P21: Most Attacks on Rush Limbaugh are Hypocritical, Opportunistic and Silly

Project 21 ^ | 10.2.03

[mhking]

Most Attacks on Rush Limbaugh are Hypocritical, Opportunistic and Silly, Says Conservative Group

ESPN Especially Hypocritical in Accepting Limbaugh's Resignation While Its Website Raises the Same Issue Limbaugh Did

"Most of those who are excoriating Rush Limbaugh for saying what he believes about media coverage of Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb are hypocritical grandstanders or opportunists," says Amy Ridenour, president of The National Center for Public Policy Research, a conservative group.

Ridenour cited several examples:

"An ESPN spokesman said ESPN didn't think Limbaugh's comments were racially biased, yet ESPN released a statement saying Limbaugh's comments were 'insensitive and inappropriate' and George Bodenheimer, the president of ESPN Sports, says Limbaugh's subsequent resignation from ESPN was 'the appropriate action to resolve this matter expeditiously.' Yet ESPN has posted on its website a poll asking visitors if McNabb has been overrated because of his race. Why is it inappropriate for Limbaugh to discuss media coverage of McNabb but not inappropriate when ESPN does it?"

Ridenour cited other instances of hypocrisy, such as the Washington Post's Leonard Shapiro using the beginning of an October 1 column to approvingly discuss the importance of having more black coaches in the NFL and then editorializing against Limbaugh for noting that the news media wants blacks to succeed in football. Said Ridenour: "Shapiro's article reads almost like a parody."

Ridenour added:

"Several sports reporters went out of their way to attack millions of conservatives in columns ostensibly complaining that Limbaugh had injected politics into sports. NBCSports.com's Mike Celizic complained that Limbaugh's 'fun isn't in the game. It's in inflicting his political agenda on a gullible public willing to subcontract their thinking to him. Part of that agenda is based on the basest xenophobic instincts of the human species. It's about 'them' and 'us,' and the bad guys just happen to be foreigners and minorities.'"

"Compared to Celizic's comments about conservatives," Ridenour said, "Limbaugh's comments were almost non-political, and certainly less intentionally offensive."

Ridenour also cited Milo Bryant of the Colorado Springs Gazette, who complained "it's not fine... when Limbaugh brings up characteristics that fail to be germane to the discussion" and then irrelevantly attacked the intelligence of Limbaugh listeners, saying "dittoheads may be blinded by Limbaugh's simple-minded comments."

"Even Donovan McNabb's response to this matter has been silly," said Ridenour. "He told a reporter that he hoped Limbaugh's comments wouldn't discourage young blacks from wanting to play quarterback. How could any young man intimidated by a press corps that wishes him well -- which is, after all, what Limbaugh said -- possibly succeed in a job that forces him to face a defensive line?"

[mhking]

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[Support Free Republic]

Lighten Up, Francis!

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[Benrand]

WIlliam Rhoden, Ralph Wiley, Stephen A. Smith...there are so many black columnists who continually editorialize on behalf of black athletes and coaches, they base entire columns on it all the time.

I guess a little bit of digging will find people espousing exactly what Rush said, that is, if the sites don't rip the links down.

[Batrachian]

The code of political correctness, especially regarding race, hasn't been suspended. Rush forgot that this wasn't his show and that he couldn't get away with saying any old thing. I suppose he never considered that the large black audience of this show would be outraged by his comments, and that professional sports is notoriously PC. The truth of what he said is irrelevent in this context, as is usually the case in politics.

[camle]

hatee, but if these new drug allegations hold water, then we may be witnessing the end of modern conservatism as we know it.

say it ain't so, Rush!

[mhking]

Rush forgot that this wasn't his show and that he couldn't get away with saying any old thing.

Give that man a cigar! That's exactly right!

If Rush had made that statement on his talk show, there would have been the rolling of eyes and that's about it. But because it was on Countdown there's much gnashing of teeth and wringing of hands over it.

And Rush, as opposed to apologizing for it, and moving on, decides to cave in to the left's pile-on by resigning.

Katie Couric was on the warpath this morning, jumping all over J.C. Watts on this; and J.C. was doing his best back-pedal move.

This will embolden the left to jump on us even more. No doubt about it, this is not a good day for us.

