Taylor Marsh – TaylorMarsh.com – News, Opinion and Weblog on Progressive Politics

The descent continues, as Mr. Limbaugh digs in, then doctors a tape to prove
he was right. It’s so Nixonian that you’ve got to wonder why Republicans aren’t running for their lives.
Instead they’re “commending” him. It’s a sorry spectacle when the biggest man on radio
takes to changing evidence in order to save his big, fat overblown ego, his show, his reputation (such as it is these days), without blinking an eye. That his audience is buying this baloney is amazing. But considering most of them believe Saddam had something to do with 9/11 it really isn’t all that shocking. But doctoring a tape? The ethical bankruptcy of this move boggles the mind.

During the September 28 broadcast of his nationally syndicated radio show, in response to Media Matters for America’s documentation of his recent description of service members who advocate U.S. withdrawal from Iraq as “phony soldiers,” Rush Limbaugh claimed that he had not been talking “about the anti-war movement generally,” but rather “about one soldier … Jesse MacBeth.” Limbaugh further asserted that “Media Matters had the transcript, but they selectively choose what they want to make their point.” To support this claim, Limbaugh purported to air the “entire” segment in question from the September 26 broadcast of his show. In fact, the clip he then aired had been edited. Excised from the clip was a full 1 minute and 35 seconds of the 1 minute and 50 second discussion that occurred between Limbaugh’s original “phony soldiers” comment and his reference to MacBeth, the full audio of which can be heard here. Limbaugh selectively edited “phony soldiers” clip, claimed it was “the entire transcript”

There’s a reason wingnuts hate Media Matters. It’s because they catch them
in the act and prove what’s being done. But today conservatives are so willfully ignorant they’re willing to accept anything, as long as Rush, Sean or Dick Cheney say it’s so.

Reid laid into el Rushbo today, which was a great way to start the week. However,
the quote of the day goes to Iowa’s
Tom Harkin.

HARKIN: I’ll just close, Mr. President, by noting that in August, seven soldiers published an op-ed in the New York Times criticizing the current strategy in Iraq. Tragically, two of those soldiers were subsequently killed in action, making the ultimate sacrifice for their country. I can only assume by Mr. Limbaugh’s definition that they too were “phony soldiers.” Now what’s most despicable is that Mr. Limbaugh says these provocative things to make more money. So he castigates our soldiers, this makes more news, more people tune in, he makes more money. Well, I don’t know. Maybe he was just high on his drugs again. I don’t know whether he was or not. If so, he ought to let us know. But that shouldn’t be an excuse. … .. Harkin: ‘Maybe Limbaugh was high on drugs again.’

On the Senate floor, no less.

But Bill-O gave him back-up tonight on “The Factor.” El Rushbo is
supposed to grace the Fox “News” star tomorrow night. Who’s popping
the popcorn? I’ll bring the wine. Seriously, now that Bill-O got caught in a
racist rant that rivals Don Imus, he feels a sort of kinship with the wingnut
P.T. Barnum of screed radio. They’ll commiserate on “The Factor,”
licking their wounds because the big back liberals are just too mean, too nasty,
too hard on them.

WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH.

How can these guys possibly stand up to the terrorists? They’re all a bunch of homophobic, lying, tape doctoring, women bashing wimps.