Rush just delivers the official talking points. He is not out their on his own. Anyone who speaks against Rush also speaks against the GOP.

The GOP is more of a top down secret society than an open party.

As I read more and more items like this one, I have two disturbing thoughts.

1. The morons have the numbers (cf Kornbluth's classic story 'The Marching Morons').

2. There is nothing more dangerous than a cornered rat.

This morning, Matt Lauer had an odd take on the situation. He said we should merely excuse Limbaugh because, well, he is who he is, but does Obama really want to take him on? If it brings attention to stories like Gingrey and Pence, I say You Betcha.

"all the crazy ass things he says"

Well, those of the liberal-progressive persuasion think Mr Limbaugh says crazy ass things. But Limbaugh has been elevated to Respected Commentator status in the MSM. His program is a primary outlet for the Republican Leadership, including the former veep, Dick Cheney. He's on the teevee, in respectable daily print publications, and of course, on talk radio.

This won't be changing any time soon. So, the big question is: will a majority of Americans judge that Limbaugh's rhetoric is offensive, or will they simply decide that, given how he and his point of view are heard everywhere, that this is the way they're supposed to think?

I.e., how dumb are we?

This is good news for the Dems.

Repubs are devoting more and more effort to policing the party-line and weeding out heretics.

As opposed to reaching out to pull in undecideds, conservative Dems, independents and so on.

Which suggests the Repubs are less and less a political party with mass appeal and more a cult.

Amazing -- just a few years ago, Rove was talking about a permanent Repub majority.

Gee, if only Limbaugh were ordained, then the MSM and Dems would feel free to go after him for all the crazy ass things he's ever said. After all, the repubs have been sitting in the pews at the Church of Rush for a long, long time. They must have noticed.

Gingrey should be thankful that Dick Cheney didn't shoot him in the face. As it is, he's only having to apologize for speaking the truth.

The GOP has for years operated as a criminal syndicate (the GOPranos) in the upper echelons and as a cult in the lower ones. As the various bosses and wiseguys have gotten knocked off via conviction, scandal, and retirement, there's no one to move up in the rank and replace them other than the cult members. It's as if Tony, Silvio, Paulie, etc all got knocked off, and there's no one left to take their place but Chrissie and Jackie Jr.

if rush is #1, wouldn't that knock pence down to #4 in the repub "leadership"?

I suppose I could find the percentage of self-identified Republican voters who respect Rush Limbaugh if I cared enough to look. As it is, I'll just observe that every single thing the GOP is doing right now is tailor-made to permanently alienate independents and moderates.

In a way, Obama doesn't want to take Limbaugh on, not because Obama lacks confidence that he could whip Rush rhetorically, but because Obama may fear that whipping Rush's ass would cause the far right to drop their gloves and their masks and resort to up-front racism. Obama has too much to do as it is without having to spend the next four years tamping down a race war.

I say kudos to Norah:

It's backlash against Obama winning. You see it in hate groups growing and in these House Republicans.

They're scrambling to find their footing. Their angry Obama won and that the Dems are in the majority.

It's really pathetic though to see them endorse Rush, apologize to Rush and then accuse Norah O'Donnel of being Racist for doing what? Asking an
important question?

Rush is a hate-mongerer and I don't know why so many think he's harmless and many think he's a 'brilliant entertainer'.

What's entertaining or amusing about fostering and nurturing the worst, the most debase and bigoted parts of our selves?

What's entertaining or amusing about fostering and nurturing the worst, the most debase and bigoted parts of our selves?

You have to go with the worst, most debased and bigoted selves you have, not the selves you wish you had.

If you can't appeal to the worst, most debased and bigoted parts of some people, there's nothing else you can appeal to.

Washington insiders have a lust for "bipartisan solutions" because that gives Republicans a permanent No vote.

The conservative interests spent decades carefully building up this local culture of sanctimonious boobs and here they are!

Success!

What a display of pathetic blind devotion. Republicans have become the Evil Hare Krishnas, chanting hate speech in some timeless airport of the mundane! Millions of Americans are still stupid, what further can be said about that?

It's quite a caucus the House Republicans have.

If they weren't pussies, they wouldn't be Republicans.
.

