This form of sex abuse must stop, of course, but here's the thing: when you call someone a name a dozen different ways, you intended to harm him or her. As Rush is on the public airwaves, and as he was malicious and negligent, both he, his broadcasting company, the radio network that promotes him, and any station he's carried on, are liable for a rather large lawsuit, which I hope Jessica Fluke has already probed and decided to greenlight.
Rush claims to be a comedian and a case could be made that testifying in front of a Congressional committee opens a person up to fair comment which can include slanderous commentary, the claims Limbaugh made, and the repetitive nature of those claims, suggests that he knew he was crossing a line, almost daring Fluke to retaliate publicly.
Which would have taken him off the hook.
Fluke has some amazing people guiding her, it seems. Either that, or she's preternaturally gifted in the art of verbal self-defense.
Limbaugh's show lost seven sponsors over the weekend, and while his sponsors are not exactly major corporations (he gives his programming away to stations so he can control the ad revenues, so it's never been about getting GM or MicroSoft to sponsor him,) it's a not unsizable hit to his bottom line.
One can only hope the weak-ass nature of his apology infuriates more advertisers into withdrawing. That, and being associated with what could be one of the most important "free speech" lawsuits in history might drive Limbaugh to sign up the local dogcatcher's re-election committee.
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