Bob Kerrey has an interesting op-ed in today’s NY Daily News on the importance of Democrats going on Imus’s new radio show. An excerpt:

In short, Imus adds a lot to the American political debate. He made a nontrivial, nonfatal mistake — one for which he apologized. He and his listenership should not be indefinitely ostracized as a result. But there’s another reason national politicians would be making a mistake if they boycott Imus. If they keep away from the show all the way through next year, it could do real political damage, if not in votes lost, at least in courage points. Democratic candidates already made a similar mistake when, goaded by groups like MoveOn.org to dissociate themselves from Fox News, they pulled the plug on a party debate to be aired on the network in September. They had a chance to reach millions of people — but they blinked, and they blew it.

I don’t see how Democrats can do so, however. Imus was abandoned by most of his regular guests (politicians and the MSM) and I assume they’ll be the targets once he returns to the airwaves. John McCain, Rudy Giuliani, etc. are in much better positions having defended Imus over his comments. Hillary Clinton, not so much:

“I’ve never wanted to go on his show and I certainly don’t ever intend to go on his show, and I felt that way before his latest outrageous, hateful, hurtful comments,” she said.