Rush Limbaugh

File:031002 RushLimbaugh.jpg

Rush Limbaugh.

Rush Hudson Limbaugh III (born January 12, 1951 in Cape Girardeau, Missouri) is an American radio talk show host. A commentator with a conservative point of view, he discusses politics and current events on his show, The Rush Limbaugh Show. His show was first nationally syndicated in August 1988, and as of 2005 (according to Arbitron ratings surveys) its audience was estimated at between 14 and 20 million listeners per week, making it the largest radio talk show audience in the United States. [1][2]

The Rush Limbaugh Show has been largely credited for the shift in AM broadcasting to a news-talk format after an audience decline in the 1970s, earning him the title "the man who saved AM radio."

Limbaugh was the 1992, 1995, 2000, and 2005 recipient of the Marconi Radio Award for Syndicated Radio Personality of the Year, given by the National Association of Broadcasters. He was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 1993. In 2002, industry publication Talkers magazine ranked him as the greatest radio talk show host of all time. [3]

Private life

Limbaugh began his career in radio as a teenager in 1967 [4] in his hometown of Cape Girardeau, Missouri using the name Rusty Sharpe. His father, a judge whose wealth and status gave him considerable influence in southeastern Missouri, had once owned the radio station where Limbaugh started his career. Limbaugh always spoke of his parents with great warmth and affection. He dedicated his first book to them, writing: "Your love and kindess made me the terrific guy I am." Limbaugh's father had wanted Rush to be a lawyer, and was initially skeptical about his son's choice of a career. However, he supported his son in his endeavors. During the first Persian Gulf War, Limbaugh's father watched him do a commentary and was impressed by his delivery. He called him and asked "Where did you learn to talk like that?" Rush said simply "I learned it from you, Dad." Young Rush was also very close to his grandfather who was a prominent attorney, practiced law well into his nineties, and lived to the age of 103.

He attended Southeast Missouri State University for one year where, ironically, he flunked two speech courses, then dropped out. This would have normally made him eligible for the draft, but he was classified 1-Y due to an undisclosed medical problem [5]. Limbaugh stated that he was not drafted because a physical found that he had an "inoperable pilonidal cyst" and "a football knee from high school". The football coach during Limbaugh's only year of playing football did not remember an injury to Limbaugh when interviewed 25 years later. [Colford, pp. 14–20]

Relationships

Limbaugh was first married on September 24, 1977 to Roxy Maxine McNeely, a sales secretary at radio station WHB in Kansas City. They were married at the Centenary United Methodist Church in Cape Girardeau. In March 1980, Roxy McNeely filed for divorce, citing "incompatibility". They were formally divorced on July 10, 1980.

In 1983, Limbaugh married Michelle Sixta, a college student and usherette at the Kansas City Royals Stadium Club. She left him in December 1988 and their divorce was finalized in 1990. She remarried the following year.

In 1990, Limbaugh met Marta Fitzgerald, a married 35-year-old aerobics instructor, when she contacted him via the Compuserve online service. After Fitzgerald divorced her third husband, the two were married on May 27, 1994 at the house of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. The ceremony was officiated by Thomas himself. Also in attendance at the wedding were William Bennett, James Carville, and Mary Matalin.

On Friday, June 11, 2004, Limbaugh announced that he was separating from Fitzgerald. On air, he stated, "Marta has consented to my request for a divorce, and we have mutually agreed to seek an amicable separation. As I said, it's a personal matter and I want to keep it that way. I don't intend to say any more about this on the air." An article in the Palm Beach Post claimed that the fourth-divorce was this time a result of the admitted drug addiction.

In August 2004, Limbaugh was reported to be dating CNN television personality Daryn Kagan.

Public life

1970s

After dropping out of Southeast Missouri State University he moved to Pittsburgh and became a Top 40 music radio disc jockey on station WIXZ.

In October 1972, he moved to KQV, using the name Jeff Christie. It was in Pittsburgh that many of Limbaugh's trademarks developed, such as a claim to use a "golden microphone." (which eventually became true in the 1990s on The Rush Limbaugh Show) After several years in music radio, Limbaugh took a break from radio and accepted a position as director of promotions with the Kansas City Royals baseball team.

