Rush Limbaugh is the latest pundit to rush to the defense of Neil Munro, the Irish born journalist who interrupted President Obama's speech at the White House on Friday by yelling 'Why do you favor foreigners over American workers?'
Munro, the White House correspondent for the right-leaning Daily Caller, was denounced by members of the media for shouting out his question while the president was still in the middle of his speech on immigration reform.
But now Limbaugh is defending the Irishman's right to speak and blasting Munro's critics for suggesting that the reporter felt emboldened to interrupt President Obama because of his race.
On his radio show on Monday Limbaugh argued that Munro was simply doing his job as a journalist. 'Imagine heckling the president by asking him a question!' he scoffed. Limbaugh went on to say he was mystified by the nations focus on the reporter's tactic.
ABC's Sam Donaldson, who took offense when he was compared to Munro by the Daily Caller's chief Tucker Carlson, countered that he believed Obama's race was a factor in Munro's behavior and Limbaugh's opposition to the president.
Donaldson told The Huffington Post this week that many oppose the president 'for who he is, an African American' and he singled out Limbaugh out for encouraging a climate of 'disrespect.'
In an email over the weekend, Limbaugh took issue with Donaldson's claims.
'How utterly ignorant of these supposed great minds to suggest that any of this has anything to do with Obama's skin color cause I'm gonna tell you it doesn't. As far as I'm concerned, I got over his skin color before he was elected,' Limbaugh wrote, adding that he objected to Obama's 'ideas' and 'policies.'
'I couldn't care less about this guy's skin color and for these guys to run around and make this kind of accusation, it is cheap, it is predictable, it is cliched, it is ignorant and it is wrong,' Limbaugh blustered.
Limbaugh has famously referred to Obama as a 'Halfrican,' 'a Chicago street thug,' 'a half-minority' and even 'the little black man-child.'
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Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.seanomelb | Jun 22, 2012, 12:10 AM EDT
Asking the tough questions is fair. It's when you ask them can be deemed bullying.
BrianO | Jun 21, 2012, 11:39 AM EDT
@Cyn, What ever happened to "speaking truth to power", guess that only goes one way. If the "journalist" dares to ask tough questions, shut him down, you might want to change your title from Cyn to censore.
BrianO | Jun 21, 2012, 11:35 AM EDT
When will Irish central do a piece on Chris Mathews views? Never, cause no cares, and Rush gets good ratings and is an easy writeup for the "journalist". So is Munro an American citizen or not?
McNamara31 | Jun 21, 2012, 09:38 AM EDT
Neil Munro..May not be a racist; but he is a self serving, obnoxious,opportunist who disrespects all.
Cyn | Jun 20, 2012, 09:55 PM EDT
People really listen to this man anymore? Another wrong winger spreading hate and lies. Shut him down.
pilib04 | Jun 20, 2012, 07:50 PM EDT
I can just imagine what the reaction would have been when Bush was President.
pilib04 | Jun 20, 2012, 07:49 PM EDT
seaoomelb, you are probably a little light in your estimate of the number of racists in the u.s.a.
seanomelb | Jun 20, 2012, 07:20 PM EDT
To Irishandproud!! "there are thee times as many listeners to Limbaugh as there are people in Ireland".That just shows there's at least 15 million racist bigots in the good old USA
jamthecat | Jun 20, 2012, 06:56 PM EDT
I find it hysterical that a race-baiting ideologue like Rush is coming to the defense of an Irish national (here on a green card) who took the job of an American and who then had the nerve to deliberately interrupt Obama while he was giving a speech and ask why the president favored foreign workers (like Munro) over Americans. It's just ludicrous...and amazingly stupid. So, so stupid. But that's Rush. The only people dumber are those who listen to him.
jamthecat | Jun 20, 2012, 05:24 PM EDT
Why is it considered racist when on a rare occasion a journalist attempts to ask a question of the President, though it may have been rude, Bush endured far more antagonism at the hands of a liberal media? Never a claim of disrespect then, even as he was burned in effigy.
