In the days and weeks following the explosion on the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig and resulting oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, conservative talk radio host Rush Limbaugh confirmed that his grasp of offshore energy policy and technology is about as strong as Glenn Beck's grasp of U.S. public lands policy.
Two weeks ago, Treehugger's Brian Merchant put together a great list of the 7 stupidest statements made about the BP oil spill; Rush Limbaugh was the owner of two of those statements. But Limbaugh is spreading enough misinformation about the oil spill to warrant a list of his own.
And while Limbaugh might dismiss parsing of his "think pieces" as taking things out of context or that he shouldn't be criticized when he's just doing a radio show on the fly, that is exactly the problem. Stating outlandish speculation as fact to an audience of 14 is just a nuisance; spreading it to an audience of 14 million is dangerous.
[Thanks to the bang-up work by Media Matters for making these clips -- and for making them available.]
7. "We need to depoliticize the oil spill... we need to depoliticize the environment."
Besides the fact that depoliticizing the environment runs contrary to the very mission of what we do here, we found it both unusual and hypocritical that Mr. Limbaugh would make a public plea do depoliticize the oil spill and the environment considering his propensity to politicize just about everything that could ever be politicized (including this oil spill). Ironically, depoliticizing the environment is something many lefties have proposed for years when they argue that the science of climate change should speak for itself.
6. "This spill is nothing more than an opportunity for the left to continue to attack this country and to attack the people that make this country work."
The oil spill is only a political opportunity for the left? I'd like to remind Mr. Limbaugh that the leaking riser, blow-out preventer and sunken rig have dumped between 150,000 and 1.5 million barrels of crude oil into the gulf (thanks to obfuscations and hedging by BP and federal officials, the exact figure still remains unknown). I would also like to remind Limbaugh that there is an entire segment of "people that make this country work"--the Gulf states seafood industry-- that is unable to work because the Gulf Coast fishery is virtually closed to commercial fishing and will be for some time to come.
5. "It's natural. It's as natural as the ocean water is. Well, the turtles may take a hit for a while, but so what?" and... "Sea water is pretty tough stuff... oil has a tough time surviving."
While oil may be "natural," its presence in high volumes anywhere other than locked away in geological formations or sealed tanks is dangerous for all kinds of flora and fauna. Lead and mercury are "natural" too but you don't see anyone advocating that we dump it in the ocean. The same argument is echoed by some climate skeptics who pontificate about the "natural-ness" of carbon dioxide. The reasoning goes something like this: if it's found in the natural environment, it can't possibly be bad, no matter the volume.
Limbaugh later hedged on his statements about the natural properties of oil and said the media was making up things he said.
![What Should We Call the Oil Spill? [POLL]](http://ecopolitology.org/files/2010/04/horizon-fire-150x150.jpg)
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I equate Rush to the old days of All Star Wresteling, entertaining for some however only the simplest minded fans believed it to be true.
Rush’s conspiracy theory: “Environmentalist whackos” may have blown up oil rig to “head off more oil drilling”…you say thats one of the most stupid statements Rush has ever made…ok…fine…now talk about Ted Kennedy and his statement “The war in Iraq was just something George Bush dreamed up one night while in Crawford, Tx.” Now, stop and think about that for a moment…How could Kennedy possibly be believed on this? What did Ted know that the rest of us didnt? Did Bush call Kennedy up in the middle of the night and say to him…”You know, Ted, I just had this dream…of starting a war in Iraq. Isn’t that the darnedest thing?” Come on, the left thinks NOTHING of thinking up conspiracy theories, and NEVER says anything about them…except when the right does it. Ain’t that the truth?
Oh, and don’t forget how Bush blew up the levies in New Orleans….and don’t forget how Bush secretly had Hurricane Katrina diverted from Texas and caused it instead to hit LA just so he could scatter the democrats there…I could go on and on and on and on about the STUPID things liberals say…
Greg: I’m on the far left, and I NEVER heard that Bush had the New Orleans levies blown up, nor that he had Katrina diverted. Regardless, pointing to supposed conspiracy theories from the left, and quoting Ted Kennedy, do nothing to dispute the idiocy of what Rush says on his program on a regular basis.
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Babs: Dismissing the absurd claims of Rush Limbaugh as “satire” does nothing to change the fact that a lot of people actually believe the absurd things he says. The only reason he ever refers to his absurdities as satire is when he wants to lessen chances that he might be found guilty of slanderous commentary.
Bill: first link i found in Google: Spike Lee: ‘Not Far-fetched’ to Say New Orleans Levees Deliberately Destroyed. http://newsbusters.org/node/2441
Couple eye-witness the Government blowing up the levies. http://www.ebaumsworld.com/video/watch/563897/
All kinds of stories here: http://www.apfn.org/APFN/Katrina_levee.htm
When I ask liberals about what Kennedy said, here is their standard answer: Well, Ted Kennedy is entitled to his opinion. He has a right to say what he wants. And that is because he don’t want to bash Kennedy. But…if Rush says it, he’s not entitled to his opinion. He can’t say what he wants. Lets bash Rush. All it proves is what I have said all along: Liberals have 2 sets of standards, one for themselves and one for everyone else. Bill, you sure you dont want to talk about Kennedy and how he came to know that Bush just dreamed up the Iraq war one evening while in Crawford, TX?
Its really sad that people listening to him haven’t gotten it yet. I used to be a fan. Eventually though, he says something about something you know the truth about and you start figuring things out– if you have half a brain and some integrety.
” The ocean will take care of this on its own if it was left alone and left out there,” he said. “It’s natural. It’s as natural as the ocean water is.” ?
did he really say that the ocean is tough, but oil isn’t…did he ever take a science class in school? Did he pay attention?
What about the people who do his research for him? He has a team of people researching stuff and he comes up with this?
Rush did not say”..wackos blew up the rig..” I guess taking comments out of context is ok with you as long as it appears to make your point. He sad he was merely noting the timeline. You don’t see any difference in that? Funny, cause I do. Many of you say if you listen to Rush you still don’t “get it” Why? If we don’t agree with you than we don’t “get it”? And your opinion is the only one, the correct one, the supreme one? What makes your opinion so special and above all others? The problem with the left is they do not like dissent. They’d rather clear the playing of any and opponents. That way they can cram their liberal agenda down the throats of Americans with little to no reistence. That’s why they want to regulate and take over the internet, talk radio, etc..if they can’t win a debate on the merits of an issue, they simply eliminate the oppenents. Then they can bride, promise, make back door deals with the dissenters on their own side and that is how they get things done. Obamacare being a perfect example. You don’t like Rush, don’t listen. You don’t like Hannity, turn the channel. But please, don’t worry about me listening to the “dangerous” Rush Limbaugh. And don’t assume he needs to be removed so to protect me from myself! Get over yourselves all ready!!!
Perhaps Mr. Limbaugh was correct when he said the ocean can take care of itself. Perhaps we should not be sooo quick to judge either side. Did you ever wonder what happened to the oil in the previous Gulf of Mexico spill in the 70s or the Persian Gulf spill in the 90′s? No oil problems currently, I wonder why? (I think it has to do with the temperature of the air versus the cold surrounding the Valdez spill.)
This is good news, take a look – from ABC news, not a Fox job.
http://abcnews.go.com/WN/bp-oil-spill-crude-mother-nature-breaks-slick/story?id=11254252
RUSH BECK and MILLER are examples of what money can do to brain damaged ex cocaine addicts who have lost any sense of empathy and remain drunk with f right wing extremists goals of stupid ex druggie ideas.
wow, this man gets paid to write this non-sense, it is similar to two comedians critiquing each others act.