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 Rush Limbaugh apologized on Saturday for his "insulting word choices" targeting Georgetown University student Sandra Fluke.
March 4th, 2012
07:40 AM ET
My Take: Georgetown backs Fluke vs. Limbaugh for civility's sake
By Stephen Prothero, Special to CNN (CNN) - Civility is hard to find in American politics nowadays, but one Roman Catholic university is doing what it can to dial things back a bit. On Wednesday, Rush Limbaugh blasted Sandra Fluke, a Georgetown law student who testified before Congress in favor of contraceptive coverage in health plans, as a “slut” and a “prostitute.” Friday, President John J. DeGioia of Georgetown University, in a public message called "On Civility and Public Discourse," praised Fluke for providing “a model of civil discourse.” DeGioia took no position on the question that started this latest skirmish in our ongoing culture wars: contraceptive coverage in health care. But he did not mince words when it came to Limbaugh, who doubled down on Thursday by saying, “I will buy all of the women at Georgetown University as much aspirin to put between their knees as they want.” CNN’s Belief Blog: The faith angles behind the biggest stories DeGioia wrote that Limbaugh’s behavior was “misogynistic, vitriolic, and a misrepresentation of the position of our student.” Meanwhile, over 100 professors and staff members at Georgetown University Law Center signed a letter supporting Fluke. "As scholars and teachers who aim to train public-spirited lawyers, no matter what their politics, to engage intelligently and meaningfully with the world, we abhor these attacks on Ms. Fluke and applaud her strength and grace in the face of them," the letter says. In a sign that U.S. politics really has turned sharply from economic debates to cultural warfare, President Obama called Fluke to offer his support just before she was to talk on NBC with Andrea Mitchell. Carly Fiorina, National Republican Senatorial Committee vice-chairwoman, appearing on CBS, called Limbaugh’s language “insulting,” “incendiary,” and “a distraction from what are very real and important issues.” A spokesman for House Speaker John Boehner was more measured, saying, “The speaker obviously believes the use of those words was inappropriate, as is trying to raise money off the situation.” Meanwhile, Rick Santorum told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer that Limbaugh’s comments were “absurd.” Limbaugh apologized to Fluke on Saturday, saying a statement on his website, “I sincerely apologize to Ms. Fluke for the insulting word choices.” Both Fluke and DeGioia, however, focused on this battle as a moment in the rapid degradation of our common life. Fluke told MSNBC's "The Ed Show" that Limbaugh's remarks were "outside the bounds of civil discourse." Similarly, DeGioia’s overall message was a call to return to a tradition of tolerance that some conservatives, at least, have forgotten to conserve. This tradition runs deep in the American grain, from Abraham Lincoln’s first inaugural address (“We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies”) to John F. Kennedy’s inaugural address (“Civility is not a sign of weakness”). But DeGioia ended with St. Augustine: “Let us, on both sides, lay aside all arrogance. Let us not, on either side, claim that we have already discovered the truth. Let us seek it together as something which is known to neither of us.” The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Stephen Prothero.
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  About this blog
The CNN Belief Blog covers the faith angles of the day's biggest stories, from breaking news to politics to entertainment, fostering a global conversation about the role of religion and belief in readers' lives. It's edited by CNN's Daniel Burke with contributions from Eric Marrapodi and CNN's worldwide news gathering team.  |
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Editor's note: Stephen Prothero, a Boston University religion scholar and author of "God is Not One: The Eight Rival Religions that Run the World," is a regular CNN Belief Blog contributor.
It appears that Romney doesnt take a stronger stand on Limbaugh, because Bain owns part of clear channel radio!
Is there any bets being made as to how many sponsors Limbaugh will lose? I wish every one of them would drop him–I don't listen to him, none the less we need less of him, (he needs less of him) and all his arrogant "ditto heads".
It's not that his sponsors support him regardless of his professional troll status, it's BECAUSE he's a professional troll. I doubt he loses a single sponsor.
Rush Limbaugh is a bitter old man who will use whatever words he can in his own fabrication of lies and insults to prop up his ratings.
A better America begins with Limbaugh financial sponsors dropping him to diminish his brand of hate-mongering from making it over the public airwaves. It begins with Limbaugh.
