Limbaugh sketch repeated false claim that Rep. Frank "let a prostitution ring be run out of" his "home"
SUMMARY: On his radio show, Rush Limbaugh aired a parody clip in which an impersonator of former President Bill Clinton repeated the false claim that Rep. Barney Frank "let a prostitution ring be run out of [his] home." In fact, the House ethics committee in 1990 determined that Frank "did not have either prior or concomitant knowledge of prostitution activities involving third parties alleged to have taken place in his apartment."
On the March 12 edition of his nationally syndicated radio show, Rush Limbaugh aired a parody clip in response to the scandal surrounding New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer (D). The clip featured an impersonator of former President Bill Clinton stating, "If you've made bad choices, we are the party for you. You can be a prostitute, buy a prostitute, or like [Rep.] Barney Frank [D-MA], let a prostitution ring be run out of your home." In fact, as Media Matters for America has repeatedly documented, the House ethics committee -- which, at Frank's request, investigated the allegations made by Stephen Gobie -- in 1990 determined that Frank "did not have either prior or concomitant knowledge of prostitution activities involving third parties alleged to have taken place in his apartment." Moreover, the committee did not conclusively determine whether Gobie was even using Frank's apartment for "prostitution activities," noting in its report that purported evidence offered by Gobie that he had been conducting a prostitution ring from Frank's apartment collapsed under scrutiny.
From the March 12 edition of Premiere Radio Networks' The Rush Limbaugh Show:
LIMBAUGH: At any rate, ladies and gentleman, Bill Clinton asked for some time on the program today.
CLINTON IMPERSONATOR PAUL SHANKLIN: Hello, this is Bill Clinton. Right now, a governor's career is wounded. At times like these it's easy to point fingers and throw the first stone. But I can truly relate to how Eliot Spitzer feels. Not because of Monica, but because of the love and forgiveness I found right here in our party, the Democrats. If you've made bad choices, we are the party for you. You can be a prostitute, buy a prostitute, or like Barney Frank, let a prostitution ring be run out of your home. Nothing you do could possibly offend any one of us. Been there, done that. We're a big tent with just enough room for liberals like you and me. So go ahead. Move on with your life. We'll help. We're the Democrats. The party of love.
Once again, "The Great American Truth Detector" continues to spread lies about someone else's personal life, while he refuses to discuss his own personal involvement with a male prostitute which led to his arrest in Pittsburgh in the Early '70s, when he was working under the pseudonym "Jeff Christie".
(I know that someone in Rush's organization monitors MMFA. I am formally calling on them to bring this matter to Rush's attention. America wants the TRUTH, Rush - for a change.)
"Wow. Can you provide any links? I would LOVE to read them."
Don't hold your breath. That exact same post shows up anytime something remotely near it's focus appears on the forum. Haven't seen any links yet. Don't expect to, either.
http://user.pa.net/~ejjeff/christie.html
http://www.americanpolitics.com/20030103Letters.html
Lots of unproven things in there, rumor, innuendo, and things like that.
This topic has been discussed for many years on many different web sites. Here are a few links to discussions that I found by searching Google for ["jeff christie" arrested prostitute]. I can't do a more thorough search right now, because I'm at work, and I realize that many of these sites are very pro-liberal (such as Democratic Underground). But these links should provide a starting point for anyone who's interested in learning the truth about Rush Limbaugh:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x113768
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x390578
http://freedom4um.com/cgi-bin/readart.cgi?ArtNum=737&Disp=55
http://www.topix.com/forum/topstories/TVHLOBETTN2G4ECGA/p16
http://www.phxnews.com/comment.php?cid=161184
http://forums.therandirhodesshow.com/lofiversion/index.php/t76921.html
http://pssht.com/biography/rush_limbaugh.html
http://www.haloscan.com/comments/atrios/6719134756788087911/
http://www.campusprogress.org/tools/448/know-your-right-wing-speakers-rush-limbaugh
http://www.bartcop.com/0931.htm
Wiz, are you even serious? This is your proof...a bunch of worthless links? Geez I'd like to see one of us Cons get away with making an accusation about a Lib/Dem & then leaving a list of biased websites & forum chit chat to back it up.
But hey if that's all it takes around here. Here's several links that discuss the fact that Frank knew his boyfriend was running a prostitution ring out of his home. These links offer about as much factualism as yours do ;-)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/special/clinton/frenzy/frank.htm
http://www.portlandmercury.com/portland/Content?oid=29223&category=23483
http://boards.historychannel.com/thread.jspa?threadID=700028049
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1890185/posts
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/mar/10/usa4?gusrc=rss&feed=worldnews
http://news.aol.com/newsbloggers/2007/08/31/so-how-come-barney-franks-still-in-office/4
In case you missed it, Jeter, I had included the following disclaimer above that list of links:
I can't do a more thorough search right now, because I'm at work, and I realize that many of these sites are very pro-liberal (such as Democratic Underground). But these links should provide a starting point for anyone who's interested in learning the truth about Rush Limbaugh....
The truth IS out there. Maybe all these posts I make about this subject will inspire someone in the Pittsburgh area to request a FOIA search of their police records.
There's a little bit of factual information on your links, Jeter - and it all indicates that Barney Frank DID NOT KNOW about the prostitution being run out of his home, and that he WAS NOT A PARTICIPANT in the operation of that activity.
For starters, an excerpt from your first link (Washington Post):
Though Frank was apparently ignorant of some of the prostitute's activities, his indiscretion was so great that his standing in Congress was greatly damaged and a House reprimand passed overwhelmingly in July 1990.
I could not access your second link (portlandmercury.com) - it was blocked by my company's firewall as a restricted site.
An excerpt from your third link (History Channel discussion board):
Based upon information obtained under subpoena and sworn testimony, the Committee concludes that the weight of the evidence indicates that Representative Frank did not have either prior or concomitant knowledge of prostitution activities involving third parties alleged to have taken place in his apartment. ... Representative Frank's landlords ... submitted sworn testimony contradicting Mr. Gobie's assertion. ... The Committee, therefore, further concludes that no further action is warranted.
Your fourth link is to Free republic - it's all opinion, with no factual information whatsoever concerning the topic.
An excerpt from your fifth link (Guardian UK):
The Massachusetts Democrat, the only publicly gay man in the US Congress, was reprimanded by the House in 1990 when it was revealed that a male escort with whom he had a sexual relationship ran an escort service from Frank's apartment. Frank has been re-elected to the House by large margins since.
Notice it says that the MALE ESCORT ran the escort service - NOT BARNEY FRANK.
And I could not access your sixth link (aol.com) - it was also blocked by my company's firewall as a restricted site.
Bottom line? Your links do nothing to prove that Barney Frank did anything wrong - because he didn't. But as far as I'm concerned, the Rush Limbaugh/Jeff Christie incident has still not been resolved.
In fact, the House ethics committee in 1990 determined that Frank "did not have either prior or concomitant knowledge of prostitution activities involving third parties alleged to have taken place in his apartment."
Yeah...right! Congratulations MMFA - you've actually come up with something stupider than a Limbaugh parody.
Yeah...right! Congratulations MMFA - you've actually come up with something stupider than a Limbaugh parody.
The only thing stupider than a Limbaugh parody is a dittohead.
You can't be serious: There was a prostitution ring in his home.
It was in his home.
It was in his home.
It was in his home.
It was in his home.
It was in his home.
For the love of god how stupid do you think people are?
If memory serves me correctly, Frank let this guy stay with him and during the day when Frank was not there the guy serviced someone, or more than one person, for money. If you want to call that a prostitution ring go ahead. Do have any information that it was more than that? I'll stand corrected if you do.
That means that what he says must be true.
For God's sake, the man has his own website.
That means that what he says must be true.
That's not the case for web site owners such as Rush Liimbaugh, Sean Hannity, Mark Levin, Michael Savage, Bill O'Reilly, etc. It definitely isn't true in the case of Copious Lying.
Next you'll be telling me that Sean really isn't a "Great American".
(Hope you don't think I was serious.)
Next you'll be telling me that Sean really isn't a "Great American".
All the Great Americans who have passed on spin in their graves every time Sean Hannity used that dumb expression (which he stole from that Ohio talk show idiot, Bill Cunningham).
