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Saturday, March 3, 2012

2012 / Media / The Ladies Rush Limbaugh Issues Half-Hearted Apology

Posted by Paul Constant on Sat, Mar 3, 2012 at 2:43 PM

The Rush Limbaugh boycott/advertiser shaming seems to be working really well:

For over 20 years, I have illustrated the absurd with absurdity, three hours a day, five days a week. In this instance, I chose the wrong words in my analogy of the situation. I did not mean a personal attack on Ms. Fluke...My choice of words was not the best, and in the attempt to be humorous, I created a national stir. I sincerely apologize to Ms. Fluke for the insulting word choices.

This is remarkable—Limbaugh never backs down—but it's not good enough. He railed against Fluke for three straight days, and some of his comments (including suggesting that women should offer up films of themselves having sex in order to pay for their contraception) have less to do with a single person and more to do with all women. Further, the bloated second paragraph of the apology begins with the sentence "I think it is absolutely absurd that during these very serious political times, we are discussing personal sexual recreational activities before members of Congress," which suggests that Fluke victimized Congress with stories of her sex life on some sort of a lark. It's another dick move, in other words.

I hope the media keeps up the pressure on Limbaugh. This Saturday-afternoon press release bullshit isn't even halfway to the beginning of what a decent person would do to make amends.

UPDATE: Despite the "apology," major Limbaugh sponsor Carbonite says it's pulling its support. Carbonite CEO David Friend posted this on their Facebook wall:

No 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 We hope that our action, along with the other advertisers who have already withdrawn their ads, will ultimately contribute to a more civilized public discourse.

Rick Santorum and Mitt Romney sure are looking like a pair of mealy-mouthed babies for not standing up to Limbaugh when they had the chance.

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Comments (25) RSS

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So where does Sarah Palin queue up for even a half-hearted apology?

Posted by delbert on March 3, 2012 at 2:46 PM

Well, like Undead Dick Cheney and the Grinch, he only has half a heart (or less).

Bloated, limp-dicked sack of shit. That is my attempt to be humorous, and certainly not intended as a personal attack on "Mr." Limbaugh. You toxic motherfucker you.

Posted by rob!

on March 3, 2012 at 2:52 PM

What? Limbaugh never apologizes! None of these people do! Are you kidding me? Apologizing signals weakness. "No American president should apologize for burning Korans!" or something. At best, you apologize and then you reassert yourself. "I apologize for my poor choice of words when explaining that Ms. Fluke should be responsible for herself and take control of her lifestyle choices instead of asking us to fund it. Hopefully she will start making sacrifices instead of asking for handouts.". Then you go to your next topic. That's how you apologize. (Unless you're some kind of weak liberal who bows down to Saudi princes.)

Posted by floater on March 3, 2012 at 2:54 PM

It is not just the word choice but the sentiment.

Posted by David Thompson on March 3, 2012 at 2:55 PM

@ 1...

For what? Being called a stupid bitch?

What was said about Ms. Fluke was false and defamatory.

The remarks about Palin are are not.

Posted by Rujax!

on March 3, 2012 at 2:56 PM

@1, no doubt you are referring to her abandoning the governorship of Alaska halfway through her term for reality TV and book deals. I'm sure she could deliver her apology to the people on the capitol steps in Juneau, though why you think there would be a line is beyond me—she's the only governor in Alaskan history to have made such a crass and self-serving move.

Posted by rob!

on March 3, 2012 at 3:07 PM

Money talks - like nothing else.

Posted by tniel on March 3, 2012 at 3:15 PM

Whoa! He did! From Politico:

"I think it is absolutely absurd that during these very serious political times, we are discussing personal sexual recreational activities before members of Congress. I personally do not agree that American citizens should pay for these social activities. What happened to personal responsibility and accountability? Where do we draw the line?"

See? You never say you're wrong.

Posted by floater on March 3, 2012 at 3:30 PM

I am honestly confused about how this drug-addled, underage-prostitute-retaining, tax-dodging sack of human waste became a moral authority again.

Like, did we just decide all of that was okay, because as long as he's mad at sluts, he's a stand-up dude?

