This hour of the Limbaugh Wire brought to you by the Democrats we elected to “torture” us
By Simon Maloy

Contrary to last week's ill-founded speculation, our whereabouts on Friday were not “unknown.” That was just a callous attempt by Greg to maliciously impugn our character and good name, likely in retribution for the callous and malicious way in which we impugned Greg's character and good name during l'affair Sanford. But we really should stop making things up about one another -- not for the sake of our character (or lack thereof), but because making things up about people apparently dishonors American soldiers. While you try and wrap your head around that bit of illogic, we're girding ourselves for some more race-baiting from El Rushbo, and perhaps a little Palin boosterism, as the right's favorite perennial victim has officially left the Alaska governor's mansion. As Steve Benen observed, the “former governor [said] she 'will be able to fight even harder' for her supporters, now that she has no office, no governmental power, no authority, and no influence over public policy. She didn't elaborate as to why.”

Rush got today's show rolling by saying he wanted to read from a couple of stories, the first a Hill analysis with the headline: “July has been disaster for Obama, Hill Dems.” Rush said if July has been a “disaster,” then he hopes August is “terrifying.” And we now know, said Rush, why Obama went to the White House press room to shut down this Henry Louis Gates thing -- Congress was going to have hearings on it, and that's the last thing the White House wanted. But this is not a time to get giddy, said Rush, because fighting these people is a daily thing for the rest of our lives. One of the things Rush wishes he had told Greta Van Susteren during his interview with her was -- wait. First, Rush had to interrupt his own train of thought to tell us that The Wall Street Journal reported this morning that banks are not lending. It's stories like these, said Rush, that lead him to keep saying that what Obama is doing to the economy is purposeful.

But then Rush got back on track, saying that the thing he wished he had said to Greta is that the history of the world is tyranny and dictatorship, and that's why this country is so unique. It's the desire of people to have control over other people, and “there are people in this country who are Americans who have the same view of totalitarianism that all the worst regimes of the world have had. They just are a minority, or have been a minority, and they have to be stealth to get anywhere because who's gonna vote for torture? Who's gonna vote for tyranny? Who's gonna vote for dictatorship? But we did. We did, and it's -- you see it's slowly encroaching.”

The second story that Rush wanted to mention was a column by Fortune editor-at-large Shawn Tully, who enumerated the five freedoms we're allegedly going to lose as a consequence of health care reform. After reading most of Tully's column on the air, Rush switched gears to an Associated Press article which reported: “Democratic and GOP officials acknowledged Sunday that Obama's ambitious plan would not pass without the aid of a doubtful GOP, whose members are almost united against the White House effort.” If you add up the numbers, said Rush, the Democrats can't be stopped because they have the numbers in Congress. So if there's any reason the Democrats are having problems, it's because of the Democrats. This is such a political gold mine, said Rush, and there is no reason -- not now, not six months from now, not ever -- to pass this health care bill.

After the break, Rush said it's just “comical” the way the White House and the media want to blame all of Obama's problems on Bush or the Republicans. But the real comedy, said Rush, is that their real enemies are in the CBO, which just said that the health care plan is going to be worse than anyone imagined. It's Obama's own party that is causing all the problems, said Rush, because the Democrats run the CBO. Who would have thought that CBO would save the country? This is why they're going to try and force a vote in the House before the congressmen go home on recess, said Rush.

Rush then skipped over to a CNS News article reporting that Rep. John Conyers (D-MI) “questioned the point of lawmakers reading the health care bill.” It is stunning, said Rush, that Conyers would say this publicly. July's not over, he said, and it's already horrifying. Rush then switched gears again, reading from a Bloomberg article reporting: “Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner pledged the U.S. will shrink its budget deficit over the next four years and boost national savings, and he called on China to maintain efforts to ease the impact of the global recession.” Rush helpfully “translated” this for us, saying that Geithner is telling the ChiComs that we're going to raise taxes.

Rush then observed that he was all over the media this weekend, airing audio of PBS' Bill Moyers talking about the Fairness Doctrine, saying that Rush will cause “riots in the public mind” if the Fairness Doctrine is reinstated. Rush said that when these people get their unbridled power and it still doesn't go right for them, they can't blame him. Rush said he has no power. None! Riots in the public mind? And last Friday on MSNBC, Rush said, Richard Wolffe interviewed White House press secretary Robert Gibbs about Gates. It really upset MSNBC, said Rush, when Rush compared Obama to Mike Nifong. Anyway, Rush aired audio of Gibbs saying that Obama wants to have constructive dialogue on race, whereas Rush is paid to sell advertising by fanning the flames on the radio. Rush wondered if he was correct -- did he hear that he is fanning the flames to sell advertising? Who started all of this? Fanning the flames? Gibbs' boss was the one who started it, said Rush, and they have it exactly backwards if they blame Rush for what the president did. Read that again: Rush's mature response to the White House is: “They started it.”

After the break, Rush aired audio of Conyers talking about reading the health care bill. This guy is chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. Sometimes it's best to just get out of their way, said Rush, who then “apologized” to Bill Moyers for creating a riot in the public mind by airing Conyers' comments.

Then it was on to the Palin boosterism that we so astutely predicted, as Rush aired audio of Palin talking about the media dishonoring American soldiers by making things up. Rush asked what other elected official do you hear talking that way to the media about the media. There's a reason she drew these huge crowds during the campaign, he said, and she's exactly right -- the media have met their Waterloo in Obama, sacrificing what was left of their integrity in propping him up. After airing a couple more Palin bites, Rush said we have so many people on our side thinking this woman is an idiot. Rush said he is always asked what he thinks of Sarah Palin, and he told Greta that he is looking at who can win and excite crowds, and who the media and the Democrats are afraid of, and it's Palin.

Rush then aired audio of a discussion on MSNBC from last week on how Palin could become the face of the angry white woman. They're making fun of her, said Rush, which means they're worried. And this angry white woman stuff -- Rush predicted it. Rush said back during the campaign, the election of Obama would exacerbate, not heal, racial divisions. So they'll tell you who they're afraid of, just look at who they try to destroy.

Another break and Rush was back saying that four years ago, the angriest white man in America was Howard Dean, and, today, it's Chris Matthews, and they're both Democrats.

Then it was time for Rush's first caller of the week, who said that Moyers' comments really demonstrate the intellectual elitism of this country, most of which resides in the White House where they're trying to rewrite the rules of the private sector. Rush said that Moyers is jealous and frustrated that there is no longer a monopoly on the media that he is a part of. They used to have that monopoly, said Rush, but they don't anymore, and since they don't have that monopoly any more they focus their anger on those who took it away. You don't understand the kind of power these people used to have, said Rush, and all these people in the news business wish they could be Walter Cronkite, and they seethe over the fact that such power isn't there anymore. Plus, said Rush, Moyers is your typical uninformed and close-minded liberal. As for Obama, said Rush, he has no respect for the private sector, and everything they're doing is purposeful.

And the American people are catching on, said Rush, reading from an American Spectator blog entry citing Rasmussen (R-Pollster). But, said Rush, there's another poll that shows Obama under 50 percent, and it's not Rasmussen, who some people say leans right. It's Zogby, who “has to lean left.” Ah yes, Zogby... the notoriously unreliable pollster who conducts push polls for right-wing hacks like John Zeigler.

Rush's next caller wanted to apologize to the nation for the representatives that come from his state of Illinois, and if anyone owes anybody an apology, it's Obama that owes one to Rush. Rush said it was funny on Friday when Obama threw Gates overboard, and now all kinds of news is coming out about Gates. He's a racist -- an angry racist, said Rush. The last two Democratic administrations have tried to make Rush out to be racist, but all he has done is report what the president said in his press conference (actually, Rush lied quite brazenly, saying that Obama “condemn[ed] the cop, the whole police department, white America.”)

Greg Lewis and Zachary Pleat contributed to this edition of the Limbaugh Wire.

Highlights from Hour 1

Outrageous comments

LIMBAUGH: And there are people in this country who are Americans who have the same view of totalitarianism that all the worst regimes of the world have had. They just are a minority, or have been a minority, and they have to be stealth to get anywhere because who's gonna vote for torture? Who's gonna vote for tyranny? Who's gonna vote for dictatorship? But we did. We did, and it's -- you see it's slowly encroaching.