Facebook
Fark
Digg
Reddit
Stumble
By Anjeanette Damon (contact) 
Tuesday, March 13, 2012 | 12:56 p.m.
U.S. Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., today refused to back down from her call to silence conservative radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh, despite critics who say she is on the wrong side of the First Amendment.
“This has nothing to do with the First Amendment. I am merely asking Clear Channel to make a business decision to get somebody who uses and abuses the public airwaves off the airwaves,” Berkley said. “Obviously, 141 sponsors of his show agree with me, as do 30,000 people who have gone online and signed my petition. I am not hanging alone out here.”
Last week, Berkley launched an online petition calling for Clear Channel to cancel Limbaugh’s program after he used demeaning language to attack Sandra Fluke, a law student who wanted to testify on the issue of insurance companies being required to cover contraception.
Her petition opened her up to criticism from both conservative critics who questioned why she didn’t move to silence liberal talk show host Bill Maher for using similar language against Republican Sarah Palin as well as from freedom of speech advocates.
“It is troubling, however, that a member of Congress, whose job includes protecting our most basic rights, among them free speech, is trying to convince radio stations to silence one of the most successful radio talkers of the day,” the Reno Gazette-Journal wrote in a recent editorial.
Berkley shrugged off the criticism, launching into a heated defense of Fluke.
“After three days of just destroying this woman, this law student, who had the temerity of wanting to speak to a congressional hearing, talking about an issue she was very familiar with, probably far more so than the five men sitting at the witness table … he decided to give a back door apology to this woman,” Berkley said.
“We need to stand up for ourselves as women around this country.”
Berkley drew a distinction between Maher and Limbaugh, saying one is an entertainer and the other is tantamount to a Republican operative.
“If you cross Rush Limbaugh and you’re a Republican office holder, then you have to crawl over and kiss his ring,” Berkley said. “There’s a big difference between what is being said by Bill Maher and his humor, although I don’t find that funny, and what Rush Limbaugh does, who pretty much calls the shots in the Republican Party.”
MS. Shelley doesn't know the difference between a socialist and a communist and a true American so how would she understand any of this?
I can't stand Rush and can only tolerate Maher but I despise Berkely.
Always nice to see someone who swore an oath to defend the Constitution use it for toilet paper.
Berkely has to go..... plain and simple.
She needs to read the book "Freedom for the thought that we hate"
Comment removed by moderator. Name Calling
but she's still right Clyde. Limbaugh is a Republican figure and Maher is a comedian.
Blah-de blah blah blah....partisanship, left or right makes for strange attempts to subvert the truth.
Jerry, it doesn't matter what hair you split. They are both the same; political commentators.
To JerryWayne
"but she's still right Clyde. Limbaugh is a Republican figure and Maher is a comedian."
Maher stopped being a comedian when he shelled out 1 million to back Obama.
Not that he was much of a comedian before that.
No forgiveness great! I love the New America, I was never proud of America, Rush is a typical white person. Shelley is doing very important work here.
If Berkeley were trying to pass a law to kick Rushbo off the air THEN and ONLY then would it be a First Amendment issue. Advocating that a business drop their advertising or that a radio station no longer air a particular show by shopping or not shopping at the businesses that advertise on a give show is not a First Amendment issue.
The difference between Rush and Bill Maher is that Rush was talking about a private citizen who tried to testify before Congress versus someone who has put themselves in the national arena for their own political gain.
Berkeley has it right and so far she has my vote.
Hey nez212, guess what? You don't know the difference either.
Berkley is right. Rush is a GOP leader, a party insider, Maher has a comedy show.
Thanks for the 411 Berkley.
You are A-OK with someone on national TV calling women worthless and hateful names.
Yeah.....you big on women's rights.....REAL BIG!!!!!!
Keep up the good work....HYPOCRITE!!!!!!!!
Rush and Maher are Entertainers, period. They also both have big mouths. Maher lost his gig on network TV because of things he said. Incidentally many conservatives came to Mahers aid at that time, and Maher even made that comment. Therefore...which party is actually for freedom of speech and which likes to censor?
