Rush Limbaugh

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Rush Limbaugh

Rush Limbaugh
Born January 12, 1951 (1951-01-12) (age 56)
Cape Girardeau, Missouri, U.S.
Occupation Talk Show Host, Commentator, author, and television personality
Spouse Roxy Maxine McNeely (div.)
Michelle Sixta (div.)
Marta Fitzgerald (div.)
Children none

Rush Hudson Limbaugh III (born January 12, 1951) is an American conservative radio talk show host and political commentator. Born in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, he discusses politics and current events on his program, The Rush Limbaugh Show. He has been credited with reviving AM radio in the United States, and is considered to have been a "kind of national precinct captain" for the Republican Party's Congressional victories in 1994.[1]

Contents

Early life

Limbaugh was born to Rush Hudson Limbaugh Jr. of Cape Girardeau, Missouri, and Mildred "Millie" Limbaugh originally from Searcy, Arkansas. His father was a lawyer and a World War II fighter pilot who served in the China-Burma-India theater. The name "Rush" was chosen for his grandfather to honor the maiden name of family member Edna Rush.[2] His family is filled with a number of lawyers including his grandfather, father and his brother David Limbaugh. His uncle, Stephen N. Limbaugh, Sr. is a Ronald Reagan appointed federal judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri and his cousin, Stephen N. Limbaugh, Jr., is Judge on the Supreme Court of Missouri. Rush Limbaugh, Sr., Limbaugh's grandfather, was a Missouri prosecutor, judge, special commissioner and served on Missouri's state House of Representatives from 1930 to 1932.[3] Limbaugh's grandfather was very well respected as one of the "patriarchs" of the Cape Girardeau community. Rush, Sr., passed away at age 104 and was still a practicing attorney at the time of his death. Limbaugh began his career in radio as a teenager in 1967[4] in his hometown of Cape Girardeau, using the name Rusty Sharpe.[2]

Education

Limbaugh attended Southeast Missouri State University. He dropped out after two semesters and one summer; according to his mother, "he flunked everything", even a modern ballroom dancing class.[2]

Military Service

Limbaugh's birthdate was ranked as 175 in the Vietnam War draft lottery. No one was drafted above 125. However, he was classified as "1-Y" (later reclassified "4-F") due to either a football knee injury or a diagnosis of Pilonidal disease.[5][2]

Professional career and rise to fame

1970s

Following college, Limbaugh moved to McKeesport, Pennsylvania. There he became a Top 40 music radio disc jockey on station WIXZ, a station that covered the Pittsburgh area. In October 1972, he broadcast over Pittsburgh station KQV under the name "Jeff Christie". For the rest of the decade Limbaugh moved around to several radio stations before settling in Kansas City, Missouri. In 1979, after several years in music radio, he took a break from radio and accepted a position as director of promotions with the Kansas City Royals baseball team.[2]

1980s

In 1984, Limbaugh returned to radio as a talk show host at KFBK in Sacramento, California, where he replaced Morton Downey, Jr.[2] The repeal of the Fairness Doctrine—which had required that stations provide free air time for responses to any controversial opinions that were broadcast—by the FCC in 1987 meant stations could broadcast editorial commentary without having to present opposing views. Daniel Henninger wrote, in a Wall Street Journal editorial, "Ronald Reagan tore down this wall (the Fairness Doctrine) in 1987...and Rush Limbaugh was the first man to proclaim himself liberated from the East Germany of liberal media domination." [6]

On August 1, 1988, after achieving success in Sacramento and drawing the attention of a former president of ABC Radio, Edward F. McLaughlin, Limbaugh moved to New York City and began his national radio show. His show debuted just weeks after the Democratic Nominating Convention, and just weeks before the Republican Nominating Convention. The then current U.S. Vice-President, George H.W. Bush, would become the Republican Standard Bearer, and the then current Massachusetts Governor, Michael Dukakis, would become the Democratic Candidate for President. Rush Limbaugh's radio home in New York City was the talk-format station WABC-AM, 770 AM, and continues to this day as his flagship station.[2]

1990s

The program gained in popularity and moved to stations with larger audiences eventually growing to over 650 radio stations nationwide. When the GOP won control of Congress in 1994, one of the first acts by many freshmen (calling themselves the "Dittohead Caucus") was to award Limbaugh the title of "honorary member of Congress" in recognition of his support of their efforts during this period.[7]

Humor columnist and journalist Lewis Grossberger acknowledged that Limbaugh had "more listeners than any other talk show host" and described Limbaugh's style as "bouncing between earnest lecturer and political vaudevillian".[8]

The Rush Limbaugh Show

Main article: The Rush Limbaugh Show

Limbaugh's radio show airs weekdays for three hours daily, beginning at 12 noon Eastern time in the U.S. It also is carried worldwide over the Armed Forces Radio Network, and in some markets is carried on FM stations.

Radio broadcasting shifted from AM to FM in the late '70s because of the opportunity to broadcast music in stereo in FM, with better range and musical fidelity. Limbaugh's show was first nationally syndicated in August 1988, when AM radio had been in decline. With the meteoric popularity of Rush Limbaugh, talk radio stations, many built around Limbaugh's show with conservative programming, have now come to dominate AM radio. As of 2005, Arbitron ratings indicate that the Rush Limbaugh Show has a minimum weekly audience of 13.5 million listeners, making it the largest radio talk show audience in the United States. He now owns his own broadcasting company called the EIB radio broadcasting company which stands for "Excellence In Broadcasting" and he often refers to his show as a source of truth in today's world of liberal media. Such high ratings have been a consistent hallmark of his show.[9][10][11] A three-question survey from the Pew Research Center found that 48 percent of regular listeners had a high knowledge of current events, compared with 39 percent for NPR listeners and 38 percent for Jon Stewart's The Daily Show, and had the highest percentage, 56 percent, of hard news consumers.[12]

The show has had controversies. On the October 23, 2006 edition of Limbaugh's radio show, Limbaugh imitated on the "DittoCam" (the webcam for website subscribers to see him on the air) the physical symptoms of actor Michael J. Fox, who has Parkinson's disease and has appeared in political campaign ads for candidates who support a form of embryonic stem cell research,[13][14] and has stated that he sometimes doesn't take his medicine explicitly to show the effects of the disease.[15] Limbaugh imitated Fox's Parkinson's symptoms as displayed on the commercial, stating that "(Fox) is exaggerating the effects of the disease. He's moving all around and shaking and it's purely an act.... This is really shameless of Michael J. Fox. Either he didn't take his medication or he's acting."[16] Limbaugh's comments were broad-casted on major networks, and paired with internet footage, from the show's "Ditto-cam", of Limbaugh's imitation of Fox's movements. However, the controversy surrounding Limbaugh's statements generated controversy of its own when major media networks and edited the footage used: the speed of Limbaugh's movements were significantly increased and the sped-up footage looped to fill the time, while Limbaugh's comments were dubbed over at their original playback speed. Limbaugh and other commentators remarked about the obviously edited footage, claiming that the playback speed was increased to make Limbaugh appear as though he was mocking Fox rather than demonstrating what had appeared in Fox's commercial. After this criticism, a second version of the internet camera footage was released. This new footage also show Limbaugh's movements noticeably sped up, though not as much as the first edit, with playback of Limbaugh's comments dubbed over. Limbaugh later explained[citation needed] that he made this remark in reference to Michael J. Fox's remarks on a C-SPAN interview years earlier at which point Fox admitted[citation needed] to occasionally not taking medications before some public appearances so that people can truly understand the nature of the disease.

During the September 26, 2007 broadcast of Limbaugh's radio show, he used the term "phony soldiers" allegedly referencing a September 21 Associated Press story about individuals falsely claiming to be veterans in order to receive benefits.[17] A caller, after saying he was currently serving in the Army and has been in 14 years, said, "They never talk to real soldiers. They like to pull these soldiers that come up out of the blue and spout to the media." Limbaugh interrupted, "The phony soldiers." The caller continued, "The phony soldiers. If you talk to a real soldier, they are proud to serve. They want to be over in Iraq. They understand their sacrifice, and they're willing to sacrifice for their country."[18] Several minutes later, after the caller had hung-up, Limbaugh read from the AP story describing the story of Jesse Macbeth.[19] Jesse Macbeth joined the Army but did not complete basic training, yet claimed in alternative media interviews that he and his unit routinely committed war crimes in Iraq.[20][21] On June 7, 2007, Macbeth pled guilty to one count of making false statements to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and was sentenced to five months jail and three years probation.[22][23] Media Matters noted Limbaugh's use of the term "phony soldiers" in an article on their website. The article alluded that Limbaugh was saying that all soldiers who disagree with the Iraq War were "phony Soldiers. [24] and their article received substantial press coverage after it was discussed in speeches by Presidential candidates John Edwards and Chris Dodd.[25] Limbaugh argued that he had been speaking only of Macbeth and others like him who claim to be soldiers and are not when he had made the comment about "phony soldiers" and that "Media Matters takes things out of context all the time".[26] Media Matters disputed the accuracy of Limbaugh's claim and defends its story.[27]

On October 19, 2007, Limbaugh announced the winning bid in an eBay auction of a letter sent to Clear Channel Communications Chief Executive Officer Mark Mays by U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. "We call on you to publicly repudiate these [phony soldier] comments," the letter said, ". . . and to ask Mr. Limbaugh to apologize for his comments."[28] The auction's high bid of $2,100,100 by Betty Casey of the Eugene B. Casey Foundation set a new eBay record for largest charity bid.[29] Shortly before the auction closed, Senator Reid addressed the Senate, saying, [30] "I don't know what we could do more important than helping to ensure that children of our fallen soldiers and police officers who have fallen in the line of duty have the opportunity for their children to have a good education." In his radio broadcast later in the day, Limbaugh was critical of Reid's speech, saying Reid had tried "to horn in and act like he's part of this whole thing, folks." Limbaugh also said, "Senator Reid, you did not mention that I am matching whatever the final total is." Matching funds from Limbaugh would increase the total donation to the charity benefiting children of Marines and law enforcement personnel killed in the line of duty to $4,200,200.

Television show

Limbaugh had a syndicated half-hour show from 1992 through 1996, produced by Roger Ailes. The television show discussed many of the topics on his radio show, and was taped in front of a live audience.

