Rush Limbaugh selection in children’s book competition causes a stir
March 20th, 2014
07:54 PM ET
11 months ago

Rush Limbaugh selection in children’s book competition causes a stir

(CNN) - Rush Limbaugh - radio host, conservative firebrand and... children's book author of the year?

The Children’s Book Council and its Every Child a Reader program released on Thursday their author-of-the-year finalists for their annual Children’s and Teen Choice Book Awards.

Limbaugh is one of the four finalists, and his nomination has prompted outrage on social media, given the host’s often-incendiary nature.

Limbaugh's book is titled, "Rush Revere and The Brave Pilgrims: Time-Travel Adventures with Exceptional Americans" – a time-traveling tale of colonial America and the latest of two books in the "Rush Revere Series" published last year by Simon & Schuster.

Limbaugh, an outspoken figure in the political world, often expresses controversial sentiments on his radio program. Recently, Limbaugh blasted Pope Francis' economic views as "pure Marxism," and, in 2012, he called Georgetown law student Sandra Fluke a "slut" and "prostitute" for her support of women's access to birth control.

The Children’s Book Council issued a public letter, posted to its website and Facebook page, defending its finalist selection process following the uproar online and insisting that the author of the year finalists "are determined solely based on titles’ performances on the bestseller lists."

"Some of you have voiced concerns over the selection of finalists from bestseller lists, which you feel are potentially-manipulable indications of the success of a title. We can take this into consideration going forward, but cannot change our procedure for selecting finalists after the fact," the organization said in the letter.

The CBC letter goes on to say the kids, who will start voting next week, ultimately decide which author wins in each of the six categories, including best author. The letter goes on to assure that the organization has a procedure in place to protect against fraud and adult's voting in the contest.

"This program has never been about CBC or ECAR endorsing finalists," the letter says.

Limbaugh touted the apparent success of his book series on his radio program on Thursday.

"We just found out last night that on the New York Times Best-Seller List of March the 30th, ‘Rush Revere and the First Patriots’ will open at number one, and ‘Rush Revere and the Brave Pilgrims’ moves up to number four," said, according to a transcript of the audio.

Limbaugh’s book landed at the number-5 spot on the New York Times best seller’s list for the week of March 23.

CNN's Dana Davidsen contributed to this report.


Filed under: Rush Limbaugh
soundoff (745 Responses)
  1. frmrmrine

    you righties are amusing – your are so steeped in hate and hypocrisy it's astonishing – you should be more civil or one of these days we're gonna stop carrying you and you will expire...

    March 21, 2014 09:11 am at 9:11 am |
  2. Nathan

    What about the book itself? Is it in any way inflammatory or inaccurate? Yes, he's a blowhard, but seems better to say why his book shouldn't be on the list of book merit than why the author shouldn't be.

    March 21, 2014 09:11 am at 9:11 am |
  3. TONE

    As far as me and my household is concerned this book is dead on arrival.

    March 21, 2014 09:13 am at 9:13 am |
  4. biffula

    Love looking at all the liberal hypocrisy and hate being spewed. And these fools that live in denial call Rush a hater! I use to laugh at how stupid liberals are. But then when I realized we're cranking out more and more of the dolts everyday in the U.S. Now I cry.

    March 21, 2014 09:14 am at 9:14 am |
  5. Caseyhd

    Hey I'm just as surprised as the rest of you. I mean '‘Rush Revere and the Brave Pilgrims' is pretty advanced reading for Rush's audience.

    March 21, 2014 09:14 am at 9:14 am |
  6. LibsAlwaysAngry

    CNN leaves out the word... Flukes demand for "free" access to birth control. No wonder no one watches them.

    March 21, 2014 09:15 am at 9:15 am |
  7. Don Wall

    The only problem with Mr. Limbaugh is in sustaining an "us and them mentality" that reverberates on capital hill and prevents the compromises necessary to carry out the country's business. Like most Americans, I have both liberal and conservative leanings on individual issues and try to sift through mountains of opinions to get to facts.The electorate gets short changed in every election because the real broad based issues facing us collectively take a back burner to the "dog and pony show" that national politics is (and has always been). But, no doubt about it Mr. Limbaugh is a talented speaker. I just wish he would not serve wisdom with such vitriol.

    March 21, 2014 09:17 am at 9:17 am |
  8. Nathan

    What about the book itself? Is it in any way inflammatory or inaccurate? Yes, he's a blowwhard, but seems better to say why his book shouldn't be on the list of book merit than why the author shouldn't be.

