"You Can't Just Listen to Rush Limbaugh and Get Things Done."

According to a column by Kathleen Parker, "Barack W. Obama" in today's Washington Post, President Obama said the above during his recent meeting with Senate Republicans. The "W." in the column's title is as in George "W." Bush. The column is headlined on the Opinion Page as, "Obama vs. El Rushbo: The president has chomped on the Master Fisherman's lure."

It includes a picture of the smiling Limbaugh, which I did not import in deference to those of you with weak stomachs. I cite the column mainly as the source of the quote, and not because of the rather inane commentary Ms. Parker gives.

As I've said many times, Limbaugh should not be treated merely as an entertainer and a powerful pundit. When he came on the national scene 20 years ago, he was funny and insightful, and admittedly one-sided. Over the years he has morphed into the current champion of "The Big Lie", as perfected by Josef Goebbels. (Limbaugh himself has invoked Nazis, using the term "feminazis" to describe women's libbers.)

Some people don't take him seriously, but his army of dittoheads certainly do. The most recent example being the reaction to criticism of him by Republican Congressman Phil Gingrey (R-Ga.), as reported by Alex Koppelman in Salon.

Limbaugh cherry-picks his facts, distorts things when convenient, claims to be omniscient when he is far from it. And, in my opinion, he is also a racist. His faithful followers fail to see how illogical he is.

And he can cause real damage. Witness "Operation Chaos" last summer, when he had people breaking the law (the spirit, at least) by switching their registration in the presidential primaries.

He is much more dangerous than Sean Hannity because

1) To people who can reason at all, Hannity is clearly a fool (admittedly an earnest one).

2) Hannity will allow people who disagree with him to argue with him.

I live in suburban Detroit near Royal Oak, the radio home in the Nineteen Thirties of the anti-Semitic, Nazi sympathizer, Father Charles Coughlin. He was finally silenced by a new Detroit Bishop in 1942. Unfortunately, Limbaugh answers to no one. Although he does have sponsors.

Getting back to the quote from Obama, I think it would be better for him to leave Limbaugh out of this. Limbaugh should be shunned as the pariah he truly is. His demagoguery and hateful attacks have disqualified him from a seat at the table of rational discourse, whatever his redeeming features might be.

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Coughlin

http://www.salon.com/politics/war_room/2009/01/28/limbaugh/index.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/29/AR2009012902764.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/29/AR2009012902764.html