Latest Rush Limbaugh Flap

Originally Posted by Habib

It's strange this is what got them to bail. It's not like this was some sort of bizarre aberration.

I have listened to him off and on over the years. This one may have been the worst. Is it too much to hope for that a few radio stations would man up and drop him?

Was what he said bad? Yes. Has he said worse? I have no doubt he has.

I don't understand why you guys listen to anything he says, he only gets you folks all worked up. He's an idiot and you're playing right into it. It's what he wants.

Originally Posted by Trinity alum

First, her sex life is none of your business or Rush's. Second, birth control pills cost the same whether she has a different partner every night, one steady boyfriend, doesn't have sex but want's to be prepared in case she decides to or even since there is a chance she could be raped, perphaps she wants to be on contraceptives to insure that in the event of a rape she doesn't get pregnant. It is no one's business. Second, part of Rush'sargument was that she was asking all of us to pay for her birth control. That is flat out wrong. She was asking to have contraceptives covered as part of routine health care. I don't know of any schools that pay for health insurance for their students, so she wasn't asking anyone to pay for her.

Sorry, but she just made her sex life everyone's business.

Originally Posted by FarBeyondDriven

Sorry, but she just made her sex life everyone's business.

No she didn't. Her ONLY discussion was coverage of contraception as a basic component of health insurance. No decent human being would treat a young woman this way. I guess that the question will be whether testifying one time before congress makes you enough of a public figure to strip any protection from slander. Not to me it doesn't. I think Limbaugh ought to face a HUGE lawsuit.

Originally Posted by FarBeyondDriven

Sorry, but she just made her sex life everyone's business.

How does her testifying about the cost of birth control make her sex life anyone's business?

Do you have ANY idea of the different reasons women use birth control?

Originally Posted by Habib

It's strange this is what got them to bail. It's not like this was some sort of bizarre aberration.

Really. This kind of behavior is unexpected? Maybe they never listened before.

Originally Posted by Trinity alum

No she didn't. Her ONLY discussion was coverage of contraception as a basic component of health insurance. No decent human being would treat a young woman this way. I guess that the question will be whether testifying one time before congress makes you enough of a public figure to strip any protection from slander. Not to me it doesn't. I think Limbaugh ought to face a HUGE lawsuit.

I'm not a lawyer, so I don't know if he crossed a legal line or if it's a matter of free speech. Classless as it is (I'm reminded of where RM said in an old thread that the reality is that we live in a country where our right to free speech is protected), did he have a right to say it?

Originally Posted by rockmom

How does her testifying about the cost of birth control make her sex life anyone's business?

Do you have ANY idea of the different reasons women use birth control?

Yes, I am aware. But she made it everyone's business by expecting someone else to pay/subsidize it. Why should someone other than herself be responsible for it?

Originally Posted by rockmom

How does her testifying about the cost of birth control make her sex life anyone's business?

Do you have ANY idea of the different reasons women use birth control?

Of course there's different reasons but if you had to bet your life savings on a reason, which would you choose? I haven't seen any data but I would choose avoiding pregnancy as the overwhelming reason for birth control use.

As to this thread, Rush hasn't been in the news much so I guess it was time. He has to get warmed up for the election season. I only wish there was as much outrage over the Administration's heavy handed use of the Espionage Act to silence it's critics. I think that is a much bigger threat than Rush insulting someone. It's certainly more rare.

Her whole arguement has to be the dumbest thing I have ever heard. Why should tax payers pay for birth control? What exactly did she see in the faces of her fellow students at GW that spoke to her telling her they needed thier Birth control paid for? Really? Has this country come to this. She has a choice. If she doesn't want to pay for birth control , don't have sex. What will she want the Government to pay for next?

Originally Posted by 75center

Of course there's different reasons but if you had to bet your life savings on a reason, which would you choose? I haven't seen any data but I would choose avoiding pregnancy as the overwhelming reason for birth control use.

As to this thread, Rush hasn't been in the news much so I guess it was time. He has to get warmed up for the election season. I only wish there was as much outrage over the Administration's heavy handed use of the Espionage Act to silence it's critics. I think that is a much bigger threat than Rush insulting someone. It's certainly more rare.

Amen! But you won't hear a peep out of the left on that one though.... now, if it was Bush or Santorum or Gingrich or Romney...

Originally Posted by Run To State

Was what he said bad? Yes. Has he said worse? I have no doubt he has.

I don't understand why you guys listen to anything he says, he only gets you folks all worked up. He's an idiot and you're playing right into it. It's what he wants.

Just like Deters who was the source of at least 4 new threads on BGP today!

Originally Posted by FarBeyondDriven

Sorry, but she just made her sex life everyone's business.

Bravo!

Originally Posted by rockmom

Do you have ANY idea of the different reasons women use birth control?

Just a few--
ovarian cysts--doctor prescribes a prescription for birth control
edomitriosis--"
acne--"
irregular cycles--"
excessive bleeding--"

Originally Posted by Run To State

I'm not a lawyer, so I don't know if he crossed a legal line or if it's a matter of free speech. Classless as it is (I'm reminded of where RM said in an old thread that the reality is that we live in a country where our right to free speech is protected), did he have a right to say it?

He probably did. Unfortunately for Rush, advertisers also have a right to pull their support of Rush.

Originally Posted by Trinity alum

Well, not exactly. As I understand it, routine contraceptive care is, in total, cheaper than the health care costs of pregnancy. A few years ago I was negotiating the next years health insurance premiums for my company. Since the insurance company was asking for a big increase I asked what the effect on premiums would be if we dropped the routine health care coverage without the deducttible. I was told that it would make the premiums go UP since routine wellness care lowers overall health care costs. Same thing for contraceptive care. It lowers costs.

Logic that many are either unable or unwilling to understand. Pregnancy/delivery/ongoing care cost FAR EXCEEDS contraceptive cost.

Originally Posted by FarBeyondDriven

Yes, I am aware. But she made it everyone's business by expecting someone else to pay/subsidize it. Why should someone other than herself be responsible for it?

She didn't make her sex life anyone's business. She made the matter of female-specific healthcare an issue. I'm reminded of the days before mammograms an PAP smears weren't covered by insurance.

Originally Posted by formerkywrestler

He probably did. Unfortunately for Rush, advertisers also have a right to pull their support of Rush.

If he did she'll have legal recourse. I have no problem with advertisers pulling support of his show, I couldn't care less if he went off the air as of today. What will likely happen though, is new advertisers will take their place.

Originally Posted by Trinity alum

Well, not exactly. As I understand it, routine contraceptive care is, in total, cheaper than the health care costs of pregnancy. A few years ago I was negotiating the next years health insurance premiums for my company. Since the insurance company was asking for a big increase I asked what the effect on premiums would be if we dropped the routine health care coverage without the deducttible. I was told that it would make the premiums go UP since routine wellness care lowers overall health care costs. Same thing for contraceptive care. It lowers costs.

Originally Posted by mcpapa

Logic that many are either unable or unwilling to understand. Pregnancy/delivery/ongoing care cost FAR EXCEEDS contraceptive cost.

Then why doesn't insurance companies voluntarily cover contraception?

Maybe there should be a thread on "Tax payers paying for Birth Control for Law Students". Everyone is placing so much emphasis on what Rush said and not even taking into account how outragous Sandys comments are.