Democrats urge Boehner to "repudiate" comments by Limbaugh on contraception testimony

A group of Democratic members of Congress are continuing the political war over contraception and the latest move puts House Speaker John Boehner on the spot. Seventy-five lawmakers are urging the speaker to "repudiate" comments made by conservative radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh.

The Democrats signed a letter to the speaker over comments Limbaugh made on his show on Wednesday calling a Georgetown University law student and women's health advocate a "prostitute" and a "@#$%&" after her testimony before a mock Congressional hearing on birth control coverage.

Using the airwaves to launch a "direct attack on a private citizen is unacceptable," New York Rep. Louise Slaughter wrote to Speaker Boehner. "Mr. Limbaugh repeatedly used sexually charged, patently offensive, and obscene language to malign the character of this courageous young woman who has chosen to be the voice for many of her peers," the letter said.

Boehner's spokesperson declined to comment on on the letter.

Fluke's testimony barely mentioned sex. She said a year's worth of contraception costs up to $3,000 over the course of law school, and for many women, birth control is used to treat medical issues, including polycystic ovary syndrome. (Watch her testimony below.)

"That's a thousand dollars a year of sex -- and, she wants us to pay for it," Limbaugh said on his radio show Wednesday.

Limbaugh also said about Fluke: "What does it say about the college co-ed Sandra Fluke, who goes before a congressional committee and essentially says that she must be paid to have sex? What does that make her?"

Democrats called Fluke in after she was cut from the witness list at another hearing on the issue led by Republican committee leaders, who said she was "not qualified" to discuss President Obama's contraception coverage mandate.

New York Rep. Carolyn Maloney criticized the first panel of that hearing for including five men and no women, saying "any woman is more qualified to talk about women's health needs than any man."

Fluke argued that she would have been a legitimate witness.

"I'm an American woman who uses contraception, so let's start right there. That makes me qualified to talk to my elected officials about my health care needs," she said.

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[www.cbsnews.com]

Ooo... I like this girl - what a great sentence. Brief and bullet-proof. But do we really need to drag Limbaugh into politics for real? No, I say. Let any of the reps say what they will about Rush, but not as an official proclamation. Let's not give his THAT much credit... He needs to remain an 'outside' voice... WAY outside...



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/01/2012 06:07PM by hal.

Repudiate a political commentary? Might as well ask Congress to outlaw pigs farting. The best offense here is.... Ignore him. Silly Dems... All they did is up his ratings.

Maybe Boehner will refudiate it instead....

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rj
AKA
Vreemac, Moth of the Future

great responses guys

Limbaugh has changed the posted transcript, in part. He left the whole @#$%& garbage, but when I saw this on SFGate this morning, I read the linked transcript from the Limbaugh site. In it, beyond the currently posted description, he described this third year Georgetown Law student as, and this is an inaccurate quote, because it is from my memory, something, like,

Lazy, useless, shiftless, several more simiar adjectives, for an entire sentence.

I was surprised by this description of an academically accomplished woman, so looked for his educational achievements,

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Wikipedia
Limbaugh graduated from Cape Girardeau, Missouri Central High School, in 1969. Because of his parents' desire to see him attend college, he enrolled in Southeast Missouri State University but left the school after two semesters and one summer. According to his mother, "he flunked everything", and "he just didn't seem interested in anything except radio."[2][5]

I'm glad I don't listen to this show.

He's just jealous because he has to take pills to get an erection.

[www.thesmokinggun.com]

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"Stop thinking about art works as objects, and start thinking about them as triggers for experiences." ~ Brian Eno



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/01/2012 07:02PM by $tevie.

A sexual tourist calling SOMEONE ELSE a @#$%&.

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Unpaid Social Liaison

Limbaugh is an entertainer. A shock jock like Howard Stern, except Howard was good for a few laughs.

I wonder who sponsors his show in markets like Los Angeles (KFI) or San Francisco or New York. Somebody should publish the list and we can all write to them.

How is a continuous stream of lies, invective and slander entertaining? (I never understood Howard Stern either.)

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Gutenberg
How is a continuous stream of lies, invective and slander entertaining? (I never understood Howard Stern either.)

