Limbaugh: Kennedy Will Be Dead By The Time Health Care Bill Passes

On his radio show Friday, Rush Limbaugh suggested that Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA) would be dead by the time health care reform legislation passes. "Before it's all over, it'll be called the Ted Kennedy memorial health care bill," the talk show host says. He says President Obama has moved on to health care because he can't solve the economic crisis. Listen, via Media Matters:

Kennedy was at the Senate Thursday for President Obama's health care summit, where he made an impassioned plea for universal coverage.

Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Executive Director Brian Wolff released a statement in response:

"Rush Limbaugh's reprehensible remark that, ' before it's all over, it'll be called the Ted Kennedy Memorial Health Care bill' is truly outrageous.

"Leader Limbaugh minimizes the struggle of hardworking Americans without access to affordable health care and demonizes a patriotic Senator who has spent his life fighting so that every person has the opportunity to live the American dream.

"Leader Limbaugh crossed the line. National Republicans must stand up to their leader, Rush Limbaugh, and tell him that enough is enough."

The Democratic campaign arm has also launched a petition, asking Republican Party Chairman Michael Steele to denounce Rush Limbaugh "once and for all" in light of his latest comments.

Comments

[jum1801]

09:01 PM on 03/10/2009

I read the quote and Limbaugh really didn't say anything like the headline. It's misleading and a misrepresentation...and that's being charitable. Look, aren't we better than having to sink to twisting an opponent's words into something unrecognizable? It's really indefensible, and I'm stunned HuffPo still has this execrable headline up. By leaving it up you're saying we can't fight him fairly - that we have to cheat to stay in the game. Please, how about taking it down and playing it straight?

[trud0017]

02:14 PM on 03/10/2009

The more outrageous statement goes under the radar and represents a hallmark of conservative thinking--Limbaugh's argument that Obama is trying to fix health care for a good approval rating. Such an argument suggests that a president can never do or should never do what the people ask for because it would please the people.

[Skoll]

02:23 PM on 03/10/2009

You don't listen to Rush do you? If you did you would know that Rush has maintained that fully socialized medicine is part of Obama's goals; Not a popularity stunt.

[OpinionsCanBeWrong]

11:50 AM on 03/10/2009

Um, It's True? We all Die. Didn't you know that? What is the problem with people. He is old and in poor health. Heck, Obama will die before men live on Mars. ALERT The press!

[radiohead01]

08:44 AM on 03/10/2009

cramer....President Obama's team, unlike Bush's team, demonstrates a thinness of skin that shocks me. When I somewhat obviously and empirically judged that the populist Obama administration is exacerbating the crisis with its budget and policies, as evidenced by the incredible decline in the averages since his inauguration, I was met immediately with condescension and ridicule rather than constructive debate or even just benign dismissal. I said to myself, "What the heck? Are they really that blind to the Great Wealth Destruction they are causing with their decisions to demonize the bankers, raise taxes for the wealthy, advocate draconian cap-and-trade policies and upend the health care system? Do they really believe that only the rich own stocks? What do they think we have our retirement accounts in, CDs? Where did they think that the money saved for college went, our mattresses? Do they think the great middle class banks at the First National Bank of Sealy and only the wealthiest traffic in the Standard & Poor's 500?"

[dbige83]

08:36 AM on 03/10/2009

Can anyone tell me why this article states "Kennedy was at the Senate Thursday for President Obama's health care summit, where he made an impassioned plea for universal coverage." I looked at his remarks and not once did he say anything along the lines of "universal coverage". He didn't even allude to it. So then why does the article say he did???

[klayne]

05:52 AM on 03/10/2009

Definition of Total Ignorance: Rush Limbaugh

[Homecreek]

12:49 AM on 03/10/2009

Can someone show me the quote were Rush says d e a d. Didn't think so.

[ultrabop]

08:49 AM on 03/10/2009

If you need a quote you are really crawling for salvation. It ain't gone happen.

[Skoll]

02:19 PM on 03/10/2009

That is because Limbaugh did not wish Kennedy dead nor predict it to be so anywhere in his progrm. He only exposed a very OBVIOUS plan by democrats to exploit Senator Kennedy's regretful condition to push a political agenda, as his necessary absence from the Senate in order to pursue medical treatment gains his plight public sympathy. Now I am not a fan of Senator Kennedy, but certainly I do not wish him ill. This obvious framing to exploit his illness sickens me, and should you too.

[lin e65]

11:03 PM on 03/09/2009

And I hope Ted Kennedy outlives Rush Limbaugh.

[Skoll]

02:11 PM on 03/10/2009

Wishing people dead is not healthy, and it is not what Limbaugh said. Wishing deathly calamity on ones political adversaries is the abandonment of political argument for hostile and violent thought.

[Ginger5]

09:26 PM on 03/09/2009

Leave the guy alone you know he is flyin hi on the contin

[jum1801]

09:05 PM on 03/10/2009

If he is, then we ought to put in the water...cause he's kicking our butts. We look stupid and desperate having to put up a false and misleading headline.

[jonaziz]

04:43 PM on 03/09/2009

Rush is on a power trip and it's just getting worse. He needs to go away for a while. He can go away for good for all I care, but this is starting to really push it too far.

[timezone]

04:34 PM on 03/09/2009

He's obviously going for the shock factor, like a small child who says bad words to get attention. He does nothing positive for the world, I wish he would no longer have a media outlet and would be stuck just muttering to himself. Giving his words and inane, cruel thoughts a voice just adds fuel to his vicious fire.

[ytones]

02:49 PM on 03/09/2009

Even if dead, Ted Kennedy would be doing more for America than Rush Limbaugh ever did while alive.

[PaiaGirl]

02:45 PM on 03/09/2009

Didn't we get rid of that other shock jock who made such nasty remarks about a college woman's sports team?

Can't we 86 Limbaugh to satellite radio too?

[dsmyre]

12:53 PM on 03/09/2009

I hope Kennedy lives longer than Rush Limbaugh.
That would be divine justice.

[Butterfly8]

02:34 PM on 03/09/2009

Amen!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Rope-A-Dope]

12:42 PM on 03/09/2009

Keep speaking Rush. You are doing so much good for the Democratic candidates the next election cycle. Thank you Rush, and special thanks to Mr. Cantor, Mr. Boehner and Mr. McConnell. Each has the winning combination of being sleazey, arrogant, and incredibly out of touch! Palin/Jindhal 2012!