All Episodes
Previous Next
May 11, 2009 - Rush Limbaugh Program
35:41
May 11, 2009, Monday, Hour #3
| Copy link to current segment

Time Text
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
I know I was just at the window watching the shuttle launch.
We can see it down here in South Florida going up.
It's not as impressive as it is at night.
At night, it's amazing.
But that thing was just streaking.
And I had to race back in here in time to be here for the opening of the final hour of the program today, which is now.
Great to have you here.
Rush Limbaugh, the Excellence in Broadcasting Network, and the distinguished and prestigious Limbaugh Institute for Advanced Conservative Studies.
Telephone numbers 800-282-2882, the email address, lrushbaugh at EIBnet.com.
This is an AP story, and it is from, I guess it's today, this morning.
Yeah, it is.
Counties.
Counties suffering the most from job losses stand to receive the least help from Obama's plan to spend billions of stimulus dollars on roads and bridges.
Now, this has been learned, strangely enough, as a result of an AP analysis.
Although the intent of the money is to put people back to work, and by the way, we need to make a point about this.
The Obama people say, Bernanke and some others say the recession is going to end in the last quarter of this year.
And the economy is going to pick up.
Jobs will trail because they're remaking the economy.
They want to go all this green stuff.
Point is that the recession, they say, let's hypothetically say that they're right.
They say the recession will end before the stimulus spending actually gets in the year.
Most of the stimulus spending is 2010.
You know why?
It's an election year.
And members of Congress will be able to say, go back to their districts, that, hey, look at what we're doing here.
We're bringing home to Bacon.
For every dollar I bring home from Washington, it's less.
You have to be taxed here at home.
That's what they say.
Of course, that's all BS because the taxes are going up in the states, the cities, municipalities as well.
So you might ask a rational question.
Well, if the recession is going to come back before we start spending all the stimulus money, maybe we don't spend stimulus money.
Oh, no, no, no, no.
You make a mistake asking a rational question because the stimulus money does not stimulate anything but the Democrat Party.
The stimulus money, the purpose stimulus money, stimulate the Obama presidency.
It's not to stimulate the economy.
As predicted, the economy is going to come back despite this.
And it's going to come back.
It's going to start coming back before this goes into play, the stimulus bill.
But that didn't stop the AP.
I'm surprised this got reported, but I'll tell you what they say here.
Although the intent of the money is to put people back to work, AP's review of more than 5,500 planned transportation projects nationwide reveals that states are planning to spend the stimulus in communities where the jobless rates are already lower or where unemployment is already high.
It's okay.
They're not going to spend the bulk of the money where there are most people unemployed.
One result among many, Elk County, Pennsylvania is not receiving any road money despite its 13.8% unemployment rate.
Yet the military and college community of Riley County, Kansas, with its 3.4% unemployment, will benefit from about $56 million to build a highway, improve an intersection, and restore an historic farmhouse.
You voted for it.
Does it make any sense to you?
We were going to do roads and bridges infrastructure to get jobs.
We're going to, people didn't think about it.
Oh, yeah, that makes sense.
You need people to build roads and bridges.
So we're going to build all these roads and bridges or make these repairs in places with low unemployment.
Altogether, the government is set to spend 50% more per person in areas with the lowest unemployment than it will in communities with the highest unemployment.
The Associated Press reviewed $18.9 billion in projects, the most complete picture available of where states plan to spend the first wave of highway money.
The projects account for about half of the $38 billion set aside for states and local governments to spend on roads, bridges, infrastructure, and all that rot gut in the stimulus plan.
The very promise that Obama made to spend money quickly and create jobs is locking out many struggling communities needing those jobs.
I can't believe they issued this.
Who are these guys?
Matt Apuzzo and Brett Blackledge.
They are not long for this world.
Media world.
They're not, I mean, this Wade Gibbs and the White House press people see this.
Of course, you know what?
I take it back.
Nobody's going to ask them about this.
This report will be out there.
Some newspapers may run it, some not, but they'll never be asked about it.
