Rating: 
Summary: You write a book and lie about someone telling the truth?
Review: This book is not about the truth. It is defending liberalism at its best. Don't spend your hard earned money on it.
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Summary: Devastates Limbaugh's Quackery
Review: This book by Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR), the outstanding media watchdog group, was published in 1995, after FAIR had published a report in June 1994 documenting Limbaugh's quackery to which Limbaugh responded with venom but with little substance. FAIR printed their rebuttal to Limbaugh's response to their original report at the end of this book. This book might seem rather dated; they have gathered a few more juicy things about Limbaugh since it was published, available on their web site, especially about his antics during the budget battles of 95-96' but I don't think they have kept track of him as much. But on the whole, the documentation is excellent and the discussion of all aspects of Limbaugh--his power in the media and on capitol hill, messiah complex, racism, sexism, context of his rise to fame,etc.--as well as the prospects for developing alternatives to the center-right corporate and "public" television and radio is excellent. FAIR, though not in this book, has also been harshly critical of Bill Clinton and the Democrats. Here are some examples that they present of the more than "one hundred outrageously false and foolish statements from America's most powerful radio and TV commentator." The quote Limbaugh as saying in "The Way Things Ought to Be" that construction of public housing "actually increased during the Reagan years." The quote sthe Statistical Abstract of the U.S. which shows that there were almost twenty one thousand low income housing units under construction in 1980 but in 1988 there were only 9,700. They quote HUD figures which show that the money for construction of new housing was slashed from $3.7 billion in 1980 to $573 million in 1988. They quote Limbaugh as saying in "The Way Things Out To Be" that there was no increase in the gap between the rich and the poor during the eighties and that "Figures compiled by the Cogressional Budget Office dispel that myth." FAIR says that CBO numbers actually show that in 1980 the after tax income of the richest fifth was eight times that of the poorest fifth. "By 1989, the ratio was more than twenty to one." They quote him as saying on his now defunct TV show as claiming that the TV networks, including the "Today" show were attempting to suppress coverage of a pro-Clarence Thomas book by David Brock and that supporters of Anita Hill were refusing to come on TV to debate Brock. FAIR responded by noting that Brock had appeared a week before Limbaugh made this assertion on the "Today" show debating a Hill lawyer, Charles Ogletree. The quote him as speaking of the superiority of American health care compared to other industrialized nations in "See I Told You So" and saying that "the health of the American people has never been better," using the measurements of life expectancy and infant mortality. FAIR responded by citing the 1993 CIA World Fact Book as ranking the United States 19th in life expectancy and 20th in infant mortality. They also note that although the United States has the lowest health care satisfaction rate of the ten largest industrialized nations, it spends the most per capita. FAIR quotes Limbaugh as responding to this by saying that those two measures have nothing to do with the quality of health care, though he said exactly the opposite in his original point. He claimed that the high infant mortality was due to low weight teenage births and drug addicted babies and that the relatively low life expectancy was due to big city homicides. FAIR responded by saying that the amount of prenatal care is closely linked to infant mortality and that according the Center For Disease Control, homicides only lower the U.S. life expectancy by three months. They quote Limbaugh as saying that there were "no indictments" in the Iran-Contra scandal. Limbaugh responded by saying that he "misspoke" and what he meant to say was that there were "no convictions." FAIR responded by saying that he had actually devoted a large part of his TV show on January 19 1994 to arguing that no indictments had occured. There were not only fourteen indictments, but eleven convictions, two later reversed on technicalities, including that of Oliver North. They quote him on his radio show as saying "It's not happening. That kind of thing isn't happening" with regard to Al Gore's claim in the 1992 debates that the Bush administration was giving tax breaks to U.S. companies to relocate to low-wage "free economic zones" in Central American and the Caribean, through the Private Sector Program of the U.S. Agency for International Development. They note that this was documented by "60 minutes," "Nightline" and the National Labor Committee Education Fund. They quote Limbaugh as saying that the "democrats have never had any problem with liberal religous people being involved in politics," and thus that they had "no trouble" with Martin Luther King, the Berrigan brothers or Jerry Rubin and Abbie Hoffman "entering the political fray." FAIR notes that wiretapping of MLK was begun by John and Robert Kennedy and that harrassment of him was greatly increased during the Johnson administration. They note that the Berrigan brothers came into prominence by protesting Johnson's Vietnam policies and that Rubin and Hoffman were actually not religous leaders nor leaders of the SDS; they actually led the Yippies who sparked the protests at the 1968 Democratic convention.
Rating: 
Summary: Debaters and free thinkers - have a peek at this book!
