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January 15, 2010 11:03 AM 
Controversial conservative talk radio host Rush Limbaugh is defending earlier comments in which he accused President Obama of using the disaster in Haiti for political gain.
"I do believe that everything is political to this president," Limbaugh said on his radio show yesterday. "Everything this president sees is a political opportunity, including Haiti, and he will use it to burnish his credentials with minorities in this country and around the world, and to accuse Republicans of having no compassion."
President Obama has dedicated $100 million for immediate relief efforts in Haiti, calling it a "top priority." The president has not politicized the matter or criticized Republicans' response to the disaster. Republicans, in fact, have largely expressed their support for the president's efforts.
White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs did accuse Limbaugh specifically of having no compassion after his original remarks: "I think in times of great crisis, there are always people that say really stupid things," Gibbs said yesterday. "I don't know how anybody -- I don't know how anybody could sit where he does, having enjoyed the success that he has, and not feel some measure of sorrow for what has happened in Haiti."
The conservative magazine the National Review defended a portion of Limbaugh's original comments in which he questioned the effectiveness of giving aid to Haiti via the government.
"On the facts, Rush is right," writes Jim Geraghty. "The tale of U.S. foreign aid to Haiti is maddening, as well-meaning Americans dump more and more money to alleviate suffering, only to see little or no actual improvement in the living conditions on the ground."
Geraghty points to a Reuters article outlining a history of corrupt and weak civil services in Haiti that has slowed the distribution of American aid. Now, in the aftermath of this giant earthquake, the biggest challenge for government and private relief efforts alike is the lack of infrastructure available to move supplies.
Former President Bill Clinton on the CBS "Early Show" disputed Limbaugh's earlier claims that "we've already donated to Haiti. It's called the U.S. income tax."
"Well that's just not true," Clinton said. "We give a modest amount of aid."
It will take significant resources to help the people of Haiti recover. CBS News White House correspondent Mark Knoller reports that the American public has responded to the Haiti crisis so far by donating more than $8 million to the American Red Cross for Haiti relief — $10 dollars at a time — by texting HAITI to 90999. The Red Cross successfully implemented the text-to-donate solution with the assistance of the U.S. State Department and the promotion of the Obama Administration.
How to Help Victims
Blog: The Latest Developments
Complete Coverage: Devastation in Haiti
Rush Limbaugh Stands by Haiti Comments
(AP Photo)
"I do believe that everything is political to this president," Limbaugh said on his radio show yesterday. "Everything this president sees is a political opportunity, including Haiti, and he will use it to burnish his credentials with minorities in this country and around the world, and to accuse Republicans of having no compassion."
President Obama has dedicated $100 million for immediate relief efforts in Haiti, calling it a "top priority." The president has not politicized the matter or criticized Republicans' response to the disaster. Republicans, in fact, have largely expressed their support for the president's efforts.
White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs did accuse Limbaugh specifically of having no compassion after his original remarks: "I think in times of great crisis, there are always people that say really stupid things," Gibbs said yesterday. "I don't know how anybody -- I don't know how anybody could sit where he does, having enjoyed the success that he has, and not feel some measure of sorrow for what has happened in Haiti."
The conservative magazine the National Review defended a portion of Limbaugh's original comments in which he questioned the effectiveness of giving aid to Haiti via the government.
"On the facts, Rush is right," writes Jim Geraghty. "The tale of U.S. foreign aid to Haiti is maddening, as well-meaning Americans dump more and more money to alleviate suffering, only to see little or no actual improvement in the living conditions on the ground."
Geraghty points to a Reuters article outlining a history of corrupt and weak civil services in Haiti that has slowed the distribution of American aid. Now, in the aftermath of this giant earthquake, the biggest challenge for government and private relief efforts alike is the lack of infrastructure available to move supplies.
Former President Bill Clinton on the CBS "Early Show" disputed Limbaugh's earlier claims that "we've already donated to Haiti. It's called the U.S. income tax."
"Well that's just not true," Clinton said. "We give a modest amount of aid."
It will take significant resources to help the people of Haiti recover. CBS News White House correspondent Mark Knoller reports that the American public has responded to the Haiti crisis so far by donating more than $8 million to the American Red Cross for Haiti relief — $10 dollars at a time — by texting HAITI to 90999. The Red Cross successfully implemented the text-to-donate solution with the assistance of the U.S. State Department and the promotion of the Obama Administration.
How to Help Victims
Blog: The Latest Developments
Complete Coverage: Devastation in Haiti
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Rush Limbaugh is coming across as a bitter angry man with a grudge.
ReplyDeleteInstead of appealing for donations to aid one of the most devastating catastrophes in our hemisphere, Rush launches an attack against the president accusing obama of using the earthquake to score political points and of siphoning aid money for his political war chest.
Only those with the most twisted minds could agree with him.
Limbaugh has spent so much his time trying to characterize the President as Adolf Hitler that he can\’t deal with it when Obama , like everyone else, wants to find a way to help in Haiti.
Instead of joining with the president (as former President Bush has done) in encouraging people to help he has actually hurt the relief effort by planting doubt in people\’s minds that their money would be pocketed by the Obama administration.
Limbaugh should apologize and begin collecting money on his show for the relief efforts.
He should make a strong statement to his listeners that Haiti is going through the worst natural disaster in modern history and that as citizens of the world we should all do as much as we can to help the citizens of Haiti.
He ought to devote an entire day to raising funds.
How he can support the life of the unborn on one hand and spend valuable air time criticizing the President for trying to help starving, thirsty homeless children is beyond me
And as far as Jim Geraghty's comment that "On the facts, Rush is right," "The tale of U.S. foreign aid to Haiti is maddening, as well-meaning Americans dump more and more money to alleviate suffering"
The US has spent billions in military assistance to undemocratic regimes that continue to oppress their people: Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Kuwait, among others.
We give billons of dollars to countries like Israel who tell us they don't need it, and billions more to countries like Pakistan who have a spotty record of being our friend.
So if we spend several million dollars to feed the poor, provide medical assistance to the sick and injured, and clean drinking water and temporary shelters to disaster victims....excuse me,Jim Geraghty, that wasn't wasted aid because it didn't eradicate hunger, sickness and disease.