Hour 1: Limbaugh claims 9-11 attacks are an example of the Islamic faith “reshap[ing] America”
Written by Media Matters Staff
Published
This hour of the Limbaugh Wire brought to you by Rush's thoughts on America's relationship with the Muslim world
By Simon Maloy
Happy Tuesday to everyone. Rush is back behind the golden microphone after his one-day hiatus, during which guest host Mark Steyn regaled us all with tales of adult movies on the British government tab and "bondage dungeon[s]." As such, we're guardedly optimistic that the week can only go up from here.
El Rushbo kicked off the program by expanding on his theory that the stock market goes up when President Obama leaves the country -- it's down today because Obama is returning! “Remember when Obama left, the markets skyrocketed. The markets know Obama is coming back and so the markets are plummeting.” Rush then moved on to the new Segway vehicle made in conjunction with GM, which Rush called “a wheelchair with a motor.” Noting that it has a top speed of 35 miles per hour, Rush said that the “oddballs, fringe kooks, and weirdos” will drive it, and that it represents a failure of “leadership.” Whose “leadership”? We're not sure, he didn't explain. Then it was on to former Sen. Ted Stevens, whose conviction on federal corruption charges was tossed out by a federal judge earlier today. Rush was incredulous that the botched prosecution conducted by the Bush Department of Justice couldn't be blamed on the Democrats. Why? Because the Bush DoJ was “polluted” with career Democrats from the Clinton era.
Rush then moved on to Obama's surprise trip to Baghdad and his entire overseas trip in general, claiming that “American guilt” pervades Obama's “existence” because of how he was raised and who mentored him. Rush was particularly upset that Obama told Europe that America doesn't “respect” them enough. According to Rush, “Europe wouldn't be there” if it weren't for the United States. He also attacked Obama for saying in Turkey that America is a nation of shared values. “Not his,” exclaimed Rush, claiming that Obama's values are contrary to those upon which the country was built.
After attacking The New York Times for threatening to shutter the Boston Globe if the unions don't make concessions, Rush attacked a Reuters article from today which reported that: “More U.S. consumers are falling behind on their mortgages, an indication that the housing market has yet to hit bottom, a top credit bureau executive told Reuters.” What set Rush off was that they quoted an expert struggling to find optimism, despite, in Reuters' words, “a recent burst of relatively positive news that has fueled hope that the U.S. housing market has turned a corner.” Rush claimed that it was ridiculous that Reuters would report that the housing market is coming back when, in Rush's estimation, it hasn't hit bottom yet. You'll recall that the first sentence of the article, quoted above, indicated that “the housing market has yet to hit bottom.” Anyway, according to Rush this was just more evidence that the American media is too invested in Obama and that they consider him “too big to fail.” Look to the British press, extolled Limbaugh, because they know what's what.
After the break Rush came back with another trademark parody, this one a “message” from Obama to GM employees. After making sure our sides had not, in fact, split, we tuned back in to hear Rush return to mocking the Segway/GM joint project, known as the PUMA, which continued going into the next break and coming back from it. Rush's theory was that drivers of this vehicle are going to need kneepads. Now, we were momentarily surprised, because Rush managed to say the word “kneepads” once without making some sort of lewd reference. But then he said it again and the temptation proved to be too much: “These are hopped-up wheelchairs. And since you're going to need kneepads, this would be the perfect thing for Monica Lewinsky to endorse as a product -- maybe Lewinsky and Clinton together as a means of spreading the word, shall we say, on the new PUMA.”
Rounding out the hour, Rush laid into Obama for saying in his speech before the Turkish parliament: “The United States is not, and will never be, at war with Islam.” No one ever said we're at war with Islam, Rush rejoined (not exactly true). Rather, according to Rush, people say we're at war with the “militant Islamofascists” known as Al Qaeda. Rush then went after Obama's statement: “We will convey our deep appreciation for the Islamic faith, which has done so much over the centuries to shape the world -- including in my own country.” Rush's response? “He said that the Islamic faith has done so much over the centuries to shape the world, including in my own country. Well, I think 9-11 did have a big shaping factor here. The Twin Towers are gone. The Pentagon had a hole in it. Three thousand people are dead. That did reshape America.” Just so we're clear, Rush Limbaugh said the September 11 terrorist attacks were an example of the Islamic faith “reshap[ing] America.”
And Rush wonders why Obama felt the need to say that the United States does, indeed, respect the Muslim world.
Highlights from Hour 1
Outrageous comments
LIMBAUGH: Dow Jones Industrial Average is down 166 points today. It's been flirting around that 166 to 180. It's 'cause Obama is coming home. Remember when Obama left, the markets skyrocketed. The markets know Obama is coming back and so the markets are plummeting.
[...]
LIMBAUGH: You know what they're going to call this wheelchair with a motor on it? The PUMA. You know what? Now a puma is one of the fastest cats on the planet. This thing is not a puma. In any way, that stands for Personal Urban Mobility and Accessibility. And they say that the GPS system in there is going to prevent this from heading anywhere. You don't have to drive it, you have to sit there and be cool, calm, collected. It's going to miss everything.
It sees a pedestrian, sees a car, it's going to miss them. What I want to know is what's going to stop a car from running into it? This is the dumbest thing I have ever heard.
If you're going to drive around in this, I guarantee you, you are going to need kneepads. You'll need them. Have you seen the picture of this? Well, you know what a Segway is -- the stand-up thing? Imagine with a little bubble on top of it, with a little leg room in front to just sit down.
You're going to need kneepads. These are hopped-up wheelchairs. And since you're going to need kneepads, this would be the perfect thing for Monica Lewinsky to endorse as a product -- maybe Lewinsky and Clinton together as a means of spreading the word, shall we say, on the new PUMA.
[...]
LIMBAUGH: He said that the Islamic faith has done so much over the centuries to shape the world, including in my own country. Well, I think 9-11 did have a big shaping factor here. The Twin Towers are gone. The Pentagon had a hole in it. Three thousand people are dead. That did reshape America.
What in the world is he talking about? Has he ever heard of Iran? Has he ever heard of Hamas? Has he ever heard of -- seriously hear what these leaders of these nations who are Islamic, does he hear what they are saying?
Clips from this hour: