Limbaugh dreams of DNC riot The radio host angers many with his comments on the August convention in Denver.
By Joey Bunch DenverPost.com 04/26/2008
The conservative talker discussed the possibility of Mile High unrest in August on his national radio show for a second day in a row Thursday.
"Now, I am not inspiring or inciting riots. I'm dreaming, I'm dreaming of riots in Denver," he said mimicking the holiday tune.
He explained on air: "Riots in Denver at the Democrat convention would see to it we don't elect Democrats. And that's the best damn thing (that) could happen for this country as far as anything I can think."
Glenn Spagnuolo, an organizer with the protest group Re-create 68, called Limbaugh "a fool."
"We don't need another 5,000 illiterate Limbaugh listeners coming to Colorado," he said, mocking a comment this week by state Rep. Douglas Bruce, R-Colorado Springs, who called migrant workers "illiterate peasants" as he debated a bill to accommodate up to 5,000 guest workers in the state.
Calls to a Limbaugh spokeswoman were not immediately returned.
Mayor John Hickenlooper said, "Anyone who would call for riots in an American city has clearly lost their bearings."
Jenni Engebretsen, a spokeswoman for the convention, declined to respond to Limbaugh. "I think we'll pass on this one," she said.
Limbaugh is heard by more than 14 million listeners a week.
Limbaugh's Denver affiliate, 850 KOA, issued a statement Thursday saying its marquee talker "was not advocating violence in Denver."
Program director Kris Olinger did not return calls for comment, but the station sent a second e-mail to media stating, "Did he go too far? Or is this just Rush being Rush?"
On Wednesday, Limbaugh had been discussing comments by the Rev. Al Sharpton, who had warned of "trouble" at the convention if the nomination was wrested away from Barack Obama by superdelegates.
Local conservative talk show host and GOP activist John Andrews said he thinks he knows what Limbaugh was getting at.
"Look, nobody seriously wants violence and civil disobedience at the Denver convention," he said. "Rush is just saying, 'Make our day'; if, in fact, the Re-create 68 hooligans or the Al Sharpton street toughs or anybody else wants to disrupt the convention, they're going to hurt Democrats' chances in the fall."
Responding to a caller, Limbaugh held his ground but softened his tone. "Who wishes for riots?" he said to the caller, according to a transcript. "I didn't get the ball rolling. It is Democrats like Al Sharpton who have warned that there will be."
Denver City Councilman Charlie Brown, a Democrat and occasional Limbaugh listener, was outraged. Brown was a teacher in Illinois during the Democratic National Convention in Chicago in 1968. He recalled the injuries, chaos, lingering tear gas and disgrace for Chicago as a result.
"What an insult," Brown said of Limbaugh's flippancy. "Regardless of political labels, for any radio announcer to wish a riot on a city so his party could win, that's disgraceful and it's absurd."
He said he has found Limbaugh to be a "great entertainer, but he's really gone too far. It's almost juvenile."
Brown said he did not think Limbaugh was speaking for Republicans when he made the comment.
"I don't believe there is a Republican in this state that would agree with his comment," he said.
The station's listeners had mixed reviews, according to the 850 KOA online discussion forum.
"The man is first and foremost an entertainer, selling radio spots at exorbitant rates," one listener wrote. "He does however have the best interests of the country at heart. The idea that he is somehow trying to foster riots at the DNC is the typical left-wing dodge resorted to when confronted with the consequences of their own actions."
Another said, "I am aware that it is all for show, but that fact that many Americans hang their hats on his every word is quite disturbing. They can't think for themselves. They can't see that he is all about self gain."
While Limbaughs comments are foolish, what about Al Sharpton actually threatening problems at the DNC Convention unless Obama gets the nod? Is it not the rights of Democrats to pick the best leader (male or female of any color)they think will win in November, not because one group is threatening anarchy in the streetsif their guy loses.? History could repeat itself. The DNC lost in 1968 after the infamous Chicago convention( Plus 4 horrible summers of burning cities under their watch) and Nixon ran on an effective "Law and Order" campaign, that cornered the Democrats as a lawless ,dysfunctional mess (which they were). I could see the same thing happening with all the big egos on both sides of the DNC.
Most of us get our perspectives from media coverage and that is highly tempered and edited. That is, "talking heads" are screened and are also professionals themselves.
However, if one were to go below the surface - to the fringes of both camps or parties, one might find the truly unsettling elements who are determined they are right and are willing to do just about anything to get their way. That way, of course, being the right way.
The Right Reverend Wright's comments over the weekend demonstrate only a fraction of the radical opinions held by numbers in the population.
Limbaugh and Sharpton are but well-known examples of the radical elements. And now, Wright. (Black kids are "right-brained??!!")
It's hard to be a "populist" in these environments.
However, the up-side is when people speak, they do reveal themselves. In many cases - as wack-jobs at the centre of their own universes.
Wonder why Rev. Al and his bull horn aren't holding forth outside Rev.Wright's church insisting this racist preacher be fired? Seems he had time to do so with Imus...Where's Jesse Jackson? Haven't heard a peep....just askin'.
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