This Isn't Entertainment, It's War (Rush on The transparent agenda behind releasing more photos)

This is just what we needed, just what we needed. More pictures from the prison, and now ladies and gentlemen, we have videos. Uh, what did I do with this? What did I... [rummaging through papers] See, I got so busy here, there's something I need. I'm not going to start this till I find this. Sit tight, folks, because I'm going to prove a point here. Don't tell me, what did I do with this? It's got to be in this stack here, has to be in this -- nope, I know where it is, I put it in the light-hearted stack, and it doesn't belong in the lighthearted. Bear with me here --

Look at this headline, Strippers for Kerry Launch Voter Drive. Doctors launch cash-only practices -- ah, here it is, here it is. (Laughing.) Okay, now, where was I? By the way, this program today is scripted. (Laughing.) This was all written. Yeah, it's just what we need, we need more pictures and videos now and I think it's time to address the purpose that is being served by the latest release of these disgusting pictures, and I know we've done it on a couple of occasions, and I made it very clear what I think the real danger posed by these never-ending release of pictures. We get it. You know, let's fix it and let's move on, let's not hamper a whole war effort. I got an e-mail from somebody last night, a friend who was all excited about the release of more pictures and his last line in the e-mail to me was "never a dull moment." And that really hit me. I said this is not show time here, this is not entertainment, it's not Clinton-Lewinsky. You know, this is serious stuff. Three thousand people died on 9/11, and we've got an ever-growing percentage of the people in this country who are failing to remember it, who are caring not about avenging it, and in fact are running the risk of putting us at greater danger down the road by hampering this effort we find ourselves involved in now to deal with those who are responsible and who want to do it again.

You know, it strikes me that so much of the media today, and I used to lament, and don't get the wrong idea, can't change it, can't change the media but you do have to change people's perceptions. This is not entertainment here. This is not the latest, you know, voyeurism example going on in our culture. We got the point the first time. We got the point on these pictures the second time. I mean, just what is the media trying to accomplish? I mean it's getting to the point it's so obvious, we put Nick Berg on the third tier moving to the last page and then off of the news radar. We have shoved 9/11 off the radar, we can't look at any pictures of that, we're not supposed to be told, we're not supposed to be reminded, the families will get too upset, can't do that, but, boy, these prison photos, we can just beat ourselves over the head with them. I'll tell you, let's just go all the way with this, folks. I mean, because if you don't laugh at this, you're going to cry. You know how we have that 52, 54, 55-card deck of Saddam's cronies? I think the media ought to start making some money off these pictures and videos, not just publishing them free. We need some prison torture, you know, bubble gum cards. We just need to go all the way. Are they planning to advertise a complete set edition, subscribe to our newspaper and get coffee table picture albums, 18 gazillion abuse photos and torture photos so you never forget how rotten America is. You know, like I say, we got baseball cards with bubble gum. Let's have terror cards, only let's show our prison abuse photos instead of the terrorists and who they are and what they do. We could go coins, we could go medallions, we could have a never ending offer here, just like when you subscribe to the Columbia record club, whatever it was, pick your first five albums free and then for the rest of your life whether you want it or not another album shows up and you get a bill. Well, do this with these photos, first five terror photos free for the rest of your life and you get a new one sent in whatever size you want and framed. Where is this stuff going to stop?

I literally think that this is purposeful overkill and it is desensitizing in the wrong way. It continues to amaze me, and it takes more and more to amaze me where the media is concerned, but this is so obvious now an attempt to damage the war effort, to dispirit the will of the American people, to call into question our own existence, to call into question our own virtue, our own correctness in our own existence. One of the things that continually eats away at me on this, we had the phone call yesterday from the soldier recently back from Iraq, and I was right, by the way, far more e-mail about him yesterday than anything, absolutely great, and the transcript of that call and the call itself are on the free side at RushLimbaugh.com, by the way, if you want to go relive it or see it, experience it for the first time. If you missed it yesterday, it's something really worth delving into.

If I get started here I'm going to go longer than I should. Quick time-out here, because I just want to say one more salient thing about all these pictures and why this is being done. I don't think it's going to work. I don't think that it's clear what the effort is here. I think the effort is to hurt Bush obviously but it's also to damage the will of the American people. And I know a lot of you, you know, think that that's going to happen. I, frankly, don't, but it irritates me nevertheless that the effort is being made, because I'll tell you what I think, and it's not just a thought, I will admit I'm also hoping this. I think that while there is a lot of shock and anger and outrage about these pictures and the things that were done, what I think and what I hope is, is that many more Americans are concerned about the impact these pictures are going to have on the overall objective that we find ourselves engaged in. And at some point, if it hasn't gotten there already, everybody is going to be throwing up their hands, "Okay, we get it now. We get it. If you want to show us these things, we're not going to watch anymore. If you're so fascinated with these things at the Washington Post or wherever else you have them, if you're so fascinated with these publish them in an in-house memo. But we get it." There's something more important than these pictures, and you're missing it, you're not telling us what's actually happening over there in context of why we're there. And I think this is a classic example of everybody on the left being frustrated that what they've done has not vaulted Kerry to a 20-point lead or a 15-point lead, and they just think they've got to shout louder and more consistently because you people aren't hearing it. You people aren't getting it. The only poll they're really looking at is Bush-Kerry. All these other polls on whether or not the pictures have affected people negatively and the outlook on the war, that's one thing, but they're looking at Kerry versus Bush because the prism they look through is through the Kerry inauguration, not victory in Iraq or victory in the war on terror. And, see, if Bush maintains his little lead or remains neck and neck, if Kerry doesn't vault way ahead in this race, they're going to keep pounding and shouting because they don't think you're hearing them yet. When, in reality, all they're going to do is turn everybody off at some point. You only have so big, so large an emotional reservoir, it gets filled up, you say okay, I get it, I don't need to see any more. You've made your point. And, by the way, it is obvious that the there is a point. There is an agenda behind the release of these photos.

With the exception of one person, everyone I have talked with is totally turned off with the major media handling of this situation. They know that this part of the media is the unpaid, "kazillion dollar" gift to the goals of the DNC and when the security of America and Americans is at stake, this makes people mad and turns them off. I hear that many have stopped watching. Those who put their countrymen/women at risk of death and destruction for political gain are the most despicable people on earth. Some of these folks are just naive but, I believe that most do not care. However, if they achieve their goals, they will live to care but it will be too late when the consequences of destroying their nation comes to pass. When I look at the little children in America, the 4 and 5 year olds, I do not know what is facing them if we do not win this war against these terrorists. WE MUST WIN. Iraq must become free so that it can be a beacon light of freedom for that part of the world. If you are interested, Rita Cosby will be interviewing Thomas Hamill, the POW, who escaped from his captors over there a couple of weeks ago. I think this will be aired at 9 p.m. this evening. He will tell of his experience and gives his views on the situation. Also, something else we, as individuals can do, is to send care boxes to any soldiers serving over there. We went to Sam's yesterday and bought some boxes of snacks, wet-wipes and AAA and AA batteries to send to ours. We are told they can also use DVD movies.
The other thing I will be looking into is how I can send things to help the Iraqi children. Gary Sinise (got information from THE FACTOR) has begun an organization for this. Anyone interested can go to operationiraqichildren.org to learn how to help. Let the world know that we do not just talk here, we take action to do good to help the helpless in any nation and especially the children.

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