He said it "without malice in his heart," and Coach Stringer

[Skidmore]

said he defamed the young ladies on the Rutgers team. Sound like both sides have been talking to lawyers, and I hope this does turn into a lawsuit. It is a discussion that needs to continue, and Imus can afford to pay a defamation suit and learn to think about others diffently. Perhaps it would set others on notice that the mean spirited trashtalking has consequences. America has been in long overdue of a serious discussion about language and bigotry.

[fasttense]

1. But if they don't file a lawsuit, how will these jocks and

the corporations who own them ever learn? Next they should go after Limpball and Beck. There isn't a day that goes by that one of them doesn't make a racists or sexist remark.

[KharmaTrain]

2. It's Time To Shine The Light On Mean Spirited Hate Radio

This is a big reason Imus, of all shows, needs to be held accountable. It's a bastion of "the establishment"...where they tolerate Imus' rants and bigotry cause it'll sell books and keep them on the "A" List. The number of beltway types either dismissing Imus' slander or trying to downplay it are a virtual whose who of people who've been on his show or had Imus give their book some pump. It's being seen as an attack on said "establishment" as most inside the beltway were ready to give Imus yet another pass, but instead this story is being driven from outside the beltway...by many of us "dirty fuckin'" hippie types on the blogs. They can't control the story and thus they demean it or divert attention.

The big elephant in the room here is how much money Imus makes for his networks and friends and how the almighty dollar has led to the cheapening of discourse on the public airwaves. It's where hatred and arguing...insulting and demeaning are rewarded with ratings and money...and has been encouraged to grow over the past 20 years. It's companies that put the dollar and their own agendas ahead of common sense and decency. This isn't just Imus, but all the hate spewers who dominate the radio waves with their mean-spirited attacks...almost always against people who can't rebut the attacks.

There needs to be the long promised review of Dereg '96...a time to look at the monopoly of the airwaves by a few rich and powerful (and predominately Repugnican) companies have destroyed not just the broadcast airwaves, but overall civility.

[Skidmore]

3. Yes, it is time to clean house and refocus the nation.

[BlueManDude]

4. I'm disappointed that Coach Stringer and Rutgers have chosen to engage with Imus

He needs them much more than they need him. They shouild have ignored him and let him die on the vine. Instead they end up throwing him a lifeline. He wants to meet with them because it's the only way to save his career and reputation. It's ironic that the very people he defamed will end up saving his ass. He doesn't deserve it.

[MistressOverdone]

5. Totally agree

Time for him to hang up the oxygen tube.