SYMPATHY FOR THE DEVIL

The wonders of fact checking. One man burning bush Rush Limbaugh blabbed on the radio last Tuesday, snorting that Bono was having an affair, and that his wife, Ali Hewson, knew all about it.

Only it turned out that Limbaugh was merely repeating something an unnamed friend had told him, and the friend sent a panicky email straight away twisting and wheedling that, erm, perhaps it wasn't true at all, and you probably ought to cover your ass pretty damn quick, Rush. (We imagine that all of Rush's friends, the ones who aren't dead, listen to his show in case he splurts out something they told him in confidence over a glass or two of schnapps). Rush rushed to cover his ass:

OK, it's half mea culpa time and half going to cover my bets the other way time. The person who confided in me long ago about the extramarital status of the rock 'n' roll super crooner Bono has just now sent me a clarifying note saying, "Ah, maybe that was just speculation. I wouldn't say it on the air." I said, "Well, thanks for telling me this so many years ago definitively." But nevertheless I will retract it since I personally don't know it and frankly, I can't imagine anybody...It's rock 'n' roll. I can't imagine anybody being surprised, but that's compounding my error, and so I take that back, too.

Of course, it's worthwhile pointing out that Rush didn't know any more personally before his mate sent his email.

music rush limbaugh bono u2