Rushbo has lost several advertisers in the past couple of days, and he has issued a non-apology apology in which he says “I did not mean a personal attack on Ms. Fluke.” Shameless.
Whiskey Fire quotes Erick Erickson —
Well of course Rush Limbaugh was being insulting. It is not something I would do and I do think we’re going to now focused on what he said for a while and that it will be a distraction from the central argument, but he was using insult and sarcasm to highlight the absurdity of Sandra Fluke and the left’s position, which in a nut shell is they think you, me, and every other American should pay for them to have sex. And while I understand people being offended, I am offended by many of these same people thinking I should be subsidizing what has, for years, been considered a consensual act.
Does that even make sense?
They call it “women’s healthâ€, but the language associated with it involves pregnancy and sex. They have, in other words, turned “women’s health†into a euphemism for having sex.
It’s like they have no concept of pregnancy. Just the thought of women having sex has them completely unglued. Un-bleeping-real. It’s like somebody opened a door and all the ugly heebie-jeebies in their sick little ids were set free.
Well it’s not like he called her a cunt. Had he called her a cunt then that would have gone over the line.
uncledad…In so many words he did call her that..His objective was to dehumanize her and degrade her to nothing more than a sexual object. I’m surprised you can’t see that.
Kaili Joy Gray at Daily Kos sums up the non-apology pretty well:
“Shorter Rush: I’m sorry if any sluts were offended by being called sluts, but if they’d stop being sluts, I wouldn’t have to call them sluts.”
And, Karoli at Crooks & Liars has another good commentary.
His attack never touched any of the content of her testimony. It was not just a personal attack on Ms. Fluke, but on all women. His intent was to equate the sexual activities of all women not currently married as contemptuous and to distract listeners from any consideration of the non-contraceptive therapeutic uses of the pill – which is precisely what she conveyed.
Though I’m a pacifist where deadly force is involved, were I her father, I’d publicly call him out on his insults and challenge him to a public fistfight.
I think what this whole issue/debate/hot mess is really about is the REALITY of sex. For manatees like Rush, the idealized female body is a pristine, self-healing organ, created by [insert favorite creator deity] to give men pleasure and for delivering adorable babies. Real life procedures like pap smears and mammograms are disgusting distractions; how dare anyone ask for help in paying for them!
How IT’S apology should have read:
“For over 20 years, I have twisted the rational into absurdity, three hours a day, five days a week. And you ignorant, hate-filled mopes listen – and have made me obscenely rich. I thank you – Suckers!
As I always do, and it was no different in this instance, I chose a stupid, idiotic analogy in this situation. AND YOU MORONS BOUGHT IT!!!
Unfortunately, I got called on this one.
I did not mean a personal attack on Ms. Fluke. It was meant as a personal attack on all cu… nope, can’t say that… slu… nope, just did that… ALL WOMEN! Yeah – that’s it.
You should think it is absolutely disgusting that during these very serious political times, people like me are purposely confusing imbeciles like you, my “Dear Ditto-heads,” that issues on women health are about religion and personal sexual recreational activities. But you DON’T – HA!
I personally do not agree that American citizens should pay for any social activities – like education, roads, bridges, medical care, helping widows, seniors or children, or aiding any human out in any way – except cutting my… OUR taxes.
What happened to SOCIAL responsibility and accountability? People like me talked you f*cking dumbasses into doing things against your OWN best interests – we rich people laugh at you morons at least 12 times a day.
Where will you imbeciles finally draw the line?
Hopefully for us, NEVER!
If you morons continue to accept us f*cking you over as the norm, what will follow? We’ll change something important, like Tasering innocent people to death, into a debate if taxpayers should pay for new sneakers for all of the accused (read Nigra ones) who are interested in running away from cops?
In my monologues, I posited that it IS my, and every Conservatives, business to know what is going on in everyone’s bedroom, you sluts (not that I’m personally interested – I prefer schtupping prepubescent boys, but I love degrading women even more) – and just wait one of us will reach the Presidential level!
My choice of words was not the best, because I got called on it and lost a few sponsors.
In the attempt to create a national stir to further confuse you, my “Dear Ditto-heads) away from how badly you’ve been served by the Conservatives in this country for over 40 years, it looks like I may have failed in this instance.
