GOP Leader Pushes Back Against Limbaugh Line

Over the past few days, talk radio host Rush Limbaugh has been, far and away, the most combative critic of Barack Obama. As Republicans on the Hill compliment the president for his willingness to talk and compromise on the stimulus, the popular conservative firebrand has openly rooted for Obama's failure.

The remarks have created a rather complicated and touchy political dynamic on the Hill, as the GOP tries to avoid a sour-puss, oppositionist label without offending its base. And on Wednesday, Rep. Mike Pence of Indiana tried to walk that tricky line.

Asked whether he shares Rush's hope that Obama will fail, Pence, the no. 3 ranked House Republican and a leader of congressional conservatives, demurred.

"Let me just say, every American hopes that our president is a success," said Pence. "But I agree strongly with Rush Limbaugh that on those issues that President Obama has committed himself to more government or more spending or a departure from traditional values, that I hope Republicans and other leaders around the country will be steady advocates for the American people.

"Everyone hopes that America succeeds and our president succeeds," Pence added, "but Republicans are going to stand for conservative values..."

On a broader level, the Limbaugh tirades reflect the sort of soul-searching journey on which the GOP has embarked. While Senate Republicans seem poised to work with Democrats on a stimulus package, the House side has resolutely toed a partisan line. Earlier in the day, both Pence and Minority Leader John Boehner said they were spending no time whipping votes against to the House stimulus package -- resistance came that easily.

But how sincerely the party wants to embrace the Limbaugh base is a trickier debate. The GOP is holding a retreat this week to plot out its future and the issues it will pursue. Among the headlining guests will be former Gov. Mitt Romney, Gov. Tim Pawlenty, and Gov. Mitch Daniels, said Pence. Asked if Limbaugh was on the invite list, he replied: "Rush Limbaugh would be welcomed at the Republican retreat."

Comments

[bbbtmenw]

@&&#*< PENCE,

Your plans are all the same, and benefit the rich, while leaving the rest of us high and dry and out of work.

Your ideas benefit a small group and you can't even think of others, "we" think of everyone, ALL AMERICANS.

Your values are for sale, mine are not.

Your values seem to change depending on the day, mine stay the same and strong.

Your help always needs to be bought with PORK.

Your ideas are the same as what got us into this mess, "ours" are new and help everyone.

Your actions are always different than what you say....HYPOCRITES

WE help others and don't need bribes to do so. The President is doing what he said he would do in the campaign, and your side LOST. Your ideas weren't appealing enough to everyone.

[bbbtmenw]

@&&#*

[sl26]

HA HA HA Traditional values? Like cut taxes, borrow, and then spend. Spend on their banker and CEO friends. Now that's change I can believe in!

[javaz]

Isn't Rush on Army Radio and broadcast to the troops?

Didn't Rush say a few years back that Liberals were hoping for troops to fail in Iraq and cheering troop casualties?

I wonder how the troops feel now, hearing Rush - the GOP spokesman - saying that he wishes that President Obama fails, and any Republican who wishes him success is not a real Republican?

Anyone recall when Clinton was Commander in Chief, and a soldier refused to salute him, and Rush and O'Reilly praised that soldier for his courage for standing behind his moral beliefs?
Clinton graciously shrugged it off at the time, even though the soldier could have gotten a set down for his insubordination.

Is Rush telling the troops to refuse to accept President Obama as their Commander in Chief, and if so, is this un American?

[Laura Mendoza]

Good point

[Eris23Skidoo]

Man when I was in the Army if I had tried to not salute the commander in chief I would have been put in chains. What was that guy thinking? Rush was encouraging insurrection and mutiny. You can't yell FIRE in a crowded theatre, that is one of the few limits we have on freedom of speech. You also cannot incite riots, insurrection, mutiny or violent rebellion. All of those are threats to the rule of law, and all, though they might sound like fun, lead to the collective failure of everyone. Rush should be in jail, as should that soldier who refused to salute. Hearing about this episode just gives me even more respect for Bill Clinton. It is not necessary to respond to every threat.

[Shozen]

Given how the House Republicans voted today on the stimulus. "Push Back" takes on whole new meaning when added to the words "to go down."

[breakingpoint]

Rush Limbaugh = Tokyo Rose

[booker52]

Rush is a jerk and his comments reflect this.

[JNagarya]

Limbaugh is NOT a CONSERVATIVE. He is a far-right lunatic fringe demogogue who represents only the mega-wealthy.

And tax cuts for the mega-wealthy are NOT traditional values.

The "Declaration of Independence," and the Constitution, are traditional values -- and the triumph of PROGRESSIVE values over "conservative".

[Mavin1620]

This has been going on for 20 years, so tax cuts for the mega-wealthy ARE NOW traditional GOP values.

[BeasleysMom]

If he his not a conservative, then the gops need to get him to shut up.

[pokemon]

Rush likes little boys and Oxycotin.

[chicago25624]

As usual not the entire story, and only just the part of the statement that suits their needs. He said if it means more liberalism and bigger government he hopes he fails.

But hey, let's not let the facts get in the way of biggovandbigbrother

[JNagarya]

Let's not forget the fact that the Founders and Framers were LIBERALS. The TORIES were the CONSERVATIVES -- and they OPPOSED independence.