Other media appearances

Limbaugh's first television hosting experience came March 30, 1990, as a guest host on Pat Sajak's CBS late-night talk show, The Pat Sajak Show. ACT UP activists in the audience[31] heckled Limbaugh repeatedly; ultimately the entire studio audience was cleared. In 2001 Sajak said the incident was "legendary around CBS". [32]

On December 17, 1993, Limbaugh appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman.[33] Limbaugh also guest-starred (as himself) on a 1994 episode of Hearts Afire. He appeared in the 1995 Billy Crystal film Forget Paris, and in 1998 on an episode of the The Drew Carey Show.

Most recently, in 2007, Limbaugh has made cameo appearances on Fox News Channel's short lived The 1/2 Hour News Hour in a series of parodies portraying him as the future President of the United States. In the parodies, his vice president is fellow conservative pundit Ann Coulter. He also made a cameo in the Family Guy episode "Blue Harvest". In the episode, a parody of Star Wars, Limbaugh can be heard on the radio claiming that, among other things, the "intergalactic liberal space media" was lying about climate change on the planet Hoth, and that Lando Calrissian's administrative position on Cloud City was a result of affirmative action.

His persona has often been utilized as a template for a stereotypical conservative talk show host on TV shows and in movies, including an episode of The Simpsons (as a conservative talk radio host named Birch Barlow), as "Gus Baker" on an episode of Beavis and Butt-head, as "Lash Rambo" (host of "Perfection in Broadcasting") on an episode of The New WKRP in Cincinnati, and as "Fielding Chase" in the Columbo Mystery Movie Butterfly in Shades of Grey (played by William Shatner).

As a result of his television program, Limbaugh became known for wearing distinctive neckties. In response to viewer interest, Limbaugh launched a series of ties[34] designed primarily by his then-wife Marta.[35] Sales of the ties reached over five million dollars (U.S.) in their initial sales year, but were later discontinued.

Sportscasting experience

In 2000, ABC considered adding Limbaugh to their Monday Night Football broadcast team before deciding on comedian Dennis Miller instead.[36]

On July 14, 2003, ESPN announced that Limbaugh would be joining ESPN's Sunday NFL Countdown show as a weekly analyst when it premiered on September 7. Limbaugh would provide the "voice of the fan" and was supposed to spark debate on the show.[37] On the September 28 episode of Countdown, Limbaugh commented about Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb's role in his team's 0-2[38] start to the season, as well as the media's coverage of McNabb:

“ Sorry to say this, I don't think he's been that good from the get-go. I think what we've had here is a little social concern in the NFL. The media has been very desirous that a black quarterback do well. There is a little hope invested in McNabb, and he got a lot of credit for the performance of this team that he didn't deserve. The defense carried this team.[39] ”

On October 1, 2003, Limbaugh resigned from ESPN with the statement:

“ My comments this past Sunday were directed at the media and were not racially motivated. I offered an opinion. This opinion has caused discomfort to the crew, which I regret. I love Sunday NFL Countdown and do not want to be a distraction to the great work done by all who work on it. Therefore, I have decided to resign. I appreciate the opportunity to be a part of the show and wish all the best to those who make it happen.[40] ”

Philosophy

Defining the conservative movement

Limbaugh made the following comments in an op-ed piece in The Wall Street Journal in 2005:

  • I love being a conservative. We conservatives are proud of our philosophy. Unlike our liberal friends, who are constantly looking for new words to conceal their true beliefs and are in a perpetual state of reinvention, we conservatives are unapologetic about our ideals.
  • We are confident in our principles and energetic about openly advancing them. We believe in individual liberty, limited government, capitalism, the rule of law, faith, a color-blind society and national security.
  • We support school choice, enterprise zones, tax cuts, welfare reform, faith-based initiatives, political speech, homeowner rights and the war on terrorism.
  • And at our core we embrace and celebrate the most magnificent governing document ever ratified by any nation — the U.S. Constitution. Along with the Declaration of Independence, which recognizes our God-given natural right to be free, it is the foundation on which our government is built and has enabled us to flourish as a people.
  • We conservatives are never stronger than when we are advancing our principles.[41]

Leukemia and lymphoma telethon

Limbaugh holds an annual fundraising telethon called the "EIB Cure-a-Thon"[42] for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.[43] In 2006 the EIB Cure-a-Thon conducted its 16th annual telethon, raising $1.7 million;[44] totaling over $15 million since the first cure-a-thon.[45] According to Leukemia and Lymphoma Society annual reports, Limbaugh personally contributed between $100,000 and $499,999 from 2000 - 2005, [46] and Limbaugh claims to have contributed around $250,000 in 2003, 2004 and 2005.[47] NewsMax reported Limbaugh donated $250,000 in 2006.[48] Limbaugh donated $320,000 during the 2007 Cure-a-Thon[49] which reportedly raised $3 million.

Balance and point of view

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:

In his first bestseller, Limbaugh explicitly describes himself as conservative, and is sharply critical of broadcasters in all media for claiming to be objective.

