"The Moral Side of the News" may be seen on WHAS-TV - Sundays at 5:30am - and on the FAITH CHANNEL in Lousville, Kentucky - Sundays at 12:00nn. The program may be heard on WHAS 840AM - Sundays at 9:30pm (also streamed via the Internet) - and on several Louisville radio stations - Sundays at 7:00am or 7:30am.
TOPIC 1: 11 Advertisers Flee Rush Limbaugh; Pro-Gingrich Super PAC Stays
Advertisers are rushing to the exits of Rush Limbaugh's radio show after customers inundated the Internet with outrage over the conservative commentator's widely criticized "slut" comments about Sandra Fluke.
Online media giant AOL, tax attorney group Tax Resolution Services, weight loss program Sensa and vitamin supplier Vitacost announced Monday that they were pulling their commercials from Limbaugh's program, bringing the total number of companies withdrawing their ads to eleven.
Two radio stations -- KPUA AM 670 in Hilo, Hawaii and WBEC 1420 in Pittsfield, Massachusetts -- announced they will no longer broadcast the show because of Limbaugh's comments. According to Limbaugh's web site, more than 600 stations air his show.
"It has never been our goal to allow our station to be used for personal attacks and intolerance," Chris Leonard, President and General Manager of New West Broadcasting, KPUA's parent company, said Monday in a statement. "The most recent incident has crossed a line of decency and a standard that we expect of programming on KPUA whether it is locally produced or a syndicated program like the Rush Limbaugh show."
WBEC Vice President Peter Barry said his decision to cut Limbaugh has been met with overwhelming support from the station's listeners.
"We have been inundated with calls and emails of support," Barry told ABC News. "There have been probably 50 calls of support for every one call disagreeing with the decision."
On his show last week Limbaugh dubbed Georgetown University law school student Sandra Fluke a "slut" and a "prostitute" for testifying before a congressional committee that birth control should be covered under employee health insurance plans.
Limbaugh has been widely criticized by many Democrats and women's rights groups, but the Republican response has been measurably more muted. The GOP presidential candidates have stopped short of all-out condemning Limbaugh's statements. And the pro-Newt Gingrich Super Pac Winning Our Future is running a national radio ad during Limbaugh show.
The Super Pac's spokesman Rick Tyler said the group had no intention of pulling its pro-Gingrich ads, which attack Mitt Romney, from Limbaugh's show.
Gingrich has steered clear of criticizing Limbaugh, instead re-focusing the issue on President Obama, whom he says "opportunistically" interjected himself into the issue by calling Fluke on Friday.
All of the former advertisers cited a conflict of values as the reason for dropping their ads.
"Mr. Limbaugh's recent comments went beyond political discourse to a personal attack and do not reflect our values as a company," ProFlowers said Sunday in a statement on its Facebook page. "As such, ProFlowers has suspended advertising on the Rush Limbaugh radio program."
The companies' often short statements posted to Twitter, Facebook and corporate blogs have already received an outpouring of comments. More than 1,100 people "liked" AOL's decision within three hours of it being posted on Facebook. And while Carbonite has less than one-tenth as many Facebook fans as AOL, more than 4,600 people have "liked" or commented on its decision to withdraw their ads since it was posted on Saturday.
CONTINUE READING: http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/OTUS/advertisers-flee-rush-limbaugh-pro-gingrich-super-pac/story?id=15852538
Text of Rush Limbaugh Apology to Law Student
The text of radio show host Rush Limbaugh's apology to Georgetown University law student Sandra Fluke for calling her insulting names. It was posted on his website Saturday.
"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.
I think it is absolutely absurd that during these very serious political times, we are discussing personal sexual recreational activities before members of Congress. I personally do not agree that American citizens should pay for these social activities. What happened to personal responsibility and accountability? Where do we draw the line? If this is accepted as the norm, what will follow? Will we be debating if taxpayers should pay for new sneakers for all students that are interested in running to keep fit? In my monologue, I posited that it is not our business whatsoever to know what is going on in anyone's bedroom nor do I think it is a topic that should reach a Presidential level.
My choice of words was not the best, and in the attempt to be humorous, I created a national stir. I sincerely apologize to Ms. Fluke for the insulting word choices."
QUESTION: What are your thoughts on Rush Limbaugh’s comments and the national stir that he has caused?
TOPIC 2: Colts release Peyton Manning
INDIANAPOLIS -- Colts owner Jim Irsay announced Wednesday that his team will release quarterback Peyton Manning, making the four-time MVP perhaps the most-coveted free agent in NFL history -- if he's healthy enough to play in 2012.
Both men paused frequently to fight tears, with their voices shaking, when they appeared together at a news conference at the Colts' team complex to announce the end of Manning's 14-year tenure in Indianapolis. The team had a deadline of Thursday to pay Manning a $28 million bonus and exercise the four remaining years on the five-year, $90 million contract he signed before last season, or release him outright.
"This is difficult because of the things Peyton has done for our city, our state and our franchise," Irsay said. "There will be no other Peyton Manning."
Irsay said Manning's No. 18 "will never be worn again by a Colt on the field."
"We all know that nothing lasts forever," Manning said. "Times change, circumstances change, and that's the reality of playing in the NFL."
Manning said no matter where he ends up playing next season, "I'll always be a Colt. That'll never change."
It was a sentiment shared by Irsay, who said Manning will "always (be) part of the horseshoe."
Manning officially will be a free agent once the Colts submit his release to the NFL, the league processes it and places his name on the waiver wire. That could happen as soon as Wednesday afternoon, as the league typically distributes that list at about 4 p.m. ET each weekday. Free agency begins Tuesday, but Manning can sign with another NFL team immediately after the Colts formally release him.
Both men said money was not a factor. Manning missed all of last season after having his third neck surgery in 19 months, a fusion of two vertebrae. Without him, the Colts were an NFL-worst 2-14, which comes with the No. 1 overall draft pick in April.
"I haven't thought about yet where I'll play but I have throught about where I've been," Manning said. "I've been blessed."
Irsay said he'll be rooting for Manning to succeed, wherever his next NFL home might be.
"I want to see him come back and play great, no question about it. Here, just like in 2001, we didn't have everything to surround him. I want him to succeed at the end of his career," he said.
As for the Colts, Irsay repeatedly used the word "rebuilding" and acknowledged "we're definitely a few years away."
Manning preferred to remain with the Colts, one source told ESPN senior NFL analyst Chris Mortensen, but a source close to Irsay said the owner concluded that the major restructuring of the organization would include a change at the position, likely either former Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck or former Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III.
CONTINUE READING: http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/7656028/indianapolis-colts-peyton-manning-part-ways-14-seasons
RELATED STORY: http://www.whas11.com/sports/Colts-announce-end-of-Peyton-Mannings-career-with-club-141762773.html
QUESTION: What are your thoughts on this?
TOPIC 3: Kentuckiana Tornadoes, March 2, 2012
http://www.whas11.com/weather/march-tornado-coverage
QUESTION: Do you have any words of inspiration to share with those who were impacted by the tornadoes last week?

