This hour of the Limbaugh Wire brought to you by the Democrats we elected to "torture" us
By Simon Maloy

Contrary to last week's ill-founded speculation, our whereabouts on Friday were not "unknown." That was just a callous attempt by Greg to maliciously impugn our character and good name, likely in retribution for the callous and malicious way in which we impugned Greg's character and good name during l'affair Sanford. But we really should stop making things up about one another -- not for the sake of our character (or lack thereof), but because making things up about people apparently dishonors American soldiers. While you try and wrap your head around that bit of illogic, we're girding ourselves for some more race-baiting from El Rushbo, and perhaps a little Palin boosterism, as the right's favorite perennial victim has officially left the Alaska governor's mansion. As Steve Benen observed, the "former governor [said] she 'will be able to fight even harder' for her supporters, now that she has no office, no governmental power, no authority, and no influence over public policy. She didn't elaborate as to why."

Rush got today's show rolling by saying he wanted to read from a couple of stories, the first a Hill analysis with the headline: "July has been disaster for Obama, Hill Dems." Rush said if July has been a "disaster," then he hopes August is "terrifying." And we now know, said Rush, why Obama went to the White House press room to shut down this Henry Louis Gates thing -- Congress was going to have hearings on it, and that's the last thing the White House wanted. But this is not a time to get giddy, said Rush, because fighting these people is a daily thing for the rest of our lives. One of the things Rush wishes he had told Greta Van Susteren during his interview with her was -- wait. First, Rush had to interrupt his own train of thought to tell us that The Wall Street Journal reported this morning that banks are not lending. It's stories like these, said Rush, that lead him to keep saying that what Obama is doing to the economy is purposeful.

But then Rush got back on track, saying that the thing he wished he had said to Greta is that the history of the world is tyranny and dictatorship, and that's why this country is so unique. It's the desire of people to have control over other people, and "there are people in this country who are Americans who have the same view of totalitarianism that all the worst regimes of the world have had. They just are a minority, or have been a minority, and they have to be stealth to get anywhere because who's gonna vote for torture? Who's gonna vote for tyranny? Who's gonna vote for dictatorship? But we did. We did, and it's -- you see it's slowly encroaching."

The second story that Rush wanted to mention was a column by Fortune editor-at-large Shawn Tully, who enumerated the five freedoms we're allegedly going to lose as a consequence of health care reform. After reading most of Tully's column on the air, Rush switched gears to an Associated Press article which reported: "Democratic and GOP officials acknowledged Sunday that Obama's ambitious plan would not pass without the aid of a doubtful GOP, whose members are almost united against the White House effort." If you add up the numbers, said Rush, the Democrats can't be stopped because they have the numbers in Congress. So if there's any reason the Democrats are having problems, it's because of the Democrats. This is such a political gold mine, said Rush, and there is no reason -- not now, not six months from now, not ever -- to pass this health care bill.

After the break, Rush said it's just "comical" the way the White House and the media want to blame all of Obama's problems on Bush or the Republicans. But the real comedy, said Rush, is that their real enemies are in the CBO, which just said that the health care plan is going to be worse than anyone imagined. It's Obama's own party that is causing all the problems, said Rush, because the Democrats run the CBO. Who would have thought that CBO would save the country? This is why they're going to try and force a vote in the House before the congressmen go home on recess, said Rush.

Rush then skipped over to a CNS News article reporting that Rep. John Conyers (D-MI) "questioned the point of lawmakers reading the health care bill." It is stunning, said Rush, that Conyers would say this publicly. July's not over, he said, and it's already horrifying. Rush then switched gears again, reading from a Bloomberg article reporting: "Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner pledged the U.S. will shrink its budget deficit over the next four years and boost national savings, and he called on China to maintain efforts to ease the impact of the global recession." Rush helpfully "translated" this for us, saying that Geithner is telling the ChiComs that we're going to raise taxes.

