Imus just refused to have McCain on and called Lieberman "a lying skunk"...

[Skidmore]

Anyone listening.

He said that McCain has said that he knew nothing about conditions at Walter Reed but he doesn't believe him. He called Lieberman a "cheerleader with pompoms" cheering the war on. I've been watching him for the last couple of days to hear him take on people about WR. He also shamed MSNBC from following ANS's hearse to the airport.

[H2O Man]

1. I'm watching it.

He called for Bush to be impeached, and for a harsher punishment for Cheney.

[Skidmore]

2. He's also calling for more heads higher up the chain of command

to roll over WR, including Nicholson at Veterans Affairs.

[Hubert Flottz]

5. Nicholson lost our records I'll never fogive him for that.

Should have been fired on the spot over that alone!

[malaise]

10. Execution H2O Man

He's been calling for a Cheney hanging for some time.

[H2O Man]

12. Yes.

That is what he is calling for.

[Hubert Flottz]

3. Hazz he come to his senses?

[jhrobbins]

6. No, no a thousand times NO! He just happens to have stumbled

onto a right answer for once, but listening to him and his 'high school buddies (read thugs)' reminds me of a bunch of teenage miscreants hiding out in Daddy's shed, smoking cigarettes, drinking beer and talking about *****. THey make me want to puke, puke, puke.

:puke:
:puke:
:puke:

[Skidmore]

13. I agree with you on all points. However, if him ranting makes that

snide bunch of suckup politicians that come there to try to look cool take action for once, I'll tolerate Beavis and Butthead. McCord is the perfect resident toady and that Bernie is an abusive ass. That comedian tha tplays dress up he has on all the time is obnoxious and very not funny.

[H2O Man]

14. Hulk Hogan....

When he does Hulk Hogan, he is good. And Liza Minnelli.

[MADem]

25. He's listening to his wife--and she's getting insistent, that's my guess.

He is a chameleon, anyway. That's how he keeps his ratings up. All that "independent thinking" probably has root in a shitload of polls. If you are saying what the vast majority of the US is thinking, of course you're going to stay popular.

He used to be cantankerous, but now he's a querulous old man, IMO.

I see he has LIEberman up now, giving us the rosy scenario from Walter Reed....

[WinkyDink]

55. He still loves to mock Clinton, esp. about Monica.

[Robbien]

4. IMUS was LIEberman's best friend

LIEberman was on IMUS almost every week leading up to the primaries with Imus slobbering all over LIEberman.

Who peed in IMUS's wheaties this morning?

[EST]

9. He's not slurring, this morning.

Sober maybe?

'Course, being sober can sometimes make one a little edgy, I s'pose.

[madokie]

15. back in my drinking days I overheard someone say something like

I seen ole dave the other day and he was sober, hell at first I thought he was drunk

[EST]

30. Yeah (ruefully) I know.

I am not an Imus fan, but at that time in the morning, I am starving for refreshment. He was really slurring and mumbling nearly every day, last week.

I once knew a fellow musician who kept a can of beer on his nightstand, warm, so he could have a slug, should he wake up during the night, or as breakfast on waking next morning. I guess he needed something to smooth out the J W Dant or Barclay's from the night before.

[MADem]

69. I knew a military bugler who used to have a six pack for breakfast.

Seriously!

[MADem]

29. He's been sober for a couple of decades

He had a bad booze, coke and painkillers problem. His old cat died last year, that he got after completing rehab, and the cat was something like 19.

That assholiness has nothing to do with drugs, save perhaps the nicorette that he chews around the clock.

[EST]

35. I had learned he was a recovering hard drug addict

but I did not know about the booze. Nevertheless, he was almost unintelligible during the last week.

[MADem]

43. He had a root canal and was on painkillers because it got infected, or so he said

Then he started cutting them in half because he was slurring, and because it didn't take the pain away fully, he was more of an asswipe than usual.

[EST]

61. Thank you kindly.

I take back all the bad crap I was thinking about him.

Well, not all-he's still a shithook and an unreliable, lying, thoughtless, knee-jerk "conservative," but my earlier criticism of him was unwarranted.

Dental agony can put a rough edge on anybody.

[MADem]

68. You are absolutely correct in your assessment of the man

He's, at best, a craven opportunist. He follows the crowd, floats on prevailing public opinion like feather on the breeze.

What he said to the Clintons at the Washington Press Club was disgraceful. He was deliberately cruel to Mrs. Clinton, who was the victim in that Monica business, and he took delight in being an asshole. And, worst sin of all at that venue, he wasn't even FUNNY.

But, when you take a suckup and a crowd follower, and put him on dental painkillers, he will slur, I guess, just like a saint might!

