Amid the rash of appeals for donations to the Haiti relief effort has come a call from one of the most prominent voices on the American right for people to hang on to their cash.
Rush Limbaugh, the US’s most popular radio talkshow host, sometimes described as the real leader of the Republican party, says Americans should not give a penny to Haiti.
Mr Limbaugh agreed with a caller suspicious that the White House website was being used to direct funds to the American Red Cross. “Would you trust the money’s gonna go to Haiti?” the caller asked. Mr Limbaugh then said Mr Obama was exploiting the disaster for political ends.
“This [the earthquake] will play right into Obama’s hands,” said Mr Limbaugh. “He’s humanitarian, compassionate. They’ll use this to burnish their . . . credibility with the black community; both light-skinned and dark-skinned black community in this country. This is made to order for them.”
“Besides, we’ve already donated to Haiti,” Mr Limbaugh added. “It’s called the US income tax.”
– ( Guardianservice)