Rush to judgement

Yes, it is finally here. My take on the Rush Limbaugh flip flap. I’m sure the media has come up with a more official name for the controversy, but honestly, I’m too tired to go look.

First, let’s look at it through the Eye of Newt:

“I think it was appropriate for Rush to apologize and I’m glad he apologized,” Gingrich said. Cool, I’m fine with that. But then he followed that remarkably tepid foray into the fray with a few more words criticizing the media coverage of the Limbaugh flip flap.

“You know, David, I am astonished at the desperation of the elite media to avoid rising gas prices, to avoid the President’s apology to religious fanatics in Afghanistan, to avoid a trillion-dollar deficit, to avoid the longest period of unemployment since the Great Depression, and to suddenly decide that Rush Limbaugh is the great national crisis of this week.”

Newt Gingrich, speaking on Meet The Press, March 4, 2012

If we parse all that, we get: Rush should have apologized but the “elite media” made too much of a big deal about the whole thing.

The logical conclusion? Without the media hubbub (and the seven advertisers who pulled out) Rush would have never had to apologize.

Let’s look at Rush. For days after his outrageous comments, he was not apologetic. In fact, far from it. He was “in your face” and piled on the inflammatory remarks with glee. At some point, however, things reached a tipping point, and then he “apologized.” (Those are my air quotes.)

But I’m willing to bet that the apology was a crass one. Has Rush really changed his mind? Does he feel genuine regret? I highly doubt it. I’m willing to bet dollars to donuts that behind the scenes he’s mad as hell at the reaction and, as he sees it, being forced to apologize. I’m sure a guy like Limbaugh would rather eat his hat than ever admit he was wrong about something.

Last, but certainly not least, let us check in with our old friend Mitt Romney. Surely he had a decisive reaction to the flip flap?

I’ll just say this, which is, it’s not the language I would have used.
–Mitt Romney speaking about the Rush Limbaugh flip flap

Did I describe Newt’s response as “tepid?” I apologize and humbly retract that observation. Romney just went and made Newt’s comments look like frothy histrionics.

If you ever want to see a politician who plays things right down the middle, here he sits. The dude must be rife with fear of offending anyone on either side. Jeez. Take a stand for something, will ya, Mitt?

I don’t even know what Mitt’s comment even means. Does he even think Rush should have apologized? His comment is so neutral there is no way to know!

If you think about it, his comment seems to imply that Rush’s message was acceptable. The problem was just the way it was delivered. I guess Romney thinks it acceptable in civilized discourse to call someone a prostitute if they happen to have a different opinion than you. But isn’t that what makes freedom such a glorious thing?

By the way, Limbaugh in his apology, didn’t even take responsibility for his comments, instead referring to what he originally said was an “attempt to be humorous.” I guess we can also add “liar” to his list of accolades. Today’s challenge: Try to find anyone who actually believes that could possibly be true.

Someone please tell me that this whole thing isn’t an example of what leadership from the right looks like.