« Men on Paternity Leave Are Slackers at Home | Main | How Would Your Associates Rate You? »

News Roundup: Limbaugh Slams Georgetown 3-L's Morality; Judge Makes Bestiality Joke About Obama

Vivia Chen

March 2, 2012

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.

Rush_Limbaugh2(2)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.

RichardCebull_Photo-by-Stacey-Cramp2. 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.

Get The Careerist in your morning e-mail. Sign up today—see box on upper right corner.

Do you have topics you'd like to discuss or tips to share? E-mail The Careerist's chief blogger, Vivia Chen, at [email protected].

Comments

Feed You can follow this conversation by subscribing to the comment feed for this post.

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.

No coverage of what Bill Maher called Sarah Palin? Google it.

The joke on Owebamma wasn't about bestiality. It was that his mother had sex doggy style. Get over it. The joke is funny.

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.

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...

The comments to this entry are closed.

Subscribe to get The Careerist via e-mail

Enter your e-mail address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

About The Careerist

The Careerist takes an inside look at how lawyers shape their careers and manage their lives. The blog aims to dissect developments in the profession, provide useful information and advice, and give lawyers a platform to voice their views. The goal is to provide a fresh, provocative take on the state of lawyering.

About Vivia Chen

Vivia Chen

Vivia Chen, The Careerist's chief blogger, has been covering the business and culture of law firms for a decade. A former corporate lawyer, Chen is fascinated by those who thrive (as well as those who don't) in the legal profession. Her take: Success in the law (and life) doesn't always travel a linear path. If you have topics you'd like to discuss or information to share, contact her: [email protected]

To search across all ALM blogs, go to www.Lexis.com.