Imus Criticizes Maddow as 'Gutless, Sniveling Worm' for Her Initial Tepid Reaction to Olbermann Leaving MSNBC
So much for any scintillating future chit-chat between Rachel Maddow and Don Imus.
Imus cut loose with a withering broadside today against Maddow for what he perceived as her disloyal initial response to news of colleague and mentor Keith Olbermann's abrupt departure from MSNBC --
Having nothing to do with her politics, she is a gutless coward and I'll tell you why. Because everybody knew what the situation was with Olbermann at MSNBC. We used to work there. Tom Bowman, who's our producer, Elisha who's one of our producers, they both worked with me at MSNBC. They left there to come with me, by the way, don't look for any of Olbermann's producers to go any place with him. However, so we all know people, we still know everybody who's at MSNBC. So, everybody knew what was going on with Keith. Everybody knew what was going to happen to him. For this woman, who owed her job to him, she's live there with Bill Maher, a lot of people watch that terribly influential program, not to offer a defense of Olbermann, in spite of what you think about Olbermann, is unconscionable.
[Video after page break]
In marked contrast, Imus added on his Fox Business Network show, to what occurred after he was fired by MSNBC in 2007 for describing the Rutgers' women's basketball team as "nappy-headed hos" --
It's like when I got fired, Sean Hannity, who works for Fox, was defending me, and I didn't think I should be defended, but that's irrelevant. He works for Fox, he was defending me getting fired by MSNBC. Mike Francesca and Chris Russo nearly lost their jobs 'cause they worked for CBS, along with me, defended me on CBS. They told them to stop doing it, they refused. No, she's awful. She's the worst kind of coward and gutless, sniveling worm. Oh God, horrible.
As might be expected from an MSNBC pundit I compared to Eve Harrington in "All About Eve" last summer.
Maddow appeared on "Real Time With Bill Maher" Friday night within two hours of Olbermann announcing at the end of his show that he was leaving MSNBC. By going on the Maher show that evening, coincidentally or otherwise, Maddow was spared a potentially awkward transition from Olbermann's last show to hers, since Olbermann nearly always greeted Maddow each night in pass-the-baton fashion.
Here's what Maddow said on Maher's show that prompted Imus's ire --
MAHER: All right, I want to get to the issues, but right before I came out they told me Keith Olbermann was quitting.
MADDOW: Yeah. It's been a big day at MSNBC. Or at least it's been a big 15 minutes.
MAHER: Why? What happened?
MADDOW: Keith announced at the end of his show tonight that he and the company made a mutual decision that "Countdown" is done.
MAHER: Well that's always bull****.
MADDOW: It was, well, that's what, I mean, the thing is though, all I, I know very little about it, all I know is that it was between Keith and the company and it didn't involve any, any of the rest of us and he was really gracious and nice when he left.
It was at this point that Maher did not hand Maddow a tissue.
Later in the same show, Maddow was far more animated when she stood on her chair during an argument about Reaganomics with Club for Growth founder Stephen Moore, as described by NewsBuster Noel Sheppard.
On her show Monday, Maddow was effusive in her praise for Olbermann --
I wouldn't have this show without Keith directly nudging the network to give me a try, and without Keith clearing space for the liberals among us in this country to identify ourselves as such, as liberals, even on prime-time cable TV. The way Keith cleared that space was by not only voicing his own opinion, but by being really freaking successful while he did it. If you want to be a pioneer, don't just be the first person like you to do something. Be the first person like you to do it brilliantly. That's how you change the world so other people like you get chances too. We are all sorry that Keith and MSNBC decided to end his run here. I can also tell you that that decision has no effect on the editorial independence that makes it possible for me to do this work. We are here. We are not going anywhere. We're really, really glad you are here with us.
(h/t, Daily Caller, Mediaite)
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Comments
Imus is big on loyalty
Submitted by stunned on Wed, 01/26/2011 - 10:24pm.
The guy has never forgotten a slight. LOL He remembers those who stood by him and never lets his viewers forget those who turned their back on him over his ho comment. Hannity did defend Imus and Maher when they were fired for "politcally incorrect" comments. Rush did too as both know that they come under fire for their comments as well and do believe, unlike the left, in freedom of speech whether you agree with it or not. Maddow's tepid response since she is a lefty is no surprise at all.
tired of liberal lies
Totally different situation
Submitted by goldwaterfan on Thu, 01/27/2011 - 5:08am.
Hannity and Rush did defend Imus and Maher for their abrupt firings. I did too. That was great. Olbermann wasn't fired though. MSNBC and his agents have been negotiating his exit for several weeks. He got the full $15 million due on his contract, for 6 to 9 months of silence. I suspect Keith told Rachel to remain silent also.
Amanda Carrington
Strawman. Regardless of the
Submitted by bretzysdude on Thu, 01/27/2011 - 7:36am.
Strawman. Regardless of the circumstances, Rachel could have handled it much better.
I don't understand your point
Submitted by Hoosier Conservative on Thu, 01/27/2011 - 12:20pm.
whether someone is fired abruptly or in slow motion, they still got fired. and like Imus was saying, Maddow used to greet him every night, they had a whole thing going where they were best friends. and Maddow makes her career on fighting against the man. here was a great chance for her to do that, but she gave a typical corporate talking point answer. even Bill Maher was disappointed, he knew she was lying.
Survivors of Layoffs know what it is like to have
Submitted by Lipton on Wed, 01/26/2011 - 10:26pm.
lost a colleague. It has given me terrible distress. I hate it. Even in those situations when I could see it coming. She was rather flip about the whole thing. I just can't imagine being so cold.
