Rush to Judgment: Why Cartoonists Love Limbaugh

To many cartoonists, the return of Rush Limbaugh to the headlines, and center stage, is a welcome sight indeed. The ever-polarizing Rush comes bundled with his own backstory, his own symbolism and his own gravitational pull. Plus, for many, he's just plain fun to caricature.

Rush struts up at an opportune time. Obama, by contrast, hasn't been terribly easy to get a satiric handle on, numerous cartoonists tell Comic Riffs. Steve Breen and Mike Luckovich have cited his handsomeness and his political coolness as less than ideal traits for lampooning. And the economy isn't exactly a barrel of satiric laughs.

Like manna from media heaven strolls old friend Rush the GOP's Quasi-Leader, if you believe some of his fellow "punditainers." And even better, he's kind enough to bring a Michael Steele kerfuffle to the grand ol' party. For some liberal cartoonists especially, this is cause for cartoon rejoicing and much pointed merriment.

Says the Seattle P-I's left-leaning David Horsey, during a longer interview (see previous post): "For me, his ideology...his physical space and body and his bombastic personality make him utterly perfect for caricature. He says outrageous things -- and he's got the snarling face."

Today, we showcase a handful of recent Rush cartoons:

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