Huckabee Disagrees With Imus Firing
EmailABC News’ Jennifer Parker Reports: Former Gov. Mike Huckabee, R-Ark., a Republican presidential candidate, disagrees with the firing of radio shock-jock Don Imus.
Imus has been fired by both CBS and NBC for calling the Rutgers women’s basketball team "nappy-headed hos" on his popular radio show.
"If Imus is going to get fired, then there’s a number of other people who need to go out the door," said Huckabee, a frequent guest of the Imus show. "Rosie’s probably got to go. Bill Maher has to go. Gosh, half of television and talk radio has to go."
Huckabee made the comments on Radio Iowa during a campaign swing through Johnson City, Iowa on Friday.
Wading further into the controversy, Huckabee said he disagreed that Imus should have been fired. Huckabee suggested his fate should have been decided by the marketplace — through falling ratings or pulled advertising dollars.
The former Arkansas governor said he disagreed with statements from civil-rights leaders Rev. Al Sharpton and Rev. Jesse Jackson, who called for Imus to be fired.
"What’s most offensive is that of all the people to lead the charge, here are two people who have a long history of making outrageous statements and getting away with it," he said. "I don’t understand that."
The 2008 GOP contender, said that while he thought Imus’ comments were wrong, he worries that the firing may have gone too far in reigning in free-speech.
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I am sorry to hear that Mr. Huckabee feels that the punishment (Imus being fired) was too severe. Unfortunately I don’t thing a lot of people understand the severity of Imus’ comment. It was so uncalled for and out of place! These ladies were not on a rap video shakin their butts, they were playing basketball in a championship game. What was he thinking?…. His comment said it all!
Posted by: Tina | April 13, 2007, 1:47 pm 1:47 pm
I totally agree with Huckabee, as well as my associates in the community. The biggest mouths calling foul are the very ones who are allowed to get away with rude, racist (everything seems to be black and white with Sharpton) remarks in public while no one else takes real notice. We all are called names at one or another, get over it. True enough, this was a hurtful thing for this team but considering their sport are they not familiar with ‘heckling’ either? As Mr. Huckabee states this should have been a marketplace call, not executive.
Posted by: Pam | April 13, 2007, 3:13 pm 3:13 pm
Kind of off the subject, but where are Sharpton & Jackson now that the Duke Lacrosse players have been freed of all charges?? They were calling for these three boys to be hung out to dry, but now that their names have been cleared, where are the Reverands at now?
Posted by: Tami | April 13, 2007, 3:25 pm 3:25 pm
My guess is that these ladies listen to the music of Snoop Dog and company which is 10 times worse than what Imus said. The hypocracy of this whole episode is amazing to say the least. Al Sharpton and the Brawley episode and Jessie Jackson and his ” love child”! “People who live in glass houses , shouldn’t throw stones!”
Posted by: D Kepple | April 14, 2007, 8:25 pm 8:25 pm
It’s a strange sort of arrangement. If you are black and a descendant of former slaves, you can utter ethnic
slurs without fear of reprisal, and can utter them in any venue-music, comedy, and in any context.Anyone else is held over a barrel, because no matter how they react, it will be wrong. Civil rights have come a long way-now blacks have double-standards
too.
Posted by: Lynn Harris | April 16, 2007, 1:47 pm 1:47 pm