US Election 2020: Buttigieg Sexuality Becomes Campaign Issue

BBC: Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg's sexuality has become a campaign issue after a radio host questioned if voters would pick a man "kissing his husband on stage".

Firebrand conservative Rush Limbaugh said Democrats must realise America is still not ready to elect a gay man.

Mr Buttigieg's Democratic rivals leapt to his defence, and President Donald Trump said he would vote for a gay man.

Mr Limbaugh was last week awarded a top civilian honour by the president.

On his radio show which is nationally syndicated to millions of listeners, Mr Limbaugh on Wednesday imagined Demcorats' deliberations over who to vote for.

He said: "They're saying, 'OK, how's this going to look? Thirty-seven-year-old gay guy kissing his husband on stage, next to Mr Man, Donald Trump.'" » | Valentine’s Day, 2020

Sorry, Fossils! America needs a gay president. It will awaken the nation to the realities of the twenty-first century. Go for it, Pete! Your country needs you! – Mark

Radio Host Rush Limbaugh Reveals He Has Advanced Lung Cancer

THE GUARDIAN: ‘Shock jock’, 69, to undergo treatment immediately / Limbaugh reveals news on his nationally syndicated show

The conservative “shock jock” Rush Limbaugh revealed on Monday that he had been diagnosed with advanced lung cancer.

The hugely influential radio host made the announcement during his nationally syndicated radio show.

Limbaugh, 69, added that although his intention is to continue working “as competently and as expertly as [he does] each and every day”, he will begin undergoing treatment immediately, taking him off-air for the next couple of days. He said he was aiming to be back by Thursday, calling the program “the source of [his] greatest satisfaction”.

“Every day I’m not here, I’ll be missing you and thinking about you,” he said. In the segment, Limbaugh said doctors discovered the issue after he complained of shortness of breath. » | Kenya Evelyn in Washington | Monday, February 3, 2020

Exclusive: Rush Limbaugh Talks Terror Attack, Refugee Crisis

Nov. 22, 2015 - 10:53 - King of conservative talk radio on 'Fox News Sunday'

Rush Limbaugh: "What If Bashar al-Assad Is Being Framed?"

Read the Real Clear Politics short article here | Tuesday, September 03, 2013
PJ MEDIA: Yossef Bodansky: ‘Did the White House Help Plan the Syrian Chemical Attack?’ » | Tuesday, September 03, 2013

Rush Limbaugh Explains His 'Limbaugh Theorem' on Obama

Shock ‘n’ Roll… Radio DJs Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity Dropped after Ad Boycott

THE INDEPENDENT: America’s two biggest shock jocks just got a shock of their own. In a major blow to their broadcasting dominance, the second-largest radio station owner in the US is said to be dropping both Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity from its airwaves.

According to a report by Politico, Cumulus Media has decided not to renew contracts with the two talk radio titans at the end of 2013, meaning their radio shows will vanish from more than 40 of its stations across the US. » | Tim Walker | Monday, July 29, 2013

Have Shock Jocks Gone Too Far after Rush Limbaugh Called Sandra Fluke a Slut?

THE INDEPENDENT: Rush Limbaugh’s incendiary remark about a 30-year-old law graduate may be the beginning of the end for outspoken right-wing US broadcasters

When Rush Limbaugh called Sandra Fluke a slut, he probably thought it was just another incendiary remark: the latest in a four-decade career full of – and, arguably, built on – incendiary remarks.

In February 2012, Fluke, a 30-year-old graduate law student at Georgetown, appeared before Washington lawmakers to explain why her university ought to offer free contraception under its student health insurance plan. Limbaugh, 62, the cigar-chomping king of conservative talk-radio, described her on his show as a “slut” and a “prostitute”.

When his comments proved controversial, rather than back down, he doubled down, suggesting: “If we are going to pay for your contraceptives, thus pay for you to have sex, we want something for it … We want you to post the videos online so we can all watch.”

But this particular incendiary remark, and the ensuing controversy, were different to the others. A year later, observers believe his “slut” moment may prove to have been the beginning of the end for Limbaugh. Not only has the big beast been wounded, but some say the right-wing shock-jock’s entire species may be facing extinction. Radio industry expert Jerry Del Colliano, the editor of Inside Music Media, says, “When Limbaugh attacked Sandra Fluke, everybody said, ‘he’s killing himself’ – but he was dying off years before that.” » | Tim Walker | Sunday, May 19, 2013

'I Want Malia and Sasha to Be Able to Speak Their Mind in a Civil and Thoughtful Way': Obama Brings Daughters into Rush Limbaugh 'Slutgate' Furor

MAIL ONLINE: Right-wing host labelled student Sandra Fluke a 'prostitute' on the air / President Obama said he considered his own daughters before he called Sandra Fluke to offer his support / Fluke supported Obama's contraception plan when she testified before Congressional committee last week

As anger continues to swirl around syndicated radio host Rush Limbaugh after referring to a law student as a 'slut,' even the president can't keep from weighing in.

