here's a link to the whole transcript,  http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6009011/

here are some of the highlights:

On the president's National Guard speech Tuesday
IMUS:  Wouldn't it have been funny if he'd've showed up for that speech yesterday, that National Guard speech— the president went up there and gave that dopey salute like you did and said, "Reporting for duty, finally"?

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IMUS:  Where's Edwards?

KERRY:  Edwards is in -- well, he was in Oregon last night, and he's in West Virginia today.  He's campaigning hard.  

IMUS:  I wondered if he was still on the ticket.  We haven't heard from him.

-----

KERRY:  I'll tell you, when I met those kids over there and you see some of them with their arms grafted to their legs and they're, you know, going through six months and a year of dealing with a wound that came about because they don't have the armored Humvees over there, because some of these kids are over there without the state-of-the-art armor. I mean, this president sent people to war without the state-of-the-art equipment, without the kinds of allied support, without the kinds of judgments that should have been made beforehand.

IMUS:  They can't get this equipment for these troops if people like you won't vote for the funding though.  

------

IMUS:  You know, Senator Kerry, you say you have this plan to get out of Iraq in your first term, which, barring some scandal, would be four years

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IMUS:  You know, as I started to say, Senator Kerry, I was talking to Craig Crawford from CBS News.  He's kind of a whack job, but he's fairly legitimate, and he a good question, and he thought it was fair to ask you this, not that...

KERRY:  This is Don Imus' way of getting a question in that he doesn't want to ask, that somebody else...

IMUS:  I don't mind asking.  I'll ask you anything.  But the question is, give us a couple names of people who would help you get all these allies on board, somebody you might put in over at the Pentagon or at State.  You don't have to name your whole cabinet, which you're not going to do anyway probably, but...

KERRY:  Well, I'm not going to run through...

IMUS:  Well, just give us one name.  

KERRY:  No, I was just going to say to you, I'm not going to start appointing people to positions, and I think that's completely irresponsible and not appropriate, but...

IMUS:  Either give us a name or we won't vote for you.  

KERRY:  But there are people who are advising me and who are very respected in the community.  

IMUS:  Holbrooke?  

KERRY:  He is one who is advising me.  I have Joe Biden is advising me.  There are -- Madeleine Albright obviously you know.  

IMUS:  That's a mistake.  

KERRY:  There are a number of -- General McPeak, General Clark.  There are a group of about 10 or 12 admirals and generals.  

IMUS:  OK.  

KERRY:  I mean, there's a very solid group of people waiting.  You have people like Sam Nunn and George Mitchell, and really extraordinary group of capable people.  

IMUS:  Those are pretty good names.  

KERRY:  Beg your pardon?

IMUS:  Those are pretty good names.  Madeleine Albright is a huge mistake.  I mean, come on.  

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IMUS:  Did you read "Unfit for Command?"  

KERRY:  No.  

IMUS:  Did anybody on your staff?  

KERRY:  I have no idea.  

IMUS:  Why wouldn't you want to know what's in it?  It's the No. 1 "New York Times," of course, it says nonfiction bestseller.  

KERRY:  Because they have right wing people to buy them in bulk, and that's what they're doing.  

IMUS:  No, I understand.  

KERRY:  Look, it's a pack of lies.  It's an absolute pack of lies.  It's been proven to be a pack of lies, and I have no interest in reading it.

-----

IMUS:  But there are people who say -- I mean, you may not want to get to their level, but there is a sentiment out there among a lot of your supporters, and Tony Coehlo and a bunch of these other people, who think that you and Senator Edwards have to punch back, and...

KERRY:  Well, we are punching back.  

IMUS:  But I mean, if they're dropping bombs on you, y'all can't fight with, oh, I don't know, spitballs.

-----

THE PERFECT SETUP QUESTION::::

IMUS:  What should happen, Senator Kerry, to the guards and their superiors if they're found guilty of abusing prisoners at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq?  

KERRY:  Well, obviously, if somebody has engaged in activity like that, they're going to have to pay a price for that.  But what irks me is that every study and every analysis shows that this goes all the way up the chain of command.  And you still don't see the civilian leadership or people at the top of the chain of command taking responsibility.  And I object to some sergeant or, you know, some enlisted person being held accountable and held up to this scrutiny when this came from both the White House and a Defense Department that changed the behavior in how prisoners were going to be treated.  They did it in Guantanamo, they did it in Afghanistan, it spilled over into Iraq, and no one yet is being held accountable, and that's wrong.  

IMUS:  But if these guards and superiors are in violation of the Geneva Conventions...

KERRY:  They have to be health accountable, and they will be.  

IMUS:  What does that mean?  What does that mean?

KERRY:  Well, It means that they're going also have to pay a price for that, but it's got to be appropriate.  It can't be scapegoating.  They can't be the only ones and they can't pay the higher price while other people walk free.  It has to be appropriate to the level of sort of their understanding of what the rules were, and wrong as it may be, it has to be put into a context, and I don't think it has been yet.  

IMUS:  Back in May of 2001 on "Meet the Press," you said you yourself have committed the same kinds of atrocities as thousands of other soldiers in violation of the Geneva Conventions.  And my question, Senator Kerry, is, is there a difference between what happened in your case in Vietnam and what happened at Abu Ghraib, in that both were acts in violation of the Geneva Conventions?  

KERRY:  There is a difference.  

IMUS:  What is it?  

---------

IMUS:  You know, I don't know if this is amusing or not.  It might be.  Toni Morrison characterized Bill Clinton as America's first black president, and I read that you said that you wouldn't mind being America's second black president.  And my question is, when my friend Harold Ford Jr.  is elected president, what is he going to be, like number three, or what?

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IMUS:  Thanks for taking the time to talk to me this morning.   Hey, listen, if you see Edwards, would you tell him Charles wants his watch and his wallet back?  We're sick of this.  

(LAUGHTER)

KERRY:  I'll tell him you're looking for him.  

IMUS:  Yes.  

KERRY:  Will you have him on?  

IMUS:  Well, of course.  

KERRY:  He's doing a terrific job out there.  

IMUS:  We'll have him on from his undisclosed location.  He already thinks he's vice president.  I mean, this is ridiculous.  

I'm not sure I'm an Imus fan, but after this I'm sure thinkin' about it.

"Kerry on Imus" - a good place for both of them, IMHO.

Kerry flamed in friendly territory. Imagine how the real interviewers will grill this waffle.

Quoted: IMUS:  What should happen, Senator Kerry, to the guards and their superiors if they're found guilty of abusing prisoners at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq?   KERRY:  Well, obviously, if somebody has engaged in activity like that, they're going to have to pay a price for that.  But what irks me is that every study and every analysis shows that this goes all the way up the chain of command.  And you still don't see the civilian leadership or people at the top of the chain of command taking responsibility.  And I object to some sergeant or, you know, some enlisted person being held accountable and held up to this scrutiny when this came from both the White House and a Defense Department that changed the behavior in how prisoners were going to be treated.  They did it in Guantanamo, they did it in Afghanistan, it spilled over into Iraq, and no one yet is being held accountable, and that's wrong.   IMUS:  But if these guards and superiors are in violation of the Geneva Conventions... KERRY:  They have to be health accountable, and they will be.   IMUS:  What does that mean?  What does that mean? KERRY:  Well, It means that they're going also have to pay a price for that, but it's got to be appropriate.  It can't be scapegoating.  They can't be the only ones and they can't pay the higher price while other people walk free.  It has to be appropriate to the level of sort of their understanding of what the rules were, and wrong as it may be, it has to be put into a context, and I don't think it has been yet.   IMUS:  Back in May of 2001 on "Meet the Press," you said you yourself have committed the same kinds of atrocities as thousands of other soldiers in violation of the Geneva Conventions.  And my question, Senator Kerry, is, is there a difference between what happened in your case in Vietnam and what happened at Abu Ghraib, in that both were acts in violation of the Geneva Conventions?   KERRY:  There is a difference.   IMUS:  What is it?

...

You've got to love Imus.  It's just the way some of the stuff he says comes across.  He also sounds like an 80 year old on vicoden,  and his wife is pretty damn fine.  I bet she hates changing his diapers.

Sent our boys into war without proper equipment? Who the fuck voted not to give them money all thru the 90's for military equipment?
This is why people HATE liberals. They bitch and moan about everything, yet offer no real world solution. The only thing that matters to them is that they tried.
-Steve

tagged

With any luck, he'll trip on his way out and break his neck his arm or something.


- BG

that was priceless....

God I miss listening to Imus...

I just found a little more respect for Immus.

Hey, if Stern hates Imus, there HAS to be some redeaming quality about him....

S.O.

Quoted: I once saw Imus carrying a Glock 26 in a holster during the show FWIW.

He used to put the thing right on top of his console. I'm betting MSNBC whinged about it.

Now that was pretty damn funny! I loved the Abu Ghraib part especially. I hope lots of people were listening!

This is why Kerry hasn't done interviews in over a month.

Even his 'friendly' interviewers hammer him..

owned!