This hour of the Limbaugh Wire brought to you by Obama's use of "profiling" to fill Justice Souter's seat on the bench
By Greg Lewis and Karl Frisch

Welcome to the first Limbaugh Wire of the month of May. As Simon, the chief Limbaughlogist here at Media Matters, mentioned at the close of yesterday's Wire, he's taking a well-deserved day off. It's a shame because he'll miss the inevitable shenanigans that will take place today now that Supreme Court Justice David Souter has announced his retirement from the bench... it's also "Open Line Friday!" which is always, well, interesting. In light of the Souter news, take a look at some relevant misinformation on the Supreme Court Media Matters for America has highlighted in the past.

Rush opened the show announcing his theory du jour: Sen. Specter might have "done us a favor" by switching parties. We'll have to wait a few minutes to hear more on that, as Rush swiftly moved on to an email he received from the Washington Post's Chris Cillizza asking Rush his thoughts on Souter, and if Republicans would make a mistake by opposing Obama's upcoming nomination. After expressing his affection (or bromance as it were) for Cillizza, Rush explained he saw the issue differently: "I mean, you continue to look at the Republicans here, but the Democrats are the ones that have power. And the real fun for me is going to be watching all these wacko, fringe nutcases from the blogs and everything else start pressuring Obama to pick somebody like Ward Churchill." El Rushbo then quipped that Democrats will have to find a Supreme Court nominee with a tax problem.

Rush elaborated on Obama's potential nominations further. Obviously, he explained, Obama would appoint a liberal. Would he appoint an African-American? A female? An African-American female? An African-American female from Chicago? Latino? Latina? Rush said the "early betting" was on Sonia Sotomayor.

From this point, it was clear Rush was reading from a conservative memo on how to target what it considers the top nominees to fill Souter's spot. Rush practically read one talking point verbatim from the memo: "Judge Sotomayor's personal views may cloud her jurisprudence. As Judge Sotomayor explained in a 2002 speech at Berkeley, she believes it is appropriate for a judge to consider their 'experiences as women and people of color' in their decision making, which she believes should 'affect our decisions.' " What is it that Rush keeps saying about the president's teleprompter? He took this talking point to mean that Obama wants to appoint someone to the court with "proper feelings" and without any knowledge of the law.

Back from the break, Rush continued to riff on the memo. This time, he cited a speech given by Sotomayor at Berkeley in 2002 which was referenced in the previously mentioned talking points. Rush's comments were almost verbatim from the talking points. And one could hear pages rustling in the background as he mentioned Elena Kagan and Diane Wood -- two other nominees being considered for the bench -- who just so happen to be listed in the memo as well.

He then went back to address his opening on Specter and claimed the Pennsylvania senator's party switch could help Republicans filibuster a Supreme Court nomination. Pointing to a blog post by lawyer Michael Dorf, in which Dorf explained that the defection might give Republicans the ability to filibuster nominees at the Judicial Committee level, which Rush conceded would be a long shot.

Closing out the segment, Rush explained, "There's a steamroller effect here gathering for her nomination, and nobody's talking about her legal qualifications. These -- that got -- that side's not. They're talking about the things that you notice about her when you look at her: she's a woman, and that she's a Hispanic, and, somehow, that's all you need to be qualified."

Back from the break, Rush took the Supreme Court issue to a new, low level. See, now Democrats are "profiling": "OK, so, according now to the Obama administration folks, we are now profiling candidates for the Supreme Court. They have to check all the right boxes. That's -- that's what Chucker Todd said at NBC. That Sonia Sotomayor, why, she checks all the right boxes. We're seeking out certain races and sexes. Profiling: bad for law enforcement, but good for judicial selection." He continued: "Maybe Chucker Todd can tell us when it's appropriate to use race and gender, and when it's not. I guess it's perfectly fine for liberal Democrats to use race and gender to make sure they check all the right boxes -- in other words, profile."

He went on to criticize PBS' Tavis Smiley's appearance on MSNBC -- he was the perfect guest because he "checks all the boxes." Tavis had spoken negatively on Clarence Thomas and suggested that different ethnicities should be represented the Supreme Court. To which Rush responded: "Asians don't have anybody on the court, I don't hear them complaining." Rush then went on an anti-affirmative action tirade repeatedly bemoaning the idea of having to nominate someone to the bench because they check certain boxes. Time and again, Rush dubiously accused the Obama administration of "profiling."

