Gibbs: Limbaugh's Haiti comments 'really stupid'

[RamboLiberal]

Source: Washington Post/AP

WASHINGTON -- The White House is firing back at Rush Limbaugh after the conservative talk radio host urged people not to donate to relief efforts in Haiti.

Spokesman Robert Gibbs says there are always people who say "really stupid things" during a crisis. He says it's sad that Limbaugh would use the power of his pulpit to convince people not to assist those in need.

Limbaugh said on his radio show Wednesday that he wouldn't trust that money donated to Haiti through the White House Web site would actually go to the relief efforts. He said Americans don't need to contribute to earthquake relief because they already donate to Haiti through their income taxes.



Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/14/AR2010011403075.html

---

On the 700 Club Wednesday, Robertson suggested the plight of Haiti is a result of a deal with the devil Haitians made with Satan in the late 1700s.

Haitians “were under the heel of the French, uh, you know Napoleon the 3rd and whatever, and they got together and swore a pact to the Devil,” Robertson said. “They said, 'We will serve you if you'll get us free from the French.' True story. And so the Devil said, 'Okay, it's a deal.’ And, uh, they kicked the French out, you know, with Haitians revolted and got themselves free. But ever since they have been cursed by, by one thing after another…”

Said Gibbs when asked about the comments, “it never ceases to amaze that in times of amazing human suffering somebody says something that could be so utterly stupid. But it like clockwork happens with some regularity.”

Gibbs had ended his briefing today, but walked back to the podium upon request to respond to a question about Limbaugh’s remarks.

“In times of great crisis, there are always people that say really stupid things,” Gibbs said. “I don't know how anybody could sit where he does, having enjoyed the success that he has, and not feel some measure of sorrow for what has happened in Haiti. I think to use the power of your pulpit to try to convince those not to help their brothers and sisters is sad. My sense is that most people, though, because they understand we're part of an amazing world, wont' listen and instead will seek to help those that they know, because it is through no fault of their own, have suffered an unspeakable tragedy.”

http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2010/01/white-house-says-haiti-statements-by-robertson-and-limbaugh-are-really-stupid.html

[skypilot]

1. That little corner of hell...

...that is reserved for Limbaugh just got a little warmer.

[jgraz]

3. If Satan is smart, he's reserving a cold portion for Rush

After all, he doesn't want to risk starting a grease fire...


(I now resume my previously scheduled atheism, already in progress)

[ShockediSay]

45. Limbaugh is just one of the many corporaFascist funded propaganda pukes IMHO

Fascism, look it up. It's from the right wing and corporate money rules.

[Schema Thing]

2. perfect tone and tenor, Gibbs. Well done.

[chelsea0011]

4. Does that SOS know how many thousands of Americans are in Haiti?

Why does he hate America? All Rush sees are black faces and his hate spews out.

[bc3000]

31. Or how many Haitians are in the US?

I can't expect someone like Limbaugh to hold an opinion based on morally correct values, but Haiti's problems often end up on our shores so just for practical purposes the events in Haiti affect the US.

[iamjoy]

64. That Doesn't Matter

I mean, in their way of thinking why care how many Haitians are in the US? Let's get the coast guard and Navy out to stop them from ever reaching our shores. Not our problem.

Let me stress this is NOT my attitude. I agree with your point that these problems do affect us. I'm also going to state the obvious that I would care about it anyway because I have some bizarre characteristics called humanity and compassion.

[MrMickeysMom]

78. "All Rush sees are black faces and his hate spews out..."

... Unless he's on the other side of the island in the Dominican Republic looking for a little action with his Viagra...

I guess the Pat Robertson advised Rush that the devil left that side of the island intact for his sick pleasures.

[jasi2006]

107. But he takes fun trips to their neighbor for perverted times, doesn't he? nt

[sofa king]

5. It's only stupid to people who understand stupidity.

That fails to account for his listening audience, which does not.

[Richardo]

6. The kicker: Gibbs should challenge Steele, McConnell, Boehner to publicly condemn Rush's remarks

That would make some great campaign material.

[Rozlee]

17. Hah, better yet, Scott Brown!

And right away.




:toast:

[KamaAina]

143. Good plan. There is a substantial Haitian community in Boston.

I doubt that many of them support the teabagging SOB, but still...

[duhneece]

29. Good idea. Look how the Repubs jumped on Reid's remarks

from 2 years ago.

[creeksneakers2]

57. That's a great idea!

[JAbuchan08]

81. Future quote from John Boehner

"I think anytime anybody from the right OR the left claims that Haitians are suffering the effects of a curse due to their deal with the devil that should be condemned."

[quiet.american]

137. Perfect call on that. nt

[bemildred]

7. White House: Robertson Remark About Haiti's Devil Pact 'Utterly Stupid'

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs on Thursday called it "utterly stupid" for televangelist Pat Robertson to suggest the earthquake-stricken people of Haiti brought the disaster on themselves.

---

"They said we will serve you if you get us free from the French. True story," Robertson said. "Ever since, they have been cursed by one thing after the other."

Gibbs, asked about the remark, ridiculed Robertson.

