Limbaugh: Teenager's testimony about global warming “reminded” him of 1970s ad of “Crying Indian”

During the November 5 edition of his nationally syndicated radio show, after airing an audio clip of part of the testimony of Cheryl Charlee Lockwood, who said that she is a recent high school graduate and works in the Alaska Youth for Environmental Action program, before the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, Rush Limbaugh stated: “So, once again, it's the Democrats exploiting a young child, ladies and gentleman, for the advancement of a political issue that will grow the size of government and increase their control over -- I really want to puke. I just want to throw up.” On November 5, Lockwood went before Congress to talk about the impact of global warming on her community. Later in the broadcast, Limbaugh said of Lockwood's testimony -- during which she said, “I've seen so many changes in our community that it just hurts to not be able to have our -- it's really scary to ... lose our tradition, our culture ... and it's not just that we're losing our food, it's losing our homes” -- that “I'm just reminded here” of the 1970s public service announcement featuring a representation of a Native American. Limbaugh said:

LIMBAUGH: A lot of communities in trouble over a lot of things. Go to New Orleans. How about losing homes? Wah, wah -- sorry. I'm just reminded here of the old -- remember the old television PSA that used to run back in the old days when we were kids? Iron Eyes Cody, the Indian -- the Native American, sorry -- standing by the roadside as, you know, worthless Americans drive by on the way to their trailer parks and so forth, and throwing trash out of the window of the car -- and they zero-in on Iron Eyes Cody, a founder of the country, a true founder -- a Native American.

Turns out he wasn't -- he was an actor, made up. But, doesn't matter. A little tear starts rolling down his cheek over what the white Europeans have done to his country. This stuff is -- it's oppressive. It's always been around.

In a November 6 article, the Anchorage Daily News identified Lockwood as an “18-year-old Yup'ik Eskimo.” During his show, Limbaugh described her as “an Inuit from Alaska.”

Limbaugh later said: “If the children are crying, and if the children are upset -- it's no different than showing adults pictures of crying children than showing children pictures of so-called stranded polar bears.” He added: “The children say, 'Mommy, mommy, the polar bears are dying, and we're causing it. What are you going to do? What are you going to do?' In this case, you got all these adults, 'Aw, that poor child. Oh, that poor' -- it's just Democrats exploiting -- you want to hear this with me again, [caller]? I know it drives you nuts, but people haven't heard it in a while.” After Limbaugh re-aired the audio clip of part of Lockwood's testimony, he adopted a tone of voice that made it sound like he was crying and said: “The Republicans are going to cut my school lunch money, too.” He later added: “Nobody wants a child to cry. It's just an attempt here to tug at people's heartstrings. And, you know, to do whatever we can to make sure the child stops crying. And what do we gotta do? Well, we gotta stop global warming so the child's spiritual connection to her homeland and her communities and so forth doesn't melt away into the Arctic.”

From the November 5 edition of Premiere Radio Networks' The Rush Limbaugh Show:

LIMBAUGH: Let's move to the final sound bite in this roster. This is this morning at the House Energy Independence and Global Warming Committee hearing with [chairman] Ed Markey [D] of Massachusetts. Student [Cheryl] Charlee Lockwood of the Alaska Youth for Environmental Action testified, and here is a portion of her remarks. This is this morning, at -- before a House committee:

LOCKWOOD [audio clip]: Just through my lifetime, I have seen so many changes in our community that it just hurts to not be able to have our -- it's really scary to live -- lose our tradition, our culture, and we've been living here for thousands of years, and it's not just that we're losing our food --

LIMBAUGH: Oh, God! God!

LOCKWOOD [audio clip]: -- it's losing our homes. And -- 'cause we are spiritually connected, and emotionally and physically connected to our homes, and there are so many, so many communities that are in trouble.

LIMBAUGH: So, once again, it's the Democrats exploiting a young child, ladies and gentlemen, for the advancement of a political issue that will grow the size of government and increase their control over -- I really want to puke. I just want to throw up.

[...]

LIMBAUGH: And here -- you gotta hear this 13-year-old [sic] girl -- let me find her name here. I get the -- I put it at the bottom of the stack. I thought we were through with it, but I'm getting requests to hear this again. And I know what -- the requests really aren't to hear this. The requests are for my reaction to this. This is Cheryl Charlee Lockwood crying in House testimony -- Ed Markey's committee today, the House Energy Independence and Global Warming Committee.

LOCKWOOD [audio clip]: Just through my lifetime, I've seen so many changes in our community that it just hurts to not be able to have our -- it's really scary to live -- lose our tradition, our culture, and we've been living here for thousands of years, and it's not just that we're losing our food, it's losing our homes. And -- 'cause we are spiritually connected, and emotionally and physically connected to our homes, and there are so many, so many communities that are in trouble.

LIMBAUGH: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, that's true. A lot of communities in trouble over a lot of things. Go to New Orleans. How about losing homes? Wah, wah -- sorry. I'm just reminded here of the old -- remember the old television PSA that used to run back in the old days when we were kids? Iron Eyes Cody, the Indian -- the Native American, sorry -- standing by the roadside as, you know, worthless Americans drive by on the way to their trailer parks and so forth, and throwing trash out of the window of the car -- and they zero-in on Iron Eyes Cody, a founder of the country, a true founder -- a Native American.

Turns out he wasn't -- he was an actor, made up. But, doesn't matter. A little tear starts rolling down his cheek over what the white Europeans have done to his country. This stuff is -- it's oppressive. It's always been around.

Shreveport, Louisiana -- this is Chad. Chad, you're up first today on the EIB Network. Sir, hello.

[...]

LIMBAUGH: Here's Madeline now in Melbourne, Florida. Thank you for waiting, Madeline.

MADELINE: Pleasure to talk to you Rush on my day off, while I've got three lights on in my house, the air blasting, got the oven, the TV on, and using as much toilet paper as I want.

LIMBAUGH: Atta way, babe!

MADELINE: My comment is: This is just getting so nauseating already with this global warming hypocrisy, and I want to know why they keep putting these whiney, “wah wah wah” rugrats on Capitol Hill to be testifying, you know, for whatever matter. It's just getting ridiculous already.

LIMBAUGH: Why don't you try to take a stab at answering your own question?

MADELINE: Hmm. For the sympathy?

LIMBAUGH: Exactly right. If the children are crying, and if the children are upset -- it's no different than showing adults pictures of crying children than showing children pictures of so-called stranded polar bears.

MADELINE: True.

LIMBAUGH: The children say, “Mommy, mommy, the polar bears are dying, and we're causing it. What are you going to do? What are you going to do?” In this case, you got all these adults, “Aw, that poor child. Oh, that poor” -- it's just Democrats exploiting -- you want to hear this with me again, Madeline? I know it drives you nuts, but people haven't heard it in a while.

MADELINE: Love to.

LIMBAUGH: Haven't played it since the first hour. This is from an actual House hearing this morning, chaired by Ed Markey, from Massachusetts, and the child is Cheryl Charlee Lockwood, and she's an Inuit [sic] from Alaska.

LOCKWOOD [audio clip]: Just through my lifetime, I've seen so many changes in our community that it just hurts to not be able to have our -- it's really scary to live -- lose our tradition, our culture, and we've been living here for thousands of years, and it's not just that we're losing our food, it's losing our homes. And -- 'cause we are spiritually connected, and emotionally and physically connected to our homes, and there are so many, so many communities that are in trouble.

LIMBAUGH: "The Republicans are going to cut my school lunch money, too. I don't know what to do, Congressman Markey. Wah, wah, wah, wah." That's the last time they tried that, that I remember the Republicans out there -- they got all these kids to go up there, they were going to cut the school lunch program. The kids said they were going to starve. Are your parents going to let you stave, or are they going to feed you before you go to school?

It was absurd, but it's -- this stuff is -- you're right, Madeline. This is to tug at the heartstrings of people, because nobody wants a child to cry, not even in Congress where everybody should cry over what happens.

Nobody wants a child to cry. It's just an attempt here to tug at people's heartstrings. And, you know, to do whatever we can to make sure the child stops crying. And what do we gotta do? Well, we gotta stop global warming so the child's spiritual connection to her homeland and her communities and so forth doesn't melt away into the Arctic. But we've all had to move for a host of reasons.