(CNN) - Conservative radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh apologized Saturday for calling Sandra Fluke a "slut" this week after the Georgetown law student advocated for contraception coverage in a Democratic hearing.
“My choice of words was not the best, and in the attempt to be humorous, I created a national stir,” Limbaugh said in a statement on his website. “I sincerely apologize to Ms. Fluke for the insulting word choices.”
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Limbaugh made the original comments Wednesday, in which he also suggested Fluke wanted taxpayers to pay for her to have sex.
"What does it say about the college co-ed [Sandra] Fluke, who goes before a congressional committee and essentially says she must be paid to have sex?" Limbaugh asked. "What does that make her? It makes her a slut, right? It makes her a prostitute. She wants to be paid to have sex. She's having so much sex she can't afford the contraception. She wants you and me and the taxpayers to pay her to have sex."
His remarks set off a major outcry, prompting top Republicans and Democrats alike to denounce the famed talk show host.
President Barack Obama called Fluke on Friday to offer his support, while Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum labeled the comments as “absurd” and Ron Paul described them as “crude.” Mitt Romney said Limbaugh's words were "not the language I would have used."
But Limbaugh repeated his comments during his show on Thursday and Friday, even taking them further to suggest that women who accept free contraception should film themselves having sex so taxpayers could watch.
In his apology Saturday, Limbaugh said he disagrees with the notion that contraceptives should be covered under federally backed health insurance plans, saying he finds it “absurd” that Americans are “discussing personal sexual recreational activities before members of Congress” and argued taxpayers should not “pay for these social activities.”
But Limbaugh admitted Saturday his choice of words referring to Fluke were “wrong.”
“For over 20 years, I have illustrated the absurd with absurdity, three hours a day, five days a week. In this instance, I chose the wrong words in my analogy of the situation. I did not mean a personal attack on Ms. Fluke.”
From CNN Politics
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That's right Rush, shut up and apologize before all your sponsors dry up. Sometimes when you take narcotics like oxycontin your frontal lobes become waaaay to uninhibited....
This guy is a heart attack waiting to happen if I ever saw one, luckily for him we have plenty of pig hearts to spare... just ask cheney.
The party of hate is dropping like flies, Who woulda thought facism would be so popular in America?
Okay Rush, fair is fair, so before we let you have the inevitable bypass surgery you'll need before too long, we need to see video of your behavior too...I want to see video of you stuffing your face in exchange for the insurance payments for the doctors etc. After all, why should Americans have to subsidize your personal recreational activities?
That's right slime ball, kneel before your masters.....that's exactly how much he cares about his fan base (Zilch) it ONLY about the benjamins, Fear Mongering and Hate is what gives him the power to control these ignorant viewers of his.
Rush...."yeah sureeee I'm sorry I called her that (under his breath......but she is!)....ok, I'm sorry....yadda yadda yadda......"
That's his normal "apologies". At the end, he never means them. It's just more air time he gets which is all he cares about. Oh right, also cares about making money off poor ignorant people that listen to him and buy stuff that he sponsors!!!
Hey Limbaugh,
"It is better to be thought a fool and say nothing, then to speak and have it confirmed."
Say hello to Roy Black for me.. You will probably need a good attorney after Ms. Flukes sues you for public defamation of character...
So what....I apologize for an attack that went on for three days or I just apologize for my choice of words. I don't like his guy.
These so called "journalist" these days are pathetic. Find some real stories. There's a lot more important things going on in our country. Keep up the good fight Rush!
Rush Slimebaugh
Just another loud mouthed, hatred-spewing bigot, destined for irrelevence, and the dustbin of history
he is still a big jerk in my book! My insurance won't pay for birth control but will pay for viagra and the other "like" medication for meds. What does that say about my insurance?
I really wish that the people on here arguing for Rush's point would read the testimony. It is available for public consumption and it would seem to me that you would want to read it before coming on here and bashing Ms. Fluke. Once again you have proven yourselves the party of "talking points" and rather then educate yourselves you have decided to align yourselves with Hannity...Rush...et all. We, in this country, have lost our ability to have civil discourse and we should place the blame for the directly at the feet of the Limbaughs of the world.
Call his immediate employers: Premiere Radio Networks 818-377-5300 (ask for Kraig Kitchin) and Clear Channel Communications 210-822-2828 (ask for Lowry or Mark Mays) Tell them to fire Limbaugh or face the loss of their advertisers. Nationally Broadcasting hate rhetoric toward any particular group of Americans is unacceptable. If he had said this about any ethnic group, he'd be off the air instantly.
Americans are being candid or stupid?... Do you really believe that these politics are repented of they wrong doing? What a joke...They keep doing wrong on society and when they think on the consequences of theirs acts "I'm sorry"' "I apologizes"..
I don't listen to the windbag, so don't know who his sponsors are. I love Netflix, but if they sponsor this person, I'll have to go to Amazon on Demand which is getting better by the way and drop Netflix. Has anybody published a list of the sponsors? And will the ones who dropped him come back after the "I'm sorry I lost sponsors" apology.
ROFLMAO!! WHO is he trying to fool? The ONLY reason he is responding at all is because he is loosing half of his sponsors and HOPEFULLY by next week ... he will lose them all! The man is nothing but an EVIL POT STIRRER! The GOOD news is, Rush, what you give out .... you WILL get back!
Rush is bad energy
Limbaugh's comments should not come as a surprise to anyone. He is not, and never has been, a class act by any stretch of the imagination.
Did read this correctly? The POTUS calls her personally because a radio talk show host called her a name??? What is wrong with this picture? Men and women are dying to support a corrupt government in Afghanistan – US Citizens can't house their families & can't find work – Congress is gridlocked – Wall Street is out of control and he calls a woman because her feelings might be hurt? Dr. Feelgood? This administration has got to get their priorities straight. I don't blame him – I blame the buffoons he has working for him. What are they whispering in his ear? Good quarterback weak team.
His apology is probably as hollow as his soul. I can just hear the fourth Ms. Limbaugh when she cuddles up to the big fat tub of goo, "here honey, lets see if four of these little blue pills does the trick tonight".
But we had to pay for his oxycotin and viagra habit for wife number 6
As a woman I personally do not accept an apology that is so obviously NOT sincere. This man is practicing hate speech that in other countries is outlawed. Why are we so slow to catch up on everything in this country? Could it be the divisiveness in our 2 party system, divisiveness that is fueled by an ignorant hatemonger?
What a phony...."I stand by my convictions......until my sponsors bail". How anyone could listen to this bulbous headed wind bag is beyond me.
The language Rush used is completely unacceptable…except when it’s used against the likes of Sarah Palin, Michele Bachmann, Michelle Malkin, and every other prominent female conservative in public life, of course.
He is just making a "tactical retreat" but he will continue to say nasty things about people who differ with him. A man with so much hate is not capable of feeling sorry for anything. Americans and sponsors should continue to put pressure on his boss to fire him. FCC should also seriously consider revoking the radio license for vulgarity on public airwaves.
Another talking head with a grave case of foot in mouth disease. He should be fired. It is one thing to be a conservative show host and another to be a loud mouth schnook.