During a recent broadcast, Rush Limbaugh said,
If I wanted Obama to succeed, I'd be happy the Republicans have laid down. And I would be encouraging Republicans to lay down and support him. Look, what he's talking about is the absorption of as much of the private sector by the US government as possible, from the banking business, to the mortgage industry, the automobile business, to health care. I do not want the government in charge of all of these things. I don't want this to work. So I'm thinking of replying to the guy, "Okay, I'll send you a response, but I don't need 400 words, I need four: I hope he fails." (interruption) What are you laughing at? See, here's the point. Everybody thinks it's outrageous to say. Look, even my staff, "Oh, you can't do that." Why not? Why is it any different, what's new, what is unfair about my saying I hope liberalism fails? Liberalism is our problem. Liberalism is what's gotten us dangerously close to the precipice here. Why do I want more of it? I don't care what the Drive-By story is. I would be honored if the Drive-By Media headlined me all day long: "Limbaugh: I Hope Obama Fails." Somebody's gotta say it.Taking the tone of the "drive-by media," the Democratic Party Congressional Campaign Committee launched an online petition:
Last week, Rush Limbaugh actually said that he "hopes" President Obama fails to meet America’s challenges.Hardly a candid analysis, since it bears little resemblance to what Mr. Limbaugh actually said. Nor is it a very effective suggestion, since it does not seem likely that many of Mr. Limbaugh's fan club members visit the DPCCC web site.Jobs, health care, our place in the world — the stakes for our nation are high and every American needs President Obama to succeed.
Stand strong against Rush Limbaugh’s Attacks — sign our petition, telling Rush what you think of his attacks on President Obama. We’ll send Limbaugh your comments.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Tommy Mack
Rush’s opinions are codswallop.
Rush himself is a showman. That is all he is. He dreams up stuff like pretending that congress is considering resurrecting the Fairness Doctrine, calls it “the Hush Rush Bill,” and repeats it often enough that it gets conservatives like Washington Post columnist George Will to write about that bogus allegation as if it was fact.
That’s showmanship.
Tommy
2 - Dan(Miller)
Tommy,
Commissioner McDowell was also concerned that the "Fairness Doctrine" would be revived under a different and less disparaged name.Of course Mr. Limbaugh is a showman. So, of course, was Will Rogers -- an even funnier showman.
As to the "Fairness Doctrine," FCC Commissioner Robert McDowell
Dan(Miller)
3 - Al Barger
Mr Mack speaks as if you can't be a showman and also be serious about what you're saying - but Rush is quite serious.
Plus of course it's just silly personal distaste to simply say that his opinions are codswallop. Which opinions specifically? Some of them are better than others, but do you wish to assert that everything Rush says is wrong because it's Rush that's saying it? Some of his analysis is dead-on, sometimes he misfires - much like anyone else.
And there certainly ARE Democrats wanting to revive the Fairness Doctrine. And that's not considering the little Obama brownshirts that spent a lot of effort during the campaign to bugger up and intimidate, for starters, radio stations interviewing reporters who were making investigations critical of The One - especially over the Annenberg business.
On a related note, I saw a story (on the Fox News website at that) working from the premise that Rush cracked the whip on the house Republicans and got them all to vote against the so-called "stimulus" bill. But Republican politicians don't ask "how high" when ANY talking head says to jump.
Rush gives sometimes quite eloquent voice to the conservative opposition - but he himself is not the conservative opposition. That would be us rightwing nutjobs across the country.
There are all kind of polling numbers on this, though I don't have any right at hand. But the point is that it appears that a fair sized majority of the public is opposed to this. THAT is why every last Republican voted against it - and even a decent handful of Democrats.
They (and to some extent me included) still like Obama in a general personal way, and particularly his cool-headed temperment. But that doesn't mean he can just do anything he wants and he'll be supported by the public.
The public, all those truck drivers and PTA moms and Walmart clerks, intuit that this huge pork barrel bill is bad medicine. Even without understanding all the intricacies of the financial crackup of the last year, there's a basic general point that pretty much every rational person gets at this point. All across the public and private sectors, we're WAY too much in debt and a thousand different directions, and it's come crashing down on US.
Thus, I suspect that even just your average factory worker pretty much gets that the federal government spending an extra TRILLION or two dollars on top of everything else in this credit crisis recession will be like waking up with an ugly hangover and deciding that the best cure is to suck down a couple more bottles of Jim Beam.
4 - Brunelleschi
Rush has made it very clear that he has no interest in being fair and he wants the president to fail.
He's an un American fathead.
Daytime talk radio is full of hateful Rush clones.
Forget the Patriot Act.
Deal with Rush the way the Russians would, poison and a slow, painful death. Then let's see how many keep going on with all their hate-stirring.
5 - Clavos
Deal with Rush the way the Russians would, poison and a slow, painful death.
Who's "unamerican?"
6 - Baronius
I've got nothing extra to add. I just wanted to agree with Clavos. Bruno calls for the death of opposition press - how can I ever take him seriously again?
7 - Al Barger
Yeah there Brunelleschi, methinks that besides some pathological hatred, you have a f'd up idea of what constitutes being "fair" and little interest in being truthful about what Rush said.
Rush was quite clear not that he wants Obama to fail to make the country strong. He ALWAYS wants that. Which is why he wants Obama to fail at instituting socialism, because he thinks that Obama being successful at that would work to the great detriment of the country.
