March 28, 2012

Limbaugh sees heat over comments turn down to a simmer

View Photo Gallery — Rush Limbaugh is no stranger to controversial statements: A month after conservative talk radio host Rush Limbaugh called Georgetown law student Sandra Fluke a “slut,” the heat on him is fading. Advertisers are back, stations have stood by him and the media has moved on.

By Paul Farhi, Wednesday, March 28, 6:41 PM

The dark clouds hanging over Rush Limbaugh appear to be lifting.

Exactly one month after the conservative radio host sparked outrage by calling Georgetown law-school student Sandra Fluke “a slut” and “a prostitute” in a three-day diatribe, stations are standing by him, advertisers are trickling back to his program and the news media have moved on.

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Liberal groups that organized petitions and boycotts against Limbaugh say that they intend to keep up the pressure and that they’ve had a lasting impact on the most popular radio host in America.

“The objective has been to show that there are real consequences when someone like Mr. Limbaugh or his company shows no accountability for his actions,” says Angelo Carusone, who has been leading the anti-Limbaugh efforts for Media Matters for America, a Washington organization. “That is continuing.”

At the same time, however, Carusone acknowledged that outrage is hard to sustain. “I think certainly the pressure has been reduced,” he said. “To a certain extent, that’s okay and acceptable. . . . Obviously, the intensity is gone, but the engagement remains high.”

On Monday, the 600 or so radio stations that air Limbaugh’s program were told by his syndicator, Premiere Radio Networks, to resume running “barter” ads during his program. Stations are required to run these ads in exchange for paying discounted fees to Premiere to air Limbaugh’s show. Premiere, which is owned by radio giant Clear Channel Communications, had suspended the “barter” requirement for two weeks in a move widely seen as a way to give advertisers a chance to lie low while Limbaugh was in the news.

Limbaugh has apologized for some of his statements about Fluke, whom he attacked after she spoke last month in favor of mandatory insurance coverage for contraception at an event sponsored by congressional Democrats.

Limbaugh’s advertising losses may have been less than media accounts suggested. While more than 100 advertisers told Premiere that they didn’t want to be associated with “controversial” radio programs of any kind in the wake of the flap, some of these companies weren’t regular Limbaugh sponsors in the first place.

Carusone said most of the advertiser exodus over the past month appeared to be among companies whose ads aired only in regional or local markets, he said.

“Contrary to the wishful thinking of the professional special interest groups, reports of sponsors fleeing the ‘Rush Limbaugh Show’ are grossly exaggerated. In fact, the program retains virtually of all its long-term sponsors who continue to have great success” with the show, saidRachel Nelson, spokeswoman for Premiere.

Another Limbaugh advertiser, plumbing-fixture maker Kohler, said this week that it would no longer sponsor Limbaugh. But that was the first such announcement by a sponsor in almost two weeks.

Limbaugh’s recovering fortunes may be best exemplified by what hasn’t happened. At the peak of the controversy in early March, two small stations — in western Massachusetts and Hilo, Hawaii — said that they would drop his program. Since then, no other station has said it will take him off the air, dashing the hopes of MoveOn.org, a liberal group whose ongoing petition drive seeks Limbaugh’s removal from 180 stations.

Expectations that a weakened Limbaugh could be bumped by a new program hosted by former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee (R) have also not materialized. None of Limbaugh’s many affiliates have said they’ll move him from his midday time slot in favor of Huckabee.

Among the stations sticking with Limbaugh is WMAL AM-FM in Washington, one of several big-city Limbaugh stations owned by Cumulus Media. Cumulus is syndicating Huckabee’s program, yet the company isn’t moving Limbaugh aside for its own program on its stations.

In all, “the temperature of this controversy has finally fallen below the boiling point,” said Tom Taylor, news editor of Radio-
Info.com, which covers the industry. He added, “I think the advertiser base is coming back.”

Limbaugh got his first public endorsement this week from Clear Channel’s chief executive, Robert Pittman, who had remained silent about his star host as the Fluke controversy raged. In an interview with the Associated Press, Pittman called Limbaugh “the king” of radio and said outrage over his comments was “part of the normal day-to-day of talk radio.” The controversy, he added, has not had a major financial impact on his company.

With few new developments to drive the story, the Limbaugh episode has largely faded from the news. The relative absence of media attention figures to be a positive turn for him, as it enables advertisers to return amid less rancor.