If only we were involved in a war when he was of age. He'd of kicked ass, just like his friend Ted Nugent would have, if he had the chance.
Two, would be zeroes in search of a war.
Oh, did I say zeroes, I meant heroes.
Ollie North... another in Sean's pantheon of Great Americans, criminality notwithstanding. ;>)
Nothing says patriotism like Goodyear & ADT.
I think the image created by Rush and his pals of Frank's place was a bustling bordello with saloon girls and red velvet wallpaper. Maybe an old geezer playing the honky-tonk "pianny",and several guys in fur coats with diamond handle walking sticks.
How could he have not known?
Or, it could have been just a phone extension.
I guess you expect us to be dumber than you are, Copius. Did he LET it to be run out of his home? You do know what LET means, right?
For the love of god how stupid do you think people are?
Well we know how stupid YOU, are, Copius Ignorance.
I gotta ask
COPIUSNUTSACK.BLOGSPIT
Are you Jay Severin? Be honest
Judging by the traffic on your website, I'd say pretty stupid...
How's Larry Craig workin' out fer ya, BTW?
Rush is a jerk but MMFA looks silly when they spllit hairs like this.
Even if you accept Barney Frank's claim that he had no knowledge of what was going on in his own home, his "guest" was indeed running a prostitution ring. You can be unaware of something yet still "let" it happen.
If I forget to close the barn door and the cow gets out, I have "let" the animal escape, even if I was unaware that I had done so.
Get it?
"If I forget to close the barn door and the cow gets out, I have "let" the animal escape, even if I was unaware that I had done so."
And if some else living in the house fails to close the barn door and the cow gets out, then...
Sorry, I don't get it.
Even if you accept Barney Frank's claim that he had no knowledge of what was going on in his own home, his "guest" was indeed running a prostitution ring. You can be unaware of something yet still "let" it happen.
I disagree. If Barney Frank had learned that prostitution was being run out of his home and let that activity continue, THEN it could be said that he "let it happen". Since he put a stop to it, he did NOT "let it happen".
Yeah, this Frank nonsense is a tired old meme dragged out occasionally by the same Rethugs that clapped for Vitter and stood silent on Craig
Yep - and when that doesn't work, they resort to the Monica Lewinsky affiar, Chappaquidock, and Robery Byrd's KKK membership back in the '40s. Just goes to show how intellectually bankrupt the right wing really is.....
Wrong. "Let", in this case, means to "allow". Barney Frank cannot allow something to happen if he doesn't know about it.
Didn't you take at least one English class while in school?
" In fact, the House ethics committee in 1990 determined that Frank "did not have either prior or concomitant knowledge of prostitution activities involving third parties alleged to have taken place in his apartment."
In other words, Hillary Clinton Supporter (Frank) was completely IGNORANT - or too stupid - to have committed the crime.
That is some really great "vindication" (by the way, given the low level of analysis by MMFA, I think that I have to point out that I used SNEER QUOTES - which means that I actually mean the opposite of vindication. I must further point out is bad. OK? Get it MMFA?)
de ah de ah the lack of evidence is not the absence of evidence
de ah
hmmm, Notanothercon. Interesting logic. So, if you were in charge of our justice system, I would have two choices if charged with any crime, regardless of whether I had anything to do with it or was even aware of the crime. I could plead either;
A. Guilty, or
B. Completely IGNORANT - or too stupid - to have committed the crime.
seems reasonable.
NOTANOTHERCONSERVATIVE: Your comments in this post are really a laugh. Calling Frank ignorant or stupid because he was not aware of activities going on at his apartment when he was not there proves you are very naïve. Have you ever lived with a roommate?
I lived at my brother’s house for a few years and had various gay “relationships” going on over the years. He NEVER knew about one of them. It’s not a difficult thing to do if you know the homeowner is going to be away for an extended period of time. What would make Frank suspect anything was going on? I’m sure his “male escort” friend had a cell phone (or back then, a pager?) to keep the privacy of his contacts – and even if one of Frank’s neighbors questioned him about seeing clients coming to the apartment (which is the only way my brother would have heard about my activities) – it would be quite a jump for Frank to suspect that his house quest was a prostitute. There is nothing suspicious about having friends visit, no?
