Several years ago, before Don Imus got his tit caught in a public relations wringer and was canned from MSNBC, I was a devout fan of his morning program. It was just edgy enough to sate my irreverent sense of humor and bring forth a few laugh out loud moments most mornings.

Through Imus I was introduced to several people I’ve come to greatly admire and enjoy. That list includes Delbert McClinton, Billy Joe Shaver, Levon Helms, Little Sammy Davis, and Alexis P. Suter.

Another character and friend of Imus’ I came to enjoy was Kinky Friedman. Kinky, who bills himself as America’s only Jewish cowboy, is a musician, band leader, humorist, author, song writer (They’re not making Jews like Jesus anymore), and defeated independent candidate for the governorship of Texas.

Friedman is also what I found Imus to be, and why I no longer watch Imus, a bit of a hypocrite. When Imus was on MSNBC he seemed free of concern for whose toes he stepped on or whose pile he stepped in. If he could get a laugh out of cutting a sponsor’s legs off, he’d do it. If it was at the expense of the CEO of NBC, fair game. Everyone was a target, including himself. He was, as the saying goes, “An equal opportunity offender.”

I admired Don Imus for being his own person. But, when he got canned, re-emerged on RFD-TV, and then landed on Fox Business Channel, his true nature was revealed. I’ve come to realize that Imus doesn’t salute his own flag, he simply salutes that which is paying the bills and enriching his pockets at a given moment. It’s amazing how conservative and right-wing his views have become now that Rupert Murdock is paying his salary. Prior to Fox, while being a declared Republican, Imus took no prisoners in his jabs and commentary about public figures and politicians. On the occasions I have watched his new incarnation, such is not the case.

Maybe he’s just become, like many in the Tea Party, bitter. He tows a mostly conservative line today and has turned vehemently against many of his former friends. This switch first began when he received his pink slip at MSNBC. Many of those who had been regular guests didn’t rush to his defense following the Rutgers incident and thus became the target of his venom.

And venom he has spewed. Both Andrea Mitchell and Brian Williams were frequent call-in guests. Following his firing he has had nothing good to say about either, even frequently referring to Mitchell as, “A horrible old woman.”

Friedman was a regular guest on Imus in the Morning, and when he was running against Rick Perry for the Texas governorship in 2006, Imus became a major supporter and the two of them would routinely tie Perry to the whipping post and lash him till his blood ran the color of orange pekoe tea.

So, knowing some history, I pick up my cyber newspaper today and what do I see, a headline shouting, “Kinky for Perry.” Seems like Kinky has jumped into the deep portion of the tea-cup along with Imus. He still likes to drop names and claim friendship with presidents of many persuasions but, he isn’t taking any risk by acknowledging anything good about President Obama. In The Daily Beast article, it appears much of what he says is mere regurgitation of right-wing talking points interspersed with attempts at humor.

You know, American cowboys are said to be among the last bastions of rugged individualism and independence in our society. Both Don Imus and Kinky Friedman are rarely seen without their oversize 12-gallon cowboy hats perched atop their respective heads. But I’m beginning to think that maybe what the president of Mexico once said about GW Bush, “He’s all hat and no cows,” could be true about these two dime-store dudes.

Click HERE to read Kinky’s article in The Daily Beast.