[Skidmore]

7. Now calling for the firings of Kylie and Harvey (Sec of Army).

Said earlier that McCain and others should be less concerned with running around and "playing Stupid Candidate Tricks" and get back to DC to do some meaningful work.

[babylonsister]

17. Sen. McCaskill wants Kiley gone, too:

http://www.armytimes.com/news/2007/03/weightmanout07030... /

Senator: Army surgeon general should go

By Kelly Kennedy - Staff writer
Posted : Thursday Mar 1, 2007 17:27:38 EST

Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., called for the Army’s top medical officer, Lt. Gen. Kevin Kiley, to be relieved of duty Thursday afternoon. McCaskill’s remarks came after Maj. Gen. George Weightman, Walter Reed Army Medical Center’s commander, was relieved of duty earlier in the day.

“It’s clear that General Kiley, the surgeon general at the Army, knew about the conditions at Building 18,” McCaskill said. “The irony of this situation is General Weightman stepped up. He’s only been there a year.”

Kiley is to temporarily replace Weightman, according to an Army press release.

McCaskill said Weightman took responsibility for the problems in the medical disability system while Kiley has been quoted as saying the problems weren’t serious or that there weren’t many of them.

McCaskill had “been considering this for a week,” said Adriane Marsh, McCaskill’s spokeswoman. “It’s beyond just Walter Reed,” she said, referring to problems in the disability evaluation system that have been documented as Army-wide.

Weightman, commanding general of the North Atlantic Regional Medical Command and Walter Reed Army Medical Center, was relieved of command at 10 a.m. today by Secretary of the Army Dr. Francis Harvey, according to an Army press release.

This action has been under consideration for the last several days, with the final decision being made yesterday, the release said.

Weightman was informed this morning that the senior Army leadership had lost trust and confidence in the commander’s leadership abilities to address needed solutions for soldier-outpatient care at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

Kiley, commanding general of U.S. Army Medical Command, will be acting temporarily as the Walter Reed commander until a general officer is selected to replace Weightman.

[malaise]

8. What a great rant

He is pissed about WR. Love how he called out the 'support the troops' right wing radio morons on their silence.

The best thing about the discussion is the Bob Woodruff parallel. DUers need to make the point over and over that Woodruff's recovery is no miracle - just quality health care.

His Anna overload was good too -what's that about with MSNBC cutting in to show the hearse - LOL.

Great rant Imus. I'm no fan but respect is due.

[Skidmore]

11. LOL! LIeberman is a scheduled guest this morning. This should be

good. I'll finish cleaning house later.

I want to see if he calls him "a lying skunk" in person.

[madokie]

16. yep I'll have to watch this

he just now said lying skunk again

[Skidmore]

18. Bob Woodruff to be on too.

[Skidmore]

19. He just called Lieberman a "criminal" too.

Ranting about how if they are going to send people to fight wars, they should also find out what happens to these people later when they have been destroyed by war.

[babylonsister]

20. You know he'll grill Joementum on what he's done for the Vets lately.

Imus is righteously pissed!

[Skidmore]

22. I think Lieberman is on next, if I understood correctly.

[salin]

23. no cable here - please report

I would guess that face to face that Imus won't be quite as free with his Lieberman insults. But he is Imus... so maybe? Do share how it unfolds.

[Skidmore]

26. Stuttering and weaselling around with BS about

how many more soldiers are surviving, and that yes they should have known, but they didn't, and, and, and. God, it's one long run on sentence full of excuses and platitudes. "It's a patriotic duty to provide care."

[babylonsister]

24. Yep, now. Prayers before a firing squad. nt

[izzie]

21. We do pay these people to know what is going on.

Good item in Portland Maine paper today. That man cam home to finish up his care. You can not have a govt. that should be giving a service be run by people who believe in only profit making. The mind set is not the same. The guy out running every morning was so far out I almost fell over. The head of the hospital taking care or men that can hardly walk any more does not see their problem and he is out running every morning? That is like father Bush sitting on his golf cart and talking about the first gulf war. And he wondered why he lost the election.

[babylonsister]

27. So Liebermann just admitted he's heard complaints before and also

DID NOTHING.

[Skidmore]

31. But he's going over there to day and "ask tough questions."

[babylonsister]

37. Such a politician, one I abhor. nt

[salin]

38. sounds like he just admited how craven he is

he heard complaints - cheerled for more troops going - didn't go over to ask questions... only when the Post made the story pubic did he decide to 'ask questions'. But would we expect anything else from Sen Lieberman I-Con ?

[Canuckistanian]

51. "Ask tough questions"? Lieberman?

