Limbaugh wasn’t the first

Sat., Jan. 25, 2014

Sorry, Jake Olmstead (Jan. 22), but Rush Limbaugh wasn’t the first to come up with the line about it being “so cold that the Democrats had their hands in their own pockets.” Like a lot of comedians, he stole that line from someone else.

A radio comedian by the name of Bob Burns used that line in 1945 in reference to Henry Morgenthau, President Franklin Roosevelt’s secretary of the treasury. Others change it to politicians, rather than name a particular party, but many have used it, including Johnny Carson.

Ann Hartwell

Chewelah, Wash.

Letters policy

The Spokesman-Review invites original letters on local topics of public interest. Your letter must adhere to the following rules:

No more than 250 words
We reserve the right to reject letters that are not factually correct, racist or are written with malice.
We cannot accept more than one letter a month from the same writer.
With each letter, include your daytime phone number and street address.
The Spokesman-Review retains the nonexclusive right to archive and re-publish any material submitted for publication.

Unfortunately, we don’t have space to publish all letters received, nor are we able to acknowledge their receipt. (Learn more.)

Submit letters using any of the following:

Our online form: Submit your letter here
Mail: Letters to the Editor
The Spokesman-Review
999 W. Riverside Ave.
Spokane, WA 99201
Email: editor@spokesman.com
Fax: (509) 459-3815
Phone: (509) 459-5430