The very promise Obama made, this is written by the AP, the very promise Obama made to spend money quickly to create jobs is not going to be spent where there are people who need jobs.
The money goes to projects ready to start, but many struggling communities don't have projects waiting on a shelf.
They couldn't afford the millions of dollars for preparation plans that often are required.
It's not fair, said Martin Schuler, the borough manager in the Elk County seat of Ridgway, who commiserates about the inequality in highway aid with colleagues in nearby towns.
He says it's a joke.
We're not going to get the money because we don't have any projects ready to go.
Well, I have a question.
If you don't have any projects ready to go, might it also be that you don't have any work that needs to be done?
Now, who lives in these struggling communities?
Who lives there?
Who lives in these struggling communities with high unemployment thinking they're going to get stimulus money?
Who lives there?
Who do you think lives there?
The Henrietta, the Henriettas of the world?
You think poor Democrat voters are the ones that live in these high unemployment areas that are not going to get stimulus money?
So it's his own voters who thought that he was going to buy him a car and a new kitchen sink.
We're not going to get any stimulus money.
Get this next paragraph.
The early trend seen in the AP analysis runs counter to expectations raised by Obama that road and infrastructure money from the $787 billion stimulus plan would create jobs in areas most devastated by layoffs and plant closings.
Transportation money would mean paychecks for folks looking for work and folks who want to work.
That's the core of my plan, putting people to work doing the work America needs done, Obama said in February.
Also, Congress required states to use some of the highway money for projects in economically distressed areas, but didn't impose sanctions if they didn't.
States can lose money, however, if they don't spend it fast enough.
Well, what did I tell you?
What did I tell you?
The stimulus bill was not about stimulating the economy, and it wasn't about stimulating poor Democrats.
It was about stimulating the Democrat Party and stimulating Barack Obama.
Because while AP is going to report this, I will guarantee you that all these stupid websites that Obama puts up there where we can track where the money's going, I'll bet you it's a wholly different story.
I'll bet the government's websites suggest that all this money is going to all these depressed areas, and they'll have pictures of dilapidated bridges that are in the process of being repaired and so forth, and they're all going to be photoshopped.
Such a disconnect out there.
The AP examined the earliest projects announced nationwide, the ones most likely to break ground and create jobs first.
More projects are continually being announced, and some areas that received little or no help so far may benefit later.
The Obama administration could also encourage states to change their plans.
So even after they dumped totally on the plan, they have to end here by saying, well, Obama could fix this.
He might want to fix this.
In news that I think is related, you may not, but I think it's related, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has sent troops to take over companies that provide services for the oil industry in Venezuela.
This is a revolutionary offensive, he told workers near Lake Maracaibo, Venezuela's main oil-producing area.
Military vehicles were used as the state oil company seized supply boats and two U.S.-owned gas facilities.
Chavez nationalized Venezuela's main oil assets two years ago.
The fresh drive comes as falling oil prices put state finances under pressure.
The move by Chavez with the military places hundreds of boats, several ports, and an estimated 8,000 oil workers under state control.
So Chavez, after sealing, seizing the oil derricks, platforms, drilling sites, has now seized the oil service firms like Halliburton, which is an oil services firm.
They make the equipment that oil companies use.
So I'd say it's a related story, what's going on in other parts of the world.
Well, you know, we're seizing General Motors.
We're not using troops to do it, but seizing General Motors.
Chrysler is seizing the healthcare industry, seizing the banking business.
The difference here is Obama doesn't need the troops yet.
We'll be back.
By the way, folks, I'm sorry, I misinformed you moments ago about the government websites on stimulus spending accountability.
I forgot that Obama's teleprompter told him to say last week, remember that it's not going to be updated and ready to go until 2010.
The government accountability website's not going to be ready to go.
So the stimulus money that is not going to be spent in areas where it's most needed, quote unquote, you won't be able to see that or any other contradictory news on the government websites because they're running behind in getting those up and running.
Now, I'm just able to see graphics on these TV monitors here.
But MSNBC, I guess there's some kind of press conference going on right now.
The co-director of the Miss California USA pageant is addressing the controversy over Miss California.