The only "tough questions" I've heard from him are about the "patriotism" of Democrats.

[NewJeffCT]

70. Here is Lieberman's example of tough questions

Monday - gives a big speech calling for us to get tough on Iraqi leaders.

Tuesday - meets with Iraqi president (I assume that somebody that is a president is a leader, no? Please correct me if I'm wrong) and announces that we can't get tough because it's wrong to hold a gun to the head of a friend.



The picture is the Hartford Courant, which endorsed Lieberman in both the primary and in the general election.

[malaise]

28. Lieberman the weasel up now n/t

[H2O Man]

32. He is a lying

piece of shit.

[babylonsister]

36. Just like a rethug; accept NO responsibility. nt

[H2O Man]

47. I get angry

when I hear a lying piece of shit like him blame the problems relating to veteran's care as being "bureaucracy." He knows better.

Bureaucracy is a system that takes a cookie-cutter approach: it provides for the main types of "services" that the vast majority of people that come through the doors deal with. Sociologists find that this type of system has its roots in China, for the obvious reason that there was a large population there for a long time.

We've probably all had the experience of waiting in line at some place such as the Department of Motor Vehicles, or on the phone with something like Direct TV, where we have had a situation/problem that is different than the general type the institution deals with. It creates a bureaucratic reaction -- the system isn't geared to deal with your problem smoothly.

The VA problems are not bureaucracy. I used to work with a number of veterans at the mental health clinic (both co-workers and clients). The range of quality in the services/care provided was, at times, stunning. It ranged from very good to terrible. Many of the veterans had special needs, and my ability to help them was based largely upon finding the person at the VA who was willing and able to help provide the services they needed. It can be done, and I think the majority of the VA workers I dealt with over the years were dedicated, capable workers.

But this business that Imus is discussing is an outrage. I've heard people in Washington say they were not prepared for the number of injured veterans requiring care. How in the hell can anyone say in 2007 that they were caught by surprise, considering that the US has been at war in Afghanistan and Iraq for so many years? It is a systems failure -- not bureaucracy, where a few individuals with special needs are falling through the cracks. That system is supposed to deal with injured veterans. There is no other greater service that VA hospitals provide; hence, those who say it is a problem with bureaucracy are full of shit.

[babylonsister]

48. I have to agree, and it's been a problem for many years prior to

this war.
My uncle was a retired vet who was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. There was no room available for him at the VA; he wound up in a flop house for awhile because he could not get the care he needed; no one in my family lived where he lived. He finally found a friend to care for him at home while he went through the agonizing process of dying. The VA surely didn't help, and that was about 10 years ago.
The system is broke, and everyone has been willfully blind to that fact for years.
Then, you hear about government property that is given away when it could be used to build facilities for the vets; something is wrong with this picture.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=307816&mesg_id=308370

[Sydnie]

57. How could they not be prepared for the number of injured?

Because blivet** insisted that there would be no collateral damage to speak of, they wouldn't need body bags because they were going to get in and get out in "6 days, 6 weeks, I doubt 6 months". They wanted to believe that and they did believe that. Even when it keep going, they were believing all the times they said "just about 6 months more". they left their calculator at home and listened to the right wing blowhards that were saying the death toll and the injuries were nothing compared to WWII (they never compare it to Vietnam because they don't want you to begin to make the connection between those two mistakes).

They had their head in the sand willfully. They still do.

[H2O Man]

58. Yep.

It is an ugly form of criminal neglect.

[The Backlash Cometh]

62. This administration was not prepared to handle the increase in injured vets,

because it is applying business policies to government problems. And in business, when you have a defective widget on the assembly line, you throw it out. Though the really clever (read evil) CEO, figures out a way to put the material back in the smelter.

[malaise]

39. Yep this is an exhibition on using the best

bluff and spin tone of voice. It's all bullshit.

[Jacobin]

34. By the end of this Imus will be slobbering all over Lieberman

and apologizing for saying anything bad about the war.

book it

[Skidmore]

40. He passed some ideas for Lieberman to take back

so that some of the work could get done quickly.

Joe just responded with something like Imus do whatever he can and I-Joe will go back and do this too. Ever count how many times Lieberman says "I" when he speaks. Imus sez he's not the one to make these calls.

[DrDan]

33. he is on fire today . . .

wish he had the same passion before the last pres election . . .

[babylonsister]

41. Lieberman 'gives us his word' he'll do something. Oye! Right. nt

[Hubert Flottz]

42. You can depend on Joe

About like you can depend on George!

