Limbaugh Defends Emanuel's 'Retarded' Gaffe

Rahm Emanuel, the gleefully bellicose White House Chief of Staff, is no pushover. He's got a rap for harsh epithets, dramatic kiss-offs, and bare-knuckle tactics--not apologies. Lately that's changed. When word got out that he called some liberal allies' ad campaign "fucking retarded,"  he offered mea culpas left and right. Some even think there's an assiduous plot to "force" him out.

Fortunately, he's got a strong--if unlikely--ally in Rush Limbaugh. On his show, the conservative radio host said this:

I think the big news is the crack-up going on. Our political society is acting like some giant insult's taken place by calling a bunch of people who are retards retards. I mean, these people, these liberal activists are kooks, they are loony tunes. I'm not going to apologize for it, I'm just quoting Emanuel, it's in the news.