Rush then turned to comments made by Obama at a July 18, 2007, conference for Planned Parenthood. Obama described his opinion on the Supreme Court -- that there should be Justices who would have empathy with people from all walks of life. This set Rush off the deep end. He then suggested what he considered to be Obama's perfect nomination: "We need a teenage single mother who's gay, is a lesbian, who's dirt poor, African-American, and disabled. Or, if we can't find that person, we need a bigger Supreme Court. So, you're going to find -- I'm sure we can find in any blue city a poor, minority teenage mother who can barely get around -- disabled, lesbian, had the kid with surrogacy or artificial insemination. I'm sure we can find them. You know they're all over the place. We can find one. Whether they're qualified to be on the court doesn't matter, because their qualifications -- Obama just said what they are." You see, Rush takes his position as leader of the conservative movement deadly serious.

After another break, Rush continued discussing the Supreme Court: "What Obama's really looking for here, folks, what he really means with all these comments: He's looking for a radical, who is a minority, who will use the court to advance Obama's political agenda." Rush also commented that since Sotomayor is Puerto Rican, her nomination would make Mexicans and Cubans angry. Classy as usual, Rush.

Finally, Rush capped off the hour with some classic Obama falsehoods from the campaign that we, here at the Wire, remember -- ummm -- fondly? He brought up Obama's 2001 radio interview and again misinformed his listeners without missing a beat from October.

Highlights from Hour 1

Outrageous Comments:

LIMBAUGH: I said: The fun for me is going to be watching all the nutcases on the left go wacko trying to convince Obama to pick one of their own. That's -- I mean, the Republicans, I told him -- I said: The Republicans can -- you know, the -- anytime they seriously contrast themselves with Obama, I think it's a win-win for them. But, I said, you're focused on what the Republicans are going to do. I said, where - when did it change that you don't focus on the people who have power?

I mean, you continue to look at the Republicans here, but the Democrats are the ones that have power. And the real fun for me is going to be watching all these wacko, fringe nutcases from the blogs and everything else start pressuring Obama to pick somebody like Ward Churchill.

[...]

LIMBAUGH: There's a steamroller effect here gathering for her nomination, and nobody's talking about her legal qualifications. These -- that got -- that side's not. They're talking about the things that you notice about her when you look at her: she's a woman, and that she's a Hispanic, and, somehow, that's all you need to be qualified.

[...]

LIMBAUGH: OK, so, according now to the Obama administration folks, we are now profiling candidates for the Supreme Court. They have to check all the right boxes. That's -- that's what Chucker Todd said at NBC. That Sonia Sotomayor, why, she checks all the right boxes. We're seeking out certain races and sexes. Profiling: bad for law enforcement, but good for judicial selection.

Maybe Chucker Todd can tell us when it's appropriate to use race and gender, and when it's not. I guess it's perfectly fine for liberal Democrats to use race and gender to make sure they check all the right boxes -- in other words, profile.

[...]

LIMBAUGH: We need a teenage single mother who's gay, is a lesbian, who's dirt poor, African-American, and disabled. Or, if we can't find that person, we need a bigger Supreme Court. So, you're going to find -- I'm sure we can find in any blue city a poor, minority teenage mother who can barely get around -- disabled, lesbian, had the kid with surrogacy or artificial insemination. I'm sure we can find them. You know they're all over the place. We can find one. Whether they're qualified to be on the court doesn't matter, because their qualifications -- Obama just said what they are.

[...]

LIMBAUGH: What Obama's really looking for here, folks, what he really means with all these comments: He's looking for a radical, who is a minority, who will use the court to advance Obama's political agenda.

America's Truth Rejecter:

Rush misinformed on Obama's 2001 radio interview in which he discussed his opinions on the Constitution.

Echo Chamber:

Read from a memo that is reportedly being distributed by conservatives about potential Supreme Court nominees.

This hour of the Limbaugh Wire brought to you by El Rushbo's bromance with Glenn Beck
By Greg Lewis and Karl Frisch

After opening the hour with a few more quips on the Supreme Court, it was back to Rush's favorite subject from yesterday: the Chrysler bankruptcy. El Rushbo spent most of his time reading articles on the subject and harping on the idea that Obama was "doing [his] best" for the unions, and hurting shareholders and hedge funds because heaven knows hedge funds have been through enough. First, he read from a New York Times article headlined, "The Lenders Obama decided to blame," which Rush used to echo his feelings on the subject. This launched Rush into a long discussion on Obama's attacks on banks and the private sector, ultimately leading him to comment that "[t]here is genuine fear of the government from average Americans buying up guns and ammunition like they never have before, to people on Wall Street, the big businesses -- there is abject fear." We here at the Wire already know who fuels this fear but then again we listen to Rush every day.

From there, Rush described what he thought of as the "Obama fairness doctrine," which went beyond radio -- "it's about everything." In Obama's "show" of bipartisanship, he listens to the other side, "plays Solomon," and decides what is "fair." And if you don't like his fairness, "you're dispatched to "Messiah Park" -- not to be confused with the FEMA concentration camps.

