Popular conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh verbally attacked Georgetown U. law student Sandra Fluke, calling her a “slut” and “prostitute” in response to her Feb. 23 testimony in support of insurance companies providing contraceptives for all women free-of-charge regardless of their employer’s beliefs. Fluke used anecdotal stories of women she attended school with as her evidence, and cited — or maybe exaggerated — the cost of birth control as being about $3,000 for about three years. Despite her not particularly compelling statement, Limbaugh’s public retort was disproportionate and inappropriate.

Limbaugh responded to Fluke during the course of three days, including statements about if he and other taxpayers would be paying for her to have sex, she needed to film it and put it on the Internet for everyone to watch. The supposedly joking comments were continued after President Obama called Fluke, and Limbaugh said she should unplug her phone and hide from the media.

Limbaugh later issued an apology after companies started to withdraw from advertising with his show, though his so-called apology lacked sincerity.

“For over 20 years, I have illustrated the absurd with absurdity, three hours a day, five days a week. In this instance, I chose the wrong words in my analogy of the situation. I did not mean a personal attack on Ms. Fluke.” he said, according to MSNBC.com.

All Limbaugh apologized for was his word choice, not the intention behind his words or the implications laid out by them. He is claiming these insults – insults that would get him smacked by any college woman if said to her face — were his way of joking about the situation.

Limbaugh’s idea of a joke is what most people would call hate speech. I am shocked that he has not yet been pulled off the air, as this is only the most recent in a long line of offensive statements made by the radio host.

Alternet.com published an article which lists Limbaugh’s five worst remarks. He has made overtly racist and sexist statements on the air and mocked those with Parkinson’s disease. Limbaugh has also made fun of several presidential daughters – once calling Chelsea Clinton the White House dog — and told a black caller to take the bone out of his nose before calling back.

Limbaugh also said in regards to Michelle Obama’s nutrition program and her appearance, “if you’re going to tell people to eat like an Ethiopian” then you “had better look like an Ethiopian.”

It is amazing that these comments have not gotten him in trouble in the past and it is time for him to resign from the air before he gets forced out by an angry mob. There is exercising your freedom of speech and there is being an awful person who spouts awful things over the airwaves.

As of 4 p.m. Wednesday afternoon, 45 companies have withdrawn advertising from Limbaugh’s show. Several like JCPenney have issued public apologies on social media sites for ads that have accidentally run during his show after being withdrawn. Two radio stations have completely stopped airing his show, according to USAToday.com. There are also a few bands and artists that are issuing cease and desist orders to his show to stop their music being played, according to Eonline.com. Limbaugh clearly offended the wrong people this time — his exceptionally crude comments have finally crossed a line. Thank goodness these corporations and artists are wising up and choosing to no longer be associated with him.

Limbaugh is finally being punished for numerous wrongs. It is time for his particular brand of absurdity to stop being broadcast.