"It never ceases to amaze that in times of amazing human suffering somebody says something that could be so utterly stupid. But it, like clockwork, happens with some regularity," he said.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/01/14/white-house-robertson-remark-haiti-earthquake-utterly-stupid/

[JDPriestly]

131. Robertson is ignorant.

Napoleon the III was not born until 1873.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Napoleon_III_of_France

The Haitians threw the French out om the 1790s and finally succeeded in 1804 when Napoleon Bonaparte (the first Napoleon) was in power.

When the French government changed, new members of the national legislature, lobbied by planters, began to rethink its decisions on colonial slavery. After Toussaint L'Ouverture created a separatist constitution, Napoleon Bonaparte sent an expedition of 20,000 men under the command of his brother-in-law, General Charles Leclerc, to retake the island. Leclerc's mission was to oust L'Ouverture and restore slavery. The French achieved some victories, but within a few months, yellow fever had killed most of the French soldiers.<13> Leclerc invited Toussaint L'Ouverture to a parley, kidnapped him and sent him to France, where he was imprisoned at Fort de Joux. He died there in 1803 of exposure and tuberculosis<10> or malnutrition and pneumonia. In its attempt to retake the colony, France had lost more than 50,000 soldiers, including 18 generals.<14>
Battle between Polish troops in French service and the Haitian rebels. Some Polish soldiers became sympathetic to the natives' cause and joined the Haitian rebels.<15>

The native leader Jean-Jacques Dessalines, long an ally of Toussaint L'Ouverture, defeated the French troops led by Donatien-Marie-Joseph de Vimeur, vicomte de Rochambeau at the Battle of Vertières. At the end of the double battle for emancipation and independence, former slaves proclaimed the independence of Saint-Domingue on 1 January 1804, declaring the new nation as Haiti, honoring one of the indigenous Taíno names for the island. It is the only nation born of a slave revolt.<10> It is estimated that the slave rebellion resulted in the death of 100,000 blacks and 24,000 of the 40,000 white colonists.<16>

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haiti

This is the true story. Rev. Robertson's version is false.

[mojowork_n]

141. If that's the true story,

then how did the French lose "more than 50,000 soldiers, including 18 generals" from an expeditionary force that numbered "20,000 men under the command of his {Napoleon's} brother-in-law?"

...Never mind, that's my bad idea of History Geek humor. (I had a reply downthread, somewhere in the 40's.) In all those Very Important Discussions about History, someone's always putting the numbers into one contentious dispute or another...

Really, I just wanted to reply to say thanks for taking the time to cut and paste the history. I never knew the story about the Poles who stayed to fight with the locals. There were maybe a couple of hundred, total (I just looked it up) -- again, numbers, who knows? -- but the story's been passed down by appreciative Haitians, for centuries now, and ethnographers and anthropologists have been kept busy looking for blue-eyed, flaxen-haired Jamaicans.

Which is kind of like finding out that that fictional, "Lieutenant Dunbar" character, in that movie with Kevin Costner and all those nice Native American folks, had a real-life historical antecedant. Or maybe 100, 150, or 200 of them.

If they made a movie of that story, it'd be called, "CHAR-dosh with Maroons." Or some kind of play on words trading off "polka" and "different drumbeat" references. Or something like that.

[JDPriestly]

146. Not the first time that mercenaries hired to quash a revolution stayed

to become part of the people of the country they were sent to subjugate. Many of the Hessians who were captured during the American Revolutionary War shortly after Washington crossed the Delaware stayed or even went home and then returned to become citizens in the new nation of the United States.

[WriteDown]

8. Got a feeling this is a joke...

Sounds like someone is using satire here, but I would need to hear the audio before coming to any conclusions.

Whoa, after reading that its the redcross I was taken aback. I will never donate another dime or drop of blood to the org after what happened after 9/11.

"When Tweek asks what if someone else tries to change the movie, Stan answers that it's "somewhere safe. Somewhere where...nobody will ever find it." The episode ends as we see an old man placing the original prints inside a box, which he then places inside a warehouse named "Red Cross 9/11 Relief Funds, again a reference/parody of the movie Raiders of the Lost Ark itself, where at the end of said movie the Ark is hidden in a sealed wooden crate in a huge government warehouse."

*edited to finish thought.

[denverbill]

24. Good excuse! You hate the Red Cross because of 9-11.

I'm curious. Why did you give money to the Red Cross after 9-11? Did you really think that 9-11 was going to cause a humanitarian crisis? I felt horrible for the victims and their families, but I didn't expect tens of thousands of people to be made homeless or go without food or water. Since that's the purpose of the Red Cross I didn't really think donating to them made much sense at that time.

And I don't quite understand the anger that the Red Cross used the money for other emergencies rather than send it back. Were you upset that your money didn't just get handed to the victim's families or were you more upset that your money went to help other people who needed help? I mean, to me, I'd prefer the Red Cross do the Christian thing (or Islamic thing in the case of the Red Crescent) and give my money to those who are in the most dire straits. As great of a tragedy as 9-11 was for the victim's families, I don't think any of them probably ever had to worry about getting cholera from contaminated drinking water or wondered where their next meal was coming from.

