Left-Wing Anger Over Villaraigosa 'Shoe Shine Guy' Comparison

SERIAL OFFENDEDS

Left Seizes Upon Limbaugh 'Shoe Shine Guy' Comment





*** ALSO: London talk host sacked for supporting Conservative incoming Mayor Boris Johnson ***


Apparently starving for a reason to be enraged (!!!), Serial Offendeds on the left side of the Internet are furious with the way Rush Limbaugh has described diminutive Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.

During yesterday's program, Limbaugh discussed Hillary Clinton's joking assertion that the talk titan has a crush on the Democrat presidential candidate. That had Rush thinking about an encounter with Bill Clinton in a New York City restaurant last year, where Villaraigosa was also present.

From yesterday's transcript:

RUSH: Now, this crush business, ladies and gentlemen, I think I understand it now. I do. Mrs. Clinton is saying I have a crush on her. Obviously they think this in the Clinton household. So this probably explains why Bill Clinton hit on my date at the Kobe Club in New York last year.

He used the mayor of Los Angeles to distract me while he came along and started chatting up my date. Then he brought Ron Burkle over to distract me, and he came over to the table three times. (doing Clinton impression) "Hey, Limbaugh, you're looking really good." I shook his hand, he left, comes back, the mayor of Los Angeles, I thought it was a Secret Service agent, maybe a shoeshine guy. Turns out he gives me his card, I said, "Oh, my gosh, it's the mayor of Los Angeles." I stood up, I said, "Hello, Mr. Villaraigosa."

We started chatting, a minute later I took a glance to the left and Clinton's face is two inches from my date's. I was distracted. So obviously Clinton has known of this in the household of the Clintons, that I had a crush on his wife. He probably heard that sound bite on January 10th, (doing Clinton impression) "My God, nobody's ever called her sexy. What the hell's going on here?" This is her way of thanking me, by the way, for Operation Chaos.

That, of course, has the blogosphere buzzing:

L.A. Mayor to Answer Limbaugh's Race Swipe


Hey, you know what's a riot? Comparing one of the country's foremost Latino politicians to "a shoeshine guy" because of his race.

A spokesman for Antonio Villaraigosa says the Los Angeles mayor is planning a statement in response to an ethnically-flavored drive-by served up by Rush Limbaugh yesterday.

In a segment about Hillary Clinton, the right-wing radio blabber recounted meeting Villaraigosa, who became the first Latino to head his city's government in 130 years in 2005, when Bill Clinton introduced the two of them in a restaurant last year.

[...]

Oh my gosh indeed! He's just like a real-live mayor, but pigmenty. Who'd a thunk?

I'll post Villaraigosa's statement as soon as I have it. I'm also awaiting word from the National Hispanic Media Coalition.

Frankly, we're at the edge of our seats waiting for those press releases.

Meanwhile, the usual suspects on the left side of the Internet have also joined the OUTRAGE (!!!) party.


As to Limbaugh's remark, was it indeed racist?

This one's easy: not at all! There's nothing race- specific about his comment. Are "shoe-shine guys" usually Hispanic? No.

In addition, he thought Villaraigosa could have been a Secret Service agent, a reasonable assumption given his proximity to Clinton.

Let's face it, Villaraigosa has never come across as much of leader, whether in Sacramento or Los Angeles. He's certainly not especially intelligent. And is face is hardly recognizable to most Americans.

Finally, his ethnicity does not mean he is somehow above criticism or even outright ridicule.

Therefore, Limbaugh's conclusion is one that just about anyone else would have made in the same circumstances. Does one really expect to meet the mayor of Los Angeles in New York City?

In addition, one should note that El Rushbo did show the mayor respect and courtesy once he was actually identified. Don't expect that to stop the Serial- Offendeds, however.


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