In a slightly different take on the subject, gradstudent, in the letters in response to Conason's column on the same subject points out that when Howard Stern declared war on George Bush, he shortly thereafter found himself fined out of the public airwaves and over to satellite, and now Imus, who called Dick Cheney a war criminal and declared himself to be a Kerry voter, is suddenly gone too, while Limbaugh, who famously enjoined a black caller to his show to "take the bone out of his nose" goes happily on with no public complaints from the likes of Sharpton and Jackson...

I'm not a conspiracy theorist, but it's hard to believe some in the current administration aren't smiling to themselves to see liberal puritans taking down widely-heard anti-administration voices while leaving the far more egregious right-wing spokespeople in the media alone...

(ok, jackson apologized *once* but then there was a real baby in front of him). they act outraged, give heated excuses. imus *apologized*, so the wolf pack, sensing blood weakeness, piled on.

Was it over that phrase use or was it because he was calling Bush and Cheney traitors?

Do you think Moonves cares more about, those basketball players or the president and vice president.

Who has more leverage with CBS?

Who can deny them access and talking heads?

Moonves and CBS don't give a damn about anything but money and power.

It was excuse to fire Imus for what they have been paying him to do in order to please those with power.

Imus should run for president with either Snoop Dog or Jayzee as a running mate - they's get more votes than Nader.

You see to gorget that is what Don Imus was hired to do by the network. He is a shock Jock. That is there job. We may not like what he has to say, but we have a choice. Turn him off. Simple, yes. What is interesting is that know-one has mentioned Sharpton association in this debacle. He is as big a buffoon as Imus, but his verbiage gets people killed and destroys lives.

First, in 1987, black teenager Tawana Brawley claimed that six white law enforcement officers -- including then-assistant district attorney Steven Pagone.

Again, Violence followed in several cases Sharpton championed. Examples include the Crown Heights riot of 1991, and a 1995 arson attack on a Jewish Harlem jeweler that resulted in 8 deaths.

And again, his damage to the lives and reputations of the Duke University la cross students. He has openly admitted that "He is eager to inflame racial hatreds at the risk of violence, as long as it gave him publicity and power".

By his own admissions, Sharpton makes Imus akin to Albert Schweitzer.

ILLEGALLY using funds form the Rainbow/Push Coalition (A non-profit 501(c)3 Organization) to buy his mistress a house in LA and to pay for his bastard child he had with her outside of his marriage. It is illegal. Why the double standard. So, it's OK for this extortionist to call New York and it's then Mayor, Hymietown, but it never is to be shock jock. Politically correct double standards. Joan is a hack.

As a pioneer in establishing NOW at my University and active in my working years in making the work place fair to women, I was appalled at the Imus situation, and CBS caving into a bunch of spoiled brat women who will do more to destroy the good work done for women and minorities thaan help it.

I hope they are shocked by the results of what they did. My my they are "hurt". Well I am ashamed of THEM and hurt. And CBS should know better. Yes it was a crude joke by a crude man, but so are so many incidents on the air todasy. Grow up ladies. Goldie Oldie

E hill, you misunderstand me.

I haven't forgotten that Imus' offensiveness is why he was hired: I've pointed it out repeatedly.

Was CBS' decision to fire Imus abrupt?

Sure, but that doesn't make it unfair.

Imus was merely doing what he always does as a hired entertainer, and if CBS feels that it no longer values his services, they are within their rights to dismiss him.

By doing so they are in no way "silencing" him.

The Constitution does not guarantee Don Imus the right to a corporately sponsored national platform any more than it does you or me or Al Sharpton.

If someone who has hired Al Sharpton wants to fire him for general perniciousness, I would defend their right to do so just as strongly.

Likewise, I defend Sharpton's right to SPEAK as strongly as I do that of Don Imus.

If Sharpton's voice is loud enough & pertinent enough, he will be given a a platform.

The same is true for Don Imus.

But no one in America has the Constitutional right to a free bullhorn, nor do they have the "right" to earn millions of dollars a year by peddling their speech.

Don Imus is free to speak all day today, freely choosing his content and its volume.

He just won't be accepting financial aid from CBS.

People with weak arguments and the inability to reason and incorporate logic will always deflect facts and bring into the equation irrelevant events and variables..

Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, Rap Music, Hollywood, Porn Industry have nothing to do with the evil and hate speech of Imus.

The tatic of accusing an entire group for the antics of one person is a tired relic of our country's racist legacy and the twisted game of white racism.

Whenever a Black male commits an ugly horric crime the entire race gets slandered and indicted.

When a White male commits an ugly horric crime his act is viewed as the result of one singular indivual act and the entire white race is not slandered or indicted.

When 4 black teens stand on a corner they are considered thugs

When 4 white teens stand on a corner they are consider adolescents.

Consider this then; I view race as a 24 hour cycle for 24 hours and 45 minutes Black folks have been degraded, dehumanized, trashed in the next 15 minutes Black folks are seeking redress, justice and dignity..at the start of a new day and cycle I will consider all collective possibilites until then I AM TAKING MY FIFTHTEEN MINUTES!!!!!!