Paul: Limbaugh apologized for personal gain

(CBS News) Republican presidential candidate Rep. Ron Paul said an apology by conservative talk radio host Rush Limbaugh to Georgetown Law student Sandra Fluke for calling her a "slut" and a "prostitute" was not sincere, and was made only because it best served Limbaugh.

On CBS News' "Face the Nation," the Texas congressman told host Bob Schieffer that Limbaugh's apology "was in his best interest."

"He's doing it because some people were taking their advertisements off of his program. It was his bottom line he was concerned about," Paul said.

Paul referred to three companies that pulled advertisements from Limbaugh's show following incendiary remarks Limbaugh made about Fluke for testifying before a mock Congressional committee in favor of free contraception insurance coverage at Georgetown, a Jesuit university. [One company's spokesman said that Limbaugh's comments "do not align [with] our values." Another pulled out "Due to continued inflammatory comments - along with valuable feedback from clients and team members" about the remarks.]

"I don't think he's very apologetic," Paul said. "It's in his best interest, that's why he did it."

Although Paul disagreed with Limbaugh's remarks and called them "over the top," he said the government should not mandate that insurance companies provide contraception coverage.

"This is philosophically and politically important because, does the government have a mandate to tell insurance (companies) what to give?" Paul asked, and then responded to his own question: "So they're saying that the insurance companies should give everybody free birth control pill, that strikes me as rather odd."

Paul told Schieffer that the problem is not about social issues but about the government. "It's this mandate, this is an obsession with Obama on mandating," Paul said, then moving on to critique the Republicans as well. "Of course the Republicans aren't a whole lot better on this, either," he said, without specifying to what policy he was referring.

However, Paul was specific in his attack against former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum and his support (as Senator) for Planned Parenthood dollars in a government funding bill.

"He pretends to be the champion of social values," Paul told Schieffer. "That to me is rather bizarre, and that's why I call him a fake conservative."

[milkweed222]

Thank you, Ron Paul, for having the courage to tell the truth about Rush Limbaugh. Keep it up! I'll never vote for you, but you've earned my respect. Sorry, the rest of you Republicans, there is no defense for the vile words of this sorry excuse for a man. Not only was his logic twisted, he was deliberately extremely personally insulting. I know this sounds old-fashioned, but he is no gentleman. Even in these days when people resort to expletives over the most minor disputes, his rants stand out for true viciousness. His apology addressed none of the personal vituperation he committed, but only apologized for his "word choice" after he had offered further insults. Had he actually addressed the issue being explored, religious liberty and/or women's rights to equal healthcare, that would have been one thing. But the extremely personal nature of his rant was purely staged for sensationalistic effect. He used "fighting" words he'd never say to this woman's face; relying on the distancing effect of radio to shield himself from her direct response. I suspect he'd never have said the "male equivalent" of those words to or about a man. Cowardly, as well! Anyone defending him puts him/herself in his camp; all Republicans and especially Republican candidates should be vigorously condemning his conduct. That they are not is extremely disappointing, but not surprising. Again, thank you, Ron Paul.

[brasileira2]

Rush says - "I personally do not agree that American citizens should pay for these social activities. What happened to personal responsibility and accountability? Where do we draw the line? ...
Can you spell Viagara? He did not give a f... about who would be covering Viagara. Did he? ...
By the way "social activities" - he means sex. And for those who are not very smart... The government does not pay for contraceptives- Your insurance (which you a lot of money to) is the one that will cover the expenses.
Well, Viagara is related to "social activities" is it not? And it does not treat hormones' problems or prevent pregnancy, does it?
Does he call the men on Viagara "*****" and "Prostitutes"? I don't think so! He is pathetic! This guy must hate women.

[A_sentient_being]

"Why should someone who's not going to have a baby be forced to pay for the OB care of a younger person?"

"Why should someone who doesn't use birth control be forced to pay for the birth control for others?"

"Why should someone who doesn't smoke be forced to pay for the health care of someone who does?"

"Why should people who never had children, be forced to pay for the educations of other people's children?"

"Why should someone who doesn't own a car be forced to pay for road maintenance for other people to drive on?"

"Why should someone who doesn't commit crimes be forced to pay for the policemen who handle the people who do commit crimes?"

Do you see where this is going?

