Limbaugh, Beck assign political motives to response to swine flu

from http://mediamatters.org/items/200904270039?f=h_top

Summary: Rush Limbaugh claimed that the Obama administration's response to cases of swine flu in the U.S. "is designed to expand the role and power of governments and schools," while Glenn Beck said the motivation behind the response "could be to move [President Obama's] Health and Human Services person into the office rapidly."

Following the confirmation of swine flu cases in the United States, radio hosts Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, and Fred Thompson purported to detect possible political motivations in the U.S. and United Nations' handling of the situation, with Limbaugh suggesting on his April 27 show that the official response "is designed to expand the role and power of governments and schools" and accusing the media of "fall[ing] right in line here with amplifying the nature of the crisis."

Also on April 27, Beck asserted that there are "only two ways to look at" the government's response to the swine flu. First, he claimed that it "could be that because Barack Obama's administration is so incredibly efficient, could be that they know that this is much worse than we think it is." Second, Beck claimed the administration's response to the crisis "could be to move his Health and Human Services person [Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius] into the office rapidly." He added: "She can be confirmed right out of the gate because of this swine flu. So don't look over here, look at the swine flu, look at the swine flu, look at the swine flu. And she just goes right through the gate."

The website for Westwood One's Fred Thompson Show displayed a poll question that asked: "Do you feel the Obama administration is overreacting to the swine flu for political purposes?"

From the April 27 edition of Premiere Radio Networks' The Rush Limbaugh Show:

LIMBAUGH: The grand poobah of the United Nations now warning of a worldwide swine flu pandemic -- worldwide. And people in some states are being told to go -- not to go outside, as though that's gonna -- don't go outside. Anyway, ladies and gentleman, I'm -- you're panicked? Well, your daughter's going to New York City this week? What is it, some school trip? Yeah, well, that alone is reason not to let her go; who knows what the school's going to do with your kid once they get them to New York City.

You're worried about the flu up there? They got eight cases of it up there. Yeah, I know, I have to go to Los Angeles tomorrow. Well, no, I -- no, I -- it would not stop me from -- we've got 40 cases. We have 40 cases; we've got the U.N. chief -- I tell you, there's -- the way our culture and society works, I mean, this is being -- "Oh, Christ, it's a pandemic."

All of this is by design. It's designed to get people to respond to government orders, not to do things -- or to do things. It is designed to expand the role and power of governments and schools. I'm -- and the media, of course, just falls right in line here with amplifying the nature of the crisis.

I mean, at any one time, how many people in this country have the flu? I mean, the flu is a common thing. People take flu shots for it. Some do; some don't. But at any one time, we have 40 cases of flu in this country anyway?

"That's right. That's true, Mr. Limbaugh, but this is the swine flu." So? "Well, it's a worse strain." Worse strain. Fine, OK.

And it's sad to see so many people want to follow along and fall in line with all this.

From the April 27 broadcast of Premiere Radio Networks' The Glenn Beck Program:

BECK: Let me go to Travis. Hello, Travis, you're on The Glenn Beck Program. Line one -- hello, Travis.

CALLER: Can you hear me?

BECK: Yes I can, sir.

CALLER: OK. Just a quick comment there. I was reading this right-wing extremist magazine called Fusion where they talk about the Constitution and crazy stuff.

BECK: Yes.

CALLER: And I learned a little something about declaring a state of emergency, and which I thought was, you know, very enlightening and all. And then yesterday I see in the news the swine flu has affected 20 people in our country out of 300 million, and now we've got a state of emergency again. And I'm just wondering what these powers are being used to do. You know, we don't hear anything about this -

BECK: Well, I -- I will -

CALLER: -- in the mainstream media in regards to why it's a -

BECK: State of an emergency.

CALLER: Yes, exactly.

BECK: Well, I will tell you this. There's only two ways to look at, and we're going to look at it both ways later on in this broadcast today and also tonight with some of the experts. There's only two ways to look at this. Our government is moving wildly fast. Unlike anything we -- I mean, we did the research last night, and we went back to the AIDS epidemic --all the way back, looking at all the different things. They've never moved this quickly.

So, that could be that because Barack Obama's administration is so incredibly efficient, could be that they know that this is much worse than we think it is. Or, what was it Rahm Emanuel said, Stu? "A crisis is a horrible thing to waste." Do you realize that we don't have any of the Health and Human Services people? Out of the 19 appointments, he has appointed zero.

This could be to move his Health and Human Services person into the office rapidly. She's supposed -- she's supposed to go through more confirmation hearings today, I think. She can be confirmed right out of the gate because of this swine flu. So don't look over here, look at the swine flu, look at the swine flu, look at the swine flu. And she just goes right through the gate.

— C.S.