Oh, brother…
First, I want to say a bit about why this whole Rush Limbaugh thing has me so incensed. I have a daughter who is just about Sandra Fluke’s age. She’s in graduate school and a highly-intelligent young woman.
And she’s on the pill.
I know this because she told me about it. We have a good relationship and, though I gulped when the conversation about it started, I know she’s going to be sexually active and that’s not only fine by me, I hope she has fun. She should have fun. Sex is fun, especially when you’re young. It’s not shameful or something to be ashamed of.
Unless, of course, you are a repressed conservative.
So, when Limbaugh attacked Sandra Fluke, it felt very personal. That could have been my daughter he was talking about.
Today, Day Four of the great Limbaugh Hate Show slut/whore extravaganza, Limbaugh had to explain to his minions why he, the man who says he is never wrong, had to “apologize”. He had to do this because, frankly, his minions are extremely unhappy about his capitulation. In fact, they are freaking out.
Here’s what he said:
I want to explain why I apologized to Sandra Fluke in the statement that was released on Saturday. I’ve read all the theories from all sides, and, frankly, they are all wrong. I don’t expect — and I know you don’t, either — morality or intellectual honesty from the left. They’ve demonstrated over and over a willingness to say or do anything to advance their agenda. It’s what they do. It’s what we fight against here every day. But this is the mistake I made. In fighting them on this issue last week, I became like them.Against my own instincts, against my own knowledge, against everything I know to be right and wrong I descended to their level when I used those two words to describe Sandra Fluke. That was my error. I became like them, and I feel very badly about that. I’ve always tried to maintain a very high degree of integrity and independence on this program. Nevertheless, those two words were inappropriate. They were uncalled for. They distracted from the point that I was actually trying to make, and I again sincerely apologize to Ms. Fluke for using those two words to describe her. I do not think she is either of those two words. I did not think last week that she is either of those two words.
The apology to her over the weekend was sincere. It was simply for using inappropriate words in a way I never do, and in so doing, I became like the people we oppose. I ended up descending to their level. It’s important not to be like them, ever, particularly in fighting them. The old saw, you never descend to the level of your opponent or they win. That was my error last week. But the apology was heartfelt. The apology was sincere. And, as you will hear as I go on here, it was not about anything else. No ulterior motive. No speaking in code. No double entendre or intention. Pure, simple, heartfelt. That’s why I apologized to Sandra Fluke on Saturday, ’cause all the theories, all the experts are wrong.
Let’s just take two parts of this. First, this isn’t over “two words”. This is over an overt attack that says that women who obtain contraception via their insurance company are asking for us to pay them to have sex. He repeated that line or some version of it repeatedly. That’s not up for debate. His argument is that women who receive contraception via their insurance company are prostitutes; paid by the taxpayers to have sex.
Second, the idea that using inappropriate words (which the rest of us translate much differently than he does) is something “he never does” is so preposterous as to be LOLable. In fact it’s LMAOable. As I said before, this only rose to the level it did because it was a sustained tirade. But make no mistake: every single day Rush Limbaugh uses offensive language to characterize his political opponents. Especially women. He invented the term “feminazis” and uses it daily.
So let’s cut the bullshit. This isn’t something he never does. It’s something he always does. Only, this time, he went more off the rails than usual.
It’s not because he became like liberals. It’s because he is a disgusting, misogynistic, frustrated & perverted dried up old man. And that’s how HE rolls.
Period.
By the way, Limbaugh has lost two more advertisers. Allstate Insurance and Sears:
Also, KPUA radio station in Hawaii has dropped Limbaugh’s Hate Show.
UPDATE: Here is their very direct, to the point statement:
We have always encouraged spirited discussion about national and local issues on KPUA and from time to time those discussions may be deemed by some to be objectionable. We are strong believers in the first amendment and have recognized Mr. Limbaugh’s right to express opinions that often times differ from our own, but it has never been our goal to allow our station to be used for personal attacks and intolerance. The most recent incident has crossed a line of decency and a standard that we expect of programming on KPUA whether it is locally produced or a syndicated program like the Rush Limbaugh show.While much of the national debate regarding this issue is now being framed in political terms, the decision for us is one of decency and responsibility. Regardless of one’s political views on the issue being discussed, we feel the delivery was degrading and the continued comments over several days to be egregious. As a result, we are discontinuing the Rush Limbaugh program on KPUA effective immediately.
If you haven’t already, please sign the Whitehouse.gov petition asking Armed Forces to drop the Limbaugh Hate Show.
[Image credit: the incredible Donkey Hotey.]
