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.
![Cutaway of Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Response [Graphic]](http://ecopolitology.org/files/2010/06/deepwater-horizon.response-150x150.jpg)
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Rush Limpball is a Big Fat Idiot. He was offered the chance to debate the statment, and even though he was granted the option of taking either side of the debate, he did not respond.
Oh course, Mr. Limbaugh will insist that all these comments are taken out of context…only people who regularly listen to his show will understand what he’s “actually” saying here.
In other words, you hae to be sad, pathetic and stupid to “get it.”
Currently rethinking the idea of free speech.
Perhaps the best way to communicate with Limbaugh is not endless stories on the internet but rather a nice demonstration at his residence.
Rush Limbaugh lives at 1495 N. Ocean Blvd Palm Beach Fl 33480
and he lists two business address which is probably the location of
his bunker….340 Royal Palm Way, West Palm Beach, Fl
well pot is natural… cant get him to say that he is for pot though…
Of course go figure the oil spill was all Obama’s fault. Just like everything else huh. When is this jackass going to actually learn how to do research. Also for the record im not a fullon democrat, im just sick of this guy’s blabbermouth thinking hes always right and the Republicans are always right trying to get that in everybodys heads. Also i would like to point out I really dont care for Obama as it is either. But thats beside the point. The point is this guy rarely ever knows what hes talkin about and i feel sorry for people to actually believe him and follow him. Oh yea and the We still dont know what Obama’s done? Why dont u try actually going out and finding out. And his 5th comment about the turtles maybe im misunderstanding it but if its true, not that i care about PETA the least bit but i will laugh if they go after him cuz of that statement. Oh yea and depolicize the environment? Do you even know what that means? So you think its really a good idea to remove the oil spill from political activity insisting on nothing be done about it at all? ARE YOU FREAKIN KIDDING ME?
I love Rush Limbaugh.
But then again, I love jockitch!
Tim, the problem lies with people thinking that Rush is speaking for Republicansand it is factual, his show is satire and needs to be viewed as such. He is the 1st to admit this, however people cling onto every word and treat his satire as truth.
I believe this is simply another case of government letting the people down, don’t waste time critizing a talk show host for his satire, democrat or republican, our government should have done much better.
What is most important is “where do we go from here”. Deep offshore drilling is too risky verses the rewards received in most Americans opinions, lets stop quibbling about what some talk show host says and get together and nudge the government to address the real issue, Deep Offshore Drilling!
Babs, your comment neglected to include a vital participant in this fiasco while you seem to put majority blame on the government. There is plenty of blame to go around, including for those regulators that did not do anywhere near an adequate job in their duties, but the companies who own, operate, lease, whatever, they must bear some degree of responsibility for this, shouldn’t they? Would less regulations and taxes on these companies have prevented this? It’s my opinion it would have made it happen earlier, not later, as the lax attitudes toward safety and priority #1 on profits would have made this situation unavoidable. Moving rigs out deeper into the ocean seems to be a band-aid to the problem. To justify the cost of moving things further from shore, won’t the deposits need to be larger? If so, in a similar situation to this one where a catastrophic event has left us wondering what to do at an even deeper depth, what then?
Not every problem has the government as a root cause, but that’s a fundamental tenet of what Limbaugh/Hannity/etc say every single day. The only purpose of government is to further its own existence. The government doesn’t reflect the people, it only enslaves them. The market knows best and will only serve to benefit everyone who deserves it.
WOW!!! I guess the “left” doesn’t like the same things said about them and their president that they sid about the other side. Grow up!! Limbaugh is far far right but the writer of this article is so far left they cross each other out. Obama is also as far left as it is posible to get. GET OFF IT AND PUT YOUR MONEY WHERE YOUR MOUTH IS! In otherwords stop complaining and help or just shut up! the writer of this article is just trying to put someone down. He is just his side f worthless.
I can’t speak for the writer of this article, as this is the only one I’ve read of his. On the point of Obama being as far left as possible is simply not true.. The framing of issues in our country as of late, at least in my relatively short period of time watching the stuff, seems to be either willfully tilted toward conservatism or an almost painful contortion to give an ‘equal treatment’ regardless of what the facts are. More specifically, the current president is willing to trade away aspects of his own agenda, such as a public option(not even a single payer model was seriously discussed) in health care legislation or cap and trade. Yes, C&T is a market-based solution to the problem, perceived or real whatever your stance on it is, to carbon emissions. How about unions being angry about Obama not empowering them more since being in office? Or teachers’ unions being frustrated with merit(student grade-based) pay for educators? How about continued use and defense of many civil liberty-threatening aspects of the war on terror? Or is that double-thinked out by the “He’ll coddle enemies and pound domestic opponents” trope?
Whether it’s for profits and ratings or for actual complete and utter devotion to their particular brand of corporate conservatism, These talking heads leave absolutely no room for compromise whatsoever. They will attack Obama, Democrats and most pointedly Liberals/Progressives relentlessly, and it’s bled into the Republican party for far too long. Civil, democratic governance requires compromise. It requires meaningful dialogue between the elected representatives as well as with the people voting. From the ‘left’ or from the ‘right’, people operating with these tactics have no interest whatsoever in the democratic operation of the state.
/rant
Are you honestly defending Rush? This writer has the right to comment Rush’s rhetoric, any which way he wants. The funny thing is Rush wants to take politics out of environment, but is also quick to complain the politician didn’t get there fast enough. That the politicians weren’t doing their job in this. If you don’t want it political then I guess you shouldn’t expect the politicians do anything then should you. So Obama actually did what he Rush wanted. So why is he bitching. This guy is dangerous and an idiot. America has just learned to love sensationalism a little too much.
“I’d like to remind Mr. Limbaugh that the leaking riser…”
You can desire to remind him all you want, but he doesn’t read your website.
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.
.
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