I hope this won't be considered a "throwaway" post.

[Atticus]

I have given this subject quite a bit of thought over the past couple of days and I am 100% serious.

It is time to take on Limbaugh.

As I write this, a weak health care bill is nearing a toss-up final vote; Ms. Coakley is in danger of losing Ted Kennedy's Senate seat to a teabagger and Neanderthals like Imhofe are getting face time to brand climate change a "hoax".

What do all these events have in common?

We---good, decent, patriotic Democrats and liberals---have ALLOWED them to happen.

We have permitted our "live and let live" philosophy to blind us to the necessity of calling out, separating ourselves from and PUNISHING those whose stated purpose is to destroy us.

I am not suggesting that Limbaugh is not entitled to his opinions, deplorable and hateful as they may be. But, WE are entitled, not only to disagree, but to SHUN (good old-fashioned Fundie word) him and his sponsors and any business, politician or public figure who accepts, promotes or condones his venom. This would involve not only e-mailing and boycotting his sponsors, but also contacting advertisers who sponsor OTHER programs on networks which broadcast Limbaugh's verbal sewage.

I would also mean AUDIBLY telling the proprietors of bars, restaurants, barber and beauty shops---as you're walking out of their business---that you will not patronize any business which promotes Rush Limbaughs extremist ideas of what America should be like.

In each instance, have your own list of examples to answer the ignorant question: "What's wrong with Rush?"

My response to that will begin with "He's a mean-spirited, unpatriotic, racist homophobe who also happens to be the biggest hypocrite ever to abuse the public's airwaves".

If they want examples, I'd tell them what he said about Michael J. Fox, Barney Frank and Donovan McNabb.

Tell them about his recent shameful discouragement of donations to aid the tragic survivors of the Haiti earthquake diaster.

Tell them about this thrice-divorced "paragon" of family values who, somehow, was found with a large bottle of Viagra(for which he had no prescription) in his luggage after returning from a jaunt to Costa Rica. Explain that Costa Rica is where "sexual tourists" go if they like sex with little boys.

Remind them of his drug abuse an the fact that, despite his prior insistence on his program that all drug offenders should do time, he did not do one day "inside".

The point is, let's quit "letting it slide". Let's stop turning the other cheek. Let's stop tolerating this intolerance of US and all that WE believe.

At the very least, we should be able to make Limbaugh and the businesses who deal with him, directly or indirectly, VERY uncomfortable. And, this, in turn, may discourage some of the Rush wannabes who rant and froth and spit on local radio programs.

Forget about appealing to their hearts. They are heartless.

Forget about grabbing them by the balls. If they had any balls, they'd be liberals.

Get 'em where they live: the bottom line.

From the local diner to his national sponsors: not another dime till they wipe Limbaugh off their shoes.

[timeforpeace]

1. Getting this upset with him is what got him so rich. Ignore him.

[Atticus]

8. I'm not advocating picketing or demonstrating or calling in to his "show";

I'm talking about simply letting everyone who intentionally or thoughtlessly promotes him know that that is NOT "ok" with us and we do not intend to spend liberal dollars with those who make his show possible.

[Dappleganger]

2. The best way to take on Limpy is to keep the right-wing out of office.

It's really that simple. He's disgusting to listen to, but I'd rather put up with the whining while his faction is out of power than the gloating while they ruin this country.

[Atticus]

11. I haven't noticed that who is in office makes much difference to this walking pustule.

He attacks anything and anyone who could be described as liberal, or even a less than full-throated fire-breathing neo-con.

If Democrats are in office, what he says encourages and facilitates their defeat and replacement by any Republican or conservative.

If Republicans are in office, what he says slanders and ridicules Democratic challengers and their supporters---three hours a day, five days a week.

I can't agree that it is "that simple". We ignore him at our peril. We tried that with McCarthy and only confronting him---intelligently---stopped the slide toward madness.

[lib2DaBone]

3. You can't take on Limbaugh unless you restore the Fairness Doctrine...

You also need to confront the FCC and Ownership laws.. and this will never happen.

[Atticus]

7. Well, gee, I guess it's hopeless then. Guess we should just all become dittoheads.

No use in fighting.

Never happen.

Ignore him.

THIS BS is what has ALLOWED him to prosper!

[NightWatcher]

4. if you ignore them, they lose their power

didnt you hear that rush is doing this just to tweak us off.

He has tweaked you off and is laughing at you

[sabrina 1]

21. I absolutely disagree with that. They controlled the airwaves

for years and Democrats ignored them. That's what THEY said then also. 'Ignore them'. When they should have been taking them on. But no one did.