The backlash against Limbaugh has intensified in recent days, as an eighth advertiser has dropped its support of his radio program and two stations have pulled the plug on it.

Limbaugh called Georgetown student Sandra Fluke a 'slut' and a 'prostitute' last week after she urged lawmakers to consider the importance of contraception coverage in health care policy.

During President Obama's press conference today at the White House, he had little to say about the controversy at first.

'I'm not going to comment on what sponsors decide to do. I'm not going to comment on either the economics or the politics of it. I don't know what's in Rush Limbaugh's heart, so I'm not going to comment on the sincerity of his apology.'

But he said that he was compelled to offer his support to Fluke after considering his own children, daughters Malia, 13, and Sasha, 10.

Obama said: 'The reason I called Ms Fluke is because I thought about Malia and Sasha, and one of the things I want them to do as they get older is to engage in issues they care about, even ones I may not agree with them on'. » | Laura Cox and Thomas Durante | Tuesday, March 06, 2012

Related »

Financial Fallout of Limbaugh’s Comments

Related »

US 'Shock Jock' Stirs Up Airwaves
Rush Limbaugh, one of the most popular conservative radio hosts in the US, is infamous for his controversial and often off-colour remarks. Dubbed a political "shock jock", Limbaugh's show is broadcast on some 600 radio stations across the country, where he earns millions talking up Republican policies and opposing Democratic ones. But he faced wide criticism for offensive remarks he made about a female student who had spoken up in favour of Obama administration plans to make insurance companies pay for birth control - including pressure from his advertisers - which resulted in him issuing a rare apology live on-air. Al Jazeera's John Terrett reports.

Rush Mocks Obama

Read the article here

Limbaugh: "Imam Hussein Obama" Is Probably the "Best Anti-American President the Country's Ever Had"

Limbaugh: Media Thinks Michelle Obama Can Take Fancy Vacations Because of Our 'Slave Past'

Prize Fools
TIMES ONLINE: The Nobel committee’s award to President Obama demeans the peace prize, appears politically partisan and should embarrass the White House

When Henry Kissinger was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1973, the satirist Tom Lehrer remarked that he saw no further need to perform as the award had made satire obsolete. By offering the world’s most prestigious political accolade to Barack Obama, a man who has held office for barely nine months, the Norwegian Nobel Committee is in danger of putting the entire comedy industry out of business.

The committee has put hope above results, promise above achievement. The prize undermines the selfless triumphs of earlier winners. Indeed, the award’s obvious political intent looks partisan, a signal of European relief at the end of the Bush presidency.

The pretext for the prize was Mr Obama’s action in “strengthening international co-operation between peoples”. That is a worthy aim and America’s re-engagement in multilateral diplomacy has been warmly welcomed by its allies. But it is hard to point to any substantive results yet. Much was promised to the Muslim world in the President’s speech in Cairo; on the ground, the failure still to achieve any tangible progress towards a peace settlement between Israel and the Palestinians has left all sides disillusioned. In Moscow, the talk of pressing the reset button in relations was welcome, as was Mr Obama’s abandonment of the US missile shield in Europe. But so far none of this has led to the scrapping of any more nuclear warheads.

The nomination of Mr Obama, among more than 200 other contenders, had to be made within weeks of his inauguration. Was this a message of support for the election of America’s first black president? Or was it a self-defeating way of trying to align the peace committee with the excitement that marked his first few weeks in office? Mr Obama yesterday responded with characteristic eloquence and modesty in announcing his acceptance. He would, however, have done better to have let it be known to those sounding out the White House beforehand that he saw the prize as premature, ill judged and embarrassing at a time when he is preoccupied with fighting a war in Afghanistan. >>> | Saturday, October 10, 2009

TIMES ONLINE: At 5.45am yesterday Robert Gibbs was woken by a network television producer calling him at home. “This’d better be good,” the White House press secretary grumbled. It was, the producer assured him. President Obama had just won the Nobel Peace Prize. “Oh, that is good,” Mr Gibbs replied.

At the end of an extraordinary whirlwind day that began for Mr Obama with a call to the Lincoln Bedroom moments later, he may justly be questioning his aide’s initial judgment. At home, admirers met the news with astonishment, bafflement and, in some cases, laughter. Across the globe, reaction ranged from polite congratulation and wild effusion to outrage and scepticism.

Conservative critics greeted the news with glee, an affirmation of their belief that Mr Obama is beloved in Europe just for being a celebrity, adored for what he says, not what he does — or, as his Texan predecessor would say, all hat and no cattle.

