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Rush Limbaugh’s Slight Of Hypocrisy.

Rush has responded to his critics, who used fabricated quotes to justify denying him ownership stake of the St. Louis Rams. First here is the relevant quote that appeared in the Washington Post written by Sportscaster Michael Wilbon:

I’ve met Limbaugh. I communicated with him last week on the issue of his being a part-owner of a franchise. One-on-one, he comes across as approachable and open to pretty much any discussion. But his radio persona is another thing. I don’t listen to his show because his comments about people of color anger and offend me, and I’m not easily offended. I’m not going to try and give specific examples of things he has said over the years; I screwed up already doing that, repeating a quote attributed to Limbaugh (about slavery) that he has told me he simply did not say and does not reflect his feelings. I take him at his word.

Reading the whole article, Wilbon’s criticism echo’s one of the main points I wrote the other day, that Rush makes a living off saying outlandish things that rub people the wrong way. He relishes in being controversial. The two quotes are not much of a factor in the grand scheme of things. It’s the entire body of work that stands out.  That said, here is Rush’s response featured in the Wall Street Journal:

Numerous sportswriters, CNN, MSNBC, among others, falsely attributed to me statements I had never made. Their sources, as best I can tell, were Wikipedia and each other. But the Wikipedia post was based on a fabrication printed in a book that also lacked any citation to an actual source.

I never said I supported slavery and I never praised James Earl Ray. How sick would that be? Just as sick as those who would use such outrageous slanders against me or anyone else who never even thought such things. Mr. Wilbon refuses to take responsibility for his poison pen, writing instead that he will take my word that I did not make these statements; others, like Rick Sanchez of CNN, essentially used the same sleight-of-hand.

You know, this criticism only works if the same can’t be placed at you own feet. Anyone remember this gem from October of 2006?

“Now people are telling me they have seen Michael J. Fox in interviews and he does appear the same way in the interviews as he does in this commercial,” Limbaugh said, according to a transcript on his Web site. “All right then, I stand corrected. . . . So I will bigly, hugely admit that I was wrong, and I will apologize to Michael J. Fox, if I am wrong in characterizing his behavior on this commercial as an act.”

Pot….  Kettle…. How are things going for you? Or can I even uses that euphemism, since it has the word black in it.

PS. Some of the criticism of those who are criticizing Limbaugh is just goofy. Here’s this bit from the American Spectator:

Apparently Mr. Wilbon is an enthusiastic supporter of Justice Clarence Thomas but just forgot to write a column trashing all those liberals who went after Thomas because of his race. Oops.

Uhm, Wilbon is a sports writer, not a political commentator. Ooops.