Rush Limbaugh's opponents attack host in new radio campaign

Rush Limbaugh

/ Rush Limbaugh Show

(CBS/AP) The Rush Limbaugh controversy continues. In the latest development, Limbaugh's opponents have launched a radio campaign against him, seizing upon the radio star's attack of a Georgetown law student as a "slut" to make a long-term effort aimed at weakening his business.

The liberal Media Matters for America is using a past campaign against Glenn Beck as a template. In Limbaugh, however, they're going after bigger game. He's already fighting back and the group's stance has provoked concerns that an effort to silence someone for objectionable talk is in itself objectionable.

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Read more: Limbaugh: Apology to Sandra Fluke was "sincere"

Media Matters is spending at least $100,000 for two advertisements that will run in eight cities.

The ads use Limbaugh's own words about student Sandra Fluke, who testified at a congressional hearing that contraception should be paid for in health plans. Limbaugh, on his radio programs, suggested Fluke wanted to be paid to have sex, which made her a "slut" and a "prostitute." In return for the money, he said Fluke should post videos of herself having sex. Under sharp criticism, Limbaugh later apologized.

In one of the anti-Limbaugh ads, listeners are urged to call the local station that carries Limbaugh to say "we don't talk to women like that" in our city.

Ad time was purchased in Boston; Chicago; Detroit; Seattle; Milwaukee; St. Louis; Macon, Ga.; and Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The cities were selected to support active local campaigns against Limbaugh or because of perceptions Limbaugh may be vulnerable in that market, said Angelo Carusone of Media Matters.

"What we're really looking for is a way to demonstrate the persistence of the effort and the fact that it is on a wide scale," Carusone said.

Limbaugh, on his radio show Wednesday, said he's being targeted in an attack that was long-planned - not mentioning it was his words that lit the fuse.

"They're not even really offended by what happened," he said. "This is just an opportunity to execute a plan they've had in their drawer since 2009."

Limbaugh's team also posted an online response to the new radio campaign, explaining, "It was planned ahead and activated at the first moment Brock [Media Matters for America founder David Brock] could manipulate a media frenzy. Make no mistake, Brock's 'marketplace of ideas' offers only one brand: Brand Brock. All others will be forced off the shelves with intimidation and lies. Media Matters for America stands for censorship, and nothing more than that."

Determining how much of a financial impact the Fluke comments have already had on Limbaugh is murky business.

Premiere Radio Networks syndicates Limbaugh's show to more than 600 radio stations nationally, but already stations in Hawaii and Massachusetts have dropped his program. Media Matters claims that 58 companies have specifically asked that their ads be excluded from Limbaugh's show.

Radio-Info.com's TRI Newsletter said Premiere has circulated a list of 98 advertisers who want to avoid "environments likely to stir negative sentiments," essentially all politically pointed talk shows.

Tell us: What do you think about the Limbaugh controversy?

[JKJonesie]

Rush Limbaugh and their like, whether liberal or conservative, have a truly negative effect on free speech. Their purpose is to corral listeners like cattle and prevent a true honest national dialogue. They poison our American Democracy, and prevent our advancement as a nation.
Anyone who doesn't tow their line is a potential victim.
They are no more than hecklers and should be removed from the public forum.

[JA74B]

Limbaugh has lived and profited off the sword he is now dying on -- it's called freedom of speech. The public (especially woman) can accept or reject the offensive spew that comes out of his mouth. In response, they have a right to voice their objections to Limbaugh's advertisers, who in turn have a right to select an alternative spokesperson for their product. Freedom of speech cuts both ways, and now old "Rush-bow" is crying rape! He wrote the check -- these woman are now cashing it. Isn't the free market a wonderful thing!

[1pheasant1]

In Detroit, it's WJR. The Great Embarrassment of the Great Lakes.

[Juniorsmom37]

As I said, you need to LISTEN to his program to hear what he actually says, not how some liberal 'repeats' what he said!

[USF_Chris]

What a joke. These guys from MM look like the fools who show up on the witness stand with a neck brace and broken arm trying to sell the jury that they are just innocent souls. I think they would have a case if they shared the same disgust with the left's sexist comments towards conservative women.

[safeandy2002]

DO SOMETHING CONSERVATIVES! Let's not take this. Call your cable system/satellite tv provider. Tell them they must have MSNBC and HBO remove Maher and Schultz (for sexist comments). If they don't do this by April 15, cancel your cable service. If 100,000 conservatives cancel on the same day, revenues will drop, advertisers will drop and cable stock prices will drop. Our point will be made.

