Obviously, Rush Limbaugh has an audience. Otherwise, he wouldn't be on the air, but with a view like this, I'm surprised anybody listens to him!

http://www.huffingtonpost.c...|dl1|sec3_lnk3|50286

Ok I am not the biggest fan of old baby blue. But I think this clip, by the way I heard it might be kinda taken the wrong way. I think he was giggling at the irony of the situation, rather then at the refugees themselves. Maybe he came off on Diane Sawyer a little hard. But I am sure she isn't missing any sleep over it.

Yeh, I think he is making fun of the recycling--in the middle of a disaster recovery and nuclear emergency--and I gotta agree. If you are sittin in a refugee shelter with a nuke plant about to go China Syndrome, in an area when the biggest structure left is a toothpick..and you wanna worry about the empty water bottle getting into the right blue box...

Then your priorities are SERIOUSLY messed up.

Yeah, he was making fun of Sawyer focusing on recycling when there are thousands dying and nuclear meltdown risks and so on going on. Her priorities are...funny. I'm not a Rush fan, I don't listen to him at all, but... The Huffington Post?

Of course the Huffington Post is a sterling example of non bias reporting.

I'm sure MSNBC, ABC, CBS etc all have great non bias reporting allso. Where is Keith Olberman any more?

quote Originally posted by TommyRocker: Yeah, he was making fun of Sawyer focusing on recycling when there are thousands dying and nuclear meltdown risks and so on going on. Her priorities are...funny. I'm not a Rush fan, I don't listen to him at all, but... The Huffington Post?

I pulled it from AOL's "news and things of interest." I'm not familiar with the Huffington Post.

Problem is Rush laughed about a topic that is very sensitive, if I was his producer I would have shook my head. But that being said, I understand what he was getting at. And I can say from my limited time on air in radio, that it is really tough to do. Time crawls by and its hard to always represent yourself exactly the way you want. When I first started in radio, I remember doing 30 second advertising spots they felt like they took an hour. I didn't mind taping them in advance and just playing the cart at the right time, but live was hell. I couldn't imagine doing a several hour show.

Very classy.

I posted about this in the Japan / Athiests / Christians thread also. The man is a scumbag, right up there with the other political pundit Glenn Beck, who is also making inappropriate comments regarding Japan. It is sad that so many go to people like this for information.

Glenn Beck: Japan earthquake ‘message’ from God

quote By Elizabeth Tenety In Japan, rescue workers are still pulling survivors out of the rubble of the devastating earthquake. In the United States, political commentator Glenn Beck is already speculating on the disaster’s divine message: “I’m not saying God is, you know, causing earthquakes,” the conservative pundit said on Monday’s show. But Beck added that he’s “not not saying that, either.” “Whether you call it Gaia, or whether you call it Jesus, there’s a message being sent and that is, ‘Hey, you know that stuff we’re doing? Not really working out real well.’ Maybe we should stop doing some of it.” Beck later referenced the Ten Commandments, and sugested that following them is an antidote to global chaos. “What do you say we start doing those things?” he asked. “Because the things we are doing really suck. And they’re not getting better.” Beck is hardly the first to suggest that a natural disaster is a form of divine punishment. Tokyo Govenor Shintaro Ishihara told reporters Monday that he, too, sees God’s wrath in the tragedy: “Japanese politics is tainted with egoism and populism. We need to use tsunami to wipe out egoism, which has rusted onto the mentality of Japanese over a long period of time.” “I think (the disaster) is tembatsu (divine punishment), although I feel sorry for disaster victims,” he said. Ishihara later recinded his remarks and apologized. After Haiti’s devastating earthquake, televanglist Pat Robertson said that the disaster was sent to punish the country for what he believed was its “pact to the devil.” The Christian Broadcasting Network later said that the minister’s comment was supported by the research of “countless scholars and religious figures” who have come “to believe the country is cursed.”

There are just way too many people saying inappropriate things regarding this disaster, and they are still busy counting the dead, and probably will be for weeks. I worked for a Japanese company for 7 years, and met many great people while I was there. I hope they, and their families are all OK.

quote Originally posted by KidO: I posted about this in the Japan / Athiests / Christians thread also. The man is a scumbag, right up there with the other political pundit Glenn Beck, who is also making inappropriate comments regarding Japan. It is sad that so many go to people like this for information. Glenn Beck: Japan earthquake ‘message’ from God There are just way too many people saying inappropriate things regarding this disaster, and they are still busy counting the dead, and probably will be for weeks. I worked for a Japanese company for 7 years, and met many great people while I was there. I hope they, and their families are all OK.

Having a nice chuckle about it, isn't he? Good to know he can have a laugh at the expense of the deaths of thousands. Real funny. Wait till his number is up, on that dreadful day he won't be laughing.

quote Originally posted by KidO: I posted about this in the Japan / Athiests / Christians thread also. The man is a scumbag, right up there with the other political pundit Glenn Beck, who is also making inappropriate comments regarding Japan. It is sad that so many go to people like this for information.

I find it interesting how you folks comment on a story about what they supposedly said (and meant), but don't listen to their shows, and quote sources like PMSNBC and The Huffington Post.

I happened to hear *both* of those shows today, and it was NOTHING like they're saying.

Attention liberals. If you really want to understand why some on the right get their panties in a bunch about everything Obama does. Just look at how you react to Rush Limbaugh.
One he is laughing at the absurdity of Diane Sawyer being impressed with recycling over anything else that is happening there.
Two he is mocking the idea that 'mother earth' would forsake Japan since they are so environmentally conscientious. The exact opposite of what Beck is saying. that there is some supernatual cause for the earthquake.
He is not laughing at the Japanese people or their plight.
You may proceed unbunching your panties.

quote Originally posted by fierobear: I find it interesting how you folks comment on a story about what they supposedly said (and meant), but don't listen to their shows, and quote sources like PMSNBC and The Huffington Post. I happened to hear *both* of those shows today, and it was NOTHING like they're saying.

yup, no kettle and tea pot stuff going on there.

[This message has been edited by newf (edited 03-16-2011).]

Until I clicked on it, I figured this would be another topic about Michael Moore.

wow... another Rush clip taken out of context. I love it when the "news" does this. If you listen to Rush, you would know what exactly he was talking about, and it wasn't making fun of the disaster. Sigh... liberal media... or as Rush says, "Drive-by Media", which explains this perfectly.

well - its a funny thing
Charlie Sheen is doing a show at the Fox Theatre in Detroit. It sold out in 18 minutes.
drug addicts are entertainment. the more trucked up - the better.

yes - Charlie Sheen & Rush Limbaugh - what a pair. maybe they should party together

Rush can give marriage tips, and Charlie can give drug aquisition tips
UNSTOPPABLE!

maybe dredge up Lindsey Lohan to be their dope hag

I find it interesting that the use of the English Language seems quite natural to the followers of Limbaugh and Beck as they post here. It makes me wonder how they can watch these shows and not understand that the comments made by their commentators are offensive.

quote "He's right," Limbaugh said. "They've given us the Prius. Even now, refugees are recycling their garbage." Here, he began to laugh, continuing, "and yet, Gaia levels them! Just wipes them out!"

To claim that the media takes these quotes and sound bites out of context is absurd!

The context, in case you missed it - An Earthquake happened in Japan. It caused a tsunami. The combination of the two caused significant devastation in Japan. Thousands of people have died; thousands are still missing, and likely dead. A number of nuclear reactors have been damaged and are leaking radiation.

For people to make jokes about this is inexcusable. Whether the jokes are made by a comedian like Gilbert Gottfried, a Mayor’s Press Secretary like Dan Turner, or political pundits like Limbaugh and Beck, they are inappropriate to say the least. To step up and defend this behavior doesn't say alot about a person's character.

quote Originally posted by KidO: ... step up and defend this behavior....

Did you just say that you supported Rush? It sure looks like it, because I am sure your statement was not taken out of context... No one ever does that to support their own cause, right?

quote Originally posted by KidO: The context, in case you missed it - An Earthquake happened in Japan. It caused a tsunami. The combination of the two caused significant devastation in Japan. Thousands of people have died; thousands are still missing, and likely dead. A number of nuclear reactors have been damaged and are leaking radiation.

Wow. You AGREE with Rush Limbaugh. You and he have THE SAME VIEWPOINT!


His POINT was one of CONTEXT. Thousands of people dead, thousands missing, nuclear reactors leaking radiation, and you have a reporter highlighting that THEY ARE STILL RECYCLING!!!!


He was talking about people and reporters, uh, MISSING THE BIG PICTURE HERE. Just like YOU are.


He in no way was ridiculing or minimizing the plight of the people.

But I don't care about Rush Limbaugh. Don't listen to him. Just find it interesting how you two are so in agreement on the main issue.
Glenn Beck is a DIFFERENT story. He is actually surmising that this IS possibly a judgement of God on Japan. So criticize away here, if that is how you feel. Because you two DISagree on this issue.
Also, Rush Limbaugh HAD a drug-addiction problem. Does he STILL? I don't follow him so I am not aware. So because you find what he did is despicable, do you characterize him in the worst light, even if it is far from CURRENT?

And you can find it hard to believe he has an audience, I guess. But it isn't like he has a LITTLE audience. He has a MASSIVE audience. That doesn't automatically validate what he says, or justify what he says. But if THAT many people, most of whom I assume are good hearted people, are not in uproar over what he said, then MAYBE, just MAYBE they understood what he was saying and laughing about, which seems to be the absurdity of LAUDING recycling in a country devastated by disaster, and MAYBE it was YOU that somehow didn't get it.

I'm not accusing you. I'm just throwing that out there.


And just to get calibrated for the future, how long does someone have to be drug free from their addiction, before you are willing to no longer call them a drug-addict?

quote Originally posted by frontal lobe: He is actually surmising that this IS possibly a judgement of God on Japan.

Actually, he wasn't. I listened to it. The bottom line was he was saying "I don't know."

quote Originally posted by fierobear: Actually, he wasn't. I listened to it. The bottom line was he was saying "I don't know."

I happened to catch that when I was driving to work. He DID say, "I don't know.", but my honest evaluation was that he was, by bringing it up, implicating that he DID consider it was a possibility.

I'm not anti- or pro-Beck either.

So I'm not arguing with you. I just felt that there WAS some question on that one, where as on the Limbaugh one, that is DEFINITELY being misportrayed.

Rush probably enjoys the publicity, even if he's been taken out of context.

Its not the first time its happened. Ask him sometime about his story about women applying makeup in cars.

I agree that out of context, things can sound different, so, please, present the statements in context to show what was really said.

seems like a simple solution intead of just trying to dsimiss it. but - I expect, even in context, it'll be a jack-hole statement. which is why no one actually has done so.

I think Glenn Beck is a smug, whiny, pseudo doomsday evangelist. He irritates me almost as much as Shawn Hannity.

But I am a fan of Rush, and heard the segment in question. He was lampooning the priorities of liberal news reporters, who praised Japan for recycling in the midst of a huge disaster (something the Japanese did out of necessity, not a collective social conscience).

It is unfair to take two minutes of broadcast time from a man who has been on the air for over twenty years, and make a value judgment based on that alone. Context, context, context.

quote Originally posted by Pyrthian: I agree that out of context, things can sound different, so, please, present the statements in context to show what was really said. seems like a simple solution intead of just trying to dsimiss it. but - I expect, even in context, it'll be a jack-hole statement. which is why no one actually has done so.

I didn't check the links, but I thought people actually LINKED to what each one said.

Others might have been "...trying to dismiss it." I haven't been.

It is OBVIOUS that Limbaugh was making fun of the lack of some people obviously missing out on the big picture of what is going on in Japan, and NOT making fun of the actual plight of the people.

To ME, Glenn Beck WAS intimating that this could have happened as a judgement from God on the Japanese people. fierobear heard the same thing and didn't think so.


Let me be clear on a personal level. I don't EVER think someone's personal tragedy is a topic for comedy. And I will come out against others doing that, for what that is worth and accomplishes.


