Yesterday, Rush Limbaugh issued the following statement on his website, rushlimbaugh.com:
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 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? If this is accepted as the norm, what will follow? Will we be debating if taxpayers should pay for new sneakers for all students that are interested in running to keep fit?In my monologue, I posited that it is not our business whatsoever to know what is going on in anyone’s bedroom nor do I think it is a topic that should reach a Presidential level.
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.
Let’s stop for a moment and consider just whom it is that Rush has issued this apology to:
Mr. Sandra Fluke, who is attending Georgetown Law School, is a 30 year old Women’s Rights (i.e., Abortion) Activist, who was originally described by the Main Stream Media as a “23 year old co-ed”.
She revealed that she was actually 30 years old in a Today Show interview on Friday morning with host Matt Lauer.
What she did not say was that she is a past President of the Georgetown Law School Chapter of Law Sudents for Reproductive Justice.
In a statement titled LSRJ Proudly Stands With Sandra Fluke, the organization voices its support for her:
We are proud of our member and past president of Georgetown LSRJ, Sandra Fluke, for her courage and commitment in the face of cruelty. Fluke is the Georgetown law student whose contraceptive access advocacy has been called into question with language that falls, as Fluke said in her press statement, “far beyond the acceptable bounds of civil discourse.” Such personal attacks are intended to shame women out of advocacy and into silence, but Fluke refuses to back down, ”No woman deserves to be disrespected in this manner. This language is an attack on all women, and has been used throughout history to silence our voices.”
Here’s an interesting factoid, per LSRJ:
In 2010, LSRJ launched a funded legal fellowship program for current 3Ls and recent law school graduates interested in working to advance reproductive justice through policy advocacy. Following a tremendous response from students and advocates in the field, LSRJ successfully selected and placed six Reproductive Justice (RJ) Fellows with six organizations in Washington, D.C. for the 2010-11 fellowship year.
The RJFP is intended to enhance capacity at reproductive justice organizations working to influence law and policy and to build a pipeline for future reproductive justice lawyers. The RJ Fellows are each paid $50,000 plus benefits and placed with placement organizations in Washington, D.C. for a year-long program (running August to August) that includes mentoring, professional development, training, and networking opportunities.
Ms. Fluke’s activism doesn’t stop there. Her profile on the Georgetown Public Interest Law Scholars 2012 Graduates Page shows that:
Sandra Fluke’s professional background in domestic violence and human trafficking began with Sanctuary for Families in New York City. There, she launched the agency’s pilot Program Evaluation Initiative. While at Sanctuary, she co-founded the New York Statewide Coalition for Fair Access to Family Court, which after a twenty-year stalemate, successfully advocated for legislation granting access to civil orders of protection for unmarried victims of domestic violence, including LGBTQ victims and teens. Sandra was also a member of the Manhattan Borough President’s Taskforce on Domestic Violence and numerous other New York City and New York State coalitions that successfully advocated for policy improvements impacting victims of domestic violence.
As the 2010 recipient of the Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles Fran Kandel Public Interest Grant, she researched, wrote, and produced an instructional film on how to apply for a domestic violence restraining order in pro per. She has also interned with the Coalition to Abolish Slavery & Trafficking; Polaris Project; Neighborhood Legal Services of Los Angeles County; Break the Cycle; the Domestic Violence Legal Empowerment and Appeals Project; NOW Legal Defense and Education Fund; Crime Victim and Sexual Assault Services; and the Human Services Coalition of Tompkins County.
Through Georgetown’s clinic programs, Sandra has proposed legislation based on fact-finding in Kenya regarding child trafficking for domestic work, and has represented victims of domestic violence in protection order cases. Sandra is the Development Editor of the Journal of Gender and the Law, and served as the President of Law Students for Reproductive Justice, and the Vice President of the Women’s Legal Alliance. In her first year, she also co-founded a campus committee addressing human trafficking. Cornell University awarded her a B. S. in Policy Analysis & Management, as well as Feminist, Gender, & Sexuality Studies in 2003.
Whether an apology from Rush may or may not appease the “Moderate” Republicans and the Liberal Democrats, remains to be seen.
The fact of the matter is, Ms. Fluke is not some innocent co-ed. She is a 30 year old professional student/activist, who was probably planted at Georgetown Law School to do exactly what she did.
She most certainly has an agenda.
The Democrats want to take Rush out, so now they have an opportunity and they aren’t going to let go of this.
The birth control issue has been a set-up since George Stephanopoulous asked Romney about it during a debate in January. Barry doesn’t have a record that he can run on, so this one issue he has a chance to stir up his base with.
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You can use whatever vile language you like about Sarah Palin, Michelle Malkin, Ann Coulter, or Michele Bachmann, and the lamestream media won’t notice or care. But call a left wing abortion rights activist a slut, and all hell breaks loose.
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ding ding ding
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Just curious, but who do you see using equivalently vile language and imagery directed at Sarah Palin, Michelle Malkin, Ann Coulter, or Michele Bachmann?