KatieMurphy | Jun 20, 2012, 05:13 PM EDT
Our dear friend Rush Limbaugh - whose moral values include being on his 4th wife............... Who said when Pr. Obama was elected "I hope he fails".......... Rush is just anther example of hate in America. The repub party's religious base is the southern baptists types, who gave us slavery, the KKK and segregation............ As for "IrishAndProud |" who said Rush is the most listened to commentator in the USa - well that may be true........... Another most listened to racist monster was the guy who threw 6 million of Jesus own people into the gas chambers and ovens. Old AH - may his name be a curse forever. BTW as usual - its all about the curse of money = the root of all evil. Rush gets about 45 million a year to keep the fools who listen to him poor and supporting the very people who are taking their jobs to commie china land.............I guess there is lots of truth in the old saying - a fool and his money are soon parted"
alisaann | Jun 20, 2012, 04:42 PM EDT
anyone with 1/2 a brain KNOWS that you WAIT to ask questions of the PRESIDENT, until he's FINISHED giving a statement or speech....then you ask questions....and i DO believe, that some DO hold his color against the current president....jmo. alisa
alisaann | Jun 20, 2012, 03:21 PM EDT
Me thinks a poster acknowledges the approximate 800,000 illegal aliens, but says that the 800,000 may not be an accurate figure, since some could already be in the statistics is saying: since you are already in the statisics-----------it's O.K. that your holding down a job that an unemployed American worker could do. It appears to me that the poster doesn't want the illegal alien to be the victim-----------he wants the American worker to be the victim.
IrishAndProud | Jun 20, 2012, 02:39 PM EDT
Imagine that -- someone can actually oppose Obama and not because of his dad's skin color! Gasp! Imagine that! Maybe I should have had the smelling salts out for the libs before I broke that news, but it's so! BTW connemaragirl, about three times more people listen to the Limbaugh show per week than there are in all of Ireland - PER...WEEK. He's the most popular talk show host in the USA. THAT's who listens to him. But back to my first point, I also like what another Irish poster said about Obama: "I still can't believe that he claims to be the first black president when he is mixed race. Isn't he insulting an enormous number of the US population by only acknowledging one side of his heritage? Why on earth would you vote for someone who doesn't want to be who he is? The man is half black: there's nothing wrong with that. The man is half-white: what's wrong with that? If I was a US citizen, I simply couldn't vote for someone who isn't true to himself and shows such disrespect towards his parents and grandparents." Put that in your peace pipe and smoke it!
EphraimKibbey | Jun 20, 2012, 01:36 PM EDT
Me thinks he doth protest too much! Limbaugh's previous language seems to put the lie to his current denial. It will be interesting to see if the unemployment rate actually increases substantially or if these young people were already represented in the statistics. It also seems INTERESTING that Munro is taking a job that an American journalist would love to have but asking that question. Maybe we should ask "Why does Tucker Carlson favor giving foreigners jobs over American workers?" Just a thought.
connemaragirl | Jun 20, 2012, 01:11 PM EDT
Who listens to that windbag anyways ,just keep taking those drugs Rush .
Nicomax | Jun 20, 2012, 12:42 PM EDT
Some reporter at Bush's news conference in 2006 to announce the 'surge' in Iraq should have rudely interrupted him to say, " How many more Americans will die in this surge, Mr. President?" What then would the Missouri 'porky' have said about that commie reporter?
BrianO | Jun 20, 2012, 12:29 PM EDT
I'm appalled Limbaugh doesn't care what color the president is but is opposed to his policies! when will this inquisition stop.
rugbyplayer | Jun 20, 2012, 11:51 AM EDT
Limbaugh is a big mouthed buffoon who will endorse anyone or any group opoposed to Obama or the Democrat Party. Limbaugh is a darling of slanted and mendacious Fox News and his own dumb and dumber radio audience. Neil Munro's jibe was just another far right attempt to get another (paid) Obama-hater's name into the headlines.
allentown | Jun 20, 2012, 11:01 AM EDT
Neil Munro should not have interrupted the President speaking and should be critized for that, however his question: "Why does the President favor giving foreigners jobs over American workers" is relevant and should be discussed. Apparantly, up to 800,000 children of illegal aliens up to 30 years of age can now apply for work visas to work in the USA. I would like to hear the posters on this topic defend the loss of up to 800,000 jobs to our unemployed American workers.
Jimsteer | Jun 20, 2012, 10:42 AM EDT
'Limbo' would say that, wouldn't he? Jimmy