This hour of the Limbaugh Wire brought to you by Professor Limbaugh's course on evolution
By Greg Lewis and Karl Frisch

Limbaugh got started today noting the top story on the Drudge Report: that scientists have reportedly found the "missing link" in human evolution. Ever the evolutionary biologist, Professor Limbaugh, always skeptical of science, took offense that this is being presented as “settled science” and claimed that he didn't think anybody has ever “proven” cross-species evolution.

Anyway, the missing link story was -- you guessed it -- another means for Rush to concoct a ridiculous smear of Obama. Rush said that if you're looking for the “missing link” between our missing prosperity and failing economy, it is Barack Obama. Rush, in fact, claimed that he had “discovered” this missing link, and wondered how long before it is discovered “outside this program.”

Moving on to what we inevitably assumed would be his hot topic today, Limbaugh brought up Obama's proposed federal emissions standards for automobiles. Rush noted that while some are calling these new standards a win for California (because they would essentially make California's standards into the federal standards, thereby lessening the burden on the already over-burdened state), Rush said that it would be the first of many losses for the rest of the nation. But, as the AP pointed out, “It would save 1.8 billion barrels of oil through 2016 and would be the environmental equivalent of taking 177 million cars off the road, said senior administration officials speaking anonymously, ahead of the announcement.”

Rush then read a story from Drudge, whose headline unsurprisingly botched the story, and which Rush lazily repeated. The Drudge headline read: “Eco-hypocracy: 'Greenest city in world' leaves lights on all day!” Of course, Rush loved the idea that Los Angeles, the city to which the headline referred, would be “the greenest city in the country.” But the article in question merely noted that “Los Angeles is trying to become the greenest city in the world” [emphasis added]. We wish the city of Angels the best of luck with that and fault Drudge and Rush for butchering the headline.

After some more California bashing, courtesy of the Heritage Foundation, el Rushbo returned from his commercial break and continued his discussion of the Obama administration's proposed federal emissions standards. He noted from the AP report that the new fuel economy standards “are expected to cost consumers an extra $1,300 per vehicle by the time the plan is complete in 2016.” But, Rush said, with little explanation, that you can expect the $1,300 figure to double to $2,600.

Then Rush mentioned a conversation he had with someone recently about “the general wrecking ball that has been taken to capitalism here by the Obama administration.” He explained: “The guy actually said to me -- I thought he was joking at first, but he wasn't -- he said he's actually happy he's going to die before all of this crap finally settles in.”

But it was quickly back to Professor Limbaugh's typical global warming denial: “There is no global warming. There's no manmade global warming. All we're doing is reducing our lifestyle. All we're doing is rolling back the advancements in life and living standards that capitalism has made in this country from the get-go. All we're doing is rolling back a standard of living that is the envy of the world and all of it under the guise of saving the planet or whatever. And that's not why it's being done. Why it's being done is not to save the planet -- that's just what they're saying. That's what Obama is saying right now.”

He continued: “But the real reason -- when you look at people who are power hungry and who also happen to be liberals -- it's a combination of limiting your freedom and limiting the ability of you to have and drive the car you want to drive, and being able to raise taxes and the cost of living that you have to spend with most of the money going to Washington for these people to use to control ever more of the private sector in this country.”

Back from another break, Rush played an audio clip from CNBC yesterday, in which Dennis Kneale described ethanol as the “Rush Limbaugh of energy products” because headlines about it were everywhere, but they don't do us any good. Rush was bemused that he's hated and despised so much by some people that they use Rush to make his own point (Rush was badmouthing ethanol himself as recently as yesterday's show).

He then speculated about Chrysler's decision-making process for choosing which dealerships to close last week, asking: "[D]o you think maybe Obama and his administration are targeting dealerships happen to be run and owned by Republicans? I don't know this. I'm being led to speculate." Rush added to his conspiracy theory: “Well, you joke about it being about penalizing success, but what the hell? That would be the theme of this administration. We're going to penalize success.”

Rounding out the hour, Rush spoke with a dittohead who asked why we don't use nuclear power to become energy independent. The right-wing talker thought it was a good idea, but said that Obama wants us to drive “putt-putts” (Rush's term of endearment for small cars), which will result in less tax revenue for states and the federal governments, because less gas would be consumed. Rush said they would raise the gas tax in reaction to this, so you wouldn't actually be saving any money. He concluded with this gem: “They want the use of oil to continue. They just want the money for it. They don't want the sheikhs getting the money, and they don't want foreign oil companies getting the money. Obama wants it. Washington wants the money. And this is the first step: the universal or national fuel efficiency standard.” So, Obama wanting to direct oil money away from sheikhs in the Middle East is a bad thing? Gotta love el Rushbo's logic.

Highlights from Hour 1

Outrageous remarks:

LIMBAUGH: Now, admittedly, I -- mostly, I run around with people who are simpatico with me. I run around with people who think and live life the same way I do -- think about issues and all that. I actually had a guy who's a little older than I am over the weekend say to me -- we were talking about all of these economic changes and all of the destruction and all the things that are happening: the banks, the automobile industry, Obama with his fuel standards and so forth, and the general wrecking ball that has been taken to capitalism here by the Obama administration. The guy actually said to me -- I thought he was joking at first, but he wasn't -- he said he's actually happy he's going to die before all of this crap finally settles in.

[...]

LIMBAUGH: Anybody want to bet we don't reduce our import of oil by 1.8 billion barrels? And even if we do -- so what? There is no global warming. There's no manmade global warming. All we're doing is reducing our lifestyle. All we're doing is rolling back the advancements in life and living standards that capitalism has made in this country from the get-go. All we're doing is rolling back a standard of living that is the envy of the world and all of it under the guise of saving the planet or whatever. And that's not why it's being done.

Why it's being done is not to save the planet -- that's just what they're saying. That's what Obama is saying right now. There always is this great cause, this great reason to do all this. But the real reason -- when you look at people who are power hungry and who also happen to be liberals -- it's a combination of limiting your freedom and limiting the ability of you to have and drive the car you want to drive, and being able to raise taxes and the cost of living that you have to spend with most of the money going to Washington for these people to use to control ever more of the private sector in this country.

[...]

LIMBAUGH: If we want to reduce our dependence on foreign oil then we go get our own. We've got tons of it. The environmentalist wackos won't let us do this because of the so-called damage that'll happen, but that's not the real reason even for not doing it. The real reason is they don't want us to be dependent.

This is, like I said yesterday, a doublespeak; newspeak. We're trying to reduce our dependence on foreign oil? It's just the opposite. We're trying to get the American people more dependent on government. We're going to transfer our dependency from so-called foreign oil to Washington, D.C. That's what this is all about

[...]

LIMBAUGH: Do you think that the Obama administration, working with Chrysler, working with the automobile manufacturers, working with the dealers, do you think they're just randomly taking a look at a list, saying, “We don't need this one in Long Island; chop it. We don't need that one in Portland; chop it. We don't need that one in San Antonio; chop it.”

You think they're doing that or do you think maybe -- I just throw this out there as a possibility -- do you think maybe Obama and his administration are targeting dealerships happen to be run and owned by Republicans? I don't know this. I'm being led to speculate because Mr. [Jim] Anderer says he doesn't know why his high-performing dealership is shut down.

[...]

LIMBAUGH: Well, you joke about it being about penalizing success, but what the hell? That would be the theme of this administration. We're going to penalize success.

[...]

LIMBAUGH: Folks, this is the point. It is not that anybody at that press conference today, from Obama to Carol Browner and anybody else, they don't care about being dependent on foreign oil. There are ways that are much more efficient and make much more sense than 35 or 39 miles to the gallon in a putt-putt to reduce our use of foreign oil.

They want the use of oil to continue. They just want the money for it. They don't want the sheikhs getting the money, and they don't want foreign oil companies getting the money. Obama wants it. Washington wants the money. And this is the first step: the universal or national fuel efficiency standard.

Echo chamber:

Rush read several headlines from The Drudge Report and from a post on The Heritage Foundation's blog, The Foundry.