Obama calls Sandra Fluke to offer support over Limbaugh comments

Updated: 6:30 p.m. ET

President Obama called Georgetown University Law School student Sandra Fluke to "offer his support to her" Friday, after conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh bashed the student activist as a "slut" and a "prostitute" because she is pushing for employers to be required provide insurance coverage that covers contraception.

Mr. Obama called Fluke because "he wanted to offer his support to her, he wanted to express his disappointment that she has been the subject of inappropriate personal attacks and to thank her for exercising her rights as a citizen to speak out on an issue of public policy," said White House spokesman Jay Carney, adding the call lasted several minutes.

"I think he, like a lot of people, feels that the kinds of personal attacks that she is - that have been directed her way are inappropriate," Carney said of the president. "The fact that our political discourse has become debased in many ways is bad enough. It is worse when it's directed at a private citizen who was simply expressing her views on a matter of public policy."

"The president expressed to Sandra Fluke that he was disappointed that she was the subject of these crude-of these personal attacks," he continued. "I think that it's fair to say that - reprehensible was my word, but look, these were unfortunate attacks that were leveled against her and the president feels that way."

"Unfortunate?" asked CBS News chief White House correspondent Norah O'Donnell.

"They were, inappropriate and reprehensible," Carney elaborated. "But the point is the president called her to thank her for speaking out on a matter and doing so with great poise on a matter-on a public policy matter and to express his disappointment that she had been subjected to these kinds of attacks." (watch the exchange above)

In an interview with CBS News congressional correspondent Nancy Cordes on Friday afternoon, Fluke said Mr. Obama thanked her for "helping to amplify the voices of women across the country," and expressed concern "that I was okay." (watch at left)

"He expressed his support me, thanked me for helping to amplify the voices of women across the country who are very concerned about the very dangerous bills that we've seen and their support for the contraception policy and how much it means to them," Fluke said. "Beyond that he also just wanted to express concern and make sure that I was okay which I thought was very kind and I assured him I was."

Fluke said she thought Limbaugh's comments were an attempt to "silence" her "and the millions of American women who are speaking out now." Watch more of the interview on "The CBS Evening News" at 6:30 p.m. ET.

There has been a growing backlash against Limbaugh since he made the comments on Wednesday, with politicians of all stripes decrying the language as insulting and inappropriate.

At least one company, a mattress retailer called The Sleep Train, has said it will no longer advertise during Limbaugh's radio show due to the negative comments.

Both the Georgetown University Law Center and Georgetown University president have responded to the attacks, as have a number of women's organizations.

A group of more than 200 faculty members, administrators and students from the Georgetown University Law Center and other law schools released a statement condemning the "personal attacks" against Fluke, and lauded her "courage" in defending and advocating "her beliefs about an important issue of widespread concern."

"She has done so with passion and intelligence," the statement said. "And she has been rewarded with the basest sort of name-calling and vilification, words that aim only to belittle and intimidate. As scholars and teachers who aim to train public-spirited lawyers, no matter what their politics, to engage intelligently and meaningfully with the world, we abhor these attacks on Ms. Fluke and applaud her strength and grace in the face of them."

Georgetown University President John DeGioia decried Limbaugh's comments as "misogynistic, vitriolic, and a misrepresentation of the position of our student."

In his radio show Friday, Limbaugh said he thought it was "touching" that Mr. Obama reached out personally to Fluke.

"Oh that's touching, Obama just called Sandra Fluke to make sure she's all right," Limbaugh said. "That is so compassionate, what a great guy."

He continued to defend his comments from Wednesday, arguing that it was "insulting" that Fluke and other women's health advocates would ask taxpayers to fund for contraception for "people who want to have sex without consequences."

"All of the sudden we're told that people who want to have sex without consequences, we have to pay for it. And if we object, we're somehow Neanderthal," Limbaugh said. "Out of nowhere this comes up, and to me this is insulting."

Fluke, a women's health activist who says her friend lost an ovary due to lack of contraceptive care, was turned away from a House oversight hearing on the White House's contraception rule, where she had hoped to testify. Instead, she told her story in a mock congressional hearing later in the month. In her testimony, Fluke largely discussed the high cost of contraception and the important medical benefits it can offer women. 

