Ex-Imus producer calls Sharpton 'race-baiter' in TV debate over host's comments

Remember last night the debate between Imus producer Bernard McGuirk and Rev. Al Sharpton. I blogged about that last night and today it's made the Chicago Sun-Times. So let's see an excerpt...

McGuirk called Sharpton a ''crude ... opportunist, a race-baiter'' who campaigned against Imus to help his own career and raise his profile.

While McGuirk acknowledged that ''these words did hurt these girls,'' he added, ''until you, Reverend Al, got involved, they probably never would have heard of it. They would have probably never, quote unquote, got scarred for life until you got involved for your own self-serving interests.''

Sharpton said he wasn't looking for more attention -- ''if you have any recollection at all, I had been in the papers all year,'' he said. He said Imus and McGuirk may have apologized for the remark, but ''forgiveness is not the point. The question is the penalty.''

''Consumers have the right to say to advertisers, 'Are your standards going to be where people are attacked based on your gender and race?''' Sharpton said.

McGuirk countered that Sharpton ''terrorized these spineless, thumb-sucking executives'' into taking Imus off the air. In an earlier appearance on ''Hannity & Colmes,'' he said the executives ''were in a fetal position under their desks sucking their thumbs on their BlackBerrys, trying to coordinate their response.''

McGuirk said Imus ''made one small mistake. He ran a red light'' and shouldn't have been fired.

''Who elected you the p.c. police chief?'' he asked Sharpton. ''Who elected you to anything?''

Well I can say great points by McGuirk but Sharpton probably is still virtually unhurt by these statements.