@Clyde Perkins. If you comment was to indicate that since Shelley Berkley is a Democrat and a supporter of Pres. Obama and thus she does not recognize that Pres. Obama is either a Communist or a Socialist then, sir, you are the one with the failing aptitude on the topic.
As for the subject at hand; Rush Limbaugh is the adult form of an abusive school yard bully who lacks any sense of decorum and has been elevated to an unwarranted stature by pandering to the lowest common denominator of vitriolic and small minded in this society. Rush chimed in with Sarah Palin in the criticism of inappropriate language applied to and concerning the developmentally disabled, yet Sarah and the rest of the Ditto Heads were silent when Limbaugh mocked Michel J. Fox on radio and webcam.
Rush Limbaugh has violated the standards of ethics and decorum as established by the FCC Regulations as applied to the access to public airways. He has gotten away with it for years, and has not gone so far as to deserve to be removed from the public access airways. I say let him go the same route as Howard Stern and be relegated to "Pay For Listen" radio.
Additionally one might want to apply critical thought process and realize that Bill Maher has his show on HBO, and that happens to be a "Pay For View" venue.
Dear Hispanic Catholics:
As you can see Berkley has a low regard for the Catholic church. She wants priets and nuns to go against their faith and to spend church money so that the likes of the Flukes of the world who are not married so that they can have sex outside the bounds of marriage and also buy abortion pills.
She cares so little for your religious liberty and the religious liberty of your priest and nuns.
Sincerely, Sgt Rock
Let's get this right. Rush is not a GOP Leader, he is a Conservative that decided to be a Republican. Both Maher and Rush are protected by the 1st Amendment. I have never been a fan of Rush or Bill and find their resent tirades distasteful. Her effort to silence him is a political move that shows the length these selfish elected officials will go to strengthen their grip on power and ultimately our lives. Let anyone call them to task, and they will do what they can to silence them much like they did with the Tea Party and Glen Beck. Shelley's explanation as to why she won't drop her war on Rush is just another lie. Shelley Berkley in interested in one thing and one thing only, power. She has lost contact with reality and her duty to protect the Constitution. She is another Pelosi.
I think it's funny that after all the things Rush Limbaugh has said all throughout the years, THIS is the one that topples him from his so called lofty and impenetrable perch on the American right wing hate radio.
A young 20 something Georgetown University college student basically motivated women all throughout this country in a unified effort to bring down Rush's stupid empire as the mouthpiece for the Tea/Republican Party.
That all goes to show you that you just do not make a woman mad. Rush went out of his way in a sustained and relentless attack on Ms. Fluke for three days straight; and he actually apologized for two instances, but basically hopes everyone ignore the forty plus other attacks on her character. The American women saw this and they immediately went after him madder than Godzilla on crack cocaine, dismantling his whole radio show by removing all his national advertisers by shaming them to disassociate. Rush simply doesn't seem to understand that the majority of American consumers out here are women (just about 85 percent). They say don't spend money on that racist misogynistic bastard? BAM! It gets done.
How that fits with this article is that some of the above commenters are attacking Representative Berkley not for stating an irrefutable fact, but because they are pursuing an agenda. An agenda that will completely and utterly fail. And they don't seem to understand this stance makes the Tea/Republican Party increasingly unpopular, antiquated, narrow minded and out of touch.
And if you don't believe, wait til the November 2012 elections. It is an undisputable fact that Tea/Republicans hid from this issue and refused to call out Rush for his despicable attack on a young woman. All of them basically said stupid stuff like they wouldn't have said it that way, or they just sidestepped comment about it, or stuff like give him a break, he's just an entertainer out for yuck yucks, or the moon aligned with Jupiter with Saturn rising and Venus got in the way, thereby causing radiation to penetrate his cranial cavity that made his brain react, spread to his vocal chords and then subsequently say stupid stuff he didn't mean.