Same reason some people think that monkeys throwing poo is entertaining.

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beagledave

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Gutenberg
How is a continuous stream of lies, invective and slander entertaining? (I never understood Howard Stern either.)

Same reason some people think that monkeys throwing poo is entertaining.

It has an intellectual element to it that is quite refreshing after listening to so much political discourse.

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mattkime

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beagledave

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Gutenberg
How is a continuous stream of lies, invective and slander entertaining? (I never understood Howard Stern either.)

Same reason some people think that monkeys throwing poo is entertaining.

It has an intellectual element to it that is quite refreshing after listening to so much political discourse.

Are you conflating Rush Limbaugh with pre-TV Glenn Beck?

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rj
AKA
Vreemac, Moth of the Future

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Lux Interior
Limbaugh is an entertainer a$$. A shock jock like Howard Stern, except Howard was good for a few laughs.

There, fixed that for you.

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Alpharetta, GA (Atlanta suburb)

All this controversy just increases his listening audience and that is his bottom line. He loves it.

I don't expect Rush to act like an adult, but I am disappointed in what those Democrats are doing here. He's a lame entertainer, they are leaders of our public life. Shame on them for being so childish.

Normally my feeling is that it's best to ignore Limbaugh because he is such an Attention @#$%& and it's too bad people keep feeding his ego.

However, this is in a sense larger than Limbaugh and the woman he slandered. This is part and parcel with that ludicrous hearing on the subject which consisted of nothing but old men. That in the 21st Century we are arguing about birth control, and someone thinks he can call a woman a @#$%& for having sex, makes it feel as if the Taliban crept in while we weren't looking and took over the GOP or at the very least its right wing. It's like falling down the rabbit hole! Jeebus. So this time I am taking Limbaugh seriously because of the astonishing fact that there are a vast group of listeners out there who seem to think that women should be set back 100 years. And I think it's important for the GOP to step back from Limbaugh, because they need to make it clear for the @#$%& out there that this is disrespect is an unacceptable way to treat women. They should have been all over this without someone having to bring it up to them.

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"Stop thinking about art works as objects, and start thinking about them as triggers for experiences." ~ Brian Eno



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/02/2012 11:01AM by $tevie.

Can that woman sue him?

That's what I was wondering. That is, if she even cares to. She may simply want to have it go away and not drag it on.

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"Stop thinking about art works as objects, and start thinking about them as triggers for experiences." ~ Brian Eno

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$tevie
Normally my feeling is that it's best to ignore Limbaugh because he is such an Attention @#$%& and it's too bad people keep feeding his ego.

However, this is in a sense larger than Limbaugh and the woman he slandered. This is part and parcel with that ludicrous hearing on the subject which consisted of nothing but old men. That in the 21st Century we are arguing about birth control, and someone thinks he can call a woman a @#$%& for having sex, makes it feel as if the Taliban crept in while we weren't looking and took over the GOP or at the very least its right wing. It's like falling down the rabbit hole! Jeebus. So this time I am taking Limbaugh seriously because of the astonishing fact that there are a vast group of listeners out there who seem to think that women should be set back 100 years. And I think it's important for the GOP to step back from Limbaugh, because they need to make it clear for the @#$%& out there that this is disrespect is an unacceptable way to treat women. They should have been all over this without someone having to bring it up to them.

Agree. John Boehner has finally come out with a little whimper against the mighty Rush and said that Limbaugh's remarks were "inappropriate."
Rush is our country's most famous and most powerful and most listened-to Republican.
Republican politicians are afraid to speak out against him or to anger him. They know that his voice is more powerful than their own.
Knowing this, Democrats are right to call him out. And they are right to use his words politically against Republicans, who have over the years allowed this man to become their #1 spokesman.
If they don't like what they hear, then they need to start standing up to him, as Democrats are doing.

Since she is not a public figure, she likely has a slander case against bLIMPy.

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Unpaid Social Liaison

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mattkime

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beagledave

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Gutenberg
How is a continuous stream of lies, invective and slander entertaining? (I never understood Howard Stern either.)