What about " Bill the Dick" on HBO statement on Palin. He needs to go. Shoud have been fired years ago. No only fired but tougue cut out and tied with his lips.
Holy C.r.ap! Nobody has even come close to saying something like that about Rush! Are you on something?! I mean, you need to be.
that was to HWB
Moron, how nice. That is the thing about you libs, arguing with one reminds me of my grade school playground days.
I doubt you have to go back more than 2 years, dumbazz. You can't even figure out how to post a reply.
I notice you can't come up with anything substantive to back up your claim that testifying in a hearing makes one a public figure akin to a political candidate. Why is that?
And what political office was Sarah's daughter running for?
What political office was Amy Carter running for, sh!twit?
What political office was Chelsea Clinton running for, moron?
Palin paraded her family as advertisements for her political values and her political platform. She used them as tools. Whatever treatment they got, she asked for it by making them examples of her political views and her proposed policies.
Wow, glad I have to go, just corresponding with you is having a negative effect on my I.Q. Seriously, try upping your meds.
Run, run, as fast as you can. Can't come up with anything? Best to tuck your little tail and vamoose.
"A negative effect on" your IQ would mean you actually had one.
Please. You're a joke.
usa: Were you comments in those days typically prefaced with the word 'moron'. Haven't progressed much since, apparently.
This semester or your last one?
I notice that much has been made of the fact that G-town is a Jesuit University. So what? I went to a small Lutheran school. I had a few kids in classes with me that were Jewish, for Pete's sake. Just because one attends a school with religious affixations doesn't mean one must adopt the tenets of that religious sect, or of ANY religious sect.
It's a school. As far as G-town is concerned, people pay a king's ransom to attend, and they're not required to be Jesuits.
edit: affiliations. I like "affixations" though. It's a great word.
Either one works.
Why do people even listen to this pompous arrogant fcktard?
His listeners are pompous, arrogant fvc.ktards who aren't as good at it as he is; they need to get tips from somebody.
Like Limbaugh, his listeners are also racist and se-xist.
Is this the same bunch of libs that called Sarah Palin every obscenity in the book, her daughter the same? Or it it the same ones that called Herman Cain an Uncle Tom and race traitor? You libs just sit around waiting to be "insulted" while puking out the most vile evil crap ever spoken or written. How about just a tad bit of criticism towards Bill Maher?
Everyone you just yammered about was a public figure who put him or herself on the stage and therefore has the expectation that the media will dissect their lives.
This was a student.
When you figure out the difference, how about you post your revelations publicly.
Excellent reply, Tomtom. More posts like that one, please.
As opposed to what other kind?
You'll get whatever "kind" of posts I choose to write, like everyone else.
Hey Tom, when she went to Congress with an agenda she made herself a public figure
No, she didn't, ya moron. Try again.
Bill Maher is an arrogant jerk. David Letterman swings that way at times when he gets political, though at least his form of childish humor is not quite so laden with creepy insults as Maher's. Both have been criticized by left, right and center for some of their Palin comments. Letterman gave a tepid apology for his comment about Palin's daughter. Maher is too stuck up to ever admit he is wrong. That all said, Limbaugh's comments went further than theirs and were directed at a much, much, much less public figure. In these respects, his comments were worse. But the suggestion that the right alone is responsible for the "loss" of civility is ludicrous in two ways: First, there never was any ultra civil golden age that we've fallen from. The nature of the insults have changed, but insults have been around forever and bad as they are, they sure beat people killing each other over political and religious differences, practices frequent in the past and common around the globe today. Second, the left can be as uncivilized as anyone. Just look at the comments about Breitbart in the wake of his death.
Limbaugh as a philosophy for hating women. other groups too. i don't think even Rush believes his insincere apology. he's sorry he lost sponsors. that's it.
He'll be going the way of other gasbags like Dr. Laura. His sponsors will run from him and so will the chicken-sh!t GOP.
Such an absolutely sleazy pig.
Who, Usafret? Yeah, well, what do you expect of a coward who posts under multiple names?
Rush Limbaugh actually apologizing to someone!!! Well, the prozak must be wearing off!!!
Well, he sort of apologized. It's pretty obvious that he feels little to no remorse, only regret that his fat mouth is costing his show sponsors and probably listeners.
