The Media Research Center has long ignored or given a pass to Rush Limbaugh’s most controversial and offensive statements. Limbaugh just made another one, and the the MRC is in defense mode once again.
On his Nov. 21 radio show, Limbaugh blamed Michelle Obama getting booed at a NASCAR event on her “uppity-ism.” ABC did a report on Limbaugh’s remarks.
Guess what the MRC is most upset by?
Brent Baker huffed in a Nov. 22 MRC item that “a blog post by a far-left group devoted to silencing Rush Limbaugh” for the ABC report, linking to a Media Matters audio clip (not a blog post) of Limbaugh’s remarks. That’s in line with the MRC’s childish tradition of refusing to identify Media Matters by name in public. (Disclosure: that’s where I work.)
Baker, however, offers no actual evidence that ABC’s report was actually inspired by the clip. Indeed, ABC does not reference Media Matters at all in the report, and its clip of Limbaugh is taken from his video web feed, compared with the audio-only clip at the Media Matters website.
At no point does Baker criticize Limbaugh for making his racially charged statement — only ABC is criticized for reporting on it.
Somebody needs to reassess their priorities.