This hour of the Limbaugh Wire brought to you by the Obama power of attorney letter
By Simon Maloy

Rush got the second hour rolling with an extended, derisive, and snide “celebration” of Obama's first 100 days. Saying that April 29 will be a “day that lives in ecstasy,” Rush wanted to know what his listeners were doing to commemorate this momentous occasion. One suggestion Rush had was to sign the Obama power of attorney letter, by which “you can honor President Obama, and at the same time, sign over complete control of your life to him, because he knows what's best for your country. He knows what's best for your family. He knows what's best for your children. He knows what's best for you.” He went on in this vein for some time, saying that the letter extends beyond Obama's presidency to the duration of his natural life, and that if you sign the letter, you'll never have to worry about which job, car, school, or health plan you should choose, because Obama will do it for you. And after all that setup, after all that tortured sneering, the “punch line” was that there was an easier way to do all these things: “vote for the guy.”

After the break, Rush read a story from CBS 2 in Chicago with the headline: “Unemployment Up Again In Chicago In March.” This is “more magic from Barack Obama,” said Rush, but he's sure that people in central California with 20 percent unemployment are saying that Obama is doing everything he can. Once again, Rush expressed his surprise that unemployment was rising despite the fact that we already “stimulated the economy.”

Then it was time for a caller -- a caller? He's taking callers today? We guess so. Anyway, this caller was in the audience at the L.A. debate last night and wanted to let Rush know that she loved his tie, and that the liberals at her table were booing him. Rush's next caller wanted to “close the loop” on two subjects: why the corporations bought the U.S. government for the Democrats, and what will be the new “supertax.” Rush said that a lot of corporations would love to dump their unfunded liabilities like health plans and pensions. Regarding the “supertax,” Rush said he's been “paranoid” for years about a “wealth tax” (we think there are a few more items he could add to that list), but that if it does happen, it won't work, because the government can seize that wealth. Part of the “leftward shift” of corporate America, according to Rush, can be attributed to the fact that most of corporate America is Democratic, but they're “running scared” of the government. Rush concluded: “I've never, in my 58 years, I have never had the sense that so many people are so genuinely afraid of their government, from all walks of life, as they are today. And believe me, that is being exploited by people who love us being afraid of them.”

After the break, Rush noted that the latest Rasmussen poll showed that the generic congressional Republican now tops the generic congressional Democrat. Rush was very happy at this isolated bit of polling data, saying that it means there are far more Americans than we realize that don't like Obama's policies. Rush said Dick Morris had a good analogy for this -- the country is like a woman who, after two months, knows that she married a “jerk,” but can't admit to herself that she made a mistake. But in time, Rush said, Obama will own all of this, and Rush is trying to make him own it now -- that's why he read that unemployment story from CBS in Chicago. Then Rush explained to us that we were flat wrong in saying that Rush was “generous” in giving Obama's first 100 days a D: “We got to allow room for more failure, 'cause it's gonna get worse. I couldn't give him an F after the first 100 days. If I had given F after the first 100 days, I'm going to have to give a double F after the next six months. You gotta have room for more failure. That's why I gave him a D. I knew what I was doing in there.” We hate it when Rush is one step ahead of us.

Rush then praised Fox Broadcasting for deciding not to carry Obama's press conference this evening, employing the lame joke we're sure you've encountered already: “Fox is not giving up the hour. Fox is going to go ahead and run -- what is the show called? Lie to Me? That show at 8 o'clock on Fox is called Lie to Me. So they actually are going to carry the State of the Union address. I mean, Lie to Me, State of the -- well, but Obama's speech, Lie to Me, what's the difference?”

Then Rush read from a Wall Street Journal article from this morning reporting that Citigroup “is asking the Treasury for permission to pay special bonuses to many key employees, according to people familiar with the matter.” Rush understood that if you're going to take federal money, then the government is going to have common stock, but it nonetheless rubbed Rush the wrong that banks are “asking Obama” for permission to pay bonuses. He took the next logical step: “You sit back and let this happen, and pretty soon, it ain't gonna be long before you're going to have to call the government for permission to go to the bathroom and use a certain kind of toilet paper.”

Another caller before the break, this one a woman expressing her opinion that Obama's “joy ride” demonstrates his contempt for America and its people. Rush said there are so many “logical questions” about the flyover that the “drive-bys” aren't asking, they're content with the unbelievable claim that Obama didn't know about this.

After another break, Rush closed out the hour with another caller, this one saying that Obama is trying to delegate responsibility on the Air Force One flyover, which you can't do. Rush said that Obama is now “triple-furious” about all this because he's ordered a review of what happened. The last thing we'll get from that review, Rush said, will be the truth. We're confident that unless the report finds that Obama himself was flying the plane, Rush won't consider it the “truth.”

Highlights from Hour 2

Outrageous comments

LIMBAUGH: I would like to propose the Obama power of attorney letter for any and all Americans to sign. On this, the 100th day of his magnificent presidency, you can honor President Obama, and at the same time, sign over complete control of your life to him, because he knows what's best for your country.

He knows what's best for your family. He knows what's best for your children. He knows what's best for you. Why not sign over complete control of your life to President Obama, with the Obama power of attorney letter.

[...]

LIMBAUGH: I've never, in my 58 years, I have never had the sense that so many people are so genuinely afraid of their government, from all walks of life, as they are today. And believe me, that is being exploited by people who love us being afraid of them.

[...]

LIMBAUGH: I gave him a D. I gave him a D for his approval -- I'm grading the first 100 days as a D. What do you want me -- to give him an A? Oh, come on, I said barely a D. We got to allow room for more failure, 'cause it's gonna get worse.

I couldn't give him an F after the first 100 days. If I had given F after the first 100 days, I'm going to have to give a double F after the next six months. You gotta have room for more failure. That's why I gave him a D. I knew what I was doing in there.

[...]

LIMBAUGH: Fox is not giving up the hour. Fox is going to go ahead and run -- what is the show called? Lie to Me? That show at 8 o'clock on Fox is called Lie to Me. So they actually are going to carry the State of the Union address. I mean, Lie to Me, State of the -- well, but Obama's speech, Lie to Me, what's the difference?

[...]

LIMBAUGH: Good Lord! Citibank, a big bank -- I know the government's gonna own a third of it. That's not a solution, it's an objective. But to have to call the Department of Treasury and ask for permission to pay bonuses to keep key people? That ought to embarrass everybody. Then after it embarrasses you, it ought to make you mad.

When you might be saying, “Well they ought to have to ask permission Mr. Limbaugh. They have screwed us blind. They have raised our credit card interest rates, and they have been unkind and charged us ATM fees.”

All right, fine. You sit back and let this happen, and pretty soon, it ain't gonna be long before you're going to have to call the government for permission to go to the bathroom and use a certain kind of toilet paper.

Clips from this hour

Limbaugh gives Obama a “D” for first 100 days because "[y]ou gotta have room for more failure"

Rush calls Obama “cold” and “partisan” for commenting on Fox-sponsored tea parties