“Look out, Reverend Al, it’s a trap!”, Ann Althouse writes:

CNN doesn’t bother to fact check either Limbaugh’s assertions or Sharpton’s. What did Sharpton really do in relation to those old incidents?

I think Limbaugh was baiting Sharpton. Sharpton now has to talk about those old riots and the way he acted back then. If he sues, it will draw intense attention to the details of what happened, and we’ll have to debate about the precise language Limbaugh used and how close to accurate it was. The question of the damage to Sharpton’s reputation will be put in issue, and there will be discovery and factfinding relating to Sharpton’s reputation and how much money it is worth. That’s pretty risky for Sharpton, who likes to pose as an elder statesman nowadays. Meanwhile, Limbaugh, who may not want to begin any litigation, will have the opportunity to counterclaim, accusing Sharpton of defamation.

Look out, Reverend Al, it’s a trap!

ADDED: This whole NFL controversy is a gift to Rush. I don’t think Rush cared much about being one of the investors in the Rams. He wouldn’t have had any serious power running things, and the group of investors came to him about it. Now, he’s the center of attention, everyone’s talking about him, and plenty of them are embarrassing themselves with careless, stupid, and nasty racial pandering — producing audio clips which he will play on his show, accompanied by scathing mockery and insistence that the mainstream media air his side of the story. If they do not, that’s more fuel for Rush’s red-hot critique of media. If they do, then he’s on mainstream media, telling it his way at last.

All of which sounds like a Breitbart reverse-Alinsky operation in action. The one thing that clouds the matter is the George Soros connection, the right’s bête noire. Did he actually play a role in scuttling Rush’s bid?

Update: Power Line on “Lucky Al”:

Note that Sharpton quietly omitted any mention of his disgraceful role in the Tawana Brawley affair. What is striking about the linked Associated Press account, however, is how the AP carries water for Sharpton.

Funny how that works, huh?

Update: “If Sharpton sues, Limbaugh should propose a settlement that would include buying Al a stake in the St. Louis Rams. The NFL and Al Sharpton deserve each other.”