By Tom Allison

Fill-in host Mark Davis kicked off the show by talking about a town hall in Richardson, Texas last night. Davis characterized the event as “more huge crowds of people trying to slay the dragon that is Obamacare.” Davis said that the August recess has been productive, and the town halls have been 95 percent of what they needed to be, where only 5 percent let the wheels come off.

Lamenting the lack of courage in the country's leaders, Davis had a lot of praise for the Blue Dog Democrats:

DAVIS: I guess we got the Blue Dogs. We got plenty of love for them on the health care issue. These are some people who I probably might not agree with on a bunch of other things, but if there are fiscal conservatives, by comparison, occupying some portions of the Democrat Party in some purple states, and they want to step forward and say no to this White House, God bless those guys!

Moving on to poll numbers, Davis cited a Rasmussen poll that showed Obama's approval at 47 percent. Davis pointed out that's six or seven points below what he got in the election, as if national approval ratings and the popular vote in a presidential election were the same thing.

“Didn't President Bush go against what the voters wanted by fighting a war we were tired of?” Davis asked. Of course, Davis added that the war in Iraq and health care are different, because the war in Iraq was a “moral imperative.” Davis also praised Bush's courage for going through with the surge even if it was unpopular and criticized Obama for citing scripture when he talks about healthcare.

Davis: GOP too moderate as it is

Throughout the show, Davis lamented people telling conservatives that they need to be more moderate and used John McCain as an example of how that didn't work out.

Davis speculated that fearless, upbeat conservatism that fights for smaller government, lower taxes, just wars, and personal responsibility is what's going to to lead to Republican gains in 2010. In the third hour, however, Davis commented on whether the GOP could win back a majority in the House: “I'll believe it when I see it.” Davis talked to numerous callers who have left the party because of McCain's Presidential nomination and Bush's big government policies.

“People grew tired of the war because they didn't understand it and are tired of health care because they do understand it”

Davis asserted that people just didn't appreciate the “nobility” of the war effort in Iraq and thus public opinion deteriorated. On health care, however, Davis claimed that the American people have “immersed themselves in it and found it wanting.”

Davis: “God tells you where to live.” Not New Orleans or Los Angeles?

Davis skated on thin ice as he wrapped up the first hour, discussing New Orleans' and Los Angeles' vulnerability to natural disasters. After bringing up a New York Daily News column that called for America to support New Orleans, Davis suggested that perhaps New Orleans is not on God's list of top places to call home:

DAVIS: You know, there's just -- and pardon the way this sounds, but I've got a column from a guy down in New Orleans about how New Orleans still needs you. Well, no, it doesn't. Maybe New Orleans does need me -- it needs me to move there and start a business. And if I wanted to, I would. But this notion that more billions of taxpayer dollars are needed to quote-unqote “rebuild” New Orleans, and God ble -- and I got listeners down there, and I know it, and I love you, and I love the town, but no. You can talk about that if you want to, and what that has to do with LA? Sometimes God tells you where to live and where not to. And maybe two of the answers is below sea level and the other is a highly combustible forest.

Davis went on generally resist national support of Gulf state recovery and speculate about whether there was “a common theme or thread” when you choose to live somewhere and “nature kicks you in the teeth once in awhile.”

For Davis, Cash for Clunkers is “Kegs on me!”

Turning to Cash for Clunkers, Davis called the program a “charade” and claimed that the government rebates given to consumers who bought new fuel efficient vehicles went to beer cigarettes and drugs:

DAVIS: You remember the day that Cash for Clunkers went away? Thank God, we stopped this charade of giving people money to do -- the government expenditures that drive me the most insane are when we hand taxpayer money to people for things they ought to be doing themselves. And all Cash for Clunkers did in so many cases is free up beer, smokes, and crack money for people that are like, “Hey! All right! I had $1,000 put away, I was gonna save another grand and get a new car. I don't have to now. Keg's on me!” Drove me nuts.

Davis: Iraq was “decent place to start” after 9-11

Naturally, Davis touted George Will's Washington Post column today that called for withdrawing American troops from Afghanistan. Hyping up a purported division in the Democratic Party, Davis also discussed Mike Allen's Politico article about Obama feeling pressure from the left to get out of Afghanistan.

Sticking with foreign policy, Davis commented that the number of American casualties in Afghanistan pales in comparison to America's other wars such as Vietnam and the Civil War, and stated that the troops deserve our full support. Davis noted the upcoming anniversary of 9-11 and asked if “we might use that to refocus a little bit.” Also, despite Obama's repeated statements stressing the importance of the war in Afghanistan, Davis suggested that it “leaves a bad taste in the commander-in-chief's mouth.”

Davis also wanted to remind his audience that terrorists declared war on the United States long before 9-11 and that Americans were united following the attacks. Davis then referred to Iraq as “a decent place to start” the broader war on terror.

Later, during a discussion with a caller, Davis wondered aloud what would have happened if Nixon had the courage to increase troop levels in Vietnam at the height of the war's unpopularity in 1968.

Would Hillary step out of the State Department for the 'I Told You So Tour 2012'?

Returning to electoral speculation, Davis commented sarcastically that “it would be a genius move” for Mitt Romney to run for Ted Kennedy's Massachusetts Senate seat and that any Republican who runs will get “clobbered.”

In this segment Davis also celebrated the one-year anniversary of the Republican National convention in St. Paul, Minnesota, recalling it as an “amazing, amazing week.”

Davis also criticized Democrats' hypocrisy for pushing for Gov. Deval Patrick to appoint a temporary replacement for Sen. Kennedy, in the state he referred to as the “People's Republic of Massachusetts.”

