Imus Forges New Path With Rep. Peter King

If it seemed odd that Imus offered such a warm welcome to Rep. Peter King today, that’s because it was a completely disingenuous one.
 
“I apologize to you for any time I have said anything disrespectful to you, or characterized your various positions as being idiotic,” Imus said. “Because I didn’t realize until yesterday that you’re on the precipice of becoming enormously powerful, should the Republicans sweep this election and gain control of the House of Representatives.
 
The apology was a little late for King, who stands to become Chairman of the Homeland Security Committee and second-in-command on the Financial Services Committee if the Republicans seize power on November 2.
 
“Are you only going to have me on your show to boost the ratings, because I’ll be such a superstar in Congress?” King, who represents Long Island, said, then wondered if he and Imus could genuinely become friends.
 
“I would just be using you,” Imus said, pointing out that while he has said awful things about King in the past, “at the time, I meant them.”
 
Having established these new parameters for their relationship, King told Imus that as Homeland Security Chairman he plans to be more aggressive than the current leadership has been.
 
“They talk about closing Guantanamo, bringing the [terror] trials to New York City,” King said. “There’s a feeling that if we somehow extend the hand of friendship, that’s going to somehow inspire Al-Qaeda not to attack us.”
 
King believes Muslim leaders are not cooperating with law enforcement; that the prison at Guantanamo Bay should remain open; and that when the records from last year’s shooting at Ft. Hood are released, there will be evidence that Major Hassan, the shooter, should have been court-martialed long before he took the lives of 13 people.
 
“We spend a lot of hearings on national disasters and social issues,” he said about the current focus of the Homeland Secutrity Committee. “But really have never had a hearing on Guantanmo, never had a hearing on Ft. Hood.”
 
To Imus’s question of whether the U.S. has a Muslim problem or a Muslim extremist problem, King said, “The majority of Muslims are good people. It’s terrorists within the Muslim community, but what I do find fault with is that the leadership in the Muslims community does not sufficiently cooperate with law enforcement.”
 
Which Imus interpreted as King blaming all Muslims, leading King to accuse Imus of being incapable of understanding nuance. Then Imus threatened to (with Bo Dietl’s help) “beat the hell” out of King.
 
“It’s unfortunate you’re going to be in power,” Imus said, frustrated with his guest’s inanity. “But what are we going to do about it?”
 
-Julie Kanfer