In the cosmology of media, no planet looms as large as Rush Limbaugh. He is often given credit as a major factor in the ascendancy of the right wing. The New York Times calls him "a national precinct captain" of the Republican Party. He's an electronic ward boss who fervently promotes the right-wing agenda. Limbaugh's daily three-hour radio show is broadcast on 700 stations; his TV program is seen on 250. He reaches over 20 million people a week. On the air Limbaugh generally goes unchallenged. Virtually the only calls that get on are from his ditto-head fans. When he claims, "I'm not making this stuff up, folks," it should set off truth detectors. Many of his comments are riddled with fabrications and distortions.

Jeff Cohen
Jeff Cohen is founder of Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR), the New York-based media watch group. His columns appear on commondreams.org and other websites. He's author of "The Way Things Aren't: Rush Limbaugh's Reign of Error," and "Wizards of Media Oz." His latest book is "Cable News Confidential."