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Limbaugh Caller Says Obama Reminds Daughter of Cartoon Monkey
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ShareMarch 03, 2008 5:54 PM
ABC News' Tahman Bradley Reports: Conservative talk radio host Rush Limbaugh issued an on-air apology to Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., today after a caller said her daughter thought the Democratic presidential frontrunner looked like the cartoon character Curious George, a monkey.
Limbaugh, who laughed at the caller's comments, later apologized explaining he didn't know anything about Curious George.
Click HERE for the audio.
"I've got to do something here to open this hour of today's excursion into broadcast excellence. I need to apologize to both Sen. Obama and to Sen. McCain, " said Limbaugh. "I had never heard of Curious George. Only now have staffers sent me little pictures of Curious George," he continued.
"So I wish to apologize to both Sen. Obama and Sen. McCain. It was not my intent to bring dishonor and guttural utterances into this campaign. It happened. I laughed about it. It was a 12 year old kid's reaction to Obama, it was told by his mother. I was laughing because I was being polite, but I had never heard of Curious George."
Right before the show went into a commercial break, a caller named Tammy told Limbaugh, "..my 12 year old daughter..she..her statement last week was 'who cares what the guy's middle name is, he looks like Curious George.'"
In familiar Limbaugh fashion, he tried to find humor in the matter. "We have fired the caller Tammy. We're not going to put up with this. We're not going to tolerate this kind of stuff on this program...."
He continued, "Well, Why aren't you apologizing to Hillary? Well, she's probably happy it happened." Not missing a beat, Limbaugh quickly said, "Well, I guess I better apologize for saying that."
Limbaugh made a broader, perhaps more serious observation about political correctness and what can and cannot be said about a black man seeking the presidency of the United States. "I'm doing this as an illustration for you of how really uptight and tense everybody is going to be with any kind of criticism of Barack Obama on the Republican side," he said. "If Obama is the nominee, we may set a record for the number of apologies to him and his campaign by various Republicans and so forth."
There has been much discussion about whether the media is more aggressive with Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., and a bit more polite and careful in dealing with Obama, which is what Limbaugh was alluding to today. But forty years removed from racist archetypes like Blackface, Limbaugh probably won't get much sympathy by laughing at a child thinking a black man favors a monkey.
March 3, 2008 | Permalink | User Comments (434)
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Disgusting, disrespectful disclosure by Limbaugh. He should not condone his daughter's disrespect and should not perpetuate it. He should reject and denounce.
Posted by: DCVoter | Mar 3, 2008 6:06:30 PM
(his) meaning the caller's daughter's disrespect should not have been aired or condoned.
Posted by: DCVoter | Mar 3, 2008 6:08:10 PM
Well, I see the right-wingers are out and about today! Too bad McCain and your other conservative favorites are losers!
I always thought Dubya was the consumate monkey!!
Posted by: Jackt51 | Mar 3, 2008 6:24:33 PM
The mom and her daughter should be really careful. They should know better about the curse of the Muslim. Wake up people!!!
Posted by: Very Independent | Mar 3, 2008 6:30:05 PM
ABC didn't represent what really happened. The caller said her daughter thought Obama looked like Curious George - no offense should be taken - it was a childs view. In addition, Limbaugh didn't know who Curious George was so, no, he wasn't laughing that she said he looked like a monkey because she didn't say he looked like a monkey, she said he looked like Curious George. While the callers comment was not a nice thing to say, and I don't condone it, Limbaugh wasn't condoning it either and ABC finished off that article as if he was. Get the story straight.
Posted by: tr bass | Mar 3, 2008 6:44:02 PM
He may as well be Curious George since he is ashamed of his full name, Brack "HUSEIN" Obama. What else is he ashamed of? Have you ever heard him recite the Pledge of Allegiance without having to read it for TV coverage? What is his specific position on Slavery Reparations? (will he & his wife get a kick back?) Mr "HUSEIN" and his team are bigger "SPIN DOCTORS" than the show spin doctors. What else is he hiding?
Posted by: Mr Osgood | Mar 3, 2008 6:46:02 PM
oh please, the caller was an adult who knew that curious george was a monkey, and thought a great place to spew such racism would be on rush limbaughs show... and she was right... it was not an innocent comment made by a child
Posted by: earthisnotflat | Mar 3, 2008 6:49:41 PM
Why is this man still on the air??? Why is ABC perpetuating this mess???
Posted by: Tired of the Garbage | Mar 3, 2008 6:53:55 PM
When you think the conservatives can't crawl lower they always surprise you by being able to get further into the mud and ooze. God what slime these people are..........
Posted by: JR | Mar 3, 2008 6:55:17 PM
Rush or his producer can easily block or "bleep" callers who go over the line in that he's on a delay. He could have repudiated this woman's remark and that would have been that. He didn't. THANK YOU RUSH. You just elected President Obama! Thank you.
Posted by: Eric | Mar 3, 2008 6:55:22 PM
Disgusting --
Boy, they really do want to run against Hillary, don't they???
They (the imaginary they we all know)are probably the ones donating to her campaign -- wouldn't put it past Rove for that one.
Don't think it's going to work this time though!! Enough is Enough is Enough is Enough!!!!
Posted by: Paulet | Mar 3, 2008 6:57:05 PM
Rush gave us Bush. 'nuff said.
Posted by: Donna | Mar 3, 2008 6:58:56 PM
i can't believe the ignorant crap that you people write on this blog. obama is no more muslim than rush limbuagh or the monkey. things like this are why people around the world hate us
Posted by: muddbutt43 | Mar 3, 2008 7:00:31 PM
You know, I'm so tied of inviduals still today, can't get use to s smart black person (man or woman). Where is it that the world still think that the only person can run for anything has to be white person, what's wrong with you people? Get over it and stop trying to keep a black person/man/woman down. We've had white men all of our lives as a President, that's all we know and all we have seen, so what's wrong with a black man running for office, he was created by God, too. Do all these nasty white people, who continues to make nasty comments in 2008 think that they were the only one made as humans on this earth? We are all humans and we all have a right to any place and/or office on the earth, get over yourselves.
Posted by: Karen | Mar 3, 2008 7:00:44 PM
this is just too sick. It is only a shame that it is happening in the so called land of the free, and this in 2008. too bad.
Posted by: candidopinion | Mar 3, 2008 7:01:01 PM
Above it should read "let's NOT forget how often" etc. :)
Posted by: Margaret | Mar 3, 2008 7:04:19 PM
While I think the whole thing is fishy and disgusting, it does not change my vote for Clinton. Feeling empathy for being disrespected wont make me vote for him.
Posted by: DCVoter | Mar 3, 2008 7:16:58 PM
It has been proven that most of Rush's calls are planned and planted in advance. This was something he wanted out there but could not say himself. What better way than to have a mother give hearsay of a child's statement of racism?
It is just like the Drudge photo. The right-wingers can blame someone else, but now it is out there.
I am Rush's age and I have known of curious George since childhood. I would never trust a man who hadn't heard of Curious George.
Whether it was Limbo or his caller, it is indicative of the atmosphere on his show.
Posted by: johnny lawless | Mar 3, 2008 7:19:42 PM
I've always viewed R. Limbaugh as a radio entertainer with a comedy show. He has never failed to make me laugh... Either w/his oxycontin or his America held hostage. I think Daniel Segretti makes the decisions on the 7 second on air delay.
Posted by: hl | Mar 3, 2008 7:27:58 PM
Blaming Senator Clinton for this is way far off base and desparate.
Posted by: DCVoter | Mar 3, 2008 7:29:39 PM
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