Hour 2: Limbaugh compares WH press corps to "inhabitants of the Bunny Ranch"
This
hour of the Limbaugh Wire brought to you by Obama the lyin' liberal coming
"down the path"
By Simon Maloy
Rush returned for the second hour saying that Obama has killed Chrysler as we know it, and asked when he's going to focus on Social Security, which is also facing massive shortfalls. Rush asked why we don't just put the UAW in charge of Social Security. Then he returned to Obama's grandfather and Churchill, this time citing the right-wing blog, Sweetness & Light, which cited the British press in reporting on Obama's grandfather's history with the British.
Then Rush claimed that Obama is just like "every other liberal to come down the path." This meant: "He lies. And so that's why I'm pointing these things out. Why the big deal on torture? Because Barack Obama's using it to criticize his own country. Barack Obama is weakening this nation's ability to defend itself. Barack Obama is going out of his way to point out every opportunity he has, what an immoral, unjust country this was until he was elected."
Rush moved on to some sound bites of Obama commenting this afternoon on the Chrysler bankruptcy, which Rush, once again, characterized as "Juan Perón-ism." After airing a sound bite of the president criticizing hedge funds that hold Chrysler debt for tanking the Chrysler/Fiat/UAW/Treasury deal (as we noted last hour), Rush said: "This is another assault on the wealthy. It's an assault on hedge funds. Hedge funds are the villain." Rush added: "This is classic statism: an authoritarian figure dumping on the private sector at every opportunity to mischaracterize their motives, to mischaracterize the reasons for their investment in things."
After the break, Rush announced that the bit of information he was about to give was "a little bit misleading" -- that Fox's Lie to Me, which aired in place of the Obama press conference last night, drew more viewers than any of the other broadcast networks. Then Rush said that he thought "they let the inhabitants of the Bunny Ranch out to start pretending to be the press corps last night." Rush then circled back and explained that his touting of Lie to Me was misleading because the combined network audience for Obama's press conference was 19 million -- much more than watched Lie to Me -- but the press conference audience was divided between ABC, CBS, and NBC.
Speaking of the press conference, Rush laid into the media for their performance last night, saying that it's the perfect time for a conservative leader to stand up and take Obama apart, because Obama's appeal comes from the cult-like drones out there who like him personally, but his policies aren't popular. Also, Limbaugh said, the Specter defection means that there's absolutely nothing the GOP can do now to stop anything Obama wants to do, so they might as well just oppose Obama on everything. We guess the only thing better than being the "party of no" is being the irrelevant "party of no."
From there, Rush launched into an extended harangue about how the media and Obama are trying to "demoralize" conservatives, and how the media are trying to shield Obama because they know he's "vulnerable" because all of his economic policies have "failed." Not only have they failed, according to Rush: "The fact of the matter is America is worse off in the last 100 days than it was before Obama became president, and that is a fact that you can analyze and stipulate to in any number of ways, primarily economic." This is apparently a huge opportunity for conservatives to ask why Obama wants to "remake" the country and by whose authority.
After the break, Rush continued the harangue, claiming that Obama has "moved heaven and earth" to fix Chrysler and the banks, but hasn't lifted a finger to save Social Security. The reason behind this, Rush said, is because Obama believes that nothing in government can ever go wrong. We tend to believe that the reason Obama focused on the banks and the car companies before Social Security is that the timeline on their shortfalls was far shorter than that for Social Security, which will remain able to pay out full benefits if the law stays the same for at least another few decades. Nevertheless, Rush said: "President Obama does not fix anything. President Obama does not reform anything. He just keeps grabbing, and spending, and dictating to enhance his own authority and that of the government. And in the process, the Obama administration is killing the United States economy as he remakes America." Rush finally wrapped it up by saying that Obama's been able to slither and slime and say that he stands for America's traditions when he's destroying them. Rush thinks it's time for "offense, baby."
After another break, Rush took a call from a man saying that everything Rush had shouted in the last half-hour was 100 percent correct, and now it's time to "drive a stake through the Democrats." Rush said that in the old days, Republicans would have had no trouble finding some visionary leader to take on someone like Obama. After once again criticizing Zeleny's question to Obama last night, Rush took one more caller, this one a senior in high school who claimed that his teacher had just chastised him for reading Fox News' website in class. Rush asked the student to summarize his teacher's lecture, and was particularly interested to know if the teacher had mentioned Rush. Sadly, he had not.
Highlights from Hour 2
Outrageous comments
LIMBAUGH: Steve Gilbert at the Sweetness & Light.com points out a story from the UK Times online December 3, 2008 -- "Beatings and abuse made Barack Obama's grandfather loathe the British": The President-elect's relatives have told how the family was a victim of the Mau Mau revolt. Obama's grandfather imprisoned and brutally tortured by the British during the violent struggle for Kenyan independence, according to the Kenyan family of Barack Obama.
[...]
LIMBAUGH: But this man is like every other liberal to come down the path. He lies. And so that's why I'm pointing these things out. Why the big deal on torture? Because Barack Obama's using it to criticize his own country. Barack Obama is weakening this nation's ability to defend itself. Barack Obama is going out of his way to point out every opportunity he has, what an immoral, unjust country this was until he was elected.