But Rush didn't specify the Red Cross anyway. He said people shouldn't give any money to the Haitians because their taxes already cover it.

Republicans/libertarians/conservatives always have their excuses. Year after year they claim private charity should replace government assistance, but when disaster strikes and they have a chance to prove their generosity, they say it's the government's problem. Nice. How Christian.

[denverbill]

25. Oh, and let me know when you hear the punchline to Rush's 'joke'.n/t

[WriteDown]

60. I think it was to get attention.

Could be wrong, I've listened to the audio and I believe it was about the amount in foreign aid we give to Haiti.

[Hekate]

97. The US gives pennies to the Haitians & in foreign aid generally. For the Pentagon, everything...

... to lift up other human beings, pennies with many strings attached (such as not allowing money for family planning/women's health clinics if anyone so much as breaths the word abortion -- that was Bush's special thing).

Hekate

[denverbill]

124. OK, so it wasn't a 'joke'. He's just saying we should not help people who may die.

Why? Because we've already 'helped' them enough.

Children have died and will continue dying. Not fetuses. Actual children.

Maybe we should tell Republicans that unless they donate, some pregnant women might die, resulting in the deaths of their fetuses! We've got to save those fetuses. Who gives a shit once they are born!

[bc3000]

32. BULLSEYE!!!

"Republicans/libertarians/conservatives always have their excuses. Year after year they claim private charity should replace government assistance, but when disaster strikes and they have a chance to prove their generosity, they say it's the government's problem."

I don't see how it could be said any better.

[WriteDown]

61. Unless you know the truth...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Red_Cross#September_11_controversy

[eqfan592]

83. Wow, nice high horse.

The American Red Cross is an amazing organization. One pooch screw (and let's be frank, MUCH more was made of it than was the reality) doesn't mean an entire organization should be condemned. Do you realize that the Red Cross is there to help every single time a family is displaced due to fire, flooding, or any other natural disaster? Their disaster action teams are on call 24/7, ready to help people. They are renowned for making sure that a significant portion of the money donated (90%) is spent on actual program expenses.

Sorry, but you should honestly be deeply ashamed of yourself. If you want to donate to another charity, that's your prerogative, but vilifying an organization that's helped so many people like the Red Cross is a low thing to do.

[TicketyBoo]

91. Did you actually read that link?

Significant changes to Red Cross fundraising collection and policy have since been implemented after the Liberty Fund debacle. Numerous watchdog organizations, such as Charity Navigator, have since given high praise to the improved system of honoring donor's intent and minimizing administration costs.

Sounds like the Red Cross is doing better these days.

[mortfrom]

130. unless you know the truth

In the end, out of the $961 million received, 71% went as cash assistance to those directly affected, 15% went for long term mental care and hospital care for the victims and people in the affected region, and 10% went for immediate disaster relief like shelters, food, and health care. The remaining 4% went for administration.


Those bastids. No wonder you won't support them.

[SpiralHawk]

104. Gigadittoes on the Bullseye

Rush spouts hardcore Republicon hypocrisy here -- hate the gov, pretend the so-called 'private sector' will solve all problems, then whimp out like a chickenhawk republicon and drop it all back in the lap of gov when you are called upon to be a part of the human community.

Ptoooey on the republicons -- The Latter Day Pharisees.

[Rainngirl]

44. Absolutely!

"Republicans/libertarians/conservatives always have their excuses... How Christian."

I hear this reasoning every time I get into it with my 3 right-wing friends. It's all well and good to WISH local charities and churches would ease the world's ills, but they just don't get that IT DOESN'T WORK THAT WAY! Sometimes I think morality and humanity DOES have to be legislated. Those false christians think that giving money to THEIR own churches and communities is enough (if they even do it). But they don't understand that that’s not compassion, that's not kindness, that's not being Christ-like. If there really was a Jesus, being a true follower of that guy is about trying to love the unlovable, trying to put oneself in other people's shoes (which the neocons are completely incapable of doing--they prove it over and over), and trying to be kind to people who are different from us. I struggle with that all the time because it's so easy to stay in my safe little rut, making it all about me because I have a challenge here and there. But I see the faces of those people in Haiti and just can't even imagine how full of fear and desperation their lives must be right now. I just wish I could help more than sending a few bucks to the charities who are going there try to help. In the meantime, more will die while they wait for help to come.

The neocons don't give a crap if those people don't have drinking water or they have to step over six dead bodies in the street to get to where they're trying to find cans of soda in a collapsed store so they'll have something to freaking drink! Can you imagine that happening here??!!

Okay, rant over. Thanks.

[cartach]

79. I wonder how much money

is really skimmed off the top by charities and churches ? You hear from time to time various complaints that much of the money goes to overhead and unnecessary expenses and we all know what that means but no real facts ever seem to come out. Would really help if all of them had to put out financial reports publicly detailing where the money is going. It's bad enough when the government is distributing money to worthwhile causes but I'll bet it's just as bad or worse when it comes to private charities,churches or otherwise.