[Juniorsmom37]

It is obvious that you Limbaugh-haters have never listened to his program. That is where the truth is told. Just too bad you have so much hate that you can't/won't bother to find it. Just what do YOU call a bunch of unmarried college girls who are said to spend over $3000 for contraceptives. I know what I call them and that was before Rush said it. The people who didn't deserved to be called nasty names were Sarah Palin, Laura Ingram, Michelle Malkin, & Michelle Bauchman!

[dldlane]

We HAVE listened to his program and wondered who in the world could listen to it for more than 15 minutes? He repeats the same idiotic phrase over and over and over. Obviously he knows his client base, people with no opinions of their own who need stuff drummed into their heads to be able to remember it. They don't even know the subject of his rants, just the buzz words he uses and reuses. NO, there is no way we could listen to him regularly. It would result in brain damage. Oh wait, maybe that's what's happened to all of you.

[lovecomesaround]

If an athlete.... actor, legitimate newscaster or politician, publicly made fun of a disabled person or child, was blatantly racist or called a woman a **** - they would be fired (and have been for much less). Americans are for Free Speech and we are against Hate Speech. Over 200 sponsors have dropped his show. Remaining and new sponsors are being boycotted. Thank you to all the companies that are putting politics aside, and standing up for common decency.

[MCWAY2000]

PLEASE!! First, you're parroting the bald-faced lie of Media Matters. 200 sponsors DID NOT LEAVE Rush's show, as the evidence has shown, time and again, that Media Matters posted a BOGUS list. They cited companies, most of their list, that never advertised on his show in the first place.

This so-called boycott is being done by liberal/Democrat operatives, NOT the public at large. And as if that weren't enough, some of these companies aren't standing up for decency at all (i.e. Carbonite, that still sponsors Howard Stern and Ed Schultz). We know that those two have said about women.

But, as usual, mouths like yours will remain shut on this matter, because this isn't about decency or putting politics aside. It's about the crackpots on the left, wanting to silence conservative radio, because they can't compete with it and they can't monopolize the media as long as it exists.

[dldlane]

MCWAY2000 It's too bad someone is called a crackpot for standing up for decent women. ALL of you take or have taken birth control or know women who have. How would you like for him to call THEM *****? Why is that all right?

[PKMcLively]

I am so tired of hearing this speculation that Media Matters is behind the efforts to remove Limbaugh from our publicly accessed, free, airways.
I have two daughters in their 20's, beautiful, educated and outspoken. They both take contraceptive pills. Neither of my daughters is a "sl*&" Just typing the word disturbs me. There is NO WORD that a woman can aim and shoot at a man that cuts as deep, demeans and diminishes a person. It is for this reason that we started a website/blog with information supporting various ways to boycott Limbaugh. http://boycottrushlimbaughssponsors.com/

We'd not heard of Media Matters until looking for lists of sponsors. And, quite frankly, their lists are limited to national and NYC sponsors. This is a true grass roots effort with no discernible leader, just thousands of people who are fed up with the direction the GOP leader has taken the nation discussion.
The attacks on race and women and anyone who doesn't fit Limbaugh's dittohead mold are abhorrent, his vitriol precipitates a level of hate injected into our political and even more disturbing policy discussions that I have never seen in my 50 years on this earth- save the ugliness of the busing fights when I was a child.
It is time to change the rhetoric we use to "win" our political arguments.

[PKMcLively]

I am so tired of hearing this speculation that Media Matters is behind the efforts to remove Limbaugh from our publicly accessed, free, airways.
I have two daughters in their 20's, beautiful, educated and outspoken. They both take contraceptive pills. Neither of my daughters is a "sl*&" Just typing the word disturbs me. There is NO WORD that a woman can aim and shoot at a man that cuts as deep, demeans and diminishes a person. It is for this reason that we started a website/blog with information supporting various ways to boycott Limbaugh. http://boycottrushlimbaughssponsors.com/

We'd not heard of Media Matters until looking for lists of sponsors. And, quite frankly, their lists are limited to national and NYC sponsors. This is a true grass roots effort with no discernible leader, just thousands of people who are fed up with the direction the GOP leader has taken the nation discussion.
The attacks on race and women and anyone who doesn't fit Limbaugh's dittohead mold are abhorrent, his vitriol precipitates a level of hate injected into our political and even more disturbing policy discussions that I have never seen in my 50 years on this earth- save the ugliness of the busing fights when I was a child.
It is time to change the rhetoric we use to "win" our political arguments.

[Phantassia]

Please post the website you have created to boycott Bill Maher as well. I am sure you are in a frenzy over his attacks on your daughters.

[Phantassia]

Please post your website supporting your boycott of Bill Maher as well. I am sure you are in a frenzy over his attack of your daughters.