Without question, the choice is political. The Nobel Peace Prize is a notoriously difficult award to predict but one thread of consistency since 2000 has been the award committee’s implacable hatred of the Bush Administration.

Three of the past six peace awards have gone to Bush adversaries. In 2002 the prize went to Jimmy Carter as an explicit rejection of the Bush presidency in the build-up to the Iraq war. In 2005 Mohamed ElBaradei, the UN atomic agency chief who had clashed with Washington over the search for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, was honoured. In 2007 Al Gore received the prize for his warnings on climate change, denounced by President Bush as a liberal myth.

Mr Obama’s is a fourth and perfect example of what Nobel scholars call the growing aspirational trend of Nobel committees over the past three decades, by which awards are given not for what has been achieved but in support of the cause being fought for. Obama ‘celebrity reward’ Nobel Prize is greeted with glee by critics >>> Catherine Philp, Diplomatic Correspondent, and Tim Reid in Washington | Saturday, October 10, 2009

Rush Limbaugh: The Nobel Prize Is Part of an Effort to ‘Neuter’ America

Klavan On The Culture

Hat tip: Always On Watch >>>

Colin Powell Condemns Dick Cheney 'Diktats'
THE TELEGRAPH: Colin Powell, the former Secretary of State in the Bush administration, has launched an attack on former Vice President Dick Cheney and radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh, accusing them of issuing "diktats" that will make Republicans unelectable.

Colin Powell has attacked former Vice President Dick Cheney. Photo courtesy of The Telegraph
His stern words threatened to widen a rift within the party that was laid bare last week when Mr Cheney became the most prominent foreign policy critic of President Barack Obama, to the chagrin of moderates and to the delight of the Right.

Mr Powell, a moderate who publicly announced just before last year's presidential election he that would vote for Mr Obama, the Democratic candidate, rather than his old friend John McCain, insisted: "I am still a Republican."

The former Gulf war commander lambasted Mr Cheney for saying that he believed "Colin had already left the party" and Mr Limbaugh for saying that he'd supported Mr Obama "solely based on race" and should become a Democrat.

He told CBS television they were "not members of the membership committee of the Republican Party" arguing that the party needed to build a broad base of support rather than falling back on conservative principles.

"Rush will not get his wish, and Mr. Cheney was misinformed. I am still a Republican", he said. "I would like to point out that in the course of my 50 years of voting for presidents, I have voted for the person I thought was best qualified at that time to lead the nation. >>> By Toby Harnden in Washington | Sunday, May 24, 2009

Rush Limbaugh on Hannity: Does Rush Want Obama to Succeed?
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Part 2
The Dawning of a New Dark Age – Paperback (US) Barnes & Noble >>>
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President Obama Shows His Naïveté If He Thinks He Can Take On Rush Limbaugh!
Photo of Rush Limbaugh courtesy of The Telegraph
THE TELEGRAPH: Barack Obama is on a collision course with his critics after picking a fight with Rush Limbaugh, America's most influential conservative commentator.

Mr Obama has told Republicans in Washington to stop listening to the right-wing talk show host Rush Limbaugh, risking a new culture war with conservative voters.

His exhortation came as he enraged other Republicans by reversing George W Bush's ban on funding international aid to charities that perform or provide information about abortions.

After less than a week in office, Mr Obama's presidency is already encountering the very partisan bickering he had pledged to stamp out during his first 100 days.

He faces mounting criticism over his $825 billion economic stimulus plan, from Republican leaders who say the legislation has been drawn up without the input which Mr Obama had promised to allow them.

The president responded with a clear signal that he is prepared to ram the bill through without the bipartisan consensus he promised to construct, telling Republican leaders from the House of Representatives: "I won. I'm the president."

He then told them to break free of the confrontational mindset epitomised by Mr Limbaugh, the highest paid talk show host in America. "You can't just listen to Rush Limbaugh and get things done," Mr Obama said.

His comments followed a blunt attack on him by Mr Limbaugh, who declared on air that he hoped Mr Obama would fail as president because otherwise it will usher in socialism. Barack Obama Picks a Fight with Rush Limbaugh as Bipartisan Spirit Crumbles >>> By Tim Shipman in Washington | Saturday, January 24, 2009

NEW YORK TIMES: Obama’s Partisan, Profane Confidant Reins It In

Photo of Rahm Emmanuel courtesy of The New York Times
WASHINGTON — Early this month, Barack Obama was meeting with the House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, and other lawmakers when Rahm Emanuel, his chief of staff, began nervously cracking a knuckle.

Mr. Obama then turned to complain to Mr. Emanuel about his noisy habit.

At which point, Mr. Emanuel held the offending knuckle up to Mr. Obama’s left ear and, like an annoying little brother, snapped off a few special cracks.

