15 Of The Worst Comments Limbaugh's Advertisers Have Sponsored Since 2004
Written by Zachary Pleat
Published
Rush Limbaugh has lost dozens of advertisers since a series of misogynistic attacks against Georgetown Law School student Sandra Fluke that has brought widespread criticism to the radio host, causing at least two radio stations to reportedly drop his show. Even his apology has been criticized.
But these comments are not the first time Limbaugh has used demeaning vitriol on air.
Here are 15 of the worst things Limbaugh's advertisers have sponsored since 2004:
On June 16, 2010, Limbaugh ridiculed children who rely on school meals and said:
[T]here's always the neighborhood dumpster. Now, you might find competition with homeless people there, but there are videos that have been produced to show you how to healthfully dine and how to dumpster dive and survive until school kicks back up in August.
On January 19, 2011, after a speech by Chinese leader Hu Jintao, Limbaugh complained that the speech wasn't translated and said:
Hu Jintao was just going, “Ching cha. Ching chang cho chow. Cha Chow. Ching Cho. Chi ba ba ba. Kwo kwa kwa kee. Cha ga ga. Ching chee chay. Ching zha bo ba. Chang cha. Chang cho chi che. Cha dee. Ooooh chee bada ba. Jee jee cho ba.” Nobody was translating, but that's the closest I can get.
On April 1, 2005, Limbaugh criticized immigration and said:
[I]nvasive species in the form of illegal immigration is fine and dandy.
On October 14, 2010, Limbaugh said of the National Organization for Women:
[T]he nags ... the national association of gals, that's our pet name for the NOW gang ... the nags are a bunch of whores to liberalism.
On December 12, 2011, Limbaugh called children who receive free school meals:
Wanton little waifs and serfs dependent on the state.
On January 20, 2010, Limbaugh said:
To some people, bankers -- code word for Jewish -- and guess who Obama's assaulting? He's assaulting bankers. He's assaulting money people. And a lot of those people on Wall Street are Jewish. So I wonder if there's starting to be some buyer's remorse there.
On January 13, 2010, Limbaugh discussed the Obama administration's response to an earthquake in Haiti and said:
They'll use this to burnish their, shall we say, credibility, with the black community, in both the light-skinned and dark-skinned black community in this country.
On January 19, 2007, Limbaugh said:
The NFL all too often looks like a game between the Bloods and the Crips without any weapons.
On July 22, 2009, Limbaugh said:
Obama's entire economic program is reparations.
On August 4, 2011, Limbaugh said:
[Obama] obviously has got a new role model, Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe. The next thing to look out for is for Obama to take the farms. Well, that's what Zimbabwe, that's what Mugabe did, he took the white people's farms.
On November 11, 2010, Limbaugh proposed a new Democratic leadership position for Representative Jim Clyburn:
Driving Miss Nancy.
On August 10, 2010, Limbaugh called First Lady Michelle Obama “Mooch-elle, Mooch, Mooch, Mooch-elle Obama.” Between October and December 2010, Limbaugh repeatedly called First Lady Michelle Obama:
Michelle, my butt.
On October 27, 2009, Limbaugh said of President Obama:
People are finally standing up to this little boy, this little man-child president.
On May 4, 2004, Limbaugh said of the guards at Abu Ghraib prison where Iraqi detainees were tortured:
I'm talking about people having a good time, these people, you ever heard of emotional release? You ever heard of need to blow some steam off?
On May 27, 2009, Limbaugh criticized the Obama administration's efforts to rescue GM and Chrysler and said:
[P]eople in the private sector are getting raped by this administration.