Review: I was a radio station manager in 1991 when I first spoke to Rush Limbaugh, who was attempting to get as many stations as possible to carry his EIB Network (a single-program "network"). We spoke for a few minutes and I was amazed at how much he hyped himself as a sort of know-it-all. He was appealing to my market in the conservative midwest, where the Republican vote is a guarantee, and that's actually an established fact. I took a few days to listen to his show via another carrier before rendering a final decision. During this time Rush spent time speaking on the AIDS crisis, its causes, and specifically how to prevent contracting or spreading AIDS. His position was more moral and less about the physical prevention. The discussion bled over into the next day and, to my dismay, I realized that the factual information was very wrong (I was involved in an AIDS awareness and research campaign at the time). Needless to say, EIB did not grace my station's airwaves, and has not to this very day. Potentially putting people's lives at stake because the correct information doesn't fit into a particular political pigeonhole did not sit well with me. The point of all this is simple: While people spout disclaimers for Rush Limbaugh, taking him as a "truth detector" but offering him sanctuary as an "entertainer," there are people who take his loud, seemingly sincere message as the ABSOLUTE TRUTH. This is what makes him dangerous. In the midst of his entertaining the truth sometimes gets omitted/distorted/falsified/replaced with more "entertaining" material. That's why this book and its contents are so important. As a formally trained (former) member of the media which Rush espouses as too liberal (but whose virtues have made him a star) and a former Special Investigator, as well as being a member of the National Forensic League and a graduate of Effective Thinking and Logic, I can say that this book decimates much of Rush's errors/entertainments and shows how the best way to catch anyone in a lie is to let them talk themselves into a hole and not interrupt. Then, when they themslves have said that they are finished, you begin to build the truth. I strongly recommend this book for those who think that WHAT you say is as important as HOW you say it.
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Summary: For the open minded only
Review: Due to size constraints the authors only touch lightly on this subject, pointing out a limited number of examples. What they dont have enough pages to talk about (and what you dont have enough time to read about) are the daily instances of limbaugh telling half truths and simple distortions. Limbaugh doesnt always lie and distort, but does so often enough to have no real credibility except among his followers. The book does provide enough examples to explain why limbaugh has NEVER had a democratic guest on his show or accepted any of a multitude of challenges to debate. And NEVER will. After reading this you might wonder why this guy is so popular, but its actually very simple. Limbaughs annual income (significantly over 20 million), divided by his number of hours on the air (less than 15 per week) comes out to over thirty grand an hour. Which aint bad for just telling folks what they want to hear, and he and his clones on the radio airwaves have become very good at it. This book is not for his fans, because like the other side of any given issue, they dont want to hear it.
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Summary: Do I "Rush" to judgement? You bet!
Review: It would be entirely too easy and convenient to dismiss this book as "distorting" Mr. Limbaugh's effort to "shed light on liberal pomposity" or somesuch, but in fact the authors of this book make it very clear that they only include the more ridiculous claims only because Limbaugh insisted his audience accept them as facts. Limbaugh is taken seriously as a "truth detector" by the so-called "serious" media (the same one that's allegedly full of liberals out to get him), and this long-overdue book pokes holes in his ridiculous "facts" and puts him in his place. He's had it both ways--being taken seriously as a news source with no corresponding accountability--for far too long.
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Summary: The "New" Right - A Confederacy of Dunces
Review: To quote an earlier reviewer, "...and through it all, he remains immensely popular, while books like this end up in the bargain bins." As if "truth" was determined by a democratic process. But that's the fun of the whole Rush phenomenon. One man singlehandedly demostrating the serious flaws in the American education system. If only that was Limbaugh's true purpose. We're an nation of uneducated buffoons and this book is Exhibit 1 in support of that claim. Got a friend or family member that's a dittohead? Buy this book. You'll be able to enjoy watching them chase their tails, if nothing else.
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Summary: Still relevant after all these years.
Review: I read this book years ago when it was first published, and find it truly amazing that it still stirs up controversy between the True-Believing Ditto Heads and normal people. Reading the One-Star and less reviews shows that Rush's defenders haven't advanced at all from their first denouncements of "Reign of Error" in 1995. None of them offer even a hint of rebuttal of any of the authors' assertions, just a lot of "liberal-this" and "liberal-that" name-calling. When pressed to provide just one instance where the book was wrong, all we get is the old fingers-in-the-ears "yadda-yadda-yadda" and hasty retreat. This book stands up well even though what it reports is sometimes a decade old. It's about time for an updated version. Buy it - read it - accept the truth.
Rating:
Summary: Great book!
Review: Once in a while, there is a book coming across the Atlantic ocean that makes me smile about the people in "God's own country" and their self-righteousness and ignorance. I seriously hope that Rush Limbaugh will be around for very long and that his fans will never wake up and realise what is going on. And that people like Al Franken are continuing to comment on the idiocies the "big fat idiot" excretes and his fans swallow.
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Summary: Rush vs. The Truth
Review: I have no problem with anyone expressing opinions of any kind, and if Rush Limbaugh limited his show to spouting his opinions, no one would particularly mind -- liberals would ignore him, and Dittoheads would lap it up. It's only when he actually lies or distorts facts that people get angry. I have as little patience for fact-changing liberals as I do for Rush, and I don't understand how his supporters can read the facts in this book and claim that he speaks the truth. If his facts are right, then he should agree to the public debate he's been offered so many times. The fact that he hasn't leaves me to conclude that he must be very wrong indeed. Limbaugh's pretty irrelevant these days anyway, so it's no big deal, but still -- it's kind of pathetic.
Rating:
Summary: Liberals can't handle the truth and this book proves it.
Review: Jack Nicholson was right. If you're a left-wing, lie-mongering, hate-speaking, fact ignoring, liberal obviously a guy who speaks forthrightly and truthfully and doesn't spout erroneous pap like liberal media figures and politicians love to do is going to frustrate you, burst your falsely-idealist little liberal bubble and rain on your archaic and faltering parade. Face it liberals YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH! and this book proves it.
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