Hour 3: Limbaugh: Obama released torture memos to "tear up" Bush's national security record

This hour of the Limbaugh Wire brought to you by super-revisionist Russian history
By Simon Maloy

Rush kicked off the hour noting that Andrea Mitchell interviewed Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) for nine minutes on MSNBC today without asking her a single question about the Washington Times story from this morning reporting that Feinstein "introduced legislation to route $25 billion in taxpayer money to a government agency that had just awarded her husband's real estate firm a lucrative contract to sell foreclosed properties at compensation rates higher than the industry norms." Rush claimed Feinstein has undermined Obama's inauguration promise of holding to account those who spend public dollars.

Rush then read from New York Times columnist John Tierney's blog, in which Tierney wrote that "researchers have discovered that, over the long term, being richer often translates into being greener." From this, Rush launched into his standard anti-environmentalist attack -- that they want everyone to be poor socialists. But this goes beyond environmentalism, said Rush. It actually relates to the torture memos, and Rush said if we all want to understand why Obama released those memos we have to understand that it begins with an "established truism" that goes beyond the "extreme" liberalism of Obama. That "established truism," according to Rush, is that Obama believes he is better than every president before him. We're not sure how "established" or "true" that is, but Rush insisted it's both, so let's run with it. Releasing the memos, Rush said, was intended to "tear up" the Bush national security record because George W. Bush was better than any other president at defending the United States. His evidence? Not one terrorist attack on U.S. soil after 9/11. That's a novel argument -- Bush was the country's best defender because no one attacked us ... except for that one time.

After a quick break, Rush returned to take a call from a man who said that the Washington Times story on Dianne Feinstein reminded him of Martha Stewart's insider trading. Rush said there's a key difference -- Feinstein actually engaged in insider trading whereas Stewart was convicted of lying to investigators. But, Rush said, this will all be excused by people who say that Feinstein is a Democrat who cares about people and who stepped in after the assassination of Harvey Milk. If you're wondering, like we are, what exactly Harvey Milk has to do with any of this, well, tough. Rush offered no explanation.

The next caller wanted to know Rush's thoughts about actress Janeane Garofalo's recent comments about the "racism" of the tea party protesters. Instead of responding to the caller's point, Rush diverted the conversation to his favorite topic -- himself. Rush talked about how Garofalo allegedly told some entertainment magazine how she declined an invitation to meet Rush while he visited the set of Fox's 24. Rush said this can't be true because he hasn't visited the set of 24 since she joined the cast.

After another break, Rush read from a Financial Times article reporting that "men bear the brunt of the economy's contraction." Rush was excited that we finally have a story out there in which we can say that men, not women or minorities, are hardest hit, but said that no one is talking about it because (in his lisping liberal voice) the men "deserve it."

Then Rush aired clips of Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD) on MSNBC's Morning Joe today praising Obama's foreign policy efforts as taking leadership to "another height." Rush said Cummings is the "Messianic complex come to life." Rush aired another clip of Cummings saying that Obama's leadership is before its time, which prompted Rush to say that Cummings "represents the mindset, the ignorance of the average Obama voter. This kind of idolatry of political people has happened before, but it's not healthy. It's pure demagoguery."

From Cummings, Rush moved on to Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA), who appeared on "dunce" Tavis Smiley's PBS program last night to discuss housing. We can't really say what Rush's commentary was on Frank's remarks was, as he delivered it whilst imitating Frank, which entailed Limbaugh spitting, sputtering, and lisping unintelligibly into the microphone. We suspect, however, that Rush was none too pleased with Frank -- a suspicion that was confirmed after Rush closed out the segment by re-airing his ever-popular Barney Frank parody, the "Banking Queen," sung to the tune of Abba's "Dancing Queen."

Back from the break, Rush took another trip down Hypocrisy Lane, offering yet another plug from the Cadillac-GM "Total Confidence Plan," whereby the company will make your car payments for you if you lose your job. As we've pointed out before -- and as we'll continue to point out as long as the GM advertising dollars keep flowing to the EIB Network -- Rush lambasted GM for this very same program not long after it was announced, saying: "Yeah, OK, well -- ask you a question here: With whose money are they going to pay for your car payment? Mine, dingleberry, and every other taxpayer's."

Rush then took a caller who asked if he'd read an April 19 American Thinker article claiming that Obama's election represents "a peaceful November Revolution unlike Russia's of almost a century ago." Rush said he had not read the article, which shocked us, as it's pretty much just a distillation of every false and conspiratorial thing Rush has alleged about Obama and we figured it'd be right up his alley. But just because he hadn't read it didn't mean he couldn't comment: "Folks, do you realize that Obama's even created czars? If you want to start comparing Obama to the Russian Revolution, he's got czars. Only the Russians had czars." Now, we're not historians, but we're pretty sure the Russian Revolution was all about getting rid of czars, not creating them.

Rush took one more call to end the program, this one from a man who wanted to know how, exactly, we got to this point where we're reversing the Constitution. Rush said it's been building for years, what with the public schools teaching kids that the Constitution is "a limit," and not what it really is, "a limit on government." Then you nominate a "demagogue" like Obama, Rush said, and the rest falls into place. But, he said, never fear, because at some point there's going to be a younger generation that rejects all of this.

That's it for today's Wire. We hope to see you all again tomorrow for our Earth Day coverage of The Rush Limbaugh Show, which promises to be entertaining and informative on a variety of different levels. Until then, let Rush's weak grasp of Russian history encourage you to beef up your own understanding of Limbaugh history, and visit Media Matters' extensive Limbaugh archives.

Highlights from Hour 3

Outrageous comments

LIMBAUGH: Folks, do you realize that Obama's even created czars? I mean, if you want to start comparing Obama to the Russian Revolution, he's got czars. Only the Russians had czars. For every cabinet level, he's got three czars that run herd over the cabinet-level people.

Enemies list

Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD):

LIMBAUGH: So, not only is he unlike anybody we've ever had, he's so far ahead of us that we can't possibly -- we are blinded by the light as we look at his trail. He's so far ahead of us, folks, that all we see is the dust in which he is leaving us. He's so far ahead of his time, and people ask me, "How the hell could he have gotten elected?" I give you Elijah Cummings, who represents the mindset, the ignorance of the average Obama voter. This kind of idolatry of political people has happened before, but it's not healthy. Pure demagoguery.

Echo chamber

Read from John Tierney's NYTimes.com blog entry on "The Richer-Is-Greener Curve."

Clips from this hour

Limbaugh calls Tavis Smiley a "dunce," savages Barney Frank again