The women of America see this trend. And they don't like it.
Not only is Rush done for, but the entire Tea/Republican Party is also. Deserverdly so too.
So, keep it up, Tea/Republicans. I really enjoy watching you dig your own political graves.
Not sure but did Limbaugh ever make any remarks about the children of any politicians? I do know that Maher and Letterman did, after our President made the statement that children are off limits, then preceded to except $1 million dollars from him. If Berkley or any of you think that this is comedic or Ok you're a very sad bunch.
When any person or group confuses and mixes many different things in an attempt to accomplish a singular goal, they usually fail at it all. The Tea Party started with a great idea, "taxed enough already". Then they atarted getting into the flaming right mentality, the holier-than-thou point of view, and a holy-roller approach to everything. That is why they are sinking as fast as they came up. There is a world of difference between trying to get rid of some taxes, while trying to make the entire tax thing equitable for everyone, and shoving your religious-based beliefs down other people's throats.
I asked all the women in my office to clarify the situation for me... made up of mostly democrats and one republican. The consensus was: Aside from Limbaugh being a complete loud mouthed a-hole, they couldn't understand why a Georgetown law student was unable go to Target or Walmart and get their own birth control pills for $4-$9 a month like they do. If insurance covered the pills, the copay would be at least $10-$15 if not more. Cialis is $60 a month copay on our company plan and Viagra is not covered at all. They all felt it was a non-issue yet this is what fills our airwaves... and the airspace in the heads of our representatives. I personally don't find Limbaugh entertaining, nor do I find Maher funny. On that basis perhaps they should both be arrested for perpetrating fraud on the public.
Dear Ms. Berkley... Rather than worrying about some radio windbag... or a comedian too angry to be funny anymore, can you please tell me what you are doing about the USA's massive growing debt of $15 trillion not to mention the unfunded obligations of $100 trillion or more going forward? We're getting close to 50K of debt for every man woman and child and you spend your time concerned about someone name calling? How do you sleep at night when you know full well our country is getting ready to fall off a debt cliff?
Do you think anyone in Greece is worried about who pays for birth control pills?
Once and for all, can someone tell me the position in the GOP that Rush Limbaugh holds? I think he is a big blowhard and I can't listen to him for more than five minutes, but really, give us his position, his official title and how much he is paid. Berkley is just exploiting the opening Limbaugh gave her for political power, just as all other dispicable politicians do.
Too bad Berkley is not up in arms about the debt, deficit spending and joblessness. I guess we learned what her priorities are didn't we.
Rush Limbaugh said he was not going to tell people who he voted for in the Florida Republican Party because he was a journalist. Bill Maher is a late night comedian on a cable TV network. Limbaugh is on Broadcast Radio. Different standards. Premier suspended all :barter ads" for two weeks, so people could not count them and prove they are all gone. Limbaugh should be investigated for doctor shopping on his visits to Las Vegas.
Also, talk radio should be investigated for not complying with campaign finance laws. Limbaugh should be taken off the AFN.
Maher is intelligent. Limpbag is a nasty tub of Crisco.
Colin states; A young 20 something Georgetown University college student. Hmmm, no try 31 years of age.
I'm independent (proudly), and one thing I can't stand about my liberal friends is that they give Maher and Stewart a pass when it comes to the comments that they make, saying that they're "comedy shows". No, they're political shows that use comedy to push their political opinions. They should be held to similar standards as Fox News. Discuss semantics, or their supposed "intentions" all you want, but I know A LOT of people that consider The Daily Show to be a source of news, and I'm almost positive that those two guys (Stewart and Maher) consider their shows to be more than just comedy sketch shows.
Burritobandit2 states: "Colin states; A young 20 something Georgetown University college student. Hmmm, no try 31 years of age."
I stand, er, no, wait, um, I sit corrected.
Thanks.
For some warped reason, people seem to equate comedy shows (Stewart and Colbert) the same as what Rush Limbaugh said on his radio show.
I say no. There's a world of difference.
