Rush Limbaugh has apologized to Sandra Fluke. Sort of – he uses the opportunity to reiterate everything except the actual insults. If he were concerned about sincerity, he wouldn’t have buried the apology on Saturday afternoon, he have delivered it in the same medium as he did the attack.
Here’s what the move by Limbaugh means:
- His lawyers told him that a libel suit had merit, and
- he was feeling the backlash against his advertisers.
Here’s what it doesn’t mean: Limbaugh’s opponents have won. On the contrary, this is a transparently obvious attempt to hose down the heat a little, not strategically unlike what the Komen Foundation tried with its fake apology last month. If those of us who were appalled (if not exactly surprised) by Limbaugh’s latest round of Cro-Magnon spew take today’s PR stunt as a genuine victory, it teaches him and his hatecasting fellow-travelers that you can say or do anything – all that’s required is a fauxpology, released as several big games are in crunch time, and by Monday the controversy is gone.
As Frank Balsinger’s insightful take earlier today illustrated, nothing about Limbaugh’s act is new. Nothing, of course, except a potential lawsuit that his counsel would rather avoid and, I’m guessing, a good bit of ire from his advertisers, who’d just as soon the public be a little less focused on how they’re bankrolling anti-woman, anti-minority, anti-human values for three hours five days a week.
How do we know Team Oxycodone is sweating? It wasn’t that long ago that the head of the GOP was forced to apologize to Limbaugh. He doesn’t apologize, ever. The powerful apologize to him. Today’s announcement is like watching the episode of Happy Days where Fonzie is literally incapable of uttering the words “I’m sorry.”
So here’s what needs to happen next:
- We encourage Sandra Fluke to pursue a libel claim against Limbaugh, and
- the rest of us need to keep ball-stomping his advertisers until he’s so toxic that Stormfront won’t go near him.
Hammer down, folks.
Categories: Business/Finance, Politics/Law/Government, Race/Gender
Progressive Culture | Scholars & Rogues 
I will sooo pressure Rush’s sponsers to drop him. Thanks for info!
I will not buy any product that sponser Limbaugh’s programs.
The volume of women and men that were outraged over Limbaugh’s ranting for three days will not be satisfied with his limp, late and not enough apology. This time the group that is upset is not about politics and it’s not about sex. It’s about women’s health and the abuse of a young women. The advertisers wouldn’t have reacted so fast if it was a political outcry. The advertisers saw it as a potential serious problem to their bottom line. Women make most of the finanical decisions on purchases for the home. We will not be content until he is properly reprimanded. Fox won’t be happy until the story goes away.
Amen. This is not over. Limbaugh has overturned the rock under which the double standard and it’s misogyny have been hiding. Now that it’s out, we can fight it.
GET HIM OFF THE AIR!!!…PLEASE…all he has ever done is lower the discourse, distract from legitimate arguments / discussions…he is ultimately motivated by a deep lack of self-respect & deep sense of self-loathing…and those who take his angry voice as truth suffer the same…
I have set an Outlook reminder for mid-April. I will suffer through his show then to find out who’s advertising. To me, sponsors of his show after the firestorm are worse than the somnambulists who were advertising this week.
What sponsors/advertisers are left? Many bailed. ProFlowers and Carbonite were 2 big ones.
How can we contact Ms. Fluke and encourage her to encourage her to pursue a libel claim against Limbaugh, as you suggested?? I think it’s a great idea! Also, here is a really great 8-step (plus I added one) action guide for getting Rush off the air. I love this b/c it’s comprehensive yet all in one place! https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=10150582460532135&id=253645602134