Letters to the Editor
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Shuster V. Imus
"I have not seen any defense of Shuster that would not apply equally to Imus, whose remarks were neither more nor less accidental, insignificant or part of an ongoing pattern of behavior. That said, I have enjoyed watching Shuster and have no desire to see his career damaged, provided that, unlike Matthews, he actually learns something from this and changes his act. Clinton's refusal to be mollified by his apology is probably based on legitimate skepticism that anything will change what goes on at MSNBC."
I wouldn't go that far. Prior to the Rutgers imbroglio, Imus had a history of racism and misogyny stretching back to his NBC radio days in the late 70's [I can remember Howard Stern, yes, Howard Stern recounting an episode where Imus gob-smacked a cleaning woman and a secretary with the N-word while berating both in a drug-induced haze, while running around in his underwear in the studio] and preceding right up to hiring Bernie to do "the N---er jokes" and calling the dark-skinned Gwen Ifill something akin to a scullery maid. Imus has a long rap sheet; Shuster's got no such equivalent record. Shuster's problem is that MsNbc, an also-ran as a cable news outlet, is on the make and thinks it can do that with commentators who come right up to the line separating snarky and irreverent from grievously, not-to-be-tolerated insult. Furthermore, David's been placed, from time to time, as a substitute anchor for Carlson, Matthews and Keith--a move that, in hindsight, would appear to place him in situations that are over his head. Additionally, it appears that he's been around Matthews too long and may have been in the nascent stages of infection re Matthew's obvious sexism, and enmity toward the Clintons [Chris should really get over the dis, real or imagined, that the Clintons allegedly dished out to his old boss, Jimmy Carter and the loss of that supposed job offer from Bill and Hil]. Shuster's a helluva reporter and, after the appropriate unpaid suspension and with nothing approaching the nonsense that surrounds Imus, should come back after having been suitably chastened.