Rush Limbaugh and the island of sex

I don't usually spend too much time denouncing sexism in the media -- lots of female writers do that job better than I could. But Rush Limbaugh (as Marge Simpson once put it) didn't just cross the line, he threw up on it.

By this point, most of you know about his infuriating response to one Sandra Fluke, a student at Georgetown who was going to testify about contraception availability. She never got the chance to speak because House Republicans muzzled her. Her testimony was going make the point that for "many women, birth control is used to treat medical issues, including polycystic ovary syndrome."

To which Rush -- such a gentleman, he is! -- responded with characteristic grace. First, he made a serious attempt to label Fluke a prostitute. Then he offered these words:

So Miss Fluke, and the rest of you Feminazis, here’s the deal. If we are going to pay for your contraceptives, and thus pay for you to have sex. We want something for it. We want you post the videos online so we can all watch.

Lots of bloggers and pundits have responded to this alleged attempt at humor. Some of those writers have, in their responses, referenced an earlier Cannonfire story -- one which I myself had forgotten.

Here's an example from a fellow bald bastard:

As if the sheer misogyny of the comment weren't bad enough, Limbaugh was detained at an airport after returning from the Dominican Republic with a bunch of Viagra pills prescribed to another man. The circumstantial evidence points to Limbaugh indulging in "Sex Tourism"... yeah, Limbaugh is one to talk about being a "John".

The author links to a Cannonfire story from 2006: "Why did Rush Limbaugh visit the epicenter of the child sex trade?"

Below the asterisks, I will present an extract from that piece. Remember, these words were written in 2006, after Limbaugh had been caught returning home from the Dominican Republic with viagra. (Initial news reports mentioned other drugs as well.)

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The use of viagra -- which may or may not have been legally prescribed -- indicates that the Republican party's chief propagandist traveled to the Dominican Republic intending to have sex.

The question is: What kind of sex?

This report on the epidemic of child prostitution in the Dominican Republic may be roughly ten years old, but the situation remains unchanged:

Though there is, and has always been, some local demand for child prostitutes, it is tourism that has fuelled the rapid growth of this market for children bodies.

(Emphasis added.) Tourist bureaus in Germany and America tout this country to single men as the "New Thailand." Yes, the beaches are nice -- but it's the sex industry which makes this nation a popular travel destination. While adult female prostitutes from the Dominican Republic often end up in Europe, Europeans and Americans visit the island in search of adult male sex workers (called “Sankie Pankies”) and child prostitutes of both sexes, as this report indicates:

Trafficking and sexual exploitation of children also was a problem, particularly in popular tourist destinations. Poor adolescent girls and boys sometimes were enticed into performing sexual acts by the promise of food or clothing.

What kind of vacationer would use a desperate child in this way? Obviously, the customers must believe that poor people exist only to serve, and that wealthy white males possess a divine right to have their every debauched whim gratified.

You must come to your own conclusions as to whether Rush Limbaugh fits this profile.