Limbaugh is highly critical of environmentalism and climate science. He has disputed anthropogenic global warming, and the relationship between CFCs and depletion of the ozone layer, claiming the scientific evidence does not support them. [50] Limbaugh has argued against the scientific opinion on climate change by stating that scientific consensus "is just a bunch of scientists organized around a political proposition. You can't have consensus in science... they think consensus is the way to sell it because, 'Oh, but all these wonderful people agree.'" [51] Limbaugh has used the term "environmentalist wacko" as a reference to climate scientists and other environmental scientists and advocates.[52]

Limbaugh is sharply critical of feminism, saying that "Feminism was established so as to allow unattractive women easier access to the mainstream of society."[53] He also popularized the term "feminazi", referring to radical feminists "to whom the most important thing in life is ensuring that as many abortions as possible occur."[54] He credited his friend Tom Hazlett, a professor of law and economics at George Mason University, with coining the term.[55]

Limbaugh's views on immigration have changed over the years. In the 1990s, in response to NAFTA, he was supportive of allowing legal immigration from Mexico: "Let the unskilled jobs, let the kinds of jobs that take absolutely no knowledge whatsoever to do - let stupid and unskilled Mexicans do that work."[56] However, he has always taken a hard-line stance on illegal immigration.[57]

Limbaugh supports capital punishment, having said "the only thing cruel about the death penalty is last-minute stays."[58]

On his radio show, news about the homeless has often been preceded with the Clarence "Frogman" Henry song "Ain't Got No Home."[59] For a time, Dionne Warwick's song "I Know I'll Never Love This Way Again" preceded reports about people with AIDS.[60] These later became "condom updates" preceded by Fifth Dimension's song, "Up, Up and Away (in My Beautiful Balloon)."[61] In 1989, Limbaugh performed "caller abortions" where he would end a call suddenly to the sounds of a vacuum cleaner and a scream, after which he would deny there was ever a caller, explaining that the call had been "aborted". According to his book The Way Things Ought To Be he was using caller abortions to illustrate "the tragedy of abortion". [62]

On the Abu Ghraib torture and prisoner abuse scandal issue, Limbaugh said, very much tongue-in-cheek, "This is no different than what happens at the Skull and Bones initiation", then continuing more seriously, "And we're going to ruin people's lives over it and we're going to hamper our military effort, and then we are going to really hammer them because they had a good time. You know, these people are being fired at every day (referring to the U.S. Military). I'm talking about people having a good time, these people, you ever heard of emotional release? You ever heard of emotional release?"[63][64][65]

Questions about accuracy

Some groups and individuals have questioned Limbaugh's accuracy. The July/August 1994 issue of Extra!, a publication of the progressive group Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR), alleges 50 different inaccuracies and distortions in Limbaugh's commentary.[66][67] Others have since joined FAIR in questioning Limbaugh's facts. Al Franken, a self-described "liberal infotainer",[68] wrote a satirical book (Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Idiot and Other Observations) in which he questioned Limbaugh's accuracy.[69] Media Matters for America, a self-described "Web-based, not-for-profit, 501(c)(3) progressive research and information center dedicated to comprehensively monitoring, analyzing, and correcting conservative misinformation in the U.S. media" has also been critical.[70]

Limbaugh has also been criticized for inaccuracies by the Environmental Defense Fund. A defense fund report authored by Princeton University endowed geosciences professor Michael Oppenheimer and Princeton University professor of biology David Wilcove lists 14 significant scientific facts which, the authors allege, Limbaugh misrepresented in his book The Way Things Ought to Be.[71] The authors conclude that "Rush Limbaugh ... allows his political bias to distort the truth about a whole range of important scientific issues."

Personal life

Relationships

Limbaugh was first married on September 24, 1977 to Roxy Maxine McNeely, a sales secretary at radio station WHB in Kansas City, Missouri. They were married at the Centenary United Methodist Church in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. In March 1980, McNeely filed for divorce, citing "incompatibility." They were formally divorced on July 10, 1980.[2]

In 1983, Limbaugh married Michelle Sixta, a college student and usherette at the Kansas City Royals Stadium Club. They were divorced in 1990, and she remarried the following year.[2]

On May 27, 1994, Limbaugh married Marta Fitzgerald, a 35-year-old aerobics instructor. They were married at the house of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, who officiated. They were separated on June 11, 2004.[72] Limbaugh announced on the air, "Marta has consented to my request for a divorce, and we have mutually agreed to seek an amicable separation. As I said, it's a personal matter and I want to keep it that way. I don't intend to say any more about this on the air." The divorce was finalized in December 2004.[73]

Prescription drug addiction

On October 3, 2003 the National Enquirer reported that Limbaugh was being investigated for illegally obtaining the prescription drugs oxycodone and hydrocodone. Other news outlets quickly confirmed the investigation.[74]

On October 10, 2003, Limbaugh admitted to listeners on his radio show that he was addicted to prescription painkillers and stated that he would enter inpatient treatment for 30 days, immediately following the broadcast.[75]

Limbaugh has said his addiction to painkillers resulted from several years of severe back pain heightened by a botched surgery intended to correct those problems.

A subsequent investigation into whether Limbaugh had violated Florida's doctor shopping laws was launched by the Palm Beach State Attorney, which raised privacy issues when investigators seized Limbaugh's private medical records looking for evidence of crimes. On November 9, 2005, following two years of investigations, Assistant State Attorney James L. Martz requested the court to set aside Limbaugh's doctor-patient confidentiality rights and allow the state to question his physicians, stating it was necessary because "I have no idea if Mr. Limbaugh has completed the elements of any offense yet."[76] Limbaugh's attorney opposed the prosecutor's efforts to interview his doctors on the basis of patient privacy rights, and argued that the prosecutor had violated Limbaugh's Fourth Amendment rights by illegally seizing his medical records. The ACLU issued a statement in agreement.[77] On December 12, 2005, Judge David F. Crow delivered a ruling prohibiting the State of Florida from questioning Limbaugh's physicians about "the medical condition of the patient and any information disclosed to the health care practitioner by the patient in the course of the care and treatment of the patient."[78]

