Muddling Toward Maturity Blog

JUNE 12, 2020 - MARK STEYN SUBSTITUTES FOR RUSH LIMBAUGH

The brilliant Mark Steyn again substituted today for Rush Limbaugh who is battling cancer treatments but will be returning to his radio microphone next week.   Steyn is, of course, the best substitute imaginable.   He can hardly utter a sentence or two without displaying his unique wit, irony and biting humor.  He calls this week's activities, The March of the Morons.   I post this not only out of appreciation for Mark, but also for the convenience of having it available to catch a couple segments that I earlier missed!   111 minutes

PRESIDENT TRUMP HONORS RUSH LIMBAUGH WITH THE PRESIDENTIAL MEDAL OF FREEDOM

President Donald J. Trump awarded Rush Limbaugh the Presidential Medal of Freedom during his State of the Union message on February 4, 2020.  As a long-time listener to Rush Limbaugh, I completely agree with John Nolte's tribute essay, Rush Limbaugh is Irreplaceable.

Along with so many others, I am deeply saddened by Rush's disclosure on Monday (2/3/20) that he is now dealing with advanced lung cancer.   I pray the Lord will heal and restore Rush in answer to the prayers of millions, mine among them.

Update: 2/8/20 - Rush reveals the back story to his invitation to the State of the Union and receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom (with video)

RUSH LIMBAUGH EXPLAINS ERIC CANTOR'S UNEXPECTED DEFEAT

Rush produced a brilliant monologue as his show began today.  It's titled: "Warning: Amnesty is Not Necessarily Dead."  I had not tuned in but saw Drudge had linked to a transcript within an hour.  What does Rush say?

I can honestly say I have never seen such a divide between the people who govern this country and the people who live in it. I have never seen Washington so distant and so removed and so unaware. It is stunning to me to listen to some of the commentary from inside the Beltway . . . 

I have been predicting that inside-the-Beltway people have no clue what the people of this country are really thinking. They have no clue how irritated people are. They have no idea how angry, and they don't care on top of that, even if they were aware. But Washington has less and less about it that relates to normal life in this country than I've ever seen. And the commentary in the aftermath of this election last night is evidence of it. . .

Rush goes on to discuss what he considers totally "out-of-touch" commentary, including Republicans.  He also notes the failure of Republicans to immediately embrace Dave Brat who defeated Eric Cantor.  Brat was against amnesty, but Rush predicts that amnesty is not thereby defeated.  Not by a long shot.  Read it all..

 

DEMOCRAT CHAIRMAN CARL LEVIN WANTS RUSH LIMBAUGH DROPPED FROM ARMED FORCES RADIO

No surprise there.  The Left always wants to silence opposition.  What else is new?  Report is here.  (HT: HotAir)

RUSH LIMBAUGH ON SPEECH PREPARATION: WAITS FOR LAST-MINUTE INSPIRATION; NO OUTLINE

Yesterday a person called the Rush Limbaugh program exuding enthusiasm over Limbaugh's 2009 speech to CPAC, a speech jokingly referred to as "Rush's first speech to the nation."  What caught my attention was Limbaugh saying that he doesn't (can't) prepare speeches.  He said to the caller:  (my emphases)

You know, something interesting? We're driving into town. You know, Kathryn's with me in the back of the car being driven into town and I had no idea what I was gonna talk about.  I never do. (chuckles).  This is why I really don't like doing speeches 'cause I never plan them.  I don't even outline them in my head.  I always wait because I know sometime right before I'm gonna start, I'm gonna get some inspiration. Some giant spark is gonna be ignited, and driving into town is when I had the idea. I looked at Kathryn and I said, "You realize what this is? This is my first address to the nation," and we started laughing about that.  So that's what I used as the foundation for the whole thing, and that gave me my mind-set about what the speech was.

He goes on:

"Okay, here's an address to the nation. I'm addressing the nation at this point in time about this," and that's what unlocked the deep, dark secrets of knowledge in my mind as to what I wanted to talk about. I'm sweating. I'm driving into town and I don't know what I'm gonna talk about.  I cannot... I do not have the ability, talent, or whatever. I cannot sit here and write a speech that I'm gonna give tomorrow night, next weekend or whatever. I just can't do it.  When I sit down to write, my brain freezes.  I lose half my knowledge, or my ability to recall half my knowledge.  I lose half my vocabulary. I sit there. The first error I make on the typewriter or computer keyboard, I stop to correct it and train of thought's gone. So... (sigh) I hope and pray every time I'm supposed to do a speech that I get that spark.  I do.  It's touch and go.  I'll betcha I lose 15 pounds in the one hour before a speech in nervous energy 'cause I don't know what I'm gonna talk about. I'm sitting there waiting for the spark, and I got that one driving in about 45 minutes before I was to give it.

Me: I find this revelation remarkable.  For some of us who find speech writing difficult, Limbaugh's inability to prepare a speech may come as comforting news.  But alas, since we probably never receive last-minute "inspiration" like Rush, we had better stick to preparing our talks, however difficult it may be.  Click here for YouTube's 11 segments of Limbaugh's 2009 CPAC speech.

MUST READ: RUSH LIMBAUGH ON DISGUSTING LIBERAL POISONOUS SLANDER

  Limbaugh's Wall Street Journal article carries the title, "Liberals and the Violence Card."  I commend the article to you.  (HT: Drudge)    I am more and more recognizing Rush Limbaugh's inestimable value to the American Republic.  Click here.

RUSH LIMBAUGH - IS HE A RACIST?

Rush defends himself in this Wall Street Journal article - "The Race Card, Football, and Me."

Doctor Zero takes it upon himself to defend Rush as well.  Up to his usual standards, he turns in quite a stunning piece of writing.

CARVILLE, BEGALA, EMANUEL PLOTTED "OPERATION LIMBAUGH" BEGINNING LAST FALL...

The Democrat political/media chess game against Limbaugh continues.  Will Limbaugh prove to be the albatross the Democrats want to hang on the Republican party?  That's their  strategy as this article shows.  Will Limbaugh overcome the Democrat connivance against him (and the Republicans) and come out on top?  Stay tuned...    (HT: Drudge)

Update:  Victor Davis Hanson expatiates on Rush's appeal and his "certain sort of genius."  Definitely worth reading.

Update #2 -  Rush responds:  Challenges Obama to a debate.  Transcript here.  4 minute, 43 second audio here.

Rush Limbaugh's Bi-Partisan Stimulus Proposal

Why not adopt it?  It's better by far (both economically and in terms of bi-partisanship) than the Democratic proposal.  Click here for Rush Limbaugh's Wall Street Journal article.

CNBC interviews Rush here. 

For other proposals and helpful analysis of what's going on, click here.

Was Obama Wise or Foolish In Speaking Against Rush Limbaugh?

We'll see.  If Obama can marginalize Rush, then Obama is ahead.  On the other hand, Ed Morrissey thinks Obama both foolish and unpresidential to single out Rush.  Morrissey explains:

Instead of marginalizing Rush Limbaugh, Obama managed to make him the most credible voice of opposition. . .  It [Obama's attack] demonstrates that Obama still has no sense of his office, nor of “post-partisanship”, regardless of his endlessly empty rhetoric on the subject.

George Bush never attacked Keith Olbermann, Chris Matthews, or other voices of the rabid Left by name.  If he ever went on the attack against the left-wing media, he kept the attack general and broad, rather than specific.  Bush may not have been the most media-savvy of our modern presidents — in fact, he may have been the worst at it since Nixon — but he knew enough about his office to understand that part of its strength would keep him somewhat above the partisan-pundit fray.  Obama hasn’t figured that much out yet.

Thanks to this attack, Rush not only has his own megaphone, but he gained everyone else’s for a brief time.  He became a national story, gained national coverage, and in general got a million dollars’ worth of free publicity.  And Rush knows how to use it to his advantage . .  Obama made Rush's megaphone even bigger.

Video Clip: Hannity asks Rush, "Do You Want Obama to Succeed"?

Video here.  Transcript here.  Excerpt:

I would hope he would succeed if he acts like Reagan. But if he's going to do FDR -- if he's going to do The New New Deal all over, which we will call here The Raw Deal -- why would I want him to succeed? Look, he's my president. The fact that he is historic is irrelevant to me now. It matters not at all. If he is going to implement a far-left agenda... Look, I think it's already decided: a $2 trillion in stimulus? The growth of government? I think the intent here is to create as many dependant Americans as possible looking to government for their hope and salvation. If he gets nationalized health care, I mean, it's over, Sean. We're never going to roll that back. That's the end of America as we have known it, because that's then going to set the stage for everything being government owned, operated, or provided. Why would I want that to succeed? I don't believe in that. I know that's not how this country is going to be great in the future; it's not what made this country great. So I shamelessly say, "No! I want him to fail." If his agenda is a far-left collectivism -- some people say socialism -- as a conservative heartfelt, deeply, why would I want socialism to succeed?