Are we being fair to Rush Limbaugh? by David Frum

[One of the 99]

As advertisers quit the Rush Limbaugh radio program -- and as Republican politicians squirm uncomfortably -- the broadcaster's fans are complaining about double standards.
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It's a question that will be aired often in the week ahead. Here's the answer, in four points.

Point 1: Even by the rough standards of cable/talk radio/digital talk, Limbaugh's verbal abuse of Sandra Fluke set a new kind of low. I can't recall anything as brutal, ugly and deliberate ever being said by such a prominent person and so emphatically repeated.
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Point 2: The cases that conservatives cite as somehow equivalent to Limbaugh's tirade against Fluke by and large did bring consequences for their authors.
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Point 3: Limbaugh's place in American public life is in no way comparable to that of David Letterman, Bill Maher or Ed Schultz.
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Point 4: Most fundamentally, why the impulse to counter one outrageous stunt by rummaging through the archives in search of some supposedly offsetting outrageous stunt? Why not respond to an indecent act on its own terms, and then -- if there's another indecency later -- react to that too, and on its own terms?

http://www.cnn.com/2012/03/05/opinion/frum-rush-limbaugh-fairness/index.html

[Art_from_Ark]

1. Limbaugh has sunk to this level before

It's nothing new for him:

"On his TV show, early in the Clinton administration, Limbaugh put up a picture of Socks, the White House cat, and asked, "Did you know there's a White House dog?" Then he put up a picture of Chelsea Clinton, who was 13 years old at the time and as far as I know had never done any harm to anyone.

"When viewers objected, he claimed, in typical Limbaugh fashion, that the gag was an accident and that without his permission some technician had put up the picture of Chelsea--which I found as disgusting as his original attempt at humor."

http://motherjones.com/politics/1995/05/lyin-bully

[Ziggystrange]

2. Too nice maybe

What he said has no equivalence with Maher, or Palin detractors. He attacked not just a single woman but most of the women in this country. He went on to pile more and more on top until the scales tipped and he got what he deserved. Good riddance. He will never be as big a mouth as before, and the Republicans would do well to dump him. I hope they don't because that will only help people see Republicans as the anachronism that they are.

[Comrade Grumpy]

3. Has Limbaugh ever been fair to us?

[Jamaal510]

9. Of course Rush has been fair to us.

He has been an equal-opportunity offender towards everyone on the Left.

[WhoIsNumberNone]

4. Response to Point 4:

Because right wingers are psychologically incapable of admitting fault or bad judgment without caviots.

[appleannie1]

5. I think this time Rush underestimated who would object. He never expected monthers, fathers,

husbands and grandparents of daughters and wives to object to their loved ones being denigrated in that fashion. Before he was rude and obnoxious to public figures. This time, he relentlessly for almost a week, went after a young college student, an ordinary citizen. She was someone that we all could identify with and as a result, be outraged over. It was our daughter, our sister, our wife, our loved one being raked over the coals. So, I don't pity Rush. He is getting exactly what he deserved.

[Hamlette]

6. Glad to see this. I am so sick of "both sides do it"

Scarborough did a good job getting after Rush today but ended it with "both sides do it". I thought I would scream. Ok, I did scream. Good on Frum.

[appleannie1]

7. I think this time Rush underestimated who would object. He never expected mothers, fathers,

husbands and grandparents of daughters and wives to object to their loved ones being denigrated in that fashion. Before he was rude and obnoxious to public figures. This time, he relentlessly for almost a week, went after a young college student, an ordinary citizen. She was someone that we all could identify with and as a result, be outraged over. It was our daughter, our sister, our wife, our loved one being raked over the coals. So, I don't pity Rush. He is getting exactly what he deserved.

[ProfessionalLeftist]

8. False equivalency horseshit

the only objective with this type of meme is to displace the blame. To distract attention from the bully's own actions which are currently in question. Diversion. "oohhhh look over there!" ---->

Uh-uh. The "slut" remarks did not come from "over there". This time, in this circumstance, they came from RUSH LIMBAUGH. And no one else.