we are being punished for forcing out ... the news is all about what horrible hypocrites Jackson/Sharpson are (it's all their fault, doncha know) and how awful hip-hop music is (it's all their fault, doncha know) ... doncha know, they're all black. coinkydink? I doubt it.

I've now either heard 3 black preachers (or the same guy on 3 different shows or sumpthin like that) talking about "forgiveness" ... saying Imus shouldn't have been fired, he shudda been forgiven ... again and again and again apparently.

TRUST ME .. MSNBC is a shoestring network .. they DID NOT want to fire Imus ... they NEED the revenue ... create a big enuf forgiveness campaign and they'll take him back tomorrow ... hey, the Rutgers team is working on "forgiving" him ... CBS isn't thrilled to lose that revenue either.

I'm bored to death with discussing hip-hop ... "what's the matter with kids today" (from the MUsic Man) keeps running through my brains... as does all that terror Elvis provoked with his "blackness" in the 50's ... oh, and the misogyny of the Rolling Stones (and others) in the 60s.

what's the matter with kids today ... or again, what's the matter with parents who freak out rather than addressing these issues WITH THEIR KIDS ...

Whatever, I feel I'm already paying a price ... I just wanted to find out about the 6.0 Mexican earthquake ... and maybe hear that Wolfowitz has been "discharged" .... and I'm utterly fed up with the "loaded questions" being asked ... well, what about hip hop? what about Jesse Jackson? What about Al Sharpton? as if "conventional wisdom" answers all ... and the consensus is that all three are GUILTY, GUILTY, GUILTY, ... DEFINITELY GUILIER THAN IMUS ...

feh.

Deirdre Imus also said that the Rutgers players have been receiving hate e-mail, and she demanded that it stop. She told listeners "if you must send e-mail, send it to my husband," not the team.

"I have to say that these women are unbelievably courageous and beautiful women," she said.

Stringer declined to discuss the hate mail Friday. Rutgers team spokeswoman Stacey Brann said the team had received "two or three e-mails" but had also received "over 600 wonderful e-mails."

I believe I've read that Imus was one of the last bastions of the belief that "political correctness is killing America" ... so his being "silenced" reached a "special audience"

The problem with "forgiveness" is that the behavior that Imus has sincerely apologized for was not a "blooper" or an "accident" -- in fact, he didn't understand the fuss at first -- it's his STOCK AND TRADE ... and this isn't the first incident, or the second ...

Note, it's not the "listeners" who took him off the air ... it's the venues and the sponsors who don't want to be associated with him any longer ... we can all "forgive" the hell out of him, but he's still not likely to get his old job back for a long time ... he had a national podium ...

Any venue that wants to can hire Imus and give him a microphone, adopt the audience he brings with him as their own ... the big buck sponsors (who justify a hefty salary) are likely to stay away for quite a while ... Imus abused the privilege he had accrued ... he spoke stupidly, thoughlessly, hatefully... he used it unwisely ... it got taken away from him.

He needed to move on and I would love to see some new blood take his place ... someone less bilious ... maybe Dick Cavett's available, or someone I've never heard of ... No shouters need apply, please.

There was a lot of backtracking and second guessing on MSNBC this afternoon ... but, honestly, if Imus were currently doing his marathon, due for his "suspension" starting Monday, I think there would be howling.

What did the suspension accomplish? It told all the outraged people they were being heard and that their voices and distress MATTERED A GREAT DEAL ... enough to unseat this "entitled" media entity.

I do think that Imus could have handled it better, quicker, bigger, more proactively ... I don't know if he would have retained his job and actually I doubt it. Too many incidents over too many years by a smug unrepentant jerk ... not a lot of "sympathy" to be found among his targets who were many.

I think he should take some time off, maybe write a book. Yes, Mooves and MSNBC profited BIG TIME off of "looking the other way" ... and I hope they learned not to get so "comfortable" and "complacent"..

I'm hoping for a really great "non-shock-jock" replacement ... and someone to provide a place for all those bookwriters to sell their books. I really HOPE against hope that Imus is not "rehabilitated" to return such a powerful drive time slot ... time for new blood.

Limbaugh will be more difficult to dislodge for many reasons ... largely because those he offends are not regular listeners ...