It's funny how many refuse to accept Rush's apology but will jump to the defense of the likes of Bill Maher who flat out refuses to apologize for calling Sarah Palin an extremely vulgar word.
Funny how you are so willing to accept the cheap words of a bombastic bag of crap.
While I expect $s, and perhaps the possibility of getting sued, are big factors, I suspect the biggest reason RL backed off is that he has embarrassed the GOP, keeping social issues front and center, making it very difficult for them to get back to talking about the economy. RL make have cost the GOP the election.
Rush accomplished one thing, he flushed a bunch of Liberal Hypocrites out. Are you one of them?
Hmm. Speaking of hypocrites, Troy, if you believe a woman of 30 who is unmarried and uses contraception is a s # #t, what do you call a man who does the same thing?
I consider Maher and Limbaugh pretty similar. With respect to the two cases cited here, the only thing more acceptable about Maher's comment was that it was directed at a very public figure who has done everything she can up to and including having a reality TV show to stay in the public eye. While Fluke was giving public testimony, she is not a public figure in anything like the same sense. Also, Maher's insult was limited to one sentence containing one vulgar, se-xist word. Limbaugh actually said in so many words that Fluke is asking to be paid to have s-ex. But Maher's insult deserves criticism and indeed received criticism, including from such left leaning groups as NOW.
Tom, not once have I called her what you have claimed I have. My words are within a civil lawsuit and it's very simple, in a civil court the plaintiff must prove she is not what is being claimed.
Baloney. What a little coward you are.
I notice you've still been unable to answer the question I asked you, Troy. What do you call a man who is single and uses contraception?
John, Maher refused to apologize. Letterman actually called Palin another vulgar name and yet again the crickets were chirping on the left.
Tom, I don't call anyone names, whether man, woman or child.
But you think it's jim dandy if your idol Rushbo does it, and you're so ignorant of the law that you believe his target will have to prove that she isn't deserving of the slur? Thanks for playing. Go back to class.
Try, I'm not defending Maher or Letterman. Got it?
What about all the Republican men who have vasectomies – which are covered by their insurance? What do you call them, Troy?
Sounds like Troy is one of Rush's faithful followers. Been to any Klan meetings lately there Troy?
troy: If you slander someone, you have to prove your assertions true, or face the music.
Wnen you go public be prepared to be defend your position and your background. This woman has been preparing for this moment for some time and is far from the young vulnerable college student she attempts to portray. She is well aware that insurance covers hormone treatment your doctor deems medically necessary. The attempt to define pregnancy as a illness is disgusting and the advocates must be condemned.
Stuff and nonsense. There are many medications that are covered that do not treat illness. Get over yourself and your hatred of s3x.
The fact that there are many things covered that don't treat illness is part of why insurance has become all but unaffordable.
Which is why a single-payer option would have been the best choice. Too bad the right-wing-nuts overruled that option.
The single payer option may or may not ultimately prove to be the right choice, but it for sure won't if it is saddled with covering a bunch of stuff that is not medically necessary. If it is, we'll be going the way of Greece in a jiffy.
Hmm. Funny, but doesn't seem like every country with such options is 'going the way of Greece in a jiffy.'
Funny that you used only one very convenient example to back your opinion, rather than recognize that Greece has other economic problems that we do not have.
Tom, Boring! You are representative of the people willing to give up all freedoms in hopes that the 1% will provide all your "wants".
Tom, Tom It is NOT funny. Quite a few are going the way of Greece , quite a few more are in danger of doing so and quite a few of those that so far aren't are scrambling to avoid it by cutting back on social spending before there is a default crisis.
You mean like Denmark? Sweden?
I don't think they're in economic meltdown, are they?
If it's so 'boring', Kathy, then go sleep off your hangover elsewhere. You're the one who felt compelled to respond.
I mean like pretty much all of them in the EU, plus the UK and of course Iceland DID tank a couple years ago ...
And I already said that some countries see the writing on the wall and are scrambling to cut social spending BEFORE they go the way of Greece. Don't you read anything about the global economy?
And others are doing quite well. Why do you ignore Denmark? Sweden? I think they might be insulted.
