Pro-lifers used talk radio to turn the tables on an abortion clinic this week.
"In order to drown out pro-life 'sidewalk counselors' outside," Robert Stacy McCain reported, "the owner of the Northern Illinois Women's Center in Rockford was blaring WNTA-AM 1330 through loudspeakers."
One of those counselors called the station to let them know, prompting the on-air D.J., Doug McDuff, to start chanting, "God bless pro-lifers!" over the air.
Pretty clever, but Rick Sanchez is unconvinced. The CNN host impugned the intelligence of radio listeners on his show last Friday, by mocking popular hosts, "many" of whom, Sanchez declared, "don't even have a college degree."
It's true that Rush Limbaugh didn't finish college. It's also a fact that he's more popular than Sanchez and less prone to making embarrassing on-air gaffs – like Sanchez's inability to find Hawaii on a map during a live broadcast about the state's March earthquake.
TRENDING: Jihad against Christians is due to … climate change?
Rush Limbaugh
A new week ushered in a new non-controversy about Rush Limbaugh, who was criticized for referring to the late George Steinbrenner as a "cracker." The satirical comment was clearly mocking video of a New Black Panther party member calling for the murder of (white) "cracker babies."
As usual, Limbaugh reacted with aplomb, pointing out that the media is so out of touch they didn't even recognize the Panthers reference; after all, it is a story they've been trying to ignore.
Proving that the establishment is more obsessed with Rush than they are with threats of racist infanticide, Vice President Joe Biden used his appearance on the Jay Leno show to joke about shipping Limbaugh to Russia as part of that "spy swap" (FREE video clip).
Rush was at his best when he slammed President Obama for declaring that we are fighting al-Qaida because they are "racist" (FREE webcam).
"He is speaking of this group as though they are just another group of political opponents of his, not murderous terrorists!" Limbaugh exclaimed. "Obama does not express outrage that Africans are dying so much as he expresses outrage that [al-Qaida] is targeting Africa without considering the long-term consequences of their actions. This is the brightest, most intelligent president we've ever had?"
Sean Hannity
Sean Hannity took a weird call from a woman calling herself "Sister Rita X." Hannity remembered her as one of Rush Limbaugh's most notorious callers; this week she phoned Hannity to explain her theory that African-Americans are "the real Jews of the Bible" (FREE audio).
Just posted: Sean Hannity's appearance on the highly successful "Troopathon 2010," which sends care packages to troops stationed abroad – a cause that's dear to Hannity's heart (FREE video).
WND's Editor and CEO Joseph Farah joined Hannity to counter the NAACP's trumped-up charges of "racism" against the tea party.
"I've watched hundreds of hours of tea-party protest video and haven't seen any incidents of racism. All we have here is an empty allegation," Farah said. "I can tell you, as someone who has written a book about this, I have had to look through thousands upon thousands of pictures of signs and posters that tea partiers displayed – not once did I see any that showed even the slightest hint of racism."
Mark Levin
Mark Levin was interviewed by blogging pioneer turned videocaster Glenn Reynolds for PJTV.com. Levin emphasized the need for America to return to constitutional principles and opined on the New Black Panther voter-intimidation case (FREE video).
Back on his own show, Levin spoke to listener favorite Marco Rubio, who is running to defeat Charlie Crist as U.S. senator from Florida (FREE audio).
An undisputed highlight of the week came from a caller who told Levin, "You've given me my father back."
The man explained he has bonded with his father, who has Alzheimer's, by sharing Levin's book "Liberty and Tyranny" with him and using it to engage in conversation (FREE audio).
Laura Ingraham
Laura Ingraham's new book, "The Obama Diaries," came out this week and has been in the Amazon Top 10 since it was released. Ingraham made the rounds to promote the book, appearing on programs like NBC's "Today Show" (FREE video):
At National Review Online's "The Corner" blog, Kathryn Jean Lopez raved, "'The Obama Diaries' is actually two books in one – a rallying call to action in the tradition of her previous 'Power to the People' and a clever, entertaining, let's-laugh-instead-of-cry-while-we-keep-fighting summer read from a woman who's done a bit of successful fighting in her life."
Back on her own radio show, Ingraham shared "a NYT census sob story," talked to Governor Tim Pawlenty about the catastrophic national debt, and condemned new proposals to teach sex education in kindergarten (FREE audio).
Michael Savage
There may be a new prime minister at 10 Downing Street, but Michael Savage is still banned in Britain (FREE audio).
In 2009, Savage – along with Muslim terrorists and neo-Nazis – was named one of 16 "undesirables" deemed unfit to enter the country by then–Home Secretary Jacqui Smith.
The office of the new prime minister, David Cameron, has reportedly told Savage he must still "repudiate" certain statements he's made on the air, but hasn't actually told Savage what statements in particular he found objectionable.
"All governments are essentially amoral," Savage told the Washington Times this week. "They are still pandering to the Muslim masses."
Savage welcomed Laura Ingraham on the air for a lengthy interview about her new satirical book, "The Obama Diaries." She talked about the ban on Savage and mused about a possibility of a renewed "Fairness Doctrine" here in the U.S. (FREE audio).
Glenn Beck
"When will Glenn Beck tell the truth about Islam?" wondered David Swindle at David Horowitz's NewsReal blog.
His accusations of "whitewashing" prompted a heated and lengthy debate in the comments (FREE video).
Beck was taking it from all sides this week, as guest Leigh Anne Tuohy (who was played by Sandra Bullock in the movie "The Blind Side") questioned Beck's intelligence (FREE webcam).
"I don't think I've ever been so offended by a First Lady," Beck told listeners today, discussing Michelle Obama's decision to wear a white dress covered in black splotches while visiting the Gulf (it looks like oil was spilled on it, get it?) (FREE webcam).
An unflattering profile in the Fairfield Weekly revealed Beck's "early history in Connecticut" radio and included a former colleague who remembered, "We used to say he's going to be either a cult leader or a failure."
Finally, on the left side of the dial ...
It was hard to choose just one liberal on-air meltdown this week. Randi Rhodes compared Rush Limbaugh to Fred Phelps of the Westboro Baptist Church, while Bill Press scolded "spoiled Americans" for failing to recognize the greatness of President Obama (while overlooking the fact that, presumably, these same "spoiled Americans" were the ones who voted for Obama in the first place).
It is always difficult, however, for anyone to challenge Ed Schultz when it comes to unhinged rhetoric, and this week was no exception.
Yesterday, Ed Schultz called Republicans "anti-American" and conservative talk radio hosts "psycho-talkers."
He also turned his vitriol onto liberals, however, shouting, "Look, Democrats, I'm your best friend. I've been across the country. I've taken thousands of e-mails. Our team works 16 hours a day. We do a TV and a radio show. I'm trying to tell you what the hell's going on! But you sit back! And Harry [Reid], you are ball-less" (FREE audio).
Yet another indication that the Democrats are turning on each other; the fallout will be interesting to watch in November.