How and Why Hillary Clinton took down Don Imus

Part of it is personal, back in the 90s Don Imus did a "comedy routine" at the Radio and Television Correspondents dinner attended by the Clintons, during the Monica Lewinsky scandal, where he took a couple of cheap shots at the Clinton's marriage and Bill's infidelity. The press was full of stories about how they were "furious".

Imus was friendly with a certain group of old-time, pre-DLC Liberal Demorats (like Kerry) and so-called "moderate Republicans" (like McCain). Kerry and the Clintons are seen as opposing factions within the Democratic party, with Kerry joining Dean and Gore after the elections. The split has widened since Democrats won back Congress, the Clinton side sent out loyalists like Carville to attack the Dean faction. Sharpton and Jackson have spent years working with the Clintons in the 1990s.

Former MSNBC boss Rick Kaplan is a supporter of Clinton's and has attended her fundraisers. There was no love lost between Kaplan or current management Steve Caput, especially after Imus' rant a few months ago calling the MSNBC management "money grubbing" and using racial stereotypes.

With Imus slurring every possible group of people in the nastiest of ways, and a long track record of bigoted comments, it was a matter of waiting a few weeks until he said something ugly enough to anger the public, then he was taken down swiftly, attacks on him by FOX News (courtesy of Rupert Murdoch, who hosts fundraisers for Hillary), media appearances by Sharpton, then MSNBC management canceling the TV show. With Imus now cut off from powerful Washington guests (and only a small listener base), and advertisers already canceling to avoid the controversy, CBS had no point to keep his show, which would have degenerated into a third-rate shock jock program.

This post is: a) satire b) plausible c) implausible d) right-wing-freeper-talk e) none of the above.

IMO who dropped the acid tab to dream this crapola up? :eyes:

She's tough. She's been through every attack the right-wing could throw at her and survived. They used attacks so sleazy and so underhanded - to the point of attacking her young daughter - and Hillary never once backed down. What do they have left to throw at her? Nothing.

some disgusting things against both Bill and Hillary Clinton. That is what caused me to not ever watch his show. I had the feeling that if this guy would say those kinds of things about the President and first lady of the United States, I can only imagine what he would say about minorities, jews, women etc. etc.

The people I mentioned fundraising for Hillary really did, a quick google search will confirm it.

Sorry about that.

:)

I just wish you'd see both sides, and the good the man did.

He hated (H) Clinton, so what? I don't much like her either.

He call(ed) a spade a spade, no pun intended, and I heard it. There were many topics and guests I couldn't stand, so I switched. No one ever forced me to listen to him, same as any other shock jock.

In that sense he was more than a "shock jock", and more than just a commentator since he had top level folks like Kerry and McCain on his show?

who has no lasting history with the people Imus did/had. Many people liked him, from soup to nuts.

That's why I never watched his show. As Olbermann said, it was a disaster waiting to happen and it finally did (or something like that).

But like I said before, I don't really care. If she did, good, and maybe we can pick up where she left off and get rid of some more. Al Franken mentioned Glenn Beck today, let's start there.

She who maketh the sun to rise, the moon to set, the John Edwards man to be scolded for his not wanting Kerry to concede by calling him a grandstander.

She who saith One Great thing to make The Centrist Crowd think she is their Great Candidate, and she who saith another Great thing to convince the more liberal crowd that she is their man.

All Hail! All Hail.

:rofl:

When do they ever sleep? :sarcasm:

:shrug:

if not more.

These are opinions I've read on DU in the last few days, and some of them seem to have a least some merit. I'm trying to take various people's opinions and see if there is a consensus either way. I'm also trying to balance between progressive advocacy and realism about the political process. There's no slamming Hillary or any other candidate or Democratic politician in this. Assume it was plausible and true, would it have been so bad? Why?

I'm sorry I invoked a hostile and dismissive reaction from you.

Tremble in awe of the raw power! In a mere four score and seven years from today, Hillary's grand plan to destroy Dennis Miller's career will come to fruition, too!



:sarcasm:

I freely admit that was funny as hell and made me laugh.

But let's not be naive about politics, the Clintons have powerful friends, just like McCain does and just like Edwards does and just like Guiliani does, right? Isn't it plausible her friends wanted to take down Imus - who smeared Hillary in nasty, underhanded ways, before her campaign?

I think the wonderful women at Rutgers did the deed by just appearing on teevee.
Their grace and dignity made Imus look like a real schmuck.

I wouldn't blame him, it's wrestling in the mud with crap like Imus and his nasty comments, that's the last thing Obama wants, plus, with Sharpton involved Obama wouldn't want to bring in all that baggage to his campaign. Sharpton doesn't have a great deal of integrity according to many people, but he does get the most media time, since somebody in some boardroom somewhere elected him hnic.

Obama probably felt he had to say something, so he did and then dropped it and let the team handle it, which was probably his only winning move as far as I can tell.

It is especially interesting to see so many of Clinton's enemies go down (and as many problems as I have with Hillary, the people that attacked her were far worse and deserve what they've got) - DeLay, Imus, Gingrich(haha, he'll never get the nomination), etc.

But it's worth noting that Carville did offer support for Imus after his comments.

Imus was an ass hole and while the spectacle its caused is surprising and overblown, he has a history of racial insults, and it was just a matter of time before it got a lot of attention - kinda like Allen's Macaca moment. I'm also glad that the DC press and political crowd lost their good 'ole boy. I fucking hate those so called journalists and was disgusted by the way politicians kissed his ass. These same ass holes that appeared frequently on Imus thought Colbert was "unfunny and mean".

Fuck them...I'm glad they lost this venue. The Dems that appeared on his show should have had some fucking sense too.

Clenis did it.... snicker. :)

and I think it's very plausible.

Imus called him a war criminal!!