Ben Smith hints darkly that this is a ploy by Rush to turn up the heat on Obama for not adopting a shelter dog, as he promised he would. I’m skeptical. Listen to the clips and judge for yourself. There’s nothing political about them; all I hear is a guy who loves animals — cats, specifically, to his eternal credit — performing a service for a good cause. (Hard to believe though it may be for some, he actually is a human being.) Besides, there’s no political mileage to be had from picking a fight as petty as the one Smith imagines, or at least not enough to make it worth Limbaugh’s while to become a full-fledged spokesman for some group. Or am I out of the loop and the shelter thing is something he’s been hammering Obama for on his show?

Exit question: Does this mean we’re the party of cat-lovers now? Awesome.