Rush Limbaugh, after four days of putting the nation through a cultural, gender, sexist, and misogynistic war, has “apologized” and within his apology he has revealed the roots of his madness. Limbaugh, who spent half this week calling a college student a “slut” and a “prostitute,” then demanding she post online videos of her having sex, released a short statement (in full, below,) in which he reveals that every moment of his 35 years on the air have merely been “absurdity,” and that his comments and positions are not meant to be taken seriously. In other words, Limbaugh retreated to his supporters’ (faulty) default position that the conservative radio talk show shock jock is merely an “entertainer.”

READ: Limbaugh Brand Poison As List Of Advertisers Quitting Jumps Yet Again

To be clear, he is not merely an “entertainer.” And to be clear, were he merely an “entertainer,” he would still be held to the same standard as every other human being in this nation.

“For over 20 years, I have illustrated the absurd with absurdity, three hours a day, five days a week,” Limbaugh’s statement reveals. “In this instance, I chose the wrong words in my analogy of the situation. I did not mean a personal attack on Ms. Fluke.”

Shorter Limbaugh: “Officer, I didn’t know the gun was loaded.” Or, slightly longer, shorter Limbaugh: “I’m sorry, I thought I could get away with murder like I always do.”

But the gun is loaded, Rush, and you yourself, every day, go to Walmart, buy the gun, buy the ammunition, load the bullets, and shoot. Every day. “Three hours a day, five days a week.”

Limbaugh in this case reminds me so much of RedState founder and CNN contributor Erick Erickson, who immediately upon being hired at CNN was forced to issue an apology for his comments. His excuse? Essentially, “I was just talking like I do with my friends and neighbors.”

The lack of self-awareness of both Erickson and Limbaugh is astonishing. Were they both 18, perhaps we could understand — although not excuse — their daily atrocities, their daily assaults on this county. Alas, they are not.

But what is perhaps even more frightening is that is would seem Limbaugh is taking his marching orders — or at least his words — from Erickson.

“For over 20 years, I have illustrated the absurd with absurdity, three hours a day, five days a week,” Limbaugh’s statement said today.

“So of course Rush Limbaugh was being insulting,” wrote Erickson Friday morning. “He was using it as a tool to highlight just how absurd the Democrats’ position is on this.”

If that don’t beat all.

Rush Limbaugh is a 61 year old multi-multi millionaire who heads — albeit, unofficially — the Republican Party. And he has now headed it into shame, disrepute, misogynistic attacks, and we are left on the sidelines, watching the implosion.

Limbaugh has lost many corporate advertisers, and many companies lost by those advertisers, and possibly for the first time in his life he has been forced to apologize for his actions.

But his apology is not enough, not satisfying, not fulfilling. It is empty, shallow, the excuse-ridden day-late homework assignment of a fifth grader who copied it while looking over his shoulder at someone else’s work.

In short, he’s cheated again.

For locked within his non-apology apology is the fact that he still just doesn’t get it. He still has no idea what the issue is really all about.

“I chose the wrong words in my analogy of the situation,” Limbaugh says.

You think?

 

Limbaugh apologized because he finally realized that even he could go to far, and his comments all week had not only weakened the nation, not only weakened the Party, not only weakened his bank account, but had weakened his brand.

 

 

But, in fact, he didn’t choose the wrong words. He chose the wrong analogy. And he chose the wrong analogy because he doesn’t understand the situation to begin with.

Limbaugh’s ignorant comments — aside from the ad hominem attack on Sandra Fluke — reveal, as Rachel Maddow discovered, that Limbaugh thinks that women have to take a birth control pill every time they have sex. Limbaugh’s comments reveal that he thinks contraception is merely something women use to ensure they don’t get pregnant. And Limbaugh’s comments reveal his belief that the proper and default condition for women is to be pregnant.

“I think it is absolutely absurd that during these very serious political times, we are discussing personal sexual recreational activities before members of Congress,” Limbaugh’s apology continues. If that were true, Limbaugh would have annihilated not Sandra Fluke, but Darrell Issa, who convened a U.S. House of Representatives hearing in which five men representing various religions were caught “discussing personal sexual recreational activities before members of Congress.”

