Almost a full week after Rush Limbaugh attacked Sandra Fluke for testifying before Congress about birth control, the controversy surrounding Limbaugh’s comments is showing no signs of dying down.
In his Tuesday afternoon news conference, President Obama responded to a question regarding the Limbaugh controversy by invoking his two daughters.
When asked to explain why he called Fluke last Friday, Obama said:
“I thought about Malia and Sasha, and one of the things I want them to do as they get older is to engage in issues they care about; even ones I may not agree with them on. … And I don’t want them attacked or called horrible names because they’re being good citizens.”
Although Limbaugh has apologized for his choice of words (and not, notably, the sentiment behind his attacks,) his critics are still not satisfied. So far 32 companies have pulled their advertisements from Limbaugh’s show, and several progressive groups have gathered hundreds of thousands of signatures petitioning more advertisers to drop the conservative shock jock.
Furthermore, there is still the unsettled matter of Republican presidential frontrunner Mitt Romney’s conflict of interest with regards to the scandal. As The National Memo reported on Friday, Romney’s controversial former firm Bain Capital owns Clear Channel Communications, which owns the syndicate that airs Limbaugh’s radio show.
David Gelles followed up on the connection in a story that can be found on page 2 of today’s Financial Times:
Clear Channel is owned by Thomas H. Lee and Bain Capital, the private equity firm where Republican presidential canddiate Mitt Romney made his fortune. Clear Channel was acquired after Mr. Romney stepped down from Bain, but Mr. Romney still profits from the firm’s activities.
