One day after the first presidential debate, on the October 1 broadcast of The Rush Limbaugh Show, radio host Rush Limbaugh labeled Senator John Kerry a “stupid S.O.B.” and issued a series of distortions about Kerry.

Limbaugh claimed media spun debate expectation in favor of Kerry, yet the opposite is true

Limbaugh asserted that the pre-debate coverage by “big media” ensured that Kerry would be seen as the debate's winner: “They have set it up so that Kerry didn't have to do much in order to be said to have won, or to have improved, or whatever. Bush had the most to lose. Kerry had the most to gain. That was the parameter, and that was the template that was set up beforehand. The mainstream press is falling right in line -- very predictable what they would say.”

The media's pre-debate coverage was indeed predictable, but in the opposite way to that Limbaugh claimed. As Media Matters for America has documented, the media played the “expectations game” in favor of President George W. Bush this year, just as it did in 2000.

Limbaugh echoed “global test” distortion of Kerry remark

Limbaugh echoed the false Bush-Cheney '04 campaign talking point that, during the debate, Kerry indicated his plan of “subordinating our own national defense to a global test.” But as MMFA has noted, Kerry was not advocating giving other countries veto power over American military decisions; rather, Kerry said he would preemptively act to protect the United States, while stressing that we must demonstrate the necessity of having done so.

Limbaugh echoed false Bush claim that we have “30 countries” with us in Iraq

Repeating Bush's debate misstatement -- that “there's 30 nations involved, standing side by side with our American troops [in Iraq]” -- Limbaugh referred to “30 countries or so that we have there.” But as TIME magazine has noted, the 30-nation figure includes “eight of the countries that initially joined the U.S. [and] have since pulled out their soldiers, and more are expected to follow.”

Limbaugh ignored the fact that Kerry's $200 billion figure for Iraq cost is within projections

After playing a debate clip in which Kerry placed the cost of the Iraq war at $200 billion, Limbaugh said: “The amount of money spent in Iraq is $93 billion, another 20 or so on -- on -- on security over there. The grand total of $120 billion, but despite all that, here is John Kerry wanting to put a [$200 billion] price tag on this.” As MMFA has noted, at least $200 billion is projected to be spent on Iraq.

Limbaugh echoed Bush claim that “Kerry forgot Poland” when listing America's allies in Iraq invasion

Repeating Bush's debate remark that Kerry “forgot Poland” when listing U.S. allies in the initial invasion of Iraq, Limbaugh stated: “As Bush pointed out, Kerry forgot Poland when enumerating America's allies at the start of the war in Iraq.”

But as MMFA has documented, Poland committed approximately 2,500 troops to Iraq, but not when the invasion began. As The Washington Post noted on October 1, “Poland later supplied troops and commanded a zone in Iraq. But, except for a few commandos, Polish troops were not part of the original ground invasion.” As the Associated Press reported on October 4, Polish defense minister Jerzy Szmajdzinski said in an interview published that day that Poland should pull its troops out of Iraq by the end of 2005.

Limbaugh echoed false attack on Kerry proposal to provide Iran with nuclear fuel

Limbaugh distorted Kerry's proposal to provide nuclear fuel to Iran by suggesting the material could be used for nuclear weapons: “For a guy whose No. 1 fear is nuclear proliferation to then come out and say he wants to give nuclear fuel to Iran, God help us. ... So Kerry wants to offer a test. Give them the fuel and see what they do with it and make a deal.”

As MMFA has noted, Kerry's plan did not involve giving Iran weapons-grade material and hoping for the best. In fact, Kerry supported an approach that involves providing Iran with nuclear material that is usable for energy -- not weapons -- if Iran would agree to verifiably halt weapons development.

Limbaugh mischaracterized Kerry notion of a “backdoor draft”

During the debate, Kerry claimed members of the American armed forces are being subjected to a “backdoor draft”; Limbaugh mischaracterized this claim, misstating which members are being affected by the policy in question. Limbaugh said: “So he talks about backdoor draft and the concept -- context of reservists, and what he meant by that was that reservists are going to be called up and sent up there, sort of like a backdoor draft. ... Reservists are volunteering. They volunteer for the National Guard, the Reserves. They know full well they could get called up at any time to do anything. So to call it a draft is -- is insulting.”

But Kerry was talking about already enlisted soldiers who are being subjected to extended duty as a result of the Pentagon's “stop-loss” policy, not volunteer reservists being placed into active duty without prior warning. As Newsweek noted in its October 11 issue, “Democratic presidential contender John Kerry carefully limited his debate remarks to a factually supportable charge that current Bush policies may constitute a 'backdoor draft' because some soldiers' tours of duty are being involuntarily extended.” As The Washington Post reported on December 29, 2003, there have been “thousands of soldiers forbidden to leave military service under the Army's 'stop-loss' orders, intended to stanch the seepage of troops, through retirement and discharge, from a military stretched thin by its burgeoning overseas missions.”

Limbaugh again revived false claim that Kerry made reenactment videos in Vietnam to enhance political career

In order to claim that Kerry has been “planning to be president ever since he was in Vietnam,” Limbaugh once again falsely asserted that while serving in Vietnam, Kerry reenacted combat scenes shortly after the actual events occurred: “that's why he [Kerry] took the home movies.” MMFA has previously noted that in 2002, current New York Times executive editor and former columnist Bill Keller debunked the rumor about Kerry's amateur Vietnam films.