But I thought dissent was the highest form of patriotism. At least, that what liberals used to say when they believed their patriotism was being questioned when calling Bush a torturing war criminal. So aren't the House GOP expressing the highest form of love for the country by rejecting this Obamination of a stimulus package? Plus, can't they actually believe that it's bad policy and shouldn't be enacted?

If we're really lucky, the Senate will make this thing even more of an outrageous laughingstock and turn it more into a symbol of inept Democrat governance in the public's mind.

Besides, since you guys believe that thing will actually work, you should be absolutely thrilled that it passed with GOP votes. Why aren't you?

I'm guessing that Osama Bin Laden is also openly rooting for Obama's failure. Does this mean the GOP platform is in alignment with the goals of Al Qaeda? I thought that GOP policies were directly helpful to the terror organization but this is ridiculous. So does this mean that the GOP's platform now is to "hope for failure"? Hoping for Obama's failure - hoping for America's failure, hoping for failed economic and national security policies which leads then to hoping for economic ruin and terror attacks. So the GOP is openly admitting to being anti-American, unpatriotic, traitorous in their Obama opposition? Interesting.

It's all about Sheep .... and battered legislater syndrome. The sheep analogies are perfect. When you have followed for so long and been whacked for so many years and the "leader" goes away, you mill around until a new "leader" appears. Then you follow who whacks you the hardest because if you don't, you get whacked harder and by more.
It means, like others have noted, that there are no elected Republican leaders any more.

^ Wait, you forgot some racial slur in your statement! How about some more tax cuts?! How about a gas tax holiday? Where's Phil Graham, I'm sure he knows what's best! The Republicans had their shot, I'm willing to try an economic rain dance before I listen to any more "conservative" drivel.

Limbaugh is up their as entertainment for his audience. He's just reading the Party's talking points. He's not the source of them.

He's the 'public face' of the extreme right-wing views of the Republican Party. It largely comes from its party leadership. And that breaks down along three lines (parentheses indicate who I think their Presidential candidate choice was) -

Social/Religious Conservatives (Huckabee)
Foreign Policy/Military Hawks (McCain)
Industry (Romney)

Each of these wings are constantly fighting for dominance, and because of the election results, they are fighting largely each other. Let them.

As a liberal or progressive, the best counterstrategy is be aware of them, but focus primarily on working with the new Obama Administration to advocate policy along what's best for the country as a whole.

That's ulitimately what's more important.

Let Limbaugh and the cable/corporate media continue their slagging.

A correctly implemented solution to the each of the various problems the country has will be better in the long term, and the best strategy against this kind of talk, because it will render it politically irrelevant over time.

But I thought dissent was the highest form of patriotism.

Bzzzt! Intentional dishonesty from Chicounsel and water is still wet - news at 11. The drug-soaked fat one and the GOP openly rooting for Obama's failure doesn't equal the left criticizing and pointing out Bush's actual failed policies. Of course, the right screamed about patriotism and fealty to Dear Leader back then - calling the opposition "anti-American" at every turn. Turns out it was the usual projection from the far-right. Nice faction you've aligned yourself with there Chic.

Limbaugh/Palin 2012

House Republicans are all bark and no bite, run around in their own failed rhetoric without any sense of logic, speak really loudly without a stick, and bow down to non-elected celebrities that do more harm than good because they have no vision for America other than romanticing a period of American history that probably never existed. The only way to reach that fantastic time and place, known as, Red America is to apparently continue down a flawed economic path and to pay homage to conservative talk show hosts, because conservative constiuents listen to Rush's opinions and not their elected officials; opinions. What a farce American politics have become. Uninformed voters are to blame.

I thought dissent was the highest form of patriotism.

If it's in good faith. Lets Rush and numbskulls like you who parrot his talking points out right there.

Jackass.

Chicounsel wrote: If we're really lucky, the Senate will make this thing even more of an outrageous laughingstock and turn it more into a symbol of inept Democrat governance in the public's mind.

Sadly for the Republicans, the Bush Administration clown show and its enablers in the Republican Party set such an amazing standard of inept governance that is the Democrats manage not to let a major city drown, blow off warnings of a major terrorist attack, go to war against the wrong country and bungle the resulting occupation, or shoot some poor sap in the face, they'll look good by comparison.

