The Tall Trees

In the category of "Coulter Award Nominees"---or, just one example of Why I Didn't Leave The Republican Party, It Temporarily Left Me---here's Rush Limbaugh from August 12 (from MM via Digby):

We just had Stephen Breyer saying, oh, yeah, totally appropriate, we must import what they're doing around the world in other democracies, it will help buttress their attempt to establish the rule of law, and we might learn something, too. Well, here's something I'd like to import. I'd like to import the ability that the Brits are doing to export and deport a bunch of hate-rhetoric filled mullahs and imams that are stoking anti-American sentiment. Wouldn't it be great if anybody who speaks out against this country, to kick them out of the country? Anybody that threatens this country, kick 'em out. We'd get rid of Michael Moore, we'd get rid of half the Democratic Party if we would just import that law. That would be fabulous. The Supreme Court ought to look into this. Absolutely brilliant idea out there.

Listen, Rush has had a few difficult years. He's probably getting a little bitter about it all. And I haven't listened to him in many years, so I don't know if this sort of stuff is par for the course with him or not. But someone---in a sensible world, it would be his employer---needs to explain to this person that with a microphone and a paycheck comes at least a shred of responsibility. Or am I forgetting why he's so popular?

Of course, as a shining example of the "courage behind a microphone or keyboard" dynamic we're seeing so much of right now, one wouldn't expect Rush himself to actually participate in any of that deporting.

When you have no compunction about stating to millions of people that it's a fantastic idea to physically get rid of a large part of the population that annoys you, is it really such a stretch from there to one day inciting your listeners with an Americanized call to "cut down the tall trees"?