You can keep on with the worst-case scenarios, John, but there is no indication that those apply here. We are a far larger nation with far greater resources than any of those you're describing. I don't see any evidence that your belief that covering medications like birth control will bring us to our knees.
But do go on with your "sky is falling" dance.
http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/76470/20101027/sweden-gdp-economy-banks-riksbank-social-welfare.htm
Sweden grew out of its recession and, though unemployment is high, it is lower than ours. The method used? Cuts in social spending and tax cuts.
And? They made cuts. Are contraceptives still covered?
I simply don't believe that covering contraception under insurance is going to bring down our economy. But if you do, have at it. I'm more inclined to believe that the benefits of such coverage will outweigh the costs.
The argument is ridiculous. Go to Planned Parenthood, plunk down your $20 and get a pack of 7-7-7. What is the big deal? (Yes, I know, it's just political grand-standing, now. That's what the deal is.)
Kathy, she defended affordable, necessary contraception and was called a wh/ore for her troubles. If you somehow think this was appropriate, you are no better than Limbaugh.
As I understand it, she testified that a friend with cystic ovarian disease was denied coverage for the pill, and because she couldn't afford the medication otherwise, ended up losing an ovary.
Covering contraception in cases like that which Fluke testified about, ie the ovarian cyst case where contraception was truly a medically necessary thing, would not bring down the economy and might even result in net savings, assuming that the cost of removing the ovary WAS covered, as one would hope it was. But Obama's mandate isn't limited to medically necessary uses of contraception. (And there are other, better ways to assure availability of the pill to those who truly need it that are better than mandates imposed on private parties, including tax exempt ones, created through executive order.)
That's your opinion. Others don't agree with you.
I must say that I find it completely odious that you appear not to be even slightly bothered by the fact that the denial of bc resulted in the loss of a young woman's ovary, except to the extent that it might have cost more to remove the ovary than to have paid for medication that might have prevented the necessity of the removal. I wonder, John, whether you'd feel likewise if the organ in question had been one of your testicles.
I find it odious that just because I don't join your halfwitted socialist bandwagon, you assume that I hold all sorts of other opinions that I never stated, mostly due to the fact that I don't hold them. I've been through this with quite a few progressives/liberals over the years and quite intensely of late, including with some who know me more than well enough to know that I am by no means unsympathetic to the genuinely needy. The fact that so many can respond in such a spiteful, arrogant way just because my opinions tend to gore their favorite big gov't ox just shows that "progressives", for all their self congratulatory rhetoric about their intelligence and rationality, are capable of acting like any other cultists in the face of what they consider heresy. I'm done with it.
To make it clear enough for even a progressive to understand: Truly medically necessary uses of contraceptive pills (or any other contraceptive device or procedure) SHOULD be covered for the same reason ALL truly medically necessary procedures should be covered. The fact that this policy would also probably bring net savings is mere icing on the cake, but it is not insignificant icing, in that questions of cost INEVITABLY arise when deciding what should or should not or even can or cannot be covered. Analogous example: recycling would be a good thing to do even if there was some net cost to it. But the fact that there are in fact in most cases a net saving associated with it is important to consider when arguing for the implementation of recycling programs.
I see I struck a nerve. Go blow, you ball-less wonder.
Rush begins his apology with this
"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."
I can't imagine what an actual personal attack from Rush might be like. Rush, my man, have yourself checked for rabies. I'm not sure there's anything anyone can do for you, but you might at least be able to retire quietly.
It would be devastating and effective!
At least Limbaugh nailed the fact that his thinking is absurd.
His absurd arguments and methods back his analysis.
I can’t by any means support Fluk in her request, but I think Limbaugh is the most arrogant jerk I’ve ever heard on radio. I use to listen to him faithfully, but I got so tired of his arrogance I just quit. I know, for a fact that there are many more people that would listen to Limbaugh if he were not so arrogant. His arrogance belies his intelligence, if he had been intelligent enough, he would have never made that stupid remark and he would have done some research before he made any comments about Fluk. I wish and hope Fluk sues him and wins big time for his stupid arrogant remark: $5,000,000 maybe more, enough to hurt, just to get the point across that you can’t make public insults and get away with it.
It's "Fluke". Not "Fluk".
Bravo, Bo!
