Hour 3: Rush challenges MSNBC to go 30 days without mentioning him

This hour of the Limbaugh Wire brought to you by Rush's 30-day challenge
By Greg Lewis and Karl Frisch

The third hour kicked off with Rush reading a laundry list of news articles. First up was an AP article about Democrats in Congress not wanting to fund the closure of Guantánamo Bay in January. Rush asked why Democrats would turn on Obama on this issue and wondered if it may have to do with bad polling on the issue. (Dear dittoheads, ignore the fact that this issue has polled well.)

Next up, he read about a Rasmussen poll on health care, and then a Reuters story about blue collar workers in the U.S. facing higher unemployment rates. After reading excerpts from the article, Limbaugh asked: How's that hope and change working out for you? He went on to say that the "little guy" was supposed to be the beneficiary of stimulus spending, but the "little guy" leads the economy in unemployment.

Rush then read from another AP article reporting that housing construction and permits "plunge[d] to record lows in April," and from a Washington Post article reporting that yesterday's market rally was led by the housing and banking sectors. The right-wing talker argued that these articles "contradict" each other. But do they really? The AP article suggested the bad news might indicate a bottom in the market, and the daily movements of the stock market are generally thought to be indicators of the economy down the road. But we don't dare challenge the knowledge of economist Limbaugh.

An AP article on students' anxiety because of the recession again brought out Rush's obnoxious side. He noted that the "hope and change" slogan isn't working out too well for students, but then added that it's a good thing for the college students and recent graduates described in the article who have to work two or three jobs because it's the best education they're likely getting.

Before the break, Rush read one more article about the city of San Francisco issuing a 33-cent tax on cigarettes to fund the clean-up of cigarette butts around the city. Rush dubbed this new San Francisco tax the "butt tax."

Following another set of commercials, Limbaugh declared that he wanted to issue a challenge to MSNBC. First, he noted that GOP chairman Michael Steele made a speech today in which he mentioned nearly every Republican except for Limbaugh and Dick Cheney. But Rush's point was how MSNBC was apparently incapable of going without mentioning Rush for any "appreciable length of time." He then challenged MSNBC to try "Rush withdrawal" and go 30 days without doing a single story or making a single mention of him.

Another break, another caller. This one was a 20-year-old woman who likened liberals in Washington to angry teenagers who react on emotion. The dittohead then noted how she'd been reading stories lately that describe how "the hip-hop movement is getting the youth movement going," adding: "[B]ut I feel like I can't be a part of that movement because their whole movement is all for Obama." To which Rush responded: "Not only that, you want to stay alive. I mean, street cred for hip-hoppers is a murder charge." Classy. (Although, it should be noted that Rush was probably referring to this recent story.)

Rush moved on to contrast a quote from Obama's Notre Dame commencement address with one of Obama's recent actions, which he claimed contradict each other. Rush quoted from Obama's speech: "In short, we must find a way to live together as one human family. ... Moreover, no one person, or religion, or nation can meet these challenges alone. Our very survival has never required greater cooperation and greater understanding among all people from all places than at this moment in history."

El Rushbo argued that this message conflicts with Obama's reported refusal to meet with the unpopular and ineffectual governor of Nevada, Jim Gibbons. He then spoke about Obama's remarks in February, in which he criticized executives at companies receiving bailout money for taking trips to Las Vegas, and Gibbons having blamed these remarks for hurting tourism in Vegas. However, Rush did not mention this side of the story:

White House press secretary Robert Gibbs has said Obama wasn't discouraging travel to Las Vegas and instead was referring specifically to companies getting public funds. Gibbs' comments were welcomed at the time by Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman and various tourism boosters.

Rush added in his commentary that Obama doesn't cooperate, "he kneecaps people to get them to cooperate."

Finally, Limbaugh ended his show with a caller who was really upset that taxes on tobacco products are being raised, which meant that he can no longer smoke the cigars he likes so much; he now has to start smoking lesser ones. Rush empathized with the caller after he went to commercial by lighting up a cigarette for himself in his studio, which we watched on the Dittocam. So much for his oft-touted "formerly nicotine-stained fingers."

Highlights from Hour 3

Outrageous remarks:

CALLER: I'm so focused on getting the youth movement going, and I read today on, you know, Yahoo -- they always have those stories that the hip-hop movement is getting the youth movement going. And I -- but I feel like I can't be a part of that movement because their whole movement is all for Obama. And they cling to --

LIMBAUGH: Not only that, you want to stay alive. I mean, street cred for hip-hoppers is a murder charge.