Case Against Case Against Rush Limbaugh: Michael Kinsley

March 6 (Bloomberg) -- The people who want to drive RushLimbaugh off the air are not assuaged or persuaded by hisapology over the weekend. They say he was not sincere: He onlyapologized, for calling a Georgetown University law student a“slut” and a “prostitute,” because of pressure from advertisers.

Well, of course he wasn’t sincere. And of course he wasonly apologizing to pacify advertisers -- who were gettingpressured to pressure Limbaugh by these very critics. Oh, theremight have been a political calculation, too, that he’d gone toofar for the good of his ratings or his celebrityhood. But anyapology induced in these circumstances is almost by definitioninsincere. You can’t demand a public recantation and then expectsincerity along with the humble pie. If they wanted a sincereapology, Limbaugh’s critics would have had to defend his rightto make these offensive remarks, and then attempt to change hismind using nothing but sweet reason. Go ahead and try.