[subgeez]

Exactly. Except that nobody is asking any taxpayer to pay for this. Insurance policies that include contraception cost less than those that don't, for obvious reasons. And taxpayers were never paying for private insurance policies. It is astounding that women's rights to contraception are being debated in 2012. Repuglicans will regret this move in November.

[Sean_B28655]

Neither Being or Subgeez get the point of any of this. Every single insurance plan I have ever been offered from work has included birth control for free for the simple fact it is cheaper to keep her doped up through her child bearing years than it is to pay for a baby. Whenever we didn't have insurance we payed the $30/month for the exact same reason.

The problem here is not that the government is forcing something reasonable, it is that the government is involved at all. If a plan doesn't include birth control, for whatever reason but most likely at the request of the business, there are many options available to the individual. They are hardly being denied health coverage, and they can always quit if their uptight boss dislikes sex. Maybe we men should start some sort of whine campaign to get the insurance companies to pay for our condoms. My guess is that Trojan is not paying as much in campaign donations as the pharma companies are, so we might as well sit back and laugh.

[FarberBoy]

Is there anyone who doesn't do things in their self interest? Obama? Biden? Of course, it is in his self interest. On the larger economic issue, Paul is exactly right, but of course, that would not be the entrapping headline.

[rightontarget]

Paul: Limbaugh apologized for personal gain.
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DUH!!!!!! YA THINK??????????? Jeeze Ronnie, here all this time I thought old Rush Limpballs really felt bad for saying those things. Who says you're too old to run for President? Your mind is as sharp as a tack. (NOT!) LMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[sjosephm]

Point is, no other Republican candidate would say this and speak out against Rush. Gingrich accepted the apology and said that's good enough and let's move on. Whether it's a simple truth or a more complex one, Paul is telling the truth.

[pohd1]

He made a comment and has apology for it. Get on with your life. If Democrats and media continue with this issue they are just showing that they wish to trash the 1st Amendment on free speech except when it favors their people.

[sjosephm]

Really?, this isn't about the 1st Amendment. This is about whether Rush should be given a loud speaker to spout his bull. The advertisers seem to think "No", and I agree with them. Shocking there are so many fans of this meathead.

[Smokey75]

...by parrots7 March 5, 2012 11:02 AM EST
And Limpbaugh was wrong ...... Dumb Dumb Repugs !!
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No it is dumb dumb liberals with their selective moral outrage!

[Smokey75]

It is funny hearing all the liberals whine and cry about Rush and how he needs to be off the air for his use of words.

Yet not one of the left loons has the courage to really stand on their so called morals and support for women and call for Ed Shultz or Bill Mahar to be pulled from the air after even though both those liberal losers said the exact same thing as Rush did.

The liberal loser mahar called Palin a c*nt and left loons cheered. Also the fat arse liberal looser Ed Shultz calls Laura Ingram a Sl*t and once again the liberal loons just cheer him on.

So I guess liberal morals only work when it is a right winger saying things they disagree with. Kind of typical of a liberal loon.

[TOPDOG11111]

More and more the Internet is making these old bigoted racists obsolete. The days of one sided news broadcasts are coming to an end.To his devotee's Rush is King. I can not see how any educated moral person would tolerate his drivel for an instant. PLEASE !! take this bigot from wasting air time on the radio. I could laugh but Many, small minded, ignorant people take his hate mongering as gospel..Sad!..Sad!...Sad!

[credibility2]

I don't recall Paul calling for apologies from Maher and others who dogged Joe the Plummer or Sarah Palin or Ann Coulter when they were trashed, insulted and slandered by the media, Democrats and others. It's not Paul's position to question anyone's apology or their motives. Further more this entire issue isn't at all about wanting women not to have birth control. Paul and others need to settle down and quell their irrational emotions and realize that what this issue about is taxpayers being forced to pay for someone's sexual activity and problems with their protected religious beliefs in not funding for any form of birth control. That is what this is about and not Limbaugh or Fluke, who is an advocate and activist for women's rights. That's all a smoke screen.

[MsmCorrupt]

Paul was asked about Limbaugh in an interview. He was not asked about anyone else.

[occupy_cbs]

I denounce rush limpbaugh for his misogynistic attack on Sandra Fluke and all women. The republican Party should be ashamed of itself.