I sincerely apologize to my puppet-masters for not succeeding. But, since failure is not an option – which telephone booth should I go to, to be terminated?”
Anyone that can fit your fat f*cking ass, Rush.
OY!
Must finish coffee before hittin “Submit Comment!”
“ITS” in the first sentence.
“Any one…” in the last.
And apologies for every grammatical and spelling error in between.
‘Gulag,
Not nearly as bad as my “Dominican Republican” in a comment yesterday.
Maha has that kool feature where you can preview your comment (enlarged for us over 50 bunch).Kinda like curb feelers for writin stuff.
This is what happens because I didnt go to no colledge to get me a higher educashion.
I’m going back to the double wide an deep fat fry me somethin for brekfast. Bi!
Losing sponsors was what ultimately got Glen Beck shitcanned. We can only hope.
Swami, I’m pretty sure Uncledad was being sarcastic.
Just so you don’t worry – any friends or relatives in the Armed Forces are still able to listen to Rush “The Round Mound of Sound” Limp-twig.
“Rushba the Hut” is since still on the military radio stations, polluting the minds and souls of soldiers with vicious propaganda.
Freedom!
Liberty!
Three simple fixes:
Take him off Armed Services radio.
Write to his sponsors.
“Equal Time Rule!”
erinyes,
Gonna fry up a mess ‘o possum?
All,
Rush seems obsessed with the female sex act thing. I wonder if his head would explode if he understood that not only do women enjoy it, but occasionally (or more often) have an orgasm or two?
Something I find really odd about the Republicans on this issue that they seem to ignore: many women that practice birth control are in fact married (such as my CATHOLIC parents who practiced birth control– and after giving birth to myself and my one sister nine years younger than me, my dad had a vasectomy). And when I was married for ten years myself, my ex and I practiced birth control (at various times me or her). Republicans paint a picture that women that practice birth control are all swinging singles. Noth that it matters even if some ARE swinging singles, its ultimately irrelevant because its a private matter. And besides that, birth control isn’t simple about the evil “S” word. But the fact that “good old fashioned traditional” married couples also practice birth control is simply brushed under the rug by Republicans. I guess they think that after you get married, you don’t have sex anymore– you sleep in separate beds like Ricky Ricardo and Lucille Ball…!
“Just the thought of women having sex has them completely unglued.”
Almost.
The fear is not that women will have sex. The fear is that women will have control. Universal free access to contraception gives poor women control. Any woman can say “no” to a pregnancy and “yes” to sex. Deep in the psyche of the conservative male is the legend of the “alpha” dominant male of the pack who can impregnate any of the females. Naturally, in their fantasy, they are each the “alpha”. For some republicans, its just a wedge issue but for others, the idea of empowering women to the degree that the alpha becomes impotent is truly terrifying.
“The stoopid, it burns!”
Leaving aside the bizarre suggestion that there would be no connection between “women’s health” and pregnancy if “the left” hadn’t improperly made one (??!!), Ms. Fluke’s actual testimony involved the story of a woman who needed hormonal pills to control abdominal growths, not for sex. And because she didn’t get them, she ended up needing surgery.
And that woman is reportedly gay!
So, in the particular case about which Fluke was testifying, it really, really was an issue of a woman’s health, and it had NOTHING to do with sex!
It wasn’t the left that made this all about the icky sexy sexy sex-sex-sex, Erick. It was Rushbo and you fellow-travelers.
I keep thinking about the “If I offended…” type of apology. Maybe the most appropriate response would be, “If I accept, it is only if he apologized.” Of course, that would probably just set off another bunch of winger-whingeing. But it does honor the spirit of the non-apology apology, which is such a perfect bit of passive-agressive behavior.
“I’m surprised you can’t see that”
Swami, of all people I would have thought you could see the irony in my crude statement?
uncledad …My anger and my disgust at Rush Limp-pud and the misogynistic base of the GOP kinda blinded me to your use of sarcasm to come against them. I didn’t percieve it in the way you intended…I apologize for my misunderstanding.
Violence against women is a hot button issue with me, so I tend to get a little rigid in my thinking when it comes to that subject.
Doug Hughes …Great comment, great analysis.