Karl Klockars

I am forced to be exposed to a lot of Rush Limbaugh, which will become a controlled substance in the new administration and subject to OSHA consideration in just a few months.  Any employee put in the vicinity of a Rush speaker is allowed, by law, to demand at least a shower, or perhaps a comforting hug.

"Okay, I've got one. Knock-knock..."

But in the past couple days, I’ve seen a story or two about El Rushbo, both of which merit mention from someone who hears Rushy noises on a regular basis.  Both of these come from the almighty Huffington Post, which has gone from “must read twice a day” to “occasionally seeing what content they’re lifting from other sites” in all of a week or so.  I wonder if MSNBC is feeling the same kind of heat.

Anyways, here we go.

Rush seems to think that the Democrats created the economic collapse in order to get their candidate into office.  Or something like that.  At least, that’s the Huffington Headline.  Which, yeah, sure.  Could have happened.  I wouldn’t put anything past anyone.  But:  Since he’s bringing up the possibility of total economic collapse for political gain, someone should probably provide a response from the other side, what sayest thou?

Here’s the thing:  Isn’t it equally possible that the Republicans, completely aware of the fact that a Bush presidency was damn near impossible to follow up with a victory for a Republican, contrived the economic collapse for their own gain?  Look at it this way:  if they saw Obama coming, and knew that a strong leader on the Democratic side could do a lot of damage to the Republican platform, doesn’t it make sense to ruin as much as possible before he gets into office?

"Sometimes a cigar..."

This way, with the total recession of the American economy, not only does Obama have the spoils of a wartime economy to spend on his social programs and take in taxes – now he’s got to give all of us a trillion dollar stimulus package?  Imagine a smoky room filled with Karl Rove clones, giggling madly about all the medical care and food stamps for the poor and underpriviledged.  Now all that money is either not there, or buying out all those big-money political supporters that created the whole mess in the first place!

And Obama can do nothing but stagger from stimulus check to stimulus check.  Cue “Trumpets of Doom.”  Cue evil laughter.  All the things Obama could have done – but the Powers That GWBe brought the American economy to its knees so he would spend a couple straight years getting it out of the shitter, and then have next to nothing to stand on in 2012.  Brilliant!  Why didn’t Rush think of this himself?  Oh.  Yeah.  Right.

Follow that up with the story this morning about “Barack the Magic Negro” CDs being passed around the Republican party like it’s something brand spanking new and fresh to the world.  A candidate to run the RNC has been sharing out a disc of tunes, including one to the tune of Puff the Magic Dragon.  Now everyone is all cranked off about it.

"Hey, uh...I'm still here. Hey, guys? Um...my song. Mine."

Now I’m sitting here watching another short talking-head piece about the song – and I hear nothing about the fact that it’s been on the air for what, a year now?  Barely one line gives mention to the fact that it’s been being advertised on that Rush guy’s show for just about eternity.  I can’t decide if this is horrible reporting, or a deliberate insult to Limbaugh.  I like to think it’s the both.

Could they have missed it for this long?  Or continue to ignore the source of the whole thing in the first place?  Pretty stupid to think that it took about a year for the press to figure out that this song existed, right?  And was being presented by the host of the largest radio show in the country?  They missed that?  Or they don’t care?  I think it’s probably both.

Well, some of them knew.  Of course they did.  I have a pretty good memory – and I’m sure they But now that some nobody low-level Republican staffer who wants to run the RNC has made it his Christmas Card, it’s a big deal?  They’re basically saying the following:  “This random RNC guy, whose name isn’t at all known to the rest of the nation, and will sink back into the slop after we’re done punching him around, is less important than Rush Limbaugh.  Rush couldn’t bring this level of press – but this un-person got it.”   Rush who?

If you want a conspiracy, you should think about the timing of the release of this particular kerfuffle:  the Monday after a holiday, and Rush is off on vacation all week.  (I must have listened for a few seconds this afternoon.)  The world gets a week to sneer at this “Barack the Magic Negro” guy and Rush doesn’t get to go on air and snipe at the press for ignoring him.  Sounds like a bit of a belated Xmas present to me.  Happy Holidays, MSM.