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.
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we keep on stooping lower and lower, and the dumbing down continues.
Who cares? I hate Rush Limbaugh as much as the next dirty liberal atheist hippie, but if he can write a good children's book and leave out the rhetoric, then more power to him.
There he goes again, distorting history. Nice.
I love it. I haven't read the book, but the liberal response is priceless.
No one is more hateful and more of a liar than are the liberals. The OUTRAGE should be if any liberal was selected.
So what they are saying is it doesn't matter whether, hyperbole intended, whether your Hitler, Stalin or whatever President you'd like to choose, as long as they publish a good children's book it's all good/?
Well, the majority of adults are wising up to how out of touch the right is, so maybe he figures he needs to go after youngsters and indoctrinate them into his hateful agendas.
LOL. This is going to stir up the Left wing liberal hornets nest.
Well, the majority of adults are wising up to how out of touch the right is, so maybe he figures he needs to go after youngsters and indoctrinate them into his hateful agendas.
I guess even a draft-dodging drug addict could write a children's book ....
It is common knowledge that book best seller lists are often fraudulent. Often a publisher or author's supporters will buy tens of thousands of copies of the book to push the top book rankings. How likely is it that Limbaugh is involved in this sort of behavior? I'm guessing likely.
I bought the books for my kids they love them and are a wonderful adventure into American history!
What kind of twisted maniac would give their child a book written by this hate monger?
And why shouldn't Limbaugh win? He sold a lot of books. Like McDonald's sells a lot of Chicken McNuggets. And kids love Chicken McNuggets. And McNuggets are nothing but garbage. Like Limbaugh is nothing but garbage.
This is beautiful! Maybe the kids will learn something that will save them from the left's decline into H E double toothpick.
Like we need MORE GOP HATE MONGERS writing books for our CHILDERN to read. GOP propaganda does not have to start at the pre school level. This must be the new GOP outreach preschool policy. Ruin your own GOP kids!!!!!!!
Rush Limbaugh, isn't he Fred Phelps brother from that Westboro Baptist Church Psycho's !!!
If his name wasn't on it (ie. he used a pseudonym) there would be no outrage
Well, that's really no surprise, he's great at writing fiction and getting the less intelligent to believe the stories he tells.
Not sure what the uproar is about (well actually I do). A benefit of not being so attached to a political group is it affords one the ability to enjoy people on different levels no matter what party they belong. People are multi-dimensional and it is a waste to throw out those parts one can enjoy about someone just because you may not agree with some other part.
Not easy to be on this list- congratulations.
Does he not realize that children are mocking him? The "Rush Revere" series is the hottest gag birthday gift among kids today...it's a shame he actually profits from it.
Good, whats his politics have to do with the excellent book he wrote.
Amazing! The Pilgrims were "Exceptional Americans" even before there was an America! They were True Patriots? Next thing you're going to tell me, horses can talk!
Do you think mainstream media is trying to tell us the truth and provide a means for us to form an educated opinion? I think the key to remaining free is to realize that unless it is profitable to spend 30 seconds or 3 hours of on-air time discussing an issue it is not going to be present. There's nothing wrong with profit however not at the expense of freedom. If you here it on the radio or television, look in the other direction and always follow the money.
This is not that hard to believe. His commentaries always sound very childish. Now he has a hero character named Rush. Only in his simple mind, and those of 2 and 3 year olds.