Note to Gerri Willis: There is Nothing to Fear But...Imus

Gerri Willis, host of The Willis Report on the Fox Business Network, demanded to know what Imus meant when he said earlier this morning that she was “wound too tight.” Explaining that she had seemed humorless, “apprehensive,” and “on guard” when last she appeared on this program, Imus was cut off by his stark, raving mad newsman.

“She’s terrified!” Charles screamed. “We’re terrified everyday! We live in utter dread of what you’re going to do next!”

Willis conceded that she had been a wee bit scared, but that she possesses a great sense of humor. Asked to tell a joke, she accused Imus of being relentless. “What is your problem?” she asked. “Did I kick your dog?”

Since he clearly wasn’t going to get a laugh out of his guest, Imus decided to talk about the economy, which Willis does not think will “turn around on a dime” when Republicans take control of the House.

“They’re trying to sell it that way, and it’s not going to happen,” she said. Despite Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke’s proclamation a few weeks ago that the recession had ended, Willis is still skeptical.

“It doesn’t feel over to most people,” she told Imus.

Willis estimated that real unemployment, which factors in people who have stopped looking for jobs, is in the neighborhood of 15 percent. “We have more people on food stamps right now than we’ve had in three decades,” she said.

Willis agreed with Imus’s point that the administration officials trying to solve the financial puzzle are too close to Wall Street to actually effect any change. “They’ve been trying to hide how much they helped these banks,” she said of Obama’s economic henchmen like Larry Summers, Robert Rubin, and others.

But Willis is no Negative Nelly. “I hate this idea that we can’t rally back, the economy can’t come back, that we can’t fid ways to employ Americans,” she said. “Sure we can—we just need to get the government out of the way.”

The government’s absorption of resources is, in her view, obscuring economic growth. Though voting inexperienced Republicans and Tea Party candidates into office isn’t going to be a quick fix, it is in sync with the mantra of change that swept Obama into office in 2008.

“People wanted a fresh face then,” she said of the President. “Now they’re doubling down on that idea.”

To Imus’s complaint that the country is merely “trading one group of crooks for another,” Willis suggested term limits as a solution, and wondered if Imus agreed.

“If I could answer questions, I’d be a guest on somebody else’s program,” Imus snapped, proving to Willis (and to anybody within earshot) that she had been right to fear him.

-Julie Kanfer

Comments

[kat]

Gerri takes things a bit too personal but have to say she is one smart woman, and I enjoyed listening to her take on what needs to happen to help get this country back on track, she is concise and easy to follow ,,,not to wordy..like her.