I had a few errands to run this afternoon. So I've gotten back into my car after the last stop and have turned on my Sirius radio - it was tuned to CNN. And who do I hear coming out of the speakers? Rush Limbaugh. Then I remembered - he was speaking live at CPAC this afternoon.
I wanted to turn it off. But I figured I had better listen to what this guy was saying because someone - who is not a mindless, hate-filled LimBLAH acolyte should listen to what he was saying.
More over the flip.
He opened with a joke about how God has a neon "Rush Limbaugh" sign in his (God's) room - this was prefaced by Limbaugh decrying his lack of pomposity. Funny - eh - not so much.
But then it was game on. I wish I had a transcript of the more than hour long abomination he driveled out to the adoring cheers of the LimBLAH heads wherever this conference is being held. It was literally - patently - shocking. And I thought I was past Rush Limbaugh or anything he said being able to shock me. Here's just a snippet - video and a transcript to follow.
Now about my - still to me - mysteriously controversial comment that I hope President Obama fails. I was watching the Superbowl. Now as you know, I love the Pittsburgh Steelers. [unintelligible] Now they have this miraculous scoring drive that puts them up by 4 - 15 seconds left, Kurt Warner on the field for the Cardinals. And I sure as heck want you to know I hope he failed. I did not want the Cardinals to win. I wanted Warner to make the biggest fool of himself possible. I wanted a sack, I wanted anything. I wanted the Steelers to win. I wanted to win. I wanted the Cardinals to fail. This notion that I want the President to fail, this shows you the sign of the problem we've got that is nothing more than common sense and to not be able to say it? Why in the world do I want what we just described - rampant government growth, indebtedness that - wealth that is not even being created yet is being spent - what is in this? What possibly is in this that any of us want to succeed?? Did the Democrats want the war in Iraq to fail? Well, they certainly did. And they not only wanted the war in Iraq to fail, they proclaimed it a failure. There's dingy Harry Reid waving a white flag "this war is lost. This war..". They called General Petreus a liar before he even testified. Mrs. Clinton said she had to suspend - willingly suspend - disbelief or whatever to listen to Petreus. We're in the process of winning the war the last thing they wanted was to win. They hoped George Bush failed. So where is it - what is so strange about being honest and saying "I want Barack Obama to fail" if his mission is to restructure and reform this country so that capitalism and individual liberty are not it's foundation? Why would I want that to succeed?
Where to begin. Well first of all - wanting Kurt Warner to fail in the Superbowl and wanting the President to fail are, clearly, two different things. In the first case, a bunch of Arizona fans and Cardinals organization players, staff, and management are bummed out. They walk around in the days that follow "failure" wishing they could have won.
And then they get over it.
In the second case, the failure of President Obama in this time and this economy leaves Americans homeless. Hungry. Destitute. Desperate. Hopeless. Dying. Dead. To compare the success or failure of a football team to the success or failure of an American President and the Americans he represents (ALL of them) is disgusting.
Limbaugh is a disgusting human being.
He talked for SO LONG - it's difficult to summarize the high points, but I'll give it a go:
- Democrats are socialists who are crushing capitalism and life as we know it.
- Democrats want to create a welfare state so that they can control it (I wish I was making that up).
- Democrats and particularly President Obama must fail.
- Some people can't be helped, and so we shouldn't try to help them.
- People could succeed if only government and onerous (which appears to translate to "any") taxes didn't exist.
- The fate of a football team and the fate of America seem to be inextricably intertwined.
- Ronald Reagan should be exhumed because even dead, he's better than Barack Obama.
He also made some very borderline anti-GLBT, racist comments. If I can find them out there, I'll post them.
Nowhere was there any discussion of how we got where we got - it was truly surreal. It's like suddenly, this problem (the economy) existed. And suddenly, a flawed response (President Obama's) appeared and took all the Republicans and all other people by surprise. There was no sense of foundation - reflection - of how we got there. No mea culpa about Bush not being a "real" conservative.
Here's the only ray of sunshine: CNN has been big into this multimedia, participatory journalism. They encourage people to post on Facebook as broadcasts are occurring. Here is a sampling of what they're saying about LimBLAH's speech over at Facebook:
Michael Lose (Millersville) wrote at 6:20pm
"Why do you all think that I wanted Obama to fail when I said 'I hope he fails'? "
Chris Martin (Halifax, NS) wrote at 6:09pm
This fat piece of shit is exactly what's wrong with America. Somebody shoot him dead.
Eric L Smith wrote at 5:40pm
Ahh, the "real" new leader of the Republican party on CNN. Limbaugh is a joke... spewing divisive sound bites without backing what he says up with facts. Are we supposed to believe everything he says just because he says it? As if Reagan never raised a tax or ran a deficit. C'mon!
Alica Nordstrom (South Dakota) wrote at 5:28pm
so you are calling our president Hitler?
Phillip Ventresca wrote at 5:24pm
ya Ryan , Hitler gave great speeches too , he was inspiring, look what happened afterwards
Ryan Barlow (Weber) wrote at 5:21pm
Barack Obama has inspired me to be the best American I can be.
Alica Nordstrom (South Dakota) wrote at 5:17pm
calling out the president... No he's making an ass off him self and his party
Alica Nordstrom (South Dakota) wrote at 5:12pm
If Rush Limbaugh donated one $1 for every cheesbuger he eats, this country would be out of a recession. He reminds me of one of those "Healers" that brain wash people. He doesn't make any sence on what he says.
Amy Small Zorn (Little Rock, AR) wroteaat 4:55pm
CNN- I just changed the channel because you have that fat, vile, hate spewing moron Limbaugh on. If I wanted to hear why he is right and everything with America is wrong, I would listen to his brag fest on the radio 3 hours a day. I turn to you so I don't have to hear his b.s.. It's REALLY REALLY REALLY scarry when Limbaugh is speaking to and for the Republican party and CNN is giving this loser air time.
Leesa Durgin Johnson (Los Angeles, CA) wrote at 6:28pm
The republican party is out of touch with reality. Rush Limbaugh is their leader hah hah! Long live the party. This guy crosses this line and is not tactful. We need more optimism and solutions.
Tk Yilma (Henry M. Gunn High School) wrote at 6:28pm
pathetic, pathetic, pathetic, to have this low life red necked radio host to represent them to the world in his first address to the world shows how low they are. they can't even come up with a prominent politician, not some lonely Pork face to rep. them. i feel so sorry for them. this will be known as the end of the racist, sexist, stupid, narrow minded party of republicans. he is there for 4 years and unless you kill him, witch you will try, life with the fact that he will be there for 4 more years. oh, did i mention that you contradicted yourself all through out? is that what conservatives do, make no sense and contradict.
hooray to the party on the bridge to no where
Charmaine A Nygaard (Nassau County, NY) wrote at 6:27pm
Rush Is a sick dude. What nonsence. He should be tried for treason!
Ace Hanna (Calgary, AB) wrote at 6:26pm
Rush Limbaugh,,,The voice of the modern day Robber Barons is alive and well!!!
Chanese DuPont Howard (South Jersey, NJ) wrote at 6:25pm
Im in disbelief that the news is giving Rush Limbaugh air time. The man who apparently eats too much pork.
Bruce Carolan (DIT Ireland) wrote at 6:22pm
Accusing Obama of using fear to manipulate people? Is that the pot calling the kettle black or what?
There are, of course, scattered "LIMBAUGH IS THE MAN AND U R AFRAID!!!" stuff strewn in. But most comments - the vast majority (though I didn't count) - think LimBLAH is a tool.
Is there not some way we can, within the law, put this guy out of our collective misery??