Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) condemned recent attacks on women last week during a local radio interview while visiting the town of Homer, Alaska. Her remarks were in response to a call-in question from a constituent who asked about her position on reproductive rights.
Murkowski called the recent attacks made by radio show host Rush Limbaugh against Sandra Fluke, a Georgetown Law School student, "offensive, horribly offensive," reported the Homer News. She continued, "To have those kind of slurs against a woman...you had candidates who want to be our president not say, 'That's wrong. That's offensive.' They did not condemn the rhetoric."
Limbaugh called Fluke, who who was not allowed to testify at a House Committee hearing on the religious exemption on contraception coverage and women's health, a "slut" and a "prostitute." His initial comments included the remark, "What does it say about the college [sic] co-ed Sandra Fluke, who goes before a congressional committee and essentially says that she must be paid to have sex? It makes her a slut, right? It makes her a prostitute. She wants to be paid to have sex." Since this initial incident and subsequent offensive remarks made by Limbaugh over 100 companies - including Ford, GM, Toyota, Allstate, Geico, Prudential, State Farm, McDonald's and Subway - have pulled their advertisements from the show, sending a strong message to radio show hosts that they will not support hate speech and misogyny.
During her interview, Senator Murkowski also said, "The right to a safe and legal abortion has been affirmed by the courts, and I stand by that...I will continue to support funding Planned Parenthood."
Media Resources: Homer News 4/4/2012; Feminist Daily Newswire 3/1/2012, 3/13. 2012
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