Limbaugh guest host Sullivan used Clinton's Sopranos parody to peddle debunked conspiracy theories

On the June 22 broadcast of nationally syndicated The Rush Limbaugh Show, guest host Tom Sullivan, a financial columnist for The Sacramento Bee and local radio host, used Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's (NY) campaign video spoof of a scene from the series finale of HBO's The Sopranos to resurrect debunked right-wing conspiracy theories about the deaths of Clinton deputy White House counsel Vince Foster and Clinton Commerce Secretary Ron Brown: "I think the next episode could bring in the question about what happened to Vince Foster. ... [W]hat's the real story behind Ron Brown? I mean ... the episodes on this would go on forever."

Sullivan's comments continue a trend on The Rush Limbaugh Show of promoting debunked conspiracy theories about the death of Foster, who committed suicide in 1993. As Media Matters for America has noted (here, here, here, and here), Limbaugh has repeatedly suggested that the Clintons were somehow involved in Foster's death, despite multiple official investigations that determined Foster committed suicide. Brown died in a plane crash in 1996. As CNN reported at the time, an Air Force investigation determined the crash was "caused by a combination of factors," including "[a] failure of command, air crew error, and an improperly designed instrument approach procedure."

From the June 22 broadcast of Premiere Radio Networks' The Rush Limbaugh Show:

SULLIVAN: This should be the rest of the campaign for Hillary. Not just one. I'm wondering if they're going to do more -- because they shot this thing on a Sunday morning, a week ago Sunday, and the guy who was the actor in that thing was Vince Curatola. He said that, yeah, he got a call, and he got paid nothing for it. But he just went in to do it. He thought it would be fun to do.

But where Mr. Snerdly wants to go with this -- and I agree with you Mr. Snerdly -- I think the next episode could bring in the question about what happened to Vince Foster. Where did -- what's the real story behind Ron Brown? I mean, we could have it -- the episodes on this would go on forever.

And who would be -- who would play the part of Tony? Would it be Hillary or Bill? I mean, this has potential. It's -- I wish I knew the characters better. Was it Eddie Falco was the guy that was the -- Edie -- Edie Falco was -- oh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, that was the wife, wasn't it? That was Carmine. I wish I knew the characters -- Carmela. I'm sorry. I don't know the characters. I don't -- I didn't watch. Like I said, I showed up on the last day. I go to the championship games and that's all. I don't know the names of the players.

But it's -- they could do -- they could have every week a new episode, and everybody would be tuning in for the Hillary Sopranos episode. I mean -- I don't mean to tell her how to run her campaign, but I think it's a great idea.

—A.D.S.