But Steven Biel, director of SignOn.org, a Web site created by MoveOn.org for its petition drive, said the episode will make Limbaugh think twice in the future.

“I suspect his internal editing equipment is significantly amped up,” Biel said. “I could easily imagine a scenario in which one more ill-timed comment will get him banished” to satellite radio.

Trayvon suspended THREE times for 'drugs, truancy, graffiti and carrying burglary tool' and did he attack bus driver too? New picture emerges of victim as parents claim it's all a smear

The teen was suspended from school three times
He was on suspension when he was shot in February, after officials caught him with a 'marijuana pipe' and a baggie with drug residue
Trayvon was kicked out of school in October for graffiti after he was allegedly caught with a 'burglary tool' and a bag full of women's jewelry
Officials also suspended him once for skipping school and tardiness
Tearful parents say their son is now the victim of a smear campaign
New poll shows 73 percent of Americans think Zimmerman should be arrested

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

PUBLISHED: 08:02 EST, 26 March 2012 | UPDATED: 22:55 EST, 27 March 2012

Trayvon Martin was suspended from school three times in the months before he was shot dead by a neighborhood watchman, it emerged today.

The new claims, revealed in a leaked report, paint a different picture of a teenager who frequently found himself in trouble with authorities.

It was also revealed that he might have attacked a bus driver, according to a Twitter account that it is claimed belonged to the teen.

The Miami Herald claims that in October, he was caught with a 'burglary tool' - a flathead screwdriver - and 12 pieces of women's jewellery. Martin insisted that they did not belong to him.

Earlier, he had been suspended for skipping school and showing up late to class. And most recently, in February, he was suspended again when officials found a 'marijuana pipe' and an empty baggie with traces of the drug.

The fresh claims are likely to be seized upon by supporters of George Zimmerman who say the teenager launched an unprovoked attack on the neighbourhood watch volunteer moments before Trayvon was shot dead.

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New picture emerges: This photograph, taken from a Twitter account the reportedly belonged to Trayvon, shows an older image of the teen -- just as new reporting are casting a different light on his behavior

Killing: Trayvon Martin (left) was shot dead by George Zimmerman (right) one month ago today in a gated community in Sanford, Florida

The revelation about the suspension in October, in a school report obtained by the Herald, was condemned today by Trayvon's family as part of a campaign to smear their dead son.

The boy's mother said: 'They killed my son and now they're trying to kill his reputation.'

More...

The conservative news site the Daily Caller and the blog the Wagist claim they have unearthed a Twitter account, which has since been taken down, that belonged to the teen.

Among many Tweets, the Wagist claims, is a message from his cousin implying that Trayvon attacked a bus driver.

'Yu ain't tell me yu swung on a bus driver,' a user Tweeted to Travyon's alleged account five days before he was killed.

Mourning: Trayvon's father, Tracy Martin, weeps at a rally for his son Monday in Sanford, Florida

The Daily Caller, says it has published 152 pages of tweets downloaded from Trayvon's account. The site says Trayvon went by the Twitter handle NO_LIMIT_N***A.

A few of the messages make reference to using drugs including one that says: 'Finna (I'm fixing to) smoke 1 wit my dawg wayne.'

But most are simply a take on daily life -- the same as most social media accounts.

'PLZZ EXERCISE YO RIGHT 2 REMAIN SILENT.. DAM,' he says.

Another says: '2 glock 40's... b**** you got 80 problems.'

Meanwhile, Joe Oliver, Zimmerman's longtime friend, told Good Morning America Monday that no matter how the case comes out -- even if the shooting is ruled justified -- 'George has virtually lost his life, too.'

Mr Oliver said Zimmerman has gone into hiding and is in fear of his life over the public outcry for his arrest. A fringe group, the New Black Panther Party, has offered a $10,000 reward for his 'capture.'

The boy’s parents say that they have never heard the claim about the screw driver and jewellery.

The October suspension was officially for graffiti, after he and some friends wrote ‘W.T.F.’ on a school locker.

Racial fury: Thousands of protesters attended the Sanford rally on Monday

Outrage: Tracy Martin (center) was passionate at a meeting of the Sanford city commissioners Monday, alongside his ex-wife Sabrina Fulton

According to an October report of the incident by the Miami Dade Schools Police, obtained by the Miami Herald, Trayvon never received any punishment for the jewellery because he said it was not his and it belonged to a friend.

ARE THESE TRAYVON MARTIN'S TWEETS FROM WEEKS BEFORE HIS DEATH?

The Daily Caller, a conservative news site, has published 152 pages of tweets it says were copied from Trayvon Martin's Twitter account before it was taken down.

Here is a small sample of the messages by a user with the handle '@NO_LIMIT_N***A' sent and received in the months before Trayvon's death:

(From a cousin): Yu ain't tell me yu swung on a bus driver
PLZZ EXERCISE YO RIGHT 2 REMAIN SILENT.. DAM
2 glock 40's... b**** you got 80 problems
Finna (I'm fixing to) smoke 1 wit my dawg wayne
Lol so daisha think she a boss cuz she walkd in class late 2day.... i do that everyday
Sum stuff u jus gotta tak 2 da grav w/ u
Early release 2day. No skool 2maro >>>>>>>>>>

In total, he had 12 pieces of mostly women’s rings and earrings in his bag.

Instead, he was suspended on October 21for the graffiti charge.

Ben Crump, a lawyer for Trayvon’s parents, said that they ‘never heard anything like this about a bag of jewellery….And anyway, it’s completely irrelevant to what happened February 26.

‘They never heard this, and don’t believe it’s true. If it were true, why wouldn’t they call the parents? Why wasn’t he arrested?

‘We think everybody is trying to demonize him.’

The Martin family has admitted that the October suspension was his second, and that he had previously been suspended for tardiness and truancy.

The third, and arguably most serious suspension, came in February in the days leading up to his death.

According to the Miami Herald, Miami-Dade Schools Police reported finding a bag with marijuana residue and a ‘marijuana pipe’ in the 17-year-old’s possession.

The boy was never criminally charged, but the Dr. Michael M. Krop Senior High School has a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to drug related incidents so he was suspended for an undisclosed amount of time.

Mr Crump said: ‘If he and his friends experimented with marijuana, that is completely irrelevant. What does it have to do with killing their son?’

After rallies and meetings all day Monday in Sanford, Florida, where the shooting occurred, Trayvon's parents are expected to appear on Capitol Hill Tuesday as the US Congress takes up the issue of racial profiling.

The hearing in front of the House Judiciary Committee comes as nearly three quarters of Americans believe Zimmerman should be arrested, according to a CNN/ORC International poll.

Only 11 percent of the people surveyed believe Zimmerman should not be arrested. The rest are unsure.

The unanimity against Zimmerman's shooting even crosses racial and lines. About 67 percent of whites support his arrest and 86 percent of non-whites. Majorities of Republicans, Democrats and independents are all on the same page.

At a Sanford City Council meeting Monday, which turned into a public forum on the Trayvon shooting, Rev Al Sharpton gave city leaders a petition with 2 million signatures of people calling for Zimmerman to be locked up.

Kitted out: These supporters brought Skittles and Iced Tea with them to the rally, as they were the only two things Trayvon had on him at the time of the fatal incident

Demonstration: Thousands of people march down Park Avenue Monday in support of Trayvon Martin at downtown Sanford, Florida

ZIMMERMAN'S LAWYER 'FLEES' MSNBC INTERVIEW

MSNBC host Lawrence O'Donnell claims he frightened away George Zimmerman's lawyer, Craig Sonner, because he planned to ask him tough questions.

Sonner has been making rounds with the media since Sunday and publicly defending Zimmerman's shooting of Trayvon Martin as self-defense.

However, O'Donnell said previous interviews, mostly with network TV morning show hosts, have been too soft on Mr Sonner -- who has mostly refused to give specific details about the case.

'He's in our car right now, taking him home from our studio, afraid to face the questioning he would face on this show,' the host said.

In lieu of Mr Sonner, O'Donnell chose symbolically interview an empty chair and ask the questions he intended to put to the attorney.

They include:

'Who is paying you, Mr Lawyer?'

'Does George Zimmerman have a job?'

'Did you represent him when he was arrested for assault on a police officer in 2005?'

'Your client was not injured enough to go to the hospital that night. You say he sought some sort of medical treatment the next day. Do you have those medical records that you can show us?'

The new details about Trayvon’s past come the same day as thousands marched through the streets of Sanford, where the shooting happened, to demand justice.

The boy's mother and father joined the rally, where they called for justice.

