Former First Daughter Chelsea Clinton has told how talk show host Rush Limbaugh made fun of her looks when she was 13 years old by comparing her to a dog.
Chelsea Clinton, 32, said she identified with Georgetown University student Sandra Fluke, who was branded a “slut” and a “prostitute” by Rush Limbaugh, during a panel about women in politics last week.
“She and I actually have something in common. We’ve both have been attacked by Rush Limbaugh,” Chelsea Clinton said.
She added: “She was 30. I was 13.”
Chelsea Clinton was referring to the 1993 incident in which Rush Limbaugh mocked her appearance.
“Socks is the White House cat. But did you know there is also a White House dog?” Rush Limbaugh had said, before showing an image of the young Chelsea Clinton.
“I’m grateful I don’t remember the exact phrasing,” Chelsea Clinton said during the debate.
“Thankfully I had grown up in public life and knew that having thick skin was a survival skill.”
“I do also believe if you have the right type of enemies you’re doing something correct,” Chelsea Clinton added.
Rush Limbaugh apologized after both incidents but his comments about Sandra Fluke caused widespread condemnation, prompting high-profile advertisers to pull out from his radio show.
During the panel with Chelsea Clinton, the law student said she hoped the conservative host’s comments had not put other women off speaking out in the future.
“I was worried they would think, <<I should sit down and shut up, because if I speak out, this is what happens>> … I want women to see this as an empowering moment,” Chelsea Clinton said.
Hilary Clinton also weighed in on the debate during an interview with MSNBC this week.
“As a woman and as someone who can vaguely remember being a young woman, and as a mother of a young woman of that age and generation, I thought the response was very encouraging,” Hillary Clinton said.
“The response from the public, the response from women cutting across all kinds of categories, the response from advertisers, so I’ll let that speak for itself.”
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