Stewart and Colbert are in essence comedy shows. Just because it seems to conflict and be totally contrary to a made up right wing agenda, then it is considered an attack. But to the ultra-right wingers, who have been verified to not have any damn sense of humor at all, it is the anti-thesis of what Rush Limbaugh is doing.
Rush Limbaugh is simply a right wing agenda driven straight so called news radio show. PERIOD. If he cracks a joke, it's guaranteed people will turn the radios off. The man doesn't have a funny bone in his carcass.
My question is this: If this Rush Limbaugh extravaganza is the same as both Stewart/Colbert combined, WHERE IS THE COMEDY?!?!?!
My point is that there is a world of difference.
But, yes, I know, in the right wing nutball version of the world, both Stewart and Colbert are just as guilty as Limbaugh. And through warped sense of logic, this absolves Rush Limbaugh totally.
The women in America are not convinced of this idiotic logic.
Because of what Rush Limbaugh said of this college student, and more important, what Rush Limbaugh is now DOUBLING DOWN on attacks on women...HE IS GOING DOWN! He is soon to be toast.
And when he goes down? He's taking his stupid Tea/Republican Party he constantly mouthpieces for with him.
Why? Because they don't take a stance against his attacks on women. Their silence CLEARLY SIGNALS they are in agreement.
Bring on the elections in November 2012. This abomination called the Tea/Republican Party is going to get absolutely crushed.
Even as I type this comment, there are women motivated and organizing all over the United States of America to get the word out.
Wake up, Tea/Republicans! Take a stance against Rush Limbaugh. If you don't? The women of America will.
All indications show what I am typing is the absolute truth.
Yep, after my initial comment I see some pretty silly partisan comments above.
The nastiness on both parts cannot be justified by reality but then that is the comedy we are saddled with. That is why so much of today's comedy is un-watchable except to the most extreme partisans of a particular faction.
Maher and Limbaugh are both comedians and entertainers and having heard both; they both need to rein in their vitriol and nastiness. I can't stand to listen to either of them.
I predict the onanistic extreme left will be disappointed in their wet dreams of triumph over Limbaugh. To me it is a non issue like so much the extremes on both sides find compelling.
I sincerely doubt that Shelley Berkley (or any of the partisan hacks here condemning Rush Limbaugh while defending Bill Maher) would act any differently if the person making the statements were, say, Dennis Miller instead of Limbaugh.
Great Taste, Less Filling
I find all these comments by commentators and "comedians" very offensive. I don't listen to Rush never have but both Rush and Maher (who gave a $1M to Obama's super PAC) are both obviously aligned....Can we talk about real issues? unemployment, energy prices, federal debt, .... we have plenty of very serious problems to solve without going into the gutter.
Maher bought the Democrat/liberal/leftist with his $1,000,000 donation to Pres. Obama's super pak... Maher now gets a free pass calling Republican women *unts and *wats... leave him out of this!
"theres about a 150 pound difference between the two"
Notice how Dennis doesn't describe the difference.....this is called empty rhetoric folks.
It amazes me how the left has been so jealous over the years over talk show hosts, even to the point of trying to ban them. They wish they could find just one who could hold an audience for more than a couple of weeks to "entertain" their points of view to millions of fans. When liberals put their Obama jammies on at night I bet most of them dream about Rush and Hannity, lol
W-E-I-R-D-O hypocrites...how do we EVER expect to get anywhere in a discussion when most of you cannot understand what is self-evident?...HOW?...how the hell can most of you look at one set of FACTS and come away with two disparate opinions?...beyond philosophy and audience size, there is no discernible difference between Bill Maher's political activism and Rush Limbaugh's political activism...NONE...there can be no case otherwise...NONE...
Please get beyond the mindset of MY GUY is righteous and YOUR GUY is evil...PLEASE...or, we are doomed...doomed...