For years I assumed Limbaugh and the rest of the cowardly rightwing hate radio hosts had all fought for this country otherwise how could they be trashing Clinton for not serving? Why did most people think that for years? Because Democrats decided it was best to ignore them.

It was not until around 2003 that a reporter in a small town in the NE did some research on who served and who didn't that we finally learned the truth about these unpatriotic cowards.

I remember it well, being on a rightwing board at the time. When I told those rightwingers that their hero had never served because he had an anal cyst, they threatened me with death, so certain were they that it was a lie. How could he have been on the air that long without anyone challenging him? Because Democrats thought it was best to ignore them. And by doing that, they left the field open with no one but a few people online, to challenge them.

Now, it is too late and I agree we should not report anything they say. But I agree with the OP that if Fox or Rightwing talk radio is on in any place of business, we should be vocal about saying we will not support any business that supports hate radio or television. That's all. Money does talk in this country and imo, that is the best way to handle it. And to write to their advertisers and mean it.

[Mz Pip]

5. I do believe there should

be some effort made to get this guy off the armed forces radio. The stuff he says about the Commander-in-Chief shoud not be tolerated. At some point enough is enough.

He can have his free speech. I really don't give a rat's ass what his opinions are but he is blasting this hateful rhetoric to our soldiers whose allegiance should be to the CIC and to our country. There really shouldn't be a place for that crap coming through the airwaves to those who are fighting and dying. IMHO he is giving aid and comfort to the enemy with his anti-Obama crap.

[rurallib]

6. Many have taken him on and it only serves him

Much like no one was watching Leno or O'Brien until a week ago or so, the controversy just serves to drive listeners to him.
Boycotts don't work. The media ownership in this country is incredibly unbalanced and Rushbo is their boy.
I am not saying it is an impossible task. But if you are able to find the achilles heel, you will have a legion of followers within an hour.
I almost wish that KO etc would ignore him. Any mention of Limpy is free publicity.

One of the problems with the economics of Limpy is that I believe his show goes to the stations for free or a very low cost. So any income from Limpy's show is near pure profit. Hard for stations to beat that. BTW, I believe that is true for all the RW assholes - Hannity etc.

[Zoeisright]

9. Yep - just quit our car mechanic because he plays FUX all the time.

He'll change it when I ask him to, but it's back on FAUX every time I go back.

I'm done.

[vadawg]

12. kinda dumb unless he was a crap mechanic, i personally dont care what my mechanics politics are

the guys get paid by me to fix my truck not to believe what i want them to believe :shrug:

[Fumesucker]

22. Why give your money to someone who thinks you are scum?

People who put on political programs of any sort in their place of business aren't being smart, it's guaranteed to upset some of their customers.

I wouldn't expect conservatives to give their business to me if I had Mike Malloy playing in my waiting room.

Better to not play anything with a political bent.

[Caretha]

15. Guess what

It's not always about whether you make an impact on changing a businesses' mind because you walk out on them for listening to Rush. It has to do with your own personal beliefs, and whether you actually walk the walk. I walked out of a jeweler's store because they were listening to him, and I only needed a $6 battery for my watch. I personally couldn't support them for 1 penny because of it.

That's called integrity, my friend, and we all could use a little more of that.

Please don't misconstrue this as a "holier than thou" sort of comment....I've met that asshole in person and had a long conversation with him and had ample time to figure out who & what he was and is.

I wouldn't cross the street to piss on him if he was on fire.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

10. I like Limbaugh.

In the sense that I want him to keep doing what he's doing.

That fan base of his will always be out there and voting republican. But he drives moderates our way.

[Generator]

13. I'm afraid he's already won

Him, and his ilk. Look, if the American people were decent-they would DEMAND he and others no longer have a job. But they do not. They have lost empathy. They have lost their very souls. Have you seen the polls where the majority of Americans think torture is okay? The only way to fight Limbaugh is to really fight him-and that means the thing that can't be said.

[havocmom]

16. Used to think so. Now, I see he is on his way out

He has stepped in his own crap once to often and even the GOP is backing off.

[WhiteTara]

14. He distributes his "show" for free

to many stations. I don't have the link, but was a recent article on DU

[Political Heretic]

17. Good luck.

I feel like, for me, I need to prioritize my time and focus in other areas.

[Canuckistanian]

18. Getting him off AFN would be a start

There's NO reason why he should be on there.

The fact that he expressed the wish that the Commander-in-Chief should fail should get him booted from AFN.

And it would send him a message.

[mmonk]

19. I'm ready.

[Faryn Balyncd]

20. (It was the Dominican Republic.) thanks for post.