Limbaugh Discusses Mammograms To Fearmonger About Gov't Rationing Of Health Care

By Christine Schwen

Rush opened today's show Drudge-style, giving us his own Rush Report of headlines that prove how bad the economy is, and that "cannot be spun." Not to worry though, he did make time for a quick sexist joke at Sen. McCaskill's expense.

The first headline was the Wall Street Journal story claiming that the climate bill is going to be delayed until spring, and took the opportunity to turn McCaskill's take on the difficulties of passing cap-and-trade legislation into a sophomoric attempt at a joke:

LIMBAUGH: And a quick look at some headlines here. "Senate to put off climate bill until spring." Claire McCaskill, Democrat senator, Missouri: "It's really big, really, really hard. And it's gonna make a lot of people mad." That's what I'm wondering. Is she talking about the climate bill there or what -- "It's really big, really, really hard, and it's gonna make a lot of people mad."

Then he moved on to the news that Obama said that creating jobs isn't the goal of the jobs summit, but instead finding ways to encourage businesses to hire. Rush claimed that this is actually a reason to hammer businesses and for Obama to save face, and to make up jobs. Rush was incensed the house would propose another stimulus, and that Obama would propose a tax credit for every new job created. Rush, whose thoughts on government jobs are well documented, now apparently wants Obama to cover the cost of hiring new workers.

Always one to worry about the less fortunate, Rush decided to have his own jobs summit on December 3, which will counter Obama's jobs summit that "isn't about creating jobs." During his summit, Rush wants to hear from people who want jobs and those who don't -- because Rush informed us that the pool of unemployed includes both.

The next story on the Rush Report read, "Dems alarmed as independents bolt." Rush's interest in this story was self evident. Similarly Rush directed us to a Chris Cillizza item about how a majority of independents approve of the job Obama is doing on only one issue area.

The final stories in the Rush Report included Obama warning of the possibility of a double dip recession (which Rush used to talk about the "Chicoms laying into Obama" again), Rep. David Obey criticizing the administration over the errors in the Recovery.gov jobs data (which was so interesting Rush went back to it twice), the news that Geitner overpaid to bail out AIG, an article claiming that "if the recession is over, you can't tell from the trucking industry," and one of Rush's favorites from yesterday, the news that guidelines for regular mammograms are changing. Today, Rush not only referred to this as "rationing" but also said "you might even say we got death panels going on here."

Then Rush read from a story about Vice President Joe Biden wanting to play golf at a members-only golf club. Rush, who's very concerned about golf etiquette, was upset that "Plugs Biden" did this and it was not covered more thoroughly.

And the last story before moving on -- gas prices are going up again. Rush has only one comment about this: "It's called drill baby drill."

After the break, El Rushbo, a self-proclaimed "a man who everybody would like to be" uses this story about the home building slump to argue that Obama wants people on welfare:

LIMBAUGH: But this is the documentation of Barack Obama's failure -- failure for the United States. To him, it's a success story; this is what is maddening and infuriating. All of these items are a success story. He wants this chaos. He wants people on welfare. He wants people dependent on government.

Next Rush took a call from a radiologist who complained about insurance companies rationing (something we already knew about) and somehow blamed health care reform proposals. Rush agreed.

Rush is always right, and the Obama administration is always wrong

Hour two began with Rush telling us how right he is about everything:

LIMBAUGH: The views expressed on this program, documented to be almost always right, 99.3 percent of the time. I don't think anybody in media ever has had such an astronomically, unbelievably high percentage of opinion accuracy, as my most recent accuracy audit from the Sullivan Group in California.

He devoted the entire rest of the hour to the "comedy of errors," of Holder's decision to try KSM his co-conspirators in New York City. Rush kicked it off by claiming that Obama "poisoned the case" by saying he thinks KSM will be found guilty.

Rush then aired a clip of Holder suggesting that a civilian trial will help restore our image in the world. Rush was so insensed by this comment that he was forced to stop the tape. "We do not have a rotten image in the world!" Rush spit out. Apparently that was manufactured by the left and pushed by Obama.

Then he read from Andrew McCarthy's column arguing that trial lawyers caused the delay in justice.

Moving on to the success of a civilian trial, Rush fear mongered about the possibility of the detainees being let off. What rules are they going to use in this courtroom, Rush asked. He asserted that if they're going to use "Miranda and all the rest" of the justice system, then the case has to be thrown out.

Rush then informed us that there are several judges who would love release the detainees, like David Hamilton (Rush is actually a little late to the Hamilton-bashing party):

LIMBAUGH: There is a bit of conventional wisdom evolving out there, and it is this; "Rush, Rush, Rush, don't worry about this. There's no judge in the world that's gonna let these guys go. There's no judge in the world that are gonna let these guys get off. And if that happens, there's no appellate judge that's gonna let these guys get off." Oh, really? Now, that seems to be conventional wisdom, 'cause no judge wants to become that kind of a target. But, folks, they just confirmed one of the most radical leftist judges in the history of this country yesterday, guy named Hamilton. You don't think there's some ACLU types that are judges who would love to let these guys go, who think the Untied States is the guilty party here? I'm not at all convinced that some judge -- the left is so perverted, they got plenty of judges who would probably consider themselves heroes to find the United States guilty here, as opposed to Khalid Shaikh Mohammed.

In fact, Rush added, he knows how much the left has peoples who "despise this country and would love to acquit these guys and have it all blamed" on the United States.

Next, Rush mocked Senator Durbin -- calling him "Senator Turban" -- for claiming that no one complained about trying Moussaui in Virgina. In fact, Rush claimed, it was the Moussaui trial in that let Al Qaeda know who was on our radar.

