Limbaugh鈥檚 Attack on Student is Only the Latest in Hate Talk
When radio jock Rush Limbaugh called a Georgetown law school student a 鈥渟---鈥� and a 鈥減rostitute鈥� for testifying on Capital Hill regarding contraceptive insurance coverage, the national chorus of criticism that erupted hardly silenced him. He went on for another two days, suggesting that Sandra Fluke should also publicly post videotapes of herself having sex.
When radio jock Rush Limbaugh called a Georgetown law school student a 鈥渟---鈥� and a 鈥減rostitute鈥� for testifying on Capital Hill regarding contraceptive insurance coverage, the national chorus of criticism that erupted hardly silenced him. He went on for another two days, suggesting that Sandra Fluke should also publicly post videotapes of herself having sex.
He only apologized when the worst thing that can happen to a radio personality started to unfold 鈥� scores of major advertisers deserted him. Even then, he sounded insincere and resentful, never spoke to Fluke personally, and ended up blaming 鈥渢he left鈥� and the media for whatever trouble he鈥檇 had.
The saga began on Feb. 29 when Limbaugh, who is heard on more than 600 stations, attacked Fluke for supporting a federal mandate that health insurance at religiously affiliated schools like hers cover the cost of contraception.
The resulting uproar set off speculation about the future of Limbaugh and even of right-wing hate radio in general. What was forgotten amid all the noise was that Limbaugh was hardly a newcomer to those kinds of ugly comments.
For years, Limbaugh has characterized women he didn鈥檛 like as 鈥渇eminazis.鈥� More recently, he has referred to female members of the Obama Cabinet as 鈥渟ex-retaries鈥� and to Hillary Clinton as the 鈥淪ex-retary of State.鈥�
And women haven鈥檛 been his only targets. In 2007, Limbaugh tried to explain Obama鈥檚 appeal to voters by calling him the 鈥渕agic negro.鈥� He later played a song entitled 鈥淏arack the Magic Negro鈥� and sung to the tune of 鈥淧uff the Magic Dragon.鈥� Later, he referred to Kraft鈥檚 new Triple Double Oreo as the 鈥淥r-ba-meo.鈥� Early in his career, he told a black caller, 鈥淭ake that bone out of your nose and call me back,鈥� according to Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting. In 1990, he asked, 鈥淗ave you ever noticed how all composite pictures of wanted criminals resemble Jesse Jackson?鈥�
After his latest display, Limbaugh didn鈥檛 sound too contrite. 鈥淭hey thought they had me,鈥� he sneered after delivering his half-hearted apology. 鈥淭hey thought I would be off the air by now. 鈥� There is also another rumor going around that I鈥檓 going to be suspended for a week. It is BS. I would have to suspend myself!鈥�
