Media

Why Is Ed Schultz Defending Rush Limbaugh Against Media Matters? And Is He Contradicting Himself?

Ed Schultz Defends Rush Limbaugh Against Media Matters and David Brock at New Media Seminar in New York City

At the New Media Seminar in New York City last week, liberal commentator Ed Schultz surprised the crowd by standing up for Rush Limbaugh against Media Matters and its relentless boycott campaign.

“When we start attacking advertisers because of what somebody said, it’s the wrong thing to do.   I made a phone call that was not off the record– I called David Brock at Media Matters– I said, ‘David, this is Ed Schultz.  I need you to know what’s happening– this is what’s happening.  There’s a lot of people getting hurt, this is going too far.  That’s my opinion, you can take it for what it’s worth.’  Don’t attack advertisers…”

The defense was specifically a response to Media Matters‘ effort to target Rush Limbaugh’s advertisers after he called Georgetown student Sandra Fluke a “slut,” but he elaborated that attacking advertisers in general is an unproductive way to conduct business.

Hear Schultz’s comments, via YouTube, below:

To watch a longer clip of the speech, click here.

Though Schultz may sound sincere, even the Huffington Post noted that he was one of the leading voices celebrating each advertiser to drop Limbaugh.  Their article on the matter included comments from conservative producers who noted: “Every night Schultz was on TV keeping a count of the advertisers Rush was losing every day…To flip flop and kind of align yourself with what makes sense at any given moment, that’s not ok…If we’re gonna play fair, you do something like Sean [Hannity] did.  You say, ‘if you don’t like it, turn the dial.’”

On March 6th of 2012, for instance, he took to the airwaves accompanied by a gleeful list of 35 advertisers (“and counting”) who had dropped Limbaugh (although as Rush has pointed out, that figure is misleading):

All of which leaves conservatives asking: Why the change of heart?

The Washington Post‘s Erik Wemple simply broke down Schultz’s speech into a series of contradictions and non-sequiturs, concluding, “…huh?  Does that mean he’s cool with the anti-advertiser campaign after all?”

But perhaps Schultz is just seeing that, in terms of raw viewers, he‘d be much better off ingratiating himself with Rush Limbaugh’s enormous audience, than alienating it.

Comments (53)

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  • hugo65hsv
    Posted on June 13, 2012 at 6:17pm

    A small moment of sanity for Ed Schultz.. Won’t stick and probably will never happen again…

    Report Post »  
    • guntotinsquaw
      Posted on June 13, 2012 at 9:23pm

      Bet this was after the Wisconsin spanking…I think I just might smell fear from the left.

      Report Post » guntotinsquaw  
    • Detroit paperboy
      Posted on June 13, 2012 at 10:07pm

      He’s crappin in his pants, the writing is on the wall, and they know it …….

      Report Post »  
    • BSdetector
      Posted on June 14, 2012 at 7:19am

      Who wants to bet he just had an advertiser or two drop him because THEY got complaints about his dumb a$$ery?

      Report Post » BSdetector  
    • UrsaMajor
      Posted on June 14, 2012 at 10:48am

      I think he is being his transition back to the “Conservative” Ed Shultz. Remember that he was one of the first Rush copy cats. He switched to a “Progressive” in an atempt to cash-in on Bush hatred and Obama popularity. He knows how bad his radio and television ratings have gotten and is trying to save his carer.

      He is a man whose political ideals change based on what he thinks can keep him on the air.

      Report Post »  
  • formerdemdummy
    Posted on June 13, 2012 at 5:59pm

    I‘m guessing that I’m not alone in this. The only reason I tune him in is to find out who NOT to do business with. As far as I am conserned the libs started this and we conservatives can finish it for them. I now play by THEIR rules. I will NEVER do business with any of their advertisers EVER!
    This works for me very well. Example: Anyone who kills someone believes in the death penalty, so kill them. Very simple consept.

    Report Post »  
    • Taquoshi
      Posted on June 13, 2012 at 6:23pm

      I suspect that one of the advertisers that was pressured to dump Rush, and did, ended up downsizing and someone he knows was shown the door because of it. Maybe his own viewership decreased or perhaps people called MSNBC about Schultz’s own remarks and/or put pressure on his advertisers.

      I supposed it is possible that it dawned on him that with so many people out of work, boycotting an advertiser puts more people out of work – but I seriously doubt that he would have that much insight.

      However, one thing is clear. I know a quisling when I see one and Schultz meets every criteria.

      Report Post » Taquoshi  
  • The-Monk
    Posted on June 13, 2012 at 5:23pm

    This could get him fired from MSDNC….

    Report Post » The-Monk  
  • stockpicker
    Posted on June 13, 2012 at 5:07pm

    Does it matter. This guy can’t tell the truth on any level.

    Report Post »  
  • steve5150
    Posted on June 13, 2012 at 3:46pm

    Shultz realizes that if Limbaugh decided to call for an active boycott of his show he would be gone in a week. In fact if Limbaugh simply stopped mentioning Shultz on his show he would soon be forgotten about. Limbaugh has specificly NOT called for a boycott of anyone. He hasn,t even bad mouthed the advertisers that were intimidated into dropping him because Limbaugh realizes that they will come back on their knees as soon as the elections over. He is an intelligent businessman and knows boycotts just scare the advertisers. Thats why he makes seventy million dollars a year.

    Report Post » steve5150  
    • angelcat
      Posted on June 13, 2012 at 4:54pm

      I recently read that Sleeptrain asked to be re-instated as an advertiser. I read the letter sent to them by Rush Limbaugh’s staff. It was very polite and businesslike but said, in effect, no thanks. We remember what you said about Rush and how you let yourself be intimidated.

      Report Post »  
    • BuzzardSays
      Posted on June 13, 2012 at 6:05pm

      Ed Shultz who! I have not heard him mentioned on Rush in the last fifteen minutes and already I am forgetting him. Going, going, gone.

      Ditto head Buzzie here! Listening since 1992 and a member in good faith and credit. Talent on loan by God.

      Report Post » BuzzardSays  
    • G-WHIZ
      Posted on June 14, 2012 at 12:33pm

      RushL. does NOT “make” anywhere near that figure…THAT IS THE GROSS-FIGURE. this “figure ” is for the lemming-left who just is trained to accept as fact, what the progressives feed them everyday.
      The pubic-schools do not teach the [complete circle of the economy]. Naturely, the progs think the gross is the [net]. The prog-agenda is to keep the lemmings 24/7-angry about trivvia,so they have time to learn about the whole stories to think individually.
      The muslim-jihadists have been doing the same thing with their populous for thousands of years…keep them screaming-mad at everything with religion, so the average-lemming has no time to actually think…”Just why am I doing this?” . When the lemmings arn’t jihadding, they have to pray 3-4 times a day to “Mecca”…just how stupid is this to halt the entire country 4-times-a-day to pray? No wonder they have not gotten past the 12th-cenury….assembly-lines?? Stop 4-times a day?? ANo-Wonder they “order-out”for anything they actually need quickly, to us “evile-private-capitollists”…the same who they want to eliminate “off the face of the earth”. If they eliminate “the free world”, they will be regressed back to the stone-age on their own. Where do they think all those great weppons and systems came from?? Where do they think they will get the presious-resources such-as “free-thinkers” whom designed 100% of these advancements?

      Report Post »  
  • CicerosGhost
    Posted on June 13, 2012 at 3:40pm

    Here’s the REAL reason why he suggested Media Matters back off…..

    When these advertisers pulled their ads many directly sited a change in policy which would prohibit them from advertizing with “controversial commentators”….

    What are the chances that Ed Shultz finds himself, now among the barred?

    Report Post »  
    • steve5150
      Posted on June 13, 2012 at 3:47pm

      Good post! You hit the nail right on the head!

      Report Post » steve5150  
    • One1
      Posted on June 14, 2012 at 12:41am

      And Rush is solid, he can take the hit. Ed is already on thin ice.

      Report Post »  
  • Machtyn
    Posted on June 13, 2012 at 3:25pm

    The thing is for all the companies that started dropping advertising dollars from Rush’s show because of calls, probably received the same amount or more of calls from Rush supporters stating just the opposite. What do you get? Company A no longer has any customers because they’re damned if the do, damned if they don’t.

    Report Post »  
  • nobama2012yeswecan
    Posted on June 13, 2012 at 3:04pm

    More people have commented on this topic than Eddie has listeners…can you boycott irrelevance?? Even the People He champions don’t watch him…i think the kardoucheans are on at that time at the local union pub

    Report Post » nobama2012yeswecan  
  • Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
    Posted on June 13, 2012 at 2:50pm

    A man of two minds and divided loyalty is unstable in all ways; so it is with Schultz.

    Report Post » Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}  
  • Restore the Republic
    Posted on June 13, 2012 at 2:46pm

    Ed’s call is self serving… he knows that virtually 100% of what he says on the air is far more inflammatory than anything Rush says… He’s scared that the same thing will happen to him… and unlike Rush, he would not survive such a boycott.

    Report Post » Restore the Republic  
  • FugMan
    Posted on June 13, 2012 at 2:43pm

    Just imagine if Limbaugh listeners started a boycott of Advertisers on their shows. We can play the same game Media Matters. There are more of us than you!

    Report Post » FugMan  
  • obrien871
    Posted on June 13, 2012 at 2:42pm

    Schultz is a blow hard phoney anyone that knows his history he used to be a “conservative” but couldn’t compete in the radio business so he switched gears and became a liberal. Don’t know how he sleeps at night.

    Report Post »  
  • wianno94
    Posted on June 13, 2012 at 2:41pm

    Mister Ed, the talking horses azz is going to try to re-make his image after he went all-in in Wisconsin and got his butt handed to him.

    Report Post »  
  • Gonzo
    Posted on June 13, 2012 at 2:31pm

    Hey Ed, where were you when they were attacking Beck’s sponsors?

    Report Post » Gonzo  
  • TRONINTHEMORNING
    Posted on June 13, 2012 at 2:21pm

    Hey Ed, you were one of my answers to my trivia question today which was…”Name 4 of the MSNBC idiot anchors.”

    You were either first or second with each call I took. Nicely done, buddy!

    Report Post »  
  • Gonzo
    Posted on June 13, 2012 at 2:16pm

    Rush doesn’t need your support Ed. He could lose half his advertisers and still bring in more revenues in a month than you will in a lifetime.

    Report Post » Gonzo  
  • phrogdriver
    Posted on June 13, 2012 at 2:16pm

    Ed who?

    Report Post » phrogdriver  
  • EqualJustice
    Posted on June 13, 2012 at 2:15pm

    Ed’s afraid the tables will turn and HE could be next?

    Report Post » EqualJustice  
    • RIDEMODELS
      Posted on June 13, 2012 at 2:36pm

      This was not just a boycott, it was a way to get that woman on the View and turn more women against men. Its the old divide and conquer technique and its sad that women might fall for it. I would like to think that women are smarter then that and I think they are, although I photograph a lot of them and it behooves me that these young girls would pose in PB for free. I believe PB is a very liberal magazine as the whole magazine world is very liberal(FACT).So women wake up, the liberals are the real enemy and not your husband who buys you cars/houses/Sleep Number Beds…….(NO MORE SHEEP)…. :)

      Report Post »  
    • Anonymous T. Irrelevant
      Posted on June 13, 2012 at 3:12pm

      That was my view, too. Ed is just trying to nip it in the bud before it happens to him.

      Report Post » Anonymous T. Irrelevant  
  • blackyb
    Posted on June 13, 2012 at 2:11pm

    They know they can get their own advertizers boycotted. They have no conscious. Fluke is a walking, talking slut and she has as good as admitted it. So what is the point? She put her own self out there for whatever reason. Now she bought it, she will just have to eat it.

    Report Post » blackyb  
  • 13th Imam
    Posted on June 13, 2012 at 2:08pm

    Fat Ed and his 20 or so relatives that listen to him mean nothing.Rushbo’s listeners will NEVER pay any attention to this former Republican. Must like Areola Huffington. Mmm, Mmmm, Mmmm

    Report Post » 13th Imam  
  • salvawhoray
    Posted on June 13, 2012 at 2:08pm

    Look at this fool trying to look hip and cool. lol lol lol

    Report Post » salvawhoray  
  • I.Gaspar
    Posted on June 13, 2012 at 2:07pm

    I’m guessing a bad fall in the shower that led to severe brain trauma….

    Report Post »  
  • AvengerK
    Posted on June 13, 2012 at 2:04pm

    I watched Fat Eddie after the loss in Wisconsin. Eddie instinctively ran to the liberal canard that the “rubes” in Wisconsin..the rural folks “clung to their guns and bibles” and didn’t vote against Walker. Yes..he actually went there. So it’s no wonder he wants militant homosexual David Brock at Media Matters to tame down the targeting of advertisers…because Eddie himself is a potentional target of that kind of campaign.

    Report Post »  
    • CatB
      Posted on June 13, 2012 at 2:13pm

      Exactly .. they all know that they could be next .. even crazy Ed isn’t that crazy.

      Report Post »  
  • love the kids
    Posted on June 13, 2012 at 2:03pm

    I guess they figured out that the Conservatives have been starting to “Personally boycott” things or businesses. We just started to do this because I am fed up with my money being used against me. If I started doing it, i’m sure that other conservatives have started also. So this means that Ed has been personally affected, or he wouldn’t give 2 hoots about it. You guys started it, now you have to live with it.

    Report Post »  
    • 13th Imam
      Posted on June 13, 2012 at 2:14pm

      You, sir or madam, are correct.

      Report Post » 13th Imam  
    • Hockeytown
      Posted on June 13, 2012 at 2:37pm

      You got it!! I’m putting my money where my mouth is, and every time Comcast comes to try and sell me service I tell them no thank you, not as long as you own MSNBC.

      Report Post » Hockeytown  
  • AvengerK
    Posted on June 13, 2012 at 2:02pm

    Because Fat Eddie knows he’s a potential target himself for the unhinged remarks he routinely makes.

    Report Post »  
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