Hour 3: Limbaugh Compares Democrats' “Quest for Power” To His Own Addictions
Written by Media Matters Staff
Published
This hour of the Limbaugh Wire brought to you by Rush's personal demons and how they're just like the Dems' quest for power
Hour three of Rush's program today brought us more discussion of the automobile industry. Rush read from an MSNBC article on the over 3,000 GM and Chrysler dealership closings. At one point during his monologue, Limbaugh bet that Obama has been working on which dealerships survive based on campaign donations, because “this is how Democrats do this.” Then he moved on to the news that GM wants to start importing cars from China. Rush wondered if some executive at GM was throwing out this idea so he could get himself canned. Rush also noted that GM cars are made at much cheaper prices by “ChiCom workers” than “Gettelfinger workers.” Rush explained that Obama's logic, from his ASU speech, is that if you're looking to get rich, it's a sin. Under that logic, Rush explained, the only way GM and Chrysler dealership could stay open is if people make money.
After the break, Rush took a call from a dittohead who wanted to know what Democrats want to do with all of their power. In a moment that was both revealing and offensive, Rush responded to the caller by explaining to her that Democrats are addicted to power. Rush then likened this to the addictions that he has confronted in the past. It was quite interesting to hear him openly talk about his personal demons -- water he rarely treads on his show. But it was also disappointing that he immediately used this as an analogy to rip Democrats: “These people are addicted to power because they think it is their birthright. And I'm not just talking about the people in Washington, elected officials. I'm talking about some of -- not all -- but some of the rank-and-file madcap insane liberals that you will find blogging, that you will find emailing, that you will find on the protest march. Their lives are basically meaningless. The addiction to power and dominance and control is what drives them. and the thing about an addiction is it can never be satisfied. There is never a day where you say, 'All right. Ah.' Because you have to feed it every day. Anything that stands in the way of the addiction requires your attention to overcome, to get around, to somehow take care of.”
Coming back from the break, El Rushbo read an email from a distraught listener: “I just got this email, and I'm glad I got this email because I need to expand on this. It is from a woman who says she's almost in tears listening to me in Raleigh, North Carolina. Her name's Katherine. 'Dear Rush, I am so upset because I respect you so much, I respect your opinion so much, I just can't believe my job is worthless.' ” After reading the email, Rush took another swipe at nonprofits:“Now, she doesn't describe her job, but what to you think the odds are she works at a non-profit? ... Yeah, I call 'em bloodsuckers. But that -- but -- but -- I've gotten a lot of email on that too. 'Rush, you know that tonight on the media, ”Limbaugh calls nonprofits bloodsuckers." ' " Rush later elaborated on this, saying that he is not condemning anybody who wants to earn a living by helping others, but that Obama is “impugning” and “castigating” earners and providers who make nonprofits possible.
Anyway, from here Rush continued airing his grievances regarding Obama's commencement address at ASU. Like a broken record, he issued his defense of self interest and selfishness, and explained how he had a “huge problem” with sacrifice, because sacrifice gives Democrats permission to take things from people. Rush later posed these questions for Obama: “Sir, how would you have gotten where you are if you didn't put yourself first? President Obama, if you behaved the way you advised graduates at Arizona State University, you would have given the presidency to John McCain. He's more deserving, he's older, he served in a war. You could have done a great thing. You could have really sacrificed. ”Oh, this me first, oh, that's horrible to think about yourself. It's horrible." He wouldn't have gotten where he is, he wouldn't stay where he is if he hadn't put himself first. There's nothing wrong with putting yourself first."
Finishing off today's program, Rush answered questions from a few more dittoheads primarily concerned with the ASU commencement. This gave Rush more opportunities to rehash and repeat the same points he had been making for the past hour: defending self interest, etc. The final caller asked what Limbaugh thought would happen at Obama's Notre Dame commencement this Sunday. Rush speculated that Obama might tell graduates to become priests or nuns -- but then rejected that idea because priests and nuns oppose abortion.
That's it for today's Limbaugh Wire. We'll leave you with Rush's final comments of the hour, since they pretty much speak for themselves: “You know, I didn't go to college, so the commencement's no big deal to me. I went to high school -- I didn't go to that. Just give me the yearbook, get out of here. I had no signatures in my yearbook, I didn't go to the party. Get me outta here. And I'm sure if I'd finished college, it would've been the same way. So, you know, the speaker, it's just delaying the kegger, you know, it's no big deal.”
Highlights from Hour 3
Outrageous remarks:
LIMBAUGH: These people are addicted to power because they think it is their birthright. And I'm not just talking about the people in Washington, elected officials. I'm talking about some of -- not all -- but some of the rank-and-file madcap insane liberals that you will find blogging, that you will find emailing, that you will find on the protest march. Their lives are basically meaningless. The addiction to power and dominance and control is what drives them. and the thing about an addiction is it can never be satisfied. There is never a day where you say, “All right. Ah.” Because you have to feed it every day. Anything that stands in the way of the addiction requires your attention to overcome, to get around, to somehow take care of.
[...]
LIMBAUGH: I just got this email, and I'm glad I got this email because I need to expand on this. It is from a woman who says she's almost in tears listening to me in Raleigh, North Carolina. Her name's Katherine. “Dear Rush, I am so upset because I respect you so much, I respect your opinion so much, I just can't believe my job is worthless.” Now, she doesn't describe her job, but what do you think the odds are she works at a nonprofit?
[...]
LIMBAUGH: What are you laughing at, Snerdley? What? Yeah, I call 'em bloodsuckers. But that -- but -- but -- I've gotten a lot of email on that too. “Rush, you know that tonight on the media, 'Limbaugh calls nonprofits bloodsuckers.' ”
[...]
LIMBAUGH: I want to ask President Obama a question: Sir, how would you have gotten where you are if you didn't put yourself first? President Obama, if you behaved the way you advised graduates at Arizona State University, you would have given the presidency to John McCain. He's more deserving, he's older, he served in a war. You could have done a great thing. You could have really sacrificed. “Oh, this me first, oh, that's horrible to think about yourself. It's horrible.” He wouldn't have gotten where he is, he wouldn't stay where he is if he hadn't put himself first. There's nothing wrong with putting yourself first.