We get to see the latest tactic by the Democrats to explain away their hypocrisy by claiming somehow there is a difference between Bill Maher and Rush Limbaugh by claiming Maher should be above criticism simply because he's a "comedian". What a bunch of baloney, I don't recall Andrew "Dice" Clay getting any breaks when he said things that were taken as "homophobic" and "misogynist". He was hammered in the news media. And what about the loud mouth hateful antics of people like Bill Press, Keith Olberman and Ed Shultz, will the Democrat Party now reclassify them as "comedians"?
Maher is intelligent. Limpbag is a nasty tub of Crisco.
___________
Yeah, takes alot of brain power to call a woman a c**t and her child a "retard". Yeah, real deep thinker we got here.
They are both entertainers and comedians. I have gotten more laughs listening to Limbaugh than I ever have from watching Maher. What's good for the goose is good for the gander Shelly.
I'm with Shelley Berkley. There are many differences between Bill Maher and Rush Limbaugh.
I don't know what Limbaugh is, but he's certainly not a comedian, a political pundit or a satirist. Like Michael Savage, Glenn Beck and a host of right-wing agitators and crass louts, his purpose is to dispense and amplify conservative republican talking points. They are rhetorical Klansmen, setting political fires where ever they choose. Hate speech is their hallmark.
Don Imus lost his show for making insensitive remarks about African Americans. Similarly, Bill Maher's show, Politically Correct, was cancelled in 2002 when advertisers objected to a comment.
Limbaugh's repeated attacks defaming Sandra Fluke drag political discourse to a new low.
One person commented about deficit spending. The conservatives can blame the democratic party for the national debt, but most of the national debt was was run up by republican presidents.
Comment removed by moderator. Name Calling
This is the bottom line. Heller voted with the Republicans to turn a woman's health issue, settled many years ago (contraception) into a moral, religious conversation. Women, even a vast majority of religious women, want to continue to have contraceptives as part of their health care plans. Berkley would have voted to keep contraceptives as part of a woman's and her family's choice. Good for her. And women will show their appreciation at the polls. The Limbaugh thing? Just a distraction from the actual war on women's health. And also forgotten here is that men, too, have a stake in this. Instead of containing the cost of these drugs which is the goal of the health care law, your family budget for these contraceptives would have gone through the roof had Heller had his way.
They both are on air. Rush made a few comments about Fluke and is castigated. Maher does it multiple times in one program, day after day, and sends out tweets that are just as bad as the rest of his stuff. What an attempt to stifle "free speech" .
Calling one guy a comedian and the other guy the leader of his party is ludicrous. They are both political programs representing opposite ends of the spectrum and if you don't the language used by one you should condemn the language used by both. It's pure hypocrisy and more evidence that liberalism is much closer to fascism than conservativism.
Maher & Limbaugh are two sides to the same coin, and both are protected by the 1st Amendment. Berkley's just trying to score some cheap political points while she can -- she clearly can't run on her or the Democrat's economic or fiscal accomplishments.
Some of these comments don't express even the slightest outrage at Rush Limbaugh's diatribe against Ms. Fluke that unfairly attacked her just about 46 times over a period of three days.
There's more effort to grasp Fox News talking points to deflect and point the finger elsewhere; expended on coming up with lame and childish excuse. By pointing fingers at others that's supposed to absolve Rush Limbaugh?
Rush Limbaugh, even after he somewhat hemmed and hawed an apology, is STILL talking the same misogynistic crap about women. He has not changed, nor does he want to.
Like I said in a post before, I encourage the attacks against women by Rush Limbaugh to continue.
STILL TO THIS DAY not one single Tea/Republican Party politician has the cajones to stand up against what Rush Limbaugh did and call him out for it. So, this tells me it is confirmed it is a policy written in stone and followed by the entire Tea/Republican Party.
Add to that this lame excuse Fox News and other right wingnuts keep throwing out there mindlessly.
Not to mention a lot of States enacting laws that make no sense regarding womens health issues. Answer me this: How can politicians from a State decree procedures to be done in hospitals/clinics when even doctors can't logically advise it be performed; mainly because they are deemed unnecessary, intrusive and stupid?