Given that Mr. Limbaugh's mental stability and fractionally-witted rhetoric can best be compared to a gasoline-soaked tire that's just been exposed to an open flame, and that the Republicans are demonstrating a suicidally-addictive, kamikaze-esque willingness to tie Mr. Limbaugh around their clearly-unpatriotic necks, I can only offer four words before we all sit down and watch the voluntary immolation of the GOP:

Pass the popcorn, please....

"The larger issue, however, is that Mike Pence is a moron, and any movement that would hold the guy up as a hero is bankrupt... He has no grasp, whatsoever, of public policy issues. And yet I can only gather from the fact that his colleagues have elevated him to a leadership post, that a large faction of them are actually so much stupider than Pence that they don't realize how dumb he is. But it's really staggering."

If you think those guys are morons, you should hear their followers - the ones who think these guys are smart enough to be leaders that they vote them into office. I have a hobby that seems to attract more than its share of far right-wingers, and these guys are still claiming Obama is a secret Muslim. Confronting them with facts that are sourced so they can examine for themselves does nothing. Their granite brains are completely impermeable - I doubt you could get an idea in there with a jackhammer. Compared to his voters, Pence probably does appear smart.

Boobus Americanus really does exist.

He hears his masters voice (picture of little white dog and victrola here).

"This morning, Matt Lauer had an odd take on the situation. He said we should merely excuse Limbaugh because, well, he is who he is"

This is at the heart of what Obama has done. The problem with Rush and his ilk is that they're allowed to be serious voices in the political discourse, but not held accountable for their comments because "they're just talk radio guys" or something.

Mike

"I don't think Rush Limbaugh has a racist bone in his body ..."

LOL. What an idiot!

How about a sexist bone? Does he have one of those? Or does all that Oxycontin keep it flaccid.

TCinLA hits it. There are a lot of dim bulbs out there.

Rush is a hate-mongerer and I don't know why so many think he's harmless and many think he's a 'brilliant entertainer'.

I have thought him to be one of the most harmful people in this country over the last 10 years. This is because he is so listened to by so many sheeple. By own dear brother (no dim bulb, with a Master's degree, a metereological software engineer) used to listen to him. Still might -- I don't have the heart to ask.

Brilliant? Effective for his own benefit. $400 million? Are you kidding me?

But I will agree with others that if given this prominence, it will be a shot in the foot for the right. Having Rush seduce the gullible ignorant is what he does and has done. They are easy to lock up for the right. Garnering such attention and associating himself so prominently with the mainstream right will ultimately push away the moderates and independents.

I suppose if Rush was asking us to pick up our machetes and go house to house cutting up Liberals and Democrats he would still be a brilliant entertainer.

When you run to kiss the ring of Hutu radio you're on the wrong side of history. Republicans are setting themselves up to be mocked and ridiculed for the next 50 years.

Hutu radio.

I'm going to use that. Unfortunately, I doubt that Dittoheads would understand the reference.

I have relatives that actually listen to Limbaugh. Does anyone know of a site that reviews and rebutts Limbaugh? I might want to attempt an intervention to save the family name, but I can't bring myself to actually listen to the twit.

The drug-soaked fat one and the GOP openly rooting for Obama's failure doesn't equal the left criticizing and pointing out Bush's actual failed policies.

Posted by: ckelly on January 29, 2009 at 12:17 PM |

What's the difference between the two? Can't I engage in "criticizing" the One's policies as much as you did Bush's?

It's not really that suprising considering how low turnout is at primaries and how far right the GOP has been pulled. Just about the only Republicans who can make it through the primary process are the ones who are a bit wacko.

I expect "moderate Republicans" to be added to the endangered species list any day now!

"I don't think Rush Limbaugh has a racist bone in his body ..."

Well I don't think he has a boner (left) in his blob of a body. Hence the little purple pills before his rendezvous with underage boys.

Chico Unsel: What's the difference between [openly rooting for Obama's failure...(and) criticizing and pointing out Bush's actual failed policies]? Can't I engage in "criticizing" the One's policies as much as you did Bush's?

If and when they fail, of course. (Are you sure you've been to law school?)

