As Eric Boehlert noted earlier this week, Rush Limbaugh is a highly compensated celebrity laughing his way to the bank supported by GOP rubes who believe his act. And now he tells a group of the well-heeled slicksters who run the right that the recession is a myth.
Its brilliance like this that has led the right to its current level of power in American politics. Look out below.
He’s doing this because the recession is turning around on Obama’s watch (remember when every dip of the market was all Obama’s fault?).
So now that we had the greatest gains in one month in the history of the nation, the new meme is that there never was a recession.
These people are truly this desperate and pathetic.
Be fair. His job is to get people to pay attention to him, not to set policy. This post itself is proof that he is quite good at his job.
His job is to get people to pay attention to him, not to set policy. This post itself is proof that he is quite good at his job.
Indeed. But lately, the more attention racist asshole Rush Limbaugh gets, the worse the modern Republican party’s image becomes. I’ll take that trade.
Buzz is only somewhat correct. Though it is obvious Rush does set policy in the republican party; it is also true that none of us can help but pay attention to such a bloviating human landfill.
See Rush–you’ve got our attention.
Kinda like Keith Olbermann.
And I’m just wondering, do you still consider Olby to be the Edward R Murrow of our time?
LMAO!
Here’s my fantasy: Clear Channel goes bankrupt and can’t pay Rush’s salary. That’s when we learn that Rush has been living paycheck to paycheck. Millions of dollars per year and he’s been spending it all. Rush has to sell several houses (each for a big loss, because there’s no market these days) and the jet, too. Everybody will know that Rush is a big dope when it comes to money.
Are we witnessing the beginnings of the ‘FDR MADE THE DEPRESSION WORSE’-style conservative revisionism?
Clear Channel wouldn’t pay him that salary unless he made them more in return. If they did go bankrupt, it would be despite him, not because of him.
Buzz, how DARE you refer to market principles!! Don’t you know that the laws of Supply and Demand have been ruled unConstitutional now that there’s a Democratic in the White House?
A Democratic what?
Buzz, how DARE you refer to market principles!! Don’t you know that the laws of Supply and Demand have been ruled unConstitutional now that there’s a Democratic in the White House?
Unfunny joke or semi-serious concern? I report, you decide.
It’s delicious irony that the final nails are being driven into the Republican coffin by Limbaugh, Hannity, Glenn Beck and FOX News. The Republican party has become dependent on these people, and these people don’t give a rat’s ass about the Republican party. They don’t care about the Republican party, they don’t care about the conservative movement, they don’t care about America, all they care about is making money.
Right now, the best business model is to pander to they frustrations and fears of the knucklehead extreme, gin up the hysteria, feed the paranoia, and see your ratings go sky high. This creates an environment where it’s impossible for the Republicans to split the difference between the moderate independents they desperately need and the kooky morans they desperately need. There’s no hope of appealing to both as long as Limbaugh, et al., are characterizing any moderate stance as capitulation to communism, fascism, slavery, monarchy, etc.
It’s delightful to see the Republican party being consumed by the greed and selfishness of Limbaugh, Hannity, Beck and Murdoch. What poetic justice.
Go, Rush, go!
“[T]he laws of Supply and Demand have been ruled unConstitutional” ever since the “Voodoo economics” of right wing entertainer, con artist, and cult leader Ronald Reagan claimed that if you ‘cut revenue than revenue increases!’
Nuts.
And then Republican Reagan more than doubled the US debt and was subsequently declared ‘fiscally conservative’ by the Orwellian Republican wordsmiths who worshiped him.
Reagan even claimed that if you cut taxes on the ultra wealthy it would ‘create jobs.’
And it did. In China and in Mexico.
Republican Reagan helped ship American jobs to Mexico and China.
And then Reagan raised taxes on the American working class.
And then Reagan gave amnesty to undocumented immigrants.
And Republican Reagan was even at the heart of the deregulation of the markets* that is a central part of what precipitated the current Republican Great Depression.
The right wing ideological magic market completely ‘cratered’ under it’s own reckless gambles.
The only thing that’s kept US out of another Republican Great Depression has been massive government infusions. Something that wouldn’t have been needed had sensible progressive legislation regulating the magic market been kept in place in the first place.
That sensible Democratic legislation regulating the magic market made American strong for 50 years and then predatory Republican cultists came in and declared that all that regulation was burdensome, that it was ‘the problem.’ And so they took a chainsaw to that sensible progressive regulation regulating the markets.