You are aware that not one penny will come out of Rush's pocket because they actually have an nsurance for such lawsuits. It's called surety bonds.
Well, actually, insurance can refuse to pay if you did not comply with terms. At least, that's how insurance that is not gummed up with endless gov't mandates works. I of course have no idea what sort of policies Rush has. But whatever he has, I'm sure he's had to pay some stiff premiums due to the nature of his job and how he has chosen to comport himself in public. And at the very least, those premiums are likely to rise steeply in the aftermath of this wholly avoidable act of public indecency.
So Dolly and Keith Urban should sue Michelle Obama for her insults to country music and people who play as being stupid? Nonsense, she can say and think as she pleases, and they are still rich and famously gifted no matter what she thinks about it. Not everything that seems like a fluke happens by random chance, conservatives were just set up again. The public has had more than enough of the service Ms. Fluke offers in exchange for benefits, but for the time being she can still get birth control at no cost if she chooses a plan that doesn't offer it. Our nations children, handicapped and elderly deserve what support we can provide, everyone else should work for it, with their clothes on.
"with their clothes on"??????
Hey, if I choose to work as an artist's model, that's my beeswax, not yours!
yes, then she could buy all the birth control pills she and her friends need;)
Bo, nobody doubts Limbaugh's intelligence. He's certainly smart enough to make a fortune by simply spewing divisive lies that have contributed to the downfall of this nation. What is in doubt it the man's character. Honestly, if anyone in the picture is a wh/ore, it would be Limbaugh, because he has pimped out his human decency for fame and a bigger paycheck.
@MaryAnn:” Our nations children, handicapped and elderly deserve what support we can provide, everyone else should work for it”
Why are so many Christians against our government (which they like to claim is based on Christian principals) feeding the hungry healing the sick?
@MaryAnn:” everyone else should work for it”
Do you know how many out of work people are looking for jobs that just aren’t there?
Prayer changes things
Okay. I pray captain america will grow another brain cell so the one in his skull won't be so lonely.
***nope, didn't work.
demon responds in sheer terror of what prayer represents
Yeah, I'm just quaking in my bunny slippers.
@bringoutyourdead If you want people to quake in sheer terror, make sure your mighty sword is at least a little bigger and sharper than a popsicle stick!
"demon responds in sheer terror of what prayer represents"
We should all respond in sheer terror, because prayer represents semi-insane people who have convinced themselves they are telepathically communicating with righteousness and will do whatever it tells them to do. Because it represents following subconscious urges over rational thought.
"demon responds in sheer terror of what prayer represents"
Considering their preferred weapons are jets into buildings and explosives in crowded markets, yes, maybe more should be afraid of the zealots.
Still waiting for you to address the children who died of easily cured illnesses when their parents prayed for them instead of taking them to a doctor. Remember? Followers of Christ Church? Prayer doesn't work - proven.
Prayer changes things
Proven
“Prayer changes things”
So do you go to church and pray when you get sick or do you go to a doctor? If you have health insurance you are a hypocrite
Medicine and science are gifts God has given to mankind. Christians are free to use whatever God has given, whenever they like. Hypocrisy would be someone telling them they can't.
Oh, stick it up your fundament, you dimwit. God didn't give mankind science or medicine. If he had, no one would ever die and the bubonic plague would never have occurred.
Why don't you just stay in church and off your azz and the computer?
Please provide this proof you claim. You have been supplied with information which allows you to see the evidence that shows that your statements are false. Adding a "proven" to the end of your statement without giving proof is simply a lie. Isn't that against your commandments?
And "Just Sayin" " – The Followers of Christ Church members have tested the theory that prayer works in a real-life context. They prayed earnestly and with full confidence that the christian god would save their children. Their children died, and continue to die, and now parents are going to jail for their negligence. This is the real-life consequence of placing your faith in prayer. How much more evidence do you need? Prayer does not work.
If you have proof that shows otherwise, please provide it. You have not done so. All you have are empty claims. How is that different than a lie? I suspect that you are just a troll. You "just say" nonsense and lies, because you are lonely and want people to pay attention to you.
What tally said. In spades.
just sayin' is a flat-out liar.
