Obama: Fire Imus

Heat on Imus

Dealing with Al Sharpton is one thing. But, when it comes to the court of public opinion, though, African-American presidential hopeful and media darling Barack Obama could be a death blow.

“I understand MSNBC has suspended Mr. Imus,” Obama told ABC News this afternoon, “but I would also say that 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. And I would hope that NBC ends up having that same attitude. … 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. The notions that as young African-American women — who I hope will be athletes — that that somehow makes them less beautiful or less important. It was a degrading comment. It’s one that I’m not interested in supporting.”

Obama’s words follow some criticism from the black community that the senator had not come out with a strong statement on the boiling controversy.

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