Even after his public apology on Saturday, with characteristic planting of barbs at every opportunity, Limbaugh seems to have found few takers.
On Monday, AOL announced that it is withdrawing its support to Rush Limbaugh. Maureen Sullivan, an AOL spokeswoman said “At AOL one of our core values is that we act with integrity … We have monitored the unfolding events and have determined that Mr. Limbaugh’s comment are not in line with our values. As a result we have made the decision to suspend advertising on The Rush Limbaugh Radio Show.”
Limbaugh’s apology came in the wake of seven of his principal advertisers pulling out of his show. The first wave of advertisers who distanced themselves from Rush Limbaugh included LegalZoom, ProFlowers, Citrix Systems Inc., Quicken Loans, Sleep Train and Sleep Number, and Carbonite.
On his Monday radio show, Limbaugh criticized the actions of the advertisers as a “shame.” Calling out to his audience he said, “They decided they don’t want you or your business anymore. This program is always about you … I knew the political inclinations of these people. They didn’t care that they were profiting, and I didn’t either. No radio broadcast will succeed by putting business ahead of the needs of its loyal audience.”
The advertisers do not show any sign of relenting and most have issued statements to the public of their disapproval of Limbaugh’s conduct.
ProFlowers announced on its Facebook page on Sunday, after Limbaugh’s apology that the company held Limbaugh’s comments were “beyond political discourse to a personal attack,” and that such views “do not reflect our values as a company.”
On Saturday evening, after Limbaugh’s tacit apology, Carbonite owner David Friend issued an official statement on the company website:
“No one with daughters the age of Sandra Fluke, and I have two, could possibly abide the insult and abuse heaped upon this courageous and well-intentioned young lady. Mr. Limbaugh, with his highly personal attacks on Miss Fluke, overstepped any reasonable bounds of decency. Even though Mr. Limbaugh has now issued an apology, we have nonetheless decided to withdraw our advertising from his show. We hope that our action, along with the other advertisers who have already withdrawn their ads, will ultimately contribute to a more civilized public discourse” wrote the Carbonite chief.
Limbaugh has provided us with a classic example of “putting your foot in your mouth,” and the chain of events shows that neither politicians nor businesses approve of personal attacks in public, and if we go by reactions on the internet, neither does the public.