard Pryor, Chris Rock and a bunch of Rapppers today. He should not be fired but suspended, since he has helped kids with cancer etc. Jesse Jackson should be muzzled for his discretions, but has not- a little double standards here. Imus helps me start the day in the Midwest with a little laughter mixed in with the news. Now I bet I will have to pay to hear him when he lands on his feet on satelitte radio and I am sure this is a wake up call for him. His staff are needed with the upcoming election. Sharpton and Jackson screwed up, he would be knocking Hillary, not Obama. The I-Man needs to be heard. Get real.

Chuck , Kansas City, MO (Sent Sunday, April 15, 2007 12:58 PM)

Many Americans are defending Imus as though he were the Pope. Despite the retortion alluding to all of the so-called "good" he has done what makes one think Imus is not racist? Words come from one's mouth but the essence of one's beliefs stem from the heart. Don't believe it?, read Matthew 15:18,19. The wolf is in the pack and the pack is in the wolf. For imus to justify what he said as merely a "quote" originating from the Black community, is synonymous to saying if a Black person elected to jump from the observation level of the Empire State Building so would he. Lastly the Rutgers women's basketball team is comprised of 8 players;6 Black, 2 White. How did imus manage to ONLY identify the Black ladies on the team as w-----? Did he know something the Rutgers University Officials were'nt aware of?. Imus, you like EVERYONE else, reap what you sow!

john trotman, roanoke,va (Sent Sunday, April 15, 2007 1:35 PM)

Imus is a symptom, nothing more; when he was just a big teenager making prank phone calls, he was juvenile but funny. His casual racism -- maybe a shtick, and not something he felt personally, I don't know -- was something his audience loved, and alibied for under the rubric of "politically incorrect." The issues that it illuminates for me is not rap, which is on cds, which you buy, which has warning labels, but broadcast tv and radio, and how the growing concentration of ownership has led to the "tabloidization" of all our news, and the political racism of Boortz and Savage and Limbaugh and the rest. The people who complain of the media fixation on Imus are right. We get one hot topic after another during which we seem not to be able to focus on anything else. We had Nancy Grace, convicting the Duke lacrosse guys before they'd been charged, and a whole host of others pardoning them before we had heard the evidence. That's tabloidization, and partisan politicization. The new era in journalism started with the repeal of the Fairness Doctrine and the complete undoing of the ownership rules. (The Fairness Doctrine needed some revisiting, but it didn't deserve to be eviscerated.) But the networks used to have their own correspondents all over the world. No news organization wouldn't have coverage of state capitals, and honest coverage of political news. Now that isn't the case, and hasn't been for a long time. But Imus was a case of one of these jerks getting hoist on his own petard. If people continue to go after this one case, that's bad. If people try to make the next issue "rap lyrics," that's just stupid. What's the issue are broadcast speech, ownership, and how the current setup serves the American people. It doesn't.

Jim H, Glendale CA (Sent Sunday, April 15, 2007 4:08 PM)

I'm not what you would call an Imus fan. In fact I rarely watch or listen to his show. What he said was dispicable and perpetuates race-as-an-issue in this country. However, the aftermath and shockwaves are indicative of a growing double-standard in this country with regards to race. The comedian and conservative reactionary parrot, Rush Limbaugh, caught a lot of flack after comments he made regarding black athletes in the NFL, specifically Donovan McNabb. However, while watching the NBA playoffs several years ago, Charles Barkley was doing a post game show and made light of white players. In fact he has gone so far as to state, paraphrasing, '...I hate white people'. You gotta be kidding me. Ya know how many news outlets jumped on this? Ya know how many newspapers editors climbed aboard this racial wagon? And where was the public outcry pouring out of televisions, radios, magazines, and cyberspace? Zilch - nada - bupkus. If I didn't know better, Imus did it on purpose in order to demonstrate the vast chasms that still exist between races - when in fact there is only one; red...white...and blue. Period.

J Garner (Sent Sunday, April 15, 2007 4:24 PM)

We will miss tuning in to Imus every morning. My 2 high school age kids will too. Thanks for making our wake up call easier everyday-my high school kids were glued to tv till bus time. I hope we see less of Rev Jackson and Sharpton on the screen. They can go back into the woodwork and pack up their soapboxes so we can turn our tv on again. Good luck Mr. and Mrs. Imus-we will miss you. Also-thanks to introducing me to some great country music I-Man.

Judy Barr Ottumwa, Iowa (Sent Sunday, April 15, 2007 5:18 PM)

Why Imus? Has anyone seen and heard Chappell or Mencia. If Imus is a racist what the heck are they? Why do advertisers continue to support them? Is what they say okay because they aren't white? Can a racist only be white? I'm not condoling what Imus said at all but maybe Jackson and Sharpton should examine the image other blacks and people of color are portraying their races to be before attacking Imus they way they have. Who's next?

Ray, West Columbia, SC (Sent Sunday, April 15, 2007 7:35 PM)

Autism I write it again Autism. Don Imus has done the world community a great service in talking about Autism and its' connection to the pharmaceutical industry via the mercury preservative for vaccines; Thimerosal.It is hard to believe that as a country we have not demanded more understanding of how it has come to be that 1 in 150 children will develop Autism. A decade ago it was 1 to 2 per 10,000. Imus and his wife led a crusade to bring attention to this tragedy. There were many politicans who expressed their support for a more intense debate on the causes of Autism and the Imus show provided a forum. The children of the world and future generations have lost a 'voice'in Imus. I hope those of us who listened to Imus and became aware of Autism and the controversy of causation will become as a choir of voices and take up the crusade striving to achieve the pitch Imus attained.

John Crawford, Middletown, CT (Sent Sunday, April 15, 2007 9:30 PM)

I am a very smart person who enjoyed Imus in the morning. I am very sorry that he is being used as a scapegoat. People in this day and age are just too sensitive. He said --she said. I thought that we are supposed to be adults and not play baby games. If certain people --who had to open their big mouths and say oh poor me -- got a crazy but good person, who believes in God and fairness fired--Yet don't do or say anything about rap music and videos except the old too familiar --well it takes time and the music industry would fail. These people should stop talking and just do something about it. The double standard just doesn't work --by sweeping all this negative junk under the rug will one day encompass the whole United States. Imus and your wife, you will always be in my prayers. people remember--There is a God and He is very sad because of all the negativity in the world.

Cynthia R. Ziller Crown Point, Indiana (Sent Sunday, April 15, 2007 10:07 PM)

It is sad to watch the natural world dying due to our consumptive lifestyle, while watching Freedom of Speech die due to our compulsive political correctness. He didn't say anything I haven't heard a thousand times before, regardless of context, and firing him is just wrong. When are we Americans going to realize no one is strong enough to take away our Freedoms? We are giving them away, one Imus at a time. I wonder what Will Rogers or Mark Twain would have to say about all this? Probably something that would get them fired nowdays!

Bev, OKC Oklahoma (Sent Sunday, April 15, 2007 10:55 PM)



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