[La_Fourmi_Rouge]

44. JoMo didn't last long...n/t

[Jacobin]

45. He prolly had 'other priorities'

[blitzen]

46. I heard him say, "The VP should be executed"

The whole statement was, "The President should be impeached and the Vice-President executed." It was earlier this morning, around 5:30 Central Time. I wonder if Hannity and O'Reilly will get their hands on this....Not likely--although if KO had said it we'd never hear the end of it.

[Vidar]

49. Couldn't agree more.

[Pachamama]

50. He did?? Wow! The Cheerleader w/ Pompoms was IMUS for Lieberman during the 06 elections!!

And now he's calling Lieberman a lying skunk????? Anybody want to remind Imus of this?

[La_Fourmi_Rouge]

52. This woodruff interview is moving...

Imus: "It must have been for a reason." Lee Woodruff is very sharp. Bob is rather subdued. I am on the verge of tears - a welling up of emotions - to hear their account of his injury and ongoing recovery...

Also, last night on Larry King they showed a clip of Bob's kids teaching him how to speak again. Man, I was touched, as I am sure many others were, by the heart and humanity of the scene.

"Bob's always been a huge Springsteen fan."

[H2O Man]

53. It is outstanding.

Very powerful.

[malaise]

54. Superb interview

particularly the difference in care made possible by ABC versus the vets at WR. It's really a classic case of care versus indifference.

[KoKo]

56. Good Grief just Monday this week he said he loved Lieberman...was

talking with Kelly O'Donnell, I think. Is he off his meds like happens with Tweety? Or, just trying to hold his buddy Lieberman's feet to fire over the state of things at Walter Reed?

It's hard to understand this "back and forth" and take it seriously. If Lieberman helps him he will be his buddy once again and he will sing his praises. :shrug:

[w4rma]

59. Cool! This is what happens when a Republican figures out that the Republicans are conning them.

Did Imus turn on the Republican Party? Has Imus figured out the con?

[NNN0LHI]

60. And just 2 days ago Imus was telling McCain how much these wounded GIs loved him. Hmmm?

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9877442 /

<snip>IMUS: “You know, when we were over there, when you took us over -- I would have never gone, had you not asked me to go. I would not -- that's how out of it I am, I didn't think about it. Were you aware of what's going on there with the outpatient program or what's going on throughout the V.A. system, apparently?”

MCCAIN: “No, but let me say to start with, I'm also grateful that you came to San Antonio to the opening of that rehab facility, and everybody that was involved in it. And look, you talk about touching moments, when we all had sat down at the ceremony and they welcomed the heroes and those young people came out, on crutches and wheelchairs and badly burned, it was one of the more moving experiences in my life. And I -- I think I've been around and seen a fair amount, but that was -- that was remarkable in the fact that you came down and spent time there and they were -- they were thrilled you were there, because that's what all of them told me.”

IMUS: “Well, they -- sounds like your elaboration (ph). They loved you, these kids. But you were not aware of what was going on at Building 18, the outpatient situation?”

MCCAIN: “No, no. When I go out, I do the same thing that -- that you did the day that you and Bernard do and Charles went with me, and go to the hospital and see the patients and then down to the rehab place. And obviously, it's an unacceptable situation. I'm glad the media does its job. Now let's try to see that the government does its job. And part of that is congressional oversight and knowing what's going on. And we're going to have a hearing on it in the armed services committee. But I do think that Secretary Gates did the right thing by going out there, saying it's unacceptable, saying it's going to be fixed, and I think he fired some people. And, so, I was glad that Secretary Gates took quick action. But it's not acceptable.”

IMUS: “ Well, how is it that none of us knew anything about this? You didn't know about it?”

MCCAIN: “I have no good answer. We have communications with veterans all the time, constantly, both in Washington and back in Arizona. I do think it's important to point out that a lot of the employees there, particularly those physical therapists and others and many of the doctors and nurses, you know, they're the most dedicated people you will ever know. It's an unacceptable situation, but we don't want to get everybody tarred by that brush. You know, you met those...”

[KoKo]

67. Imus often speaks "with forked tongue" ...and old expression that

would seem to suit many in the Media who live for power or paycheck.

[TheBaldyMan]

63. I don't want to say this ...

I agree with Imus on Walter Reed and McCain and Leiberman.


There, I said it.
I will now go off and wash my mouth out.

What kind of world is it when the right wing shock jocks start to make sense?

[brentspeak]

64. Good to see I-Man's come to his senses on those two

[insane_cratic_gal]

65. When did Imus become the hero of the hr?

Last time I watched him I had to turn the tv off because his head was up bush's ass!

[BlooInBloo]

66. lol! I guess the only thing worse would be the electorate who voted for a lying skunk.

[AlCzervik]

71. McCain was on his show the other day, is Imus going to use his time machine

to go back and undo that visit?