"I-Man" to "Cry-Man": CBS pulls the plug

CBS did what most expected they would do today when they fired long-time announcer Don Imus.

In the end, I believe the decision was based on three things, in this order:

First, major corporate sponsors started to walk away from the show, including GM, American Express Sprint Nextel, Staples, and Procter & Gamble, who all announced they were suspending their ads on the show indefinitely.

Secondly, major guests started to walk away from the show, too; yesterday Newsweek Editor Jon Meacham said the magazine's staffers were banned from appearing on the program. Some notable guests from the magazine have included Meacham, Jonathan Alter, Evan Thomas, Howard Fineman and Michael Isikoff.

Lastly, the ferocity of the protests, along with protests to come, played a part in the decision, no question, and most likely sped up the first two developments. Jessie Jackson and Al Sharpton met today with CBS President and CEO Leslie Moonves. The two let Moonves know that a major protest was planned for this weekend outside of CBS Headquarters in New York.

In an AP story, Moonves was quoted as saying, "There has been much discussion of the effect language like this has on our young people, particularly young women of color trying to make their way in this society. That consideration has weighed most heavily on our minds as we made our decision."

What a crock. If CBS felt that way, they would have fired him right from jump, but they didn't - they suspended him. Money drove CBS through the morality car wash during the last few days. Only when sponsors began walking away did CBS show Imus the gate.

The New York Times played more than a minor role in Imus' firing as well. Today in an editorial, Bob Herbert cites a 60 Minutes transcript from an interview for the news show that aired in July 1998:

In a 60 Minutes interview with Don Imus broadcast in July 1998, Mike Wallace said of the Imus in the Morning program, "It's dirty and sometimes racist."

Mr. Imus then said: "Give me an example. Give me one example of one racist incident." To which Mr. Wallace replied, "You told Tom Anderson, the producer, in your car, coming home, that Bernard McGuirk is there to do nigger jokes."

Mr. Imus said, "Well, I’ve nev — I never use that word."

Mr. Wallace then turned to Mr. Anderson, his producer. "Tom," he said.

"I'm right here," said Mr. Anderson.

Mr. Imus then said to Mr. Anderson, "Did I use that word?"

Mr. Anderson said, "I recall you using that word."

"Oh, O.K.," said Mr. Imus. "Well, then I used that word. But I mean — of course, that was an off-the-record conversation. But ——"

"The hell it was," said Mr. Wallace.

The transcript was pure poison. A source very close to Don Imus told me last night, "They did not want to wait for your piece to come out."

Scoop, there it is.

Nice reporting, Mr. Herbert.

However, Herbert isn't the only one with an Imus story to tell.

Howard Stern, a bitter enemy of Imus', has been saying for years that on one occasion while the two worked together at NBC Radio, Imus called an African-American secretary the n-word, to her face (an allegation Stern repeated this morning on his show).

I've been listening to Howard for years, but I've never heard him use any of the words Imus has used to describe African-Americans. Howard is edgy, obnoxious and vulgar - that's not in dispute. But, I've never, EVER heard him refer a group of people in a racially hateful way. The first time I hear that, I'm tunin' out.

Actually, I take that back - I did hear him do a joke about the Holocaust once, in my younger days. It so incensed me I didn't listen to him for a year. (I think Howard thinks he has immunity and cover to do jokes about the Holocaust because he's half Jewish. He doesn't, and wouldn't if both of his parents were Jewish.) I did come back, but the more I think about it, I wouldn't forgive this time. I'd like to think I'm wiser and less tolerant of intolerance with age. I think Stern's learned his lesson, though, before the Imus firing, and now, as a refresher course of sorts.

If Imus' dismissal cleans up Howard some, that certainly wouldn't be a bad thing. But, I've listened to Stern for years, and his show isn't even in the same ballpark as Imus' show, or that of hate-infested right-wing talk radio. He does humor, which often pushes boundaries, but not hate.

Anyway, I'm done writing about Imus - there are much more important developments happening right now in the Middle East. The death toll in Baghdad from the attack on the Iraqi Parliament building is up to eight, and will most likely go higher.

Lots to write about when I get home.

Has Mike Wallace gone soft?

Earlier tonight on 60 Minutes, journalism legend Mike Wallace interviewed Fox Noise Channel's Bill O'Reilly. I was underwhelmed.

I didn't expect a shouting match, but I did expect, and hoped for, tough questions. Not because Mike was interviewing blowhard Bill (okay, maybe a little), but because Wallace, unlike his son, Chris Wallace, who is picture-postcard proof of a hack if there ever was one, has a well-deserved reputation for going after guests and asking tough questions.

Fizzle.

Wallace did take Bill to task for several things, including Bill's pointing at him and guests on his show (wife's advice be damned); pointing out Bill's incorrect assertion on Maria Shriver; and for arguing with guests he doesn't agree with (which seems to be just about everyone).

But, there were some whoppers that Wallace didn't approach. How about a Keith Olbermann question? Bill-O has a notoriously short fuse, and that would have undoubtedly lit it. The Wallace of 20 years ago would have wasted no time going there. But tonight, no mention of Keith.

How about O'Reilly falsely boasting about having won two Peabody Awards when he hosted Inside Edition? (He later cleared it up after Al Franken bitch slapped him by saying, "I misspoke, I called a Polk Award a Peabody Award." The show did win a single Polk Award, but after Billy left. He just utters these lies thinking no one will check on their accuracy.)

And what about a host of other lies, including O'Reilly's repeated assertion that he never tells guests to "shut up." He even repeated this whopper during Wallace's interview, stating that his staff went back and looked up how many times he's said it since being on the air, and they found "six times" when he told guests to shut up. The irony isn't lost on me that Bill lies about his lying.

That's my issue with him more than anything - he lies. Lies, lies, lies. And no one calls him on it. Political differences I can deal with - I listen to Tucker Carlson, Joe Scarborough and even Michael Smerconish from time to time. But, the far right idiotas who just lie, degrade, defame and name call, like Billy, aren't worthy of my time. I laugh with glee at people who equate O'Reilly with Al Franken, and I've heard this from a number of conservatives I know. Really? When's the last time Franken told someone to shut up, or threatened a guest on his show with violence, or was sued for sexual harassment? Just a thought.

Is there anyone who believes O'Reilly anymore? One can hear Billy say "shut up!" six times in a few shows, or in a week at the most. The thing is, there are people who believe whatever he says and take it at face value. Very few people take him to task for his lies and distortions.

Not even Mike Wallace.

I just dug up Billy and Franken fighting at the Book Expo on C-Span. This is how Billy reacts when called on a lie. When he's busted for lying, O'Reilly calls it a vicious attack. Really, it's just someone calling bullshit on his lies.

Anyway, enjoy - this is good stuff.



One final thought - Bill O'Reilly accusing someone, anyone, of being blinded by ideology is the height of idiocy, and hypocrisy.