Oh boy. The House is planning to fruitlessly repeal the health-care reform law today, so you know Rush is going to dive into that big debate. Ya know, things like whether it “kills jobs” (it might, but it probably won’t). Given that I spent quite a bit of time investigating health-care reform, I’m sure I’ll find plenty to grit my teeth about this week.

But first! Rush returns to the “call for civility” theme from last week, and with more force than ever: this time he calls it “censorship.” Yes, censorship.

I’ve heard this before; when Glenn Beck’s ratings and sponsors started dropping after one too many wacky comment, he compared his situation with censorship. And heck, just today Sarah Palin described negative reaction to her now-infamous “blood libel” Facebook video as an attempt to “destroy the message and the messenger.”

Speaking of that video, Rush does seem to enjoy cherry-picking his poll numbers, doesn’t he? All last week I heard him cite multiple polls about Americans rejecting the notion that rhetoric contributed to the Tucson shootings. I didn’t comment on it, since I didn’t have time to check the numbers myself. But now, Rush cites another pair of polls: first, that 78% of Americans approve of how Obama handled Tucson; second, that only 30% of Americans approve of Sarah Palin on the same question. “I don’t, believe, either, number,” he announces, in his trademark slowed-for-emphasis tone.

After a commercial break, Rush keeps hammering at it, declaring that polls tend to be “weighted… shifted… massaged… influenced.” He finally figures that this polling house must have undersampled Republicans in conducting the poll, which explains the surprising numbers. He offers no evidence that this happened.

Moments later, Rush asks: “Isn’t it amazing how everything that the left wants turns up as a majority opinion in a poll?” I start to wonder if he’s deliberately messing with me at this point. Rush, are you reading my blog?

Rush Loves Sarah

I haven’t really mentioned it yet, but Rush has been the #1 Palin Supporter over the last week vis-a-vis her connection (or lack thereof) to Tucson. He’s seemingly exasperated by those who “irrationally” hate her, even those on the right, since she and her Tea Party followers represent a threat to the powers-that-be. Rush goes on an impressive, extended rant suggesting that it could just as easily have been liberalism that influenced a twisted young mind to commit murder. What follows is as much of a transcript as I could get down while he rambled. It was actually over five minutes long.

“The left established this culture of pessimism, self-hate, and desperation. If you’re Hispanic, you have no chance. If you’re African-American, you have no chance. Your only chance is the military, and if you do that you’re stupid. …They turn citizen against citizen. They want people to hate each other based on income, based on race, based on sexual orientation. …This is the message of the Democratic party EVERY DAY, and it is ratcheted up every election. It’s THEM! It isn’t us! …We’re based on love: love of this country, love of its potential. …They tell you that the deck is stacked against you, that the rich hates you…Big Oil, Big Pharma, Big Insurance…what are you gonna do after a lifetime of hearing this? If you’re told every day that your future doesn’t exist, that it’s been robbed and stolen from you, what are you gonna do? You’re told the rich are ripping you off! If not for them YOU’D have the boat, and YOU’D have the house on the beach, and YOU’D have the three cars. This is what you hear EVERY DAY! It’s their PLATFORM!”

So, we’re making progress on that whole civility thing, then.

Conspiracy Theory of the Day: The plan for Democrats and Republicans to intermingle during the State of the Union address later this month is actually a ploy to mask the Republican majority in the House.

Wacky Radio Commercial of the Day: http://godsaidmansaid.com/ – Go on, check it out.