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Woman Called A 'Slut' By Rush Limbaugh Brings Message To Colorado

DENVER (CBS4)- A verbal assault by conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh thrust her into the national stage. Friday, Sandra Fluke brought her health care message to Colorado.

"If it takes a radio scandal I'll take it because now we're talking about women's health care," said Fluke.

Fluke teamed up with Rep. Diana DeGette to speak at a health care discussion roundtable to recognize the second anniversary of President Obama's Affordable Health Care Act.

"It makes her a slut, right? Makes her a prostitute, she wants to be paid to have sex," Limbaugh said during his radio program in February.

Limbaugh created a firestorm when he used derogatory remarks following Flukes' congressional testimony supporting affordable contraception for women. Now, Fluke said the controversy has helped shed light on the issue.

"We pay higher premiums and we don't receive coverage for the services that we need. Until now, that's all about to change," said Fluke. "It provides accessible contraception, a basic health care need that so many women have."

Fluke also went one step further, criticizing alternatives by those who oppose the mandate to cover contraception.

"It is unconscionable to expect that women will rely on non-profit clinics and have those same legislators try to de-fund Title 10, the same money that goes to those clinics," said Fluke.

Not far from the health care roundtable, others supporting a different viewpoint were rallying on the steps of the state Capitol.

"The largest network of Christian institutionalized education and hospital care in human history will have it, religious identiy, ripped... taken away," said Dr. Christian Brugger with St. John Vianney Theological Seminary.

That rally was sponsored by the Stand Up Coalition. The group claims the Obama Administration health care mandate violates religious liberties. That rally was mirrored in several other cities across the nation.

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