Does Rush Limbaugh鈥檚 apology put his 鈥榮lut鈥� comment behind him? Not likely
Rush Limbaugh apologized for calling Sandra Fluke a 鈥渟lut鈥� because of her comments about contraception. But that unusual retreat by the sharp-tongued talk show host has not ended the matter as a political weapon.
Rush Limbaugh apologized for calling Sandra Fluke a 鈥渟lut鈥� because of her comments about contraception. But that unusual retreat by the sharp-tongued talk show host has not ended the matter as a political weapon.
You didn鈥檛 think Rush Limbaugh鈥檚 apology to Sandra Fluke for calling her a 鈥渟lut鈥� because of her comments about contraception would end the controversy, did you? In the middle of a presidential campaign? Of course not.
Anything involving sex, women鈥檚 rights, and the acid-tongued conservative radio broadcaster was bound to keep political partisans and the media stirring the pot for days, if not longer.
Just to review鈥�.
When a Republican House committee chairman (Darrell Issa) denied Georgetown University law school student Sandra Fluke permission to speak at a hearing, minority Democrats quickly organized their own unofficial event at which Ms. Fluke talked about the importance of having contraception services covered under government-required health insurance plans.
Never one to waste an opportunity to attack liberal causes, Mr. Limbaugh took after Fluke 鈥� calling her a 鈥渟lut,鈥� a 鈥減rostitute,鈥� and 鈥� one of his personal favorites 鈥� a 鈥渇eminazi.鈥� He also suggested that she make sex tapes and post them online 鈥渟o we can all watch.鈥�
Outrage ensued on the left, grudging criticisms of Limbaugh on the right 鈥� some from Republicans known to have apologized to Limbaugh when he took them to task for not being sufficiently conservative.
To Democrats, it was proof of the GOP鈥檚 鈥渨ar on women.鈥�
Advertisers on Limbaugh鈥檚 syndicated radio show, heard by millions every day, began jumping ship.
All of that continued Sunday.
鈥淚 think what Rush Limbaugh said about that young woman was not only vile and degrading to her, but to women across the country,鈥� David Axelrod, President Obama鈥檚 senior campaign adviser, said on ABC鈥檚 鈥淭his Week.鈥� Obama had called Fluke to personally offer his support.
The liberal political action committee EMILY鈥檚 List put out a call for contributions 鈥渢o elect pro-choice Democratic women who will stand up to rightwing extremists like Rush Limbaugh!鈥�
鈥淲e can't let the Republican crusade against women's rights and access to essential health care continue,鈥� the group says in a new web post. 鈥淎nd make no mistake, people like Rush Limbaugh want to punish each and every one of us for the crime of speaking out on our own behalf. When Rush calls Sandra Fluke a slut, he's calling all of us sluts.鈥�
Even though Limbaugh had 鈥渟incerely鈥� apologized, major advertiser Carbonite, the online backup company, said that was not sufficient. In a statement, Carbonite CEO David Friend said:
鈥淣o one with daughters the age of Sandra Fluke, and I have two, could possibly abide the insult and abuse heaped upon this courageous and well-intentioned young lady. Mr. Limbaugh, with his highly personal attacks on Miss Fluke, overstepped any reasonable bounds of decency. Even though Mr. Limbaugh has now issued an apology, we have nonetheless decided to withdraw our advertising from his show. We hope that our action, along with the other advertisers who have already withdrawn their ads, will ultimately contribute to a more civilized public discourse.鈥�
鈥淯ltraViolet,鈥� which describes itself as 鈥渁 community of women and men, fighting to expand women's rights and combat sexism everywhere,鈥� continues to pressure other Limbaugh advertisers to bail out.
"Rush's apology wasn't actually an apology," said UltraViolet co-founder Shaunna Thomas, formerly of the liberal political action group MoveOn.org. "He did little more than continue to expose himself as the anti-woman and offensive media personality that he is. Our campaign to pressure advertisers to drop their sponsorship of his show will continue next week. No radio show that attacks women should be rewarded with advertising dollars. And more than 84,000 of our members who signed a petition in the last day agree."
Some grassroots groups have been gathering signatures asking the FCC to take Limbaugh off the air.
Meanwhile, conservative columnist George Will is taking Republicans to task for their muted, forced comments regarding Limbaugh鈥檚 insulting comments about a young woman.
鈥淸House Speaker John] Boehner comes out and says Rush鈥檚 language was inappropriate. Using the salad fork for your entr茅e, that鈥檚 inappropriate. Not this stuff,鈥� Will said Sunday on ABC News. 鈥淎nd it was depressing because what it indicates is that the Republican leaders are afraid of Rush Limbaugh. They want to bomb Iran, but they鈥檙e afraid of Rush Limbaugh.鈥