[mhking]

hatee, but if these new drug allegations hold water, then we may be witnessing the end of modern conservatism as we know it.

Oh, please. The end of "modern conservatism?" It was certainly a blow to us, but the "end?"

Not hardly. Conservatism is not one person.

Rush is human. He makes mistakes and missteps.

But at the end of the day, we are right, and the truth will always prevail.

[willieroe]

I suppose he never considered that the large black audience of this show would be outraged by his comments...

There was NO immediate outrage by the black audience or anyone else - it took 48 hours for the "spin-and-destroy" machine of the liberals to get into gear, starting Tuesday with the local Philadelphia media, and then ballooning nationwide Wednesday.

[camle]

you are, of course right, however IF the drug allegations are true, there will be a feeding frenzy by the leftists, democrats and media that the world has seldom seen. Conservatives will be demonized as hateful, racist hippocrites for decades to come.

Rush has a lot of followers, both famous and not. They will all be tarred by the stigma of association that the left so loves to smear people with.

if Rush goes down, we will have lost a powerful spokesperson, ally and booster.

[TrappedInLiberalHell]

If conservatives raise a stink about something said on national TV, we're VRWC Bushbot Dittohead racist hatemongering Nazis. If liberals do it, they're heroes.

It is so because they say it is so. "You are a racist. You have thus been called a racist. Therefore you are a racist. " The 'racism' mud slung by liberals only sticks to white, Republican skin. It's an engineering marvel.

[Noachian]

I haven't seen any national response to Rush's statement from the black community yet, but white liberals pounced on him almost immediately from all over the country.

White liberals own the TV airwaves, and Rush should have known that he was being watched for anything that would give the liberal media ammo against him.

Outside of talk radio political correctness rules the airwaves, which is why liberals hate talk radio. This incident is further proof that freedom of speech does not apply to protected minorities.

[kitkat]

***...Rush has a lot of followers, both famous and not. They will all be tarred by the stigma of association that the left so loves to smear people with.
***

Are you kidding? Rush just became a hero to the libertarians if he abused PRESCRIBED drugs; and to the rest of the voters who are totally sick of all the attacks on conservatives. And it takes the Wallace leak off the table for a few hours.

You probably thought that Bush would lose the last election because of an old, old DUI.

[CROSSHIGHWAYMAN]

Rush forgot that this wasn't his show and that he couldn't get away with saying any old thing.

I saw the tape of Rush on ESPN.

He looked like a non-thinking windbag.

He was as much "in your face" as the militant homosexual crowd.

Perhaps it's time for him to go on a long vacation.

[Batrachian]

Yes, but we know that these spin and destroy machines do exist. We've seen them many times before, and we know they can destroy careers, and Rush should have known. He simply forgot where he was.

BTW, can anyone tell me if the woman on the Chunky Soup commercials that Donovan McNabb does is really his mother?

[kitkat]

mh, has it occurred to anyone that this was NOT the kind of mistake an intelligent man like Rush would make? Perhaps he did it on purpose. This should be interesting.

[Vaduz]

Good thinking Rush is right quotas must br made to make the lame happy.

[willieroe]

Sure, but unless the Limbaugh comment was the subject of "black talk radio" Sunday night and Monday (and I've seen no report that it was, perhaps I'm mistaken), it doesn't benefit us to rewrite history when discussing the comment.

[Maria S]

"Even Donovan McNabb's response to this matter has been silly,"

Especially the part about his whining about 'having gone through this kind of stuff all through grade school, high school..." etc. With a 'you know' thrown in after every fourth word.

[joesnuffy]

Slim Fast smuggled in from Columbia

[Pan_Yans Wife]

Why would Rush purposefully make such a statement? Did he want to draw the wrath of the Leftists, so that he could resign? I thought working on television, in the entertainment field of football, was one of his dreams.

[mhking]

I haven't seen any national response to Rush's statement from the black community yet, but white liberals pounced on him almost immediately from all over the country.

Crazy Al was on him well before the 11P news last night. I'm sure we'll hear from the remainder of the "Soul Patrol®" today.

Rush forgot that he wasn't in our world (talk radio) any more, but in their world. And in their world, they still get to make the rules.