    March 21, 2014 09:17 am at 9:17 am |
  9. Nathan

    What about the book itself? Is it in any way inflammatory or inaccurate? Yes, he's a controversial figure, but seems better to say why his book shouldn't be on the list of book merit than why the author shouldn't be.

    March 21, 2014 09:18 am at 9:18 am |
  10. Dan

    Liberals can't hold on to control of the public schools and the entertainment industry, if children read something other than liberal propaganda.

    They're scared to death that kids will hear more than one point of view.

    March 21, 2014 09:18 am at 9:18 am |
  11. Successful_Legal_Immigrant

    I bought the book for my 11 year old son. He read it and loved it, he is very much into US History. We have visited all historical US sites in DC, Philadelphia and Virginia along with my 13 year old daughter.

    March 21, 2014 09:19 am at 9:19 am |
  12. Frank Essary

    God, how I hate the liberal Communists. It pains me to even make a comment on a CNN site

    March 21, 2014 09:21 am at 9:21 am |
  13. Dan

    Exactly "Libs", she wasn't asking for "access" to birth control.

    She was demanding that the rest of us pay for HER birth control.

    That's disgusting. It's just like the spoiled brat who recently sued her parents.

    March 21, 2014 09:21 am at 9:21 am |
  14. ha ha ha

    ha ha ha – cry your eyes out liberal slim bags, cry your eyes out. Rush Limbaugh is a great man, and a great inspirational speaker, but of course only to those that believe in themselves, america righteousness and morality. Congratulations Rush!

    March 21, 2014 09:21 am at 9:21 am |
  15. L_Dave

    Yah, the leftists are all about diversity, just as long as it strictly adheres to their beliefs.

    March 21, 2014 09:22 am at 9:22 am |
  16. Kurt

    Congrats Rush. Look forward to getting the books. Funny how starved people are for some accurate historical books to pass to their kids. So many of the kids books out there are feel good, touchy-feel sorts of books. Kids see though it, they aren't that stupid.

    March 21, 2014 09:22 am at 9:22 am |
  17. MidWestMike

    it would appear the Socialist are having a fit about success; again.

    March 21, 2014 09:22 am at 9:22 am |
  18. redruffansore

    Perhaps instead of being insecure imbeciles, liberals could try and compete on the field of ideas. First, they need to bring an idea, concept...story that hasn't been tried a thousand times and failed miserably. Go for it.

    March 21, 2014 09:23 am at 9:23 am |
  19. rbnlegend

    @libsalways angry,

    As "free" as any other health insurance benefit that a person has paid for. As "free" as Rush's presciption medication.

    March 21, 2014 09:24 am at 9:24 am |
  20. Dancquill

    so, minus the hatred for the author by the left, its a great book. I see.

    March 21, 2014 09:24 am at 9:24 am |
  21. ColdHardTruth

    The author(s) incorrectly asserted; 'Limbaugh, an outspoken figure in the political world, often expresses controversial sentiments on his radio program'.
    The correct statement would be, 'Limbaugh, an outspoken figure in the political world, often expresses sentiments on his radio program which are taken out of context by the liberals and become controversial'.
    The point being, you cannot make a controversial statement. You can make a statement that becomes controversial due to the perception of others. I do not find anything he says controversial.

    March 21, 2014 09:26 am at 9:26 am |
  22. Fred Phred

    I bought his lesser-known book "how to get addicted to oxycontin". It was revealing how one minute he could say "people on drugs should go to jail for 10 years", and then when it happened to him his perspective had suddenly changed.

    I'm glad this man is a role model for so many of you.

    March 21, 2014 09:26 am at 9:26 am |
  23. rbnlegend

    Frank, it pains you, but you do it, because over on that other network, they can't put comments on articles without showing the mindset of their viewers, and that makes them look bad.

    March 21, 2014 09:27 am at 9:27 am |
  24. TONE

    @Robert

    Has anyone who posted a comment knockin Rush actually read the books? Or just taking group think marching orders from the left, again?

    NO and i will never ever ever read that book read my lips.

    March 21, 2014 09:27 am at 9:27 am |
  25. cuisinemanager

    The only people that it bothers are people that don't like Limbaugh and they certainly don't like the thought that he would win an award for anything. So much for tolerance by liberals.

    March 21, 2014 09:27 am at 9:27 am |
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