Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

Rush Got Bum Rap on Racist Slurs

Face it, liberal media: Claims he said that stuff look pretty bogus

By Kevin Spak,  Newser Staff

Posted Oct 15, 2009 11:19 AM CDT
Email

(Newser) – Rush Limbaugh is getting such a raw deal in the media that even Nate Silver—who got his start on the Daily Kos—has come to his defense. Lately CNN and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch have repeated racist statements that appear to be "completely made up," Silver writes. Rush denies saying them, and though the quotes appear in a book and on wikipedia, there are no recordings or transcripts suggesting he did.

“Given that Rush is one of the most listened-to and tape-recorded people in the history of the world, you'd certainly think that there would be,” Silver reasons. “There's not even some kind of half-assed backstory—‘Oh, he said these off the record at a fundraiser.’” Besides, as Rush himself has argued, if he had really said slavery “had its merits” or that MLK’s assassin deserved a medal of honor, there’d have been a “Don-Imus-to-the-nth-power-sized blowup.”

This photo provided by Rush Limbaugh shows him in his Palm Beach radio studio the last week of Sept., 2009.
This photo provided by Rush Limbaugh shows him in his Palm Beach radio studio the last week of Sept., 2009.   (AP Photo/Photo courtesy of Rush Limbaugh)
Even Nate Silver thinks Rush Limbaugh is getting a raw deal.
Even Nate Silver thinks Rush Limbaugh is getting a raw deal.   (Flickr)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
CNN's Rick Sanchez repeats the unsubstantiated quote (at the 1:14 mark).   (youtube.com)

View larger videos >>
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next »

I'm disappointed that the "liberal" media and meta-media sites have in fact not lifted a finger to verify the veracity of the quotes, nor to call out those who repeated them without checking their facts first. - Nate Silver

I mean, let’s face it, we didn’t have slavery in this country for over 100 years because it was a bad thing. Quite the opposite: slavery built the South. I’m not saying we should bring it back; I’m just saying it had its merits. - Dubious Rush Limbaugh quote

You know who deserves a posthumous Medal of Honor? James Earl Ray. We miss you, James. Godspeed. - Dubious Rush Limbaugh quote

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
To report an error on this story, notify our editors.
A snapshot of the day's best news stories.
 
COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 51 comments
Fiskebolle
Oct 16, 2009 6:55 AM CDT
'If something bad happens to someone they must have deserved it' -- this is what you are saying. Which makes you an anti-semite amongst other things. But I assume not; it's more likely that you don't hold your stated opinion unless the target is someone you don't like. Then you are just a hypocrite. Choices!
Fiskebolle
Oct 16, 2009 6:51 AM CDT
The only way I can check up on that is by going through all recent Rush videos on youtube until I find it, which is a waste of my time. But given that mainstream media is now unrepentingly lying I can assume that you, random internet guy, felt free to at least put a very heavy spin on that.
Shannonals
Oct 16, 2009 5:29 AM CDT
Like so many ignorant people, you actually think suing an individual accomplishes anything MrsK. Rush won't sue, because even though statements were taken out on context, although not on all cases, a jury would find for whoever he sued

 
media • NFL • St. Louis Rams • Rush Limbaugh • race relations • CNN • Nate Silver • Rush Limbaugh racist quotes

More Newser Stories

Why Was First Lady Booed? She's 'Uppity': Limbaugh

When Did the Right Discover Racism?

Cain's Policies Are the Real Scandal

Limbaugh: ‘Melanin Is Thicker Than Water’

CNN's Ed Henry Jumps to Fox
NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS
Other Sites We Like:   24/7 Wall St.   |   Betty Confidential   |   BuzzFeed   |   Cracked   |   Fark   |   Timelines   |   The Frisky   |   Geek Sugar   |   NewsOne