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Rush Limbaugh, the conservative radio host who was a major force in right-wing media for more than 30 years, died Wednesday of lung cancer at the age of 70.
Through his syndicated radio show, which was first broadcast to national audiences in 1988, Limbaugh established himself as a singular voice in American media and grew to hold a powerful influence over the Republican Party. His commentary played such a significant role in helping the GOP take control of the House of Representatives in 1994 that the party named him an honorary member of its caucus. Over the course of the next two and a half decades, Limbaugh helped set the rhetorical agenda for the conservative right. He was a staunch defender of Republican presidents and a scathing critic of Democrats.