PEOPLE TALK

The Alaska House, whose members are prone to strong opinions and long-winded speeches, refused to honor someone with the same traits: Rush Limbaugh.

A few liberal legislators said they signed on to the Limbaugh plaudit without reading it. They said they were tricked by its title, "Honoring Excellence in Broadcasting."

"I just assumed this was going to be a citation giving a pat on the back to the public broadcasting stations of Alaska," said Rep. Fran Ulmer, a Democrat. "When it was pointed out to me what was in this citation, I almost had a heart attack."

The prime sponsor, Republican Al Vezey, called Limbaugh "the greatest humorist since Will Rogers" but gave in to objections and withdrew the citation Wednesday.