Rush then observed that he was all over the media this weekend, airing audio of PBS' Bill Moyers talking about the Fairness Doctrine, saying that Rush will cause "riots in the public mind" if the Fairness Doctrine is reinstated. Rush said that when these people get their unbridled power and it still doesn't go right for them, they can't blame him. Rush said he has no power. None! Riots in the public mind? And last Friday on MSNBC, Rush said, Richard Wolffe interviewed White House press secretary Robert Gibbs about Gates. It really upset MSNBC, said Rush, when Rush compared Obama to Mike Nifong. Anyway, Rush aired audio of Gibbs saying that Obama wants to have constructive dialogue on race, whereas Rush is paid to sell advertising by fanning the flames on the radio. Rush wondered if he was correct -- did he hear that he is fanning the flames to sell advertising? Who started all of this? Fanning the flames? Gibbs' boss was the one who started it, said Rush, and they have it exactly backwards if they blame Rush for what the president did. Read that again: Rush's mature response to the White House is: "They started it."

After the break, Rush aired audio of Conyers talking about reading the health care bill. This guy is chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. Sometimes it's best to just get out of their way, said Rush, who then "apologized" to Bill Moyers for creating a riot in the public mind by airing Conyers' comments.

Then it was on to the Palin boosterism that we so astutely predicted, as Rush aired audio of Palin talking about the media dishonoring American soldiers by making things up. Rush asked what other elected official do you hear talking that way to the media about the media. There's a reason she drew these huge crowds during the campaign, he said, and she's exactly right -- the media have met their Waterloo in Obama, sacrificing what was left of their integrity in propping him up. After airing a couple more Palin bites, Rush said we have so many people on our side thinking this woman is an idiot. Rush said he is always asked what he thinks of Sarah Palin, and he told Greta that he is looking at who can win and excite crowds, and who the media and the Democrats are afraid of, and it's Palin.

Rush then aired audio of a discussion on MSNBC from last week on how Palin could become the face of the angry white woman. They're making fun of her, said Rush, which means they're worried. And this angry white woman stuff -- Rush predicted it. Rush said back during the campaign, the election of Obama would exacerbate, not heal, racial divisions. So they'll tell you who they're afraid of, just look at who they try to destroy.

Another break and Rush was back saying that four years ago, the angriest white man in America was Howard Dean, and, today, it's Chris Matthews, and they're both Democrats.

Then it was time for Rush's first caller of the week, who said that Moyers' comments really demonstrate the intellectual elitism of this country, most of which resides in the White House where they're trying to rewrite the rules of the private sector. Rush said that Moyers is jealous and frustrated that there is no longer a monopoly on the media that he is a part of. They used to have that monopoly, said Rush, but they don't anymore, and since they don't have that monopoly any more they focus their anger on those who took it away. You don't understand the kind of power these people used to have, said Rush, and all these people in the news business wish they could be Walter Cronkite, and they seethe over the fact that such power isn't there anymore. Plus, said Rush, Moyers is your typical uninformed and close-minded liberal. As for Obama, said Rush, he has no respect for the private sector, and everything they're doing is purposeful.

And the American people are catching on, said Rush, reading from an American Spectator blog entry citing Rasmussen (R-Pollster). But, said Rush, there's another poll that shows Obama under 50 percent, and it's not Rasmussen, who some people say leans right. It's Zogby, who "has to lean left." Ah yes, Zogby... the notoriously unreliable pollster who conducts push polls for right-wing hacks like John Zeigler.

Rush's next caller wanted to apologize to the nation for the representatives that come from his state of Illinois, and if anyone owes anybody an apology, it's Obama that owes one to Rush. Rush said it was funny on Friday when Obama threw Gates overboard, and now all kinds of news is coming out about Gates. He's a racist -- an angry racist, said Rush. The last two Democratic administrations have tried to make Rush out to be racist, but all he has done is report what the president said in his press conference (actually, Rush lied quite brazenly, saying that Obama "condemn[ed] the cop, the whole police department, white America.")

Greg Lewis and Zachary Pleat contributed to this edition of the Limbaugh Wire.