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I did not call her a “slut”. However, since, it turns out that this 30 year old is a professional pro-abortion activist, she’s much worse than someone who’s merely promiscuous. And yes, Jesus loves me. The Bible tells me so.
By the way, please try to read my posts as a normal American, instead of a Liberal. I do not use vile language.
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Bob, I’m still curious about the prominent liberals that you see using equivalently vile language and imagery directed at conservative women. Examples?
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jewelbomb read newsbusters.org once in awhile or just watch msdnc…
the vile that spews from olberman, maher, and tingles is loud and clear….
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Yeah, Bill Maher (whom I find odious) is an atheist and a comedian. He certainly doesn’t have the same institutional support within the Democratic Party that Rush has from the Republicans. Indeed, Rush Limbaugh was made an honorary member of the freshman Republican Congressional class in 1994. Otherwise, please quote something from Olberman that is equally offensive. I’ll wait.
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Jewelbomb –
You asked for Liberal jackwagons, you were given Liberal jackwagons. It doesn’t matter whether you support them or not. They are still Liberals and they are still jackwagons. You’re not getting off that easily.
And you know the great thing about being a Christian, little girl? We’re not perfect. Just forgiven.
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No, I asked about prominent liberals who used equivalent language and imagery. Instead, I was given the name of a comedian who has said odious things in the past. Big whup. Rush has been the leading voice in conservatism for 20+ years. Maher, on the other hand, is paid to make dirty jokes on TV. Sorry, but there’s just no equivalence. Otherwise, please quote something from Olberman that is equally offensive. I’ll wait.
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Sorry to disappoint you, jewelbomb, but I don’t keep scorecards on these things. However, for many years I’ve had to listen to folks on the left say nasty, vile things about conservative women, in many cases using language far worse than “slut,” and it never creates the firestorm that Rush’s remark made. For that matter, although Rush’s remark was certainly impolite, it was hardly inaccurate. What else do you call a woman who has so much sex with so many partners that she has to spend a thousand dollars a year on contraceptives? What else do you call an unmarried woman who is not ashamed to go before Congress and the television cameras and tell the whole country about how much recreational sex she is having? If that’s not slutty, what is?
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“She most certainly has an agenda”
Of course she has an agenda, as does virtually everyone who is called to testify before Congress. What, do you think Congress just pulls random, uniformed people off the street and asks their opinions at hearings? This is what activists do. Apparently because this woman has an opinion that runs contrary to yours, you feel that it’s okay to call her a “slut” and urge her (as Rush did) to post sex tapes online. On what planet is such vile invective remotely Christian in nature? Do you seriously think Jesus would approve? You’ve seriously lost your way. Repent before it’s too late!
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I never said you called her a “slut” or use vile language yourself. You did however spend a bunch of time and energy compiling and composing a post that implicitly let Rush off the hook for what he said because his target was “an activist.” I forget that when Jesus admonished us to “judge not least [we] be judged” he made an exception for activists with whom we disagree. God bless!
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The Bible does not say “Thou shalt not kill…except for fetuses.” Christ said, “He (or she) who is without sin, throw the first stone.”
Before you continue to quote Holy Scripture, I would suggest reading it first.
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“Judge not, that ye be not judged” Mathew 7.1. What part of the scripture did I get wrong?
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Otherwise, reading through your archives, its clear that you support the American wars in the Middle East. I’m sure that you recognize that The Bible also doesn’t say “Thou shalt not kill…except for Muslims.”
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Furthermore, Fluke was testifying about contraception, not abortion. While she is a pro-choice activist (though not a professional one as you suggest), her testimony had nothing to do with abortion. Read the transcripts silly!
More importantly, every single piece of available data suggests that increased access to contraception reduces abortions. If you cared at all about saving your precious fetuses you’d support what she was trying to do.
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You’re not very bright, are you? From NOW.org:
Don’t try to engage in a battle of wits with me, little Ms. Lib. You’re hopelessly out-gunned.
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Yes, that’s a fascinating quotation.
Too bad it has absolutely nothing to do with the point that I made. What in the heck are you even getting at? Sorry, but quoting unrelated nonsense doesn’t really count as outgunning me, smartypants.
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And while your knee-jerk sexism (“little Ms. Lib”) is charming, it doesn’t do much to help make your case
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Jewelbomb, where is the evidence that increased access to contraception reduces abortions? Inexpensive (even free) contraception is available everywhere, and we still have more than a million abortions a year in the United States every year.
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Kirsten Powers today…
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/03/04/rush-limbaugh-s-apology-liberal-men-need-to-follow-suit.html
At least Ms. Powers isn’t ignoring some of what the left does on a regular, under reported basis…
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Rush shouldn’t have used those terms to discribed Ms. Fluke. As it allowed the left to futher distance itself from the root of the issue at hand, the 1st Admendment and religious freedom.
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Rush was wrong and should not have used the terms that he did. Yes it appears that Fluke was no fluke. And judging from the amount of internships she has served she must be a professional student.
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Oh my god! she’s an activist. If only she had the moral character of Joseph Kony.
http://mediamatters.org/blog/201203070006
Then Fluke would surely have earned your respect.
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