Posted by balderdash

on March 3, 2012 at 3:41 PM

I don't understand. How does calling her a "slut" and "prostitute" figure in with his claim that he "illustrated the absurd with absurdity".

"I did not mean a personal attack on Ms. Fluke."

You used her name, repeatedly, and referred to her as a "slut" and a "prostitute". How is that not a personal attack on her?

"I think it is absolutely absurd that during these very serious political times, we are discussing personal sexual recreational activities before members of Congress."

Yet you spent three straight days on your show calling her a "slut" and a "prostitute". You even suggested that sex tapes be made available.

Again, this is NOT about freedom of religion or smaller government or any of the other claims.

The terms "slut" and "prostitute" have nothing to do with freedom of religion or smaller government. A fact made very clear by his claims that she was having "too much sex".

Posted by fairly.unbalanced on March 3, 2012 at 3:42 PM

Please. The media will not keep up the pressure on Limbaugh. They never do. They won't ask the tough questions. They'll accept his apology, let these comments slide, and he'll go back to being the "most trusted and influential journalist in America."

Posted by mitten on March 3, 2012 at 4:14 PM

So she's still a whore right? He and Mitt just think he should have picked different words to say the same thing. And Rush still wants to see her sex tape so he can have a good drool and a wank.

Posted by Mr. J on March 3, 2012 at 4:30 PM

@9 Never underestimate people's ability for confirmation bias. "Hey, this guy says things I agree with, so I'll let his actual actions in real life slide," I'm sure is a common rationalization among the few fans that have disobeyed orders and strayed far enough from the bubble to actually hear criticism of him.

Posted by OuterCow on March 3, 2012 at 4:38 PM

This wasn’t an apology. Mr. Limbaugh is apologizing for the “misunderstanding” he has caused. This is after three days of some pretty crazy and vile remarks about women in general. He also stated some crap that he finds it strange that Ms. Flake can still walk after all the sex she is having.

It was just sick comments that he has made, and it was hardly a misconstrued of words..

Posted by ferret

on March 3, 2012 at 4:50 PM

That was to apologies what Pearl Harbor was to diplomacy...

Posted by COMTE

on March 3, 2012 at 5:33 PM

@15, hey, they tried to declare war on us first. The timing just didn't work out.

Posted by Post_Mortem

on March 3, 2012 at 5:42 PM

so there is a line, even for limbaugh. i'm actually surprised.

Posted by Max Solomon on March 3, 2012 at 6:12 PM

@ 17, and the line is, Oh shit, I'm losing my sponsorships!

We'd never have gotten even this if sponsors hadn't started pulling support.

Posted by Matt from Denver on March 3, 2012 at 6:46 PM

I am still appalled that. NONE of the Republican candidates called him out. Romney keeps accusing Obama of appeasement, but Obama supported Fluke openly while the Republican weaklings cowered and hoped that nobody would notice that they didn't have the guts to criticize Rushbo for his inexcusable remarks.

Posted by Clayton on March 3, 2012 at 7:50 PM

He couldn't even get her first name right in his "apology."

Posted by Toe Tag on March 3, 2012 at 7:55 PM

"This Saturday-afternoon press release bullshit isn't even halfway to the beginning of what a decent person would do to make amends."

What's your point? There's no decency in Limbaugh.

Posted by Cynic Romantic on March 3, 2012 at 10:44 PM

apology? I bet you $10,000 this just stunt got Limbaugh a shit load of new fans/listeners.

Posted by biju on March 4, 2012 at 12:15 AM

Eew, I clicked that first link hoping for a list of Rush sponsors so I could boycott them, only to find myself in the man's actual page. Grossgrossgrossgrossgross. Warn a gal next time, won't you? Off to dunk my phone in bleach now.

Posted by Prettybetsy on March 4, 2012 at 5:24 AM

Because we haven't scrutinized this apology enough, look closely at the core of his statement. He apologized for "the insulting word choices," deflecting any ownership of his foul behavior. Nope, those words were just floating in the ether, where they just happened to harm Ms. Fluke. So sorry, ma'am, I have no idea how this happened!

Posted by Xenos on March 4, 2012 at 9:45 PM