CNN's Blitzer twice falsely asserted Limbaugh "apologized" for Michael J. Fox attacks

On the October 26 edition of CNN's The Situation Room, host Wolf Blitzer falsely asserted that nationally syndicated radio host Rush Limbaugh "apologized" for recent comments he made about actor Michael J. Fox, who has Parkinson's disease. Moments later, Blitzer again claimed Limbaugh "apologized," adding that Limbaugh "said he wasn't aware that he had that serious of a problem from the Parkinson's disease." In fact, Limbaugh has stood by his comments, stating that "I was right" and that "I wouldn't rephrase it any differently."

As Media Matters for America noted, Limbaugh declared on October 23 that because Fox was "moving all around and shaking" in an ad in which he endorses Missouri Democratic Senate candidate Claire McCaskill for supporting embryonic stem cell research, Fox's physical appearance was "purely an act." Limbaugh then added that Fox "[e]ither didn't take his medication or he's acting." But while Limbaugh also stated on October 23 that "I will apologize to Michael J. Fox if I am wrong in characterizing his behavior on this commercial as an act," Limbaugh not only did not apologize, he defended his comments on his show the next day. Pointing to Fox's statement in his book, Lucky Man: A Memoir (Hyperion, April 2002), that he testified before Congress in 1999 "without medication," Limbaugh declared on his October 24 show that "all I said yesterday was: 'He's either acting or he's off his meds.' I was right. He was off his meds." On the October 25 broadcast, Limbaugh again defended his comments about Fox, stating: "I stand by what I said. I take back none of what I said. I wouldn't rephrase it any differently. It is what I believe. It is what I think. It is what I have found to be true."

From the October 26 edition of CNN's The Situation Room:

BLITZER: This Michael J. Fox commercial had generated an angry reaction from Rush Limbaugh, for which he later apologized. Let me play this again to remind our viewers what's going on.

FOX [video clip of ad]: Senator Talent even wanted to criminalize the science that gives us a chance for hope. They say all politics is local, but it's not always the case. What you do in Missouri matters to millions of Americans -- Americans like me.

BLITZER: I -- -- Rush Limbaugh -- we had that response but, unfortunately, it wasn't queued up. He then mimics -- shows what Michael J. Fox was doing. He later apologized. He said he wasn't aware that he really had that serious of a problem from the Parkinson's disease.

—B.J.L.