Carbonite dropped its high-profile sponsorship of Rush Limbaugh because of a single incident last week in which Rush used certain words in describing Sandra Fluke, for which Rush apologized in writing on Saturday and on the air on Monday.
Yet Carbonite retains sponsorship of others who have made personal attacks and insults a part of their programs.
In a February 27, 2012 SEC filing, Carbonite listed its “trusted spokespersons.”
The list included not only Limbaugh and Glenn Beck (does Media Matters know this?), but also liberal talk show hosts Ed Schultz, Rachel Maddow and Randi Rhodes:
I’ve already posted links to the unhinged rants of Ed Schultz directed at conservatives. These outbursts are consistent and well known.
Maddow, while not as excitable as Schultz, has a long history of mocking of Tea Party members as “teabaggers,” a play on a sexual act:
Rhodes has a long history of attacking others, including suggesting that Sarah Palin needed to be kept away from teenage boys, and calling Hillary Clinton a whore (for which she received a suspension from Air America).
I don’t think Schultz, Maddow or Rhodes should be dropped by Carbonite.
But before Carbonite’s CEO David Friend gave into pressure and dropped Rush on a Saturday night after Rush had apologized, Friend should have considered whether he was harming Carbonite’s credibility by publicly asserting that Carbonite wanted a “more civilized public discourse.”
Related: Announcing The Carbonite Accountability Project, and Rush: Boycott failing.
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