Reuters/Phil McCarten

Rush Limbaugh caught a lot of flak last week for calling Sandra Fluke a slut and prostitute for advocating for covering birth control under health insurance, but feminist lawyer Gloria Allred wants to take it to a whole level – she wants an investigation opened into Rush by Florida authorities, according to Radar Online.

In a letter to Palm Beach County Attorney Denise M. Nieman, Gloria Allred wrote: On behalf of the Women's Equal Rights Legal Defense and Education Fund, we request that you open an investigation into whether or not Mr. Rush Limbaugh is in violation of Section 839.04 of Florida Statues, a misdemeanor, when he publicly called Sandra Fluke, a female student of Georgetown Law School, a 'slut' and a 'prostitute.'

She then cited the exact language of the law, which says whoever speaks of and concerning any woman, married or unmarried, falsely and maliciously imputing to her a want of chastity, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor of the first degree, defining this as defamation.

As for Rush's much-publicized apology, Allred declared it meaningless.

But can Allred win the case? Is calling a woman a slut really a crime?

Defamation and libel cases are notoriously difficult to win in the United States, and Gloria Allred does have a history of inserting herself into women-related conflicts, so she could just be trying to drum up publicity.

Many, especially on Twitter, are skeptical of her motives. Blogger Popehead wrote that Gloria Allred has passed Carrot Top-level self-parody and is aproaching quantum-Paris-Hilton level, and Mike P. asked rhetorically, Wait, does attorney Gloria Allred have any clue as to how the First Amendment works?

Ben Sheffner asked, Does Gloria Allred truly believe in prosecuting people under antiquated FL statute protecting women from mean speech?

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