And now, even after the grand failure of the right wing’s economic experiment, even after stock portfolios were slashed by 40% and some by 60%, the same Republican cult leaders are singing their crazy economic song and demanded everyone sing along or their ‘commies.’
In the end, two legs of the Republican three legged stool are perfectly represented by “yo mama” and “SaveFarris”, “yo mama” is the predatory con artist and “SaveFarris” is the conned sucker that really doesn’t know any better and thinks people like “yo mama” know what they’re talking about even while “yo mama” is picking “SaveFarris’s” pocket.
*The right wing ideological deregulation of the markets continued under Bush 1, Clinton, and Bush 2. All three get a heaping of blame for the current crisis.
“current Republican Great Depression.”
Currently it’s only a Republican Great RECESSION.
Again, what’s keeping US out of another Republican Great Depression is big gubmint spending.
Even some Republicans understand that. Sure, they voted no on the crucial stimulus package because of their insane ideological straight-jacket, but many of them have gone out of their way to act like they’re responsible for the stimulus money coming into their cash starved, recession sick states.
If the only solution to a recession is taking on a crippling amount of debt, and then spending it poorly, we are truly screwed.
“Spending it poorly” hasn’t been proven yet. And I find all conservative hand-wringing about “crippling debt” to be laughable. What you mean is “crippling debt that didn’t make us feel all hard about American military might.”
Limblob is notorious for “reverse cheerleading.” A former friend who went nuts from listening to too much talk radio insisted throughout Clinton’s entire 8 years that the economy was terrible, “just you wait,” in spite of reality around him. Rush told him this.
Emily, maybe you’ll get your wish.
Clear Channel’s Dominican Sex Tour stimulus program is destroying the company
taking on a crippling amount of debt, and then spending it poorly
Nice summary of the Iraq Invasion. Actually of the Cheney Administration in general. What an awful era.
Odd… Rush has been spending talking about the “Obama Recession” ever since Election Day. I assume this means he’s going to admit he was wrong.
*doesn’t hold breath*
Rush has been spending talking about the “Obama Recession” ever since Election Day. I assume this means he’s going to admit he was wrong.
Talk radio personalities, pundits, and politicians seem to be still living in a world in which all of their statements aren’t noticed and recorded.
What’s stunning is how different things used to be. You could practically say anything today, and even if it were the exact opposite of what you said yesterday, you’d have plausible deniability. For now, Rush seems to be appealing only to the ever-shrinking sliver of Americans still living in that past world.
On radio “You could practically say anything today, and even if it were the exact opposite of what you said yesterday, you’d have plausible deniability. For now, Rush seems to be appealing only to the ever-shrinking sliver of Americans still living in that past world.”
The Republican base, the regal tang Dorys of the political world, suffering from perpetual short-term memory loss.
(”Dory” was the forgetful blue fish that helped the cartoon “Nemo” fish out)
What you mean is “crippling debt that didn’t make us feel all hard about American military might.”
Record debt is record debt. Can you please explain to me how we’re going to pay off all this debt, and why you’re so happy about it?
Why does it seem like all that matters to many of you is that Democrats are in control, rather than what they’re actually doing? Do you just honestly not care?
Buzz Killington, May 7, 2009 at 8:41 am
Record debt is record debt. Can you please explain to me how we’re going to pay off all this debt, and why you’re so happy about it?
Yes, record debt is record debt.
Can you please explain to me why you had no concerns about this whatsoever when it was the Republican’ts who were piling up this record debt, and why you’re suddenly uber concerned now that a socialistic muslimoid scary black man (who is also a Democrat, fergawdsakes) is president?
Tom, you explain to me why you think I was happy about it before.
*Everybody* in DC sucks. I constantly complain about growth of government, regardless of who does it. Republican does not mean conservative anymore. That’s why I don’t understand why anybody is happy about anything going on up there.
Buzz Killington, May 7, 2009 at 10:49 am
Tom, you explain to me why you think I was happy about it before.
Because you remained silent while the Republican’ts destroyed the economy, and only now you find that the time is ripe for criticism.
I’d love to retract my point. Could you point to a similar comment you have made, here on a liberal blog, that was critical of the Republican’ts and their record debt accumulation when they were in power?
You don’t even know me. And no, I can’t point to anything like that because I don’t leave comments often, and don’t often read liberal blogs. I don’t care if you *believe* me or not, I just wanted to point out that you’re making baseless, false accusations against me personally (rather than generalities against Republicans/conservatives/whatever).
