Following the controversy surrounding nationally syndicated radio host Rush Limbaugh's derogatory song parody, “Barack, the Magic Negro,” 630 KHOW-AM radio co-host Dan Caplis defended Limbaugh against charges of racism. Stating that although the song about Democratic presidential candidate and Illinois U.S. Sen. Barack Obama was “offensive,” Caplis said that calling Limbaugh a bigot “is going too far.” In his defense of Limbaugh, however, Caplis ignored Limbaugh's well-documented history of racially insensitive remarks.

After hearing the song during the March 21 broadcast of The Caplis & Silverman Show, co-host Craig Silverman commented, “Rush Limbaugh has crossed the line into bigotry ... I think it's mean-spirited, I think it's bigoted, and it's offensive.” Caplis agreed that the song was “offensive,” but still defended Limbaugh, saying, “But to conclude from that that Rush Limbaugh is a bigot, no, I think that's going too far.”

However, as Media Matters for America has documented, Limbaugh has made numerous bigoted and racially charged remarks. Below are a few examples:

• On the February 5 broadcast of his nationally syndicated radio show, Rush Limbaugh, responding to media coverage of Chicago Bears quarterback Rex Grossman, stated, "[T]hey're dumping on this guy -- Rex Grossman -- for one reason, folks, and that's because he is a white quarterback." Limbaugh was forced to resign from his position as a football analyst for ESPN in 2003 after he claimed that Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb was overrated because "[t]he media has been very desirous that a black quarterback do well."

• On the February 1 edition of his show, Rush Limbaugh responded to a Reuters report on a University of Chicago study that found that “a majority of young blacks feel alienated from today's government” by asserting: “Why would that be? The government's been taking care of them their whole lives.”
• On the January 24 broadcast of his show, Limbaugh referred to Obama and actress Halle Berry as “Halfrican American[s].” Also, on the January 16 broadcast of his radio show, Limbaugh called Obama a "half-minority" and said that “the media ... are in the midst of Obama-gasms” because “Barack Hussein Obama” has formed a presidential exploratory committee. Further, on February 7, 2006, Limbaugh said he “kind of like[d]” a caller's statement that Obama “is the Donovan McNabb of the U.S. Senate.”
• On the August 23, 2006, broadcast of his show, Limbaugh commented on a season of CBS' reality TV program Survivor in which contestants originally were divided into competing “tribes” by ethnicity. Limbaugh stated that the contest was “not going to be fair if there's a lot of water events” and suggested that “blacks can't swim.” Limbaugh stated that “our early money” is on “the Hispanic tribe” -- which he said could include “a Cuban,” “a Nicaraguan,” or “a Mexican or two” -- provided they don't “start fighting for supremacy amongst themselves.” Limbaugh added that Hispanics have “probably shown the most survival tactics,” that they “have shown a remarkable ability to cross borders,” and that they can “do it without water for a long time, they don't get apprehended, and they will do things other people won't do.”
• Limbaugh repeatedly referred to American Indians as “injuns,” as Media Matters has documented.

Furthermore, according to a June 7, 2000, Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR) article, “As a young broadcaster in the 1970s, Limbaugh once told a black caller: 'Take that bone out of your nose and call me back.' ” The article also reported that in the early 1990s, “after becoming nationally syndicated, he mused on the air: 'Have you ever noticed how all composite pictures of wanted criminals resemble Jesse Jackson?' ” According to FAIR, "[w]hen Carol Moseley-Braun (D-IL) was in the U.S. Senate, the first black woman ever elected to that body, Limbaugh would play the 'Movin' On Up' theme song from TV's 'Jeffersons' when he mentioned her. Limbaugh sometimes still uses mock dialect -- substituting 'ax' for 'ask'-- when discussing black leaders."

As Media Matters noted, on the March 19 broadcast of his show -- which airs from noon to 3 p.m. on 630 KHOW-AM's sister station, Newsradio 850 KOA -- Limbaugh highlighted a March 19 Los Angeles Times op-ed that described Obama as “running for an equally important unelected office, in the province of the popular imagination -- the 'Magic Negro.' ” Some critics of pop culture use the term to describe certain benevolent African-American characters. Referring to the Times column as “racist,” Limbaugh referred to Obama as the “Magic Negro” 27 times during the broadcast and at one point sang “Barack, the Magic Negro” to the tune of "Puff, the Magic Dragon."

