On Wednesday afternoon, the wife of conservative talk-show host Rush Limbaugh announced that his advanced-stage lung cancer had taken his life. Unfortunately, within mere minutes of the news, several left-wing media outlets felt that they couldn’t report on Limbaugh’s death without first denouncing him as a racist, divisive, drug-addled bigot.
MSNBC’s race-baiting reporter Geoff Bennett was perhaps one of the most slanderous of Limbaugh’s profound legacy. The correspondent's nasty prerecorded obituary of Limbaugh aired roughly halfway through Andrea Mitchell Reports and he made sure to emphasize as many of Limbaugh’s shortcomings as possible.
In a facetious manner, Bennett reported that Limbaugh had “a few false starts” and dropped out of college in order to start his radio career. Bennett then went on to call him a “right-wing die hard” who was known for “racist and bigoted commentary”:
“By the time he was 8 years old, Rush Limbaugh had set his sights on a career in radio, getting his start by playing records on a toy radio in his bedroom. That enthusiasm and singular focus carried through his teens. Limbaugh quit college to become a rock n’ roll deejay. Following a few false starts, he eventually found a footing in talk radio. His reputation as a right-wing diehard quickly drew a following on a local station in Sacramento. The show's success earned him a national audience through syndication in 1988. The Rush Limbaugh Show quickly became known for its extreme conservative slant and Limbaugh's, at times, racist and bigoted commentary.”
Bennett also severely downplayed Limbaugh receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom, saying he only received such a prestigious honor for his “loyalty” to the Trump administration — not his advancement of the conservative movement or decades in radio broadcasting: "Mr. Trump rewarding Limbaugh's loyalty by bestowing the Presidential Medal of Freedom during his State of the Union speech, Limbaugh visibly emotional, having announced his diagnosis of stage-four lung cancer just a day earlier.”
MSNBC’s half-hearted obituary was also comprised of selectively edited video clips of Limbaugh criticizing the Obama administration or 2020 Democratic presidential candidates, many of which were taken completely out of context, in order to tar Limbaugh as a far-right extremist.
Bennett’s conclusion was far from a gracious R.I.P. Instead, he concluded the obituary by calling Limbaugh “brash,” “bold,” and “polarizing.”
It is imperative to note that, irrespective of political ideology, all deaths are tragic. The left-wing media’s vile attack on a deceased man, who is unable to defend himself, is both abhorrent and indefensible. Perhaps left-wing hosts and faux-journalists should adhere to the age-old aphorism: If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.
MSNBC’s reveling in the death of a conservative icon was brought to you, in part, by Liberty Mutual. You can contact this advertiser, and others, via the Conservatives Fight Back page, conveniently linked here.
Click "Expand" to read the entire February 17 transcript:
Andrea Mitchell Reports
02/17/2021
12:27 PM Eastern[…]
ANDREA MITCHELL: And we have some breaking news. NBC News has just confirmed reports that longtime radio-talk show host Rush Limbaugh has died at the age of 70. He, of course, has been a fixture of conservative politics and on the airwaves for decades, revolutionizing conservative radio, later becoming close public allies, supporter and defender of the former president. Weeks after Limbaugh's January 2020 lung cancer diagnosis, he was presented with the Medal of Freedom by Mr. Trump at his final State of the Union address. It was—his death was announced by his wife on his radio show this morning. Here's NBC’s Geoff Bennett with a look back.
[CUTS TO PRE-RECORDED OBITUARY CLIP OF RUSH LIMBAUGH NARRATED BY GEOFF BENNETT]
RUSH LIMBAUGH: It’s time for broadcast excellence.
GEOFF BENNETT: Rush Limbaugh was a broadcasting icon and a powerful and controversial voice in Republican politics.
LIMBAUGH: I have a question for the Democrats: when are you people going to get tired of losing?
BENNETT: His self-titled show was the most listened to radio-talk show in America.
LIMBAUGH: I am Rush Limbaugh, America's real anchorman.
BENNETT: By the time he was 8 years old, Rush Limbaugh had set his sights on a career in radio, getting his start by playing records on a toy radio in his bedroom. That enthusiasm and singular focus carried through his teens. Limbaugh quit college to become a rock n’ roll deejay. Following a few false starts, he eventually found a footing in talk radio. His reputation as a right-wing diehard quickly drew a following on a local station in Sacramento. The show's success earned him a national audience through syndication in 1988. The Rush Limbaugh Show quickly became known for its extreme conservative slant and Limbaugh's, at times, racist and bigoted commentary.
[CUTS TO SEVERAL CLIPS OF LIMBAUGH]
LIMBAUGH: We need segregated buses. It's Obama's America.
LIMBAUGH: The NFL, all too often, looks like a game between the Bloods and the Crips without any weapons. There. I said it.
LIMBAUGH: Look, there is no question that we're being invaded by immigration, illegal immigration.
LIMBAUGH: America is still not ready to elect a gay guy, kissing his husband on the debate stage president.
BENNETT: A kingmaker in conservative politics, Limbaugh was a staunch ally of President Trump's.
[CUTS TO CLIP OF PRESIDENT TRUMP SPEAKING AT TURNING POINT USA EVENT]
PRESIDENT TRUMP: Good times, bad times, he doesn't waver because he's tough as hell.
BENNETT: Mr. Trump rewarding Limbaugh's loyalty by bestowing the Presidential Medal of Freedom during his State of the Union speech, Limbaugh visibly emotional, having announced his diagnosis of stage-four lung cancer just a day earlier.
[CUTS TO CLIP OF LIMBAUGH ANNOUNCING HIS DIAGNOSIS ON HIS RADIO SHOW]
LIMBAUGH: So I have to tell you something today, but I wish I didn't have to tell you. I have been diagnosed with advanced lung cancer.
BENNETT: Limbaugh had beaten other health challenges, losing his hearing in 2000, before getting cochlear implants. Later, missing his show when he sought treatment for an addiction to prescription painkillers.
LIMBAUGH: My goal was to be the most listened to show—the biggest radio show— in the country. You all have made it possible.
BENNETT: Rush Limbaugh, always brash, bold, powerful, and polarizing. Geoff Bennett, NBC News, Washington.
