Rush Limbaugh selection in children’s book competition causes a stir
(CNN) - Rush Limbaugh - radio host, conservative firebrand and... children's book author of the year?
The Children’s Book Council and its Every Child a Reader program released on Thursday their author-of-the-year finalists for their annual Children’s and Teen Choice Book Awards.
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Limbaugh is one of the four finalists, and his nomination has prompted outrage on social media, given the host’s often-incendiary nature.
Limbaugh's book is titled, "Rush Revere and The Brave Pilgrims: Time-Travel Adventures with Exceptional Americans" – a time-traveling tale of colonial America and the latest of two books in the "Rush Revere Series" published last year by Simon & Schuster.
Limbaugh, an outspoken figure in the political world, often expresses controversial sentiments on his radio program. Recently, Limbaugh blasted Pope Francis' economic views as "pure Marxism," and, in 2012, he called Georgetown law student Sandra Fluke a "slut" and "prostitute" for her support of women's access to birth control.
The Children’s Book Council issued a public letter, posted to its website and Facebook page, defending its finalist selection process following the uproar online and insisting that the author of the year finalists "are determined solely based on titles’ performances on the bestseller lists."
"Some of you have voiced concerns over the selection of finalists from bestseller lists, which you feel are potentially-manipulable indications of the success of a title. We can take this into consideration going forward, but cannot change our procedure for selecting finalists after the fact," the organization said in the letter.
The CBC letter goes on to say the kids, who will start voting next week, ultimately decide which author wins in each of the six categories, including best author. The letter goes on to assure that the organization has a procedure in place to protect against fraud and adult's voting in the contest.
"This program has never been about CBC or ECAR endorsing finalists," the letter says.
Limbaugh touted the apparent success of his book series on his radio program on Thursday.
"We just found out last night that on the New York Times Best-Seller List of March the 30th, ‘Rush Revere and the First Patriots’ will open at number one, and ‘Rush Revere and the Brave Pilgrims’ moves up to number four," said, according to a transcript of the audio.
Limbaugh’s book landed at the number-5 spot on the New York Times best seller’s list for the week of March 23.
CNN's Dana Davidsen contributed to this report.
Can't anyone see what should bring shame to every one in the country...it is so engrained in the national psyche that because liberals hate this man .... people are expected to lie and cheat to keep him from receiving an honor he earned I mean unless someone else has 2 books in the top 5 ...I mean its kind of like of Notre Dame won all its games including the final championship but is denied the National Championship because it is a Christian school.....the way we are going a not so unlikely as it was when we were a Christian Nation.
I've always wondered atbout the idea that liberals can define what is incendiary ..they seem to believe they hold the cards in defining what should be perjorative. It's their way or the highway. Do they have a committee I need to consult with so I know ,not to say things they believe are not correct? Are they not incendiary to anyone? Perhaps I'm a racist for inquiring!
This is not journalism. The author should have just stuck to the facts.
Dear Lynda/MN, the answer is YES. Real Patriots have a look about them...
Obama's leftist administration wants to control national education including reading lists. Imprisoned in their ideology they could not avoid including it in the curriculum reform.
Thank you Rush for being there for us all 5 days a week, three hours a day tearing the globs of dead brain cells from the skulls of idiots. Nothing is more fun than watching libs foam at the mouth at your mere mention. Oh, btw, GREAT books! I bought copies for all my young relatives. Hang in there bro and keep em mad.
Rush has about the same chance of winning this award as he does winning the Power-ball. I've purchased both of these books for my nieces and nephews and they LOVE them. They are well written and pretty much historically correct.
Guess the left doesn't like the idea that Limbaugh tells the truth about our history and not the revisionist historical approach taken by the left.
Read the book! Really. Just read the book.
Intolerance – the way of the left.
Rush should win. After reading his books, I can say its refreshing to see a true American Patriot who believes in this countries greatness be celabrated and honored. As a Veteran who has sacrificed much for this country, I'm tired of the anti-american liberals / socialist / marxist, talking down this great nation. His books help promote not only acurate facts to our children and adults, its done in a way that encourages us all to be proud of our heritage. Good luck Rush, though I doubt the liberals will be honorable, play by the rules, and allow the children to decide.
Rush deserves to win. His children's books are wonderful. And, Rush is right 99.9% right..esp. about Fluke!
What's really sad? When he lost his hearing, he didn't lose his voice. This creep sucks, and that's the name of that tune.
Perhaps the Liberal side needs some books too? "Ed Schultz and the Confederate Democrats" or "Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats of the Ku Klux Klan" or "Harry Reid Meets the Democrat Loyalists: Traitors to the Revolution" or "George Soros with the Democrat Misogynists and How the 19th Amendment was Defeated in 1917 and 1918." So many possibilities . . .
"Rush Revere"?
Talk about a bloated ego! Sheesh!
We seem to have a lot of Rushbots posting.
Get a load of these comments:
"I have never heard Rush say anything controversial" (Oh stop it)
"Rush is right 99.9% right..esp. about Fluke!" (99.9% of the time? Uh huh).
"This is better than the leftist propaganda that my kids are taught in school" (like science and evolution, no doubt)
I could go on and on. Read for yourself some of the astonishing fan club crap posted about this man who just loves to polarize people for fun and profit.
liberals HATE America....especially "exceptional Americans".... no surprise they wouldn't even like the book....
@ Lynda/Minnesota, yes, the main character is almost exactly like Rush Limbaugh because Rush is a great story teller and if he weren't a talk show host, would love to be a history teacher. You're missing the point of the book. It is a creative way to tell kids the true history of these events. The story is based on the papers of William Bradford. The story is about the facts, not some feel good miss representation of the facts. Rush Revere is just an interesting way to tell the story.
I agree with all the contents here. Who are the protectors of freedom, and free thought. Certainly not the liberals.
If Rush had published under an alius I wonder how these books would have been received; the critics would have been condescending, I suppose but perhaps not hysterical.
Literal translation. Liberals are deeply concerned about the idea of freedom of expression being alive especially in an environment where they cannot control the narrative. I also love the left wing use of the word controversial which means in left wing double speak, his views are too different from ours and his opinions contradict our party line.
It's great to see Rush is finally going to finish is under high school subjects. It's amazing what a grade school education might due for Rush, Hannity and Beck. But they are all a great example of how some folks, with barely a high school degree, with limited education think. Stupid is stupid does.
I love to hear how all of you describe a draft dodging as a true patriot I can take you and show you the graves of real patriots you dim wits