Guest-hosting for Rush Limbaugh, Mark Belling started off today's show by saying that he's frequently confused with fellow Limbaugh guest hosts Mark Williams and Mark Steyn. Given how tiresome today's show was, I suspect the other Marks don't find the comparison flattering. Belling spent the rest of the first hour of the show discussing Israel's recent raid on a Palestinian aid flotilla and how Israel is held to a higher standard than other nations -- a standard he said is due to anti-Semitism. He went on to complain that only “a few conservative talk show hosts like Rush” and Christian fundamentalists defend Israel, that American Jews are “utterly silent” on the topic and that Jewish leaders in the United States who support Israel “don't exist anymore.” The U.S., Belling said, never does “anything anymore to support Israel.” He later added that the U.S. didn't criticize Iran's crackdown on election protesters last year, which would be true, except that the U.S. “strongly condemn[ed]” Iran's actions.
Belling later complained that Democrats don't care when their own politicians are involved in controversies such as the one about Dick Blumenthal's misstatements about his military service. Imagine, Belling implored his listeners, if a Republican did something like that. He seemed unaware that Republican Mark Kirk also made false claims about his service. Belling spent most of the second hour explaining how Barack Obama's presidency is just like Jimmy Carter's, although, he said, at least Carter was “qualified to be president.” Obama, Belling said, is "in totally over his head." He later complained that public-sector projects, mass transit programs, social programs, and other forms of “excessive government” may be taking away the resources that would allow us to “better deal with” the Gulf oil spill. Continuing his attacks on Democrats' competence, Belling said he doubts that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi could manage a McDonald's.
Midway through the third hour, Belling asked his listeners whether Obama or Sarah Palin would have done a better job of dealing with the Gulf oil spill. Not surprisingly, Belling concluded that Palin would have done better, because she's had a lifetime of experience “running things” while Obama has never run anything. Next, Belling revealed that the show's “staff” was encouraging him to talk about the breakup of Al and Tipper Gore. Belling asserted that Gore was never an “environmental nut” when he was a senator but needed an issue to adopt when he became vice president, so he chose global warming. Of course, actual history contradicts Belling's nasty attack -- Gore introduced legislation to address global warming at least as far back as 1989, the same year The New York Times reported that he had “won the sobriquet Mr. Global Warming for his concerned commentary on that ecological threat.” Belling went on to speculate that the Gores may have broken up because Tipper began to question whether global warming is occurring.
Here are some highlights from today's show:
Limbaugh fill-in Belling falsely claims U.S. didn't condemn crackdown on Iranian protesters
Limbaugh fill-in Belling suggests social programs are hindering efforts to stop Gulf oil leak
Limbaugh sub Belling says he doubts that Nancy Pelosi could manage a McDonald's