Rush, Levin, et al are commentators. When journalists get facts from or quotes posters (not linked news stories, but FReepers themselves)from Free Republic, they should source FR in their stories. If Rush, Levin, Hannity, Ingraham, or any other commentator or radio talk show host or editorial writer uses Free Republic for show prep, that is a totally different thing because they are not journalists.
If Rush gets the idea for a rant from folks he overheard at a dinner party the night before, there is no moral or professional obligation AT ALL for him to mention that bit of trivia on his show, just as there is no moral or professional obligation for him to mention it if he gets inspired to do a rant from reading a thread on Free Republic. The only thing they might have to "source" is the original news source, so a Free Republic discussion that starts from a link to a newspaper story published in some newspaper, the newspaper is what the commentator would source or refer to, NOT Free Republic.
IF Rush and Levin and the rest are lurkers or assign staff to monitor Free Republic, as we suspect, we'd all better be DAMNED WELL GLAD that they keep it to themselves, otherwise this site would be inundated with posters and new sign-ups who are here for the WRONG reason. We'd have windbag loudmouths from here to Christmas yammering not because they're in love with Free Republic, but in order to be noticed by Rush and Levin and Hannity et al.
I am very glad that IF Rush, etc., lurk on Free Republic, they keep it to themselves. You should be, too, and you really should understand the fundamental difference between a political commentator and a journalist.
I could care less if we get credit or not only if Rush leaves himself open to DBM criticism.
Rush has the ability to almost single handedly destroy the msm as long as he doesn't leave them any openings for criticism,which they will make up true or not anyway.