What controversy?
What controversy?
What violated her contract by speaking out where?
Is that what this is about?
She took a semi-nude picture when she was younger.
And that's not what this is about.
They may say that's what this is about.
This is about her citing belief in God when she answered the question about gay marriage.
They're just getting a lot of heat.
What controversy?
Folks, we are headed for the day in this country, if things don't change, to where some of us are going to be fined for things that we say.
We are headed someday where some people are going to be put in jail for things they say.
First Amendment, not going to matter.
We've already got hate crime legislation.
You know what hate crime legislation is?
That's where they determine what's in your mind when you commit a crime.
That's when they determine what you were thinking.
And if you were thinking unapproved thoughts, that would make the crime you committed even worse because of what your attitude was at the time you did it.
So if you, like manslaughter, involuntary manslaughter, but if you had some kind of thought in your mind that was not approved, then they could maybe move it up to manslaughter one or even murder two.
We're headed that way.
What controversy?
All right.
Let me grab a couple phone calls here because I've got lots of stuff to do before we end today.
Cameron in Hartford, Connecticut.
You're next.
I'm glad you waited.
Hello, sir.
There are no words to adequately describe our appreciation for your program and your individual accomplishments as a patriot.
Well, thank you, sir, very much.
I appreciate that.
And we appreciate you.
But on the Cheney matter, I was sitting here in the back of your classroom, waved my hand.
You couldn't see me when you first posed the question today as to why, what motivates Dick Cheney to do this?
And I got the answer, and I've got a word in my answer that I don't hear that often from you, and that's a four-letter word, the L-word.
And I said, I think that from what I know of Cheney, it is love of country and concern for country.
And then, of course, shortly thereafter, you came out and gave the right answer.
But he is.
I must have been communicating with you telepathically out there, Cameron.
You must have sent me the vibe, and I got the vibe.
He is a true statesman at a time and place where there aren't any virtually except for very few rare individuals.
And for the same reason that Bush 41 picked him to buttress up Bush 43's presidency as his VP to make up for the old gravitas factor, it was obvious that Dick Cheney is a remarkable individual.
No, he's not hot for the interns, and no, he doesn't need the graft.
And sure, we hear stories about the Carlisle group and Controlled Demolition Incorporated of Baltimore, Maryland, owned by the Loiseau family.
Yeah, don't forget Blackwater.
Well, there's always a lot of people.
If you're going to start down this road, put them all in there.
Halliburton.
Yeah, but Cheney is a remarkable individual.
Again, I'm looking for others besides him, but I see very few.
He is the only one.
That's why I opened the program today with a question, what motivates Dick Cheney?
He goes on Face the Nation.
He's doing interviews, and he is telling the people of this country the dangers posed by this president and this administration.
He is warning that our security is being endangered.
He's the only Republican, and he doesn't seek it.
I said, what's his motivation?
He doesn't need the money.
He doesn't have any more political aspirations.
He's not hot for interns.
What is it?
I asked this repeatedly during the first half hour of today's program.
What motivates Dick Cheney?
Love of country.
National interest.
He knows that they're going to try to destroy him as often as he speaks up.
He knows it.
That's the MO.
The modus operandi of the Obama Democrats is to destroy anybody who speaks up.
That's why they're, look at, folks, outside of this one story on the Associated Press that I just shared with you about the debacle and disaster that will become the U.S. economy with Obama in the way and doing what he's doing.
Who, besides a few people on the radio, are talking about that?
Who, besides a few people, are warning you, just like you were warned what the debacle of global warming was?
And I'm going to tell you something.
I normally don't pat myself on the back.
But today, global warming is an issue that has the concern of 30% of the American people.
And years ago, it was over 50%.
Years ago, it was just a matter of time before we got economic policies based on global warming.
Cap and trade is now what they're down to.
They're still trying to advance the whole agenda.
But the American people aren't buying it.
It's going to be tougher.
And that's because somebody spoke up day in and day out and said this is a hoax.
This is BS.
That somebody was me.
And there's me and there are others standing up saying this Obama economic fix, the stimulus package, porculus package, TARP bailouts, it ain't going to do what he says it's going to do.