Loyalty or job security?
Submitted by KyWriter on Wed, 01/26/2011 - 10:33pm.
Imus pegged it right. For all her liberal pretensions, Maddow still values bucks above all. (Er, the monetary variety, of course,)
Liberal Loyalty
Submitted by Jerry Mack on Wed, 01/26/2011 - 11:12pm.
Madcow is not an idiot. She is quite aware of her (lack of) job opportunities else where. Think she might have received a pay increase after leaving Airhead America and moving to Msdnc?
Tell us what you really think Don....
Submitted by NeoKong on Wed, 01/26/2011 - 10:36pm.
Uh hoh man. He ripped into her hard. Pretty funny.
more "teabaggers" than Comcast could handle
Submitted by politicalpaw on Wed, 01/26/2011 - 10:43pm.
Q: how do you defend "teabagger" homosexual pejoratives on NBC "News"?
Each video riddled w the homosexual slur:
@keitholbermann http://tinyurl.com/4qhvctp
@davidshuster http://tinyurl.com/4r5fzrg
A few "teabaggers" too many for Comcast...BaBYE, Now!
@PoliticalPAW
Rachel 'The Snarl' Maddow
Submitted by Van Halen on Wed, 01/26/2011 - 11:29pm.
Rachel 'The Snarl' Maddow will be griping about Imus tomorrow, I suspect.
C'mon Imus, that's no way to
Submitted by Captain Repus on Thu, 01/27/2011 - 2:25am.
C'mon Imus, that's no way to talk about a gentleman. Show some manners.
Imus
Submitted by RightRealDeal on Thu, 01/27/2011 - 10:09am.
Agree, no way to talk about Richard like that!
Count me in, Cap'n.
Submitted by Newsbubba on Thu, 01/27/2011 - 10:49am.
Maddow is just not what I'd call a "stand up guy."
If I remeber correctly, Rush also came to IMus' defense...
Submitted by P. Aaron on Thu, 01/27/2011 - 3:14am.
...anyone else here recall that?
Yep
Submitted by Ozconservative on Thu, 01/27/2011 - 6:14am.
As did Laura Ingraham and G Gordon Liddy
conservatives came to Olbermann's defense
Submitted by Lipton on Thu, 01/27/2011 - 10:18am.
when he got suspended last November. I recall Bill Kristol specifically.
I know that if somebody got
Submitted by mostlymoderate on Thu, 01/27/2011 - 3:26am.
I know that if somebody got ME a job and that person was fired, I would support that person even if they were at fault. Liberals like Maddow just don't understand respect.
Olbermann was probably at fault because he has been an ass for so long; however, he still got Maddow a job. She should be working as a waitress in an internet cafe somewhere telling people about her B.S. degree from an Ivy League school that didn't teach her anything practical. But Olbermann got her a job.
Bill Maher has a "terribly
Submitted by johnsonl on Thu, 01/27/2011 - 8:51am.
Bill Maher has a "terribly influential" program? Pray tell, as much so as Imus' program?
Mumbles is known.......
Submitted by almostacowboy on Thu, 01/27/2011 - 11:51am.
'Mumbles' Imus is known for his sarcasm, among other not quite so obvious talents.
Plus angry and misinformed
Submitted by Cactus Kurt on Thu, 01/27/2011 - 10:28am.
Gutless, coward, sniveling, worm... yeah, that just about sums Maddow up. I might add angry and misinformed also.
all at MSNBC
Submitted by texan1953 on Thu, 01/27/2011 - 11:08am.
All remaining "talent" @ MSNBC are going to keep quiet with KO's departure. They all realize that they are next. Is it wise of them to be quiet with it and be careful, they will want the same going away package as KO.
With their low viewership, COMCAST realizes that there is a need of new talent for MSNBC if they do not want see MSNBC go the way of Air America. Majority of people simply do not like liberal-based shows. So it goes...
remember...just tell me what happened and I'll decide how I should react or what think about it. Journalism 101...
Who besides NB...?
Submitted by okiehawk44 on Thu, 01/27/2011 - 11:34am.
Seriously -- who watches more than a few snippets of MSNBC nightly?
If Comcast allows all its programs to continue night after night with no ratings then it deserves failure ala Newsweek that sold for $1.
If you're looking for ratings losers Comcast ask CNN to give you Parker-Spitzer or HSN to give you Joy Behar. I'm thinking CNN will throw in Piers' show too by the initial looks of it.
I'd like to know.....
Submitted by almostacowboy on Thu, 01/27/2011 - 11:55am.
....how Jack Coleman knows that's what "The I-man" (oh, brother!) actually said. While I will tune in to see what guests has, I find myself steadily increasing and increasing the TV's volume as I struggle to understand 50% or more of what the mumbling, old, cancer-ridden, testosterone-replaced-with-venom, has-been is saying.
what a man she/he is
Submitted by tomolson3 on Thu, 01/27/2011 - 12:25pm.
What kind of parents name the son Rachel??????
I cant stand either of them,
Submitted by boscokraft on Thu, 01/27/2011 - 1:36pm.
I cant stand either of them, but if the company was out to debride itself of Keith, no amount of praise from maddow, would halt that. It would only piss off everyone in the front office. Why kick the boss in the shin? Despite what all you guys say you would do, in reality, its self preservation, and you would not have done anything different. folks act brave and altruistic on the webposts, but in reality, you would throw keith into the pit too, and think nothing of it.