Hour 3: Limbaugh's Fact-Free Rant On Health Care: Forced Gov't Plan, Mandatory End-of-Life Counseling

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By Greg Lewis

The third hour picked up where the second left off, as Rush took some time to elaborate on his reaction to the last caller, who said the American people were dumb for electing Obama. Even though Rush said he had gotten a lot of emails saying the caller was "right on," Rush said Obama won not because the American people are dumb, but because conservatism wasn't on the ballot, and "smooth-talking" Obama turned his followers into a "cult." So when Rush says the American people aren't stupid, what he really means is that conservative Americans aren't stupid. But those 53 percent of you who voted for Obama, you're so dumb that you joined a cult. Then it was more complaining about the McCain candidacy, and arguing that Obama may well destroy his own party. And sounding like the broken record that he often is, Rush made his point again that Democrats are lying about what they're doing because the American people do not agree with them and do not want their agenda.

Rush went on to argue that the Democrat [sic] Party is a very narrow bunch of ideological radicals, led by people who spend every waking moment conspiring because that's the only way they can advance their agenda. They attack insurance companies, attendees at town meetings, and they make irresponsible promises about health care.

But really, what would a Limbaugh rant be without some communism thrown in for good measure?

LIMBAUGH: The conservative movement's also going to have to understand one thing in dealing with Barack Obama and the Democrat Party at large -- and you could say this about Clinton too. Vladimir Lenin believed as a totalitarian, as a dictator, as an authoritarian, and as a politician that there was no truth, that words were just tools. So the facts never, ever got in the way. ... The conservative movement has got to understand that the power of fact, the power of truth alone, up against a strategy of deceit and fraud, is not enough by itself to overpower it.

There was more a few moments later:

LIMBAUGH: And even though people say, "Well, Rush, if conservatism's so wonderful, how come the Reagan years didn't teach everybody?" Because every day during the Reagan years and every day since the Reagan years, the Leninists in this country have been lying to you about what happened.

Rush the argued that the media tried to convince you that we were in a recession just two years ago, when we weren't. They were trying to convince you that we never lost more American soldiers in a war than we did in Iraq. Rush went on: "Have you noticed, speaking of that by the way, that there is no discussion in state controlled media about the debacle taking place in Afghanistan?" Then Rush complained that we had to send an ex-president to North Korea "to apologize" in order to get two "Al Gore journalists" back. Meanwhile, Hillary Clinton is in Kenya "kissing" Obama's grandfather's grave. It's "all just a bunch of B.S. There is no truth."

Rush returned from the break still playing the same downtrodden tune. He read an MSNBC article on Obama's speech today in Elkhart, Indiana. Rush took issue with Obama saying that he promised to "unleash prosperity" for everybody. "If Obama were truthful," stated Rush, "what he would say is, 'My health care plan is going to remove your private insurer. You will have to join the government plan. We are going to have counselors for you after you pass a certain age to counsel you on your end of care, which will lead to your end of life.' " We have to point out, of course, that this would put Obama in the extremely awkward position of telling a bold-faced lie in order to meet Rush's standard for truthfulness.

Rush followed this up with an audio clip from Obama's speech, to which Rush responded by saying that Obama is talking to people in a community that has no hope because he intends to "disallow" RVs down the road, and RV manufacturing is the backbone of Elkhart. We'll point out here that Obama highlighted in his speech today $2.4 billion in government grants to create "next-generation electric cars" and RVs.

After another break, Rush came back with another sound bite from Obama's remarks today, in which Obama said: "There those who are looking to defend the status quo." Rush was rather perturbed by this line. In fact, argued Rush with the maturity of a 5-year-old, it's Obama who is defending the status quo. Obama is defending his shrinking economy, which he is destroying "by design." The only "idiots" defending this mess, said Rush, are Obama, Democrat [sic] leaders, union bosses, tort lawyers, et al.

Then Rush took a caller who explained the key to victory was to outspend Democratic opponents. In a rare moment of levelheadedness, Rush informed the caller that, 2008 aside, Republicans usually out-fundraise Democrats by significant margins.

Rush then took things down a notch and read a Politico article about the voters' fickle loyalty. Rush bragged that his audience is loyal to him because he is loyal to his audience. Rush can be "counted on" even when the Republican Party cannot be. Rush claimed that he is "honest" with his audience and that he doesn't disrespect them.

One more break, and the end of today's program was finally on the horizon. Rush took a caller who complained about a specific Wall Street Journal newsreader who has recently reported on stock market gains in a "rosy" way, which was in contrast to the way she ignored stock market gains under Bush. In response, Rush exclaimed: "CNN beat this babe to it. CNN's been touting the recession is over via the stock market for a couple of weeks now." Rush and the caller had a point, though -- it's really irresponsible for Rupert Murdoch's Wall Street Journal to be so darn liberal all the time.

In keeping with that theme, Rush went on to discuss how the media is acting in concert with the Obama administration, noting that Obama and Axelrod had previously claimed that they don't pay attention to the short-term performance of the stock market. Rush said they've now done a "180" and the state-run media is doing whatever they can to convince you that what you see is not real. Then Rush took a final caller who said Democrats have it "easy" because they just get to propose "stupid" legislation, and all conservatives do is say "no." Rush told the caller he can't be fatalistic, because it can be done.

Seeing as we're being pretty well restrained here at the Limbaugh Wire in our shackles, we'll be back tomorrow. There's always hope, though. And there are always the Limbaugh Wire archives.

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

Highlights from Hour 3

Outrageous comments

LIMBAUGH: Have you noticed -- speaking of that, by the way -- that there is no discussion in state-controlled media about the debacle taking place in Afghanistan?

Quote a communist!

LIMBAUGH: The conservative movement's also going to have to understand one thing in dealing with Barack Obama and the Democrat Party at large -- and you could say this about Clinton too. Vladimir Lenin believed as a totalitarian, as a dictator, as an authoritarian, and as a politician that there was no truth, that words were just tools. So the facts never, ever got in the way. Just had to come up with the right words, the right tools to overcome the things that got in your way. The conservative movement has got to understand that the power of fact, the power of truth alone, up against a strategy of deceit and fraud, is not enough by itself to overpower it.

[...]

LIMBAUGH: And even though people say, "Well, Rush, if conservatism's so wonderful, how come the Reagan years didn't teach everybody?" Because every day during the Reagan years and every day since the Reagan years, the Leninists in this country have been lying to you about what happened.

America's Truth Rejector

LIMBAUGH: If Obama were truthful, what he would say is, "My health care plan is going to remove your private insurer. You will have to join the government plan. We are going to have counselors for you after you pass a certain age to counsel you on your end of care, which will lead to your end of life."

Ladies' man

LIMBAUGH: CNN beat this babe to it. CNN's been touting the recession is over via the stock market for a couple of weeks now.