Rush apologizer saying that Ed Shultz and Bill Maher do the same things that Rush does

[shcrane71]

http://www.wpr.org/kathleendunn/

What he's ignoring is that Ed and Bill are on subscription services, and not the public airwaves.

If you'd like to call in:

To join Kathleen's program live, call toll-free 1-800-486-8655.

[ProSense]

2. That's

"What he's ignoring is that Ed and Bill are on subscription services, and not on public airwaves."

...not the only difference. Thus far, only Limbaugh has done this: http://www.democraticunderground.com/1002382940

Since no one bought Limbaugh's bogus "apology," the false equivalencies are going to be used to try to cover his ass.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1002379474

When they can produce someone who launches a vile three-day assault on a private citizen, then people will mobilize to remove that person from the air. Currently, that person is Limbaugh, baggage and all.

[el_bryanto]

3. Two Shaky Arguments

I'm always perplexed at the argument "Well your side does it too." Are you saying that everybody does it so it's ok? Or are you saying nobody should do it? or what?

But I also don't understand the distinction of being on the public airwaves, except as a strictly strategic one. If Ed Shultz and Bill Maher are considered liberals (not sure about that) and if they both do pretty much what Rush did (haven't seen the evidence) surely the argument is that we liberals tolerate Liberal misogeny while condemning conservative misogeny.

That distinction seems to be that we, the people, have the right to through Rush off of our airwaves, but we don't have the ability to go after Shultz and Mahar.

Bryant

[shcrane71]

4. The guest is John McCormack from The Weekly Standard

He's saying that the issue is that "a 30 year old law student needs $3000 dollars a year to pay for birth control".

[aaaaaa5a]

5. The difference is Bill Maher and Ed Shultz don't speak for the Democratic Party.

Rush DOES speak for the GOP.


Nobody in the Democratic party has ever elevated KO, BM or ES to that of a party leader. The GOP HAS elevated Rush. I don't understand why so many people can't see the difference.

[shcrane71]

7. True. Bain capital makes money off Rush.

[RZM]

19. I don't think the GOP elite has elevated Rush to that status at all

If anything, it's his audience and the base that have done that, with help from Democrats and the media. And from the base's perspective, he's at best the de facto leader due to the the lack of credible, strong, and respected conservative voices within politics, along with Congress' abysmal approval ratings. I mean, seriously. Do people like Cantor, Romney, McConnell, and Boehner really cut it? I think not. De Mint and Rubio may emerge with more power as time passes, though they seem to be more interested in Tea Party cred, rather than establishment cred.

If anything the GOP establishment probably resents Rush. He's not accountable to donors or the voters like they are. He basically gets to say what he wants. Often what he says damages the Republican brand and it's the politicians that are held accountable and have to clean up the mess.

You might remember a couple CPACs ago when the media was framing Rush as the the leader of the Republican party. Around the same time James Carville went on Bill Maher's show and Bill alleged that Carville had been behind that. He didn't deny it. It's the Democratic elite who want Rush to be the voice of the Republican party, not the Republican elite.

[shcrane71]

6. The station is no longer taking phone calls, for the guest, about the Limbaugh/Contraception issue.

They're trying to move away from that, I was told when I called in. All the callers have been men.

[mac56]

8. There are several here on DU who say the same thing.

Willfully ignoring the profound differences.

[shcrane71]

10. There's a reason that HBO and Showtime can have racier shows than free broadcast network shows.

The lines are getting more and more blurry, but the FCC upholds certain decency rules for airwaves that anyone can access without paying a fee. That is why the showing of Janet Jackson's breast or having MIA flip-off the audience at the Super Bowl were such big deals. That's why the FCC fines people for indecent behavior on public airwaves.

[backscatter712]

9. Logic error: false equivalence

Bill Maher and Ed Schultz said things on single occasions people that were offensive.

I didn't see the Bill Maher case, but in the Ed Schultz case, he called Laura Ingraham a slut, quickly apologized, and ate a weeks suspension for it.

Rush Limbaugh not only called a slut and a "feminazi", but did so repeatedly over three days, doubling down on his insults when the complaints first started coming in.

Rush also has a loooooooong history of this sort of misogyny, as well as homophobia and racial bigotry.

[shcrane71]

11. I know, and now the editor of the Weekly Standard has said that he's not sure

why all the fuss about Rush's "one comment". More crap on our public airwaves, but now it's on Wisconsin Public Radio.

[shcrane71]

12. Now Weekly Standard guy says contraception is cheap. BC can be bought for $9 a month at

Target. I guess he doesn't know that Target allows its pharmacists to refuse to fulfill any prescriptions that they are morally opposed to. I only know this because a friend's contraception prescription was refused to be filled at a Target for specifically that reason.

More and more men calling into this show.

[KharmaTrain]

13. Did They Carry On For Three Days?

Mahrer's shot at Mooselini was over-the-top but it also "aired" on a Premium Cable channel...one that not only isn't transmitted over the public airwaves but to watch you have to have an additional subscription...it's close-closed-circuit.

Rushbo didn't slip for a minute or even 5...this rant went over several days and he kept doubling down on the insults and slander. This was a premediated hit on a private citizen by a bully whose gotten away with these kind of attacks in the past. And true to form the moment there's a shitstorm, he and his defenders circle the wagons and play the false equivelency game. I fully expect he'll be in classic "victim" form today...how none of us can "take a joke"...it's so predictable and tiring...

[nenagh]

14. MSM reframing what Rush said into name calling only...

Rush solicited a sex tape online as payment for her BC pills... Told his viewers she was promiscuous..

Then ranted on for three days.. Not equivelant at all...

[MurrayDelph]

15. Two big differences not mentioned yet

1. Bill Maher picks on the people who have already fired the first round. He does not pick on the voiceless.
Rush and his ilk are schoolyard bullies reveling in picking on those perceived to be weaker.

2. Ed Schultz did make his bad choice of words on a sponsored show, but he apologized immediately. And was suspended for it.

[Quezacoatl]

16. Let's not forget Shultz was suspended

Ed Shultz was rightfully condemned. His apology came much quicker and was much more sincere AND he was suspended

http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/ed-schultz-suspended-from-msnbc-after-calling-laura-ingraham-a-right-wing-slut/2011/05/26/AGOcV2BH_story.html

[backscatter712]

17. Also the Ed Schultz comment was a single, isolated incident.

Rush carried on with the Sandra Fluke slut-shaming for three days straight, he initially doubled-down when he was called out for it, and it's not the first time he's done this.

Rush has a looooooooong history of bullying, misogyny, homophobia and bigotry on his show.

Don't tell me that what Schultz did was even close to equivalent.

[mainer]

18. The big difference? Rush called ALL WOMEN on birth control sluts

Schultz and Maher were specifically insulting two public figures for what they have said. They didn't say "all GOP women are sluts."

Rush, on the other hand, implied that ANY woman who wants birth control covered by her health insurance is a slut. He specifically insulted the entire female student body of that particular college.

[Shankapotomus]

20. Plus Ed does risk losing

his job if he goes overboard and is very aware of that.

As far as Bill Maher, Maher is a comedian
There is a well pre-established comedic context associated with Maher and any comments he may make. If there's no difference between Maher and Limbaugh then what do you do with a comedian like Lisa Lampanelli who insults people based on race, sex and orientation in the most vile ways? There's a difference in context between a comedian and solely a political commentator with occasional weak forays into comedy.