Rep. Peter King Learns A Very Important Lesson

Imus did his best during today's interview with Rep. Peter King (R-NY) to uphold the mantra of this program. More on that later.

He kicked things off by insulted King's taste in music, calling his five favorite songs "the worst selection" he has received so far. King whined that a person of his stature, status, good looks, and charm should be treated with a more "appropriate" level of respect.

"You're a congressman," Imus said. "Calm down."

Maybe, but King was one of the first politicians anywhere to call for President Obama to move the venue of the trials for the 9/11 co-conspirators out of New York City.

"It was lonely," said King. "Everyone was lining up saying these trials were important."

Obama announced last week that he'll consider holding the trials elsewhere, which King was glad to see. "I just wish more people would speak out when it really matters, rather than put us in a situation where we could have ended up wit this trial," he said.

The President has deferred too frequently to the "very liberal" Attorney General Eric Holder on matters like this, King added, and on the issue of counterterrorism in general.

"He seems really vague, and just not with it when he's discussing these issues," King said of Obama. "Kind of like mew picking my five songs for your show: there's some things you know, and some things you don't feel comfortable with."

Imus pointed out that King, who is 66 years old, should have hipper taste in music than the theme from the movie "Rocky."

"I spend so much time trying to save the country, trying to save the world, trying to better mankind, I don't have the luxury of being able to enjoy music," King joked, we hope.

King has known Imus's new best friend, New York Governor David Paterson, for a very long time, and went on and on about it until Imus interrupted him with, "Okay, I get it." Imus asked his guest, a veteran New York politician, why Paterson can't effectively run the state or gel with its legislature.

"He totally mishandled the whole selection of Kirsten Gillibrand over Caroline Kennedy," King said, referring to Paterson's role in filling Hillary Clinton's U.S. Senate seat last year. In addition, King thinks Paterson's staff is unreliable, and that the Governor often lacks discipline in tough times.

"Once the media gets on to something, once your opponent gets onto something, they go after you," said King, who is supporting Rick Lazio in the race for Governor for no other reason than because Lazio is a Republican. He is also, in Imus's opinion, "a dope."

Then, almost instinctually, Imus apologized again, and for his behavior all morning long. He reminded his guest of this show's ethos: "I'm not happy 'til you're not happy."

Said King, "Then you should be very happy right now."

-Julie Kanfer