But it’s an indisputable fact that you don’t care about that.
*Everybody* in DC sucks.
After years of voting for Bush and giving full-throated manic, enraged screeds against good candidates like Gore and Kerry whose parties and backgrounds had political track records of fiscal responsibility and after remaining SILENT and being cowards and/or cheerleading for the Iraq war, they excuse their hypocritical, unearned criticism when a Democrat gets elected president by whining, “well, everyone sucks and I criticize them all.” Piss off you coward. You don’t belong. You had your chance to suppoort fiscal responsibility and better government bu you pissed it away because you wanted tax cuts and wanted to piss off Democrats and make yourself feel better by suipporting Bush and a bunch of stupid wars. You don’t belong here. You haven’t earned the privilege of being taken seriously. You’re just another Republican-supporting fool and moral coward. I worked my ass off to stop the bushloving Republican assholes. You supported them and now say, “well, everyone sucks.”
Since this gone way off topic and ended up as name-calling, I’ll just stop it here. Well played, Tyro, well played.
Buzz Killington, May 7, 2009 at 11:54 am
You don’t even know me.
No, but I’ve been listening to people saying the same type of things you do. Now. After eight years of silence during the previous administration.
And no, I can’t point to anything like that because I don’t leave comments often, and don’t often read liberal blogs. I don’t care if you *believe* me or not, I just wanted to point out that you’re making baseless, false accusations against me personally (rather than generalities against Republicans/conservatives/whatever).
No, I’ve been making baseless, false accusations against anyone who seems to think it’s okay to be a moral scold now after keeping silent over the past few years. And for some strange reason you seem to fit the profile. Sorry if you take it personally. I’m sure you were just as careful not to be offensive to liberals, so that they wouldn’t take personally all the things you seem to be supporting when you support the conservative/Republican’t/whatever ideology that has run the country into the ground over the past several years.
Why didn’t you say something like this when the lockbox was first pillaged before 9-11? Show some concern before Republican’ts doubled the debt again? After tripling it during Ray-Gun and PapaDoc Bush?
But it’s an indisputable fact that you don’t care about that.
It seems to be pretty obvious to me that your taking it personally has clouded your responses has concluded you to make some personal judgements about me and what I seem to care about.
I do seem to care about those who are suddenly coming out of the woodwork now to handcuff Obama and the Democrats after giving the Republican’ts a free pass for so very long.
The crippling amount of debt is largely the legacy of the previous administration. We’ve already been forced to take it – largely through the machinations of the Republican’ts. We’ve already seen the Republican’t solution, too – Cheney everything up and then leave the mess to the Democrats to clean up. While blaming them for it.
I do love the way you inferred that I was making false generalities about Republicans/conservatives/whatever) when I got on you for spouting Republican’t talking points within your previous comment. It was almost as good as your omniscient ability to tell what I do and do not care about. I’m sorry that you felt that you had to accuse me of being a liar when I point out the facts on the ground.
Sort of puts your snit about this all being off-topic and having degenerated into name-calling into a different perspective, too. Almost like you run away like a little girl when you are called out for your, ahem, inaccuracies, and cry about getting your feelings hurt.
I don’t care whether you believe me, either. I just like to point out those who put out the (same old) Republican’t talking points that Rush is an entertainer, it could never be the exorbitant money paid to him that would be responsible for a company’s bankruptcy, that the Democrats are tax and spenders, and that it’s the Democrats that are playing petty partisan politics right now while suddenly finding new found concern for fiscal responsibility now that the Democrats are in power again*, are once again running their propaganda operations for the Republican’ts straight out of the Rush Limbaugh Field Operations Manual. In case some people haven’t heard more than five minutes of the Mighty PigBoy on the Excrementally Ideological Blowhard network yet.
* – which is where I jumped in.
D’oh! Close italics.
We apologize for the inconvenience.
“(: Tom
” is way too kind on recounting the Republican Debtor Party’s record.
Republican Ronald Reagan more than DOUBLED the US debt.
Between Republican Reagan and Republican Bush 1 they more than QUADRUPLED the US debt.
Republican Bush 2 managed to leave office just shy of doubling the US debt again, though the bills that Bush 2 left for the next President are still coming int, once it’s all added up, he will have substantially more than doubled the US debt.
Bush 2’s bills will also eventually include the potentially multi-TRILLIONS of dollars that will still be needed to pay off all of Bush 2’s Iraq War Lie (troops health care, replaced equipment, and the exorbitant Republican war profiteering).