The episode, confirmed by Mr. Emanuel’s office, underscores some essential truths about Mr. Emanuel: He is brash, has a deep comfort level with his new boss, and has been ever-present at Mr. Obama’s side of late, in meetings, on podiums and in photographs.

There he was, standing at President Obama’s desk in one of the first Oval Office pictures; and again, playfully thumbing his nose at his former House colleagues during the inauguration; there he was, accompanying the president to a meeting with Congressional leaders on Friday.

Mr. Emanuel is arguably the second most powerful man in the country and, just a few days into his tenure, already one of the highest-profile chiefs of staff in recent memory. He starred in his own Mad magazine cartoon, won the “Your New Obama Hottie” contest on Gawker.com and has become something of a paparazzi icon around Washington.

In recent months, he has played a crucial role in the selection and courtship of nearly every cabinet member and key White House staff member.

Renowned as a fierce partisan, he has been an ardent ambassador to Republicans, including Mr. Obama’s defeated rival, Senator John McCain of Arizona. He has exerted influence on countless decisions; in meetings, administration officials say, Mr. Obama often allows him to speak first and last.

“You can see how he listens and reacts to Rahm,” said Ron Klain, the chief of staff to Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. “You can see that his opinion is being shaped.”

A reason Mr. Emanuel, 49, has drawn so much attention is that he seems to be in a kind of recalibration mode.

How will the feisty, bombastic and at times impulsive former congressman blend with the cool, collegial and deliberate culture of Obama World? And one that is trying to foster bipartisanship? This is someone who once wrote in Campaign and Elections magazine that “the untainted Republican has not yet been invented” and who two years ago — according to a book about Mr. Emanuel (“The Thumpin’ ” by Naftali Bendavid) — announced to his staff that Republicans are “bad people who deserve a two-by-four upside their heads.” >>> By Mark Leibovich | Saturday, January 24, 2009

The Dawning of a New Dark Age – Paperback (US) Barnes & Noble >>>
The Dawning of a New Dark Age – Hardcover (US) Barnes & Noble >>>

Rush Limbaugh: The Man Who’s Always Right
Photo of Rush Limbaugh courtesy of The Telegraph
THE TELEGRAPH: Global warming? A hoax. Barack Obama? A disaster. John McCain? A winner. So says Rush Limbaugh, America's most listened-to and influential – not to mention richest - radio personality. But will America prove him wrong in the US elections on Tuesday? Interview by Nigel Farndale.

Although Rush Limbaugh doesn't actually work from a bunker, he does have a bunker mentality. His studio is on the third floor of a (purposefully) anonymous building 100 yards off the white sands of Palm Beach, Florida, and about a mile from his gated mansion (the one next to Chuck Norris's). Along with the Gulfstream jet (cost: $54 million), fleet of sports cars and eight-year contract, worth $400 million, this mansion is his reward for being the most listened-to talk-radio host in America, a title he has held for 20 years.

But it is also his compensation. Professional Right-wing controversialists do tend to upset people, and Limbaugh has had his share of death threats. He has also had his quota of criticism from the media, or the liberal media, as he tends to call it. He hates interviews and has rarely given any, though he does have a soft spot for this newspaper, because it was once owned by his sometime friend and neighbour Conrad Black (currently serving a 6½-year jail sentence for fraud; Limbaugh wrote a letter to the judge attesting to Lord Black's good character).

The 'drive-by media', as Limbaugh also calls it, came down to Florida looking for him when he insulted Michael J.Fox a couple of years ago – by saying the actor was hamming up his Parkinson's disease for political gain after he appeared in an appeal for embryonic stem-cell research. They came back a few months later when Limbaugh was arrested for 'doctor shopping' painkiller prescriptions; that is, persuading several doctors to give him overlapping ones. He pleaded not guilty and cut a deal; the charges were dismissed after 18 months on condition that he continue rehabilitation and treatment with a therapist. The press staked out his mansion on both occasions, but never found his studio on this palm-fringed boulevard. You wouldn't know it was here.

He calls it his 'Southern Command', having spent most of his career broadcasting from New York, and describes it on air as 'heavily fortified', yet when you travel up in a lift and step into a glass and leather reception area, there isn't even a receptionist, let alone a security guard, just several white locked doors and a CCTV camera that follows you. One of the doors buzzes. I am expected.

On the walls of the corridor there is evidence of Limbaugh's considerable power and influence, and his friends in high places. Here a framed picture of him with George Bush. Here one of him with Donald Rumsfeld. Here he is with Hamid Karzai, the president of Afghanistan.

There is a humidor – Limbaugh is a connoisseur of cigars – and a bust of Churchill. There is also a bust of Beethoven, which has a plaque reading: 'A genius who produced masterpieces without hearing.' >>> | October 31, 2008

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