The whole Rush Limbaugh debacle Options

[Hartmann]

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/03/washingt...;ref=washington

The broadcaster has accused critics of distorting remarks he made last Wednesday when a caller said the news media liked to focus on antiwar views raised by soldiers. Mr. Limbaugh then said, to the caller’s approval: “The phony soldiers.”

After the liberal media watchdog organization Media Matters sounded the alarm about his comments, Mr. Limbaugh said on subsequent shows that he was talking about only one discredited man who claimed to be a wounded veteran. “I was not talking about antiwar, active duty troops,” he insisted.

Yet analysts for Media Matters noted that Mr. Limbaugh’s first reference to the discredited man came nearly two minutes after his plural reference to phony soldiers. That group and like-minded Democrats have refused to back off. More than 40 Democratic senators signed a letter sent Tuesday to the company that syndicates the radio show, asking that Mr. Limbaugh’s remarks be repudiated.

Now, I've listened to the segment in question and don't see the problem. Media Matters is mad that it took him 1.15 minutes to clarify his point? Hell, Dan Rather still hasn't admitted that what he did was wrong.

What really gets me is Harry Reid and a few other senators ganging up saying that Rush is an idiot and a liar (which in this case is completely wrong). Rush didn't lie at all, he simply took a minute to completely explain his point and make a reference to the person in question. There were no lies or misspeaking.

I am not a huge Rush fan but I think this is being blown out of proportion and a deliberate attempt to continue the General Betray Us campaign.