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.
[twitter-follow screen_name='politicalticker']
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.
From CNN Politics
- Supreme Court won't review contempt conviction of anti-Chevron environmental lawyer
- 10 Cards Charging 0% Interest Until 2024
- Untitled
- Supreme Court takes up case concerning Americans with Disabilities Act 'tester' of hotels
- Untitled
- White House scales up 'concern' rhetoric, marking rare involvement in Israeli domestic affairs
I like how CNN is completely unbiased in its new coverage. 😉
Would anyone have commented as harshly if the finalist we're say perhaps, Reverand Al Sharpton or perhaps Rosy O'Donnell.
Alway so quick to condemn anyone they [think they] disagree with (because they never listen to know for sure...),if the hysterical lefties would please read the books before trashing them, they might save just a smidgen of their credibility. If they ever had any in the first place...
Driving the liberals crazy. Love it.
Oh, won't the indoctrination industry be horrified if the kids vote Rush's book the winner.
The left didn't seem to have a problem with a convicted murderer on death row writing childrens books several years ago, what's the problem now???
Thanks Rush, my grandchildren, 8 & 5 loved your books keep the good stuff coming! Ken Ballard
The article doesn't say exactly who "casued a stir" but I must say how tolerant of them. My guess is none listen to Limbaugh and think the first amendment is only to protect speech they agree with. Silence everyone else.
Dear Children’s Book Council, What the hell is wrong with you? Rush and his pinheaded ideas about history should never be shown to impressionable children. The man is a punk, a bully, and a liar. Children’s Book Council. Doesn't that mean you're supposed to be educated and have the best interests of children at heart? Prove it, dumbos. Sink Rush.
He called Fluke those names not because she was advocating access to birth control but that she claimed to need it so badly was due to her promiscuity that she herself admitted to. Rush only added the label.
Coming soon to USA: good, old fashioned book burning
So what, Rush has written a book that was researched and based in fact. Now, for the low-information crowd, it does have some 'enhanced' characters and abilities that are not 'real', but the historical accounts are researched and based in Fact. So, just put the semantics arguments back in your Dora backpacks.
Dems have never concerned themselves with fact. Hence, this should not be of concern to them. But this is what will have the leftist/dems are in an uproar next? Really?
Ever notice that the leftist/dem leadership, and the mainstream media talking heads will NEVER CHALLENGE Rush, or any Conservative on FACT ! For the leftists/dems, it's about name-calling and demonizing anyone and everything that does not fall into lockstep with their agenda.
The low-information voters will faithfully repeat whatever they are instructed from the dnc. It's not a complicated pattern to follow.
Cue more dnc-instructed hate-rhetoric in 3...2....1.....
Oh but if his story was about 2 daddies and 2 mommies and how to have an abortion at age 14 the social(list) media would be genuflecting. No bias here folks, just move along, nothing to see here it's just the sound of CNN swirling the rim of the drain.
Imagine the furor if Sarah Palin had wrote them.
I hear from school teachers that it is a very, very good book. Very educational and fun for children to read. I congratulate this author, Rush Limbaugh.
Another failure for the communist utopians.
Can't deny it; Rush's book is an excellent book for kids, and manages to instill pride in children for their nation. I guess that's a real problem for those who hate the foundations of our country.
It would be nice if the people who write this vitriol on social media tried reading something other than social media. These children's books – Rush Revere and the Brave Pilgrims and Rush Revere and the First Patriots – are loved by the children who are reading them and their parents.
Money can buy all kinds of awards, just ask Bill O'rilly...
It looks like people let hate guide them through life. They hate America maybe. Some wish they can sink the Mayflower before it landed on Plymouth Rock
It is not about the book it is about the author. Just another collection of intolerant liberals wailing at the moon.
The Left, who can forgive their own for being pedophiles, murderers, thieves, and drug addicts cannot even find it in their tiny black hearts to celebrate the positive contribution that Rush Limbaugh has made to society by getting kids to read a couple of books about America. Why am I not surprised? What crime has Rush Limbaugh committed? He hasn't killed anyone with an Oldsmobile. He hasn't smoked crack. He hasn't taken a bribe. He hasn't hired a woman who couldn't type. He hasn't been found with $95 grand of marked money in his freezer. Oh, that's right. He's committed thought crimes by using his mind independently.
CNN: "Limbaugh touted the apparent success of his book series ...." CNN "thinks" that having the #1 and #4 best sellers is an "apparent success"? "Apparent"? You leftists are some sort of stuuuuuuuuuupid.
I've never known Rush Limbaugh to come across as "incendiary". He usually delivers his spiel with a chuckle.
LOL, the left are in full tissy now. I love how the left refers to his often-incendiary nature, but when they look for direct examples, they do not exist. Just a long string of interpretation s or humor or parody quoted as fact. it is funny hiw the views of the left can only be defended by attacking their critics. The man man made global climate change can not be defended on merit, so one of the zealots of this faith based religion of the left is now calling for critics to be jailed. How far from greatness this country has fallen, it is truly sad.