On April 28, 2006, Limbaugh and his attorney, Roy Black, went to the Palm Beach County Jail to surrender after a warrant was issued for his arrest on the charge of doctor shopping.[79] According to Teri Barbera, spokeswoman for the Sheriff, during his arrest, Limbaugh was booked, photographed, and fingerprinted, but not handcuffed. He was then was released after about an hour on $3,000 bail.[80] [81] [82] After his surrender, he filed a "not guilty" plea to the charge. Prosecutors agreed to drop the charge if Limbaugh paid $30,000 to defray the cost of the investigation and completed an 18-month therapy regimen with his physician.[83]

Limbaugh asserted that the state's settlement agreement resulted from a lack of evidence supporting the charge of "doctor shopping." Under the terms of the agreement, Limbaugh may not own a firearm and must continue to submit to random drug testing, which he acknowledges having undergone since 2003.[84]

For years, Limbaugh has condemned illegal drug use on his programs. On Oct 5, 1995, he said on his television show, “Drug use, some might say, is destroying this country. And we have laws against selling drugs, pushing drugs, using drugs, importing drugs. ... And so if people are violating the law by doing drugs, they ought to be accused and they ought to be convicted and they ought to be sent up.”[85]

Roy Black, one of Limbaugh's attorneys, stated that "Rush Limbaugh was singled out for prosecution because of who he is. We believe the state attorney's office is applying a double standard." [86]

Hearing problems

By August 2001, Limbaugh's listeners had noted changes in his voice and diction.[87] On October 8, 2001, Limbaugh acknowledged that the changes were due to complete deafness in his left ear and substantial hearing loss in his right ear. He revealed that his radio staff was helping him receive calls on his show by setting up a system where he could appear to hear his callers. The system worked well but did not convince all listeners, some of whom noted a long delay between a caller ending his point and Limbaugh responding or Limbaugh occasionally speaking over a caller. At times Limbaugh asked callers to hold on while the caller's comments were typed and shown on Limbaugh's computer monitor.

In December 2001, Limbaugh underwent cochlear implant surgery, which restored a measure of hearing in his left ear. His voice and enunciation returned to normal after the implant. According to his doctors, the deafness was caused by an autoimmune disease.

Some medical experts have speculated that his use of opioids, such as OxyContin and hydrocodone [88], could have caused or contributed to his hearing problem.[89][90] Limbaugh's doctors stated that they did not know the exact cause of Limbaugh's hearing loss, but ruled out "overuse of medication" as a factor.[91]

On February 27, 2007, in the BBC Radio 4 program, No Triumph, No Tragedy, Limbaugh explained that his deafness had been caused by a malfunction of his immune system which started attacking and destroying his inner ear. He also explained that he employed a full time stenographer, to make notes of everything that was said around him so that he did not miss a word.

Cigar aficionado

In the early 1990s, when the cigar boom was gaining momentum, Limbaugh was seen frequently with a cigar in hand and by the end of the 1990s, cigars had become Limbaugh's staple in many public appearances. Often starting segments of his show with the phrase, "Amid billowing clouds of fragrant and aromatic first, second, and sometimes third hand premium cigar smoke", cigars became a common topic of discussion. In the spring of 1994, Limbaugh appeared on the cover of the popular magazine Cigar Aficionado and shared the story of his conversion to cigars. He has since been a frequent participant in many events such as "The Big Smoke", hosted throughout the year by the magazine. Limbaugh has participated in many charity cigar auctions hosted by the magazine, and is known to talk frequently with his listeners about his and their cigar interests, preferences and recommendations. "I think cigars are just a tremendous addition to the enjoyment of life."[92]

As a writer

In 1992, Limbaugh published his first book, The Way Things Ought To Be, followed by See, I Told You So in 1993.[93] Both became number one on the New York Times Best Seller list; The Way Things Ought to Be remaining there for 24 weeks.[94] Limbaugh acknowledges in the text of the first book that he taped the book and it was transcribed and edited by Wall Street Journal writer John Fund. In the second book, Joseph Farah of WorldNetDaily is named as his collaborator.[95]

Awards and recognition

Limbaugh was the 1992, 1995, 2000 and 2005 recipient of the Marconi Radio Award for Syndicated Radio Personality of the Year (given by the National Association of Broadcasters), joining the syndicated Bob & Tom Show as the only other four-time winners of a Marconi award. He was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 1993.

