Imus Calls Maddow a Coward

Radio personality Don Imus said MSNBC host Rachel Maddow was a coward for not defending her colleague Keith Olbermann when the news was announced that he was leaving the network.

"Having nothing to do with her politics, she is a gutless coward and I'll tell you why," Imus said Wednesday on his Fox News show. "Because everybody knew what the situation was with Olbermann at MSNBC. ... Everybody knew what was going on with Keith. Everybody knew what was going to happen to him. For this woman, who owed her job to him ... not to offer a defense of Olbermann, in spite of what you think about Olbermann, is unconscionable."

Last week, during an appearance on Real Time With Bill Maher closely following the announcement that Olbermann was leaving his show, Maddow said she was unaware of the most recent dealings between Olbermann and the network. Some have suggested that Olbermann did not leave completely of his own volition but was instead forced out after almost eight years at MSNBC.