Letterman: 'Bonehead' Limbaugh Looks Like 'Eastern European Gangster'

At the taping late Monday afternoon of CBS's Late Show, host David Letterman asked guest Katie Couric about “this bonehead Rush Limbaugh,” prompting Couric to plead: “Dave, don't do this to me, please! Don't do this to me.” But Letterman was just getting rolling with insults as he asserted Limbaugh's attire on Saturday at CPAC made him look “like an Eastern European gangster.” Focusing on Limbaugh's physical appearance, Letterman recited how Limbaugh's “got the black jacket on, the black silk shirt and it's unbuttoned, like, 'oh yeah, when you think Rush Limbaugh, you think ooh let's see a little flesh.'”

CBS posted the exchange as the “Big Show Highlight” preview for Monday's show. It's now the lead video in rotation on the Late Show's home page where it is displayed under the “Rush in the Flesh” heading. You can also view the Flash video clip from this interior page. [Update: video added to this post]

Audio: MP3 audio clip which matches the video clip (32 secs, 200 Kb).

The relevant portion of the preview clip for the March 2 Late Show with David Letterman:

DAVID LETTERMAN: What about this bonehead Rush Limbaugh? Honest to God, I mean what is going on there?

KATIE COURIC: Dave, don't do this to me, please! Don't do this to me.

LETTERMAN: He gets up in Washington and he's the keynote speaker at some function, and he comes up, he looks like an Eastern European gangster. You know, he's got the black jacket on, the black silk shirt and it's unbuttoned, like, “oh yeah, when you think Rush Limbaugh, you think ooh let's see a little flesh.” [audience laughter] Honestly, you know, what is he doing?

COURIC: On a serious note, although I'm thrown by the Rush Limbaugh flesh in one sentence, but I think it's sort of indicative of this power vacuum that exists right now in the Republican party...