Later in the broadcast, responding to Silverman's suggestion that “correct-thinking Republicans” should “ostracize” Limbaugh for his offensive Obama song parody, Caplis revived the falsehood that U.S. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) once made an anti-Semitic remark. Caplis asked, “But ... Craig, does that mean then when Hillary Clinton makes that anti-Semitic remark that Democrats should ostracize her?” However, as Media Matters has noted, this allegation against Clinton originally was advanced by former President Bill Clinton's 1974 congressional campaign manager, who reportedly has “admitted to leveling charges 'without factual foundation' against the Clintons in the past.” Moreover, Sen. Clinton's biographer, Gail Sheehy, author of Hillary's Choice (Random House, 1999), told the Associated Press that she did not include the accusation in her book because the source was “only moderately reliable” and “kind of flaky,” and because “even he didn't back it up.”

From the March 21 broadcast of 630 KHOW-AM's The Caplis & Silverman Show:

CAPLIS: But, in any case, Rush now has followed up on an L.A. Times commentary referring to Barack Obama as, quote, the Magic Negro. Craig, I'm sure you have the same initial reaction to the phrase I do, that it's offensive on its face. The commentary piece, you know, goes into the genesis of that term and the philosophy behind whoever coined it that, you know, it's somehow applied to, you know, white America wanting to create, you know, a quote, unquote Magic Negro, as the commentator said, who white America could put all its hopes and dreams in and it wasn't threatening to them. So it was more or less a political philosophy piece by an L.A. Times commentator, and then Rush Limbaugh, of course, picked up on it on his show and it led to this. Cut 10, please.

[audio of song parody plays]

CAPLIS: Well, and again, the original columnist, as I understand the column, was aiming it at white America, alleging that white America was trying to create this, quote, Magic Negro in Barack Obama, rather than the columnist labeling Barack Obama that himself. But, in any case, we come back to this parody song. I, I do not believe -- and, hey, I don't know Rush Limbaugh personally. I've never met the guy. I've listened to him over the years. From what I've heard on air I don't believe he's a bigot. I do think that this song was wrong. I, I think that this Magic Negro label is offensive on its face. And, hey, listen, I don't say that we avoid saying something because it might offend, but unnecessarily offend, offend in this way, yeah. I just think that phrase is offered up, and was by the L.A. Times columnist in the first place, to offend and to shock. And I think it has that effect. I think that no good can come of it. I don't think that it's any kind of, of meaningful or important theory underlying it. I think the columnist just used it to get attention. And -- and then, you know, Rush used it as a parody on his show. I think the song should not have been done. And -- and I too think that this one is offensive. But to conclude from that that Rush Limbaugh is a bigot, no, I think that's going too far. But what say you? 303-713-8255, the number. We'll, of course, play the song again if you didn't get a chance to hear it.

[...]

SILVERMAN: Have you heard Rush Limbaugh call Obama a “Halfri --a Halfrican American”?

CALLER: Yes, I have. And, yes, I, I said, no, it was -- I didn't think it was funny. However, he does have --

SILVERMAN: So why does he say it?

CALLER: He has the right to think the way he wants --

SILVERMAN: Nobody's disputing his right to say it.

CALLER: Well, why not?

SILVERMAN: Have you heard me call for censorship?

CALLER: We have freedom of speech, don't you remember? I mean --

SILVERMAN: [Caller], [caller], you're dodging --

CALLER: -- I'm really tired of people having all these laws of where you can't say this or you can't say that.

SILVERMAN: Have you -- have you heard -- have you heard me advocate that Rush Limbaugh be censored or --

CALLER: No, I heard you say that Rush Limbaugh ought to be ostracized.

SILVERMAN: Right. By --

CALLER: I did hear you say that.

SILVERMAN: By correct-thinking Republicans.

CALLER: Which I totally disagree with.

SILVERMAN: And that's my free speech. I've never called for censorship.

CAPLIS: But, but Craig, does that mean then when Hillary Clinton makes that anti-Semitic remark that Democrats should ostracize her?

SILVERMAN: What did she say?

CAPLIS: I, remember -- we can pull it up online. We've talked about it before.

SILVERMAN: I've never --

CAPLIS: Oh, OK.

SILVERMAN: -- heard her say anything anti-Semitic.

CAPLIS: You don't remember that story? We'll pull it up online.

SILVERMAN: No, what was it?

CAPLIS: We'll pull it up online. OK, [caller], appreciate the call. Thank you.

CALLER: OK, bye.