Rush Limbaugh Falls For Wikipedia Hoax About Judge Roger Vinson
First Posted: 09-16-10 01:40 PM | Updated: 09-16-10 02:01 PM
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Rush Limbaugh fell for a hoax about a federal judge based on an erroneous Wikipedia entry, according to the New York Times.

The paper reports that, on his Tuesday show, Limbaugh spent some time discussing Roger Vinson, a District Court judge for the Northern District of Florida. Vinson had recently announced that he was likely to allow a full hearing for a challenge to the federal health care bill. Limbaugh told his listeners that the judge was a longtime hunter and amateur taxidermist, and that he had once killed three brown bears and mounted their heads above the entrance to his courtroom--in order, Limbaugh said, to "instill the fear of God into the accused."

"This would not be good news" for supporters of the health care law, he added.

Unfortunately, none of that information is true.

It came from a Wikipedia user called Pensacolian--Vinson's court sits in Pensacola, Florida--who, on Sep. 13, updated Vinson's page to include these sentences:

"Vinson is an avid hunter and amateur taxidermist. After a 2002 hunting trip during which he killed three brown bears, Vinson had their heads mounted over the door through which defendants must pass to enter the courtroom. The heads were later removed following complaints by local defendants' rights groups."

The information was removed on Tuesday afternoon. Pensacolian named as the source for this information a news article which the Times found did not exist. The paper also spoke to Vinson, who corrected the record:

"But, in fact, Judge Vinson has never shot anything other than a water moccasin (last Saturday, at his weekend cabin), is not a taxidermist and, as president of the American Camellia Society, is far more familiar with Camellia reticulata than with Ursus arctos...'I've never killed a bear,' he said Wednesday, 'and I'm not Davy Crockett.'"

Is RL still on the air someplace, I haven't heard anything about him in years?

Show more respect for our next Republican presidential candidate.

But.... I though Rush checked and re-checked every 'fact' he speaks about.

I guess he never heard the old reporter's adage: "If you Mother says she loves you... Check it out!"

rush is a hard hitting journalist. just like glenn beck.

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"The law, in its majestic equality, forbids the rich as well as the poor to sleep under bridges, to beg in the streets, and to steal bread."

Anybody that can hire Elton John for his wedding is obviously very successful at what he does.

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MB-less

i don't know where to start with that statement.

but yes, money is one measure of success. but... not the only one, thankfully. van gogh did die broke.

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"The law, in its majestic equality, forbids the rich as well as the poor to sleep under bridges, to beg in the streets, and to steal bread."

What is it, exactly, that he does?

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You're a daisy if you do.
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84 Euro 240D 4spd. 220.5k sold
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yawn.........

That was also my reaction to the fat boy.

Are you sure he's not dead or something?

So its OK for people to post misinformation and then laugh when someone reads it? OK, then wiki is no better than Drudge as a source--remember that when you want to post wiki as supporting whatever it is you want others to believe.

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1982 300SD " Wotan" ..On the road as of Jan 8, 2007 with Historic Tags

That is the nature of wiki, that's why elementary school teachers won't let students use it as a reference. No news organization would use it, anyone who quotes it to support an opinion is doing so at their own risk (of looking silly).

Are you sure he's still alive?

Rush or Elton John? I don’t think anyone knows in either case.
And Rush was inferring what from this? That the judge is a ‘conservative,’ and would consequently ignore procedure, precedent and the law to follow a given political agenda? It doesn't speak well of conservatives.

hate to break the news to Rush and the rest of the world, but forced health care is coming to your front door courtesy of the insurance lobby. and it will easily double to triple the number of people who currently access the health care system. need to schedule an MRI for that bum knee? take a number.

as the number of people who need the exact same procedure will easily double, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to calculate that the system will be overloaded. but don't worry, your doctor will schedule you in, right after patient
#10,106 gets seen. or, if he is like some of the experienced (20+ years experience) doctors I have spoken with, your doctor may choose to find a fishing pole and RETIRE.

after Dr. Experience bails out and the MRI's back up six months and counting, good luck getting that bum knee looked at.

forced health care is for a good cause though. finally, we will be able to say that everyone has access to the health care system. no child left behind.

Are you seriously complaining that you might be inconvenienced because other people will also have access to health care?

According to your math, only 1/3 to 1/2 of americans currently have access to health care, is that what you believe?