Highlights from Hour 1

Outrageous comments

LIMBAUGH: And there are people in this country who are Americans who have the same view of totalitarianism that all the worst regimes of the world have had. They just are a minority, or have been a minority, and they have to be stealth to get anywhere because who's gonna vote for torture? Who's gonna vote for tyranny? Who's gonna vote for dictatorship? But we did. We did, and it's -- you see it's slowly encroaching.

This hour of the Limbaugh Wire brought to you by China and the U.S. -- brothers in communism
By Simon Maloy

Rush got the second hour rolling by claiming that Obama keeps saying that he is pushing health care reform, but the people do not want what he is pushing. Every poll shows the American people do not want what he is pushing. Obama is taking money out of our pockets and the pockets of our children to push his own agenda. It's not an agenda in line with what the nation wants. They're going to do what they want to do whether the nation wants it or not (we don't recall Rush being this wedded to public opinion on the Iraq war...) And, Rush continued, Obama is going to use every form of pressure he can, intimidating doctors and insurance companies. The most important aspect of Obama's health care conference was his attack on the health care system as it exists. But no poll shows that the people want more stimulus or health care reform.

Rush then noted that "The Washington Prowler" reported that it "wasn't out of a need for racial healing that President Barack Obama reached out to his old friend, Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates, Jr., and Cambridge Police Sgt. James Crowley." According to an anonymous White House source quoted by the Prowler, Obama reached out because Congress was considering hearings and the president didn't want to go down that route. Here's the thing about citing the Washington Prowler -- you have to accept as fact that the Prowler, who works for fringe, ultra-conservative magazine The American Spectator and whose column is devoted to attacking Democrats and liberals, somehow obtained exclusive access (on background, of course) to a Democratic White House official who was willing to explain, in detail, the president's thinking on race and policy. Sounds perfectly plausible...

Anyway, Rush then wanted to go back to the sound bite from the last hour of Richard Wolffe talking to Robert Gibbs. It always comes down to Rush's money, said Rush, who once again denied that he "start[ed] anything" regarding Gates. It was the president who fanned the flames, said Rush. So when this White House gets in trouble, they lash out at Rush. Rush then aired audio of Wolffe interviewing Michael Eric Dyson, who said that calling Obama "an angry black man" is as ridiculous as calling Rush Limbaugh an intellectual, and that the president is committed to using his bully pulpit to elevate the discourse. He is "an angry black guy," Rush retorted, adding, "I do believe he's angry. I think his wife is angry. Well, all liberals are enraged all the time anyway. They're always mad."

Rush then offered another of his trademark, transmission-shattering gear shifts, moving on to Obama's remarks this morning on the strategic economic dialogue between China and the U.S. Rush said: "The president of the United States wants China to become a superpower. He does not want the United States to be the sole superpower in the world." But there's something else here, said Rush: "If you were an investor in the American government -- in the United States government -- and you're a communist and your whole party's communist, and you see what one of your brothers is doing to your investment, you'd be steamed too. I -- and they want -- the ChiComs want answers. That's what all these dialogues are about. The U.S. and China: partners in what? Communism?" Rush then said he doesn't need lectures from people who are tearing the U.S. economy apart. Profits beat bankruptcy, and profits beat Gibbs' philosophy of socialism.

After the break, Rush re-aired the Michael Eric Dyson clip, saying that Obama was not using his bully pulpit to elevate the conversation on race, he was trying to shut it down. Rush then noted that Wolffe asked Dyson how Republicans can win black voters if Limbaugh is their voice, and he aired audio of Dyson saying that Republicans must learn to be self-critical. Rush doesn't understand what Dyson is talking about -- that's first-class intellectualism? If Obama was not trying to harm this cop, what was he doing? You think Obama would have said a word about this if the cop had been black? As it turns out, said Rush, there was a black and a Hispanic cop there when Gates was arrested. Gates and Obama were the ones that went after the cop, said Rush, and they're the ones who injected race into this. But for some reason, Rush is the one who gets blamed.

