When the Imus story broke I quickly called my nephew, Duel a well known rancher in
northern Oklahoma. He is my main resource for taking the pulse of the heartland, but even more, I wanted his take on this because he had a personal interchange with Imus some time back that had left a bad feeling. Duel, an early riser had watched Imus for years on his four AM television show and thought he made a good show with his ranch type studio and cowboy hat. In those days, Imus was more in the Democratic camp, politically, and Duel appreciated that, plus he admired the fact that Imus maintained a summer camp for underprivileged children on his ranch in New Mexico. It occured to him he would like to make a gift to Imus. Duel, a keen hunter, had a collection of mounted animal head and antlers in the spacious den on his ranch. A prize of his collection was the skull of the famous Texas Longhorn that measured over six feet from horn tip to horn tip. His call to Imus was taken by an aide who told him Imus would be delighted with such a gift. Duel agreed to meet the aid half way at the New Mexico/ Oklahoma border. He made the five hundred mile trip trailering a horse that he was selling to Imus for twenty five hundred dollars. The transfer of the horse and the Long Horn antlers was made in due course and in following mornings,Duel eagerly tuned in to see that his gift had been given a display or a mention on the Imus show. He waited day after day, but no acknowledgement ever came. My nephew also noticed that Imus was begining to side more and more with Republicans. Finally he stopped watching the show in disgust. When I spoked to him this weekend about his view of the Imus story he said: "I would like to tie a rope around that s.o.b.'s balls and hoist him off the floor and let him hang there...and if they stretch and his feet reach the ground, hoist him a little higher." When I suggested that this was perhaps a bit too harsh, he replied emphatically. "No it
ain't..and those girls he insulted up there...they should be allowed to dance around him pounding on tom toms." So there you have it. A harsh judgement from the heartland. And a new perspective on the Imus suspension. This is High Octane Okie signing off. More detail from the Heartland is available on request.

posted by wade sears @ 3:11 PM