And being "fair" doesn't mean just agreeing with whatever dumb pinko crap that the POTUS comes up with.
8 - Dan(Miller)
There is no, absolutely no, truth to the rumor that Speaker Pelosi plans to take showmanship lessons from Mr. Limbaugh. In fact, it was reported that
Perhaps Speaker Pelosi should consider taking lessons from Mr. Limbaugh. On the other hand, perhaps she agrees with Brunelleschi on the best way to deal with Mr. Limbaugh. That wouldn't be completely surprising.Dan(Miller)
9 - Brunelleschi
He's just one fucktard. Knock him off and the rest will get quiet.
Not bad really.
10 - zingzing
"from the banking business, to the mortgage industry, the automobile business..."
bush, bush, bush. bush did these things. does it make him a socialist? dunno... i don't like these bailouts anymore than anyone else, but why is it that both sides of the aisle are doing this? maybe they can't see any other way out. i dunno.
"I think that his intended path was easily discernible even during the election campaign; it is becoming increasingly clear that some of the paths he is trying to run down are not the paths which many would prefer."
what really makes you think he's trying to nationalize all of these industries any more than when bush was doing the same thing?
it seems rather foolish to suddenly jump on obama for doing the very same thing that bush was doing 2 weeks ago, doesn't it?
i'm rather confused by rush's stance... and by a lot of yours. what's different here from 2 weeks ago?
11 - zingzing
baronius: "I just wanted to agree with Clavos. Bruno calls for the death of opposition press - how can I ever take him seriously again?"
good god. do you really think he was calling for the guy's death? how thick does sarcasm have to be before conservatives get it?
12 - Baronius
Zing, for the last year or so, Rush was denouncing Bush for doing these exact same things. The only legislative resistance to Bush and Obama came from the Republicans in the House and almost nobody in the Senate.
13 - Baronius
Zing, Bruno has also said that he doesn't care if Franken steals the election, as long as he gets seated in the Senate. My faith in his judgement is pretty low.
14 - Brunelleschi
What's 200 votes here and there?
Don't forget Bush in 2000.
15 - Dan(Miller)
Like him or not, Mr. Limbaugh is certainly getting a lot of attention for a mere showman.
Perhaps Speaker Pelosi really should take lessons from Mr. LimbaughDan(Miller)
16 - Jordan Richardson
"He is exaggerating the effects of the disease. He's moving all around and shaking and it's purely an act...This is really shameless of Michael J. Fox. Either he didn't take his medication or he's acting."
"And don't forget, Sherrod Brown is black. There's a racial component here, too. And now, the newspaper that I'm reading all this from is The New York Times, and they, of course, don't mention that." (Sherrod Brown is white)
"I mean, let's face it, we didn't have slavery in this country for over 100 years because it was a bad thing. Quite the opposite: slavery built the South. I'm not saying we should bring it back; I'm just saying it had its merits. For one thing, the streets were safer after dark."
"Take that bone out of your nose and call me back." (to an African American female caller)
Yeah, that Rush is really something...
17 - Al Barger
Zingzing sez ""from the banking business, to the mortgage industry, the automobile business..."
bush, bush, bush. bush did these things. does it make him a socialist?"
YES
18 - Arch Conservative
The Democrats and loony libs are betting that they can reinstate the Fascist Doctrine thereby silencing the opposition through big brother's boot.
That's how they roll..........
19 - Brunelleschi
I wish they would hurry up.
I'm a Utilitarian. Stopping a few idiots for the greatest pleasure of a lot of people is logical.
Just make an example of Rush. No one will miss him and the rest will STFU!
20 - Al Barger
Brunelleschi, one charitably assumes that you're simply being facetious. However, let's follow your scenario for a minute, since you want to play. Note that it's the rightwing nutjobs that are most of the ones that have guns and know how to use them. They would not be a segment of society that would react by cowering in fear.
It's cool for you to talk some trash anonymously on an internet comment thread, but in reality your leftwingers do NOT want to give a bunch of paranoid gun totin' hilljacks actual good reason for their paranoia. We'd have trouble right here in River City.
21 - Tommy Mack
The modifier “mere” is yours, Dan. I complimented Limbaugh as a showman and admire his showmanship. In his father and grandfather’s time, Limbaugh would have been a celebrated Bundt spokesperson. His phony nationalism and zealous conservative rhetoric plays well to his AM (amplitude modulation) audience. No audience, no show.
And Al, buddy, referring to yourself as one of “us rightwing nutjobs” takes away from any argument you present. Stop it. Be proud of being a conservative and enjoy Fox News. Besides, you are correct (as opposed to Right), Rush is quite serious. He has sponsors to pay for that pretense and has made a lot of money.
In fairness, then, I will admit that Rush is a pretty good actor, too. He plays his role well and convinces people he is the character he plays. He is not phony, he is just acting.
Have fun, friends.
Tommy
22 - Dan(Miller)
Tommy,
You said, in Comment #1, Rush himself is a showman. That is all he is.
Dan(Miller)
23 - Tommy Mack
That is "Bund" not "Bundt."
In the words of Charlie Brown, "Oh, good grief."
TM
24 - Tommy Mack
Indeed, I did.
Tag, I'm it.
TM
25 - Clavos
Apparently, Rush must also be a follower and disciple of Franz Mesmer. Nothing else could explain his spooky ability to have the entire Republican congressional caucus follow his bidding so slavishly.
Egad, the man is superhuman.