From today's Rasmussen Report:

Forty-two percent (42%) of the nation’s likely voters now support the president’s plan, roughly one-third of which is tax cuts with the rest new government spending. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 39% are opposed to it and 19% are undecided. Liberal voters overwhelmingly support the plan while conservatives are strongly opposed.

Last week, support for the President’s plan was at 45% and opposition at 34%."

Excellent, the longer the Obamination stimulus plan is debated, the more the public opposition to it will grow. By the time it gets to the One's desk, if it ever gets there, he may have to pocket veto it. lol

Plus, can't they actually believe that it's bad policy and shouldn't be enacted?

Sure, you can believe whatever idiotic thing you want. You can believe that evolution never happened. You can believe that aliens abducted you and shoved probes up your butt. You can believe that the Queen of England runs drugs.

However, no one is required to buy into your idiotic belief just to make you happy. If you believe that George Bush was the greatest president ever and that we're winning in Iraq, you go right ahead, but don't expect the rest of us to pretend you're right in the face of the mountains of evidence that you're wrong.

Republicans have been running our economy for 12 years, and they've been heavily influential since Reagan. They've driven us into a ditch, but they're convinced that they can fix the problem just by continuing to drive straight down into the ground.

If you don't think we should call a tow truck to get us out of the ditch, that's fine, but don't pout that no one thinks your idea to drive deeper into the ditch is the only possible solution.

Gingrey apparently apologized for his mild criticism because he received a huge torrent of hate email and calls from Limbaugh supporters. What I wonder: Doesn't it terrify these Republican lock-steppers when they realize how easily their "base" can be turned into a lynch mob against them?

Chicounsel wrote: Excellent, the longer the Obamination stimulus plan is debated, the more the public opposition to it will grow.

The ability of Republicans to move public opinion by lying, abetted by their minions in the so-called "liberal media," is not in dispute.

Shame on you for celebrating, much less condoning, the Republicans' dishonest propaganda. Anything for your side to win, eh, Chicounsel? Does it ever occur to you that if your side has to lie all the time, you're not just a pack of losers but one with really terrible policies? No, of course not.

Jackass.

Can't I engage in "criticizing" the One's policies as much as you did Bush's?

Not honestly, obviously.

Pence provides another good example that a very familiar trait of conservative bomb-throwers like Limbaugh (and enablers like Pence) is their adament refusal to take responsibility for the things they say. Limbaugh, as well as many other conservatives, react with outrage if you call them racist for obvious racist comments.

But it's actually must worse than that. Dinesh D'Souza was mentioned earlier. I am reading his book now, and I don't think I've ever read a more dishonest work. It's pure progaganda, and not much good at that since D'Souza seems at war with himself over what he wants to say. At one point he says the war on terror and our own culture war are one and the same. That's because the "cultural left" is entirely responsible for 9/11. Somehow the cultural Left and Osama bin Laudin are in "tacit alliance" (D'Souza's words) against us, even though its the imposition of liberal secular immorality that has insulted Islamic social and religious traditionalists who God-fearing Americans must befriend and emulate, before obliteraing them as enemies to our way of life! Yet, when he is called to account for implicating his fellow citizens as accomplices in murder, D'Souza squeals that he's said no such thing.

Peter Berkowicz in the National Review captures the evasions used by Limbaugh and D'Souza pretty well:

"I’ll focus on the chief criticism that D’Souza aims directly at me, which is that, on a crucial issue, I have put words in his mouth:

At one point, Berkowitz accuses me of holding that “the cultural left presents a threat to America as grave as that posed by radical Islam.� What? The Left is as dangerous to America as al Qaeda, the radical mullahs in Iran, the jihadist insurgents in Iraq, and the worldwide network of radical Islam? Nowhere do I say this, and I challenge Berkowitz to substantiate his allegation.

"I accept D’Souza’s challenge. Let’s begin with page one of The Enemy at Home and its remarkable opening sentences:

In this book I make a claim that will seem startling at the outset. The cultural left in this country is responsible for causing 9/11.

D’Souza’s preliminary elaboration of his thesis carries over to page two:

I am saying that the cultural left and its allies in Congress, the media, Hollywood, the nonprofit sector, and the universities are the primary cause of the volcano of anger toward America that is erupting from the Islamic world.

