Petition to pull Limbaugh off AFN gathers steam

By Rick Maze - Staff writer

A petition drive to get conservative radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh banned from Armed Forces Network radio has collected more than 19,300 online signatures in five days, and appears well on the way toward acquiring the 25,000 signatures required by April 3 to get the White House to directly address the issue.

The petition was launched Sunday after Limbaugh repeatedly mocked a Georgetown University Law School student over three days, calling her a “slut” and a “prostitute” because she advocated that birth control be covered by employer health insurance. The petition is registered at the White House’s We The People website.

A White House response would not mean automatic removal of Limbaugh’s three-hour radio show from the military’s overseas radio network. Defense Department officials have said they have no plans to remove Limbaugh from the AFN schedule.

Limbaugh has since apologized for his remarks, and his supporters have cried foul because they believe the popular Republican is being held to a different standard than prominent liberal-leaning broadcasters who have made similar insulting remarks.

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http://www.navytimes.com/news/2012/03/military-rush-limbaugh-petition-armed-forces-network-030912w/