Limbaugh apologizes to law student for insult

Rush Limbaugh has apologized - but you may be sure it won't do him a damn bit of good, any more than it helped Michael Richards or the president of Harvard or Fuzzy Zoeller...

Anyone want to bet that Fluke already has a 6-figure book deal in place? Her mannered response on Hardball might have been a mistake, though. How is she going to sue Rush for "mental anguish" when she clearly was amused rather than anguished by his remarks?

From Yahoo News: Limbaugh apologizes to law student for insult
WASHINGTON (AP) — Conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh apologized Saturday to a Georgetown University law student he had branded a "slut" and "prostitute" after fellow Republicans as well as Democrats criticized him and several advertisers left his program.

The student, Sandra Fluke, had testified to congressional Democrats that she wanted her college health plan to cover her birth control.

"My choice of words was not the best, and in the attempt to be humorous, I created a national stir," Limbaugh said on his website. "I sincerely apologize to Ms. Fluke for the insulting word choices."

Fluke had been invited to testify to a House committee about her school's health care plan that does not include contraception. Republican lawmakers barred her from testifying during that hearing, but Democrats invited her back and she spoke to the Democratic lawmakers at an unofficial session.

President Barack Obama, whose landmark health care overhaul requires many institutions to provide birth control coverage, telephoned her from the Oval Office on Friday to express his support.

The issue has been much debated in the presidential race, with Republican candidates particularly criticizing the Obama plan's requirements on such employers as Catholic hospitals. Democrats — and many Republican leaders, too — have suggested the issue could energize women to vote for Obama and other Democrats in November.

Limbaugh was not swayed by Fluke's statements before the House panel.

He said on Wednesday, "What does it say about the college coed ... who goes before a congressional committee and essentially says that she must be paid to have sex? It makes her a slut, right? It makes her a prostitute. She wants to be paid to have sex."

He dug in a day later, refusing to give ground.

"If we're going to have to pay for this, then we want something in return, Ms. Fluke," Limbaugh said. "And that would be the videos of all this sex posted online so we can see what we're getting for our money."

He also asked the 30-year-old Fluke: "Who bought your condoms in junior high?"

And on Friday, still defiant, Limbaugh scoffed at the Democrats' talk of a conservative "war on women."

"Amazingly, when there is the slightest bit of opposition to this new welfare entitlement being created, then all of a sudden we hate women. We want 'em barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen," he said. "And now, at the end of this week, I am the person that the women of America are to fear the most."

Some advertisers began pulling sponsorship of Limbaugh's show and Republicans distanced themselves from the comments..

By Saturday evening, Limbaugh decided to yield.

"For over 20 years, I have illustrated the absurd with absurdity, three hours a day, five days a week," Limbaugh said in his statement. "In this instance, I chose the wrong words in my analogy of the situation. I did not mean a personal attack on Ms. Fluke."

But he also said the entire debate was "absolutely absurd."

"In my monologue, I posited that it is not our business whatsoever to know what is going on in anyone's bedroom, nor do I think it is a topic that should reach a presidential level," he said.

The latest furor involved putting in place a requirement in the president's health care law mandating that religious-affiliated institutions such as hospitals and universities include free birth control coverage in their employee health plans. Georgetown, a Jesuit institution, does not provide contraception coverage in its student health plan.

Many Republicans and some religious organizations accused Obama of waging a war on religion. As protests mounted, Obama said religious employers could opt out, but their insurers still must pay for the birth control coverage.

Even in his apology, Limbaugh mocked the law's supporters.

"I personally do not agree that American citizens should pay for these social activities," he said. "What happened to personal responsibility and accountability? Where do we draw the line? If this is accepted as the norm, what will follow? Will we be debating if taxpayers should pay for new sneakers for all students that are interested in running to keep fit?"