Priorities USA Chairman: Maher Comments Have 'No Similarity' To Limbaugh's

In the wake of the controversy over Rush Limbaugh's derogatory remarks about Georgetown Law student Sandra Fluke, conservatives have accused the left of hypocrisy in not condemning comments made by liberal political satirist Bill Maher.

Maher, who donated $1 millon to Obama-supporting super PAC Priorities USA Action last month, used a sexual epithet to refer to Sarah Palin during his stand-up act in 2011. Palin and other conservatives have demanded that the group return Maher's money.

But on MSNBC's "Andrea Mitchell Reports" on Thursday, Priorities USA chairman Bill Burton rejected the idea that comments made by Limbaugh and Maher were equivalent to each other, saying that the argument distracted from larger issues

MITCHELL: There's been a suggestion that you should return the $1 million contribution from Bill Maher, that if liberals are going to go after Rush Limbaugh for the outrageous things that he's said about Sandra Fluke, that you should return the contribution from Bill Maher because of things that he has said about Sarah Palin.

BURTON: Well, a couple of things. First of all, obviously, some of those things were vulgar and inappropriate and said over the course of years of a comedian's life. It's not language I would use or language we would use at Priorities USA.

MITCHELL: Isn't that what Mitt Romney said over Rush Limbaugh's language? "Not language that I would use."

BURTON: But the notion that there is an equivalence between what a comedian has said over the course of his career and what the de facto leader of the Republican Party said to sexually degrade a woman who engaged in an important political debate of our time is crazy. There's no similarity between what Rush Limbaugh said, lying about the argument that Miss Fluke was making, that law student at Georgetown, and what a comedian has said in the past. And then finally, if we want to have this debate where we're stacking up what supporters of candidates have said over time, Mitt Romney begged Ted Nugent for his endorsement and he gave it to him and he embraced it and his campaign was bragging about it. I mean, you look at some of the things he's said. But this is all distraction from the fact that there are real differences in this race between Mitt Romney and President Obama on key issues, and that's what's important here. Where do they stand on contraception? What kind of Supreme Court justice is Mitt Romney going to put in place? An Antonin Scalia or an Elena Kagan? That's the argument that I think is important here.

Comments

[jjray43]

02:21 AM on 04/05/2012

Everyone needs to relax. Just because someone says something offensive doesn't mean they should get fired for it. If you were offended by Bill Maher's comment (which he's joking (he's a comedian)) or Rush Limbaugh's comment don't listen or watch their shows. I like Bill Maher. If people don't get his edgy humor that's ok, but many like me get his jokes. I hate Rush Limbaugh but if people want to listen to his garbage, let them! I understand that it's your first amendment right to want to boycott Bill Maher or Rush Limbaugh, but it doesn't mean you should. Let everyone mind their own businesss, let them watch what they want and listen to what they want to. Isn't that the whole idea behind having a free society. I don't want to live in a world that's bland and is afraid to offend, no one says you have to listen to them. So get over it and use your time more wisely than boycotting some talk-show host. There are major problems going on right now like high crime rates and high infant mortality rates, so maybe those boycotting show focus their time and money on important issues like that, instead of silly issues like these.

[Me Joe]

08:56 AM on 03/20/2012

Palin IS A PRIVATE CITIZEN. She holds NO office, holds NO title, and does the same thing that Maher does for his political side. Rallies the troops.

But it's funny how liberals can call people vulgar names and think it's okay, but anyone else who does it is a horrible person. Typical double standard!!

So according to Priorities USA, you can call people names so long as it's not in a political discussion. Why did the chicken cross the road? Because Sandra Fluke was working the street corner.

HAHA

[Bermille]

04:04 PM on 03/13/2012

There is no comparison. Fluke is a private citizen, Palin is not. Limbaugh is a political hack, Maher is a comedian.

[BurrRobson]

12:55 AM on 03/20/2012

Comedy is not comedy if someone is getting hurt. Shame on your for this reply, you are trying to cover for an immoral pig.

