Rush is Rong!

Evenin', PDX!

Been a big flap lately over Rush Limbaugh, Mr. Dittohead, Sr.

Rusher said of President Obama's (alleged) shift toward liberal policies, "I hope he fails." People took the words out of context and reacted as if Rusher'd said he hoped President Obama fails as president. Pays to get our stories straight.

That said, I don't think there is much chance that President Obama can succeed at a whole lot. Things are pretty messed up, and we aren't near the edge of the woods or the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel. A lot going on. Pakistan about to come apart. Iraq may be gearing up for the civil war it hasn't really had yet. N. Korea going nuke again. Iran, too. Israel and Gaza...

A lot going down. 2,000 employees at Monaco Coach in Coburg, OR, got notice of termination on Monday. That's after being furloughed (read: unpaid) since December. Even if things turned around next month, their jobs aren't coming back this decade. Company filed chapter 11 yesterday. Who wants to buy a motor home manufacturer? Who wants to buy a motor home? GM about to declare bankruptcy. Who wants to buy a Tahoe or an Escalade? Same answer to all questions.

Anybody want a Chrysler or a PT Cruiser? 10 homes foreclosing every day in Oregon's answer to LA: Bend. Construction jobs? More on that later...


Back to Rush. Years ago I coined a succinct statement for a proposed bumper sticker:

RUSH IS RONG!

Now, my assessment of Rush Limbaugh is not formed by the current flap over the f-word (as in fail). No, for a couple of years I had to listen to him daily on Jim the Shipping Clerk's radio. (I inherited the radio when the company closed. I vowed to never again hear the voice of Rush Limbaugh through its speaker. I haven't.)

After all that time I concluded one thing. Rush Limbaugh is interested not in the success of the country but the success of Rush Limbaugh. He will use the Republican Party, or anyone else, to further himself. His goal in his broadcasts is to stir controversy and assign blame, not to solve problems. If he'd had his way, the country would be a one-party state under the dictatorship of Karl Rove.

So I don't listen to Rush. I don't listen to Air America either.

I think we'd all be better off if we listened less and read more. We'd be better off to read a variety of well-researched information from a variety of sources and had more face-to-face conversations. We'd be better off to divert some "Rush hours" to contacting our representatives since they're all instantly accessible by e-mail, Facebook, Twitter, and more...

We could also mimic Al Franken and run for office, get elected and actually be responsible TO somebody FOR something. Now that takes guts. Or madness.

Meanwhile, RUSH IS RONG! Still. Suppose printing bumper stickers would help the economy?

Shalom,

P.R.