1980s

In 1984, Limbaugh returned to radio as a talk show host at KFBK in Sacramento, California. In 1987, the Federal Communications Commission repealed the Fairness Doctrine, thus freeing radio stations to air opinion journalism without having to provide air time to opposing points of view. This emboldened many radio stations to modify their line-ups in order to attract those wishing to hear varied points of view.

After achieving success in Sacramento and drawing the attention of Edward F. McLaughlin, a former president of ABC Radio, Limbaugh moved to New York City in 1988, entering the nation's largest radio market on talk-format station WABC-AM, which remains his flagship station to this day. He did a two hour local program on WABC. For a while on WABC he was preceded by commedienne Joy Behar and followed by Lynn Samuels, creating a six-hour block of politically focused radio, with both Behar and Samuels leaning to the left politically.

Beginning on August 1, 1988 Limbaugh was syndicated nationally as a two hour show and eventually expanded to three hours while dropping the local New York show, though his show was still based at WABC. (Limbaugh refers on-air to the "Excellence In Broadcasting Network", or "E-I-B"; however, this is merely an on-air signature, as there is no organization with that name.) While WABC remains Limbaugh's key outlet, he now broadcasts from either the Premiere Radio Network studios in New York or his Florida home.

Newsday media critic Paul Colford reported on Limbaugh in 1988: [6]

Rush Limbaugh's act includes plenty of pokes at himself and lots of tongue-in-cheek pomposity such as: "I'm Rush Limbaugh, your guiding light in times of trouble and despair." His politics skew sharply to the right of the "liberal Democrats" (this year's bad guys) and Gov. Michael Dukakis, known in Limbaugh parlance as "The Loser."

The president of EFM Media is a former head of the ABC Radio Network, Edward F. McLaughlin. He believes that Limbaugh, a partner under contract to EFM, will become the most-listened-to radio personality in America - bigger than Larry King - by virtue of his midwestern manner and informed views. Bigger than Larry King? We'll see. For now, McLaughlin's goal is to have 200 stations signed to Limbaugh's show by 1990.

1990s

File:Howardsternvoiceofamerica.jpg

Howard Stern and Rush Limbaugh on the November 1, 1993 cover of Time.

The program rapidly grew in popularity and moved to stations with larger audiences.

Television Appearances

Limbaugh's first television exposure came with a 1990 guest host stint on Pat Sajak's late-night program on CBS. After a confrontation with ACT UP gay activists in the studio audience, protesting what they perceived as anti-gay hate speech (such as "AIDS updates" that some suggested celebrated the deaths of people with AIDS), the studio audience was removed so that Limbaugh could finish the show. In 1993, Limbaugh appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman, and the audience almost immediately went hostile and booed at him, especially when Limbaugh compared Hillary Clinton's face to "a Pontiac hood ornament."

Rush also guest-starred on an episode of Hearts Afire.

Author

In 1992, Limbaugh published his first book, The Way Things Ought To Be, followed by See, I Told You So in 1993. Both went to number one on the New York Times Best Seller list. Limbaugh acknowledges in the text of the first book that he taped the book and it was transcribed and edited by Wall Street Journal writer John Fund. In the second book, Joseph Farah of WorldNetDaily is named as his collaborator[7].

Subject of criticism

The first book about Limbaugh appears to be the 1993 Rush Limbaugh and the Bible by Daniel J. Evearitt. One reviewer said "Dr. Evearitt is very uncomfortable sharing the label 'conservative' with Limbaugh" and notes that it contains chapters like "No Wife, No Kids -- Is This Man an Expert on Family Values?" [8]

Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR), released a report on October 17, 1994 listing forty-three errors Limbaugh allegedly made during various shows. Limbaugh responded to about half of the original claims; FAIR then rebutted his rebuttal. And the rebutted rebuttals continued. For the full text of the original, the rebuttal and the rebuttal of the rebuttal, see [9], [10], and [11], respectively. Critics such as L. Brent Bozell's Media Research Center have charged that FAIR is liberal and partisan [12], but Bozell has likewise been labeled conservative and partisan. The difference is that Bozell is openly partisan, while FAIR claims objectivity. However, Bozell and his organization are not always properly labeled as partisan.

In 1995, FAIR published an entire book, The Way Things Aren't: Rush Limbaugh's Reign of Error: Over 100 Outrageously False and Foolish Statements from America's Most Powerful Radio and TV Commentator, alleging errors by Limbaugh. His defenders claim that because Limbaugh talks unscripted for fifteen broadcast hours a week (less commercials) the number of alleged factual errors is, under the circumstances, very small.

Television show

Limbaugh's next television exposure was on a syndicated half-hour show running from 1992 through 1996, with Roger Ailes as executive producer. The television show discussed many of the same topics as his radio show, and was taped in front of a live audience, which he facetiously claimed had to pass an intelligence test in order to be admitted. Reportedly, Limbaugh ended the show due to disappointment that it was aired too late in the evening in many markets (in many places it was aired at 1:30 AM or even later) and because of the immense amount of time required to prepare for the show.

On November 6, 1992, three days after the election, in reference to who is in and out at the White House, Limbaugh made a reference to the daughter of the incoming President Bill Clinton, Chelsea and the the dog of outgoing President George H. W. Bush, Millie. At the moment where Limbaugh said "cute kid", the picture of Millie appeared onscreen. Limbaugh apologized during that show and gave a more lengthy apology a few days later. [13] Critics of Limbaugh have maintained that this was a deliberate act on his part.

Another memorable segment of the show was when Limbaugh played a video clip of then-President Bill Clinton laughing at a memorial service for Commerce Secretary Ron Brown with Tony Campolo and then abruptly putting on a mournful expression the instant Clinton detected the presence of television cameras which recorded this transition. [14]

Radio syndication

In 1997, Limbaugh's radio syndicator, privately held EFM Media, was acquired by Jacor Communication, a publicly traded company.[15] Later that year, Jacor merged with Premiere Radio Networks. [16]

In 1999, Jacor merged with Clear Channel Communications.[17] Currently, Clear Channel Communications through its Premiere Radio Networks subsidiary is the syndicator for Limbaugh's radio show.

Al Franken and weight

In 1996, Al Franken released a bestselling book and CD titled Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Idiot and Other Observations which included harsh criticism of Limbaugh and his allegedly meager fact-finding efforts. The "Fat" portion of the title of the book was a jibe at Limbaugh's weight and in-kind payback for his alleged rudeness on the radio and TV during the time in which the book was first published.

Sometime after the publication of "Big Fat Idiot," Limbaugh began to go on various diets. On November 20, 1999, he appeared on CNBC's Tim Russert show describing his weight loss: "I got to 325 at my highest. And … I lost the weight in two stages, and I'm now at 215. So that's—yeah, 110 pounds."

Called "one of the most dangerous men in America"

On March 3, 1991, Jon Kleinman wrote a letter to the editor of the Los Angeles Times Magazine in which he opined, "Radio is powerful. Limbaugh's views go unchecked. It is my view that he's one of the most dangerous men in America." [18] Limbaugh adopted this label on his radio program, using it as part of his on-air braggadocio. Much of the criticism of Limbaugh is focused at this aspect of his persona, such as his claim to be defeating liberals "with half his brain tied behind his back just to make it fair", or his frequently repeated statement that he has "talent on loan from God". He has stated several times on the air that he is amused at the indignant reaction that the "talent on loan from God" statement gets, as Limbaugh says the statement is meant to be a humble acknowledgment that any skill he has is from God.

2000s

Deafness

By August 2001, Limbaugh's listeners had noted changes in his voice and diction [19], changes that Limbaugh emphatically denied on the air. However, on October 8, 2001, Limbaugh admitted that the changes in his voice were due to complete deafness in his left ear and substantial hearing loss in his right ear. He also revealed that his radio staff was aiding him in continuing to accept calls on his show, despite his rapidly progressing hearing loss, by setting up a system where he could appear to hear his callers. The system worked remarkably well, but did not convince all listeners, some of whom noted a long delay between a caller ending his point and Limbaugh responding, and occasionally speaking over a caller. Occasionally Limbaugh had to ask callers to hold on momentarily, while the caller's comments would be transcripted and shown on Rush's computer monitor.

In December 2001, Limbaugh underwent cochlear implant surgery, which restored a measure of hearing in his left ear, and his voice and enunciation improved.

According to Limbaugh's doctors, Limbaugh's deafness was caused by an autoimmune disease. When Limbaugh revealed [20] in 2003 that he was addicted to pain killers, some doctors drew a link between his deafness and his drug addiction that resulted from the medication Limbaugh was prescribed to alleviate his chronic back-pain. [21][22] Nonetheless, no linkage between hydrocodone and deafness has been scientifically substantiated.

ESPN commentator

On July 14, 2003, ESPN announced that Limbaugh would be joining ESPN's Sunday NFL Countdown show as a weekly commentator when it premiered on September 7. Limbaugh would provide the "voice of the fan" and was supposed to spark debate on the show. [23]

Limbaugh certainly succeeded at the latter. On September 28, Limbaugh commented about Donovan McNabb, the quarterback of the Philadelphia Eagles:

"Sorry to say this, I don't think he's been that good from the get-go. I think what we've had here is a little social concern in the NFL. The media has been very desirous that a black quarterback do well. There is a little hope invested in McNabb, and he got a lot of credit for the performance of this team that he didn't deserve. The defense carried this team." [24]

McNabb was the highest paid NFL player in history at the time, and defenders of Limbaugh's comments point out that McNabb had the worst start of his career in the 2003 season and was the NFL's lowest-rated starting quarterback. McNabb's defenders say that to his credit, McNabb was a runner-up for the year 2000 league Most Valuable Player, a member of three Pro Bowl teams, and led his team to two straight NFC championship games. McNabb had suffered a broken leg during the 2002 season, and had been slow to recover.

The Reverend Al Sharpton, a Democratic Party candidate for President and political activist, encouraged Limbaugh's firing from ESPN, threatening a boycott of all Disney companies, including ABC, Disneyland, and Walt Disney World. Democrats Howard Dean and Wesley Clark joined in the criticism, as did the NAACP. Limbaugh responded by saying that he must have been right; otherwise, the comments would not have sparked such outrage.

On October 1, 2003, Limbaugh resigned from ESPN with the statement:

"My comments this past Sunday were directed at the media and were not racially motivated. I offered an opinion. This opinion has caused discomfort to the crew, which I regret. I love NFL Sunday Countdown and do not want to be a distraction to the great work done by all who work on it. Therefore, I have decided to resign. I appreciate the opportunity to be a part of the show and wish all the best to those who make it happen."

In the days following, some critics felt that Limbaugh had directed his comments at McNabb personally, or African Americans in general rather than to the media or to McNabb's on field performance. It has also been suggested that Limbaugh's fellow commentators on the program, some of whom were African-American former football players, may have played a role behind the scenes in ending Limbaugh's career as a football commentator. After Limbaugh's resignation, Sunday NFL Countdown co-host Tom Jackson, who is African American, said on the air[25]:

"Let me just say that it was not our decision to have Rush Limbaugh on this show. I've seen replay after replay of Limbaugh's comments with my face attached as well as that of my colleagues, comments which made us very uncomfortable at the time, although the depth and the insensitive nature of which weren't fully felt until it seemed too late to reply. He was brought here to talk football, and he broke that trust. Rush told us the social commentary for which he is so well known would not cross over to our show, and instead, he would represent the viewpoint of the intelligent, passionate fan. Rush Limbaugh was not a fit for NFL Countdown."

Painkiller addiction

File:Rush Limbaugh Newsweek cover October 20 2003.jpg

Newsweek cover on October 20, 2003

In early October 2003 and in the same week as the McNabb controversy, the National Enquirer reported that Limbaugh was being investigated for illegally buying prescription drugs. Limbaugh's former housekeeper, under investigation for drug dealing, alleged that Limbaugh was addicted to prescription opioid painkillers such as OxyContin and Lorcet (a combination of Paracetamol (acetaminophen) and hydrocodone) and that he went through detox twice. Other news outlets quickly confirmed the beginnings of an investigation.

On October 10, 2003, Limbaugh admitted to listeners on his radio show that he was addicted to prescription painkillers and stated that he would enter inpatient treatment for 30 days, immediately following the broadcast. He did not specifically mention which pain medications he was addicted to. Speaking about his behavior, Limbaugh went on to say:

"I am not making any excuses. You know, over the years, athletes and celebrities have emerged from treatment centers to great fanfare and praise for conquering great demons. They are said to be great role models and examples for others. Well, I am no role model. I refuse to let anyone think I am doing something great here, when there are people you never hear about, who face long odds and never resort to such escapes."

"They are the role models. I am no victim and do not portray myself as such. I take full responsibility for my problem. At the present time the authorities are conducting an investigation, and I have been asked to limit my public comments until this investigation is complete." [26]

Following Limbaugh's admission of drug addiction, his detractors reviewed prior statements by him about drug addicts as examples of hypocrisy. Several statements from the 1990s were found, in particular, on October 5, 1995:

"There's nothing good about drug use. We know it. It destroys individuals. It destroys families. Drug use destroys societies. Drug use, some might say, is destroying this country. And we have laws against selling drugs, pushing drugs, using drugs, importing drugs. And the laws are good because we know what happens to people in societies and neighborhoods which become consumed by them. And so if people are violating the law by doing drugs, they ought to be accused and they ought to be convicted and they ought to be sent up."

and in 1998:

"What is missing in the drug fight is legalization. If we want to go after drugs with the same fervor and intensity with which we go after cigarettes, let's legalize drugs. Legalize the manufacture of drugs. License the Cali cartel. Make them taxpayers, and then sue them. Sue them left and right, and then get control of the price, and generate tax revenue from it. Raise the price sky high, and fund all sorts of other wonderful social programs."

An article in the January 12, 2004 issue of Human Events (The National Conservative Weekly) presented its reaction to the media attention of Limbaugh's addiction, calling it a 'Network War' against Limbaugh. It charged network anchors with engaging in exaggerated and inflammatory rhetoric by implying Limbaugh was involved in "drug sales" or "drug gangs." Human Events Online presents a timeline of events surrounding Limbaugh's drug situation.

An investigation into alleged "doctor shopping" is ongoing in the state of Florida under the Palm Beach State Attorney. Limbaugh's attorney Roy Black alleges that the chief county prosecutor investigating Limbaugh, an elected Democrat, is politically motivated. The ACLU, an organization often lambasted by Limbaugh, has come to his defense, claiming that the district attorney violated Limbaugh's constitutional rights by "fishing" through his private medical records. This investigation has, as of 2005, brought no criminal charges. Assistant State Attorney James L. Martz, on November 9, 2005, stated "I have no idea if Mr. Limbaugh has completed the elements of any offense yet." Then on December 12, 2005, Judge David F. Crow decided to prohibit the State from questioning Limbaugh's physicians about "the medical condition of the patient and any information disclosed to the healthcare practitioner by the patient in the course of the care and treatment of the patient."

Limbaugh states his addiction to painkillers came as a result of long-term back pain he had been suffering for several years, and a botched surgery that came as a result of that. Limbaugh's position on the legal case is one of patient privacy rights, and has argued that the prosecutor has in fact violated his Fourth Amendment civil rights by illegally seizing his medical records. Thus far, the Florida courts have upheld Limbaugh's confidentiality. Limbaugh keeps a running update on his website of court decisions and transcripts, legal positions, and media and editorial coverage of his case.

American Armed Forces Radio Network controversy

See Armed Forces Radio controversy.

Anti-war protesters and the media

On August 15, 2005, Limbaugh compared the actions and news coverage of Cindy Sheehan, an anti-war protester and mother of slain soldier Casey Sheehan, to that of alleged document forger Bill Burkett: "The fact is that they are too eager. I mean, Cindy Sheehan is just Bill Burkett. Her story is nothing more than forged documents. There's nothing about it that's a (sic) real, including the mainstream media's glomming onto it. It's not real." [27] Afterwards he said that he was not questioning the authenticity of her claims, but he meant her response was a staged media event. [28]. He also said that summer that the time to protest a war is before it begins, not after the first shot is fired.

Internet and technology

Limbaugh was an early adopter and fan of electronic mail and allowed and invited listeners to send email to his Compuserve account. On his website, Limbaugh offers a subscription service called "Rush 24/7" that provides additional materials mentioned on the show as well as recordings. The most popular feature is the "ditto cam," through which fans can watch the radio program through streaming video. On June 3, 2005, Limbaugh began podcasting his program to subscribers. In January 2006, Limbaugh began video downloads of his morning updates to "Rush 24/7" subscribers. Videocasts of the entire program are not yet available. Limbaugh also claims to prefer and use Apple computers extensively, and sometimes fires shots at Microsoft Windows users.

His podcasting has even spawned a cottage software industry to make the daily audio files easier to manage. Rush2Pod (http://www.rush2pod.com) is one such example.

Philosophy

Defining the conservative movement

Limbaugh made the following comments in an op-ed piece in 2005:

I love being a conservative. We conservatives are proud of our philosophy. Unlike our liberal friends, who are constantly looking for new words to conceal their true beliefs and are in a perpetual state of reinvention, we conservatives are unapologetic about our ideals.

• We are confident in our principles and energetic about openly advancing them. We believe in individual liberty, limited government, capitalism, the rule of law, faith, a color-blind society and national security.
• We support school choice, enterprise zones, tax cuts, welfare reform, faith-based initiatives, political speech, homeowner rights and the war on terrorism.
• And at our core we embrace and celebrate the most magnificent governing document ever ratified by any nation -- the U.S. Constitution.
• Along with the Declaration of Independence, which recognizes our God-given natural right to be free, it is the foundation on which our government is built and has enabled us to flourish as a people.
• We conservatives are never stronger than when we are advancing our principles.

From American Conservatism: A Crackdown, Not a 'Crackup' Wall Street Journal op-ed October 17, 2005[29]

Views on homosexuality

In 2003, Limbaugh broadcast the following hypothetical on abortion choices made by parents based upon trait selection and the anticipated reaction by advocates of gay rights:

Imagine we identify the gene — assuming that there is one, this is hypothetical — that will tell us prior to birth that a baby is going to be gay…. How many parents, if they knew before the kid was gonna be born, [that he] was gonna be gay, they would take the pregnancy to term? Well, you don't know but let's say half of them said, "Oh, no, I don't wanna do that to a kid." [Then the] gay community finds out about this. The gay community would do the fastest 180 and become pro-life faster than anybody you've ever seen. … They'd be so against abortion if it was discovered that you could abort what you knew were gonna be gay babies. [30]

Limbaugh opposed teaching grade school students about homosexuality in 1993 and wrote of gay rights as being special rights. He has made similar statements about transsexuals.

Balance and point of view

Critics decry what they assert is the lack of a balance between liberal and conservative viewpoints on talk radio. Limbaugh's response to this accusation is to claim that most news reporting is liberally biased[31][32]; a common saying of his is "I am equal time." He also does not claim to be a neutral reporter and contrasts his stance with the major news media's claims of objectivity (in the United States). He also has explained himself on occasion as being a commentator and entertainer, not a reporter. Vincent Bugliosi wrote of him: "when it comes to politics, his favorite topic, he has absolutely no credibility at all. On any matter on which there is a divergence between the Republican and Democrat positions, invariably, without exception, 100 percent fo the time, he takes the Republican side. You know what he's going to say before he says it. For Limbaugh to have any credibility, the Republicans would always have to be right and the Democrats always wrong; the Republicans always the good people, the Democrats always the bad people. Since we know, of course, that this can't true, he has no credibility ..." (No Island of Sanity, Ballantine, New York, 1998).

In the years he has been broadcasting, his audience has been growing while the audience of the television network news programs has been shriking and growing older. With the passing from the scene of the network news anchors of the 1990's: Dan Rather, Tom Brokaw, and Peter Jennings, half-seriously and half-humorously Limbaugh has begun to call himself "America's Anchorman" as many people consider him to be their primary source of news in the same way that the anchorman of network news broadcasts once were.

Limbaugh's satire, especially that of his early years, has been criticized by his detractors with some even calling it hate speech. News about the homeless is often preceded with the Clarence "Frogman" Henry song "Ain't Got No Home". For a time, the song "I Know I'll Never Love This Way Again" preceded reports about people with AIDS. For two weeks in 1989, Limbaugh performed "caller abortions" where he would end a call suddenly to the sounds of a vacuum cleaner and a child's scream, after which he would deny there was ever a caller explaining that the call had been "aborted." After angry callers commented on this, he pointed out that it wasn't even happening for real, and they were horribly upset, when it was happening for real in abortion clinics without complaint. In his references to Ted Kennedy, he often cites Kennedy's alcohol abuse that led to the death of Kennedy's girlfriend at Chappaquiddick; for instance, Limbaugh has nicknamed Kennedy "the swimmer" and frequently refers to Kennedy as the Senator from Chappaquiddick. Limbaugh refers to Robert Byrd, Democrat-WV, as "Sheets Byrd" in reference to Byrd's membership in the KKK. This moniker (Sheets) was originally coined by Tip O'Neill per Chris Matthews. (An extensive list of Limbaugh's nicknames for various political figures may be found at Jargon of The Rush Limbaugh Show).