Prayer changes things
Proven
Powerful
So why did God wait until the renaissance and enlightenment and the fall of church power to "give" us modern science and medicine? Why did he "give" so much math and geometry to educated Greeks in ancient times?
Here ya go. To test the thesis of the power of prayer and the notion that learning is product "God's gifts" rather than humanity's strivings, pray for a proof, disproof or proof of the undecidability of the Riemann hypothesis. That is THE big unsettled conjecture in math. And if you have a valid proof, no one can dismiss it as mere opinion. The Cray Insti=tute has a protocol in place for assuring any proffered proof is valid. Use that protocol. I await results eagerly.
If Riemann makes your head spin (it involves irrational and imaginary numbers and a complex function, though it is actually ABOUT the "real" portions of a set of complex numbers, claiming that they all have real portion equal to 1/2, which is pretty much the simplest non-integral rational number), you can follow the Cray protocol for establishing proof, but apply the "power" of prayer and "God's gifts" to settling either of two much simpler, but still vexingly unsettled mathematical conjectures, ie Goldbach's conjecture (every even number greater than or equal to 6 is the some of two, not necessarily distinct, odd primes) or the twin prime hypothesis (there are infinitely many pairs of prime numbers P and Q such that P – Q = 2). Those are conceptually very simple. So if you know ANYTHING about basic number theory, you know exactly what you need to prove. So clasp those hands and await proof of God's gifts of knowledge, believers!
That is, the SUM of two odd primes!!!!! Yeesh!!!!
Prayer changes things
Proven
Powerful
Productive
Worked for Jim Jones praying over the koolaid. Or Koresh praying over lead bullets.
Therefore proven, matter settled.
I am praying Limbaugh becomes a better human being, so far not much luck.
BTW, religious organizations are not supposed to be like Burger King, "Have It Your Way". While there maybe small varying of opinion as to text, it's the church that sets standards based on the word of God. For someone that comes in to change the fundamentals of the church for their own cause or to profit from that change is nothing short of the likes of Judas.
Would you classify the 700,00+ believers per year, half of whom are catholics, who have abortions in the USA as Judas?
Concern yourself with your own country and Leave US to US, Go screw yourself canadian. There's your sign
Yes but even Judas could ask for forgiveness.
So what you are saying, Troy, is that christians can do whatever they please as long as they ask for forgiveness. Christians can lie, cheat and murder (and if you read the news, you know they often do), but it's okay : They have a "Get Out of Jail Free" card. I bet you're glad that a man was tortured to death for you so that you don't have to be responsible for your own actions.
Is it possible Judas got a bad rap? Set up by the Pharisees to lead them to the ambush. Suicide not because he ratted Jesus out for silver, but routine interaction of paying taxes and getting permits to enter the temple meant he was followed, resulting in Jesus' death which he held himself responsible? Try reading the 3rd century Egyptian Naghamadi texts which include uncensored pre-Nicean gospels. Read them and it may change your views on your christian religion.
But Judas as a traitor symbol is useful for the simple minded masses.
Wow.Mr.Limbaugh's belated"apology"aside,I find myself stunned at the level of vitriol,rudeness,and sheer hatred we seem determined to spew at each across the web nowadays;its advent has obviously unleashed some deeply-buried,long-simmering resevoirs of hate,scorn,and opprobium that has finally boiled over among many of us.If we spent even a third of that energy seeking solutions to righting the badly-listing ship-of-state called America...Well.The politicians aren't going to do it,fellow citizens.As clever as we think we are venting over folly and nonsense on these websites,we had better get busy getting our nation's affairs in order,or we'll become the laughingstock of the world,with tiny,no-name third world countries thumbing their noses at us and telling us to"Get lost,America,you silly,Hollywood has-been.What do you have that China doesn't have,and more of it? They own you anyway,don't they?"
Oh, sure, because we can do so very much to affect the way corporations are run, how the economic cycles turn, how politics operates, all from our homes on Sunday morning.
This isn't a full-time occupation, dude. It's a pastime. It isn't keeping causing the ship to keel over, and people like you have been screaming about the sky falling since the nation was born.
Well, what bothers me is the typically naive notion that there was was "golden age" of civility that we have fallen from. People have literally KILLED each other over political and religious differences. Rush's remarks were crude, false and defamatory and for that he should pay, both literally and figuratively. But to suggest that high minded civility was once widely practiced and only recently lost is absurd.
