Rush Limbaugh reacts after first Lady Melania Trump presented him with the the Presidential Medal of Freedom as President Donald Trump delivers his State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2020. Second lady Karen Pence is at left and Kathryn Limbaugh is partially hidden. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

When I first reported on conservative legend Rush Limbaugh being diagnosed with advanced lung cancer earlier in the week, I said that I hoped Democrats and the media wouldn’t devolve into taking petty shots and making tasteless editorial pronouncements.

As usual, that was far too much to ask from an industry continually shows itself to be a total dumpster fire.

Last night, the President presented Rush with the Medal of Freedom and that meant the hot takes must flow.

I’ll let this Washington Post reporter start us off.

Rush Limbaugh at first seemed to act surprised by award, which was widely reported hours ago and is the reason he is in VIP guest box. pic.twitter.com/d38WG5Rzid

— Carol Leonnig (@CarolLeonnig) February 5, 2020

Let me list the multiple ways her gotcha observation is idiotic. First, yes, Rush knew he was going to get the medal. But he did not know it was going to happen during the SOTU. He was misdirected to believe it would happen in the coming months. So he was genuinely surprised when the President did it on the spot last night.

But two, even if Rush had known, it’s perfectly normal for a person to get emotional during an emotional event. A bride knows her wedding is coming for months (sometimes years). Yet, she still may cry on her wedding day. A husband who lost his wife is well aware she’s passed before the funeral starts. Yet, it’s the event itself which can bring about a rush of emotions.

These kinds of petty, ridiculous “fact-checks” are just garbage.

But it of course got much worse. Here’s CNN’s Jim Acosta letting us know that Rush is really a racist.

“He was trying to make appeals to the African American community,” Acosta, 48, observed about Trump’s State of the Union address Tuesday night. “It can’t be forgotten that he was awarding the Medal of Freedom to Rush Limbaugh, who has a history of making derogatory comments about African Americans. So I think, you know, overall, it’s a wash.”

What derogatory comments is he specifically citing? He doesn’t say of course, but I assume it’s about the Donavan McNabb thing almost two decades ago, which wasn’t actually a racist statement by Rush. Just about every other “racist” statement you see attributed to Rush is either outright false, grossly out of context, or him making fun of something a Democrat said (i.e. Al Sharpton’s “Barack the magic negro” line).

Bo Snerdley issued a challenge to CNN and Acosta following their tasteless, garbage display.

I just saw the footage from CNN's Jim Acosta saying Rush has a "history" of saying disparaging things about African Americans. I have been in the studio with Rush for 30 years. I would like to formally challenge CNN and @Acosta to provide the list.

— Bo Snerdley (@BoSnerdley) February 5, 2020

I have a feeling Acosta doesn’t begin to have to courage to actually try to back up his characterization. But that’s what CNN has become at this point. A partisan, petty, trash heap of a network who’s only goal is to try to own the orange man.

Rush Limbaugh is an icon and a pioneer in media. You don’t have to agree with his politics to have enough humanity to not trash the guy after he’s diagnosed with (possibly terminal) cancer. I know it’s in vogue among some conservatives to “both sides” every issue, but I simply can’t remember Republicans ever responding to a Democrat diagnosed with a serious disease this way.

There are some things that should transcend politics, and if you can’t bring yourself to say a prayer, then say nothing at all. The Post, CNN, and others have no concept of that and it’s why their credibility is in absolute tatters.