This hour of the Limbaugh Wire brought to you by Michelle Obama's Christmas bonus
By Simon Maloy

Top of the second hour, Steyn attacked Obama's European “apology tour,” claiming that Obama is out there “legitimizing” anti-Americanism. Actually, Obama specifically repudiated anti-Americanism: “But in Europe, there is an anti-Americanism that is at once casual, but can also be insidious. Instead of recognizing the good that America so often does in the world, there have been times where Europeans choose to blame America for much of what is bad.” Steyn went on to approvingly cite a bunch of British media reports criticizing or mocking Obama, claiming that these media outlets see Obama for what he is -- “a bore” -- whereas the American media treat him as a rock star and are going out of business. The whole point of this, Steyn said, is that the world has figured out what America has not -- that Obama is “a pushover.” All these leaders have to do is give Obama his speech and treat him like a celebrity and they can do whatever they want, said Steyn.

Then Mark Steyn wanted to talk about the conservative blogosphere's shiny new toy from last week -- Obama's bow to the Saudi king. There's no record, said Steyn, of an American head of state bowing to a monarch, and there was something “unusual” and “weird” about the whole thing. We're not sure where hand-holding falls on the spectrum of showing respect to foreign leaders, or on the “unusual” or “weird” scales. Anyway, after relating a protocol breach of his own at Buckingham Palace, Steyn said he could not imagine what was going through Obama's mind as he bowed to the Saudi King, which was “one of the oddest public displays” he's ever seen.

After the break, Steyn took a call from a listener who said it is time for America to pull out of NATO. This is a good point, said Steyn, who said the problem with NATO is that it doesn't make sense in a post-Cold War world. After the caller expressed his desire that the countries of Europe learn to defend themselves from now on, Steyn said that the United States' big accomplishment after World War II was making sure that Europe was never a threat again. Look at Germany, said Steyn: “I mean, it's not just that they hate American troops, they hate their own troops. They're completely mired in this sort of decadent poseur pacifism and have no wish or urge to defend themselves.” Steyn's theory was that Europe's declining birth rates mean that there will be no young men to do the fighting in European armies.

After the break, Steyn turned his attention to the new Pew poll showing that “Barack Obama has the most polarized early job approval ratings of any president in the past four decades.” According to Steyn, such a partisan gap would have been understandable for Bush or Gore, coming out of the partisan and acrimonious Florida recount. But Obama, according to Steyn, accomplished this on his own, because he and the other right-wingers were “quiet” for his inauguration, and they haven't helped drive up his negatives since. We're not sure on what Steyn based these assertions, but we'd remind him that the person whose show he is guest-hosting quite famously said on January 16: “I hope Obama fails.” And since then he hasn't had a whole lot of positive things to say about the new president.

Steyn then took a call from a listerner asking about the upcoming Summit of the Americas. Steyn said it, like other summits, is a “waste of time,” explaining that George Bush made a big deal of it in 2001, and then his relationship with Latin America was “not reciprocated” following 9-11.

Another break, and Steyn came back with evidence that the stimulus spending is starting to work -- J. Crew is sold out of a particular sweater Michelle Obama wore on the overseas trip. According to Steyn, the only things “going up” right now are sales of J. Crew sweaters, guns, Ayn Rand books, and AIG bonuses. Steyn then wondered if Michelle Obama wore an AIG bonus at a White House Christmas party and if that's why they are so popular. We considered making a comment on this one -- can't wear a “bonus”; Obama hasn't been in the White House for Christmas yet, etc. -- but we'll just leave it there.

Steyn then took a call from a 13-year-old supporter of Obama's who approved of the president “apologizing” for the Bush administration, and supports the president on other issues that may not look good now, but will reap benefits down the road. Steyn says the problem is that this caller's generation will be known as “The Brokest Generation” because the multi-trillion-dollar budgets represent “the biggest generational, trans-generational theft in the history of mankind.”

One more break and one more caller, this one incensed that Obama was talking about a world without nuclear weapons as North Korea was launching this missile. Steyn attacked Obama for wanting to be “community organizer in chief.”

Highlights from Hour 2

Outrageous comments

STEYN: Germany has gone from one of the most militarist cultures on the planet, like Japan, to now an utterly pacifist nation. I mean, it's not just that they hate American troops, they hate their own troops. They're completely mired in this sort of decadent poseur pacifism and have no wish or urge to defend themselves. So the thing now is to say to these guys, “Look, you're going to have to get serious.” And that is a tough message to deliver.

[...]

STEYN: This president has increased the national debt -- is proposing to increase the national debt within the next five years, more than the combined debt run up by the first 43 presidents. You take every president from George Washington to George W. Bush, you add up all the debt, he's proposing to double what the first four -- the debt accumulated by the first 43 presidents.

This is a terrible thing to do to Shahab's generation. And I know, you know, right now, when you're 13, it seems nice to be standing there waving -- this is the age of a hope-y change and the crowd sings. But at some point, the young -- the 13-year-olds of America have to start getting mad. You know, back in the '60s, back in the '60s, the -- what was it the hippies used to say? Never trust anyone over 30. If I was Shahab, I would say, “Never trust anyone over 13,” because the rest of us are stealing from you.

Basically, we're engaging in the biggest generational, trans-generational theft in the history of mankind. You look at the way your parents and your grandparents live. You will having -- you will be driving a -- living in a smaller home and driving a smaller car.