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talkpolitics
Earlier this afternoon, Sandra Fluke received a personal phone call from President Obama, two days after she was called a "slut" on Rush Limbaugh's radio show. Ms Fluke attends the prestigious Georgetown University (a Jesuit school) and its president released earlier today a letter of support for Ms. Fluke, strongly critical of Mr. Limbaugh's comments, calling them "vile and misogynistic." Ms. Fluke broke the news about her call from the President during an interview on Andrea Mitchell's show. Fluke was the woman who was to testify before the Republican House Committee hearing but was denied by Darryl Issa, who instead had an all male panel testify on the subject of birth control and freedom of religion. A week later, former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi held a non-binding hearing and asked Ms. Fluke to appear. Rush Limbaugh went on the offensive on his radio show and "...demanded that Fluke release tapes of her having sex in exchange for the contraception that she argued should be covered by employers." Fluke said the President's phone call was completely unexpected and added "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."
Joe Scarborough, a former conservative Republican member of the United States House of Representatives stated in an interview, he's had several conversations with what he described as "fire breathing conservatives" going into panic mode over the recent news cycles painting Republicans as opposed to women's rights and birth control when instead they are allowing President Obama off the hook, and thinks the election will be lost because of the focus on issues that don't matter, and were settled years ago.
It seems that the some in the Republican party are so intent on pushing it more to the right, at the expense of moderate and women voters, the chances of winning the Senate back (Olympia Snowe's retirement all but guarantees that her seat will go to a Democrat), or winning the White House are going to be severely crippled (this has happened already in a key state, Virginia, which has seen a significant movement by independent and women voters from Romney to President Obama because of the forced ultrasound amendment for abortions). While Rush Limbaugh doesn't speak for all conservatives obviously, he is the face for one of the largest audiences in talk radio, and the massive condemnation, he's now receiving should wake him up, or at least give him pause for making such reckless statements
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Date: 3/3/12 08:15 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 3/3/12 09:09 (UTC)...oh wait. This actually makes sense.
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Date: 3/3/12 15:28 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 3/3/12 16:15 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 3/3/12 16:41 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 4/3/12 07:48 (UTC)I'm rubber, you're glue. Everything you say bounces off me and sticks on you
Of course being called a prostitute/slut is intended as an insult, but if we can put our adult hats on for a moment while reflecting on this we come up with a big "Who cares?!" Like really. Rush is calling you a whore? Wear it with pride baby!
If you would just legalize prostitution, they could worry about real crime, you know like where people get hurt. They should treat this service like any other business. Get it off the street and into offices where they have security, sterile environs, can pay taxes, etc.
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Date: 4/3/12 08:56 (UTC)He called that woman a "slut" too. Everyone has every right to boycott, complain, and shame Rush's advertisers. I'm happy they are, in fact.
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Date: 4/3/12 17:01 (UTC)Please, He can call her a Nigger-loving Jew and I would be just as upset, er, not upset. I am always surprised at how free speech loving Americans are so fragile that their feelings get hurt by base swear words.
Yes, boycott the shit out of Rush and every other asshole commenter. Hopefully that works. But I suspect as this focus narrows it gets brighter. I suspect Rush loves this attention; positive or negative, as long as his numbers are up. This attention only encourages even wilder accusations and even more sensational opinions,
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Date: 4/3/12 20:20 (UTC)This is not unique to Americans.
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Date: 4/3/12 20:23 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 4/3/12 17:16 (UTC)The language Rush is using is the kind of language typically used by slobbering yahoos when they want a female commentator to shut up. It's used, not merely to hurt the woman's feelings, but to dehumanize her in a public arena.
The mature, experienced woman knows not to put up with it.
The fact that you don't get this explains a lot.
This is NOT a discussion you want to have with me.
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Date: 5/3/12 05:28 (UTC)Of course he's "dehumanizing" this woman. He's a shock jock for cripes sake! It's his job to be shocking. It brings in listeners and more importantly it brings in ratings. People shocked by his antics are suckered in to give his show free publicity (like here in T_P) and thereby boost his ratings.
So don't put up with it all you want, it's just more fuel for his fire. The fact that YOU don't get this explains a lot
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Date: 3/3/12 16:19 (UTC)Yes, yes, I know a president has to be a United States citizen.
But they make it sound like being from Kenya is a bad thing, like it's Mordor or something. Furthermore they try to scare people by calling Obama a Muslim, as if being a Muslim is automatically a bad thing. The religion of the president shouldn't matter when the government is SUPPOSED to be separate from the church anyhow. I don't care if the President is a member of the Church of the Sub-Genius
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Date: 3/3/12 16:40 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 4/3/12 20:27 (UTC)