I have been ignoring this story all day, but finally decided to post a few links. Evidently, Don Imus said some tacky (crude, nasty, and/or racist?) things last week about the members of a women’s college basketball team. Al Sharpton complained. (What else is new?) Don Imus went on air with Sharpton to talk about it. Now NBC has decided to suspend their MSNBC simulcast of the Imus show for two weeks. Others have the specifics and some pretty good commentary/analysis as well. I might post some comments later after I stop laughing at the thought of Al Sharpton criticizing someone for making a stupid racist comment. I wonder where the two weeks came from? Is that the standard cooling off/punishment period for those making insulting comments?
Bryan at Hot Air has video and captures my thoughts exactly.
Go-to guy to apologize for making racist comments. What a world. Don Imus may well be and probably is a bigot, but Rev. Al Sharpton is worse no matter how you look at the situation. But now he gets to be Imus’ judge and jury. What a world.
Wyatt Earp had one of my favorite lines, “Can we please stop calling Al Sharpton “Reverend?” Most Reverends I know aren’t race-baiting, money-hungry a-holes.”
Aaron at Lifelike Pundits has a response unlike any other I have seen.
Captain Ed thinks the two week suspension is appropriate. I think that if the most recent Imus comment is worthy of a two week suspension, what about all the other racially insensitive comments that have been made on the Imus show for all the years he has been on the air. I rarely ever listen anymore, but when I had a 45 minute commute into work I used to listen regularly and comments at least as offensive as the recent one were a regular occurrence. Don Imus did not make them himself, but others on the show (or in the pre-taped segments) did. Is NBC only listening to what is said on the show now that Al Sharpton is complaining?
Update: Sister Toldjah has a Sharpton flashback.
For more from Sister Toldjah, along with John Hawkins and Michael Illions, be sure to listen to the blogger podcast they did this weekend.
Update II: La Shawn Barber has a column at Townhall today about “Seattle Public Schools’ race-obsessed, guilt-tripping, finger-pointing bureaucrats.”
Update III: I don’t know who regularly appears on Imus lately, but I know I used to hear John McCain, David Gregory, John Kerry, Doris Kearns-Goodwin, and Tim Russert on the show quite frequently. Russert and Imus seemed particularly chummy. Does this mean that all those people are going to have to account for their frequent appearances on a show where racist comments and comedy sketches are part of the program? I am sure they will all just play along with NBC as if the most recent comments were something new, some unfortunate aberration, which they were definitely not.
Update IV: Pat Dollard provides a Sesame Street visual.
Update V: More from Betsy Newmark and the best roundup I have seen so far at The Moderate Voice.