[eqfan592]

86. Good site to check out.

http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=3277

[WriteDown]

59. Why do I no longer give blood or money to the Red Cross?

Simple.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Red_Cross#September_11_controversy

[eqfan592]

85. Because you're incapable of rational thought on the subject?

Yep.

http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=3277

Seriously, you let one incident, one that the organization went out of it's way to correct, drive you to vilify the organization as a whole, and this in spite of the amazing amount of help they provide? Seriously, that's fucked up.

[PurpleChez]

110. Terradittoes on that!

[TicketyBoo]

92. You may want to try reading that link.

Significant changes to Red Cross fundraising collection and policy have since been implemented after the Liberty Fund debacle. Numerous watchdog organizations, such as Charity Navigator, have since given high praise to the improved system of honoring donor's intent and minimizing administration costs.

It looks like the Red Cross has cleaned up its act since then.

[AlphaCentauri]

116. I think the reason the blood was destroyed is that many Americans

did not want their donations go to other places only to the victims of 9-11

[Kingofalldems]

36. Oh I get it--you're a fan of Rush--Wow!

[WriteDown]

62. Never listened to him...

But not a fan of the Red Cross...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Red_Cross#September_11_controversy

[eqfan592]

84. GET. THE. FUCK. OVER. IT.

Seriously man.


http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=3277

[TicketyBoo]

93. Haven't read that link lately, either, evidently.

Significant changes to Red Cross fundraising collection and policy have since been implemented after the Liberty Fund debacle. Numerous watchdog organizations, such as Charity Navigator, have since given high praise to the improved system of honoring donor's intent and minimizing administration costs.

It looks like the Red Cross is doing better these days.

[Hekate]

94. I'm really glad to see that! Thanks for the update, TicketyBoo. nt

[TicketyBoo]

102. You're most welcome. n/t

[No Elephants]

119. I didn't see anything worth giving up on an organization like the RC over.

Regardless of what donors "feel" they are giving for, the organization is entitled to use the money for its needs and purposes, UNLESS the donor restricts the donation to a specific use. During the 911 aftermath, people who don't know any better got upset that some of their unrestricted donations were being used for administrative costs. The Red Cross then promised to restrict the funds collected during a certain time period, even if the donor did not restrict them.

The reality is that the Red Cross and every other charity has overhead expenses.

As far as not doing a financial needs test before giving out three months rent, please, give me a break. They are not structured as a welfare department. By the time they set themselves up to function that way, they would have spent more than they were giving out.

This is bs.

[WriteDown]

136. Overhead expenses vary GREATLY with charities...

You should always check that out when donating. I believe the Salvation Army has one of the lowest.

[caseymoz]

129. Okay, so you think you have a major disaster on your hands . . .

. . . you solicit for funds and blood donations, and it turns out you don't need them. Even if you have thousands of victims who have lost relatives, none of them meet your rules for receiving aid. What do you do then?

Like most everybody during 9/11, the Red Cross was, for lack of a better term, in a numbed panic. I don't know how you could blame them for that. However, what if the next day there were more targets hit? At least they were prepared.

But then they are legally obligated to spend the money on something relating to the attack, and legally speaking, it probably had a deadline. So, what happens? It ends up being distributed to people who don't need it. They found themselves with a bunch of money, and no victims who really fit their rules for receiving aid. 9/11 was never a large scale acute care situation after the second day.

I can't find that much blame in the Red Cross over this. They clearly didn't put this up as something fraudulent. As for paying their president so much to leave, it was probably pre-emptively to prevent a lawsuit. Probably.

[caseymoz]

54. Here's the audio:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/01/14/limbaugh-weve-already-don_n_422958.html

So, I hope you understand, liberals don't need to make it up.

As for the Red Cross, bullshit. But there are other charities there that conservatives haven't smeared. Fewer of them every year, but there are some.

[WriteDown]

63. Sounded like he's talking about the amount of foreign aid we give to Haiti...

Honestly, I wish we'd stop giving foreign aid to anyone, quit the wars and stop being the world police. Let the world take care of itself for a while.

[caseymoz]

72. Yes, just rationalize it away: we each gave 64 cents to Haiti last year.

First, the US gives a very tiny amount to foreign aid. We have not been generous in foreign aid since the 70s really, and it only seemed like we were generous then because the US dollar was so damn strong. Usually our aid came with specific strings attached, like giving us a base for an insurgency in another country. Rush can't be ignorant of this.

Here are the facts about the US foreign aid: the US gave $12.9 billion in foreign aid. That's about $43 bucks per person here. It's not an onerous amount. $1.9 billion of that was "investment in financial institutions." In terms of raw dollars, that's more than any other country, but per capita that is extremely low compared with Japan, Germany, France, United Kingdom, The Netherlands, Italy, Canada, Sweden and Norway (the next nine on the list). When you look at the percentage of per capita income, or the percentage of GDP, the amount is far behind ANY of those countries.

For Haiti last year, the US has given a lot, $193 million. Yes, about .64 cents per person in the US. For the Haiti, who's population is 8.7 million, that comes out to their having received $22 bucks per person.

What, you're surprised they can't make themselves prosperous after we gave each of them $22 bucks last year? That's what you call a stimulus package!