His mother said: 'I know I cannot bring my baby back. But I’m sure going to make changes so that does not happen to another family.'

While his father Tracy said Zimmmerman 'needs to be arrested'. 'He needs to be put on trial.

The national attention from perennial leaders of the black community, Sharpton and Rev Jesse Jackson is not welcome, according to C.L. Bryant, the former head of the NAACP in Garland, Texas.

'His family should be outraged at the fact that they’re using this child as the bait to inflame racial passions,' the conservative pastor told the Daily Caller.

He said they were 'acting as though they are buzzards circling the carcass of this young boy.'

Trayvon's parents and civil rights leaders spoke after a dramatic police account of the fatal shooting claimed the black teen launched an unprovoked attack on the neighborhood watch volunteer in which he punched him in the face, knocked him to the ground and then bashed his head into the sidewalk several times before trying to grab his gun.

The report, leaked to the Orlando Sentinel and ABC News and based on anonymous sources, supports accounts from George Zimmerman's allies that he acted in self-defense when he shot dead the 17-year-old one month ago in Sanford Florida.

The embattled Sanford Police Department, while condemning the leak, confirmed that the story was consistent with information private to the State Attorney's office, which is currently considering whether to file charges against Zimmerman.

The police account is also based mostly on Zimmerman's own words to officers after they arrived at the gated community February 26, but it is the most complete picture of his side of the shooting that has been released publicly.

As the Orland Sentinel reports, Zimmerman got out of his car and followed Trayvon as he walked back to the home of his father's girlfriend after picking up snacks at a local convenience store.

Zimmerman called 911 to report a suspicious black teenager who looked like he might be on drugs.

As he walked after the teen, the police dispatcher told Zimmerman he didn't need to keep following.

A minute passes and police don't know what happens.

Then, according to Zimmerman, Trayvon approached him from behind and they 'exchanged words.'

Trayvon asked Zimmerman if he had a problem. Zimmerman said, 'no.'

Then, according to Zimmerman, Trayvon said, 'Well now you do,' and unexpectedly punched Zimmerman in the face, knocking him to the ground.

Trayvon, 6-foot-3 and 140 pounds, then reportedly climbed on top of the 250-pound Zimmerman and bashed his head into the sidewalk several times.

Frenzy: Trayvon's mother, Sabrina Fulton (center), seen next to her lawyer Benjamin Crump, attended the massive rally on Monday that was organized in Sanford to show support for Trayvon

Rally: Sybrina Fulton (center), the Trayvon's mother, met with Rev Al Sharpton (second from the right) and Rev Jesse Jackson (right) at the Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church in Eatonville, Florida Monday

Anger: Rev Jesse Jackson, right, speaks as Rev. Al Sharpton listens during a community forum on slain Florida teenager Trayvon Martin at the Macedonia Baptist Church in Eatonville, Florida

One unidentified witness, who did not see the shooting, said he saw a younger man on top of an older man and the older man was screaming for help.

Police say the cries that witnesses reported, which Trayvon's family say were coming from the teen, are actually likely from Zimmerman.

Zimmerman, who had a permit to carry a handgun, shot Trayvon once in the chest at very close range, killing him.

'If he and his friends experimented with marijuana, that is completely irrelevant. What does it have to do with killing their son?'

-Benjamin Crump, lawyer for the Martin family

According to police reports and accounts given by Zimmerman's lawyer, Craig Sooner, the 28-year-old's nose was bloody or broken, his lip was bleeding and he had a bloody gash on the back of his head.

As the national outcry over the shooting continued to gather momentum, Zimmerman's allies say he was in a 'fight for his life.'

'It's not a racial issue. George Zimmerman is absolutely not a racist,' Zimmerman's lawyer told the Today Show Monday. Zimmerman is half white and half Hispanic.

His friend Joe Oliver joined his lawyer for several TV interviews Sunday and Monday to publicly defend Zimmerman.

'The bottom line is there was a life and death struggle in that instance and someone was going to die,' Mr Oliver told the Today Show.

‘Because he was there and he knows what happened...he's been very confident -- naively -- that this would all blow over,' Mr Oliver said in an appearance on ABC's Good Morning America Sunday. He added that Zimmerman cried for days after the incident.

Too young: Trayvon Martin, seen here in a family photo from a ski trip, was simply holding Skittles when he was shot

Rushing to his defense: George Zimmerman's friend, Joe Oliver (left), and his attorney, Craig Sonner (right), said the neighborhood watch volunteer shot Trayvon Martin in self-defense

Police did not arrest Zimmerman after the February 26 because he cited Florida's so-called 'Stand Your Ground' law, which does not require residents to retreat and allows them to defend themselves when they have reasonable belief that they will be killed or severely injured.

That law could also make it difficult to win a conviction if they file charges against Zimmerman, a top prosecutor told Good Morning America Monday.

'The Stand Your Ground law is one portion of justifiable use of deadly force,' veteran State Attorney Angela Corey said.

'And what that means is that the state must go forward and be able to prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt… So it makes the case in general more difficult than a normal criminal case.'

Despite being legally justified, according to friends, Zimmerman is remorseful about killing Trayvon.

Mr Oliver said Zimmerman wishes he could tell the boy's parents he is 'very, very sorry.'

Widespread protests: Maurice Collier (L) and Josie Dean stand in protest before students from historically black colleges in Atlanta arrive at the Georgia capitol to protest the shooting

Support: New York state senators Kevin Parker (left) Bill Perkins (center) and Eric Adams wear hooded sweatshirts during session in the Senate Chamber in Albany today to show their support for Florida teenager Trayvon Martin

'No justice': Marie Gonzalez, of Pembroke Pines, Florida, wears a T-shirt demanding justice for Trayvon

Furthermore, Mr Oliver says, Zimmerman, who is currently in hiding, didn't stop crying for days after the killing.

The interviews comes the same day as a new report says that Justice Department investigators may try to charge him with a hate crime, and they are thought to be using the alleged murmuring on the 911 call to argue he said a racial slur before fatally shooting the teen.

'They killed my son and now they're trying to kill his reputation'

-Sabrina Fulton, Trayvon's mother

'If that was a racial epithet that preceded the attack on Trayvon Martin, we definitely have a hate crime,' said Drexel University law professor Donald Tibbs.

'It sounds pretty obvious to me.'

Even if Zimmerman is not charged, the entire Sanford police department may be investigated regardless to see if they destroyed or hid any evidence during their initial investigation.

Mr Oliver also identified the voice screaming in the now-infamous 911 tapes as the Neighbourhood Watch captain, not of Martin as the teen's parents claim.

‘From the clips that I’ve heard online, I heard George. That sounded like someone who was in dire need of help. It sounded like George.’

'At that point, either George or Trayvon was going to die.'

Despite the defense from Zimmerman's allies, a new witness has stepped forward and said she and her roommate heard Trayvon screaming before hearing a shot being fired.

In an interview which aired on Dateline NBC Sunday night, Mary Cutcher said that she and her roommate ran out after hearing the shot.

Vigil: Marc Booker, of Sanford, leads a prayer during the candlelight vigil at the memorial site outside the gates of the Retreat at Twin Lakes, where Trayvon Martin was shot

Sweet gestures: Skittles are one of the common symbols of the fight for justice of Trayvon

‘We both saw him straddling the body, basically, a foot on both sides of Trayvon’s body and his hands pressed on his back,’ Ms Cutcher said of she and her roommate.

‘It sounded young. It didn’t sound like a grown man is my point. It sounded to me like someone was in distress and it wasn’t like a crying, sobbing boo-hoo, it was a definite whine.

‘He started walking back and forth like three times with his hand on the head and kind of, he was walking like kind of confused.

‘He was in shock.’

This version of events plays into the beliefs of millions of protestors who have called for Zimmerman to be charged with murder for shooting the teen and believe the killing was racially motivated.

Widespread: Concurrent rallies were held throughout the country, like this one in Atlanta, Georgia

Ms Fulton, Trayvon's mother, filed applications with the U.S. Trademark and Patent Office to seek ownership of the phrases 'I Am Trayvon' and 'Justice for Trayvon’ which supporters have adopted as rallying cries.

Ms Fulton's lawyer, Ms Major Morris, told the Associated Press that the money that will be gathered from the trademark will go to 'projects that will assist other families who experience similar tragedies'.

She denied that Ms Fulton had any intention of profiting from the move.

The case has become a national issue, and the slain teen's parents have both quit their jobs to help see that the fight for justice continues. In that effort, they have allowed their lawyers to set up a donation fund for the legal costs, but now they fear that other fake sites have sprung up, hoping to profit from the national outrage.

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