Eleanor Holmes Norton: Rush Limbaugh Comments Should Have Been Condemned By GOP Women

WASHINGTON -- District of Columbia Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D) said she was surprised her female colleagues across the aisle didn't join in the condemnation of Rush Limbaugh for his remarks about Georgetown Law student Sandra Fluke.

Speaking after a panel on women's history Tuesday, Holmes Norton said she worried that the battle over women's issues is being fought largely along party lines.

"The reason it gets politicized is that one side speaks up for it and the other side doesn't," Holmes Norton said. "Why didn't people condemn, royally, across the board, Rush Limbaugh? Why did his advertisers have to do it? I don't have the slightest problem condemning [Bill] Maher."

Holmes Norton said she understood the partisanship when Fluke's testimony was originally rejected at a hearing, a decision made across party lines. But she expressed surprise that many female Republican legislators did not take "a perfect opportunity, without breaking with their own party" to denounce sexist commentary after Limbaugh called Fluke a "prostitute" and "slut."

"There would have been a whole flock of Republican women who said, 'Thank God, because I don't want us to be identified with that language either,'" she said. "I must say, because I've been in Congress going on 22 years, there was certainly a time when there would have been some women who would have thought you can do that without being disloyal to your own party. It does not help women. Maybe it helps us as Democrats, but it really doesn't help American women for this to be a polarized issue."

A small number of female GOP lawmakers have bucked the trend and spoken out on Limbaugh's comments. Moderate Sen. Lisa Murkowksi (R-Alaska) told Talking Points Memo she was "stunned" by the remarks. "In the end, I'm a little bit disappointed that there hasn't been greater condemnation of his words by people in leadership positions," Murkowski said.

National Republican Senatorial Committee vice-chair Carly Fiorina called Limbaugh's language insulting and a distraction, and conservative Washington Post columnist Kathleen Parker wrote in an email that his remarks deserved contempt and were "simply appalling."

Comments

[Beadwindow2010]

07:15 AM on 04/07/2012

Will she include...bananas?

[J23]

02:03 AM on 03/29/2012

Also, quick shout-out to the "why didn't the left condemn Bill Maher?????" peeps:

Please be careful about insinuating hypocrisy when there could be a confounding element. The people who *still* don't condemn Bill Maher's words now that they've been plastered all over every news channel for weeks are hypocrites, yes. But some (many) people don't get cable, or are busy with their lives and jobs and families and keeping food on the table, and never knew about these things because the non-cable news didn't report it every time a cable channel TV show host had an ugly opinion. I condemn Bill Maher's words now because I *know* about them now - myself and MANY others had no clue about them back when they were fresh, and that is not a character flaw.

[nanrgran]

12:23 PM on 03/25/2012

If you haven't already signed the petition to Clear Channel to remove Limbaugh from their roster, and you would like to sign this petition. You can find it here:

http://signon.org/sign/clear%2Dchannel%2Ddiscontinue?source=mo&id=36711-17576294-GiBFzXx

Please consider joining the almost 477,000 of us who have already signed this online petition.

[J23]

05:32 AM on 03/25/2012

Dear freakin' Lord, people - can no one on either side of the aisle QUIT THE B****IN at each other and at least pay attention to the fact that this man is one step short of advocating straight-up violence towards women? How many steps is it from "film yourself for me, you slut" to "step out of line again and I'll *really* make you sorry"? Misogyny is not a partisan issue. Whatever you think about Maher, or whoever, if you condemn one person who viciously disrespects women, you should condemn them all. I wish I could hold Congress to this same standard, but as they've clearly demonstrated they can't function like normal human beings on their best days, maybe WE should start setting a better example for THEM and leave the partisan bickering out of it.

[Beocon]

03:30 PM on 03/24/2012

Is this administration's campaign staff really that good? They simply plant one young (albeit very bright) lady in front of a Congressional committee to repeat a few provocative comments and they snare Rush Limbaugh like a rabbit in the forest. Then shift much of the public discussion away from the abysmal economy, to arguing about which comedian uses the foulest language. Astounding. We conservatives have our work cut out.

[mgm5]

11:36 AM on 03/26/2012

Your analogy of Limbaugh as a little bunny in the forest is hilarious!

[Kara Kramer]

02:48 PM on 04/23/2012

It's astounding that you've somehow managed to blame the administration for Rush Limbaughs's comments.
Is this the personal responsibility conservatives are always talking about?
She provoked him?
In other words, you think she asked for it?

[Terri Skau]

10:16 PM on 03/22/2012

Well all you Republican women in "Congress" You should have been outraged the day Rush opened his "PIEHOLE" and you didn't...So now you speak up....Well it's a little too late..

Shameful all you Republican women in "Congress" just shameful...;-)

[Something Else]

06:48 PM on 03/22/2012

So, what did women do for contraception, before the debate on January 7th?

[Ken Goodwin]

06:04 PM on 03/22/2012

I think we all know the intent of the article was to get conservative and republican women to join the condemnation of Rush lets resolve to stay focused and keep the pressure up until he is forced off our free national air waves. sign the petition at http://wh.gov/Ie7

[PeachyQ]

03:04 PM on 03/22/2012

The Real Story should read "The Republican Women - Silent Majority" Will be heard. I am so tired of the Left hypocrisy! Yuk! District of Columbia Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D) is yet another Hypocrite! All this is: An attempt to revive Obama's chances of getting reelected, which is zero, nada, zilch!

Obama Out 2012!!

[mollysmomma]

10:51 PM on 03/22/2012

you will be disappointed...President Obama will be reelected. women will make sure of that!

[progressiveG]

01:55 PM on 03/22/2012

I hope he fails.

[senatortruth]

12:38 PM on 03/22/2012

Maher target Coulter CORRECTLY

based on he past statements for 10 YEARS.

Ruhuhsh ranted for THREE DAYS on his radio

show about someone who simply wanted to

TELL THE TRUTH in front of Congress,

and was DENIED so by the Republicans.

There is NO EQUIVALENCY here at ALL...

[MCWAY]

02:25 PM on 03/22/2012

The Republicans DENIED her, because their hearing was about RELIGIOUS FREEDOM. Fluke was not scheduled to be there. The Dems originally picked Barry Lynn to speak on their behalf. They pulled him out at the last minute and tried to shove in Fluke.

Issa said, "No, thank you!" So Pelosi and crew came up with their so-called hearing for Fluke. Fluke's not a minister or rabbi. She had no business at Issa's hearing.

As for Maher, he's been insulting Palin for nearly FOUR YEARS, not a mere three days.

[BiznessLady]

08:10 PM on 03/22/2012

What religious freedoms are denied to the hundreds of Catholic Church Institutions that provide that coverage already in GOP controlled states across this nation. These laws were initially passed by Republicans and no tears wer cried by the Catholic Church when they passed them before in state after state.

This is bullcrap and ISSA is a crook!

[mollysmomma]

10:56 PM on 03/22/2012

palin has lied about our President even before he was President. most of what palin has been talked about on tv, radio, and print are a result of her own ignorance. ms. fluke is a poised, smart young woman who came to tell the truth. big difference in these two women.

[ethiopia1a]

12:16 PM on 03/22/2012

Dont' confuse free speech with hate speech.

[clarkesantacruz]

12:04 PM on 03/22/2012

it seems that republicanism is a form of mentall illness. the republican women seem oblivious to the gop attack on rights. they seem to like obediently swallowing the propaganda.

[ZackShorty]

04:52 PM on 03/22/2012

"GOP Women Swallow", now there's a headline that definately would upset some, and make others very happy. Taken out of context of course, but what headlines arn't these days?

[Hannah Hunt]

11:29 AM on 03/22/2012

One of the things that greatly saddens me is that most of these comments pit women against each other...you can either be a liberal or a conservative and if you are in either camp then there is something the other side thinks is wrong with you. I have been both, and I studied women's history, so I feel connections to both sides and I also feel that women for thousands of years have disagreed with eachother about what the answers are to the problems we face. Condemning the other side is not really helpful, because frankly most of you are stereotyping and don't really understand why people on the other side from you have taken the stand that they have. Further, whatever side you are on, whether you belieive in birth control or not, what Rush said was inappropriate at best and vile at worst. If we politicize it we detract from the real issue. Perhaps Dems didn't speak out against Maher, well, then they were wrong too, but that doesn't mean that Rush's comments suddenly become wonderful. Both parties have their faults, that doesn't mean we should get distracted by that and not focus on the actual issue at hand, which is that this man who has a microphone is speaking out against any woman that uses birth control that is paid for by an insurance company, a right women and men have spent a great deal of time fighting for for a variety of complex reasons.

[Barbara Leavitt]

11:17 AM on 03/24/2012

You are absolutely right and I'd give anything if women could SEE this. Thank you.

[Something Else]

09:58 AM on 03/22/2012

It's funny that Democrat women want different things then Republican women.

[jakielewis]

10:46 AM on 03/22/2012

All women deserve respect, period.

[non fiction]

01:23 PM on 03/22/2012

What...freedom, equality? btw: the word is "Democratic."

[progressiveG]

01:58 PM on 03/22/2012

And than.

[mollysmomma]

11:01 PM on 03/22/2012

thank you.....that drives me nuts..for the right to deliberately pronounce that the wrong way....fan & fav'd.