[Bermille]

01:50 PM on 03/20/2012

The difference is Maher would laugh, Limbaugh just destroys

[Candw1]

11:44 AM on 03/09/2012

It is time for these hate mongering men on both side of the political spectrum to shut up and go away. Both of these men get away with saying things that are inappropriate. They are both crude and vulgar towards women.
I am a life long Democrat and am appalled at the comments made by Maher about Palin and other women. Women are not pawns to be used and abused by political pundits. What has happened to decency in this country today. Peoples beliefs and opinions can differ, but personal attacks for the sake of sensationalism is wrong. Both Maher and Limbaugh are provocateurs for hate and money and both be silenced once and for all. Bashing and demeaning women for political speech is just wrong, no matter the political point of view.

[cdiasmd]

09:38 AM on 03/09/2012

this is Bill Maher's tweet about Rush: "Hate to defend #RushLimbaugh but he apologized, liberals looking bad not accepting. Also hate intimidation by sponsor pullout."

[Francois Bergeron]

04:40 AM on 03/15/2012

Maher is much more decent than I wold be... Rush should be accused of crimes against humanity. He abuses the power of free speech to encourage regression and passive awareness. Actually, it's more than "encourage", bad word choice, he preaches it.

[BurrRobson]

12:58 AM on 03/20/2012

Maher is a semi-smart emotional hit man. He's ugly both physically and morally. The man can't even have a marriage he's so self involved. He hides his hideous comments under the guise of comedy. Comedy is not comedy when it's a hit job. He and his 'comedy' are second rate at best.

[Francois Bergeron]

04:01 AM on 03/20/2012

He's ugly?
Now that's cute.

[MosesDidItBest]

08:19 AM on 03/09/2012

The distinction between the two is obvious, Maher makes comments and insults within a specific set of parameters regarding public figures who have recourse to redress, but has not once attacked the rights of women's access to vital health care.

Rush attacked a private citizen, made wild assumptions based on conjecture, slandered Ms.Fluke, his hatred is palpable and through and by Ms. Fluke who was to testify before Issa's "panel" consisting of only men regarding women's health needs and there rights applying thereto. Bill Maher has not done that, Rush has.

Rush exhibits all the traits of a psychopath. Only a psychopath would insist on framing women as objects of derision and as second class citizens.

[BurrRobson]

01:02 AM on 03/20/2012

Bull, Maher is a emotional void who hides hurting people behind the title of comedy. He is a ugly person who doesn't have a strong enough sense of morality to be decent to his fellow human beings. Maher can't sustain a normal relationship with the opposite sex. He has a lot in common with Letterman who is a serial cheater and thinks it was funny to bash a young girl. What's that I smell? Oh no, could it really be the stinking situational morality of the left? Golly gee, it really does stink.

[MosesDidItBest]

06:58 AM on 03/09/2012

He's right about equivalence between Maher and Rush. There is none.

Rush is the de facto head of the GOP. When President Obama took office Rush's first comment about the president was to assure his listeners that this president made be made to fail. The current GOP from senate minority leader Mitch McConnell all the way to the current house leadedrship and GOP/TP was to obstruct any and all attempts at progress to the extent they held the unemployed and victims of natural disasters hostage.

Regardless of language used, Maher attacks public figures, political figures with access or a platform from which they can defend themselves. Rush attacked a private citizen with misogynistic folderol and slander exposing his ignorance and hatred at the same time. Ms. Fluke at the time of his attack was a complete unknown with no access to the media until Rush, after 3 straight days of verbal assaults on her and by extension all women, went over the line.

Rush has joined the GOP in their all out assault on women by specifically targeting one young woman about whom he made so many assumptions, too many to be considered intelligent.

[mflorian]

01:55 AM on 03/09/2012

"It's not because they have breasts, it's because they are boobs." ~ Bill Maher

Slurring someone just because they're a woman is Rush's territory. Maher may not use words you like, but he's not calling people out just because they're women but because they're behaving poorly and happen to be women. There is no comparison.

[Blinda S]

01:34 AM on 03/09/2012

One correction to this article: It says Maher used A sexual epithet against Sarah Palin. In fact, Maher has REPEATEDLY made misogynistic comments against Palin. Also against Michelle Bachmann and Hilary Clinton and Carrie Prejean - to name a few. Liberal commentators such as Ed Schulz, Mike Malloy, Randi Rhodes and others have made comments equally inappropriate to Limbaugh's.

While Maher is a comedian, anyone who watches his show knows Bill Maher is a political commentator - just like Limbaugh. The comments he made weren't jokes - there is no joke to calling a woman a C-word. The comments he made were political attacks.

The fact that these women are public figures does not make it OK. That is a ridiculous argument. Can you make racist comments about public minorities? Is that OK? Anti-Semitic comments about public Jewish personalities? Everyone good with that? This is feminism today? If we agree with someone, anything goes. Only if we disagree with someone, are we offended. All decent people unite against all of these inappropriate comments equally. Your anger is meaningless if it is so selective.

[Daniel Albert]

11:28 AM on 03/09/2012

"The fact that these women are public figures does not make it OK"

Actually, it does. Anyone who is a public figure is open to attack. That doesn't make the attacker necessarily right, but the person knows going into the spotlight what to expect. Again, comedians are not held to the same standards as political leaders, why is this so hard? Bill Maher is a COMEDIAN first and a political commentator second. He doesn't have anywhere near the influence in the government that Rush has and nowhere near the amount of air time or exposure. Plus he doesn't invent quotes and attack private citizens.

And yes in answer to your question, if you are a comedian and you are joking, than yes you can make fun of Jews or any other group, they do it all the time. You might lose fans or create controversy but you can still do it. South Park makes fun of Jews in every episode and I AM Jewish yet I find it funny because I know they are joking. If you don't like the C word or whatever you find offensive, don't watch that show or listen to that comedian, it truly is that simple. But trying to silence criticism of public figures is the first step to 1984 and though I hate fanatical republicans, I find politically correct liberals almost as terrifying when it comes to the topic of censorship.

[Me Joe]

09:03 AM on 03/20/2012

REALLY now? And what did the Anointed One say during the 2008 Presidential campaign? That children and families were off-limits and people needed to be nice to each other.

Yet, that DID NOT stop Maher and others from being cruel towards a child who has DOWN SYNDROME.

Is it OKAY to make fun of someone with special needs??? IS IT?

[IndieObama]

03:50 PM on 03/09/2012

Comparing Limpbo's lifetime body of misogynistic work culminating in three days x three hours of trashing Fluke to Bill Maher's occasional one-liners directed at "unpleasant and stupid persons" is like comparing Bernie Madoff to a shoplifter.

[Thomas CA]

11:21 PM on 03/08/2012

"...the argument distracted from larger issues." Yes it did, and welcome to the Machiovellian marketing and classic debate tactics that have become the norm of modern GOP civic discourse. Rush should be condemned by GOP leaders and Republicans everywhere for his disgusting comments, lies and attacks on someone who simply had some important facts and perspective to contribute the the discussion of women's health and needs for contraception.

Normal humans would apologize for, and directly condemn Rush FIRST - instead of, or at least before doing or saying anything else. But again, we're not dealing with normal. We're dealing with the GOP. Rather than condemn Rush or apologize and make clear to all their followers that this rhetoric is wrong, they resort to saying "Well... Billy started it!" like a bunch of children.

[Altario]

09:27 PM on 03/08/2012

Do you people hear yourselves (or read your own posts if you will)? You are arguing technicalities if so and so is an entertainer or journalist, or if so and so is a public figure or not. NONE of that has ANYTHING to do with this. NO WOMAN deserves to be called ANY of those names by ANYONE. What is so hard to understand about that? Limbaugh is a pig for what he said. And so is Maher. And Schultz. Pigs can be found on BOTH sides. Let's call them ALL on it.

[ashtonstwin]

11:23 PM on 03/08/2012

I agree NO WOMAN deserves to called those NAMES by ANYONE.

But that doesn't mean there aren't important distinctions to be made. It's not a binary world.

Maher made the comment 4 years ago during the 2008 campaign. Those are disgusting words -- no question. But, if Palin had been offended she, unlike Fluke, had ample resources to bring the issue to the fore as a Governor and a VP candidate. If she had use that megaphone AT THE TIME to CALL HIM ON IT I'd have been on board with a demand for an apology.

To wait for 4 years and then "suddenly" become outraged when it suits a political agenda trivializes the issue by reducing the discussion to a political "tit-for-tat." The outrage seems a little contrived when you around for an opportune time to become outraged.

As for Schultz. He WAS called on it. He made the slur..... and here's an important distinction...HE APOLOGIZED THE SAME DAY...he didn't double down on it days later. In addition, he was suspended and apologized AGAIN when he came back on the air. And neither apology was a non-apology apology. That's the difference between acting like a pig and living like a pig.

No one's having a "hard time" with the principle you suggest... NO WOMAN SHOULD BE CALLED THOSE NAMES...but to demand rigorous adherence to a false equivalency, while emotionally appealing, is simplistic and illogical.

[BurrRobson]

01:13 AM on 03/20/2012

Earth to Ashton, Fluke IS a public figure. The whole point of her visit was to get her 15 minutes of fame plus a position with the dems in some form. What in the world with the sheep do without the public figure defense? She put herself out there on purpose for a career boosting reason. That ain't private citizen.

[Me Joe]

09:08 AM on 03/20/2012

No distinctions?

Would there be "distinctions" if the word that was spoken was "n--ger" ?

Of course not!!

When it comes to talk like this, there ARE NO DISTINCTIONS.

[Jeffrey Imm]

09:24 PM on 03/08/2012

We must object to ANY hate comments that seek to degrade and dehumanize women - ANY WOMEN - no matter who they are - no matter who makes them. We cannot be united on women's dignity and rights without CONSISTENCY.

[Real12]

07:36 PM on 03/08/2012

I'm a progressive, but I'll have to put in my first post to support conservatives--Maher is disgusting. I'll take Stewart or a hundred other progressive commentators before I'll listed to him.

[Altario]

09:17 PM on 03/08/2012

I'm a Conservative who thinks the same thing about Rush. Too many times he's simply an embarassment to my side of the aisle.

[J D Young]

10:56 PM on 03/08/2012

Bill is the reason I subscribe to HBO and you probably wouldn't like jokes I think are funniest. And Al Franken had it right, Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Idiot.

[Real12]

11:15 PM on 03/08/2012

Bill is the reason I don't subscribed to HBO, and you certainly can't criticize Rush, or any right wing republican, enough for me. It is just a matter of personal taste, Maher for me is too crude, and his use of the c-word for a woman, any woman, is unacceptable to me, in a addition to many other things he has said. I love Stewart, Colbert, Maddow, etc., so my dislike for Maher is NOT political.

[chackocc]

05:09 PM on 03/08/2012

Rush Limbaugh is simply following a well thought out business plan. He may or may not be as hateful and extreme as his opinions suggest. There is no doubt, however, that incessant hate- and war-mongering, and adherence to the extreme right theology on every issue are enormously profitable. The show brings Rush Limbaugh upwards of several tens of millions of dollars and his employer gets 20 million impressionable listeners handed to them to exploit at will.

Clear Channel and Rush Limbaugh are doing all the destructive things they do for profit.

[hoperequired]

04:59 PM on 03/08/2012

Always excuses from the left. Maher gave the pac a $1 million donation and if they took the money, is a reflection on them and Obama. What's your excuse for Schultz and Olbermann? They've called women the "S' word, too, is that okay with you? Always the double standard.

[MosesDidItBest]

07:00 AM on 03/09/2012

Rush gives the GOP 3 hours of pure propaganda a day and has for years, that sort of free advocacy from a radio talk show host over the years is worth countless millions. So does Fox News.

[BurrRobson]

01:15 AM on 03/20/2012

So does MSNBC, no? Can't you listen to both and make up your own mind? So does NBC. Come on.