Same reason some people think that monkeys throwing poo is entertaining.

It has an intellectual element to it that is quite refreshing after listening to so much political discourse.

matt-

that's funny!

my first giggle of the day.

thanks.

be well

rob

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mick e
Since she is not a public figure, she likely has a slander case against bLIMPy.

I so wish she could, but probably not. To win a slander case, I think she'd have to prove that because of Rush's comments, people now think she's a prostitute. That's probably not the case.

However, I do think Rush's comments may ultimately do him more harm than any slander suit could. That would be in the form of advertisers jumping ship (a couple have announced that they have.)
His audience is mostly a "he-man club of women haters" already, so I don't expect much audience impact.
But if top Republicans finally start to tell him he no longer speaks for them, then maybe after decades of calling women feminazis and all manner of hateful stuff he has finally jumped the shark.

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Grace62

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mick e
Since she is not a public figure, she likely has a slander case against bLIMPy.

I so wish she could, but probably not. To win a slander case, I think she'd have to prove that because of Rush's comments, people now think she's a prostitute. That's probably not the case.

However, I do think Rush's comments may ultimately do him more harm than any slander suit could. That would be in the form of advertisers jumping ship (a couple have announced that they have.)
His audience is mostly a "he-man club of women haters" already, so I don't expect much audience impact.
But if top Republicans finally start to tell him he no longer speaks for them, then maybe after decades of calling women feminazis and all manner of hateful stuff he has finally jumped the shark.

Meanwhile, he laughs all the way to the bank.

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rj
AKA
Vreemac, Moth of the Future

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Meanwhile, he laughs all the way to the bank.

I think that an impact on advertising makes it a shorter visit at the bank.

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rjmacs

Meanwhile, he laughs all the way to the bank.

It's not possible to do personal financial damage to Rush Limbaugh, I don't think anyone frames this that way. He made his bundle many years ago .

What he has to preserve is his reputation and legacy.

As we saw with Glenn Beck, it's possible to piss those things away by going too far.

I find it interesting that one of the advertisers that has dropped out, The Sleep Train, is a local company and was probably one of Rush's very first sponsors (Rush got his start here on local radio). That's a very long relationship that is now severed.

Frankly, I predicted LONG ago that one day Rush would go too far and all of the advertisers would leave en mass and he would suddenly be finished.

I saw sure that this would have happened years ago, but the guy is made of teflon.

Thank you President Obama!!


"President Obama on Friday placed a call to Sandra Fluke, the Georgetown University law school student at the heart of the debate over the contraception law, thanking her for speaking out on the issue.

The call came a day after conservative talk radio host Rush Limbaugh demanded that Fluke release tapes of her having sex in exchange for the contraception that she argued should be covered by employers. Fluke was set to go on MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell Reports when the president rang her on her phone. She took the call while waiting in the green room.

"He encouraged me and supported me and thanked me for speaking out about the concerns of American women," she told Mitchell, who received permission from the White House to discuss the exchange between Fluke and Obama. "What was really personal for me was that he said to tell my parents that they should be proud. And that meant a lot because Rush Limbaugh questioned whether or not my family would be proud of me. So I just appreciated that very much."

[www.huffingtonpost.com]

I think she could win a slander case--the question is whether it would be worth it for her. What she would have to prove is what Limbaugh said was untrue, that he knew it was untrue, and that he said it with malice intended. I believe what he said is slander under the law, but I doubt Sara Fluke will choose to be dragged through the mud that Limbaugh's lawyers will concoct for the trial. Sometimes you just have to keep your powder dry for another fight.

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Gutenberg
I think she could win a slander case--the question is whether it would be worth it for her. What she would have to prove is what Limbaugh said was untrue, that he knew it was untrue, and that he said it with malice intended. I believe what he said is slander under the law, but I doubt Sara Fluke will choose to be dragged through the mud that Limbaugh's lawyers will concoct for the trial. Sometimes you just have to keep your powder dry for another fight.

Actually, she would also have to prove that he was making factual claims about her, and not mere editorial commentary that is protected speech. That's a very high bar in the U.S., and i don't think that his statements meet the standard. We give LOTS of leeway in the U.S. for editorializing, even cruel and stupid editorializing.

