Women’s Groups Protest Placement Of Limbaugh Bust In Missouri Capital

Days after Rush Limbaugh called Georgetown law student Sandra Fluke a “slut” on his radio show, Missouri House Speaker Steven Tilley (R) announced his decision to honor the conservative radio host with a bust in the state Capital’s Hall of Famous Missourians. Tilley is not backing down from his plan, but women’s groups are continuing to protest the bust’s placement.

Groups are keeping up the pressure on Tilley to change his mind. Two weeks ago, one group brought 600 rolls of toilet paper to the legislator’s office with signs calling on him to “Flush Rush!” And yesterday, another group marched outside the state Capital before leaving 35,000 petition signatures against the bust’s placement.

But Tilley insists that Limbaugh must be honored for having been “successful”:

Tilley said Limbaugh, who is from Cape Girardeau, is an important — if controversial — figure in Missouri’s history.

“He’s transformed talk radio, he’s the most popular radio personality in the country and he’s from our home state of Missouri,” Tilley said. “Does he say controversial things? Yes. Does he say provocative things? Yes. Does he say things that I disagree with? Yes. But he certainly has been successful.”

The fact that Limbaugh attacked Fluke, disrespecting all women in the process, should prevent him from receiving the honor, said Jessica Peters, a Planned Parenthood volunteer in Missouri. “If we say that it’s OK for somebody to call somebody a ‘slut,’ then it’s OK for people to use name-calling,” Peters said.