In a statement Friday afternoon, the women's organization NOW called for Clear Channel Communications to "pull the plug on Limbaugh's gilded microphone immediately."

"Limbaugh's targeting of Sandra Fluke was way out of line, even for him. Limbaugh is free to disagree all he wants with Fluke -- a Georgetown Law student who testified before a congressional committee in support of health care coverage for birth control -- but calling her a 'slut' and a 'prostitute' on air is unacceptable. After sparking outrage, Limbaugh took to the airwaves again yesterday to suggest that if Fluke wants contraception to be fully covered, she should post videos of herself having sex online so Limbaugh and others can watch," said NOW president Terry O'Neill.

CBS News chief White House correspondent Norah O'Donnell contributed to this report.

[avt933]

Whether or not you support the liberal idea of women using birth control or attending graduate schools, both she and Rush have freedom of speech. Apparently, it is acceptable to refer to women as *****, *****, ******* and prostitutes. We will always have a double standard when it comes to sexuality. If Rush had used a homophobic or racial slur, that would have been unacceptable to our society.

As a Catholic, I would hope that the Church would allow a women to use birth control to alleviate extremely heavy and painful periods. There are non-sexual reasons that women go on the pill. At the same time, Georgetown is a Jesuit institution so it is understandable if the school does not want student healthcare to include contraception.

People can deify or vilify Obama all they want. I am politically independent and choose to see him as a person. And, as a woman who almost took her own life due to sexual harassment, I appreciate how he took the time to call her. Her fifteen minutes of fame does relate to the larger political issues. I will end this by expressing how it saddens me how crass our culture has become. I find a glimmer of hope in the fact that Howard Stern has three daughters.

[mizRicki]

For the President of the United States to call someone because they were called something outrageous is curious and was it Pelosi who contacted this student? Will he be calling all the conservative women who have been called names worse than this? No wonder this country is going down the tubes.

[moretruthnow]

Comments here are now at the level of imbecilic against basic rights and against birth control that prevents unwanted pregnancies and therefore prevents the need for abortions. Ideally that would be what republicans would want, but is it? Women are able with birth control to have a child when they are ready to love, provide and raise that child. The right wing extremists really prefer railing against abortions to get elected to do whatever they can for their corporate master.

[moretruthnow]

Sandra Fluke is an advocate for women having all the medical benefits that health insurance companies can provide. When the GOP is right now attacking birth control it is a good thing we have more Democrats in the Senate because they would have voted against our rights to birth control last week.

[mizRicki]

No one is attacking birth control, how ridiculous

[EVANGELISTRACHELRODGERS]

C.B.S, DO YOU NO LONGER SUPPORT THE FIRST AMENDMENT?

[My_Opinion_7]

Tell Apple you will stop buying apps and music unless they take down the Rush Limbaugh app. Apple Store (800-692-7753). Just hit zero until you get a real person.

[frankarttow]

yes, that is what mobs do....silence dissent.

[petesis]

Limpball has already apologized... or should I say "surrendered" in Moonbase Commander Newt speak.

[petesis]

But proposing a moonbase while talking to Floridian Nasa workers is not opportunistic at all... Earth to Moonbase commander Newt.... come down from your cloud...your Tiffanies account is maxed out.

[P0STING_AWAY]

by pelosisux March 3, 2012 4:48 PM EST
Sandra Fluke is not a "private person.
============================================
We will see.
As the bailiff will be telling Rush LimpBalls ...
TELL IT TO THE JUDGE.

[P0STING_AWAY]

by You_cant_bring_me_down March 3, 2012 4:50 PM EST
Posting, don't you have someting better to do like wait in line for your unemployment check or use your food stamps? Great everybody, posting just proved we can say anything and everything bad about Sarah Palin. We know NOW won't defend her. They're a socialist organization.
============================================================
Dearest DumbAzz:
People in my tax bracket do not qualify for food stamps or
unemployment checks. Consult your neighbors in your trailer
park as to what THAT MIGHT MEAN.

NOW does not defend Palin because Palin deserves no such defense.
Please consult a dictionary so as you can discover
what the word "socialist" means.
Just because some idiot on Faux Noise uses the term does
not mean that you should automatically parrot it.