Rush: Obama Caused Swine Flu

Critics bid farewell to softballs, suspenders

(NEWSER) - Tonight is Larry King’s final show on CNN—Bill Maher and Ryan Seacrest will be in the studio with him, and word has it he’ll be receiving a taped sendoff from President Obama and chat with more than a dozen other mystery guests via satellite. Some 50,000 interviews later, what the critics are saying:

• King’s career “eternally careened between pinnacles of wild success and pits of utter catastrophe,” writes Glenn Garvin in the Kansas City Star . But “it's hard to find anyone of any significance in the past half-century who hasn't sat across the table.”

(NEWSER) - This apparently isn't going away anytime soon. Rush Limbaugh today challenged Barack Obama to a debate on his radio show, Politico reports. “If these guys are so impressed with themselves, and if they are so sure of their correctness, why doesn't President Obama come on my show?" he asked. "We will do a one-on-one debate of ideas and policies.” More»

Rush isn't helping to 'get things done'

(NEWSER) - Meeting with GOP lawmakers to discuss his stimulus plan yesterday, Barack Obama took the opportunity to zing Rush Limbaugh, who said earlier this week that he wasn't one of those conservatives rooting for the new president to succeed, despite their differences. "You can't just listen to Rush Limbaugh and get things done," Obama told the Republicans. A White House official said the comment was meant to push bipartisanship, reports the New York Post. More»

'We're delighted to have radio leader,' says CEO

(NEWSER) - Some women might be considered "sluts" by Rush Limbaugh, but his boss thinks of him as a "king." Despite the ad exodus and female fury after Limbaugh branded law school student Sandra Fluke a slut last month for speaking out for contraceptive health insurance coverage, Clear Channel CEO Bob Pittman tells the AP that Rush is still the "king of radio," adding: "Rush is certainly the leader, and we're delighted to have him." Outrage over Limbaugh's comments was "part of the normal day-to-day of talk radio," said Pittman. "Rush is Rush, and radio is radio." More»

People 'literally fear' for the country, he says

(NEWSER) - After President Obama called out Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck for dispensing "vitriol," Limbaugh is returning fire. (Summary of Obama interview with CBS here .) In an email to Politico , Limbaugh says his popularity isn't dependent on the economy—"I have yet to have a down year at the EIB network"—and disputes Obama's assertion that most Americans are on the president's side. More»