It is not going to get you a job.
It's not going to make you richer.
It's not going to make us more prosperous.
It is going to remake and reorder this country and everybody's going to be poorer.
They don't like that.
They don't like opposition.
They don't, so they have no choice but then to try to discredit and impugn everybody who speaks out against them.
And Dick Cheney is refusing to be intimidated.
Obama actually said today that too many Americans are skimping on health care because they're in financial straits.
You know, they're not spending on health care because they need to do other things.
And you ought to be spending on health care.
So that was his push for national health insurance.
He had another one of these meetings today with all these health insurance groups.
It's like Don Corleone bringing these people in and telling what's going to happen to them if they don't go along.
We know this is the modus operandi.
We know that threats and intimidation are used by this administration to get what they want.
Now, there's a story about the healthcare meeting today from the Associated Press.
President Obama's plan to provide medical insurance for all Americans took a big step forward, becoming reality Sunday after leaders of the healthcare industry offered $2 trillion in spending reductions over 10 years to help pay for the program.
Hospitals, insurance companies, drug makers, doctors plan to tell Obama today that they'll voluntarily slow their rate increases in coming years in a move that government economists say would create breathing room to help provide health insurance to the estimated 50 million Americans who now go without it, and that's a phony number.
With this move, Obama picks up private sector allies that fought Clinton's effort to overhaul health care.
You read a little further and you find this.
You might be asking a question, by the way.
Before I tell you this, you might be asking a question.
Well, if these people could offer $2 trillion in spending reductions over 10 years, why didn't they do it?
Why do it now?
If there's $2 trillion in overcharges, look at it this way.
If there are $2 trillion in overcharges, why not just avoid a lot of hassle and cut some prices 10 years ago?
Well, then you read, you have that question, you read the next graph, and it says, the industry groups are trying to get on the administration bandwagon for expanded coverage now in the hope that they can steer Congress away from legislation that would restrict their profitability in future years.
So what they know is they've heard Obama say, and he's used these words, he's going to squeeze the doctors, he's going to squeeze the insurance companies, he's going to squeeze the pharmaceuticals, which means he's going to demand that they make less money.
And he's talking about profits.
So these industry groups think if they go along now and show some goodwill, that they'll be taken care of down the road.
They are fools.
They are big-time fools who happen to be blind.
Just look at the car companies and the banks.
What profits?
And whatever profits there are are going to go to Obama and the government.
Obama's going to fix health care just like he's fixed GM.
He's going to fix health care like he's fixed Chrysler.
He's going to fix health care like he fixed Wall Street.
How can a government that has no money bail out one-seventh of the U.S. economy, which is our health care sector, one-seventh of the economy?
How in the world can they bail it out when they don't have any money?
How?
Industry groups are trying to get in or get on the administration bandwagon for expanded coverage now in the hope they can steer Congress away from legislation.
This is like us saying, you know what?
If we release the prisoners at Club Gitmo, then Bin Laden will like us and he'll never attack us again.
These guys are saying, if we just give Obama some spending cuts now, then he'll leave us alone down the road.
Fools.
But they're scared.
They're scared to death.
They can see what's happening to other private sectors.
They can see what's happening.
They saw what happened to Rick Wagner.
They hear the scuttlebutt that Obama might fire more CEOs on Wall Street.
They see the legislation coming out on pay caps for Wall Street and so forth.
They're thinking that if they just don't make Obama mad, then he won't restrict them that way.
Just fools.
So fewer and fewer people are willing to stand up to this.
That's again why I focus everybody's attention on Dick Cheney.
He's standing up to all of it.
And what motivates him?
National interest, love of country.
Doesn't need the money.
He doesn't want to run for office again.
He's not hot for interns.
He's doing it because of love, huge heart for the country.
Here's Steridon.
I hope I'm pronouncing that name right, New York City.
Welcome to the EIB network.
Hello.
Yeah, Rush, thanks for taking my call.
Yeah, what is the origin of your name?
That's an interesting name, Steridon.
