In US News: Fluke Vs. Limbaugh

Rush Limbaugh profile in Wikipedia.

Radio talk show host and political commentator, Rush Limbaugh, reeling from a slew of attacks from different parties for his words against Georgetown University student and reproductive health activist Sandra Fluke, made an attempt at damage control, issuing an apology to Fluke on his website. But it might be a case of too little too late. Not helpful to the national radio host is the fact that even presidential candidate Ron Paul, a fellow Republican, has joined the bandwagon in condemning Limbaugh’s statements, noting that “(Limbaugh) used very crude language. And I think he gets over the top at times.”

But probably of greater significance is the fact that Paul appears unconvinced of the radio host’s sincerity in apologizing, and has expressed this publicly. Speaking on the CBS program, “Face the Nation,” Paul said, “I don't think he's very apologetic. He's doing it because some people were taking their advertisements off his program. It was his bottom line that he was concerned about."

Anti-Rush Limbaugh sentiment continues to snowball, and now many are urging Sandra Fluke to take the fight to the next level, the courts. Rep. Carolyn Maloney D-New York was the one who suggested during a speech at the New York Law School (NYLS) that Fluke slap Limbaugh with a civil lawsuit charging him with slander.

Sandra Fluke

Those seeking to prove slander must establish beyond a doubt that the accused made a false statement to at least one other person, and that the statement damaged his image or reputation. Some lawyers think that Fluke “definitely” can prove that the injurious statements were made by Limbaugh and that he made the statements on national radio. There are also reports that the typical defenses Limbaugh might be expected to put up, such as alleging that his statements were just jokes or claiming protection by the First Amendment, may not hold water in a court of law.

But there are others who disagree with the prospect of taking legal action. They feel this may in reality be self-defeating for Fluke, somehow turning Limbaugh from a figure of contempt into a figure of sympathy, and it may only serve to dignify what should actually be brushed off as baseless, insignificant, and ineffectual.