Rush Limbaugh: Political Commentator or Resilient Form Of Bedbug?

Rush Limbaugh. The name itself is spoken by many as if referring to some form of nasty venereal disease or a type of insect infestation that necessitates the burning mattresses and linens… it is a name associated with what many deem to be the worst of the worst of sensational right wing reporting. Our friends over at Bartcop have even stopped using the name entirely, preferring to refer to the conservative commentator as “Pigboy”. He currently is looking at a potential landslide victory in our political poll asking readers which American political pundit they would eat first if their plane crashed in the mountains of Argentina.

Love him or hate him, Rush Limbaugh is a cultural icon and a fixture in US politics, with more than 20 million listeners a week, clearly someone out there either agrees with Limbaugh, is entertained by his antics or does not know how to switch stations on their radio. But what do we really know about the man who Ronald Reagan once called “The number 1 voice of conservatism” in the United States? Here are: Five things that you didn’t know about Rush Limbaugh.

Number 1: if you don’t like what Limbaugh has to say, you could always just buy a tie from him.

Limbaugh actually launched a line of ties after viewers of his television program expressed some interest in the distinctive ties he wore. The ties were designed by his then-wife Marta, and Limbaugh grossed 5 million in sales in year 1. The ties  were eventually discontinued. Don’t all rush to Ebay at once.

Number 2: Limbaugh once worked for the Kansas City Royals

Way back in 1979, Limbaugh took a brief break from radio to become Director of
Promotions with the Royals. To this day he  counts retired Royals  star George Brett as one of his best friends.

Number 3: Limbaugh covered football on ESPN (If you sneezed you may have missed it)

Limbaugh brought his gift of the gab to the NFL, but left only three weeks into the 2003 season after making comments about quarterback Donovan Mcnabb that some construed as racist. We will never know the  impact that  ESPN’s “Hail Mary” choice of Limbaugh as a commentator would have had.

Number 4: Limbaugh once staged mock on- air “caller abortions”

Yes, it is hard to believe, but if you were to have called Limbaugh on his Sacramento radio show for a certain two week period in 1989, there would have been a good chance that your call would be terminated by the sound of a vacuum cleaner and a scream.

Limbaugh had claimed that his on-air “caller abortions” were merely a gag that illustrated “the tragedy of abortion” as well as an effort to bring into question whether abortion constitutes murder.  Apoliticus editors think it better illustrates the need for a move to a two week radio delay from the traditional seven seconds.

Number 5: Limbaugh can attribute much of his success to a repealed FCC doctrine

“The Fairness Doctrine” had required that radio stations provide free air time for responses to controversial opinions broadcast, but was repealed by FCC Chairman Mark Fowler (a key member of Ronald Reagan’s campaign staff in 1980) in 1987.

The result was the political commentator’s equivalent of Anakin Skywalker becoming Darth Vader, as Limbaugh could ply his trade with unprecedented freedom whilst building his conservative talk show Death Star to what it is today.

A bonus interview with Barbara Walters: