But around these parts he's still
the Most Trusted Man In America. < /sarcasm >
Posted on 05/18/2004 7:47:28 AM PDT by wcdukenfield
(CNSNews.com) - Efforts to discredit radio news commentator Rush Limbaugh escalated this week with a new radio ad campaign hammering Limbaugh for comments he made about the abuse of Iraqi inmates at the Abu Ghraib prison.
Still unresolved, meanwhile, is the Palm Beach County, Fla., prosecutor's investigation of Limbaugh for possible "doctor shopping" in connection with Limbaugh's admitted former addiction to painkillers.
The separate media and legal challenges to Limbaugh are part of a longstanding strategy employed by the political left, according to Mark Levin, director of the Landmark Legal Foundation and a supporter of Limbaugh.
"There's no question they've been trying to discredit Limbaugh for 15 years and it won't succeed," Levin added. "When these liberals attack Rush, they're attacking his audience."
The 30-second radio ad targeting Limbaugh was produced by the new group Media Matters for America, and it used excerpts from Limbaugh's daily radio program, spliced together, to represent Limbaugh's views about the Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse.
"This is no different than what happens at the Skull & Bones initiation," Limbaugh is heard saying midway through the ad, a reference to Yale University's secret society. However, that sentence is spliced together with another Limbaugh comment about the Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse and the difference in Limbaugh's inflection is obvious to the listener.
" ... I'm talking about people having a good time. These people -- you ever heard of emotional release? You ever heard of needing to blow some steam off?" Limbaugh is heard asking his listeners in the Media Matters for America ad. He was referring to the U.S. military police accused of mistreating the Iraqi prisoners.
Levin said the ad took Limbaugh out of context.
"I listened to everything that Limbaugh has said and I associate myself with all of it," Levin said. "While [Limbaugh] believes that what these rogue prison guards did was outrageous, it's been taken completely out of proportion, considering the enemy that we're dealing with and the grave danger that we face. And the vast majority of Americans concur."
Levin also attacked Media Matters for America President David Brock, the former conservative journalist who claims the political "right wing" persuaded him to lie and distort facts in order to bring down Bill and Hillary Clinton.
Brock once helped collect damaging information about the Clintons in Arkansas for American Spectator magazine. But two years ago, Brock authored the book, Blinded by the Right: The Conscience of an Ex-Conservative , in which he not only distanced himself from the conservative movement, but also disclosed his homosexuality.
Brock's new website is described as a "not-for-profit progressive research and information center dedicated to comprehensively monitoring, analyzing, and correcting conservative misinformation in the U.S. media."
Media Matters for America defines "conservative misinformation" as "news or commentary presented in the media that is not accurate, reliable, or credible and that forwards the conservative agenda."
The web editor for Media Matters is Amanda Fazzone, who has previously written or edited articles for publications such as The New Republic, Salon, and the Washington City Paper. Marcia Kuntz, who previously organized a project for the liberal Alliance for Justice opposing President Bush's judicial nominees, is the website's editorial director.
But it is Brock and those underwriting the Media Matters website receiving most of the attention.
"David Brock is a confessed liar. He has discredited his own past work," Levin said, adding that former Clinton administration chief of staff John Podesta is one of Brock's financial backers.
"It doesn't surprise me why the left and people like John Podesta would embrace [Brock] and use him as their front-man ... to attack Rush," Levin said. "I think you'll find in most of these areas - whether it's 527s (tax exempt political organizations), the already failed liberal radio network (Air America Radio), and now these phony think tanks and the watchdog groups, that Podesta and the other Clintonoids have their hand in this."
CNSNews.com made several attempts to reach Brock by telephone on Thursday but Media Matters for America did not make him available to comment for this report.
Naomi Seligman, a spokeswoman for the group, apologized, saying, "We've had incredible interest in the organization today and he's just really, really booked." When asked whether she could comment on behalf of the group, Seligman said she could not. "We can't. I apologize," she said.
Brock, in an earlier press release, defended the ad campaign attacking Limbaugh.
"His radio show reaches 20 million Americans each week, with many of these listeners considering him a legitimate news source," Brock stated. "We are running the ad to spotlight whether Rush Limbaugh is a credible source of information."
Limbaugh this week launched his own advertising offensive regarding the still simmering investigation of accusations that he illegally went from doctor to doctor to feed his painkiller addiction. Limbaugh has yet to be charged in the case. He has since received drug rehabilitation.
Limbaugh used a Washington Times editorial as the basis for full-page newspaper ads in two Florida papers. The Times' editorial called Krischer's investigation "a partisan witch-hunt," a sentiment echoed by Levin.
"I have my own suspicions that Barry Krischer, the left-wing prosecutor [in Palm Beach County], isn't acting on his own," Levin said. "I've long suspected that he's getting encouragement. We know that he received some 300 email messages [from] many self-identified Democrats urging him to prosecute Rush Limbaugh."
Rush wins this one. The rats don't understand what having an enemy is - but they will.
You hit the nail on the head!
I agree with what Rush said.
Oh, give it up already. It isn't going to happen!
You can always tell the leftist communists, because they consistently use the term "progressive" to describe themselves.
It's amazing that they think they have to discredit a private citizen. I haven't heard of any ads targeting evil billionaire george soros, who is actively trying to influence the election with cash.
At least Brock is an equal-opportunity kind of guy. Now he is pursuaded to lie and distort facts for the left. Whatever pays the bills....
Is this the footage he asked them to shoot? Make the military look bad so that he can expose bad behavior by the military? If this sounds off the wall remember that someone faked the photos of abuse of POWs by the British military (the urination photos). That was an inside job because they appear to have used legit (albeit non-Iraqi deployed) equipement.
But around these parts he's still
the Most Trusted Man In America. < /sarcasm >
It's a chill wind, trying to silence those who speak out of turn.
The Rats think that George W. Bush is an enemy. They don't realize the kid gloves he's been treating them with.
The Rats didn't/don't think that Joseph Stalin was an enemy. They don't see the terrorists/wahabbiists as an enemy.
They'd rather win the 2004 election than the war in Iraq.
Quiet down there, PFC. This is the part about fools soon parting from their money. We should send them letters telling them we're against Rush thanks to their ad and suggest they spend more to help save our friends and families.
Yeah, they're probably dumb enough to go for it.
Before we got to see the pictures they were spouting torture and the swimmer was likening us to Saddam Hussein........
The pictures became our friend!!!
"Quiet down there, PFC. This is the part about fools soon parting from their money. We should send them letters telling them we're against Rush thanks to their ad..."
Exactly - let them fire their guns at the wrong target -
There's a lot more people that might just tune in to see what this Rush guy is about then there would be Rush listeners that are turned off by these dumb ads.
they consistently use the term "progressive" to describe themselves.
Progressive is the new buzz word which replaces the word Democrat(s) or Liberal(s). I am afraid it is working on the younger voters out there.
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