[...]
LIMBAUGH: Now, this, you just have to -- just have to laugh. This is another assault on the wealthy. It's an assault on hedge funds. Hedge funds are the villain. And furthermore, he is now impugning their motives. They were hoping everybody else would make sacrifices, that they would have to make no sacrifices. Some demanded twice the return that other lenders were getting?
Since when does any of this have any relevance. Once the federal government moved in with bailout money and with orders and instructions to the CEO on how this thing is to be restructured -- this is classic statism: an authoritarian figure dumping on the private sector at every opportunity to mischaracterize their motives, to mischaracterize the reasons for their investment in things.
[...]
LIMBAUGH: I actually thought -- what's that whorehouse out in Vegas? What's the name of the place? The Bunny? No, the Bunny -- I thought they let the inhabitants of the Bunny Ranch out to start pretending to be the press corps last night. When I watched highlights of it -- I didn't watch it last night.
[...]
LIMBAUGH: The fact of the matter is America is worse off in the last 100 days than it was before Obama became president, and that is a fact that you can analyze and stipulate to in any number of ways, primarily economic. We're supposed to give Obama more time before we say that, they tell us: "You can't judge him too quickly now. It's only been 100 days."
Oh, but they can? They can celebrate him as an effective president after 100 days, but we can't criticize? And we can't point out the toilet the country is about to be flushed down?
[...]
LIMBAUGH: President Obama does not fix anything. President Obama does not reform anything. He just keeps grabbing, and spending, and dictating to enhance his own authority and that of the government. And in the process, the Obama administration is killing the United States economy as he remakes America.
Clips from this hour
I do find Rush despicable and a disserve to our county, telling blatant lies keeping the American people misinformed - it's very sad - but I do have to admit he can be funny. He is a rather good comedian at times!! And the write-ups here are very funny, too. Thanks for YOUR service so I DON'T have to listen to him!! I can't stand listeningto him, Hannity, etc. for more than a few minutes.
Simon Maloy is absolutely amazing.
"Rush finally wrapped it up by saying that Obama's been able to slither and slime and say that he stands for America's traditions when he's destroying them. Rush thinks it's time for "offense, baby.""
>>>What's Limbaugh dog whistling about? Cut down the tall trees?
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As to the Churchill bust in the Oval Office, it seems to me Obama corrected just another innapropriate Bush action by replacing a foreign leader's bust with an
American's.
LIMBAUGH'S LIES CONTAGEOUS
Once again, a Limbaugh lie gets repeated enough that it works its way into the narrative of the mainstream media. This is one of the things that makes Limbaugh still dangerous. MMFA has Limbaugh frightened and cowering, but he's been charging out the last couple of days, like a surrounded Japanese WWII soldier.
The latest meme is that Obama is personally popular but his policies are not.
"...because Obama's appeal comes from the cult-like drones out there who like him personally, but his policies aren't popular" (Rush 4/30/09)
This is even stretched to say Obama's policies are VERY unpopular. Of course this is all a lie, according to recent polls.
The auto bailouts lose popular opinion 41/53. On virtually every other issue but one Obama has at least a majority. He has a plurality of the remaining issue.
The Washington Post April 21-24 Approve/Disapprove
The economy -58/38 ; The budget deficit - 51/43 ; International Affairs -67/27 ; The situation in Iraq - 71/21 ; Global warming - 61/23 ; Health care - 57/29 ; US relations with Cuba - 61/28 ; The situation in Afghanistan - 63/26 ; Immigration (plurality) - 48/35 ; The situation in Iran - 54/35 ; Taxes - 56/38 ;The US campaign against terrorism 62/29.
On the direct thesis of the Limbaugh accusation, that people love Obama but hate his policies, NBC/WSJ April 23-26 asked which of four applied:
Like Obama/approve of policies 51% ; Don't like Obama but approve of policies 3% ; Like Obama but don't approve of policies 30% ; Don't like Obama, don't approve of policies 12%.
So sneaky Rush is still capable of doing damage, until somebody stands up to him on this one. Its amazing how fast Limbaugh lies can become conventional wisdom, if not refuted.
Rush's Bunny Ranch brothel reference was bizarre -- a) because weren't most of the questioners male? and b) he said he did not watch the press conference, only highlights -- but I am glad he made it, because he reminded me of something.
Remember that long Rush Rant, the one CNN carried live -- when Rush looked very much like Dennis Hof, the owner of the Moonlite Bunny Ranch? Rush made a comment then that should have been challenged. He denounced the Democrats for interfering with people's personal freedom, their hedonism even. ("It's none of the government's business!") But of course, it was the Reagan administration --the GOP -- and in particular Attorney General Edwin Meese that took on the pornography industry.
BTW, speaking of President Reagan, I hope Keith Olbermann (or somebody) will consider offering a reward to anyone who can furnish proof that Ronald Reagan was ever a Rush Limbaugh fan -- or ever had anything good to say about him.