Demographic appeal

On the topic of what demographic Limbaugh appeals to, conservative economist Thomas Sowell states:

The liberal vision of Rush Limbaugh is that he is some guy who appeals to ignorant rednecks and Joe Sixpacks. … Actual research on Rush Limbaugh's audience has shown that they are above average in both education and income.

Sowell may have been referencing surveys such as those from the Annenberg Public Policy Center [33].

Another stereotype of the Limbaugh listener is encapsulated in the epithet "dittohead". When used as a derogatory term, it implies that the subject is a "mind-numbed robot", who falls into the groupthink of Limbaugh's audience. The term originated with people agreeing with previous callers' admiration of Rush; rather than repeating their admiration for the host and statements of honor to be selected to be on-air, callers to the show often preface their comments with "Dittos from (insert location here)". The term has been embraced by Limbaugh's fans themselves as an honorative, many proudly asserting their dittohead status in public forums or when calling into the show.

Rush Limbaugh is also noted for his support of the United States Military. In 2005 Limbaugh visited U.S. soldiers stationed in Afghanistan.

Controversial remarks

Not at all a stranger to controversy, Limbaugh has drawn fierce criticism over the years for remarks that he has made. He has countered that many are humorous or sarcastic in nature, however, critics note that he is prone to defend the remarks later as though they are not.

Referring to the torture of U.S. detainees at Abu Ghraib prison:

• You ever heard of the need to blow off some steam?[34]
• Maybe the people that pulled this off executed a brilliant maneuver.[35]
• It was no worse than an out-of-control fraternity prank.[36]

Attacking Ken Mehlman's decision to apologize for the Republican party's previous use of the Southern Strategy:

• In the midst of all of this, in the midst of all that's going on, once again, Republicans are going to go bend over and grab the ankles.[37]

On those that aid Osama Bin Laden:

• It's the American left.[38]
• When bin Laden talks about the "evils" of the United States and why it must be attacked -- it sounds like John Kerry in his 2004 presidential campaign.[39]
• Well, I think we -- it's time to stop dancing around this issue, folks, to tell you the truth. It's time for somebody to tell the people on the left, you're damn right we're questioning your patriotism.[40]

On John Murtha:

• He's the biggest morale booster that -- that -- that the enemy has in Iraq.[41]

On the kidnapping of four liberal peacemakers in Iraq:

• I mean, these people are liberals, they're warped. Well, I mean, that's why there's -- I'm telling you, folks, there's a part of me that likes this. Probably, even with this, though, you know, they're not going to see the light of day.[42]

On the Democratic party:

• Well, the Democrats will eat that up because, while they can't trust George W. Bush, they can trust Osama bin Laden.[43]
• The other half of their base hates the military, hates America, hates Bush, hates the world except for France and Germany.[44]

References

• Books written by Limbaugh
  • . ISBN 067175145X. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help); Missing or empty |title= (help); Unknown parameter |Author= ignored (|author= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Publisher= ignored (|publisher= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Title= ignored (|title= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Year= ignored (|year= suggested) (help)
    • This was the best selling non-fiction hardcover book of 1992 in the New York Times Bestseller list.
  • . ISBN 067187120X. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help); Missing or empty |title= (help); Unknown parameter |Author= ignored (|author= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Publisher= ignored (|publisher= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Title= ignored (|title= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Year= ignored (|year= suggested) (help)
    • This was the best selling non-fiction hardcover book of 1993. Joseph Farah (founder of World Net Daily) contributed to the writing.
• Biographies and commentary
  • . ISBN 0889651043. {{cite book}}: Missing or empty |title= (help); Unknown parameter |Author= ignored (|author= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Publisher= ignored (|publisher= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Title= ignored (|title= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Year= ignored (|year= suggested) (help)
  • . ISBN 0380775395. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help); Missing or empty |title= (help); Unknown parameter |Author= ignored (|author= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Publisher= ignored (|publisher= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Title= ignored (|title= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Year= ignored (|year= suggested) (help)
  • . ISBN 0312952724. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help); Missing or empty |title= (help); Unknown parameter |Author= ignored (|author= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Publisher= ignored (|publisher= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Title= ignored (|title= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Year= ignored (|year= suggested) (help)
  • . ISBN 0964261901. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help); Missing or empty |title= (help); Unknown parameter |Author= ignored (|author= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Publisher= ignored (|publisher= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Title= ignored (|title= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Year= ignored (|year= suggested) (help)
  • . ISBN 0889651043. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help); Missing or empty |title= (help); Unknown parameter |Author= ignored (|author= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Publisher= ignored (|publisher= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Title= ignored (|title= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Year= ignored (|year= suggested) (help)
  • . ISBN 0385314744. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help); Missing or empty |title= (help); Unknown parameter |Author= ignored (|author= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Publisher= ignored (|publisher= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Title= ignored (|title= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Year= ignored (|year= suggested) (help)
  • . ISBN 096250405X. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help); Missing or empty |title= (help); Unknown parameter |Author= ignored (|author= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Publisher= ignored (|publisher= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Title= ignored (|title= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Year= ignored (|year= suggested) (help)
  • . ISBN 0898156106. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help); Missing or empty |title= (help); Unknown parameter |Author= ignored (|author= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Publisher= ignored (|publisher= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Title= ignored (|title= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Year= ignored (|year= suggested) (help)
  • . ISBN 1564741028. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help); Missing or empty |title= (help); Unknown parameter |Author= ignored (|author= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Publisher= ignored (|publisher= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Title= ignored (|title= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Year= ignored (|year= suggested) (help)
  • . ISBN 0786000821. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help); Missing or empty |title= (help); Unknown parameter |Author= ignored (|author= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Publisher= ignored (|publisher= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Title= ignored (|title= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Year= ignored (|year= suggested) (help)
  • . ISBN 0971058709. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help); Missing or empty |title= (help); Unknown parameter |Author= ignored (|author= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Publisher= ignored (|publisher= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Title= ignored (|title= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Year= ignored (|year= suggested) (help)
  • . ISBN 0812692942. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help); Missing or empty |title= (help); Unknown parameter |Author= ignored (|author= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Publisher= ignored (|publisher= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Title= ignored (|title= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Year= ignored (|year= suggested) (help)
  • . ISBN B0006F58V0. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help); Missing or empty |title= (help); Unknown parameter |Author= ignored (|author= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Publisher= ignored (|publisher= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Title= ignored (|title= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Year= ignored (|year= suggested) (help)
  • . ISBN 156584260X. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help); Missing or empty |title= (help); Unknown parameter |Author= ignored (|author= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Publisher= ignored (|publisher= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Title= ignored (|title= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Year= ignored (|year= suggested) (help)
  • . ISBN 1565301005. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help); Missing or empty |title= (help); Unknown parameter |Author= ignored (|author= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Publisher= ignored (|publisher= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Title= ignored (|title= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Year= ignored (|year= suggested) (help)
  • . ISBN 1592485545. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help); Missing or empty |title= (help); Unknown parameter |Author= ignored (|author= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Publisher= ignored (|publisher= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Title= ignored (|title= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Year= ignored (|year= suggested) (help) CD-ROM.
  • . ISBN 1560256141. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help); Missing or empty |title= (help); Unknown parameter |Author= ignored (|author= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Publisher= ignored (|publisher= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Title= ignored (|title= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Year= ignored (|year= suggested) (help)

See also

• The Rush Limbaugh Show
• Thomas M. Sullivan
• Environmentalist wacko, Econazi and Ecoterrorist
• Feminazi, a term popularized by Limbaugh in his book, The Way Things Ought To Be

External links

• Website of The Rush Limbaugh Show
• An aircheck of Rush Limbaugh as "Jeff Christie" on KQV-AM
• Open Directory Project - Rush Limbaugh
• Rush Limbaugh on Media Matters
• Rush Limbaugh's political donations
• Rush Limbaugh at IMDb