Jim H, You are correct: he is neither a newsman or, in your parlance, a commentator although he would be in ours. He comments on what he chooses, to my way of thinking, in an emotional way that reinforces ignorance. I agree with Wiki that he's an "entertainer," which may account for his popularity. I believe he was termed spokesman for the Republican Party when it was so low it didn't have a voice two years ago, and that he is broadcast on the Fox network.

As for his conservative and commentator credentials, again from Wikipedia:

"Occupation Radio host, political commentator, author, television host
Rush Hudson Limbaugh III, born January 12, 1951 is an American entertainer, radio talk show host, writer, and conservative political commentator. Since he was 16, Limbaugh has worked a series of disc jockey jobs. His talk show began in 1984 at Sacramento radio station KFBK, featuring his ongoing format of political commentary and listener calls. In 1988, Limbaugh began broadcasting his show nationally from radio station WABC in New York City. He currently lives in Palm Beach, Florida, where he broadcasts The Rush Limbaugh Show, the highest-rated talk-radio program in the United States.[1][2] Talkers Magazine in 2012 lists Limbaugh as the most-listened-to talk show host with a weekly audience of 15 million.

In the 1990s, Limbaugh's books The Way Things Ought to Be (1992) and See, I Told You So (1993) made The New York Times Best Seller list. Limbaugh frequently criticizes, in his books and on his show, what he regards as liberal policies and politicians, as well as what he perceives as a pervasive liberal bias in major U.S. media. Limbaugh is among the highest paid people in U.S. media, signing a contract in 2008 for $400 million through 2016."

Limbaugh is correct, as most observers are, that there is a liberal bias in media because media is not only an integral and influential part of our culture, it reflects it. Political parties swing right and left and to the centre to meet what they consider public expectations. What they espouse today would have been unthinkable 25 years ago.

Craig: as postscript to my last message on red and blue, while fishing on Rush's website today, I hauled in this:

"RUSH: The fact of the matter is that over half the population is in that blue area. That's what's not told to you people looking at that map."

He thinks only he can recognize the obvious.