Another break and Rush came back to take a couple of calls, the first from a woman who said she just told an AARP representative how upset she was with the AARP's support of Obama's health care plan. The caller said that the representative told her that there are a lot of myths about health care, and this is not socialized health care. Rush said the AARP person denied a charge that the caller hadn't made, which means they're very defensive. If they go along with this, said Rush, then they'll be selling every AARP member down the river. And this all makes sense, said Rush, when you understand that the AARP are no different from the "National Association of Gals," PETA, etc. They're liberals, and they love big government; and they all have skin in the game. This health care plan is all about Obama taking care of his buddies in the unions, said Rush, who chastised the caller for expecting them to be intellectually honest when that's not what they're about.

The next caller said she saw Rush on TV the other day, and she's thankful that he's lost so much weight because he's a vital part of the nation. The caller then waxed poetic on Limbaugh's eloquence and intelligence, and how he outstrips Obama on both fronts. Rush said she's very bright to have spotted his intelligence, given that it's under assault by Michael Eric Dyson. After the caller praised Rush's ability to speak to the common man, Rush said perhaps the most untrue thing we've ever heard on this program: "But I'm -- I am one of them. I'm not up. You know, I'm not an elitist. I don't have that kind of attitude or carriage. You know, the reason that I'm -- the reason I'm able to speak the truth to people is because I'm one of them."

Rush came back from the next break armed with a sound bite of Barney Frank's speech this morning, in which Frank said that the job of Congress is not to help people make money. Rush asked if we understood what was going on here -- these people, when they have what they think is unchecked power, will be very honest about what they want to do. This is a teachable moment, said Rush. Every business in Frank's district has probably heard this from him, and yet they still vote for him. Frank looks at business as providing funds to people in Washington to use productively, said Rush. That's definitely the way Obama views the private sector.

El Rushbo closed out the hour with a caller who was very frustrated over this Gates situation -- Obama admitted he's a racist, and all these people are out there trying to spin this away for Obama. This is an example of unchecked power in the media, said the caller, because Obama can get away with anything. Rush played audio of Gibbs saying that they anticipated a question on Gates at the press conference. So they planned for it, said Rush, and they still blew it.

Greg Lewis and Zachary Pleat contributed to this edition of the Limbaugh Wire.

Highlights from Hour 2

Outrageous comments

LIMBAUGH: But, and they're finally hearing me. Why, he's an angry black guy. I do believe that about the president. I do believe he's angry. I think his wife is angry. Well, all liberals are enraged all the time anyway. They're always mad.

"Socialism" watch

LIMBAUGH: The president of the United States wants China to become a superpower. He does not want the United States to be the sole superpower in the world. But there's something else going on here, too, folks, and it is this: The ChiComs own our debt, and the ChiComs are not happy with what's happening to their investment.

If you were an investor in the American government -- in the United States government -- and you're a communist and your whole party's communist, and you see what one of your brothers is doing to your investment, you'd be steamed too. I -- and they want -- the ChiComs want answers. That's what all these dialogues are about. The U.S. and China: partners in what? Communism?

America's Truth Rejector

This is quite clearly untrue:

LIMBAUGH: But I'm -- I am one of them. I'm not up. You know, I'm not an elitist. I don't have that kind of attitude or carriage. You know, the reason that I'm -- the reason I'm able to speak the truth to people is because I'm one of them.

This hour of the Limbaugh Wire brought to you by the post-Obama Oreo ban
By Greg Lewis

The final hour of today's Limbaugh programming began with Rush discussing the media's excitement over positive economic indicators. He began with audio bites from last Saturday's Your Money on CNN, consisting of hosts Roland Martin and Christina Romans rebutting Rush's claims from early July that they were "missing all the terrible things that had happened" by reporting on the rising stock market. Rush said that CNN and MSNBC were looking for any tiny bit of evidence that what Obama is doing is working, but in fact what is happening is Americans are struggling to deal with the damage Obama has wrought on the economy, arguing that no new jobs are being created, and the Dow is still down from its high of 14,000. It's interesting that Rush has taken to overlooking stock market gains since Obama took office, seeing as he previously used short-term market trends to judge Obama's performance.