Bush 2 also squeezed TRILLIONS of taxpayer dollars out the back door of the Fed, no one is quite sure how much the Fed charged to America’s credit card.
Nor does any of that account for the “plan” that the Republican Iraq War Lie would bring down the cost of oil (to $20 a barrel claimed mad Murdoch!), instead the price of gas doubled.
And that doesn’t include Bush 2’s reckless mismanagement of the economy that cratered many American’s portfolios by 40% to 60%.
Or the cost of the right wing economic delusions that managed to crush the global economy along with America’s, pushing US into the Great Republican Recession.
The economy is actually much worse than people imagine. There is still a tsunami of adjustable rate mortgages yet to be reset (”recast”) that will push even MORE families out of their unaffordable mortgage payments, which in turn means MORE houses on the burdened housing market, which will in turn push house values down even further. Manufacturing is still nosediving and unemployment is still going to be increasing for some time to come.
Add it all up and you’ve got: The Republican Great Recession.
The only thing keeping US out of a 2nd Republican Great Depression is gubmint spending, government being the “spender of last resort.”
But suddenly right wingers who slavishly accepted the absurd Voodoo economics of their innumerate cult leader Reagan, the Republican who made the absurd claim that ‘if you cut revenues, revenue goes up!’, suddenly now right wing lemmings are concerned with the US debt.
Well, considering of the last six Presidents, and the only two that paid down the debt were Democratic Presidents while ALL of the Republican President raised the debt, the data clearly supports Dems doing better on the “US debt” that right wingers have suddenly shown a renewed interest in.
Seriously, this can’t be repeated often enough.
Right wingers have been telling the BIG LIE about the Republican Debtor Party for over 30 years.
At this point Republican Math is no different than Enron Math: the error always falls in their favor.
And REPUBLICAN MATH IS ALL ERRORS.
Which is fitting because their economic theories are all fantasy.
NewsRef:
I try to be somewhat conservative in my estimations. Some may find that hard to believe…
re: “conservative” estimates
Republican Debtor Party
US DEBT UNDER REPUBLICAN BUSH I:
09/30/1993 $ 4,411,488,883,139.38
09/30/1992 $ 4,064,620,655,521.66
US DEBT UNDER REPUBLICAN REAGAN:
09/29/1989 $ 2,857,430,960,187.32
09/30/1988 $ 2,602,337,712,041.16
09/30/1981 $ 997,855,000,000.00 *
09/30/1980 $ 907,701,000,000.00 *
* Rounded to Millions
Right wingers used to trip me up by lying that that Republican debt wasn’t important because the GFD as a %
of GDP was ‘historically low’.
Lying sons of
The Gross Federal Debt as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product was paid down by EVERY DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENT since World War II.
All three of the last Republican Presidents RAISED the Gross Federal Debt as a Percentage of Gross Domestic Debt.
Between Republicans Reagan an Bush they just squeaked out of office before they DOUBLED that metric as well. In 1981 the GFD as a % of GDP was 32.6 %. By
the time Republicans Reagan and then Bush left office, the GFD as a % of GDP was 66.2 % in 1993.
See: [Google HTML cache of .Gov XLS of: "Table
7.1—FEDERAL DEBT AT THE END OF YEAR: 1940–2011"]
Republicans have been telling the Big Lie for decades. And Republicans tell myriad little lies to back up their Big Lie.
It’s a pain to correct right wingers perpetually lie machine but it has got to be done.
Hopefully more online fact checkers that will grow to be a perpetually truth machine to correct the record.
I definitely appreciate your efforts, “(: Tom
”
doh.
In 1981 GFD as a % of GDP was 32.6% (Reagan begins)
In 1993 GFD as a % of GDP was 66.2% (Bush 2 leaves)
By that measure, Republicans DOUBLED that metric as well.
US DEBT UNDER REPUBLICANS REAGAN & BUSH 2:
09/30/1981 $ 997,855,000,000.00 * (Reagan’s first year)
09/30/1992 $ 4,064,620,655,521.66 (Bush 2’s last year)
REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTS REAGAN AND BUSH 2 MORE THAN QUADRUPLED THEUS DEBT.
That doesn’t include Republican Bush 2’s final budget which raised the US debt still farther.
09/30/1993 $ 4,411,488,883,139.38
On a side note, Canada ADDED jobs in April. The recession might not be around that much longer up here. Gee, it seems stronger banking regulations is a good thing.