I see once again not one word of Bill Maher's words about Sarah Palin. Civility goes two ways.
It's simple: Rush was wrong.
Truth is the perfect defense against slander charges.
More seriously, Palin made herself a target of such attacks by becoming a major political figure. She, and most politicians, understands the political game and gives as good as she gets. Doesn't make it right or "pretty" but they know what to expect. The average citizen does not expect to be attacked so viciously for exercising their right to testify.
HAA, you are quite right.
Aside from that: Rush has a pumpkin head.
American rights do not extend to citizens of other lands you have your own "rights" in canada which denies its citizens a lot of what we have. Why don't you worry about your rights and politicians and we will worry about US. Go screw yourself and your opinion hot air. There's your sign
Oh, look, the eunuch is back. *waves to captain asshole.
If USA rights do not extend beyond the USA then why does your government pass laws that explicitly (at least in the minds of USA politicians) apply in the USA *and* all other countries? If you get control of your government, i'll consider stop commenting. Until then, fuck off!
You are as useless to US as you are to your own country. You can shove your opinions up your ass as far as America is concerned. There's your sign
HotAirAce, understand that once Ms. Fluke decided to voluteer in front of the Pro-Abortion Catholic Nancy Pelosi and her "committee" she became a "Public Figure". The courts have been very clear about this. If she didn't voluntarily appear then it would have been a different story.
That said doesn't mean she doesn't have a case but she will have to prove that she is not what Rush said she was which will be difficult since she is 30 years old and uses contraception. I'm not saying using them makes her that but it almost gives a license to say what one will.
Bill Maher WAS called out by people from the left, right and center for his remarks about Sarah Palin. Maher and Limbaugh are actually kinda similar in how they seem to consider glib insults cute and witty, when they are neither.
Troy, are you really saying that she is now guilty until proven innocent?
So Troy, you believe a woman who's not married and uses contraception is indeed a "s** t"?
I wonder what you call a man who does the same thing?
By the way, ProFlowers and its subsidiaries are sponsors of Limbaugh's show. Just FYI.
Troy? Oh, Troy?
In a civil lawsuit, yes you are what they say until you prove otherwise.
As for the other part, I did not say she was anything because she uses Contraception so read what I wrote not what you want to believe I wrote.
Define slut, hypocrite.
No, Troy. In a civil suit, both sides carry an equal burden of having to provide a preponderance of evidence. And for someone to be guilty of libel or slander, they need merely make defamatory statements that they had no grounds to believe were true. Saying in so many words that someone is asking to be paid to have s-ex and basing that simply on the fact that they gave testimony that was about medically indicated contraception takes us well into the realm of indefensible defamatory falsehood. Rush's best hope if he is dumb enough to take this to trial is to plead immateriality of the falsehood based on the fact that no one believed him, as he is well known to be a rude, crude, ignorant blowhard. But he'd have to own up to that to even try this defense, and I suspect his arrogance won't allow that. He'll settle and his attorney's will get Fluke and her team to sign off on an agreement in which he admits no wrongdoing and whose terms are not to be disclosed. Standard fare.
I think "captain america" secretly loves Canada. It's kind of like a fourth grade crush - all insults and pigtail pulling. It's almost cute.
I suspect that he's actually Canadian himself. But you could be right. Or maybe he has a man-crush on HAA.
I can't believe how many people are regurgitating Rush Limbaugh about this Bill Maher thing. I listened to the Limbaugh show on Friday. He brought up the Bill Maher/ Sarah Palin thing just after 2 pm eastern time. He said that Obama should return a Bill Maher donation made to his campaign because of it. Now all these drones are almost directly quoting it like a bunch of brainwashed zombies. Think for yourselves people!
because truth is an absolute defense against slander or libel. simple huh?
I was trying to think of ways in which Limbaugh might be a useful human being. I could only think of one: we can infer enough about people who are drawn to what he says and support him to know that they are to be avoided.
Agreed.
Fertilizer
@AGuest: Nah, too high in acid content. Maybe good for very dark gardens.
@Tom Tom, I didn't say GOOD fertilizer.
I concede, AGuest.