Rush then read from a few more articles on Chrysler, one from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, another from The Washington Post. The latter described what the new ownership of Chrysler would be after bankruptcy, specifically that the UAW would take a 55-percent stake in the company, a fact that Rush highlighted yesterday with typical doom and gloom. For what it's worth, the Post also reported that the union, specifically its health trust fund, would only get one seat on the new Chrysler board, a point lost on Limbaugh.

On the flip side of the commercial break, Rush took his first two callers of the day -- after all, it is their day! The first caller asked about mortgage "cramdowns" (giving bankruptcy courts the ability to modify the mortgages of homeowners in financial distress over the objection of the creditors -- a power that bankruptcy courts have in several other areas) being voted down in Congress yesterday. Rush hailed the vote as upholding the idea that "a contract is still a contract." Rush noted, however, that even though the measure failed, "cramdowns" are essentially what Obama is trying to do with Chrysler and the banks, and that "everybody is running in total fear of the guy." Everybody Rush? The next caller suggested that Obama appoint Judge Judy to the Court -- seriously.

After the break, Rush started off by thanking Fox News newcomer and conspiracy-theorist-in-chief Glenn Beck for his "wonderful" profile of Rush, which he wrote for Time magazine's 100 "World's Most Influential People" annual feature.

Then Rush took a call from someone who wanted to run for the House of Representatives in his Texas district as a conservative, and asked Rush for some campaign advice. We wonder if the caller is asking the best person for advice on this subject, given that Rush has never run for elected office -- then again, better to seek his advice now than apologize later when he condemns El Rushbo. Rush then warned the caller not to hire a consultant who would talk him out of his conservatism. After rambling for a few minutes about conservatism, Rush told the caller to be genuine and he'll win in a landslide against the conservative Republican incumbent. Sound advice indeed.

Back from another break, Rush read from a letter by National Review's Andy McCarthy, in which he invites Attorney General Eric Holder to a roundtable on detention policy. Rush declared that the letter was "gutsy" and "brilliant," and promised to read excerpts from it in the next hour.

Finally, Rush took to mocking the GOP's new "National Council for a New America" campaign. First, he played a clip from last night's No Bias, No Bull on CNN, during which Jessica Yellin briefly described the campaign. Rush thought it was chuckle-worthy that John McCain was one of the Republicans headlining it. To date, McCain hasn't taken Rush's advice to leave the party and take his daughter with him.

Highlights from Hour 2

Outrageous Comments:

LIMBAUGH: The third possibility to explain why the big banks rolled over is: They're just scared to death because the Obama administration Treasury Department has their future in its hands. So, of the three possibilities, from the goodness of their hearts, they got secret slush money under the table from TARP, or they're scared to death because the Treasury Department holds the future right in their hands.

I vote option three. I vote that the big banks rolled over 'cause they're scared to death, 'cause wherever I go, I don't care who I interact with. They're scared to death of this administration. There is genuine fear of the government from average Americans buying up guns and ammunition like they never have before, to people on Wall Street, the big businesses -- there is abject fear.

So I vote for number three. But we'll never really know.

Echo Chamber:

National Review's Andy McCarthy's letter to Eric Holder.

This hour of the Limbaugh Wire brought to you by Rush's disdain for "conformity." Oh yeah, and his first Rolex
By Greg Lewis and Karl Frisch

Jumping ear-first into the last hour of Rush for the week, we were greeted with a grand conspiracy theory from El Rushbo. See, everyone is focused on the swine flu -- which Rush falsely claimed hasn't killed anyone in the U.S. yet -- so nobody has noticed that April was the deadliest month in Iraq since September. The Iraq story is being hidden, Rush suggested, because the upswing in violence might be caused by Obama making it clear that "we're getting out of there."

Rush then spent several minutes reading the entire letter written by National Review's Andy McCarthy to Attorney General Eric Holder about U.S. torture and detention policy. The letter was lengthy, and there would be a lot to discuss based on its content. But since we're short on time, let's just pick out one problem we have with it here at the Limbaugh Wire. McCarthy wrote: "I believe alien enemy combatants should be detained at Guantanamo Bay (or a facility like it) until the conclusion of hostilities. This national defense measure is deeply rooted in the venerable laws of war and was reaffirmed by the Supreme Court in the 2004 Hamdi case." Conservatives love to point to decisions like Hamdi to say it justified what the Bush administration was doing. They rarely point out that the Bush administration lost almost all of its detainee cases before the Supreme Court -- including Hamdi. Call it a legacy defense fail.

Next up were a few more callers for "Open Line Friday!" the first of whom wondered about Obama's potential Supreme Court nominee, asking: "So by Barack Obama looking for somebody that the system has failed, isn't he in essence looking for someone who's a failure?" To which Rush responded: "Yeah. He's looking for a failure. He's looking for somebody who's been on the wrong side of the law, somebody who -- yeah. He's looking for somebody who does not know success, because those people -- see, in his worldview, the only reason those people are on the wrong side of the law or haven't had any success is because the achievers and those who have accomplished things are stealing from them and denying them opportunity." Rush finished: "And that's what he's going to change -- and he's hell-bent on it. And he's making it clear every time he opens his mouth." The only thing Rush, talk radio's biggest achiever, is stealing from the Wire is time, precious time.

Unfortunately the next caller had been disconnected before Rush could talk to her, but he answered her question anyway. The caller apparently wanted to know why Rush would waste energy during Earth Hour just because he didn't believe in the cause. Rush responded with a lecture on how and why he doesn't conform, though he certainly doesn't like it when people won't conform to his way (Things Ought To Be) of thinking: "[T]he reason I do all this, is to do two things: a) to not conform with the tug of popular sentiment, which is a bunch of sheep. I refuse to be a sheep. I refuse to be a lemming. And I refuse to accept stupid, idiotic erroneous premises -- this premise being that if we all turned our lights out, somehow we're making a statement for the future of saving the planet. It's absurd. ... [W]herever there are liberals, Roberta, I oppose them. And this is nothing more than a bunch of liberal activists practicing mind control and trying to create as many sheep as possible." Rush concluded: "I was simply expressing my political point of view and just shoving it down their throats."

For the remainder of his show, "Open Line Friday!" roared its ugly head and gave us some of the most uninteresting callers we've ever heard. One caller brought up the Panetta Institute Lecture Series, which will feature a forum with Karl Rove and David Plouffe, Barack Obama's former campaign manager, on "Can the Partisan Divide Ever End?" The caller pondered if any liberals would try to throw shoes or pies at Rove, but Rush assured the caller he would be fine. The next caller asked if Obama would ruin truck production in America -- Rush was skeptical since the Sierra Club would probably be designing cars for Chrysler now. The final caller asked Rush what we're sure has been burning on everybody's minds: what did Rush purchase when he first "made it"? Rush told a couple of heartwarming stories about purchasing a Rolex on a cruise and chartering a Learjet. A true man of the people, the Rolex complemented his "formerly nicotine stained finguuurs."

Well, we at the Wire hope you've weathered Simon's first absence as well as we have. We expect Simon to return on Monday. Hopefully, a day of rest will have rejuvenated his spirits and the Limbaugh Wire will return better than ever. If you missed his heartwarming brand of snark, take some time to peruse through our vast Limbaugh Wire archives.

Highlights from Hour 3

Outrageous Comments:

CALLER: I have a small firm, and when I get the system to work for me, I call that success. And when the system fails me, I call that failure. So by Barack Obama looking for somebody that the system has failed, isn't he in essence looking for someone who's a failure?

LIMBAUGH: For his Supreme Court nominee?

CALLER: Yes, sir.

LIMBAUGH: Yeah. He's looking for a failure. He's looking for somebody who's been on the wrong side of the law, somebody who -- yeah. He's looking for somebody who does not know success, because those people -- see, in his worldview, the only reason those people are on the wrong side of the law or haven't had any success is because the achievers and those who have accomplished things are stealing from them and denying them opportunity. And that's what he's going to change -- and he's hell-bent on it. And he's making it clear every time he opens his mouth.

[...]

LIMBAUGH: Why would you turn yours off just because these people say to do it? Why would you not resist the tug of popular sentiment? What -- what -- you make yourself feel better by going along with such nonsense? The reason I turn my lights on, Roberta, and lit my house up as brightly as I could, and the reason why, on Earth Day, I sent my airplane to California and back, burning jet fuel -- the reason I do all this, is to do two things: a) to not conform with the tug of popular sentiment, which is a bunch of sheep.

I refuse to be a sheep. I refuse to be a lemming. And I refuse to accept stupid, idiotic erroneous premises -- this premise being that if we all turned our lights out, somehow we're making a statement for the future of saving the planet. It's absurd.

And so, rather than just not turn my lights off -- wherever there are liberals, Roberta, I oppose them. And this is nothing more than a bunch of liberal activists practicing mind control and trying to create as many sheep as possible. And I am, not then, and I'm never going to be a sheep.

So, I do it. I was expanding the economy. I was keeping people working. I was simply expressing my political point of view and just shoving it down their throats.

Echo Chamber:

Rush read the complete letter from National Review's Andy McCarthy to Eric Holder, and subsequently linked to it on his website, RushLimbaugh.com.