Pundit Watch - Team Imus: Who's In, Who's Out

UPDATE: CBS pulls the plug on Imus in the Morning

For years, politicians, pundits, and power players have clamored to appear on Don Imus's radio program—which, until today, was also telecast on MSNBC—to hawk their latest books and TV shows to his audience of 3.5 million. Then came "Nappy-headed Ho"-gate.

Now, according to a top ABC executive, the stars of the network's news division—including Charlie Gibson, Cokie Roberts, George Stephanopoulous, and Sam Donaldson, all of whom were guests on Imus—will no longer appear on the show: "You're not going to see anyone from ABC showing up on Imus again," the exec said definitively. CBS and NBC are officially adopting a wait and see attitude, even though on-air personalities like Tim Russert (pro) and Al Roker (con) have gone public with their own conflicting positions on the issue.

What about Imus's other guests? On Wednesday, Radar polled several dozen members of the I-Man's former stable to find out if they would continue to appear on his beleaguered show. We also culled recent statements that others have made on the subject. Below, an exhaustive, up-to-the-minute, continually updated guide to who's staying, who's going, and who's hedging their bets.

Last update: 5:15 PM, 4/12/07

• Rudy Guiliani, Republican presidential contender
Told USA Today that Imus "understands that he made a very, very big mistake," and said he would continue appearing as a guest on his show.

• Bo Dietl, security consultant
"When you say, 'I'm sorry," and really mean it, you should be forgiven. I would definitely be back on."

• Tom Friedman, New York Times columnist
"My answer is a simple one: yes, I would go on," he tells Radar.

• John McCain, Republican presidential contender
"I'm a great believer in redemption," he said on ABC Politics Live.

• James Carville, Democratic spinmeister
"[James] has been on [Imus's] program for many years. He has been a friend of his. He's going to give him another chance, will continue to go on his program," said CNN's Wolf Blitzer on the The Situation Room.

• Bill Maher, host, HBO's Politically Incorrect
"I told him this morning, I said, 'Your punishment is you're going lose some black listeners. And that should be your punishment. But that's it.' You know, he's apologized over and over," he told Scarborough Country.

• Craig Crawford, Congressional Quarterly
"His heartfelt apologies and the absence of any racist pattern in his past work justify considering another chance," he told the New York Times

• Mike Huckabee, Republican presidential contender
"Yes, I'd go on the show again. He's continued to have me on his show when I said stupid things," he told CBN News.

• Paul Begala, Democratic spinmeister
Begala told Broadcasting and Cable he would go back on Imus's show "tomorrow."

• Tom Oliphant, retired Boston Globe columnist
"Solidarity forever!" he told Imus on-air.

• Bob Schieffer, CBS News
"If it were anyone else, I wouldn't have anything to do with them. But I'm not going to sever a relationship with someone who has apologized for what he said. He's my friend," he told the Washington Post.

• Evan Thomas, Newsweek **
"He should not have said what he said, obviously. I am going on the show, though," he told the New York Times.

• Jon Meacham, Newsweek editor **
"He appears genuine about changing the tone of the show so that nothing like this happens again. And if he follows through, then we're open to going back on," he told the Washington Post.

Other Apparent Loyalists ...
• Newsweek columnist Howard Fineman **
• Sopranos actor Steve Schirripa
• Disgraced Boston Globe hack Mike Barnicle
• CNN-turned-CBS talking head Jeff Greenfield
• NBC Washington Bureau Chief Tim Russert
• Alleged billionaire Donald Trump
• Hamilton Jordan, former Carter chief of staff

** Flip-floppers

• Ken Auletta, New Yorker media scribe
Tells Radar he won't be going back on the show. "But I also don't think the guy should be fired," he adds. "He's been doing this kind of stuff a long time. There's some element of sanctimony here."

• Barack Obama, Democratic presidential contender
"There's nobody on my staff who would still be working for me if they made a comment like that about anybody of any ethnic group.... He didn't just cross the line, he fed into some of the worst stereotypes that my two young daughters are having to deal with today in America," he told ABC News.

• Hillary Clinton, Democratic presidential contender
"I certainly don't ever intend to go on his show," she told USA Today.

• Cal Ripkin, Jr., former shortstop
"In light of recent remarks made on the program, Cal will not appear on the show as part of his national book tour," says a spokesperson.

• Whoopi Goldberg, actress and talk show host
"What Imus said pissed me off," she said. "But when you talk like he does it comes back to bite you in the butt. How do you explain that you're not a racist," she said to the New York Daily News.

• Al Roker, NBC's Today Show
"He is a radio icon. That said, it is time for him to go," the usually jolly weatherman wrote on his Today Show blog.

• Ana Marie Cox, Time columnist
"I won't be going on Imus anymore. Having said that, it's not like they'll be inviting me back," she blogs on Time.com.

Other Apparent Defectors ...
• Jonathan Alter
• Howard Fineman **
• Evan Thomas **
• Jon Meacham **
• Michael Isikoff
• Charlie Gibson
• Cokie Roberts
• George Stephanopoulous
• Sam Donaldson

• Harold Ford Jr, Democratic Leadership Council chair
"I am a big believer in redemption. Yet, no amount of philanthropy gives anyone the license to offend innocent people. So I'm going to follow the lead of those brilliant and gracious women of the Rutgers basketball team and wait and see how the next two weeks unfold," he says in an official DLC statement.

• Clarence Page, syndicated columnist
"As far as being a guest again, I would entertain the possibility if he actually does what he's promising to do. But in 2000 I coaxed him into taking a pledge about not using inflammatory racial humor, so I have my own feelings about his sincerity," he tells Radar.

• Mitt Romney, Republican presidential contender
"If he did go back on the show, he would be sure to tell Mr. Imus how awful those remarks were," his spokesman told USA Today.

• Maureen Dowd, New York Times columnist
"Ms. Dowd just got back from a month-long leave and won't be fielding any questions about this," her assistant tells Radar.

• John Kerry, Democratic nuisance
No definitive decision, but "I am encouraged by his apology, the planned changes to his show and that he asked for an opportunity to meet with the team and apologize in person," the Senator says in an official statement to Radar.

• Dan Rather, HDNet helmer
"He has not made an announcement yet," a spokeperson tells Radar.

• CBS News
A spokesperson tells Radar, "[The network] has no plan to take a stand on whether its employees will go on the program."

• Chris Dodd, Connecticut Senator
"As the father of two young girls, I can imagine how hurtful these comments were to these young women and their parents. The comments were wrong and unacceptable," Dodd, who announced his candidacy on Imus's show, tells Radar.

• NBC News
Now that MSNBC has torpedoed Imus's morning telecast, its parent network's participation may be in question. Asked if frequent Imus guests Brian Williams, David Gregory, Andrea Mitchell, and Chris Matthews will continue to appear on the show, an NBC spokesperson tells Radar, "The question is moot for now." (Russert, NBC's Washington Bureau Chief, remains a staunch loyalist, having appeared on the show last Friday.)

Still Undecided? ...
• Frank Rich, New York Times columnist *
• Charles Barkley, basketball star *
• Charles Schumer, New York Senator *
• Dennis Kucinich, Democratic presidential contender *
• Joe Biden, Democratic presidential contender *

* Have not returned repeated calls from Radar
** Flip-floppers

Someone we missed? Shoot an e-mail to Tips@RadarOnline.com

Reported by: Jaimie Etkin, Jebediah Reed, Neel Shah, and Rachel Syme

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