In his book’s last paragraph, on page 292, D’Souza provides a summation of the “two-front war� in which America is now engaged. It is
a military fight against the radical Muslims abroad and a political battle against the radical left at home. These two forces have formed a strange coalition—a kind of alliance of the vicious and the immoral—and they are now working together against us. We have to recognize this, and take them on simultaneously. There is no way to restore the culture without winning the war on terror. Conversely, the only way to win the war on terror is to win the culture war. Thus we arrive at a sobering truth. In order to crush the Islamic radicals abroad, we must defeat the enemy at home.

The very purpose of D’Souza’s book is to demonstrate that the cultural left is the flame that has ignited and sustained the jihadists’ rage, the source that continues to give life and meaning to the “world wide network of radical Islam.� The cultural left is a threat as grave as radical Islam, on D’Souza’s account, because its conduct drives the jihadists to make war against the United States. But for “the cultural left,� D’Souza says on page two, “9/11 would not have happened.� For readers who are interested in further substantiation, I urge them to consult pages 3-291 of The Enemy at Home.

Shame on you for celebrating, much less condoning, the Republicans' dishonest propaganda. Anything for your side to win, eh, Chicounsel? Does it ever occur to you that if your side has to lie all the time, you're not just a pack of losers but one with really terrible policies? No, of course not.

Jackass.
Posted by: Gregory on January 29, 2009 at 3:19 PM

We don't need to lie to defeat this Obamination.

The GOP "propaganda" consists of nothing more than pointing to provisions that are in the bill and asking the simple question of how will such spending stimulate the economy to justify its inclusion in this emergency stimulus bill.

It is the inability of the supporters of the legislation to offer a coherent defense as to why such spending is necessary that is the main reason the public is beginning to see the Obamination for what it is: A trillion dollars of new government spending that won't have any effect on the economic problems our country is facing.

It's your inability to recognize the difference between truth and lies that make you the jackass, not I. lol

Rush would be a formidable candidate for President. He is clearly the leader of their party when even Congressional leaders kowtow to him. He should run in 2012.

He hasn't held political office, but he has spoken freely for years, so his views are known. I'm certain he would uphold them brilliantly.

Whether the American public would vote for him is questionable. If Obama does well then it would be a hard sell that we should change leaders.

Chicounsel wrote: We don't need to lie to defeat this Obamination.

Then why are you and the Party you shill for lying? Sheer habit?

Ted Frier wrote: it's actually must worse than that. Dinesh D'Souza was mentioned earlier. I am reading his book now, and I don't think I've ever read a more dishonest work.

A movement conservative wrote a dishonest book? You don't say.

The thing that stood out in my mind in Pence's remarks was that limbaugh didn't have a racist bone in his body. If that is so, I would be interested in knowing how limbaugh's behavior would be different if he WERE a racist. If there is no difference, it doesn't make a difference.

Chicounsel: "It is the inability of the supporters of the legislation to offer a coherent defense as to why such spending is necessary that is the main reason the public is beginning to see the Obamination for what it is: A trillion dollars of new government spending that won't have any effect on the economic problems our country is facing."

Obviously you haven't been reading the news in the last month or so. The spending is necessary because no one else has the money to get the economy moving again. And as for whether or not the present bill will do that, I suggest reading the actual CBO report that says, with facts and figures, that, overall, it will. The only reason that you don't see a coherent defense is that you don't look where the stimulus has been defended. You need to get away from Fox news and start reading the reality related news.

Chicounsel: From today's Rasmussen Report:

still can't find even one poll...

not even the rasmussen..

that shows a majority agree with the gop position?

what else is new...

meanwhile..

What Red Ink? Wall Street Paid Hefty Bonuses - NYT 1/28/09

hmmm

Bush Pushed Bailout Loophole On Executive Pay - Wash. Post 12/15/08

anyone surprised?

Chicounsel: The GOP "propaganda" consists of nothing more than pointing to provisions that are in the bill

right...

just like..

the fundamentals are sound...

obama is not a u-s citizen...

palin is qualified...

gop: any suckers left?

lol..