I really think the Tea/Republican Party has a suicide note all typed and ready to go. Because everything they are doing about womens health issues shows they intend to politically self-destruct.
What's so funny is they are so headstrong and ignorant about the issue, looking at it only like a horse with blinders on, they fail to see women all across this great land are uniting, mobilizing, even starting Super PACs and fully intend on fighting back. They've had it. Enough is enough. And they know they have to fight for their rights.
They are not going to forget all this when it comes time to vote in November 2012. They WILL remember all this nonsense that seems to only originate from the far right with their idiotic radical and extreme agendas.
So, keep it up, neo-conservatives. Don't say I didn't warn you. I just actually hope you don't listen to me. Nor pay attention to anyone. Please keep doing knee jerk stupid reactions that will only end up dooming the Tea/Republican Party.
For the life of me, I can't figure out why a political organization that preaches less government all the time seems to want to enact laws that allow their politicians to be in the doctor's office with the patient. Especially if it's a woman. Really dumb hypocrisy, you ask me.
I think the heart of the problem is you should hire doctors to remove the malignant Tea Party cancer the Republicans are afflicted with.
THAT should be concentrated on first and foremost.
Not having them focus on health diagnoses on women that make no sense at all.
nez212 I'll take Berkley's word any day, but then again anyone who thinks Rush is right or that Maher is as accountable for his words and deeds as the fat,convicted criminal,drug addict Rush is an idot. Of course most right wing,extremists are idiots and they think they can say and do as they please which is why they and thier lot in congress have the lowest opinion ratings of American voters.
For instance Gingrich,Romney and the bubble head goveror from Indiana blame Obama for the price of gas. Where were these nut jobs when gas was over $4.00 a gallon during the idiot Bush's term? By the way The Washington Post researched these idiots and thier claims and found them all to be liars with their ridiculous statements in the last twent-four hours. Anyone who listens to Rush is mentally ill,just ask his sponsors.
More BS... both are nothing more than entertainers but it is apparent the lib media ignores mahr and vilifies Rush. Anything new here?
And donating $1 million to Obama superPac would be tantamount to a dimbotard operative. One is on radio, the other on TV, not much distinction there.
homer, what time is Rush on where you are?
CNN was reporting today that Mahar is in more hot water for tweets about yesterday's primaries.
Rush wrong and so is Maher for the use of course language. Rush had no valid reason to attack this woman, who was testifying as a citizen. Maher essentially told the truth about the women he spoke about. That is what the difference is.
I will gleefully accept a 2 year suspension of both (sorry Bill).
Not
Gonna
Happen...
Several posters said Bill Maher is a comedian, I do not find him funny at all, in fact he is arrogant and obnoxious. But is calling any female a C**t, regardless of what political party they belong to, funny? Are any females in his family c**ts? If someone called Shelley Berkley a c**t would she still defend Bill Maher's remarks? It is all one side, the left can say what they like, but the right cannot. By the way, I am not a Republican or a Tea party member. I am an American Veteran who is extremely tied of this democratic bull s**t.
Shelley is defending Maher's use of the C-word in cases where a conservative woman is involved. It's okay to go after their children too.
Maher has every right to say what he wants, so does Rush.
It's called Freedom of Speech.
You don't have to watch Maher and you don't have to listen to Rush.
That's what freedom is all about.
Concerning Bezerkeley's new "All Rush, all the time" format: What will she say about el-rushbo tomorrow????
I read all sides and Huff Poo has some good ones....but who they charactrize someone as is a weak reed to stand upon. They are notable for a partisan shift one way. They are not friends of Limbaugh.
Both sides need to rein in their vile comments.
Excusing one comedy show because it matches your partisan politics is another weak reed to stand upon.
Proper ethics here would be to give all sides a non-partisan opinion. Bad is bad.
Essentially, I see partisans on both sides saying it is ok for their guys to do it, because? No reason given.
Sad and intellectually dishonest.