Republicans are killing the goose that laid the golden cud

Limbaugh's got stage four lung cancer and has to take time off to get and recover from treatment.

Trump and company must be freaked out that their most important tool and the horse that brung them is falling apart and may have to drop off for good at any time. Putin has been using talk radio around the world like the old Voice of America and here since at least 2008 when he used Manafort and Limbaugh to push Palin on Mccain. He will also be disappointed to lose the most important weapon in his propaganda operation.

If limbaugh drops off all of a sudden their most unique advantage will fall apart - no one can take his place, much less someone they can trust, to lead messaging on 1500 radio stations, police Republican politicians, and attack their opponents. All those talkers will start going their own way, as they jockey to replace limbaugh and those who replace those who replace limbaugh on different stations.

The ad industry is or will be freaking out too and would be stupid not to adjust. 600 limbaugh stations, many of the loudest in the country, reach a huge number of ears but without limbaugh they'll have to start charging less and owners and managers of those stations will be looking for different alternatives - some of them may decide they need to change programming all together.

But with one disaster after another lining up and a massive election theft to sell, Limbaugh is needed more than ever to make excuses, deflect blame to Democrats, and attack their enemies. They must be pushing him to keep showing up when he should be resting. A lot like the virus that Limbaugh denied for Trump for the last 5 months and thanks to them has killed thousands, they want to reopen too soon.