After claiming, “I did not mean a personal attack on Ms. Fluke,” which — clearly — he did, Limbaugh says, “I sincerely apologize to Ms. Fluke for the insulting word choices.” That’s how Limbaugh’s “apology” ends. Note, it doesn’t say, for “my” insulting word choices. It doesn’t say “I apologize for using her as a target.” It doesn’t say, “I apologize for attacking all women.” It doesn’t say, “I apologize for my ignorance, I will explore the issue more in depth and consult with women in order to gain a better understanding of this issue that literally affects every person in America, directly or indirectly.”

No.

“I chose the wrong words in my analogy of the situation.”

“I sincerely apologize to Ms. Fluke for the insulting word choices.”

Too little, too late Rush.

Finally, let’s be especially clear: Rush Limbaugh did not apologize out of sincerity. Limbaugh did not apologize after wrestling with his inner demons, or after soul-searching, or after consulting with his better angels. Limbaugh apologized after losing a half-dozen advertisers — and after knowing more were about to jump ship. In short, Limbaugh apologized because he finally realized that even he could go too far, and his comments all week had not only weakened the nation, not only weakened the Party, not only weakened his bank account, but had weakened his brand. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is the only reason Rush Limbaugh offered his three-paragraph apology.

Rush Limbaugh’s apology, full complete text:

For over 20 years, I have illustrated the absurd with absurdity, three hours a day, five days a week.  In this instance, I chose the wrong words in my analogy of the situation. I did not mean a personal attack on Ms. Fluke.

I think it is absolutely absurd that during these very serious political times, we are discussing personal sexual recreational activities before members of Congress. I personally do not agree that American citizens should pay for these social activities. What happened to personal responsibility and accountability? Where do we draw the line? If this is accepted as the norm, what will follow? Will we be debating if taxpayers should pay for new sneakers for all students that are interested in running to keep fit?In my monologue, I posited that it is not our business whatsoever to know what is going on in anyone’s bedroom nor do I think it is a topic that should reach a Presidential level.

My choice of words was not the best, and in the attempt to be humorous, I created a national stir. I sincerely apologize to Ms. Fluke for the insulting word choices.

Actually, one last thing. What did Limbaugh write on his website one day before his apology was posted? It was called, “I’m a Danger to the Women of America?,” and included this:

So Pelosi arranges her own press conference for the woman, and the woman makes it clear (her name is Sandra Fluke) that she’s having so much sex, she can’t pay for it — and we should.  She’s having so much sex, she can’t afford it.

She gives the numbers: $3,000 worth of birth control pills worth of sex.  She’s paying anywhere from $35,000 to $50,000 a year to go to Georgetown, $20,000 room and board, and can’t afford the $1,800 to $3,000 a year for birth control pills and wants us to pay for it.  I said, “What does that make her?”  She wants taxpayers, the Democrats want taxpayers, to pay for it. They want to create a welfare entitlement program where we provide birth control pills, because pregnancy’s an illness. Pregnancy is a “women’s health issue.”  So the woman comes forth with this, frankly hilarious claim that she’s having so much sex (and her buddies with her) that she can’t afford it.

And not one person says, “Well, did you ever think about maybe backing off the amount of sex that you have?  Do you ever think maybe it’s your responsibility for your own birth control, not everybody else’s?”  Nobody raises those questions.  Amazingly, when there is the slightest bit of opposition to this new welfare entitlement being created, then all of a sudden we hate women! We want ’em barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen, all of these other things.  So that’s where we are.  And now, at the end of this week, I am the person that the women of America are to fear the most.

No, Rush, no one fears you anymore. Now, we merely pity and despise you. And that’s the way apologies work. No one is forced to accept them. You have to hope you have enough good will stored in your bank of gratitude to pay for it. And yours, Rush, has been overdrawn for decades.

When history has had its say on you, trust me, Rush, it will not have chosen the wrong words.

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Image: Rush Limbaugh by DonkeyHotey