Coming off of a tone-deaf cartoon that compared the author of the stimulus bill with a crazed, shot-dead chimpanzee, it seemed likely that, for the time being, provocative political metaphors would be put on hold. But on his radio show Thursday, Rush Limbaugh pushed the envelope once more. As spotted first by Media Matters:
RL: This is... it's about power, it's about control. These people genuinely look out over this country from their lofty perches. They don't like what they see. Otherwise...
Caller: So they can go somewhere else! Like, I don't understand, why do they have to stay here? Like, leave us alone!
RL: At this point, at this point Gretchen, I don't care about the why. They're not going to leave. They're trying to control it. At this point, the only thing is they must be stopped!
Caller: I agree...
RL: Within the confines of our Constitution, and the political arena of ideas, they must be stopped. I don't care why they see this country the way they see it. I don't care why a murderer does it. I don't care why a rapist does it. I don't care why this Muslim guy offed his wife's head. The NOW gang is out there saying 'oh, that's not domestic violence, that's just, uh, that's just...' what do they call it? 'Culturally honor killing. Or this woman was going to divorce him, that's against the law. That's his diversity.' I don't care, I don't care why anymore. If I figure it out, I'll be glad to tell you because it's interesting to know, but it doesn't matter in terms of defeating them.
Listen:
The defense seems obvious. The remark came in the context of trying to understand the motives of Democrats who have disdain for America. "Who cares what drives a murderer, rapist or Democrat," Rush seemed to be saying, "just stop them from doing what they're doing." But, on the heels of Wednesday's New York Post cartoon, one has to wonder what's going on with all the lurid political analogies.