And we're no longer living in an age where the dollar is supreme among currencies.

Second, when Rush takes the same side always on race, and always about charity to the poor, you can't continue to rationalize it away as something more moral or reasonable. Sooner or later, your rationalizations are going crack, and you are going to realize what an absolutely horrible man he is.

I know for sure. My rationalizations for him cracked more than ten years ago.

[WriteDown]

75. You make the classic mistake of only counting gov't aid...

Do private charities not count?

Here are your stats for foreign aid to Haiti.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foreign_aid_to_Haiti

How much should we give to Haiti? How much should we give to the rest of the world? (China donated 1 million)

End the wars, fix the US and then we can give to the rest of the world.

Also, how much have you donated so far? A couple of grand?

[caseymoz]

87. Sorry, I thought the complaint was about our tax dollars.

Okay, you want to expand the discussion to charity? It's still doesn't justify the sort of pride to make refusing to give them aid after this earthquake anything less than inhumane. And it's not enough to feel that much pride about. It adds about 40 cents per person/donation, and my ballpark figure is that it probably raises the donations per person Haiti another $20 at most. I'm tired, but that's a generous estimate, I assure you. And since those are voluntary donations, people who don't give don't have a right to complain.

How much we should give is totally beside the point, and in no way do I disparage the giving. The point is: it's not enough to justify any hubris about it, or any refusal to give and help in a grave situation.

Right now, I am unemployed, don't receive unemployment, I'm bankrupt, have three dollars in my bank account and nothing in my pocket.

So, what I've said so far of a challenge to your pride that you must challenge me about how much I've given? What about not letting the right hand know what the left hand is doing?

[Hekate]

96. Thanks for taking this on, caseymoz. It's disappointing to see how hardhearted and blind...

... a "progressive" can be.

Hekate

[Name removed]

109. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Hekate]

128. Shh.

I know. He finally got the Iggy prize from me last night. (as did over a dozen others elsewhere---I cannot believe the extent of the infestation just now; I feel like I need to boil my combs and brushes)

Hekate


punctuation

[caseymoz]

106. I have to add:

If you listen to the people who call into his show, they don't think he is satire, weak or not. If it's satire, they are part of the joke: like Borat.

And:

Because Rush has made this a major issue right at this time, people are not going to give because of what Rush has said, right at the time when it is a matter of life and death. Haitians are going to die because of what Rush has said.

It's no longer possible to see him as an entertainer or some bad satirist.

Rush has graduated to genocide.

[WriteDown]

115. And how much to the rest of the world should be given...

Not sure why you're signaling out Haiti.

Sorry to hear about your situation.

[caseymoz]

122. Once again, it has nothing to do with how much should be given.

The question is, is the pride about it in any way warranted? Is calling the US the most generous country on earth, and then using that as the reason for not helping, even close to the truth? No. Per capita, a few countries I've mentioned give 8-10 times in foreign aid what we do. By percentage of GDP, you reach a similar number. Either give an amount to equal the pride, or give less or nothing and don't be proud of how much our nation gives the ungrateful world. The shortage is in the honesty of the excuse, and that's where it's diabolical.

Why Haiti? I don't know if you've been keeping up with the news, but they have just had a huge, natural catastrophe. It's something that could and does happen to any nation. The need is acute. Whatever you say about aid generally, to refuse right now would be the moral equivalent of letting a gravely injured stranger die in the streets.

[WriteDown]

140. Where do you get that it ads another 40 cents per person?

What is the total private donation to US foreign aid?

This is a very balanced view. http://www.foreignpolicy.com/story/cms.php?story_id=2773&page=0

[caseymoz]

142. That was an estimate of how much a US citizen on average gives to HAITI

The balanced view still doesn't make the US look very good.

[No Elephants]

123. Why should private charities count? Private charities and their donors

have a right to do whatever they want with their money.

China donated one million. So did Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. Somewhere in between those extremes is the right per person donation.

Fix the U.S.? Sorry. President Reagan and his successors did it in, I fear. I think we're screwn.

Whatever people donate, it's better than not donating AND telling other people not to donate. You have no room to talk.

[caseymoz]

127. I think he's trying to underscore how generous Americans are . . .

. . . as a people. Thus, he's able to pride about America from it, and he's able to say the world is ungrateful and use it as an argument for isolationism. The scenario is like a nationalistic "Atlas Shrugged." America goes "on strike" and the rest of the world collapses.

The problem is, his statement is unsupportable by any look at the figures and the simplest crunching of numbers. Public or private, American generosity is a national myth.

And Rush Limbaugh knows this, either that or his ignorance is very well fortified.

[WriteDown]

135. Nothing about pride...

About priorities. Given the demographics of America, how much should we give. You tell me what would be acceptable.

[caseymoz]

139. Priorities and not pride? And must I repeat to you, again, what I've already said?

Look at the other nine countries I've listed. My ballpark figure is at least comparable by GDP or per capita income to The Netherlands. I think we should manage that. Something to fill the American pride balloon with something besides hot air. Or maybe we should aim for Norway's level.

