Profits Over Principles -- Imus Suspended -- For Just Two Weeks

Proving once again that it's all about the Benjamins, MSNBC and CBS Radio (who syndicate the WFAN broadcast) have suspended Don Imus's show. For two weeks. Oh, that'll really teach him. He can go on the two-week apology tour and bullshit people all over America about how really sorry he is. Which he isn't. He's pissed that he's being called out. Listen to the audio of his appearance on Al Sharpton's radio show today. Listen to the rage underneath his weasel words.

[] IMUS gets into it with a caller who from Ebony magazine, (thanks to Duncan for clarifying)": audio_mp3 Download (1665) | Play (2300) 4 minutes long…

IMUS: "Don't talk about me doing used car commercials. I'll bet you I've slept in a house with more black children who were not related to me than you have. Do not get into my face about this…why don't you show up here in person."

They'll probably shitcan his producer, even though "nappy-headed hos" came out of Imus's mouth, not McGuirk's. {Not that I'm defending Bernard. He should be fired, too.}

And the guests will come crawling back. Media first (for sheer amusement, you must check out the embarrassing turn by Howard Fineman of Newsweek on Imus this morning, and even worse, the disgraceful simpering "riff" by Thomas Oliphant, who also appeared on the show this morning to declare: "Good morning, Mr. Imus, and solidarity forever, by the way."), followed by politicians. They all are so used to bowing to Imus that they'll never be able to break the habit.

Did you listen to Imus back in the days when he was establishing his "charity" ranch for kids with cancer. (I put it in quotes because money counted as charitable deductions went to extravagant accommodations:

Dubbed the "Cowboy Taj Mahal" by locals, the complex has a 14,000-square-foot adobe mansion, swimming pool, billiard hall, herds of longhorn cattle, buffalo and sheep, and a replica of an 1880s mining town.

and, they have been investigated by the states of New York and New Mexico, and by the feds). He would mock the people who gave money, but nothing like the rants where he'd go on and on for days about people who he felt could afford to donate but hadn't. And still they came, reviled or not.

I hope I'm wrong and the next two weeks prove his undoing.

MediaMattersForAmerica: MSNBC's Imus Double Standard
Network Quickly Fired Michael Savage for Homophobic Rant in 2003, Imus Goes Unpunished Despite Long History of Inflammatory Language

Ron Allen, The Daily Nightly (MSNBC Blog): Imus' comments hit close to home

Digby: It's Hard Out Here Fo A Pimp

NYTimes: Don Imus Suspended Over Racial Remarks

WaPo: Don Imus Is Punished With Two Weeks of Radio Silence

WaPo Editorial: Shocked Jock
Don Imus takes his lumps. He deserves every one of them.