After playing an audio clip of Democratic senators arguing that oil company mergers have led to price hikes, nationally syndicated radio host Rush Limbaugh said, on his March 15 show: “This is Stalinist. This is Stalinist and Marxist.”

Limbaugh played comments made by Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-NY), Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Sen. Richard J. Durbin (D-IL), and Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr. (D-DE) during a March 14 Senate Judiciary Committee hearing that included testimony by oil company executives.

Singling out a complaint by Durbin -- whom Limbaugh referred to as "Dick Turban" -- that "[w]e have no voice in saying to these giants, 'You shouldn't have done that,' " Limbaugh responded: “You know where we have no voice is with you. The American people have no voice with their government. You can rape us.” Limbaugh added: “You can take houses away from us under eminent domain. You can come in and raise prices, taxes all you want. We can't do anything but go to jail if we refuse to pay it.”

From the March 15 broadcast of The Rush Limbaugh Show:

LIMBAUGH: We have an audio sound bite here of the Senate Judiciary Committee meeting with oil company tycoons. This is Schumer, Sen. Patrick Leakry -- Leaky -- Leahy and -- oh, Dick Turban's in here along with Joe Biden.

[begin audio clip]

SCHUMER: There are fewer, more massive players in the markets, prices have spiked, and what has gone up has not come down. Coincidence? I don't think so.

[...]

LEAHY: Every time there's been a merger, prices have gone up. Anybody want to respond to that? Is that just coincidence?

DURBIN: We have no voice in saying to these giants, “You shouldn't have done that. Your money ought to be coming back for the good of society that has paid the price for the gouging that's taking place at the gasoline pumps.”

BIDEN: One big bathtub of oil, and we're very small players in it.

[end audio clip]

LIMBAUGH: This is Stalinist. This is Stalinist and Marxist. “We have no voice.” This is Dick Durbin: “We have no voice in saying to these giants, 'You shouldn't have done that. Your --' ” We don't? You know where we have no voice is with you. The American people have no voice with their government. You can rape us. You can take houses away from us under eminent domain. You can come in and raise prices, taxes all you want. We can't do anything but go to jail if we refuse to pay it.