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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One must consider the slant of the Limbaugh protests, they are political. The quality/merits of the books should be the determining factor.
Limbaugh, the conservative radio conservative host, purposely says what makes people's ears perk up. It's intentional and a tool of his trade. Rush is great at it and, while his personality might not be to everyone's liking, he is a great man in America. And children love his book. I can almost hear liberal's heads exploding.
Why you have to bend to the demand of those liberals. They can't handle the truth. Can they tell the truth as Limbaugh or thay just lied as Obama?
Let a book stand on its own quality. Leave politics out. Leave personal animosity out.
Thanks CNN for reminding me why I never watch you.
"for her support of women’s access to birth control."
This is so ridiculous biased, it is not even funny. It's is what occur when people, or journalists, live in bubbles.
With Statements like this, you make it obvious that you are not even trying to feign objectivity.
"An excellent choice," as any waiter will say. After all, we're always being told we should do things for "the children." Now let's let them vote for their choice...and perhaps even applaud their wisdom in their choice, without regard for "race, gender, national origin" or even the political persuasion of the author!
It seems like a little biased reporting in regards to the Sandra Fluke incident. He didn't call her those names "for her support of women's access to birth control" He called her those because she wanted other people to pay for her birth control.
"Rush Revere"??? I'd like to see the horse that can carry that blubberpot for a midnight run. Two steps out of the stables and all four legs would snap like twigs.
Rush lives rent free in the minds of liberals!!
You're a patriot, Rush! America loves you!
As liberal heads explode and smolder, there will be the usual cacophony of shrieking leftists saturating the media, demanding that Rush Limbaugh's book be 'withdrawn', they will urge that other 'more acceptable' books be considered, such as 'Touched, the Jerry Sandusky Story'.
hope he wins and the liberal morons collapse in denial
I have read the first book and didn't see any mention of politics in it at all. On the subject of this article it is the preconceived opinion of those opposed to Rush's opinions he espouses on his radio program that are injecting politics into choosing the finalists based on sales for best author.
If you are to the right the left will try to kill you no matter what but Rush is a do or and will not give to the left more power to him go get them RUSH!!!!
Rush's views are so contraversial that twenty-million Americans listen to him each week... Oh, and Rush's comments regarding Madame Fluke weren't in regards to women's access to birth control, but her insistence on my paying for her birth control. But maybe a black hole swallowed that fact up?
This is one sorry sign of our deteriorated condition.
All thoughts are equal, but some, like Limbaugh's, are less equal than others.
While it is possible that such has occurred, I do not recall any left-leaning entry to such a contest becoming "contested" because of its message. Seems a one-way street. I am not as concerned for the outcome of this year's results as I am of future ones, since the implication in this article is that the rules (filters?) will have been changed by then.
Way to go, Rush. The children are our future & the truth shall keep us free. Brilliant!
My 10 year old twin grandsons loved the first book about the pilgrims. They could not wait for the second and are currently reading it, and looking forward to a third. What an exciting way to interest them!
Watch out, your bias is showing. Limbaugh's problem with Fluke wasn't access to birth control, it was her wanting to make everyone else *pay* for it.
Limbough says it like it is. & he's right all the time. Listen close.
Once again, CNN tries to use Alinsky tactics in an attempt to diminish the credibility of someone who's right 99.7% of the time. By the way, the kids love learning the truth for a change. You should try it. Maybe then someone would watch your network.
what is inherently wrong with being a communist?
I wonder if the author of this article has ever listened to Rush Limbaugh's radio program. If the only thing she can write about is Pope Francis and Sandra Fluke, I doubt she has.
The selections should have nothing to do with the authors private, political, or social leanings. Seems like lots of folks have to bring everything down to a political level . Lord knows, our schools do not teach much regarding actual and accurate historical events. Anyone would benefit from Limbaugh's books.