rush limbaugh

–A recent birther poll shows over one in four Americans still think Barack Obama was not born in the United States, and Rush Limbaugh seems to be part of that bandwagon.

–An incredible interview from a listener about the birther Orly Taitz interview, professionalism, and more.

–We call Target for an interview to discuss their large donation to an anti-gay candidate, and do not get very far, but we play both the phone call to Target and the voicemail we received from Target spokesperson Jessica Carlson, as well as plenty of other information about anti-gay donations and opinions coming from the Target CEO, his family, and the Target executive staff.

–Rush Limbaugh and William Shatner debate healthcare in a bizarre interview, and we discuss whether morals can really be removed from the healthcare discussion.

–A hilarious Fox News style ambush gone wrong by Spencer Meads, who cannot seem to stop rubbing his nose, sniffing, and mumbling when confronted by Media Matters employee Ari Rabin-Havt while trying to talk about George Soros to Media Matters employees.

–Senator Ted Stevens is killed in a small plane crash in Alaska, and David Pakman worries about his upcoming small plane flight.

–JetBlue flight attendant Steven Slater abandons his job by swearing at a passenger, grabbing a couple of beers, deploying the emergency exit chute, and sliding down it, and we wonder whether someone who cites carryon baggage as a pet peeve should really be working as a flight attendant.

–Sean Hannity suggests that to annoy liberals, he asks for two plastic bags at the supermarket, and Jedidiah Bila complains about the more expensive cost to supermarkets of phasing out plastic bags while not mentioning the additional cost of Hannity’s two bag plan.

–BP claims the oil spill is essentially almost all fixed up, saying three quarters of the oil and dispersants have been cleaned up, and we wonder if anybody believes that.

–Audience emails about the Terry Jones Koran-burning interview, Elisabeth Hasselbeck’s theory about women turning to lesbianism as they age, a racist email in response to a racist voicemail,and more, as well as new stations airing Midweek Politics.

Social justice movements take more than clicking a link on an online petition, says Paul Rogat Loeb, author of Soul of a Citizen: Living with Conviction in Trying Times. Making change requires getting out in the streets, going door-to-door, and talking to other people face to face. Loeb came to see us in studio to talk about the new edition of his book, about Barack Obama, Glenn Beck, cross-movement alliances and how the Left can reach out to the tea party crowd.

After the passage of the health care bill, windows shattered in the offices of Congressmembers across the country, and Congressmen like Bart Stupak received death threats. Meanwhile, Sarah Palin and others encouraged opponents of the bill to "reload" and "take aim" at health care supporters. Where is the violent rhetoric headed? We ask David Neiwert, author of The Eliminationists: How Hate Talk Radicalized the American Right, what it all means, and why we should take it seriously.

From Media Matters For America, we have this new video on the way the right-wing media remains able to shape policy even while the Republican party's support plummets and Democrats maintain control of Congress. Eric Burns of Media Matters says, "People need to decide how long they will allow the policies of their country to be dictated by a media outlet accountable not to voters or constituents but to ratings."