We, of course, could give nothing. I really think Americans need to believe they have a larger place in the world, though. I think frankly if the US cut off all aid and let the rest of the world sink that we would immediately begin fighting among ourselves. I mean, who likes flint-hearted dicks like that?

[WriteDown]

134. Do you know how much I've donated?

:shrug:

[Hekate]

95. +1,000

[Mopar151]

111. Crawl under the bed and hide

Stop trying to drag the rest of us under there with you.

[Name removed]

121. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Name removed]

77. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[rasputin1952]

9. Jesus...just Jesus...

:grr:

[Divine Discontent]

40. And there's a special little place in hell being set aside for Rush for every evil action he makes.

There is evil and good, Rush personifies the puffy ego filled psychopath that only cares of his own pleasure, wealth and power. To actually tell people NOT to donate to help care for people dying in a mass disaster is the work of evil. I wish they'd charge him with being a traitor to America's gov't, with all that he's said. Just put the idiot in a cell and let him rot there talking to himself.

[Throd]

10. Why even dignify his nonsense with a response?

[idrahaje]

11. because unfortunately some morons listen to him

just like Glenn Beck taking guns to an airport over FEMA.

[sulphurdunn]

15. There will be fewer listening tomorrow.

[Flying Dream Blues]

18. Well, we can hope...

and welcome to DU!

[rhett o rick]

65. I seriously doubt that. nt

[TheCowsCameHome]

13. Because the world should know what a disgusting piece of filth he is..

..and since he's the self-proclaimed head of the conservative movement in this country.

[Mopar151]

112. Fat bastard won't fit under a bus! n/t

[KansDem]

12. Not only was it stupid, it didn't make sense...

He said Americans don't need to contribute to earthquake relief because they already donate to Haiti through their income taxes.

Anyone care to explain to me what he meant by this comment? :shrug:

[bullwinkle428]

14. Limbaugh's implication, I believe, is that Hatians have

long been living high on the hog, courtesy of the American taxpayer!

That's right, laying around all day and all night atop gigantic piles of U.S. greenbacks! :eyes:

[WriteDown]

20. Surprised this was actually in Wiki....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foreign_aid_to_Haiti

[Name removed]

21. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Make7]

43. Is the theory that the Red Cross will collect personal information for the "Obama people"?

If one actually goes to the White House website, they will see that there is a hyperlink to the American Red Cross webpage for the Haiti relief effort. Do Rush and his followers believe that the American Red Cross is collecting personal information from all the people coming to their site via the White House link and then sending that information back to the Obama Administration?

If that is truly what they believe, someone should actually be attempting to document such a thing happening. For a small amount of money they could, if it were true, cause a considerable amount of embarrassment for the Red Cross and the Obama Administration.
 

[JuniperLea]

52. Touché

That made no sense to me either.

[Hekate]

98. Limbaugh is insane. He opens his mouth and sewage spews out. That's the sum total of Rush. nt

[jimshoes]

34. It's what his greedy "I got mine " attitude listeners

tune in for. They are looking for a reason and some/any justification to keep on being the greedy pigs that they are. Pigboy gives them that. 90% of his listeners will be parroting that exact reason at their work, churches, gun clubs, etc. why they won't be giving any aid to those people tomorrow.

[JuniperLea]

53. It's that kind of validation and empowerment for hatred...

That gets them all tingly.

[hay rick]

16. Credit where credit is due.

Limbaugh is a bigger racist turd than I thought he was.

[Hekate]

19. Gibbsie was an outstanding choice for Press Sec. He looks so mild, and he's so quick and sharp.

Idjits in his audience are well advised not to have a war of wits with him, because they'd lose.

He gave the perfect response to these questions, all in that mild-mannered way.

Hekate

[stuart68]

46. actually - I think he is pretty poor

he keeps getting baited into assertions that diminish the office (and are often wrong).

BTW, on that underwear guy - "the system worked". really. Gibbsie ?

[stuart68]

48. This is however an excellent diversion

from the news about how a major campaign promise was broken and the rank and file union members will be getting f'd by new taxes on their healthcare.

[Hekate]

67. Wow, do you really think the reporter(s) asking the question ...

... were PLANTED? :sarcasm:

Hekate

edit--typo

[tavalon]

90. Are you saying Haiti's earthquake is a diversion

because I don't think anyone has figured out how to call those up on command?

[Hekate]

99. It's right up there with blaming the earthquake on teh gays. "A diversion" -- pfeh. nt

[stuart68]

101. not sure what that means

but, no, the reporter was not planted.

I understand the anguish in a way many others do not (from a past experience), but I can never understand why we all jump into action when a tragedy thrusts Haiti int othe spotlight. We should have been there YEARS ago helping and had we done so, this tragedy could be less devastating.

Not saying we don't help now, but remember, Rahm said never to was a good crisis.

[WriteDown]

22. Recent history of US foreign aid in Haiti

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foreign_aid_to_Haiti

[Cass]

23. Great response by Gibbs.

Limbaugh is politicizing this tragedy in a most disgraceful way. I am so glad he was called out for this by the WH.

