Auction of Limbaugh letter to help Marine kids

[thedrifter]

Auction of Limbaugh letter to help Marine kids
By Michael Hoffman - Staff writer
Posted : Friday Oct 19, 2007 7:08:06 EDT

Finally, a reason for both conservative and liberal Marines to appreciate Rush Limbaugh: Children of Marines stand to receive more than $850,000 for a letter — put up for auction on eBay — that was sent to conservative talk show host Limbaugh’s boss. Signed by 41 U.S. senators, the letter asks that Limbaugh receive a public reprimand for his comments on air last month about “phony soldiers.”

The letter was sent Oct. 2 to Mark Mays, the chief executive officer of Clear Channel Communications Inc. — the parent company of Limbaugh’s show — by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. In it, Reid said Limbaugh disparaged soldiers who opposed the war by calling them “phony.”

Presidential candidates Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama were among the senators who signed the letter.

Limbaugh said the senators misinterpreted his comments, which were instead directed at soldiers who falsify their military records — such as Jesse McBeth, who was sentenced to five months in jail for filing for $10,000 worth of benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs even though he didn’t finish basic training.

Limbaugh chose the Marine Corps Law Enforcement Foundation, a charity that awards scholarships to children of Marines and federal law-enforcement personnel who die on duty, to receive the entire winning bid, which stood at $851,100 at 5 p.m. Thursday.

Limbaugh is an active board member with the foundation and has mentioned it many times on his show, helping to generate donations across the country, said Agostino Von Hassell, a member of the charity for more than 15 years.

“It’s a very nice chunk of change that will help a lot of children,” Von Hassell said.

The auction was announced Oct. 11 at a speech in Philadelphia by Limbaugh, during which he displayed the letter after taking it out of a titanium briefcase handcuffed to a security agent. The opening bid on the letter was $100 Monday morning.

The auction ends Friday afternoon at 1 p.m. Eastern time. The winner will receive the letter, the titanium briefcase, a picture of Limbaugh with the letter and a thank you letter from the talk show host.

Limbaugh challenged each senator who signed the letter to match the winning bid. A call to Reid’s office for comment was not returned by press time.

Ellie

[thedrifter]

E-bay link

cgi.ebay.com/Original-Harry-Reid-Rush-Limbaugh-Smear-Letter_W0QQitemZ260170172469QQcategoryZ4105QQcmdZV iewItem

Ellie

[thedrifter]

Game, set, match to Mr. Limbaugh
Posted By Uncle Jimbo

WOW! I have nothing but the highest praise for the brilliant judo Rush Limbaugh put on the crap weasels (like me) who called him out on the phony "phony soldiers" smear. The failures of those who signed this are much greater as they had to know they were making false claims. I recanted in less than an hour, but after it was patently obvious Rush was not slurring anyone who had not already covered themself in dung, the thin-lipped, milquetoast, cream in the coffee, cadaver and 40 fellow travelers still sent a pitiful message to Clear Channel.

Rush did a perfect job of exposing the shameful political ploy for the shameful political ploy it was. Now that it has generated a ridiculous amount of money for an undeniably good cause, he deserves more credit than I can give. But kudos, congrats and bravo Rush.

The sweetest bit may be this clip of the cadaver on the Senate floor praising Rush for making a gargantuan fool out of him worldwide. He damn near chokes on every word.

Ellie

[thedrifter]

In Honor of Rush Limbaugh's Defeat of Harry Reid (New Holiday!)
10/20/07 | Reaganesque

At a little before noon today, Harry Reid, leader of the Democrats in the Senate, surrendered to Rush Limbaugh. Given this historic defeat and the weaselly way in which Mr. Reid tried to make it look like he deserved some credit for the money raised for charity, it is hereby resolved (by me) that from this day forth, October 19 will forever be known and celebrated as:

"Weasel Stomping Day!"

www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQLk0mBuSPM

Ellie

[thedrifter]

Limbaugh Spins Reid's Letter Into Charity Gold
By Neely Tucker
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, October 20, 2007; C01

Petty bickering about patriotism and Who Loves Our Troops More has never been seen as a financial growth industry, but there's no stopping American capitalism. This is why a perfunctory bit of political grandstanding, committed to U.S. Senate letterhead this month, became worth a reported $4.2 million yesterday, instantly becoming one of the most valuable printed documents of the modern era.

The letter in question is an Oct. 2 two-pager from Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) to Clear Channel Communications CEO Mark Mays lambasting the syndicate's Rush Limbaugh, who had recently criticized U.S. troops who were against the war in Iraq.

"Phony soldiers," blasted Limbaugh.

"Beyond the pale," Reid blasted back. "Unpatriotic," he added.

Forty-one Democratic senators signed the thing, put it in the mail and, really, that should have been the end.

But Limbaugh decided he had been "smeared" by left-wing evildoers. He put the letter up for auction on eBay, with the benefits going to the Marine Corps-Law Enforcement Foundation, a New Jersey-based charity that primarily gives scholarship money to the children of service members either killed in war or in the course of public duty. Limbaugh sits on the board of directors.

The letter drew bids from more than 60 people and was bought yesterday for $2.1 million by reclusive D.C. philanthropist Betty Brown Casey, who has heretofore shown more of an interest in the Washington National Opera than Washington mudslinging. Limbaugh said yesterday on his radio show that Casey was a longtime fan, that he would match her bid (bringing the total raised by the letter to $4.2 million) and, on his show, he graciously poked Reid in the eye:

"It got this kind of money because it represents one of the most outrageous abuses of federal power in modern American history, and that is what makes it a collector's item. This letter that Senator Reid wrote will forever memorialize him as a demagogue."

We have only a few hours, but you get the idea.

Brendan Sullivan, Casey's attorney, did not return calls yesterday.

Yesterday on the Senate floor, Reid said Limbaugh had "very, very constructively" raised more than $2 million with a letter "signed by this senator and my friends." Limbaugh, not to be out-grandstanded, took to the airwaves to blast Reid for trying to "horn in" on the publicity coup.

"We've gotten donations in the million-dollar range before, but this is by far the biggest," James Kallstrom, chairman and co-founder of the 12-year-old charity, said yesterday in a telephone interview.

The foundation has awarded more than $27 million in scholarships to children of slain troops and law enforcement officers, Kallstrom said, as well as support money for disabled veterans and their families.

"But we're not political at all," he said.

Ellie