Limbaugh Wire: 03/10/2009 Part II
Written by Media Matters Staff
Published
This hour of the Limbaugh Wire brought to you by our Founding Fathers
By Simon Maloy
Kicking off the second hour, Rush got a bit historical, explaining that he and all conservatives love the United States, but he can't abide “an administration, which is implementing policies that are anathema to the founding of the country in our view, in my view.” Claiming to speak for the Founding Fathers, Rush sought to once again explain his wish that Obama should “fail,” citing National Review alum Byron York's Washington Examiner piece today, “Why the Founding Fathers Would Want Obama's Plans to Fail.” Limbaugh explained that the US government was not designed to ensure that the president succeed, but rather that the president fail when he or she is wrong. That's all well and good, but we can't recall the constitutional clause that explains Limbaugh's “hope” that Obama's economic recovery plan “prolongs the recession.”
Coming back from the break, Limbaugh takes a call from a man who looks forward to the day we, as Americans, can celebrate victory over socialism. Rush once again declared the economic war lost.
Another break and Rush came roaring back with his two-pronged solution for fixing the economy, which is focused, again, on Obama's use of a teleprompter (take it away and let others speak publicly on the economy). El Rushbo then married his preoccupation with Obama's teleprompter to his preoccupation with Obama's call to The New York Times objecting to their question: “Are you a socialist as some people have suggested?” Rush played the entire audio of Obama's call to the Times and encouraged listeners to listen for Obama's “stuttering” and “bumbling.” Afterward, he declared it “frightening” how different Obama's speaking style is when he is off prompter.
Just to hammer the point home, Rush sees the economic difficulties the nation is facing, and his reaction is to expound -- at length -- on the president's teleprompter habits.
Rush then took a call from a woman who hoped all the conservatives who sat on their hands in the last election are happy with the results. Limbaugh professed his shock that anyone could be surprised that Obama is a “radical,” because he saw it and said it long ago. Rush topped off the hour by embracing the strategy mapped out by Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-NC), saying the he and other conservatives might not be able to stop Speaker Pelosi and Harry Reid, but “it's not written that we cannot take down his approval numbers. The key is his approval numbers.”
Highlights from Hour 2
LIMBAUGH: Here we have an administration, which is implementing policies that are anathema to the founding of the country in our view, in my view. We have an administration implementing policies that are destructive to the way this country was founded, they are destructive to the opportunities for happiness and prosperity that this country has provided for 230 years and we're alarmed by it.
Echo chamber
Reads extensively from York's March 10 Examiner piece: "Why the Founding Fathers Would Want Obama's Plans to Fail"
Echoed McHenry in the need to take down President Obama's approval numbers:
LIMBAUGH: You say we can't stop Pelosi and Reid, we can't stop Congress. Folks, that may be true. That may be true, but there -- it's not written that we cannot take down his approval numbers. Remember, that's the key to all of this. The key is his approval numbers. As long as they stay up, he's going to get what he wants, because people are going to be scared to death to oppose him substantively, and it's a mistake to say that only he can take his approval numbers down.
The American people -- they're the focus of what we do here: their minds, their hearts, their education. We're not going to give up here.