In case weren't already convinced that this trial is a bad idea, Rush informed us that Holder should have actually recused himself from this decision because the law firm he previously worked for has defended people who were held at Guantanamo Bay, the same prison where KSM and the other co-conspirators are held. Rush is shocked that no one is reporting this.

However, Holder's errors aren't limited to trying KSM in a civilian court, we learned. In fact, Holder had the audacity to call the shooting at Fort Hood a tragedy, which is incorrect, according to Rush.

Rush then took a minute to complain that Senator "Lindsey Grahamnesty," voted to confirm Holder.

After the break, Rush took a different tack. Despite his claim that the ACLU "originally" wanted to take down the legal system, Rush is also deeply concerned about the affect this case will have on our civil liberties about our civil liberties so much. You see, if KSM can be convicted without having been given Miranda rights, then Americans could be convicted without having been Mirandized.

LIMBAUGH: Let me go to an extreme. If the president of the United States can tell the world that Khalid Shaikh Mohammed was tortured, was -- and then did not get Mirandized and was convicted, does that mean that the rest of us can then be waterboarded? If we're gonna convict anybody, despite being waterboarded, and they got their confession after that waterboarding, then is torture -- as they define it -- now permitted by officials? Even though these are military people that did it, this is why this doesn't belong anywhere near a U.S. civilian court. Ladies and gentlemen, habeas corpus rights, the same thing. Can't they then be denied to us under the future under the precedent that's gonna be set here?

Rush was also very concerned that, since Obama has said that KSM will be convicted, the trial will be seen as being rigged. Rush was really just worried about our standing in the world, because unlike Obama, Rush knows that our standing is currently fine, but could be adversely affected by this trial.

He then moved on to President Clinton. According to Rush, Clinton never paid a dime's worth of interest in terrorism because he never took on tough issues. He never did anything about the 1993 World Trade Center attacks, or any other international terrorism. I'm sure Richard Clarke and the members of the Bush administration who reportedly felt that Clinton was "obsessed with terrorism" were just mistaken.

Rush is just really, really, really concerned that women get their mammograms

At the top of the third hour, Rush takes a call from an unemployed dittohead who is very worried about his job prospects. Fortunately, Rush is sending him a massager to elevate his stress about his job situation. With those common sense solutions, we at the Wire cannot wait until his job summit.

Speaking of common sense solutions, Rush reported that Palin's appearance on Oprah had the highest ratings for that show in two years. And, Rush added, no one even cried.

Moving on, Rush reported that Obama will not make the January deadline he imposed for closing "Club Gitmo," and that according to CNN, six in ten Americans do not favor providing federal funds for abortions. Rush announced that this was a problem for Democrats, because the Senate can't pass health care reform with the Stupak amendment or without it. Apparently the Senate is going to use reconciliation to "Chicago" their way out of the problem.

Rush then read an article that detailed the history of populist outrage against "fat cats." Rush selflessly cautioned against continuing that trend, asking if our lives will better if a "fat cat" gets his salary cut. Rush didn't think this was a good idea, because it didn't work in the 1930s when Rush claimed the New Deal was destroying everything. If Rush needs a history lesson, we're happy to oblige.

Done with the economy and terrorism, Rush most of the the rest of the show talking about his new cause, mammograms. He took a call from a woman who suggested that the new mammogram guidelines are a form of discrimination against women. Rush wholeheartedly agreed, and repeated the now-familiar charge that it's a form of rationing.

Rush then reminded us that he actually spoke out in favor of mammograms in October (subscription required) and Snerdly thought that the government changed the guidelines because Rush got 'millions' of women to get mammograms. Rush agreed an humbly noted that he saved millions of women's lives. All in a day's work for El Rushbo.

Rush's next caller suggested that the government moved the recommended age for regular mammograms back in an effort to totally deny mammogram screenings to older woman. This made rush furious that an American woman who is "not a nutcase" would doubt her government so much. We can't imagine why a regular listener would feel that way.

Rush then took a break from mammagrams in order remind his listeners that everyone should be taking Zicam.

In addition to wanting us to buy Zicam, Rush suggested that we all subscribe to the Heritage Foundation, because they have those "common sense conservative solutions" we've been hearing so much about. Rush mentioned that the money we pay Heritage would be cheaper than college.

Rush finished the show talking about -- you guessed it -- mammograms.

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

Highlights

Outrageous comments

LIMBAUGH: He's exactly right, and we've all predicted this. There's no question that this is what's gonna happen, and this is a little leading indicator. And you might even say we got death panels going on here.

[...]

LIMBAUGH: But this is the documentation of Barack Obama's failure -- failure for the United States. To him, it's a success story; this is what is maddening and infuriating. All of these items are a success story. He wants this chaos. He wants people on welfare. He wants people dependent on government.

[...]

LIMBAUGH: The district judge in the Moussaoui trial actually tried to dismiss the indictment. People may have forgotten that, but I haven't, and that's why I'm not convinced at all that the judge in this trial is going to bend over backwards to make sure these guys don't get off. I know the left. I know how much they have people who despise this country and would love to acquit these guys and have it all blamed on the corrupt, unjust, immoral systems of intelligence gathering, torturous punishment and so forth, that has become the United States of America.

Ego on loan from Narcissus

LIMBAUGH: Yeah, I'm going to get to the Holder stuff in just a second. I'm still compiling things on it because his testimony's ongoing. They're in a break now, and I'm -- even while executive broadcast excellence flawlessly, still continuing to do show prep because I, El Rushbo, a man who everybody would like to be, can multitask.

[...]

LIMBAUGH: The views expressed on this program, documented to be almost always right, 99.3 percent of the time. I don't think anybody in media ever has had such an astronomically, unbelievably high percentage of opinion accuracy, as my most recent accuracy audit from the Sullivan Group in California.