And NOWHERE did the Founders and Framers EVER say anything about the SIZE of gov't. That is a fafke conservative/far-right lunatic fringe/white supremacist complaint not against big gov't, but against civil rights laws AND ENFORCEMENT OF THEM AS TEETH FOR THE FOURTEENTH AMENDMENT.

[Vote2bfree]

When ever I hear Rush speak and he causes me to wince I just remind myself that he is a High School graduate and he flunked out of college. I'll stick with Rachel Maddow as a political pundit and put Limbaugh where he belong: a Radio Talk Show Host paid to stir things up. If he wasn't controversial who would listen to him?

[Sharon Blackburn]

Actually he said something like, his programs will let the government absorb more of the private sector, so I want him to fail. I don't believe the word if was in there. Maybe you can put up a link and we can all read Rush the Messiahs words.

He mischaracterized the program to start, so I guess we could give him a bit of wiggle room, maybe no one read it all to him.

[Eris23Skidoo]

He mischaracterized it on purpose because he wants his listeners to misunderstand what the stimulus is all about. He doesn't want them to be against it on its own merits, he wants them to be misinformed about it so that they will be against it and thinking their opposition is their own idea.

[rfshunt]

There was absolutely no conditional if statement in what Limbaden said. In fact, he made sure to let everybody know that the ONLY CONTEXT was that he wanted Obama to fail. The exact quote:

"I don't need 400 words, I need four: I hope he fails."

That's it in his own words. No ifs, no equivocations, no context required other than those four words. You can backpedal all you want - but that's what he said.

[muffler]

Actaully Obama started with telling the Republican to NOT look to people like Rush to set policy. That was all and I think Obama has effectively started a cascade of introspection. Rush is now the victim of his own devices as no one wants the truth anymore, just the sound bit. Everything comes full circle.

[saltpeter]

It would be hysterical to watch the neocons and the old school conservatives go after each other if it weren't so sad. Problem is the money conservatives have been torn down by the populist conservatives. The "fiscal responsibility, personal accountability" wing of the Republican Party has been overtaken by the hate-mongering willfully ignorant Jesus freak wing who have long ago forgotten their place. Now we have conservative pundits and politician condemning the failed policies and tired tactics of the tools they have used for the last 15 years to create, cultivate, and carry their base for nearly two decades. They forget that the ego of the leaders of the neocon movement (from Rush to Hannity to Palin) won't allow these tools to be done away with that easily. The same conservatives who whine about the hate-filled rhetoric of neo-cons now didn't say boo about the precise same tactics used during the Clinton years and the early days of the Bush years. Now that the policies that they neo-con movement has wrought have utterly failed and the "capitalist" system that the GOP has worked so hard to maintain has become doomed in the process, the money conservatives have turned their ire upon the populist wing of their party to lay the blame. It turned out that the greatest enemy of "Capitalism" wasn't the Soviets, it was the abortion hating, gay-baiting neocons in their midst.


http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/1/27/205626/240/770/689767

[rasit]

He will apologize to Rush tomorrow.....

[SadieGirl]

Agree. He is their Jesus. What a pathetic bunch of losers.

[lagumbo]

Gingely and Pence, Rush must be supplying all of the GOP with his pills. They are all bending over and holding their ankels to stay on Rush's good side. We all know who runs the GOP. The most racists man in the media. Guess we all know what to expect from the GOP. Same old, same old.

[Eris23Skidoo]

So Rush is like the GOPs drug dealer then? It makes perfect sense. That guy was totally licking Rush's boots because he wasn't going to get his fix if Rush cuts him off.

[Samirah1368]

the GOP is below stupid. How about just doing what is RIGHT for AMERICA....

[chicago25624]

Biggovernement and moreliberalcontrol is not what is best for America. 355 million dollars in spending for VD and the clap are not stimulation of the economy. Just more government which I am already paying enough in taxes on.

[JNagarya]

Protecting peoples' health means they rely LESS on the health care industry, which REDUCES COSTS, and that they can WORK for a living, which is about jobs, paying taxes, and NOT being on your boogeyman welfare.

[Eris23Skidoo]

I suppose you're in favor of the unaccountable stimulus that Bush gave away to his buddies on Wall Street and in the banking industry? You realize that your tax money is going to Iraq, right? That your buddy Bush made it so. You still haven't woken up from our long national daydream?

[Bulldiggity]

"Everyone hopes that America succeeds and our president succeeds," Pence added, "but Republicans are going to stand for conservative values..."

Which are deficit spending, huge government bureaucracies and picking up guys in public bathrooms.

[rasit]

And starting the wrong war, no-bid contracts to buddies, spy on American citizens, and so on.....

[JNagarya]

"Conservative values" = TORTURE/WAR CRIMES/CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY.

Being proud of being thugs, valueless barbarians.

[brand X]

yes, it's the Wide Stance Party

[JNagarya]

Right: on one hand, we say we want "our president" [can't handle saying his name?] to succeed. But we're going to stick to our "values" anyway, even though they are about causing "our president" to fail.

[FlamingLibrul]

Update time- Oh yeah, the GOP is pushing back alright, and then cowering like the whiny nincompoops they really are, when the realization hits that Limpaugh could sour their chances for reelection. The Base must be served! Well hey, at least a couple of em' tried to act like they had principles, for at least a few seconds.

http://thinkprogress.org/2009/01/28/gingrey-limbaugh-forgiveness/

[SadieGirl]

Then they will apologize to him and bend over. GOP, isn't that the Gay Old Party??