By Tom Allison

Rush: It would be a “godsend” if Obama administration “collapse[s]”

Rush opened today's show discussing his experience so far as a judge for the Miss America pageant, claiming that some of the contestants know more about current events than elected officials he's interviewed.

Limbaugh read from this New York Times article on Democrats putting a lower priority on health care. Claiming that there's no such thing as a moderate Democrat, Limbaugh celebrated reports that some Democratic senators who are up for re-election would try to stop any attempt to pass health care through reconciliation.

Limbaugh read from this CNN poll and complained that the write-up stated that “Americans are divided on whether Democratic control of Congress is good for the country.” Inexplicably, Limbaugh was also obsessed over the fact that CNN wrote “seven out of 10” instead of “70 percent.”

Limbaugh revived his theory that Hillary Clinton will run against Obama in 2012, claiming that James Carville's advice to Obama is “sabotage” and “setting Hillary up.” He concluded, “Make no mistake, ladies and gentlemen, Mrs. Clinton is out there eying this.”

Reading from this NewsBusters post, Rush agreed that Obama's presidency was nearing collapse and that it would be divine intervention:

LIMBAUGH: Barack Obama faces a moment where his presidency just might collapse. Or, rather, risk sending it into a wilderness where it would accomplish next to none of its ambitious goals, which would be a godsend -- if that actually happens.

Ignoring nonpartisan estimates (but falling in line with the conservative media), Limbaugh said the stimulus isn't working.

Limbaugh makes false claims about IPCC glacier report

Back from the break, Limbaugh said that liberals were “hiding the decline” in the public's approval of their policies, and then engaged in some good-old-fashioned climate misinformation, falsely claiming that global warming was a hoax. Limbaugh then falsely claimed that the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change was “totally exposed” through an error on melting glaciers in the Himalayas.

LIMBAUGH: Have you heard about the guy at the IPCC who's -- Pachauri, I think is his name. They've been totally exposed again on the melting glaciers of the Himalayas. Totally, totally exposed. I mean, the whole thing is just an outright -- and always has been -- a hoax. It's always been a political -- just like everything the liberals do -- it is designed to tug your heartstrings, to make you feel guilty, to get you go along with tax increases because you're destroying the planet. And this is how you get your mind right. This is how you say you're sorry. You let people go ahead and grow governments around the world and tax you and roll back your lifestyle, all for the purposes of empowering them.

In the second hour, Rush read from a list of the subjects Obama will reportedly address in the State of the Union, cynical over the idea that he would address a Haiti relief program and that Michelle Obama would have an earthquake survivor sitting next to her. Limbaugh also didn't seem happy over the New Orleans Saints advancing to the Super Bowl because of the Katrina stories that would inevitably follow.

After the break, Rush said that this day would be remembered for Apple's unveiling of the iPad rather than Obama's speech. Nevertheless, he still decided to offer a litany of advice for the president.

Limbaugh played a roll of media figures speculating about how closely Obama would echo Bill Clinton's 1996 State of the Union address, the impact of increasing David Plouffe's role in the White House political operation, and the reaction to White House chief of staff Andy Card's 2006 resignation.

Rush ignores James O'Keefe arrest

Limbaugh then turned to the controversy surrounding CBS' decision to air an anti-abortion ad during the Super Bowl featuring former Florida Gators quarterback Tim Tebow, completely missing liberal critics' point that CBS declined to air an ad from the United Church of Christ that advertised its welcoming of gays into its congregations. Limbaugh concluded: “And make no mistake: Abortion is not about a woman's right to choose. ... Abortion is about advancing liberalism.”

Limbaugh read from a report on Tennessee unemployment offices not having enough phone lines to deal with all the unemployment claims, adding that the stimulus was a failure.

Limbaugh took a call from former Reagan staffer Karna Bodman to criticize Obama's economic policy and praising Reagan's for cutting taxes, ignoring the saliency of monetary policy at the time.

Limbaugh criticized Vice President Joe Biden's Middle Class Task Force and again accused Obama of trying to destroy the country with his economic policies.

Moving on, Rush read from a Portland Press Herald article on the sound of wind turbines and called green energy a “scam.”

While Rush crammed a lot in today, he couldn't seem to find any time to mention ACORN video auteur James O'Keefe's arrest on charges related to interfering with a U.S. senator's telephones. Maybe tomorrow.

Michael Timberlake, Mike Burns, and Kitty Kaletsky contributed to this edition of the Limbaugh Wire.

Highlights

LIMBAUGH: James Carville's out there urging Obama, “You've gotta bash Bush more. You gotta bash Bush more.” I think that's sabotage. I think that's setting Hillary up. And make no mistake, ladies and gentlemen, Mrs. Clinton is out there eying this.

[...]

LIMBAUGH: Barack Obama faces a moment where his presidency just might collapse. Or, rather, risk sending it into a wilderness where it would accomplish next to none of its ambitious goals, which would be a godsend -- if that actually happens.

[...]

LIMBAUGH: You know, I think what's going on here -- the liberals are hiding all the decline in all of these surveys they're taking. Seventy-five percent -- stimulus not working for the middle class. It's not working for anybody. They report it as, “Twenty-five percent say it is.” And they say seven out of 10 think it's good the Democrats lost their supermajority, rather than say 70 percent. They're hiding the decline just like they did in the global warming hoax. Which now has been doubled-down on.

Have you heard about the guy at the IPCC who's -- Pachauri, I think is his name. They've been totally exposed again on the melting glaciers of the Himalayas. Totally, totally exposed. I mean, the whole thing is just an outright -- and always has been -- a hoax. It's always been a political -- just like everything the liberals do -- it is designed to tug your heartstrings, to make you feel guilty, to get you go along with tax increases because you're destroying the planet. And this is how you get your mind right. This is how you say you're sorry. You let people go ahead and grow governments around the world and tax you and roll back your lifestyle, all for the purposes of empowering them.

[...]

LIMBAUGH: They asked Democrats on Capitol Hill and in statehouses around the country what they want to hear from Obama during the State of Obama speech tonight. Number one, show your anger. Number two, talk about jobs. Number three, make a decision on health care. Number four, bash Wall Street. And number five, keep blaming Republicans.

Now, that is the recipe of a bunch of anti-liberty ideologues, ladies and gentlemen. Blame Republicans? Show your anger? My God, you people have done the best job of showing your anger of any political party I have ever witnessed. Talk about jobs -- well, he's had job summits. He's had the stimulus package. What more do you want to -- bash Wall Street? He doesn't need advice to do that. He's doing it. And keep blaming Republicans? It's part of Obama's natural existence -- blame Bush. These people are getting exactly what they want, and they're still not happy.

Outrageous comments

LIMBAUGH: And make no mistake: Abortion is not about a woman's right to choose. Abortion is not about freedom. Abortion is not about any of these things that they use to describe it. It's liberalism, folks. And liberals lie. Abortion is about advancing liberalism. Abortion is simply taking the -- an event in someone's life and being the people that make the decision for a woman. It is sick.