Update to Rush Limbaugh story: After advertisers (including LegalZoom, an online legal document service) pulled their ads from his radio show, Limbaugh apologized to Georgetown law student Sandra Fluke for calling her a "slut" and "prostitute." After several days of silence, Mitt Romney also joined Republicans (including John Boehner, Rick Santorum, and Carly Fiorina) who had denounced Limbaugh earlier. Romney said Limbaugh's choice of words is "not the language I would have used."
It's an embarrassment of riches for those of us who cover the staid world of lawyers. Imagine two top contenders for the most reprehensible comment award in one week.
1. Hmm, wonder if he'd also rant about men getting Viagra coverage? First, from the mouth of Rush Limbaugh, commenting about a Georgetown law student who testified in Congress in support of Obama's policy that gives employees of religion-affiliated institutions the right to have birth control coverage in their health plans. Reports MSNBC.com:
Limbaugh on Wednesday had referred to student Sandra Fluke as a “slut” for supporting a requirement that health insurance cover contraception. On his radio show Thursday, Limbaugh went a little further:
"So Miss Fluke, and the rest of you Feminazis, here's the deal. If we are going to pay for your contraceptives, and thus pay for you to have sex. We want something for it. We want you to post the videos online so we can all watch."
Limbaugh's eloquence didn't stop there:
"What does it say about the college coed Susan Fluke [sic], who goes before a congressional committee and essentially says that she must be paid to have sex? 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."
A third-year law student at the Catholic university, Fluke testified that "that contraception can cost a woman more than $3,000 during law school," reports MSNBC.com.
It always seems ballsy to pump up your own moral superiority by deploying vulgar language and imagery about a complete stranger—but I guess that's why Limbaugh gets paid the big bucks.
One other thought: Why is the morality brigade so silent about coverage for Viagra? Health insurance regularly covers Viagra, but not birth control pills, but somehow Viagra is not on the promiscuity radar screen. Betcha the 60-something Limbaugh, who's on his fourth marriage to a woman half his age, gets Viagra coverage under his plan.
2. But don't try to pull a Limbaugh if you're a federal judge. Here's the joke that Richard Cebull, chief U.S. district court judge in Montana, forwarded from his e-mail at work recently, according to the Great Falls Tribune:
"A little boy said to his mother, 'Mommy, how come I'm black and you're white?'" the e-mail joke reads. "His mother replied, 'Don't even go there, Barack! From what I can remember about that party, you're lucky you don't bark!'"
Judge Cebull, who was appointed to the bench by President George W. Bush, has apologized for sending the joke to his "old buddies." He offered this explanation: "The only reason I can explain it to you is I am not a fan of our president." He adds, “I didn’t send it as a racist, although that's what it is. I sent it out because it's anti-Obama."
Oh.
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Cmon, viagra and birth control pills are two completely different things. You can't honestly try to say they should both be covered by insurance just because they are sex related.
Posted by: James | July 25, 2012 at 12:21 AM
No coverage of what Bill Maher called Sarah Palin? Google it.
Posted by: brian jurvick | March 6, 2012 at 07:35 AM
The joke on Owebamma wasn't about bestiality. It was that his mother had sex doggy style. Get over it. The joke is funny.
Posted by: Sandcreekbeaver | March 5, 2012 at 09:31 AM
You expect such comments from Rush but from the Chief Judge of the U.S. District Court. His attempts to explain his behavior makes it even worse. Cebull should be removed (impeached) from the bench.
Posted by: dlee | March 3, 2012 at 05:07 PM
Umm. What on earth does this little rant have to do with career choices in the law? How lame. If you are so lacking in material - and so insistent about scratching your itch to write ill about those who disagree with your political leanings - perhaps next time you can indulge these urges with the other children on the the Daily Kos website. Please...
Posted by: Little Boy in the Crowd | March 2, 2012 at 10:30 PM