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rj
AKA
Vreemac, Moth of the Future

The root of slander and libel is untruth, not truth. A lie is not protected speech. You can't be criminally prosecuted but you can be made to pay.

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Gutenberg
The root of slander and libel is untruth, not truth. A lie is not protected speech. You can't be criminally prosecuted but you can be made to pay.

I recognize that you are reading the letter of the law correctly. However, the case law does not support your position. There is a LOT of wriggle room for editorializing in public speech that allows unkind untruths to remain unpunishable in civil court.

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rj
AKA
Vreemac, Moth of the Future

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rjmacs

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Gutenberg
I think she could win a slander case--the question is whether it would be worth it for her. What she would have to prove is what Limbaugh said was untrue, that he knew it was untrue, and that he said it with malice intended. I believe what he said is slander under the law, but I doubt Sara Fluke will choose to be dragged through the mud that Limbaugh's lawyers will concoct for the trial. Sometimes you just have to keep your powder dry for another fight.

Actually, she would also have to prove that he was making factual claims about her, and not mere editorial commentary that is protected speech. That's a very high bar in the U.S., and i don't think that his statements meet the standard. We give LOTS of leeway in the U.S. for editorializing, even cruel and stupid editorializing.

Exactly..if some stand up comedian makes some equivalent crack about someone in the news, what are the chances that any slander case would be effective against the comedian?

I'm satisfied to watch it play out in the court of public opinion.

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beagledave

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rjmacs

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Gutenberg
I think she could win a slander case--the question is whether it would be worth it for her. What she would have to prove is what Limbaugh said was untrue, that he knew it was untrue, and that he said it with malice intended. I believe what he said is slander under the law, but I doubt Sara Fluke will choose to be dragged through the mud that Limbaugh's lawyers will concoct for the trial. Sometimes you just have to keep your powder dry for another fight.

Actually, she would also have to prove that he was making factual claims about her, and not mere editorial commentary that is protected speech. That's a very high bar in the U.S., and i don't think that his statements meet the standard. We give LOTS of leeway in the U.S. for editorializing, even cruel and stupid editorializing.

Exactly..if some stand up comedian makes some equivalent crack about someone in the news, what are the chances that any slander case would be effective against the comedian?

Parody and humor IS protected speech.

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"Stop thinking about art works as objects, and start thinking about them as triggers for experiences." ~ Brian Eno

Ms. Fluke is not a public figure. While someone can get away with outrageous statements about Barack Obama or Rick Santorum or even Brooks Robinson, what Limbaugh said about Fluke is actionable. I just don't think she will find it worth her while to take action.

If she did raise a stink that got traction, the right would dust off the old Anita Hill playbook to ruin her life. Not worth it. I vote for court of public opinion. too.

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Gutenberg
Ms. Fluke is not a public figure. While someone can get away with outrageous statements about Barack Obama or Rick Santorum or even Brooks Robinson, what Limbaugh said about Fluke is actionable. I just don't think she will find it worth her while to take action.

Actually, for the purposes of Limbaugh's comments in this case, Ms. Fluke would be considered a limited purpose public figure. She entered the public discourse around this very controversial issue voluntarily, with intent to gain the attention of the media and the public. Although they are vile, Limbaugh's editorial comments are related to the subject on which Ms. Fluke entered the fray, and though they are disgusting and indefensible, they are constitutionally protected speech. A lawsuit would go nowhere.

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rj
AKA
Vreemac, Moth of the Future

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...with intent to gain the attention of the media and the public.

I thought her intent was to testify and influence congress?

That's kind of effed up if you can be called a prostitute on national radio and it's not considered slander. I kind of find that hard to believe. I mean, @#$%&, okay maybe that's an "opinion" -- but "prositute" is an outright lie, since the definition of a prosititute is completely set in stone.

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"Stop thinking about art works as objects, and start thinking about them as triggers for experiences." ~ Brian Eno

I'm sorry we got sidetracked by this because I don't believe it's the heart of the matter. Sandra Fluke was willing to publicly discuss a very personal matter for the benefit of all women. And in response she got dragged through the political mud. So it's good to see not only Congressional Democrats and a few Republicans but also the President standing up for her.