That's Greek, man.
I'm not from Greece.
I was born in New Jersey, but my dad, my dad gave it to me.
I'm named after my grandfather.
Oh, okay.
That explains it.
Yep.
All right.
So earlier in the show, you were talking about how dangerous the Hubble mission is because of all the space junk in the air or in space, in orbit.
So I was reading the new book by David Sanger.
He works in the New York Times.
He's writing about the challenges, the foreign policy challenges.
And he was saying that, do you remember the Chinese missile tester?
They destroyed the satellite up in space.
Vaguely.
I get them confused with the North Koreans.
Right.
Well, they tested and they successfully destroyed one of their own satellites up in orbit, and that added about 10% more of the total debris, the space junk floating in orbit.
And then, you know, in response, we did it to show them that we could do it too.
And, you know, so that adds more to the stuff.
So in reality, you know, the more the space race, you know, the more the arms race moves into space, the more dangerous missions like the Hubble mission are going to be in the future.
So that's my comment.
That's trouble.
Why is it trouble?
I mean, it's.
Yeah, but look, most of the junk up there is not the arms race.
I'm sure there's some spy satellites and stuff up there, but there's plenty of communication satellites.
Most of the stuff up there is not from weaponizing space because it hasn't happened yet.
Hey, don't get me wrong, man.
I actually became part of the conservative movement because of national security.
I wanted to stay ahead of the Chinese and all that.
I'm just stating the simple fact that if things like this keep happening, inevitable or not, that it's going to be more dangerous.
So I mean, whether it's the main cause of the problem or not, it still adds to it.
That's what I'm saying.
Well, there's no question as more countries became or become able and equipped to put things in orbit.
See, the thing about this, that just the Chinese wouldn't know how to do this were it not for Bill Clinton.
And Loral Space, the Chinese in the 1990s, could not figure out how to orbit a satellite.
But Clinton needed campaign donations.
And Bernie, what, Bernie, Bernie, I forget his name, the guy at Loral Space, they put, was it Schwartz?
They put, you know, it used to be the companies like Lorale Space that would interact with other nations were under the hook of the State Department.
You had to get permission to State Department to go do things.
Clinton moved it over to Commerce Department where Ron Brown was working as a flunky, as a hack over there.
And so Bernie Schwartz got to go over there and show the Chinese basically how to make their gyros work.
And we went over there, actually got their space satellites and their rocket ships that failed to make orbit, looked at them, here's what you're doing wrong.
I don't know, folks.
It's some of the stuff you just sometimes you have to want.
Let me ask you a quick question.
Would you drive your car today if you knew the airbag was disconnected?
Would you drive your car if the seatbelt was missing?
Probably would if you really had to get somewhere, but would you think about it?
Would you drive your car if you had no insurance?
Well, I wouldn't, but a whole hell of a lot of people do, and those are the people you have accidents with.
It seems like point is, all of those are safety systems.
Why would you not back up your computer?
If you're going to be concerned about these kinds of things for your safety, why wouldn't you back up your PC or your Mac?
And you can do it so easily, you don't even know it's happening.
Carbonite online backup.
Computer accidents happen to thousands of people every day.
Hard drives crash, hard drives freeze, somebody in the family gets mad and throws Coca-Cola in the computer.
Computers get stolen, they get damaged.
And you think of all the priceless stuff you have on your computer.
Priceless and irreplaceably important.
Now, they're worth protecting.
Carbonite online backup takes care of all of this.
Safely, securely, automatically backs up your hard drive off-site whenever you're connected to the internet.
And the first 15 days here are free.
You don't have to give them a credit card to try this out.
Just go to carbonite.com, use the offer code Rush, two free months if you decide to buy.
That's carbonite.com, the offer code Rush.
You'll be thankful you did this because your computer is going to freeze or it's going to crap out on you at some point.
And if it isn't backed up, it's going to be the next thing to losing your identity.
Quick timeout.
And we are back, El Rushball here on the cutting edge of societal evolution.
Get this straight.
Now, we know that California is in bad straits financially, right?
And the governor out there and a number of people is, we're going to have to cut some spending.
