Hour 1: Rush titles his imaginary pirate ordeal movie “President Obama Turns on Somali Counterparts”
Written by Media Matters Staff
Published
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By Simon Maloy
Happy Monday. Welcome back for another week of Limbaugh Wiring. Let's get cracking.
Rush wasted no time telling us that he was congratulating Obama for his “cool hand” in enacting the daring rescue of Captain Richard Phillips from the Somali pirates. Being more snide and sarcastic than even we thought possible, Rush pointed to an ABC News report that a White House official told George Stephanopoulos that the whole ordeal “would make a great movie,” announcing that he had a preliminary idea for what that movie would look like. Going off his working title “President Obama Turns on Somali Counterparts,” Rush says “President Obama rose to the occasion and saw to it that the Somali merchant marine organizers would not get away with the same tactics that the domestic American organizers get away with.”
Rush then ran through the casting list for his movie -- Will Smith as President Obama and as the SEAL team captain. The pirates will be played by Sarah Palin, Eric Cantor, Mitt Romney, Bobby Jindal, Mike Pence, and Rush himself, and in their lifeboat will be a whole bunch of tea. Get it? Like the tea parties! We hope he can write in Glenn Beck somehow. Anyway, there's also “Deep Parrot” in the movie, a White House official leaking everything to the media so they'll credit Obama in their reports.
As an example of such a report, Rush aired NBC's Chuck Todd saying that one negative aspect of this whole situation is that Somalia's instability has now been brought to the forefront, and back in the '90s it was Somalia that brought about the first negative foreign policy story for Bill Clinton. Rush said he couldn't remember those negative stories. A quick Nexis search would have refreshed that memory -- take this line from an October 9, 1993, front-page New York Times article: “Like many Americans -- a majority, according to polls -- Mr. Bright, an emergency health care administrator, has doubts about American involvement in Somalia and President Clinton's handling of the situation.”
Anyway, Rush proclaimed that Captain Phillips will be portrayed as a hero just like Captain Sullenberger was for safely landing a plane in the Hudson River, only this time Obama will be portrayed as a “co-pilot.” According to Rush, the media and the “left” now love the military because it did something that made Obama look good.
After the break, Rush professed to be upset at those out there who were still being obstinate and not giving all the credit to Obama for the rescue, such as the crew of the hijacked ship for faulting the military for not showing up soon enough. Rush suggested that in this era of economic crisis, the shipping company be made to pay the costs of the rescue operations, or that the Obama administration just take over the company. El Rushbo then went after the AP for reporting that pirates have vowed retaliation over the U.S. military operation, claiming that this is the mentality that the left and the media displayed during Iraq -- we're just creating more terrorists. Getting back into character, Rush said that some elements of society will just never be satisfied now matter how brilliantly Obama acts.
Then Rush aired audio of Obama speaking at the Department of Transportation this morning expressing his pride the military and lauding the courage of Captain Phillips. Rush said Obama was just being humble -- Obama knows that this was all his doing. Rush then took his first caller, who didn't quite understand what Rush was trying to get at (extreme cynicism can have that effect). Rush tried to explain without giving it away entirely, but to no avail. His next caller was quite upset that The Boston Globe reported that the Navy “killed” the pirates. Neither we nor Rush could figure out why he was upset at this, though Rush explained this was an effort on the part of the Globe to “save” themselves from going under.
One more caller before the break, this one wondering when the SEALs involved in the operation will be dragged before a Democratic House subcommittee to answer for killing the pirates. Rush responded by pointing out the Rep. Donald Payne's (D-NJ) plane came under mortar fire from rebels in Mogadishu, saying: “This sort of puzzled me. I don't know why community organizers in Somalia would fire on a fellow community organizer from the United States like Congressman Payne. For all they know, they could like the guy if they just had a sit-down with him.”
Closing out the hour, Rush took one more call, this one from a woman encouraging El Rushbo that, unlike that earlier caller, she understood what was going on behind Rush's praise of Obama. Rush thanked her, explaining why he was feeling a “low-grade depression” about the media coverage of the pirate rescue: “It will result in a series of stories about bravery and military success with Obama as the key player. And these approval numbers that will result from this reporting will be used as proof ... that Americans are totally on board for Obama's liberty-depleting domestic power grabs.” After falsely claiming that “the military budget is being cut,” Rush concluded: “These heroes are being and will be used to advance a domestic agenda of hard leftism. Returning Captain Phillips' liberty will be used to take away portions of ours.”
Highlights from Hour 1
Outrageous comments
LIMBAUGH: I have an idea -- preliminary idea here on the movie that will be made by Hollywood that will immortalize this brilliant episode in American foreign policy led by President Obama. I don't -- we don't have a working title of this movie. I've been thinking about “President Obama Turns On Somali Counterparts.” The merchant marine organizers, the Somali version of ACORN, and yet President Obama rose to the occasion and saw to it that the Somali merchant marine organizers would not get away with the same tactics that the domestic American organizers get away with.
[...]
LIMBAUGH: In Mogadishu, U.S. Congressman Donald Payne, who is a member of the Congressional Black Caucus, is on some kind of fact-finding tour, and today it was reported that land-based Somali pirates launched mortar fire at his location. He was unhurt. This sort of puzzled me. I don't know why community organizers in Somalia would fire on a fellow community organizer from the United States like Congressman Payne. For all they know, they could like the guy if they just had a sit-down with him.
[...]
LIMBAUGH: I have a low-grade depression that underlies all of this as I expose myself to this puking reporting by the drive-by media. Politico, New York Times, Washington Post have chosen the headline “Obama saves day,” “Obama --” whatever, giving Obama all of the credit for this, and I know
I know why Obama is being tied to this as if he is the lead and the man who made it all happen ,and not the heroes who were directly involved. This result, this wonderful result, folks, is going to result in raising Obama's approval ratings. That's what all of this is about. It'll result in a series of stories about bravery and military success with Obama as the key player. And these approval numbers that will result from this reporting will be used as proof -- or as Lanny Davis would say, “poof” -- that Americans are totally on board for Obama's liberty-depleting domestic power grabs. While we're all celebrating the end of the day for these Somali pirates, we still have to deal with the Beltway pirates who are looking to take $10 trillion from us over the next few generations, and that's going to be done with high approval ratings generated by this kind of puking reporting. Of course we'll have socialized medicine -- look at Obama's approval numbers. Of course we'll have card check and cap-and trade-down the road -- look at Obama's approval -- you haven't seen his approval ratings? The American people want everything they can get from this guy. If critical thinking were in play -- I don't care. They can report that Obama took out all three criminals on his own. They can say whatever they want, but this incredible demonstration of bravery and skill by the military is going to be used to advance a domestic agenda, including the gutting of the military. While all of the military is being praised to heaven here, guess what's happening in Washington? The military budget is being cut. These heroes are being and will be used to advance a domestic agenda of hard leftism. Returning Captain Phillips' liberty will be used to take away portions of ours.
Clips from this hour: