Dems Keep Up Attacks On Party Of Limbaugh
The Democrats are clearly more than happy to see leading Republican politicians bow down before Rush Limbaugh, with a new Democratic National Committee press release attacking the GOP for siding with Rush on ... transportation and infrastructure.
Specifically, the release from DNC chairman Tim Kaine praises the infrastructure improvements contained in the stimulus bill, and then lambastes Congressional Republicans for voting No on the bill at Rush's urging:
Today, President Obama and Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood unveiled new job-creating infrastructure projects that were made possible by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. These projects are helping put Americans back to work while also investing in repairing our crumbling infrastructure. But, instead of joining Democrats in supporting the President's economic recovery plan, almost every single Republican in Congress chose to follow Rush Limbaugh by voting against a plan that will create or save 3.5 million jobs.
And of course, Kaine reminds us that Michael Steele apologized for offending Limbaugh: "Now, instead of the denouncing Limbaugh's claim that he is rooting for the President to fail, my counterpart at the Republican National Committee proved who is really leading their party -- calling Rush Limbaugh to apologize after courageously criticizing him just this weekend."
In short, the Democrats' new message is that the Republican Party is dominated by an obnoxious bully who wants the country to tank -- and the GOP politicians aren't brave enough to stand up to him.
Josh
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Eric
This keeps getting better and better. Having Rush as the GOP 'leader' will really marginalize the moderates in there.
I've always thought Rush was the caricature of a GOP leader, but now the GOP is unofficially electing him boss. So he's been promoted from mascot/figurehead to defacto leader. And, sh*t, Steele's apology probably promotes him from 'unofficial' to official. So Rush is bar-none the most powerful radio talk show host in history. So the Christian coalition's gone, but the Rush coalition has begun.
March 3, 2009 11:14 AM | Reply | Permalink
P'raps Maureen Dowd is now rethinking that "Obambi" label from last spring... :)
March 3, 2009 11:14 AM | Reply | Permalink
One would hope. But her supply of snark is endless.
March 3, 2009 12:40 PM | Reply | Permalink
Rush is the base of the pawn chain that holds the party together. Always attack the base of the pawn chain. Limit Rush's mobility to self-defense. Limit his followers to defending Limbaugh. Create a litmus test for conservatism based on Limbaugh. Then, everyone asks, "what exactly does Limbaugh stand for?" Hilarity ensues, and they can't mobilize effectively to obstruct the legislative agenda.
March 3, 2009 11:20 AM | Reply | Permalink
This might cause a lot of moderate sensible Republicans (I'm sure there are some) to change their party affiliation to Independent.
March 3, 2009 11:23 AM | Reply | Permalink
The trouble Rush will have being the party leader is that he will be expected to answer questions in the public marketplace of ideas.
Limbaugh succeeds as a know-it-all only because he never has to respond to a challenge, explain himself or justify his rants. Whenever he feels the slightest hint of a challenge, he just interrupts and bulldozes over the voice on the other end of the line, then hangs up.
If you are the face and voice of a major party, it doesn't work that way.
March 3, 2009 11:23 AM | Reply | Permalink
Why the concern over Limbaugh? HE IS A TALK SHOW HOST!! The concern over whether he is the leader of the Republican Party is a hoot! he couldn't lead a group of monks in silent prayer! Unles they were making a trip to the Dominican Republic to relieve a case of 'white eye' and he had the viagra.
March 3, 2009 11:35 AM | Reply | Permalink
The GOP pols have done a poor job in their interactions with Rush Limbaugh.
I have never liked the idea of linking one person to a party. I dislilked it when the Reps did it to the Dems. On the other hand, the GOP is not doing itself any favors by pandering to Rush. At the very least, Democrats never pandered to Michael Moore or whoever else the GOP was trying to label as the face of the entire Democratic Party.
I hope that at the very least, the Obama Administration stays away from such essentializing. It destroys their attempts to elevate politics and to promote bipartisanism.
March 3, 2009 11:37 AM | Reply | Permalink
"I hope that at the very least, the Obama Administration stays away from such essentializing. It destroys their attempts to elevate politics and to promote bipartisanism."
I see what's happening from a different perspective. The olive branch of bipartisanship has pretty much been swatted to the ground by the Republicans. The phase we're in now--that of the GOP deifying Limbaugh--is a necessary next step in getting the party back to a more reality-based philosophy.
The next phase will be to humiliate Limbaugh to such an extent that his followers see that he, indeed, wears no clothes. Once that has been implemented, a new base for bipartisanship will have been created.
It's analogous to the farmer whacking his donkey on the side of its head with a 2X4. You have to get their attention.
March 3, 2009 4:22 PM | Reply | Permalink
Well, at first I was not hot about this idea about elevating the lush. It seems like it plays more to dems and people already anti-republican. However, by the republicans in congress bowing to his altar, and steele doing so, maybe it isn't such a bad idea after all. I actually didn't anticipate that and am surprised to be quite frank. Republicans are elevating his stature as well. It seems kind of bizarre if you ask me.
I guess we shall see how it plays out. It seems to be playing out pretty well so far. I guess I was wrong again.
The last couple of months, and in fact years, have been very strange concerning the republican party. If you would have forecast this implosion in the 80's or 90's people would have thought that you were nuts and off your rocker. It is a sight to behold.
March 3, 2009 11:37 AM | Reply | Permalink
Blog pool on when Steele plays the race card on this issue?
March 3, 2009 11:42 AM | Reply | Permalink
The first time a white Republican announces that Steele "don't be da man no mo."
March 3, 2009 11:53 AM | Reply | Permalink
I saw the excerpts of Rush at CPAC, and he looked like he was just eating all that attention up.
He also looked extremely weird, bouncing around the way he did, but I digress.
All this attention is going to inflate his ego beyond a sustainable degree. And if Republicans want to be the party of Rush Limbaugh, I can practically hear the campaign commercials being designed around that.
March 3, 2009 11:56 AM | Reply | Permalink
Wow. Jindal just praised Steele for having a not so steel spine and caving to Limbaugh.
This would be akin to Democratic Senators and other leaders bowing down to Michael Moore.
March 3, 2009 12:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
Wake me up when Limpballs provides as much actual substance in a year's worth of rants as Moore delivers in any 5 minutes of Fahrenheit 911 or Sicko.
March 3, 2009 12:41 PM | Reply | Permalink
Score it for Rahmbo!
I, too, was a doubter on the ploy to make Rush poster boy for the GOP, but it's looking masterful at the moment.
Given the GOP's propensity for eating its young, this should even more interesting.
March 3, 2009 12:55 PM | Reply | Permalink
The repubs were the first ones who wanted to make media into an arm of govt. It's just one small step (for republi-kind) to make media into govt!
The rush to gov-ment.
March 3, 2009 1:28 PM | Reply | Permalink
Please forgive a conspiratorial comment, but I'm wondering whether there's a masterful long-term plan here beyond the obvious. If Rush is labeled as the leader of the Republican/conservative movement, then it would only take the revelation of a serious "ooops" moment (beyond what is already known about him) to neutralize Rush and the GOP leadership, and demoralize his followers.
What if there are politically savvy individuals in places of influence who have access to incriminating information that they're sitting on until just before the 2010 elections? As just one example, let's say they have evidence linking Rush to unsavory and immoral activities associated with his trips to the Dominican Republic. Is a clever trap being set? One that will be sprung at the most opportune moment?
Again, sorry for the conspiratorial tone -- just wondering.
March 3, 2009 1:44 PM | Reply | Permalink
This reminds me of when you see one of those movies where it's obvious the two main characters are going to fall in love but they spend the first 90 minutes hating each other, and you want to shout, "get a room already."
That's what I feel like saying to the Repugnuts. Just get it over with and make him the chairman of the Republican National Committee.
After all, while I think it's a brilliant strategy for Dems to wrap the GOP in Limbaugh's flag, it only works because that's what they're doing on their own. Just becoming even more marginalized.
March 3, 2009 2:00 PM | Reply | Permalink