We're going to have to cut some wages.
We're going to have to do some cuts out here.
We can't just raise taxes to get ourselves back in order.
From the Los Angeles Times on May 8th, the Obama administration, how can they be running a response when I didn't respond?
Well, there isn't going to be a response.
Okay, anyway, here, the Obama administration is threatening to rescind billions of dollars in federal stimulus money.
Now, listen to me on this.
Look at me, folks.
The Obama administration threatening to rescind billions of dollars in federal stimulus money if Governor Schwarzenegger and state lawmakers do not restore wage cuts to unionized home health care workers approved in February as part of the budget.
So, California in trouble had some wage cuts.
They're probably not cuts.
They're probably limits in growth, but wage cuts in home health care workers.
And the Obama administration, you restore those union wages or you're not getting stimulus money.
Now, constitutionally, this does not fly, folks.
This does not fly constitutionally.
This cannot happen.
But it will happen.
Hey, Schwarzenegger, what am I going to do?
We need the money.
You think this isn't reparations?
You think this is not returning the nation's wealth to its rightful owners?
And you think this is not payback for Obama being elected and all those campaign donations from who knows whoever, how many people all over the world, union-oriented?
You got to listen to this soundbite too.
Timothy Geithner.
I have to think that Geithner blew it here.
I think that Geithner just didn't want to say this, but he said it.
I know he means it.
He's on Charlie Rose last Wednesday night.
Charlie Rose says, But if in fact they pay all the money back, the TARP money back, these banks, you know, what restrictions will exist on their compensation policy at their individual institutions.
The president is committed and is working with the leaders of Congress on very comprehensive broad-based financial reform to put in place new rules of the game, more constraints on risk-taking to prevent a crisis like this from happening again.
When will we see that start to happen?
Well, we need to get through this crisis.
It is very important we get through this crisis and be definitively through it.
But we're hoping to legislate this year.
Whatever you can do in terms of regulation and legislation will take place during the next three years.
Hang on, listen to that.
Yes, within that period of time.
Within that period of time.
But again, these things are about preventing the next boom.
Did you catch that?
See, they have said that what they are about is ending the business cycle.
They don't want any more recessions like this.
Now, in their mind, what brought about the recession was the boom.
They don't want any more booms.
They don't want any more economic booms.
They do not want any more economic growth.
They want stagnant, zero-sum game economics.
That's why they're limiting pay.
That's why they're going to start putting all kinds of restrictions.
There's probably going to be at some point a wealth tax proposed by this president.
Let's say you're sitting out there and you're retired.
And let's say that you are living off your municipal bonds and you bought your AAA, you got good-rated AAA tax-free municipal bonds.
And let's say that those bonds at 4%, 5% tax-free income a year is what you're living on.
I predict to you that the day is going to come where they're going to tax wealth in addition to income so they can go after really wealthy people who do not have earned income anymore.
They're retired.
They're living off the investment portfolio, which would be capital gains or tax-free municipal bonds or whatever.
There will be a wealth tax.
There's going to have to be.
They're in debt.
They don't have any money.
And not only that, that's Obama's aim when his since his treasury got out there.
Our objective is to prevent the next boom.
That means no big boom in any sector that might lead to more employment.
So again, these things are about preventing the next boom.
There you have it.
Straight from the Treasury Secretary of the Obama administration.
We'll be back.
Say, folks, it's book recommendation time before we get out of here.
Brian Jennings is a long-standing programmer and consultant in the radio business, specializing in talk radio.
He has a new book that hit last week, Censorship is the title of the book, Censorship, the Threat to Silence Talk Radio.
And it's on Amazon.
It's everywhere books are sold.
And I just wanted to recommend it to you.
Brian is a great guy, understands talk radio, understands the business, and understands the subtle backdoor ways that the Obama administration wants to deny free speech on talk radio in the country.
So you're book shopping.
This is one to put on the list.
Censorship, the threat to silence talk radio, Brian Jennings.
Great to be back.
Really is.
We'll do it all again in 21 hours, folks.
▲
Export Selection