By Tom Allison
We understand that Rush has rather large shoes to fill, but guest host Mark Steyn was really struggling to produce any original content for the nation's airwaves. Rush's fill-ins usually spend a lot of time praising him. So it didn't help today that Limbaugh had an op-ed in The Wall-Street Journal, where he again argued that “Timothy McVeigh was incensed by the Clinton administration's 1993 siege on the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas” and that it was “no coincidence that the bombing took place two years to the day of the Waco siege.” Perhaps under Rush's orders, Steyn covered the op-ed extensively and thanked Rush for responding to the 15-year-old “slur” that right-wing media has played a role in inciting extremist violence.
If there's one advantage to Steyn filling in for Rush, it's that Steyn's inferiority complex compels him to say some pretty outrageous things ... at least in the first hour, before he gets tired from thinking of new and disgusting ways to smear the Obama administration and Democrats in general. Today, Steyn suggested that Rep. Barney Frank might only pretending to be gay in order garner political support in Massachusetts. Since yesterday was “bring your daughter to work day,” Steyn commented that Waziristan has “Take Your Child Bride to Work Day.” Moving on, Steyn claimed there was a “sexual apartheid” in America because of more opportunities available for transgender people and actually encouraged his listeners to check the transgender box on survey forms just to see what extra opportunities they get. Steyn also sneaked in a jab at Britain's National Health Service (as if America's and Britain's health systems are even comparable), likening hygiene at NHS hospitals in Scotland to “one of the rather rougher pornographic hard-core shoots in Thailand.” Finally, discussing a Dutch medical study on the effectiveness of fecal transplants to treat diseases, Steyn said that “after five or six years,” fecal transplants will be the only procedure allowed under Obamacare.
But the takeaway from today's show had to be Steyn's take on the recent controversy revolving around Comedy Central's animated show South Park. Recently, Comedy Central censored the show's references to the Prophet Muhammad after the show's creators received death threats for portraying the Muslim icon. Criticizing the network's decision, Steyn called on The Daily Show's Jon Stewart, who has criticized Fox News recently, to “do something with Comedy Central caving to violent threats,” convinced that Stewart wouldn't have the guts to criticize his own network. Well, the thing is, Mr. Steyn, Stewart took the issue head on last night. Maybe, in turn, you could criticize Rush Limbaugh while guest-hosting his show.
Here are some highlights from the show:
Steyn: Under Clinton, “real enemies had the run of the planet while he demonized Rush”
Steyn attacks Muslims, claiming Waziristan has “Take Your Child Bride to Work Day”
Mike Burns contributed to this edition of the Limbaugh Wire.