Updated: March 2, 4:37 PM
Rush Limbaugh has found a way to get his name back in the headlines, directing his latest vitriol at Georgetown University law student Sandra Fluke, and losing advertisers along the way.
Fluke testified recently at a House hearing on the Obama administration’s birth control rule, after she was not allowed to participate in an earlier hearing that featured an all-male panel. Fluke told the story of a fellow law student who needed the birth control pill in order to deal with a medical condition. The friend ended up losing an ovary because she couldn’t afford contraception without insurance.
True to form, Limbaugh responded to Fluke’s testimony by calling her a “slut” and a “prostitute.” And a few of his sponsors aren’t happy about it. In the wake of criticism, Sleep Train Mattress Centers is pulling its ads from the radio show. “Thank you for your concern. We are currently pulling all our ads with Rush Limbaugh,” the company tweeted.
Sleep Number beds also announced that it is pulling ads from the program. “Recent comments by Rush Limbaugh do not align w/our values, so we made decision to immediately suspend all advertising on that program,” an employee of the company tweeted. Quicken Loans later on Friday followed suit, pulling ads over Limbaugh’s “inflammatory comments.”
Business Insider rounded up several other companies that have fielded complaints and responded to Limbaugh’s comments. A spokesperson for Limbaugh’s show did not respond to TPM’s request for comment.
It’s not just advertisers who are upset with Limbaugh. House Speaker John Boehner’s spokesman called the comments “inappropriate.” House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi called Limbaugh’s remarks “obnoxious” and asked House Republicans to repudiate Rush’s tirade. Georgetown University President John DeGioia praised Fluke’s testimony and called Limbaugh’s comments “misogynistic, vitriolic, and a misrepresentation of the position of our student.”
Then President Obama weighed in on the issue, calling Fluke moments before she appeared on MSNBC. Obama thanked Fluke for speaking out about the concerns of American women and told her that her parents should be proud.
But Rush isn’t backing down. On his radio show Friday, Limbaugh defended his controversial comments, blaming Democrats for making the birth control issue political. “The Democrats need these planks to scare voters about the Republican Party,” Limbaugh said on his show. “Contraception is the replacement plank for abortion in the Democrat Party platform. That’s what’s happening here in a political sense.” Rush added that Fluke should be embarrassed that Obama called her.
David Taintor
David Taintor is TPM’s News Editor. He contributes to TPM’s Livewire coverage, among other areas. David is from Chanhassen, Minnesota, where, yes, it gets very cold. Reach him at taintor [at] talkingpointsmemo.com
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