An extensive investigation found Frank had no knowledge of what was going on. But you can go on believing whatever you want and spreading YOUR ignorance and stupidity to whoever you please – I’d expect that from any conservative eager to ruin a gay congressman – but don’t expect many people here to buy into your drivel.
WTF does Hillary Clinton have to do with Barney Frank and Limbaugh's smear of him?
I swear, you right-wing idiots will try to tie Hillary to ANYTHING, won't you? Damn you're stupid. Don't you think that people with a brain can figure you out?
Let me get this straight. If a House Ethics Committee report says Barney Frank never knew anything about his 'call-boy' then we accept this as truth and fact. Hmmm...is this the same House committee under Liberal Democrat control that made a cottage industry of covering up Democrat scandals like the House Bank and Post Office? Media Matters really dug deep for this one. You'd think if you had to "repeatedly document" something you'd actually have had time to find some 'facts.'
Bad people do good things sometimes.
Good people do bad things sometimes.
If a House Committee didn't do a good job on one investigation, it does not mean that they did poor jobs on every other investigation they did. It's your job as the accuser to prove that they did a poor job in investigating Barney Frank's role in the alleged prostitution ring run out of his apartment.
Crickets.
Covering up the bank and post office scandals? Are you serious?
Anyone paying attention to the news at all when those scandals came to light knew all about them with some fairly extensive details and names. The media did a good job in covering them and there was no successful coverup. In fact those scandals as well as other forms of corruption amongst a Democratic Congress that had gotten fat and full of itself is what gave Gingrich and company the opportunity to hold the "Republican Revolution."
Conservatives like to think that the 1994 elections were about the rejection of liberalism but what they were really about was the rejection of career politicians who had stopped working for the people and only worked to enrich themselves. Hmmm, sound a little like 2006 to anyone?
Ted Nugent's story has been widely reported over the years. In a nutshell:
Ted Nugent Befouled Himself to Avoid Vietnam Draft
So Ted Nugent roams a concert stage while toting automatic weapons, calls Barack Obama “a piece of —–” and says he told Obama to suck on one of his machine-guns. He also calls Hillary Clinton a “worthless bitch” and Dianne Feinstein a “worthless whore.”
That Nugent, he’s a man’s man. He talks the talk and walks the walk, right?
Except when it was time to register for the draft during the Vietnam era. By his own admission, Nugent stopped all forms of personal hygiene for a month and showed up for his draft board physical in pants caked with his own urine and feces, winning a deferment. Creative!
<more>
http://www.pensitoreview.com/2007/08/28/ted-nugent-befouled-himself-to-avoid-vietnam-draf/
So much for big, brave Ted.....
Didn't Rush run an oxycotin ring out of his house?
Close. He doctor-shopped and swindled the system in order to get enough OxyContin pills to PUT a ring AROUND his house. :-)
SOLON: Correct..that was THE investigation by a DEMOCRAT (that's right I said DEMOCRAT) House Ethics Committee which I would not trust to find the actual truth in anything. Let's see what the liberal-loving Boston Globe had to say in a 2005 profile of Frank:
"Back in 1985, Frank had engaged the services of a male escort named Stephen Gobie, who had advertised his "hot bottom" in a personal ad. Over the next two years, while Frank was trying to decide whether to come out, he and Gobie carried on a clandestine affair, during which time Frank hired Gobie as a driver despite knowing Gobie was on probation for drug possession and for possession of child pornography. Frank used his House privileges to fix Gobie's parking tickets. He wrote a memo trying to clear Gobie from probation that was disingenuous at best and an outright deception at worst. Gobie repaid Frank by running a prostitution service out of Frank's Capitol Hill apartment. When Frank discovered this, he fired Gobie and ended their relationship."
Here's the link: http://www.boston.com/news/globe/magazine/articles/2005/10/02/to_be_frank/?page=6
I believe Frank when he says he did not know about the prostitution ring, but according to this story Frank DID know that his pal had possessed Child Pornography. I guess Frank knows where to draw the line.