Update [2007-2-5 9:57:24 by Steven D]: I’ve decided to update the diary to include links to contact info for Limbaughs’ advertisers and to various media contacts. Hat tip to Real History Lisa for the idea.

Also now posted at Daily Kos.

Now some might think I’m off my rocker to herald our readers and BooTrib members with such a nefarious slur. Cockroaches, after all, are known for spreading filth and disease among human populations and millions (if not billions) of dollars are spent each year by businesses, landlords and homeowners to eradicate them. Nonetheless, I have it on good authority that liberals and progressives are kissin’ cousins to to these not so cute little vermin.

Whose authority, you may ask? Why only the Dean of conservative radio talk show hosts himself, the man with talent on loan from God (and we’re not talking Allah, baby) Rush Limbaugh (via Dave Neiwert at Orcinus):

[From the transcript of Limbaugh’s Friday radio broadcast] Yeah, we can dam a river and do all this sort of thing, but to actually affect the systems that keep the earth here, in whatever form, even if there are nuclear detonations left and right, life somewhere, somehow, will survive, and the whole process will begin again. We may not, cockroaches will. That means some liberals will.

I know this may seem rather standard right wing hate speech these days, but that’s just the point, isn’t it? We have allowed our country’s political discourse to descend into the gutter, at least if the person speaking has right wing or Republican credentials. Joe Biden can make some stupid airhead remarks about Barack Obama, and he gets pilloried in the media for being a closet bigot, but these far more outrageous and vile statements are made by Republican politicians, Fox News anchors, hate radio jocks and right wing blogs every single fucking day without any condemnation from the punditocracy. [Note to the the acolytes of Higher Broderism: Yes, I used the “F” word; sorry to have offended your delicate sensibilities, and violated the rigid rules of civility applicable only those whose politics lean the least bit to the left of Jerry Falwell].

Indeed, Limbaugh is allowed special airtime on the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric, and the equally bigoted and foul mouthed Glenn Beck has his own show on CNN’s Headline News, and a new gig with ABC to boot. Not to mention Bill O’Reilly, Joe Scarborough, Tucker Carleson, Sean Hannity, Neil Cavuto and John Gibson, all who have a long record of demonizing liberal and progressive voices in or out of the Democratic Party. Hell, they even go tooth and nail after DLC Cover Girl Hillary Clinton regardless of how often she veers rightward in her quest for the Democratic nomination. And let’s not bother repeating the ridiculous smears they spread about centrist Democrats like John Kerry in 2004, and Barack Obama just last month.

Yet, nothing is ever said about the increasingly eliminationist rhetoric espoused by these stalwarts of radio and TV broadcasting. No David Broder calls them on the carpet for the dangerous level of bile and hatred they spew each and every day toward the Left, or as they call us, the “Far Left Fringe.” A group that includes by their definition people as diverse as Nancy Pelosi, John Murtha, John Conyers, Bill Clinton, Al Gore, Al Franken, Barbara Boxer, Russ Feingold, John Edwards, Jon Stewart, Hollywood celebrities in general, George Soros, anyone who reads or posts at a liberal blog, Markos Moulitsas, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.

We are called Fifth columnists, America Haters, Moonbats, Terrorist sympathizers, Islamofascist Appeasers, Baby Killers, Traitors, Scum, Vermin, Rats (including the ever clever little “DemoRat” variation) and now, thanks to Limbaugh, Cockroaches.

Cockroaches, by the way, were a favorite anti-semetic slur used by the Nazis for the Jews, and more recently in Rwanda by prominent Hutus to refer to the Tutsi minority just prior to the genocidal slaughter which was instigated by hate speech radio broadcasts. So the term, when used to refer to other human beings, has a rather despicable history.

It may seem a little thing, but it’s not. Words have power. This is why Democratic politicians run scared even though their views and policies are favored by a majority of Americans. Because they fear the power of these words that are broadcast incessantly by the Right Wing Noise machine. I wish they were all brave enough to fight back against the media attacks on their honor and characters, but too often they, like most of us become intimidated. This is why we need to raise a stink each and every time one of these right wing blowhards who has been gifted with a media platform utters these filthy, racist, negative and venomous attacks which demonize not only our leaders, but each and every one of us.

It matters.

Here’s a link to some of Limbaugh’s advertisers with phone numbers to call.

Let them know, politely, that Mr. Limbaugh is using the term “cockroaches” to refer to liberals, a slur that has been used in the past to refer to Jews and other people who have subsequently been the victims of genocide. Remind them that many, many of their customers just happen to be “liberals” or, at the very least, people who would be horrified to learn that they are associating their fine products with a program where the host, Mr. Limbaugh uses such vile and hateful speech, a slur employed by genocidal killers and racists of all stripes, to describe fellow Americans. As I said, be polite, but let them know you expect that their company would condemn such behavior, and perhaps reconsider decision to advertise on Limbaugh’s program, before his negative behavior becomes associated in the public’s mind with their brand name, as well.

In addition, write letters to your local paper, describing this hate speech, and asking that the editors of the paper condemn Limbaugh for this publicly on their op-ed page. Probably wouldn’t hurt to pass that letter on to a few media contacts, such as the ones you can find at this Link.

Just a thought, if you are so inclined.