Rush continued his assault on the media, saying that these were the same people who tried to tell us we were in a recession during the boom years of the Bush administration. Then he aired more audio of CNN's Christina Romans reporting on the recent stock market rally and rising 401(k) statements. Rush exclaimed that people are too scared to look at their 401(k) statements, and that the state-run media will do anything to tell people that what they are feeling isn't true. Then Rush played more audio of CNN's "infobabe" Heidi Collins asking for clarification from a reporter on economic indicators because she was "so ecstatic." Rush made the point that CNN was really excited about the market's performance, even though the media was negative about stock market growth during the Bush years.

After a break, Rush wanted to talk more about the increase in housing starts. It's up 11 percent over the last period, but it's still down 28 percent from this time last year, explained Rush. Rush attributed this to subsidies for new homebuyers and the depressed nature of the market, making it a smart time to buy. Then he lamented that property taxes in Palm Beach County were increasing 15 percent -- government will "cry and moan" at the thought of having less money, said Rush.

Then Rush cited the Drudge-flagged story at AccuWeather.com that 3,000 record low temperatures were set in the month of July. A quick tip for Rush, or for anyone seeking to cite sources when making an argument -- make sure the source you cite does not explicitly undermine the argument you're trying to make. Here's the Drudge-hyped AccuWeather.com analysis on the 3,000 record low temperatures in July. After Drudge linked to it and before Rush read from it on the air, the author added this caveat: "The article was not meant to be a commentary on Climate Change or Global Warming (which is why I uttered neither phrase), though I understand why some thought that it was, given the link source :) Cold OR warm outbreaks, by themselves, are not signs of Climate Change."

Sticking to the subject of weather and climate, Rush cited an article in the UK Guardian reporting that Bush tried to hide evidence of global warming. Rush noted that his program's "official climatologist" said this article was hilarious because there is no way to hide such evidence. Anyway, this was another "teachable moment" for Rush, who explained that every argument the left is advancing -- from creating jobs, to health care, to the global warming hoax -- is being exposed as baseless and wrong. Global warming is a "classic example," he continued, saying that it is just a springboard for a socialist agenda. He went on to argue that since China and India weren't getting involved with capping CO2 emissions, the whole reasoning for action on global warming "breaks down." He then said:

LIMBAUGH: And yet, these are the people -- the left, the liberals -- who tell us they have all the compassion and they want people freed from whatever bondage they're in. And yet, when you listen to people like Barney Frank or Barack Obama, you understand that they got a different idea of bondage, and that's us in it. Honestly, you know, I've -- I had a dream that I was a slave building this sphinx in a desert that looked like Obama. I woke at 4 o'clock in the morning.

Rush came back from the next break noting that ABC radio news, which airs at the top of the hour during his broadcasts, reported that some economists are declaring the recession over. Rush asked if that means we can slash the remainder of stimulus money that hasn't been spent. Then Rush went into conspiracy mode, telling his audience, "I don't want to be a black helicopter guy here, but..." Just for the record, this is never a good way to start any statement. Anyway, he said:

LIMBAUGH: We know that Obama brought the CBO guy in for a kneecapping. When the CBO guy -- and this is a violation of ethics. That's an -- it's an independent agency of Congress. And Obama calls the director of the CBO up to the White House after they issued a report saying Obama's health care plan will bloat the deficit by another 250 billion -- that's frankly very low. So, I now -- since Obama brought the CBO guy up to kneecap him -- you know, I'll believe these numbers when I see the revision in two weeks. It'll be real interesting to see if these numbers are revised down a couple weeks from now.

Rush went on to assert that the tax credit for new homebuyers is probably what stimulated the housing market, which was a "teachable moment" because it shows what tax cuts could do for the economy at large.

