Rush Limbaugh calls Keith Olbermann ‘insane lunatic leftist’

On Monday, conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh reveled in the news that Keith Olbermann was fired from Current TV last week, calling Olbermann an "insane lunatic leftist," according to Politico.

On his afternoon program, Limbaugh began, "The month of March in the United States opened with the left convinced that they were finally going to drive me off the air once and for all. By the end of the month I’m still on the air with a higher audience," referring to the controversy surrounding Limbaugh calling Sandra Fluke, a Georgetown law student who was testifying in favor of birth control, a "slut" and a "prostitute."

Limbaugh's comments in early March led to a slew of advertisers pulling out of Limbaugh's radio program and a firestorm of controversy online, with campaigns and petitions to "Stop Rush or "Boycott Rush," according to ABC News.

However, Limbaugh said on Monday, "In that month Al Gore fired Keith Olbermann, thrown him off the air and replaced him with ‘Client No. 9,'" referring to former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer by the notorious nickname which was coined during the scandal linking him to a prostitution ring.

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Limbaugh said, "If Olbermann were anything other than an insane lunatic leftist — which is a resume enhancement — he wouldn’t get hired." He got in a few shots against Spitzer as well, saying, "And, by the way, Eliot Spitzer, great defender of women’s rights. Great, great defender of women’s rights, ‘Client No. 9,’ Eliot Spitzer. Not exactly how they thought it was going to turn out."

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The New York Times' Brian Stelter noted that though Olbermann left Current TV, more television news channels are willing to embrace commentators with progressive personas. He said, "liberal journalists and pundits who were inspired by Mr. Olbermann’s invectives against the Iraq war and the Bush administration five years ago have multiple channels to appear on and potentially be paid by."

Olbermann landed himself in hot water in early March as well, with The Daily Beast's Kirsten Powers pointing out how he "said that conservative commentator S.E. Cupp should have been aborted by her parents, apparently because he finds her having opinions offensive. He called Michelle Malkin a “mashed-up bag of meat with lipstick.” He found it newsworthy to discuss Carrie Prejean’s breasts on his MSNBC show."

Current TV founders Al Gore and Joel Hyatt said their relationship with Olbermann ended because of a difference in values, with them pressing for "respect, openness, collegiality, and loyalty."

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