March 5, 2012: Law Student Says Limbaugh’s Apology Changes Nothing

Georgetown University law student Sandra Fluke, who was given an apology by talk show host Rush Limbaugh (see March 3, 2012) after he vilified her for three days on his radio show (see February 29, 2012, March 1, 2012, and March 2, 2012), says Limbaugh’s apology is far too little. Appearing on ABC’s morning talk show The View, Fluke says the apology does not “change anything.” For Limbaugh to say that his “choice of words was not the best” is hardly an apology at all, she says. She also notes that he is “under significant pressure” from advertisers who are beginning to withdraw their advertisements from his show (see March 2, 2012 and After). She also says she does not want an apologetic phone call from him, were he to offer one. “I think the statements that he made on the air about me have been personal enough, so I’d rather not have a personal phone call from him,” she says. She refuses to call for an advertiser boycott of Limbaugh’s show, merely saying that Americans support companies that share their values, and she trusts that state of events will continue. Fluke adds: “I want to correct the misperception, which Mr. Limbaugh and a lot of other commentators have been putting out there to confuse the public, the idea that this is about taxpayers or the government paying for contraception. It is absolutely not. This regulation covers private insurance and it wants to have this type of medical drug treated in a way that’s similar to how other medical drugs are treated. And it is health care.” [ABC News, 3/5/2012; Think Progress, 3/5/2012; Think Progress, 3/5/2012]