Then it was off to the phones. Rush took a caller who asked how Obama would "make" her get insurance if she chose not to have it. Rush stated that there probably would be a fine. The caller pressed further, asking what would happen if "a whole bunch of us decide we're not gonna" get insurance. Would they put them in jail? Rush responded: "No, they'll fine you. ... They're going to get your money one way or the other. And they might put you in jail. Who knows with this bunch?"

Rush then took another caller, who stated that Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA) has been doing so much on cap and trade and health care reform, but he seems to mostly fly under the radar. Rush agreed with the caller that Waxman is not usually put in the mix as one of the people with destructive designs on the U.S. economy.

The next caller said she was reading about Gates on the Drudge Report today and was upset because he was talking about "whitey." The caller said it sounds like Gates and Obama were sitting side by side with Rev. Wright, and that Obama should apologize for taking Gates' side. Rush retorted: "Gods don't apologize."

"Health Nazis," Rush declared once back from another break, have put up a billboard in St. Louis saying hot dogs cause cancer. After gloating that he "warned" us about them coming after your SUV, Rush warned us that now they are coming after hot dogs. He then proceeded to read from an article detailing The Cancer Project's attempts to have hot dogs labeled with cancer warnings. Rush said that hot dogs are just the "starting point"; he named several other foods, like bacon and bologna, that he said they would go after next. But not Oreos, he said -- at least not yet:

LIMBAUGH: And after that, they're going to go after Oreos. Might have to put that off 'til Obama's out of office, but they'll eventually go after Oreos.

Rush rounded out today's program ("Open Line Monday!"?) with one more caller, this one claiming that Obama "lied" at his press conference when he said countries with government-sponsored insurance have better insurance than we do. Rush said Obama doesn't like the country and is trying to convince us that it isn't what it's cracked up to be. Meanwhile, the media has "met their Waterloo" and is trying to help Obama get health care passed.

And so concludes today's edition of the Limbaugh Wire. We'll be back tomorrow, when we'll inevitably notch one more entry in the increasingly vast Limbaugh Wire archives. On a side note, no apologies will be made for my impugning of Simon's character last week. He had it coming.

Simon Maloy, Hannah Dreier, and Zachary Pleat contributed to this edition of the Limbaugh Wire.

Highlights from Hour 3

Outrageous comments

LIMBAUGH: And yet, these are the people -- the left, the liberals -- who tell us they have all the compassion and they want people freed from whatever bondage they're in. And yet, when you listen to people like Barney Frank or Barack Obama, you understand that they got a different idea of bondage, and that's us in it. Honestly, you know, I've -- I had a dream that I was a slave building this sphinx in a desert that looked like Obama. I woke at 4 o'clock in the morning.

[...]

LIMBAUGH: Look, I don't want to be a black helicopter guy here, but we know something. We know that Obama brought the CBO guy in for a kneecapping. When the CBO guy -- and this is a violation of ethics. That's an -- it's an independent agency of Congress. And Obama calls the director of the CBO up to the White House after they issued a report saying Obama's health care plan will bloat the deficit by another 250 billion -- that's frankly very low. So, I now -- since Obama brought the CBO guy up to kneecap him -- you know, I'll believe these numbers when I see the revision in two weeks. It'll be real interesting to see if these numbers are revised down a couple weeks from now.

[...]

CALLER: I'm self-employed and I do not have health insurance. Now that's of my own choosing. Now when I want to get health insurance or if even if I don't want it, how can Obama make me get it?

LIMBAUGH: Pass a law that says you have to have it, or you'll get fined by the IRS.

CALLER: OK. But say, fine, I don't do it. What if -- and say a whole bunch of us decide we're not gonna do it. They gonna put us all in jail or what?

LIMBAUGH: No, they'll fine you. They're going to --

CALLER: And if I don't pay it --

LIMBAUGH: They're going to get your money one way or the other. And they might put you in jail. Who knows with this bunch?

[...]

LIMBAUGH: And after that, they're going to go after Oreos. Might have to put that off 'til Obama's out of office, but they'll eventually go after Oreos.