Leave it to Rush Limbaugh to use what could possibly be the most alarming environmentalist disaster in history, for which no one has been blamed, to rail against “hard-core environmentalist whackos” and their deviant attempts to prevent oil spills. While few will be surprised that the Gulf of Mexico oil spill hasn’t converted Limbaugh into a card-carrying Sierra Club member, probably fewer still were expecting him to blame environmentalists for the disaster.
From the April 29 edition of his radio program:
“…lest we forget, the carbon tax bill — Cap and Trade — that was scheduled to be announced on Earth Day. Then it was postponed, a couple of days later… what better way to head off more oil drilling, nuclear plans, than by blowing up a rig? I’m just noting the timing, here.”
Limbaugh is suggesting that the environmental left staged the spill to promote a nuclear agenda and the passing of Cap and Trade. At least he acknowledges he has no proof: he’s just “noting the timing.” Those on the left are already comparing the comments to those of 9/11 truthers, and the clip (below) is making the internet rounds rather quickly. If Limbaugh’s goal was to generate buzz around himself again, he did a great job.
Which leads to the possible reasoning behind this kind of comment. Perhaps Limbaugh does legitimately believe that the Obama administration is ruthless enough to destroy the economy of the state of Louisiana if it means passing Cap and Trade. Maybe they just really hate Bobby Jindal. But the reality of American right-wing infotainment is that the conspiracy theory competition out there is getting increasingly cutthroat. Anyone who caught last night’s episode of Glenn Beck and tried to follow his Goldman Sachs/Emerald Cities/SEIU/AFL-CIO/Apollo Alliance/Obama “Crime Inc.” presentation is well aware of that. And Limbaugh has been struggling to enhance his message to stay relevant; his recent scandalous comments show he hasn’t been on his top game lately. His shock value fleeting, he could have chosen to go to the oldest trick in the book: taking a completely apolitical problem and linking it to political enemy, somehow.
Audio clip below:
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