Anyone have a list of EIB sponsors?
Well, Sleep Train and Select Comfort have just pulled their sponsorship of Rush's show. Quicken Loans and 21st Century Real Estate are or were sponsors; same for Jos. A Bank.
What Obama, the Senate, the House and Georgetown U should address:
(Limbaugh should just take early retirement as he is showing signs of insanity)
The Brutal Effects of Stupidity:
: The failures of the widely used birth "control" methods i.e. the Pill ( 8.7% failure rate) and male con-dom (17.4% failure rate) have led to the large rate of abortions and S-TDs in the USA. Men and women must either recognize their responsibilities by using the Pill or co-ndoms properly and/or use safer methods in order to reduce the epidemics of abortion and S-TDs.- Failure rate statistics provided by the Gut-tmacher Inst-itute.
Added information before making your next move:
from the CDC-2006
"Se-xually transmitted diseases (STDs) remain a major public health challenge in the United States. While substantial progress has been made in preventing, diagnosing, and treating certain S-TDs in recent years, CDC estimates that approximately 19 million new infections occur each year, almost half of them among young people ages 15 to 24.1 In addition to the physical and psy-ch-ological consequences of S-TDs, these diseases also exact a tremendous economic toll. Direct medical costs as-sociated with STDs in the United States are estimated at up to $14.7 billion annually in 2006 dollars."
And from:
Consumer Reports, January, 2012
"Yes, or-al se-x is se-x, and it can boost cancer risk-
Here's a crucial message for teens (and all se-xually active "post-teeners": Or-al se-x carries many of the same risks as va-ginal se-x, including human papilloma virus, or HPV. And HPV may now be overtaking tobacco as the leading cause of or-al cancers in America in people under age 50.
"Adolescents don’t think or-al se-x is something to worry about," said Bonnie Halpern-Felsher professor of pediatrics at the University of California, San Francisco. "They view it as a way to have intimacy without having 's-ex.'" (It should be called the Bill Clinton Syndrome !!)
Obviously, political leaders in both parties, Planned Parenthood, parents, the "stupid part of the USA" and the educational system have failed miserably on many fronts.
Note: Some words hyphenated to defeat an obvious word filter.
Rush has been "showing signs" since 1990.
@reality, clearly you have the monopoly on reality. Now I know how simple it is.
Wow, America. You're all so high on your so-called "America exceptionalism", so completely full of yourselves... do you have any idea how you look to the rest of the world?! It seems a country full of insane crackpots and dangerous archaic religion. You talk about "freedom" but all we see is a country viciously trying to restrict the freedoms of even its own citizens – and on what basis, this hateful bigoted conservatism? You've lost your mind, America. I couldn't think of any place in the world I'd rather not be.
Well, maybe you'd rather be someplace that doesn't allow any discussion at all.
If you're happy and you know it, just keep out.
Or how about this: Go play circle-jerk with captain america. He's in need of a hobby; he's obsessed with HotAirAce.
Tom, tom how is having a pos canadian doing your thinking for you working out, by what you write it doesn't appear to help. There's your sign
It's not just the right that is busy restricting freedoms. Never was, never will be.
The fact that the world can indeed HEAR a huge diversity of American voices is not a bad thing at all.
Who said I was trying to "help", captain a22hole? I'm here to observe, pass judgment, and heap scorn on the heads of those who deserve it. No need to thank me. You are definitely deserving of ridicule.
I guess you would rather be in Somalia or North Korea? How about Russia or China? They certainly do nothing to restrict citizens freedoms.
Oh, the quandary, do we call our student a harlot, or Rush evil? Decisions, decisions.
Yeah, this isn't exactly "profiles in courage" material.
Why not both? It would be the appropriate thing to do.
Only to you and John R.
Or to anyone who has morals and at least one functioning brain cell... which leaves atheists right out, of course.
@GodsPeople,
Excuse me, but anyone with morals and a functioning brain would have read her testimony and realized that no where did she describe her own situation or her own se.xual practices, if she even has any.
Furthermore, personally I would expect people with morals and brains to not make hasty generalizations and try to understand the facts before jumping to holier-than-thou conclusions. If this is an example of GodsPeople, perhaps the the Atheists have it right.