This hour of the Limbaugh Wire brought to you by The Manchurian Candidate -- coming soon to Fox
By Greg Lewis

The final hour of today's show kicked off with Rush reading from a Politico article headlined: “White House press stays home for Obama's speech.” Rush wondered if it made Obama mad that his “acolytes” stayed home. He also questioned why the hell the press has to follow Obama everywhere anyway. Apparently, they can just as easily love Obama “from afar.”

This provided a convenient segue for Rush as he moved on to Obama's CNBC interview with John Harwood. Noting that Harwood asked Obama about the “favorable” press coverage he receives, Rush aired audio of Obama saying there is “one television station entirely devoted to attacking my administration.” Rush said that Obama was whining about Fox News.

From here, Rush moved on to the upcoming ABC special on health care reform that will be broadcast from the White House. Rush said the special will have “no opponents, no critics,” a claim ABC has refuted. Regardless, Rush suggested counter-programming for Fox Broadcasting and the Fox News Channel. For Fox Broadcasting, Rush suggested airing The Manchurian Candidate. Rush didn't indicate whether he was referring to the original 1964 masterpiece or the 2004 remake. As for Fox News, Rush prescribed that the network stick with their normal evening lineup, minus Shep Smith. Start with Beck, then move on to O'Reilly, Hannity, and Greta. Rush thought this would be a good counter to ABC's “propaganda” from the White House. Rush also suggested that Fox News would never do a special from the East Room or the Blue Room of the White House. And he's right -- they'd just do a special on George W. Bush from the Oval Office. And Crawford. And Air Force One. And Bush's “private sanctums in the White House residence.” Big difference.

As for The Manchurian Candidate, Fox Broadcasting doesn't need to air the original or the remake -- they already have Glenn Beck and, well, everyone else on that network to repeat that totally original smear.

After a break, Rush went back to Obama's interview with John Harwood, airing a clip in which Obama described how the deficit “keeps [him] awake at night.” Rush thought this was absurd, saying that Obama is “losing sleep over himself.” Actually, no, he's losing sleep over the legacy of George W. Bush, who is far-and-away the biggest contributor to the deficits we're facing today. Rush added: “No, I don't think he's losing sleep over anything. I think this guy -- if he can't sleep it's 'cause he's excited! I can't -- if he's losing sleep it's 'cause excited, he cannot believe how easy it is to take over all this stuff. He can't believe how easy it is to fool all these people. He can't believe what a stroke of good luck that an opposition party doesn't exist. He can't believe that there's not one Republican that won't stand up and say, 'Stop this!' ” Rush concluded this rant by saying that this would be like Colonel Sanders saying we have to stop killing and eating chicken.

Then Rush moved on to Obama's announcement today of his plans for regulatory reform. Rush aired sound bites of Obama describing how the unraveling of financial institutions and a culture of irresponsibility caused the economic crisis. Rush rejected this, saying that it was overregulation that caused the crisis. Specifically, Rush faulted the government for forcing banks to make subprime loans: “But all of this happened because Democrats from Bill Clinton forward, Barney Frank, and Chris Dodd, demanded -- and ACORN -- demanded that people that could not ever pay a loan back or even qualify for one, be given one, essentially be given a house. They were threatened by Janet Reno and others. And regulators that tried to stop this were in turn threatened by people like Barney Frank and Chris Dodd.” Of course, as we've noted so many times before, this is completely false.

Rush also responded to Obama talking about executive compensation levels. He said the problems that existed in the markets had nothing to do with what people make, and it's nobody's business but the board's and the CEO's, adding: “Private sector compensation is none of Barack Obama's business. It's none of Bill Ayers' business. It's none of Bernadine Dohrn's business. It's none of Jeremiah Wright's business. It's not Rahm Emmanuel's business. It is nobody's business.” We're not entirely sure what relevance Ayers, Dohrn, or Wright have in this context, and Rush didn't explain. But we're going to assume that their degree of relevance is fairly close to zero, so we're comfortable in expanding on Rush's argument and saying that private sector compensation is also not the business of Wayne Gretzky, Luciano Pavarotti, or Superman.

Rush then played another audio bite from the speech, in which Obama further explained his proposed overhaul of the financial system, saying: “We did not choose how this crisis began, but we do have a choice in the legacy this crisis leaves behind.” This set off Rush on another tirade about Obama needing to “man up” and stop blaming his predecessors.

After another break, Rush took some more calls. The first caller was from Canada and described how his friend had an advanced case of melanoma and had only just been approved by the government to go to one hospital in Buffalo. Both Rush and the caller agreed on their dislike of the Canadian health care system. Rush even said that approved treatments at approved locations, such as was the case for the caller's friend, was where we were headed. Rush neglected to mention that Obama's proposed health care reform will look nothing like Canada's system, but instead described -- once again -- how people think that by giving away their liberty, they will get security, and that this kind of health care reform will mean that a lot of people will get a death sentence that they don't have now.

The next caller wondered if all the auto manufacturing plants closing means that a lot of union people aren't working, and asked if they're satisfied. Rush said that people are blind in their support for Obama the “doofus.”

One more break, and Rush wrapped up the program with a couple more callers. The first wondered how we would pay to give everyone good health benefits. Rush told her that Obama promised whatever you need at no cost, and people love hearing members of Congress saying that. Rush also predicted that businesses and insurance companies would drop plans in favor of the government-offered public option. The final caller praised Rush for how he handled the caller at the top of the second hour -- the one Rush thought was a “gold mine.”

And that's a wrap for today's Wire. The whole crew will be back tomorrow for more fun in Limbaugh Land -- perhaps he'll compare health care to hang gliding. One can only imagine. Anyway, until then, Media Matters' Limbaugh archives remain, as always, at your disposal.

Simon Maloy, Lauryn Bruck, and Zachary Pleat contributed to this edition of the Limbaugh Wire.

Highlights from Hour 3:

Outrageous remarks:

LIMBAUGH: No, I don't think he's losing sleep over anything. I think this guy - if he can't sleep it's 'cause he's excited! I can't -- if he's losing sleep it's 'cause excited, he cannot believe how easy it is to take over all this stuff. He can't believe how easy it is to fool all these people. He can't believe what a stroke of good luck that an opposition party doesn't exist. He can't believe that there's not one Republican that won't stand up and say, “Stop this!”

[...]

LIMBAUGH: Private sector compensation is none of Barack Obama's business. It's none of Bill Ayers' business. It's none of Bernadine Dohrn's business. It's none of Jeremiah Wright's business. It's not Rahm Emmanuel's business. It is nobody's business.

America's Truth Rejecter

Falsely claimed that the upcoming ABC News special will not include “opponents” or “critics”:

LIMBAUGH: A week from tonight, two things will happen in the White House via ABC News, which is no longer independent. ABC News is part of the state-run media. The World News Tonight with Charles Gibson will originate from the Blue Room of the White House; the focal point will be healthcare. Later, on 20/20, ABC will originate a program on Obama's healthcare proposal from the East Room. There will be no opponents, no critics.

Falsely claimed that because of Democratic legislation and politicians, the government forced banks to make bad loans:

LIMBAUGH: But all of this happened because Democrats from Bill Clinton forward, Barney Frank, and Chris Dodd, demanded -- and ACORN -- demanded that people that could not ever pay a loan back or even qualify for one, be given one, essentially be given a house. They were threatened by Janet Reno and others. And regulators that tried to stop this were in turn threatened by people like Barney Frank and Chris Dodd.