In 2002, Talkers magazine ranked him as the greatest radio talk show host of all time.[96] Currently, Limbaugh is the highest paid radio syndicator.[97]

On March 29, 2007, Limbaugh was awarded the inaugural William F. Buckley, Jr. Award for Media Excellence, by the Media Research Center, a conservative, media analysis group.[98]

Public Perceptions

Limbaugh currently maintains the highest rated radio show in the United States, with more than 20 million listeners a week. However, public polls have shown that a strong majority of Americans have an unfavorable opinion of Limbaugh, such as a Rasmussen poll illustrating a 2-1 margin of unfavorable ratings, with higher than 60% of Americans saying they held an unfavorable opinion of Limbaugh, the highest for any public figure polled by Rasmussen.[1]

Books by Rush Limbaugh

Bibliography

  • Arkush, Michael. Rush!. New York: Avon Books, 1993. ISBN 0380775395. 
  • Colford, Paul D. (1995). The Rush Limbaugh Story: Talent on Loan from God an Unauthorized Biography. St. Martin's. ISBN 0312952724. 
  • Davis, J. Bradford. The Rise of Rush Limbaugh Toward the Presidency. Norcross, Ga.:MacArthur Pub. Group, c1994.. ISBN 0964261901. 
  • Derych, Jim. Confessions of a Former Dittohead. Brooklyn, N.Y. : Ig Pub., c2006.. ISBN 0975251783 (pbk.). 
  • Evearitt, Daniel J. (1993). Rush Limbaugh and the Bible. Camp Hill, Pa.: Horizon House Publishers, c1993.. ISBN 0889651043. 
  • Al Franken (1996). Rush Limbaugh Is a Big Fat Idiot. New York: Random House. ISBN 978-0141018416. 
  • Jacobs, Donald Trent. The Bum's Rush: The Selling of Environmental Backlash : phrases and fallacies of Rush Limbaugh. Boise, Idaho : Legendary Pub., c1994.. ISBN 096250405X. 
  • Keliher, Brian. Flush rush. Berkeley, Calif.: Ten Speed Press, c1994.. ISBN 0898156106. 
  • Kelly, Charles M. The Great Limbaugh Con: And Other Right-Wing Assaults on Common Sense. Fithian Press, 1994.. ISBN 1564741028. 
  • King, D. Howard. Rush to Us. Windsor Pub., c1994.. ISBN 0786000821. 
  • Layne, Tom. The Assassination of Rush Limbaugh. Red Ginger Publishing Co., Inc. ISBN 0976851504. 
  • Mahurin, Cecil. A Public Rebuttal to Rush Limbaugh. Vantage Press, 1993.. ISBN 0533107660. 
  • Perkins, Ray, Jr. (1995). Logic and Mr. Limbaugh: A Dittohead's Guide to Fallacious Reasoning. Open Court Publishing. ISBN 0812692942. 
  • Rahman, Michael. Why Rush Limbaugh is Wrong, or, The Demise of Traditionalism and The Rise of Progressive Sensibility as Perceived. Mighty Pen Pub., 1995.. LCCN 95077891. 
  • Rendall, Steve, Jim Naureckas, Cohen, Jeff (1995). The Way Things Aren't: Rush Limbaugh's Reign of Error : Over 100 Outrageously False and Foolish Statements from America's Most Powerful Radio and TV Commentator, Written for FAIR, New York: W.W. Norton. ISBN 1-56584-260-X. 
  • Seib, Philip M. (1993). Rush Hour: Talk Radio, Politics, and the Rise of Rush Limbaugh. Summit Group, 1993.. ISBN 1565301005. 
  • Tucker, R. K. (1997). The Rules According to Rush : the American people vs. Rush Limbaugh. Bowling Green, Ohio : OptimAmerica ; Chapel Hill, NC : Professional Press, 1997.. ISBN 1570873399. 
  • Varon, Charles. Rush Limbaugh In Night School. Dramatists Play Service, c1997.. ISBN 0822215349. 

See also

Footnotes

  1. ^ Toner, Robin. "POLITICS: ON THE AIR; Radio Talk Show Host Fears For True Conservatism's Fate." New York Times. February 23, 1996. Retrieved on October 13, 2006.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Paul D. Colford. The Rush Limbaugh story: talent on loan from God: an unauthorized biography. New York. St. Martin’s Press, 1993. ISBN 0-312-09906-1.
  3. ^ St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The loudest limb on the family tree, radio's Rush Limbaugh is the 'big mouth'; branch of a solid old Cape Girardeau family. September 27, 1992.
  4. ^ "Rush Limbaugh Gives Sean a Rare Interview", Fox News Channel, October 19, 2005. 
  5. ^ Mikkelson, Barbara; Mikkelson, David P. "Draft Notice." Snopes. December 16, 2002. Retrieved on October 13, 2006.
  6. ^ Henninger, Daniel (April 29, 2005) "Rush to Victory". Wall Street Journal.
  7. ^ Carlson, Margaret. "Public Eye - My Dinner With Rush", Time, 26 December 1994. 
  8. ^ Grossberger, Lewis. "The Rush Hours", New York Times, December 16, 1990, pp. SM58. 
  9. ^ (October 2005) "Latest top host figures". Talkers magazine. 
  10. ^ Premiere Radio Networks (2005-10-28). "Rush Limbaugh: The King of Talk Radio Reigns Over Liberal Talkers in Top 25 Radio Markets". Press release.
  11. ^ Pew Research Center (2004-06-08). "News Audiences Increasingly Politicized". Press release. Retrieved on 2006-04-29.
  12. ^ Online Papers Modestly Boost Newspaper Readership, Pew Research Center
  13. ^ Election 2004 | Pa. Sen. Specter Focuses on Stem Cell Support To Attract Moderate Voters, Distances Himself From Bush in Re-Election Campaign Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation
  14. ^ Michael J. Fox Fires Back at Critics ABC News
  15. ^ Excerpt from Lucky Man, Chapter 8: Unwrapping the Gift. From michaeljfox.org, accessed on 28 October, 2006.
  16. ^ "Rush Limbaugh On the Offensive Against Ad With Michael J. Fox", Washington Post, accessed on November 1, 2006
  17. ^ http://www.komotv.com/news/9926872.html
  18. ^ [The Rush Limbaugh Show, Transcript]
  19. ^ Limbaugh falsely recasts "phony soldiers" smear Media Matters September 28, 2007
  20. ^ http://www.peacefilms.org/index.html "Jessie Macbeth: Former Army Ranger and Iraq War Veteran" video, peacefilms.org, retrieved May 23, 2006 (inactive as of May 24, 2006)
  21. ^ http://www.socialistalternative.org/news/article13.php?id=261 "The War the Media is Not Reporting — An Iraqi Veteran Speaks Out" by Justice, SocialistAlternative.org, April 26, 2006, retrieved May 23, 2006 (replaced with statement rejecting false statements May 26, 2006)
  22. ^ Seattle Times - Man who lied about actions in Iraq admits faking forms
  23. ^ Seattle Post Intellegencer - Poster soldier for anti-war movement was a fake
  24. ^ Limbaugh: Service members who support U.S. withdrawal are "phony soldiers" Media Matters September 27, 2007
  25. ^ Dems Criticize Limbaugh's Comments AP September 28, 2007
  26. ^ "Phony Soldiers" is a Phony Story Rush Limbaugh Show Transcript, September 28, 2007
  27. ^ Limbaugh selectively edited "phony soldiers" clip Media Matters September 28, 2007
  28. ^ Rush auctions off the "smear letter" on Ebay
  29. ^ http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,303569,00.html
  30. ^ "Reid Retreat? Senator Thanks Rush for 'Smear Letter' Auction"
  31. ^ Gehr, Richard. "Mouth At Work", Newsday, 1990-10-08, p. 4. 
  32. ^ Sajak, Pat. CNN Larry King Live [TV series]. CNN.
  33. ^ Maurstad, Tom. "Stern, Limbaugh meet their match; Hosts Leno, Letterman hold their own in war", The Dallas Morning News, 1993-12-20, p. 1C. 
  34. ^ Parker, Penny. "Ties loud, just like Limbaugh.", Denver Post, 1996-03-20, pp. C-1. 
  35. ^ Vinciguera, Thomas. "No Talk Show, But a Loud Tie", New York Times, 1996-08-04, pp. 43. 
  36. ^ "Dennis Miller Live: Comedian among four added to 'MNF' broadcast", CNN Sports Illustrated, June 22, 2000. 
  37. ^ "Limbaugh will be voice of fan on ESPN NFL show", ESPN, July 14, 2003. 
  38. ^ "New England 31, Philadelphia 10", Yahoo! Sports, September 14, 2003. 
  39. ^ "Limbaugh's comments touch off controversy", ESPN, October 1, 2003. 
  40. ^ "Limbaugh resigns from NFL show", ESPN, October 2, 2003. 
  41. ^ Limbaugh, Rush. "Holding Court: There's a crackdown over Miers, not a "crackup."", The Wall Street Journal, 2005-10-17. Retrieved on 2006-10-25. 
  42. ^ EIB Cure-a-Thon. Rush Limbaugh. RushLimbaugh.com. Retrieved on 2006-08-04.
  43. ^ Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. 501(c). Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Retrieved on 2006-08-04.
  44. ^ EIB Cure-a-Thon. Rush Limbaugh. RushLimbaugh.com. Retrieved on 2006-11-15.
  45. ^ Newsweek. Rehabbing Rush. 2006.
  46. ^ Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Annual reports.
  47. ^ Rush Limbaugh Show. Transcript. April 28, 2005.
  48. ^ NewsMax Media. Rush Limbaugh Donates $250K for Cancer Cure April 29, 2006.
  49. ^ Rush Limbaugh Donates $320,000 to Kick Off 2007 Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Cure-A-Thon. Rush Limbaugh. RushLimbaugh.com. Retrieved on 2007-04-20.
  50. ^ On the Issues.org. Rush Limbaugh.
  51. ^ RushLimbaugh.com. Transcript
  52. ^ Rush Limbaugh, Wednesday Morning Update (January 24, 2001). Rush Limbaugh on energy & oil.
  53. ^ Margaret Carlson (October 26, 1992). An Interview with Rush Limbaugh. Time magazine.
  54. ^ Rush H. Limbaugh, The Way Things Ought to Be, Pocket Books, 1992 p.296
    “Feminazi: Widely misunderstood by most to simply mean ‘feminist’. Not so, boobala [sic]. A Feminazi is a feminist to whom the most important thing in life is ensuring that as many abortions as possible occur. There are fewer than twenty-five known Feminazis in the United States…”
  55. ^ Rush H. Limbaugh, The Way Things Ought to Be, Pocket Books, 1992 p.193
    “I prefer to call the most obnoxious feminists what they really are: feminazis. Tom Hazlett, a good friend who is an esteemed and highly regarded professor of economics at the University of California at Davis, coined the term to describe any female who is intolerant of any point of view that challenges militant feminism. I often use it to describe women who are obsessed with perpetuating a modern-day holocaust: abortion. There are 1.5 million abortions a year...”
  56. ^ Derrick Z. Jackson (July 16, 2003). Limbaugh Brings Baggage with his ESPN Blabber. Boston Globe.
  57. ^ . Rush's Morning Update (April 6, 2006).
  58. ^ On the Issues.org. Rush Limbaugh.
  59. ^ Grossberger, Lewis. "The Rush Hours", The New York Times, 1990-12-16, p. 58. 
  60. ^ Remnick, David. "Day of the Dittohead", The Washington Post, 1990-12-16, p. C1. 
  61. ^ Grossberger, Lewis. "The Rush Hours", The New York Times, 1990-12-16, p. 58. 
  62. ^ Limbaugh, Rush. "The Way things Ought To Be", Simon and Schuster, 1990-12-16, pp. 62-66. 
  63. ^ Template error: argument title is required. 
  64. ^ http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/05/06/opinion/meyer/main616021.shtml
  65. ^ http://mediamatters.org/items/200405050003
  66. ^ The Way Things Aren't Extra!, July/August 1994
  67. ^ The Way Things Aren't: Rush Limbaugh's Reign of Error : Over 100 Outrageously False and Foolish Statements from America's Most Powerful Radio and TV commentator, Rendall, Steve; Naureckas, Jim; and Cohen, Jeff; W.W. Norton and Company, 1995
  68. ^ Vornic, Andre. "Talking back", BBC News, 1 April 2004.
  69. ^ Franken, Al, Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Idiot and Other Observations, Delacorte Press, 1996
  70. ^ Rush Limbaugh overview and search results Media Matters for America
  71. ^ The way things really are. Environmental Defense Fund (1994).
  72. ^ McCabe, Scott. "Limbaugh, third wife parting after 10 years", Palm Beach Post., June 12, 2004. Retrieved on 2006-11-04. 
  73. ^ Herald Staff. "Rush's divorce final" The Miami Herald. February 19, 2005. Pg. 4A
  74. ^ Candiotti, Susan. "Limbaugh mostly mum on reports of drug probe", CNN, 2003-10-03. 
  75. ^ George Bennett & John Pacenti. "Talk host Limbaugh to enter drug rehab", Palm Beach Post, 2003-10-11, p. 1A. 
  76. ^ "Prosecutors Push to Speak with Limbaugh Doctors", The Palm Beach Post, November 9, 2005, pp. 3B. 
  77. ^ "Improbable ally joins Limbaugh privacy fight", The St. Petersburg Times, January 13, 2004, pp. 1B. 
  78. ^ "Judge Limits Limbaugh Inquiry", The Palm Beach Daily News, December 13, 2005, pp. 1. 
  79. ^ http://mediamatters.org/items/200605010011
  80. ^ http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/04/28/national/main1561324.shtml
  81. ^ http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0604/28/ldt.01.html
  82. ^ http://www.cnn.com/2006/LAW/04/28/limbaugh.booked/index.html
  83. ^ "Settlement Agreement Ends State Investigation of Rush Limbaugh", RushLimbaugh.com, April 28, 2006. 
  84. ^ Skoloff, Brian. "Limbaugh Facing Drug Tests Under Deal", Associated Press, 2006-05-01. 
  85. ^ Limbaugh reaches settlement in drugs case. Associated Press (2006-04-29). Retrieved on 2007-01-06.
  86. ^ "Limbaugh may face a rarely used charge", Associated Press, 2004-01-04. 
  87. ^ Rush's Voice. Free Republic Forum (2001-08-31-2001-09-25). Retrieved on 2006-04-29.
  88. ^ Dotinga, Randy. "Painkillers May Have Caused Limbaugh's Deafness", HealthDay, 2003-10-16. 
  89. ^ Friedman RA, House JW, Luxford WM, Gherini S, Mills D. (2002). "Profound hearing loss associated with hydrocodone/acetaminophen abuse". The American Journal of Otology. Retrieved on 2006-04-29.
  90. ^ Oh AK, Ishiyama A, Baloh RW (2000). "Deafness associated with abuse of hydrocodone/acetaminophen". Neurology. Retrieved on 2006-06-23.
  91. ^ (2003-10-03). "Abuse of painkiller could cause sudden hearing loss". Palm Beach Post.
  92. ^ Rothstein, Mervyn. "Rush's Judgment", Cigar Aficionado. Retrieved on 2006-11-04. 
  93. ^ Limbaugh, Rush (1993). See, I Told You So. New York: Atria. ISBN 0-671-87120-X. 
  94. ^ Gregory, Ted. "Right and wrong; Rush Limbaugh critics want to set the facts straight, but it's not easy", Chicago Tribune, 1995-08-18. 
  95. ^ Joseph Farah. Speakers and Talk Show Guests. WorldNetDaily.com. Retrieved on 2006-07-19.
  96. ^ (September 2002) "The 25 Greatest Radio Talk Show Hosts of All Time". Talkers magazine. 
  97. ^ Weil, Dan. "Source: Limbaugh's New Radio Contract Worth $285 Million", The Palm Beach Post, July 20, 2001, pp.1D
  98. ^ Media Research Center. Rush Limbaugh to accept media excellence award at MRC 20th anniversary gala. March 20, 2007.

External links

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Persondata
NAME Limbaugh, Rush
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Limbaugh, Rush Hudson, III
SHORT DESCRIPTION U.S. radio talk show host, Commentator, Author, and television personality
DATE OF BIRTH January 12, 1951
PLACE OF BIRTH Cape Girardeau, Missouri, USA
DATE OF DEATH
PLACE OF DEATH
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rush_Limbaugh"
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