Topping off Davis' acute political commentary, Davis speculated on the possibility of Obama facing a serious Democratic primary challenge in 2012. His reasoning? Carter was the worst President in recent history when Kennedy challenged him, and Hillary might “step out of the State Department for the 'I Told You So Tour 2012.' ”

Caller makes “wise” point: Obama is making “slaves” and pushing a “nightmare”

In the final segment of today's show, Davis cleared up some confusion from yesterday about Juan Williams referring to new founding fathers (Williams was actually discussing civil rights leaders founding “a new America”).

And saving the best for last, a caller told Davis that he was tired of Obama comparing himself to Lincoln and Martin Luther King Jr. because “Lincoln freed the slaves, not made slaves, and Martin Luther King had a dream, not a nightmare.” Davis responded: “I think the distinctions you draw are wise.”

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

Highlights

DAVIS: I guess we got the Blue Dogs. We got plenty of love for them on the health care issue. These are some people who I probably might not agree with on a bunch of other things, but if there are fiscal conservatives, by comparison, occupying some portions of the Democrat Party in some purple states, and they want to step forward and say no to this White House, God bless those guys!

[...]

DAVIS: President Obama probably views his adherence to his health care wish in similar terms. I mean, heavens, look at the divine imagery, the religious fervor -- almost literally religious fervor with which he comes after this issue. And in so doing, refers to those who oppose him as bearing false witness -- love the scriptural imagery of that, Mr. President, thanks so much. Yeah -- great, the only time that Barack Obama endorses scripture is when he feels it gives him a bigger bat to wield against his enemies.

[...]

DAVIS: Gotta do some wildfire talk. When Today show, Good Morning America, everything is just imagery of, you know, Southern California just combusting -- I mean, I'm in Texas. Maybe you're in, you know, New York, Massachusetts, Florida, Iowa. I think it may well be that unless you are actually in Southern California, you can't imagine what this is like. I will stipulate that I have no idea what it's like to have bazillions of acres on fire around me.

But there's a theme I'll explore. This is what nature does. The things that are catching on fire are the things that catch on fire. I mean, not all of these is some, you know, idiot camper throwing a cigarette. You know, there's just -- and pardon the way this sounds, but I've got a column from a guy down in New Orleans about how New Orleans still needs you. Well, no, it doesn't. Maybe New Orleans does need me -- it needs me to move there and start a business. And if I wanted to, I would. But this notion that more billions of taxpayer dollars are needed to quote-unqote “rebuild” New Orleans, and God ble -- and I got listeners down there, and I know it, and I love you, and I love the town, but no. You can talk about that if you want to, and what that has to do with LA? Sometimes God tells you where to live and where not to. And maybe two of the answers is below sea level and the other is a highly combustible forest.

[...]

DAVIS: We talked a bit about this some yesterday. Ten days from now, here comes the eighth anniversary of 9-11. Can we maybe use that to refocus a little bit? And I don't mean just looking at footage of the planes hitting the towers -- and gee, I wonder how much footage we're really going to see on that on 9-11? Will they really drag that back out, or will that just get us all worked out again where we might actually favor a war that to this moment, we know leaves a bad taste in the commander-in-chief's mouth?

[...]

DAVIS: We are attacked on 9-11 and in -- not the first act of war on us from the terrorist world. The bombing of the Cole. The bombing of those very same World Trade Centers. Khobar Towers. Our embassies in Africa. Act of war after act of war after act of war after act of war. But the one on 9-11 pushed our nation and President Bush onto a war footing, so that we actually came back at these people by being on a war footing with them after they had been on a war footing with us, forever.

And the country was, as many are prone to nostalgically recall, united. A war to topple some regimes, and Saddam was the most misbehaving regime in the part of the world that wants to kill us, a thoroughly decent place to start. Neighboring Afghanistan, which may well housed a lot of the Al Qaeda folks, including Osama bin Laden himself -- thoroughly decent place to go alongside. Maybe more to come.

[...]

DAVIS: I think I'll presume that President Obama will not have any primary challengers. Hmm. Might want a mulligan on that, to throw in some Limbaugh vacation golf terminology. As soon as I said it, I sorta wanted it back. How bad do things have to get before the Democrats offer up a possible primary challenger to Oba -- don't get ahead, don't get ahead of me. I don't think she would do that. I don't think she would do it. Would Hillary step out of the State Department for the “I Told You So Tour 2012”?

Outrageous comments

DAVIS: You remember the day that Cash for Clunkers went away? Thank God, we stopped this charade of giving people money to do -- the government expenditures that drive me the most insane are when we hand taxpayer money to people for things they ought to be doing themselves. And all Cash for Clunkers did in so many cases is free up beer, smokes, and crack money for people that are like, “Hey! All right! I had $1,000 put away, I was gonna save another grand and get a new car. I don't have to now. Keg's on me!” Drove me nuts.

[...]

CALLER: Mark, great job today, I want to say that first off, and a shout-out to Rush Limbaugh. About 13 years ago, I found out I was a conservative by listening to his show. I wanted to also say that I'm a growing minority, I'm a conservative Christian, and I wanna say that -- my president, my president, my president, Barack Obama. I want him to stop using comparisons between him and Abraham Lincoln and him and Martin Luther King Jr. Abraham Lincoln freed the slaves, not made slaves, and Martin Luther King had a dream, not a nightmare.

DAVIS: Well, I gotta tell ya, these are folks who view themselves in that lofty legacy, and I think the distinctions you draw are wise.