This hour of the Limbaugh Wire brought to you by Rush “Paul Revere” Limbaugh

by Simon Maloy

So it's “Open Line Friday” on Wednesday, as Rush will be off the air for the rest of the week doing charity work. We certainly feel as though we've received a gift.

Rush kicked off the program touting forthcoming McClatchy poll numbers that place Limbaugh's approval rating at a sky-high ... 33 percent. This is big, according to Limbaugh. It means he's “one of the most popular Americans in the country.” Of course, the poll also found that “nearly half have an unfavorable opinion” of Limbaugh. Rush also maintained that his popularity rating is “higher than Vice President Biden's IQ.”

Not done flogging this not-yet-released poll, Limbaugh theorized that “President Obama is now doing all of his appearances either before this program or after this program” because "[t]hey think that they have so successfully driven down my numbers." Limbaugh assured he'd have the last laugh, though: “I know there were no polls when Paul Revere began his ride, but I'll bet his numbers weren't very high.”

Moving on to non-Limbaugh related matters, Rush asserted that President Obama and the White House are on the run, his evidence being that Obama did not sign “earmark-ulus” -- his pithy rechristening of the omnibus -- in public because Obama's “a blatant hypocrite.” That “hypocrisy” being that Obama signed the bill even though “he promise[d] no earmarks.” Ah, yes, that famous “promise” he broke. We'd like to do a little exercise in repetition, not just for Rush but for all our friends in the media. Repeat after us: Obama never promised to end earmarks. That was McCain, and it's not typical for presidents to follow through on their opponents' campaign promises.

After the break, Rush took a few shots at House Speaker Nancy Pelosi “getting her panties in a wad” over military jets and her alleged “sense of entitlement” and “arrogance.” Then it was time for a little more self-promotion. Rush aired the audio of the League of Conservation Voters' latest ad tying Rush to Republican leaders in Congress on global warming. Rush liked the ad, because every quote from Rush it contained was “true,” and he thanked the LCV for helping to spread his message of the “hoax” of anthropogenic climate change. Then El Rushbo announced with great fanfare that revenues at the Excellence in Broadcasting Network were up 13 percent over the first quarter in 2008, and that his listenership had increased 32 percent. He thanked his audience for this.

Closing out the hour, Rush issued a loud, long shout within the echo chamber. Saying that he had received and e-mail from Fox News' Bill Sammon, who had just finished a piece entitled “Flashback: Carville Wanted Bush to Fail,” Rush read most of the article (after noting that it was currently on the Drudge Report). Rush, Fox News, and Drudge bouncing off one another - there is no better illustration of the noise machine.

Highlights from Hour 1

Ego on loan from Narcissus

LIMBAUGH: Did you hear the president's press conference today? Ah, sorry, he doesn't do press conferences. Excuse me. President Obama does teleprompter conferences. Have you noticed, by the way, that President Obama is now doing all of his appearances either before this program or after this program? Do you know why? You wanna know why? Because the White House is convinced, despite this latest poll from McClatchy -- the White House is convinced that they have driven my polls -- I'm a radio guy. Now admittedly, my friends, I understand where I am now. I understand what's happening. I have transcended media now. I have transcended mere broadcasting. Still, I'm a radio guy. They think that they have so successfully driven down my numbers that they're perfectly content for the president not to conflict with me now. They believe that the more people who hear me, the better it will be for the president. Now, I know there were no polls when Paul Revere began his ride, but I'll bet his numbers weren't very high. Don't worry, folks. I live in the world of principle. I don't live in the world of polls, and I shall not be deterred in standing up for what I think is right and for my country, plain and simple.

America's Truth Rejector

Repeated false claim that Obama promised no earmarks:

LIMBAUGH: Here's the second sound bite specifically on earmarks.

OBAMA [audio clip]: Let there be no doubt, this piece of legislation must mark an end to the old way of doing business, and the beginning of a new era of responsibility and accountability that the American people have every right to expect and demand. If we're going to solve our economic crisis, if we're going to put Americans back to work, if we're going to make the investments required to build a foundation for our future growth, then we must restore the American people's faith that their government is working for them, and that it's on their side. That's the government I promised, that's the government I intend to lead.

LIMBAUGH: He promises no earmarks, he promises to lead a government of responsible spending, while siding -- the debt that's being run up. [Sen.] Judd Gregg [R-NH] said this: The debt that's being run up by this administration in five years will trump the entire debt run up by the nation since its founding. 'So, after today, really, after today you're gonna get what I promised! After today, only a few earmarks that I approve. After today, only earmarks that go to government agencies.'

So get this, it is trickle-down, it is fabulous. It is wonderful. When government money trickles down to local and state governments. That's great. That's wonderful. That's efficient, and that's responsible. But when government money trickles down to you, in the form of tax cuts, and that's not the correct way to put it but for this analogy it works. When government money trickles down to you in the form of tax cuts, that's bad. That's horrible. We can't have that. That's what he just said. We can't have that.

Enemies list

Vice President Joe Biden:

LIMBAUGH: And also, my approval number of 33 percent, that's higher than Vice President Biden's IQ, so this is fabulous news.

Echo chamber

LIMBAUGH: When I got in here to our broadcast complex this morning, there was an email from Bill Sammon at Fox News and he's the -- he's the DC -- is the bureau chief there, and he said, “Rush, I'm working on a piece here. I hope to have it ready by the time your show starts and here it is.” And I read this and I just smiled, mouth fell open a little bit and I just smiled and then Bill Sammon asked me for any input. “Would you like to reply to what I learned?” So I sent him a note back and the story has been posted at FoxNews.com. It's also linked, by the way at the Drudge Report. The headline “Flashback: Carville wanted Bush to fail,” but that is only half the story. “The press never reported that Democrat strategist James Carville said he wanted President Bush to fail before the September 11 terrorist attacks. But a feeding frenzy ensued when radio host Rush Limbaugh recently said that he wanted Obama's policies to fail.”