In order to prove slander don't you have to prove that you were significantly damaged by the information shared? How would she do that, since it's not likely that anyone believes she is a prostitute based on Rush's vile comment? He also claimed that her parents might not be proud of her, I doubt Rush has the power to influence what her parents think or feel about her, except that they are likely very proud of her right now, as the President said.

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August West

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...with intent to gain the attention of the media and the public.

I thought her intent was to testify and influence congress?

Be that as it may, her intent was to appear in public, on the record, at an open Congressional hearing (which was widely covered, seeing as we all know about it). She has also subsequently appeared publicly on national news media; it's hard to argue that she's maintaining a 'private person' profile.

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$tevie
That's kind of effed up if you can be called a prostitute on national radio and it's not considered slander. I kind of find that hard to believe. I mean, @#$%&, okay maybe that's an "opinion" -- but "prositute" is an outright lie, since the definition of a prosititute is completely set in stone.

I agree that it's effed up to say such a thing about someone. However, it's a tough argument to make that Limbaugh honestly expected people to believe that he was claiming that Ms. Fluke charges people money for sexual services. He was abusing metaphors and using inflammatory language to conflate the use of other citizens' money to pay birth control costs with some kind of endorsement or support of Ms. Fluke's sexual activity. This piss-poor metaphor does not hold up for a second, but neither does the claim that anyone really thought that this third year law student at Georgetown University is secretly hawking sexual wares in exchange for free birth control (or cash). Limbaugh called her a bad name and made some deeply offensive suggestions; you can't reasonably claim that he was accusing her of criminal activity, and no court would entertain a complaint to that end.

It's not a crime or a civil offense to insult someone, even using terrible, abusive language. It's an awful thing to do, but it's constitutionally protected speech.

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rj
AKA
Vreemac, Moth of the Future




Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/02/2012 04:25PM by rjmacs.

Brooks Robinson? Say it ain't so.

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it's hard to argue that she's maintaining a 'private person' profile.

And I didn't, I just wondered if you had some special insight into her intent.

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August West

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it's hard to argue that she's maintaining a 'private person' profile.

And I didn't, I just wondered if you had some special insight into her intent.

It was conjecture. This was a very high-profile hearing, and Ms. Fluke had been recruited specifically because there were no women represented on the witness panel. It seems fair to assume that part of her participation was geared at making a public statement about the GOP lawmakers' oversight (haha, get it?), and when she was refused a slot at the hearing - a foreknown possibility - that the media would report on it. I'm willing to let the peanut gallery judge whether her intent was solely to inform and influence the panel; i doubt it. She's clearly a smart and sophisticated lawyer-in-training, and quite aware of the circumstances surrounding her involvement here. As an aside, i also think she's handled this situation with grace and aplomb, making Limbaugh's offense appear even more grievous.

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rj
AKA
Vreemac, Moth of the Future

Two sponsors have pulled out of the Limbaugh program: Sleep Number and Sleep Train. Here is a list of the rest of the sponsors if anyone is interested.
Pro Flowers
Domino’s Pizza
Lending Tree
Life Quotes
e-Harmony
OnStar
Hotwire
Carbonite
Select Comfort
The Neptune Society of Northern California
Oreck Corp.
Mid-West Life Insurance Co.
AutoZone
Mission Pharmacal (Citrical)
LegalZoom
Blue-Emu
Citrix Online
American Forces Network

There is a list of sponsors with addresses, email addresses and telephone numbers here:

[www.democraticunderground.com]

The Neptune Society of Northern California?

that's puzzling...

They do cremations. Fits right in with Limbaugh if you ask me.

Life insurance, cremation, mattresses, online dating.

Fluke herself said she was "having so much sex" she couldn't afford to pay for it (birth control). Limbaugh took this to the next level by reasoning that if someone has to pay for all her sexual activities then she getting paid to have sex ergo she's a prostitute.

Wher are the guys in all this? They can get free condoms at all kinds of places.

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If you don't stand for something, you'll probably fall for anything.