In this particular case, I just don't think the Limbaugh thing in question was him making comedy out of the plight of the Japanese people. My opinion is he was making fun of people who were not focusing on the plight of the people, and instead focusing on RECYCLING in the midst of devastation (Diane Sawyer). I'm not trying to dismiss what he said. I'm trying to evaluate what he said ACCURATELY, as he intended. To me, it really isn't difficult to see what his intent was.

And the "drug addict" reference shows an angry bias on the part of the person who started this thread.

quote Originally posted by frontal lobe: Let me be clear on a personal level. I don't EVER think someone's personal tragedy is a topic for comedy. And I will come out against others doing that, for what that is worth and accomplishes.

You didn't check the links? Did you even bother to read the posts? Let me help you out one more time...

quote "He's right," Limbaugh said. "They've given us the Prius. Even now, refugees are recycling their garbage." Here, he began to laugh, continuing, "and yet, Gaia levels them! Just wipes them out!"

The Japanese have a strong philosophical belief when it comes to recycling. A lot of people living in a small space will tend to do that. They are a proud people, and this pride extends to taking care of the resources that they have, which includes the environment and recycling. It's too bad more people don't feel this way.

Are you so insecure in your own political beliefs that you are going to have a left versus right argument any chance you get? Find some liberal figures making off comments about another persons tragedy, post about it, and I will be just as disgusted. Had any one of the liberal media political pundits made a similar comment, the "right" would be all over it. When it comes from your team, you dismiss it and defend the faith.

quote Originally posted by KidO:

KidO, do you listen to Rush on a regular basis? Or did you just read this article? It is easy to pull one or two sentences from his 2HOUR program and then twist his words. Did this "news reporter" bother to interview Rush about his comment? Nope, this reporter is just blabbing about someone because they HATE Rush and other conservatives.

Here is Rush's discussion on it:
http://www.rushlimbaugh.com...01125109.member.html

I didn't bother taking the time to check the links BECAUSE I READ the articles that were provided. Man. I SAID I didn't watch the links. I never SAID I didn't read the articles.

"...when it comes from your team..." Did you even READ the MULTIPLE times where I said I don't listen to Rush Limbaugh, or that I am not a fan of his? "Your team" keeps making the assumption that "my team" essentially ONLY thinks things because we heard Limbaugh or Beck or Hannity or whoever say it.

And yet I DIDN'T defend Glenn Beck in this same thread. But you don't notice that I didn't "defend my team", and also didn't notice the MULTIPLE times I said I don't listen to Limbaugh.


So I never considered this a POLITICAL IDEOLOGY issue AT ALL in the first place.


Regarding the strong Japanese philosophical belief in recycling, I noted that and on a fundamental basis I think that is a great and admirable thing. I wish U.S. citizens had more of that philosophy. I AGREE with you about that.

Having acknowledged that, when there is a disaster of the degree the Japanese are going through, the normal day to day priorities ARE NO LONGER A PRIORITY. It is a time to BEYOND your normal, philosophical priorities, and prioritize things FOR THE SITUATION AT HAND.


I'm not scolding the Japanese for continuing to recycle during this time, and as I have repeated, I would not personally make fun of ANY situation where someone or some people is suffering a tragedy.


After all that, it STILL seems to me that Limbaugh is laughing at the PRIORITIES of people, and not the PLIGHT of the people. I'm NOT defending him for doing that. I wouldn't even do THAT. But I AM against him being portrayed as making fun of the TRAGEDY the Japanese are going through, when he isn't.
Well, we can disagree on that. But the whole my side, your side thing you brought up--we can't disagree on that. You were just WRONG about that, and hopefully that is even MORE obvious than it should have been in the first place.

Wow, more touchy feely whiney ignorance from the left. What a surprise.