[liberal N proud]

26. Hope those two share a special place in hell.

[TwentyFive]

27. Should have JAILED Limbaugh when they had the chance.

I would have enjoyed seeing Limbaugh wash dishes for 50 cents a day, then been somebody's pig boy entertainment for the evening.

[perdita9]

28. Limbaugh and Robertson...

...give white people a bad name.

[old mark]

30. ...like we really needed their help - we were doing it all on our own for

a few millenia...

mark

[Hekate]

68. LOL. Sad, but true. nt

[tsstranger]

118. Bad Name?????

Limbaugh and Robertson give the human race a bad name.

[katty]

33. just keep calling them/him stupid...repeat as necessary

which is always is.

[Matariki]

35. Hallalujah for finally and publically calling teh stupid what it is.

Gibbs gets a star.

[Jefferson23]

37. Limbaugh keeps himself in the limelight and he knows his base agrees with his racism, sad group.

[JNelson6563]

38. Pure evil.

I wonder what Rush and Pat's Lord & Savior, Jesus, would say to their cruel, heartless sentiments.

They make me wish there was a hell.

Julie

[mojowork_n]

39. That idiot Robertson got his history wrong, too.

...If he was quoted accurately as having referred to "Napoleon the Third, Whatever..."

At the turn of the 19th century, the Original, first-one-to-use-the-name Napoleon Bonaparte was the leader of the French. Napoleon the Third (brother Jerome's kid, a nephew) was apparently the one who made his own Faustian bargain, which ruined the Mexicans (and his brother, Maximilian, the nice guy in the family), and his own country (see "Franco-Prussian War") as well.

It's just so typical, these guys are giving lectures on history, on what it means for us today -- and they don't have a clue, their ass-and-elbow recognition skills having been so hopelessly compromised by the oxygen deprivation that's a direct consequence of having their heads so far up their own rectal cavities.

[Divine Discontent]

41. what I was thinking yesterday. thank you!

[verges]

58. It's because Robertson approves of slavery. nt

[Technowitch]

42. 'Stupid'?

No, I consider Limbaugh's and Robertson's remarks to be monstrous and sociopathically inhuman.

[RoccoR5955]

47. When he as to pay back this Karma, it's gonna be monumental n/t

[SpiralHawk]

49. "They can just pull themselves up by their sandal straps" - Rush DraftDodger Limbaugh (R)

"They don't got no sandals? Too frikkin bad. I am busy with my ongoing campaign to cut taxes even more for fatcat republicon cronies, so STFU with your pathetic 'pleas for help.' Screw that. Smirk."

- Rush '$40-million-a-year DraftDodger' Limbaugh
(R - 'Leader'of the Republicon Homelanders Against Decency)

[caseymoz]

50. Robertson owes Limbaugh some thanks,

Because Limbaugh is living proof that there is a hell.

This goes beyond racism. The proud lack of any humanity in Rush makes him as obscene as a snuff film. A remark like that going ditto will lower donations to Haiti and will likely mean some people are going to die. He might as well have gone out on the streets shooting people. If only his "heart attack" had killed him last month, it would have been better.

I am hoping that after this remark some dittos begin to fall away from some heads and Rush finally declines.

As for Robertson, I'm still waiting for him to renounce all those people in Mississippi and Alabama who got hit during hurricane Katrina. He won't, though, because they are his supporters and they are the right ethnic group.

[Blacksheep214]

51. Dear Rush and Pat

FUCK YOU!!!

[themonster]

55. Horrible

I don't understand how anyone could be that cold-hearted. Limbaugh and Robertson are sick in the head.

[Yavin4]

56. Limbaugh Is Not Going To Hell

Why would Satan bring in someone that could take his job? In this economy? Satan would take one look at Limbaugh's resume and deny him on the spot.

[FVZA_Colonel]

66. And yet Tim Graham with the MRC seems to think Keith Olbermann's comments were worse:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/14/AR2010011403741.html?hpid=topnews

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
While he called Robertson's comments "wacky" and "pseudo history," Graham gave a pass to Limbaugh. "It reminds me of what said about Ted Kennedy's death: 'Watch use his death to push health-care reform.' They literally did what Rush Limbaugh predicted. You can say that what he said about Kennedy was impolite, but it ended up being correct. I think Obama will use this to shore up his base." He dismissed the "light-skinned" comment as "just cheesy humor."

Graham instead criticized MSNBC host Olbermann for comments on his Wednesday night program that tied the situation in Haiti to the effort to reform health care in the United States. During an interview with Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.) on the program, Olbermann said, "I don't want to turn this into something about domestic politics, but I think it's a good frame of reference in terms of the health-care issue that we always talk about. We could easily have a natural disaster, if not quite on this scale, at least in the same broad ballpark. . . . I was thinking about this -- and maybe it's inappropriate, and tell me if I'm inappropriate in asking it -- but how would survivors of something like this here fare in terms of getting on their own feet economically afterwards, with the health-care system we have in place right now?"

Olbermann also offered this about Limbaugh and Robertson on his program: "And I would wish you to hell. But knowing how empty your souls must be for you to be able to say such things in a time of such pain, I suspect the vacant, purposeless lives you both live now are hell enough already."