[mhking]

mh, has it occurred to anyone that this was NOT the kind of mistake an intelligent man like Rush would make? Perhaps he did it on purpose

In general? I'm sure most here would agree that he wouldn't do it on purpose, but he's just as human as the rest of us. He made a misstep. I don't think he would have done this on purpose.

[Born Conservative]

Even if the allegations are true about the drugs, I will continue to listen to him and to subscribe to 24/7 despite this. What he does in his private life is his business. If it is true, I had no idea prior to this that he was using Oxy Contin; it didn't affect his performances on the radio.

However, the liberal feeding frenzy has started, and they will do their damndest to smear Rush. It won't change my opinion of him, though.

[BlackbirdSST]

The dumbest thing I have ever seen Rush do/say, ( the WOsD's, notwithstanding), was thinking he could step outside of his Program and make it. Only a complete moron would've ventured into this and entertained the thought they would succeed. He carries a big target on his chest. Did he not think the left would take shot's at him? One salvo, and he'll be lucky to survive it. Blackbird.

[AppyPappy]

I can see Marcus Vick throwing away a $6M a year contract over something Rush Limbaugh said.

[fml]

Thats a very intresting point, and I bet you're onto something.

[Batrachian]

I didn't say that there as immediate outrage from black viewers. I said that "there would be outrage", and there was. Rush wouldn't resign so quickly because Philadelphia talk radio and Katy Couric where outraged. He resigned, probably against his will, because ESPN couldn't take the heat from the show audience and the NFL players.

[unsycophant]

Maybe he took one for the team....? Interesting.

[yoe]

Those of us who listen and learn from Rush Limbaugh, a man of enormous integrity, who daily cuts through the rhetoric to explain the ways of government on both sides of the isle, we need to contact those who would silence the Dr. of Democracy. This Johnny come lately needs to be freeped, he has said little twice other than to bad-mouth his country in the midst of a war; he changes daily about what he would or wouldn't do. His facts - AREN'T. Please feel free to e-mail him or take the time to write the little general.

General (ret.) Wesley K. Clark
Clark for President
P.O. Box 2959
Little Rock, AR 72203

info@clark04.com

[mhking]

because ESPN couldn't take the heat from the show audience and the NFL players.

And sponsors, and the League itself.

I'm certain there was much gnashing of teeth and wringing of hands behind the scenes.

[MamaLucci]

Remember this from a few months back. Talk about selective outrage.




Baker: Black, Hispanic players hold up better in heat
ESPN.com news services

CHICAGO -- Dusty Baker has already warmed up to the idea of having to manage all those dog-days-of-summer afternoon games at Wrigley Field. He can't change the schedule, and being a California native and former player, he was accustomed to long days in the outfield sun.

But did he spend too much time in it?

Baker, in his first year as Cubs manager, delved into heat and skin color when talking to reporters Saturday, saying black and Hispanic players hold up better under the summer sun and heat.

"It's easier for most Latin guys and it's easier for most minority people because most of us come from heat. You don't find too many brothers in New Hampshire and Maine and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Right?" he said with a chuckle.

"We were brought over here for the heat, right? Isn't that history? Weren't we brought over because we could take the heat?"

"Your skin color is more conducive to heat than it is to the lighter-skinned people. I don't see brothers running around burnt," Baker said before the Cubs beat St. Louis at Wrigley. "That's a fact. I'm not making this up. I'm not seeing some brothers walking around with some white stuff on their ears and noses."

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.



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[Noachian]

Rush forgot that he wasn't in our world (talk radio) any more, but in their world. And in their world, they still get to make the rules

How very true. Rush should have seen the trap before walking into it.

We'll probably see less of Rush on TV, but this incident, if nothing else, has brought public attention to the double standard used by the liberal media, and maybe even a few more listeners to Rush's radio show.

[Tribune7]

But at the end of the day, we are right, and the truth will always prevail.

Very good point.

I'm looking at this as the last hurrah for the left. They're pulling out all stops. Rush on drugs? His maid wore a wire? So where's the arrest? If it's pain-relief thing it's going to backfire big time.

Drudge is saying the LA Times is going have an "expose" about Arnold groping women. It's not going to work this time. This is desperation.

Wilson is already descredited on the net. And concerning WMDs in Iraq, check this.

[Born Conservative]

[b4its2late]

Yep. It's always been about the media, not just McNabb....