Tune in right now... Rush is talking about this whole thing.

quote Originally posted by frontal lobe: I didn't bother taking the time to check the links BECAUSE I READ the articles that were provided. Man. I SAID I didn't watch the links. I never SAID I didn't read the articles. "...when it comes from your team..." Did you even READ the MULTIPLE times where I said I don't listen to Rush Limbaugh, or that I am not a fan of his? "Your team" keeps making the assumption that "my team" essentially ONLY thinks things because we heard Limbaugh or Beck or Hannity or whoever say it. And yet I DIDN'T defend Glenn Beck in this same thread. But you don't notice that I didn't "defend my team", and also didn't notice the MULTIPLE times I said I don't listen to Limbaugh. So I never considered this a POLITICAL IDEOLOGY issue AT ALL in the first place. Regarding the strong Japanese philosophical belief in recycling, I noted that and on a fundamental basis I think that is a great and admirable thing. I wish U.S. citizens had more of that philosophy. I AGREE with you about that. Having acknowledged that, when there is a disaster of the degree the Japanese are going through, the normal day to day priorities ARE NO LONGER A PRIORITY. It is a time to BEYOND your normal, philosophical priorities, and prioritize things FOR THE SITUATION AT HAND. I'm not scolding the Japanese for continuing to recycle during this time, and as I have repeated, I would not personally make fun of ANY situation where someone or some people is suffering a tragedy. After all that, it STILL seems to me that Limbaugh is laughing at the PRIORITIES of people, and not the PLIGHT of the people. I'm NOT defending him for doing that. I wouldn't even do THAT. But I AM against him being portrayed as making fun of the TRAGEDY the Japanese are going through, when he isn't. Well, we can disagree on that. But the whole my side, your side thing you brought up--we can't disagree on that. You were just WRONG about that, and hopefully that is even MORE obvious than it should have been in the first place.

Enough said. If I was wrong on the basis of your opinion, then I apologize. I worked closely with a number of people in Japan for 7 years. All of them have been directly affected by this, some worse than others. The thought of someone having a chuckle over this (which Limbaugh did) disgusts me, as it should anyone. I think people are accepting of this behavior because it does not directly affect them. Maybe I am too close to the tragedy? Would this type of schtick be acceptable if this were a U.S. tragedy?

The problem I have with the likes of Limbaugh and Beck making off comments on someones tragedy is the position that they have put themselves in. The have a large following that is politically based. People defending them for making off color comments just completely shocks me. It is just as distasteful for someone like Gilbert Gottfreid to make a comment, but it is expected. I would say the same for comments coming from a "shock jock" like Howard Stern, but last time I checked, Limbaugh and Beck were not comedians nor shock jocks. Unfortunately (in my opinion), they are people of political influence for a large part of our country.

Limbaugh and Beck both are getting a ton of media air-time for their comments, and I am sure they are loving every minute of it. Publicity is publicity, good or bad.

What you don't understand is that Rush DID NOT make fun of the tragedy. Yes, Rush uses humor within his show, but so do other entertainers. I bet if you called the show and talked to Rush you too would see that he was taken out of context and he could explain himself, again. But I am guessing that you don't want to believe that the liberal media (Huffington Post) is making up a story.

I don't listen to Beck, so I can't comment on his words.

BTW, Rush provided this good information today:

http://nei.cachefly.net/new...tors-in-that-region/


The thoughts and prayers of the staff of the Nuclear Energy Institute are with our friends in Japan who have lost loved ones, homes and businesses during the earthquake and subsequent tsunami. We send our heartfelt sympathy and concern.

Latest NEI Updates

**NOTE: Refresh your Web browser periodically to ensure you receive the latest updates appearing on this page.**
Fukushima - Home Page Promo - March 2011
UPDATE AS OF 11:35 A.M. EDT, THURSDAY, MARCH 17:

Fukushima Daiichi
The reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi plant are in stable condition and are being cooled with seawater, but workers at the plant continue efforts to add cooling water to fuel pools at reactors 3 and 4.

The status of the reactors at the site is as follows:

Reactor 1's primary containment is believed to be intact and the reactor is in a stable condition. Seawater injection into the reactor is continuing.

Reactor 2 is in stable condition with seawater injection continuing. The reactor's primary containment may not have been breached, Tokyo Electric Power Co. and World Association of Nuclear Operators officials said on Thursday.

Access problems at the site have delayed connection of a temporary cable to restore off-site electricity. The connection will provide power to the control rod drive pump, instrumentation, batteries and the control room. Power has not been available at the site since the earthquake on March 11.

Reactor 3 is in stable condition with seawater injection continuing. The primary containment is believed to be intact. Pressure in the containment has fluctuated due to venting of the reactor containment structure.

TEPCO officials say that although one side of the concrete wall of the fuel pool structure has collapsed, the steel liner of the pool remains intact, based on aerial photos of the reactor taken on March 17. The pool still has water providing some cooling for the fuel; however, helicopters dropped water on the reactor four times during the morning (Japan time) on March 17. Water also was sprayed at reactor 4 using high-pressure water cannons.

Reactors 5 and 6 were both shut down before the quake occurred. Primary and secondary containments are intact at both reactors. Temperature instruments in the spent fuel pools at reactors 5 and 6 are operational, and temperatures are being maintained at about 62 degrees Celsius. TEPCO is continuing efforts to restore power at reactor 5.

Fukushima Daini
All four reactors at the Fukushima Daini plant have reached cold shutdown conditions with normal cooling being maintained using residual heat removal systems.

quote Originally posted by KidO: Enough said. If I was wrong on the basis of your opinion, then I apologize. I worked closely with a number of people in Japan for 7 years. All of them have been directly affected by this, some worse than others. The thought of someone having a chuckle over this (which Limbaugh did) disgusts me, as it should anyone. I think people are accepting of this behavior because it does not directly affect them. Maybe I am too close to the tragedy? Would this type of schtick be acceptable if this were a U.S. tragedy? The problem I have with the likes of Limbaugh and Beck making off comments on someones tragedy is the position that they have put themselves in. The have a large following that is politically based. People defending them for making off color comments just completely shocks me. It is just as distasteful for someone like Gilbert Gottfreid to make a comment, but it is expected. I would say the same for comments coming from a "shock jock" like Howard Stern, but last time I checked, Limbaugh and Beck were not comedians nor shock jocks. Unfortunately (in my opinion), they are people of political influence for a large part of our country. Limbaugh and Beck both are getting a ton of media air-time for their comments, and I am sure they are loving every minute of it. Publicity is publicity, good or bad.

I like it when libs always make fun of Beck or Limbaugh....always only quoting the part that fits for them. At least both of them quote libs clips...then actually play the whole thing thats pertainent. If Obama said he always listened to either of them, all the libs would also listen and tell you how great they are.

I actually thought this might be on Sheen (whos been quiet for a week) His one man tour may draw an audience like people watching a plane crash. But as any kind of 'show', I predict an EPIC FAIL....but then his T shirt sales are WINNNNNING.

Lohan goes back next tuesday to find out if shes going to try to get a jury trial in her jewelry theft, or go to jail. She needs a year in jail to 'rehab'. Her lawyers managed to drag this whole thing out for months.

quote Originally posted by KidO: Enough said. If I was wrong on the basis of your opinion, then I apologize. I worked closely with a number of people in Japan for 7 years. All of them have been directly affected by this, some worse than others. Maybe I am too close to the tragedy?

Hey, you aren't TOO close to the tragedy. It is GREAT that you had that experience, and great that you care.

And I completely understand about the my side, their side thing. I just wanted to make sure you knew that I am not one of those. Thanks.

And I benefited by learning from your experience in Japan in learning about the Japanese and the degree that recycling is in their life. I didn't know that.

quote Originally posted by Red88FF: Wow, more touchy feely whiney ignorance from the left. What a surprise.

Yes, libtards are as predictable as they are entertaining that way.

I'd like to see how bad they'd melt down if El Rushbo had Michael Berry fill in for him for a few days, lol !

[This message has been edited by D B Cooper (edited 03-17-2011).]

quote Originally posted by fogglethorpe: And the "drug addict" reference shows an angry bias on the part of the person who started this thread.

It shows a bias towards a person with a (past/current?) drug addiction conducting a monologue in a humorous manner attacking another commentator who is actually in Japan reporting on a very serious issue and commenting on a different culture and how they're reacting about what has befallen them. You are correct that I may have taken it all out of context, but that clip is enough to ensure that I'll never give the guy enough of my time to ever listen to a "full version." As for Rush, I don't have much use for ones sided comment from (ex?)drug addicts making light of a deadly serious situation.

OK, so is he still addicted to drugs or not? I guess I should have called him an ex-drug addict?