Said Graham, "I would argue that Limbaugh is cynical but Olbermann has more rage."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fuck you you little piece of shit, Limbaugh deserved everything he got, and Olbermann was right on.

[lunasun]

69. Does anyone know anyone who

would actually have these idiots as sources of news or spiritual commentary??? I can't imagine the people who would nod their pin heads yes to all this crap.....I hope they live far away but are probably next door or close by in my hood...eh?

[classysassy]

70. Pat and Rush

the ugly americans.

[No Elephants]

126. Let's go global: Ugly human beings. No, ugly excuses for human beings.

[dtreg]

71. Limbaugh will rot in hell.

[Serge A Storms]

73. the dittoheads wouldnt contibute to help others anyway

(maybe rush is Satan )

[Best_man23]

74. I would really love to make a comment about OxyRush's momma here

But I don't want to be permanently banned from DU.

[scarface2004]

76. FUCK RUSH!!

FUCKING PIECE OF SHIT...FUCKING BASTARD...FUCKTARD DONKEY FUCK!!!

go ahead and bring on the ban hammer.....he is such a piece of shit!!!

[Cobalt-60]

80. Amazing ignorance

Once again I lament the existence of dueling laws.
Can Robertson be sued for false advertising?
I claim that his statements are proof positive that
he is not in fact a Christian.

[Doris32r]

82. It is just so horribly disgusting!

I mean, I really believe that Rush is just all about making a buck and doesn't necessarily believe the stuff he says, but he must know that people out there listen to him! I know I've donated to the relief fund, and my family has donated. Rush is stopping decent though right thinking :)people from donating money to people who really need it! This is just beyond all reason. This guy is just beyond words!

[Hekate]

100. Somehow I don't think "decent but right-thinking people" are his audience, really.

Limbaugh's audience seems to be rage-filled, resentful, fearful, ignorant folks who believe they are being victimized by everyone and everything.

Limbaugh, however, is a thoroughly cynical SOB who will say anything to get attention.

Hekate

[alp227]

88. Not just these comments, Rush in general

is "really stupid" when discussing pretty much any topic on his radio show.

[Paladin]

89. Where's The Tonton Macoutes When You Need Them? (n/t)

[undergroundnomore]

103. The Art of Stupid

Spokesman Robert Gibbs says there are always people who say "really stupid things" during a crisis. Then again there are people who just say really stupid things all day every day. Sadly some of them get a radio show.

[deacon]

105. Yes, the leader of the GOP party Rush shows how insane they are. n/t

[orbitalman]

108. Why are STUPID people broadcast ?? n/t

[TankLV]

113. What an amazing CHANGE from the PREVIOUS eight years!

When these vile words would emanate from the White House ITSELF and be in fact ENCOURAGED by that White House!

[AzNick]

114. Haiti lost 200,000 people fighting for their independence

The devil did not show up on the battlefield. The French troops sent were battle hardened elite troops, some who fought at Yorktown.

Pat Robertson is such a douche.

[erpowers]

117. Not Working

I do not know if Limbaugh has been able to stop people from giving through the White House Website, but he has not been able to stop giving in general. To date the Red Cross has been able to raise $35 million dollars. I think Limbaugh objective with telling people not to give to the White House website is just to try to cause the fund raising effort to be a failure for President Obama.

[Efilroft Sul]

120. Congratulations, Pat and Rush, you just drove Harry Reid from the front page!

What were the Republicans saying about racism again? I forgot. :shrug:

[sonias]

125. Typical Limbaugh

What do you expect from a heartless bastard! Hell can not come too soon for Rush - He can wallow with his hateful kin in hell for all eternity.

:puke:


Sonia

[varelse]

132. Evil and calculating statement, rather than stupid

it was not made in ignorance, but with a cynical motive. The man knows his audience.

[marshall]

133. This just in! Gibbs: Haitian earthquake "really bad".

Sometimes the obvious just doesn't have to be stated.

[quiet.american]

138. What's truly sad are $$$$$$$$$ Limbaugh's paid to keep talking despicable trash like this. nt

[time_has_come]

144. The White House website is taking donations for Haiti?????

Why? Why not just tell people to donate to the International Committee for the Red Cross?

That annoys me. It's like the media setting up a page on their website for people to post pictures and information about missing loved ones. It's a duplication, and a dangerous one. CNN does it for one reason only....to increase web traffic and to provide fodder for on air segments.

Tell people to post information about the missing at icrc.org/familylinks

The Red Cross is on the ground, and will coordinate with other agencies and help bring people together who register on their site. Fucking CNN will just yap about their webpage every hour or so...show a couple of pictures and interview the people using it.

[Brother Buzz]

145. The White House is NOT taking donations, where did you hear this crap?

The White House website posted a link to the American Red Cross for the Haiti relief effort.

Obama spelled this out quite clearly in an announcement, only Rush Limpball deliberately chose to obfuscate the entire effort.


I would suggest you read Roger Ebert's open letter to Rush Limbaugh. Even though Roger can no longer speak, he has a wicked good pen.

http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100114/OPINION/100119985