Rush Limbaugh Claims Victory in Pennsylvania

While the title might sound odd, Limbaugh's insatiable ego will not allow him to resist tarnishing Hillary Clinton's presidential ambitions with a strong dose of reality -- as well as his confession to his personal involvement in corrupting the presidential election.

The backstory is riveting. In March, Limbaugh launched his infamous, "Operation Chaos," a devious anti-democratic plan devised to undermine the Democratic presidential nominee whom he believes will be: Senator Barack Obama. In several of his broadcasts, Limbaugh implored his legions of devout right-wing followers to cast aside their Republican inhibitions and vote in the Democratic primaries for Obama's rival: Senator Hillary Clinton.

Limbaugh's rationale? Obama's momentum had morphed into a genuine grassroots movement, and it had to be stopped at all costs - even unto the gross hypocrisy of asking die-hard Republicans to change their party registrations and cast their malicious votes for Hillary Clinton to poison Obama's candidacy.

Is Limbaugh's plot to defeat the first African-American candidate for the presidency: (A) insidious or (B) nefarious? Probably, both.

Come to think of it, is Operation Chaos really Limbaugh's plan at all - or was it designed by somebody else? Who knows - other than Limbaugh and his co-conspirators?

That said, James Carville and Mary Matalin are worthy suspects. Carville is a close and long-serving factotum for the Clinton family. Carville's wife, Matalin, is a top-ranking Republican operative who works in the Bush White House. It is well documented that Matalin is a longstanding ally and admirer of Rush Limbaugh. Matalin has appeared on his show to tout her appalling books. The two are frequently photographed at right-wing cocktail parties. They appear to be on warm and friendly terms.

The night after the Pennsylvania primary, Limbaugh crowed,

"What Obama has to do is go out and say this [Hillary] win is artificial and this win is phony because of Operation Chaos. He needs to go out there and say, 'Why in the world is everybody taking this seriously? Rush Limbaugh had his listeners register as Democrats for one day to go vote for Hillary to prolong this. We're letting Limbaugh get away with making our party look like it's in a total sewer and a mess. This victory in Pennsylvania is illegitimate, is undeserved because Democrats did not vote for her. Republicans did."

QED. Republican operatives working with Hillary Clinton's campaign have introduced a new mechanism into the presidential nomination process: flooding the polls with Republican crossovers.

Of the final primaries, Indiana and Montana are both "open" elections - where members of any party can vote for any candidate. In Indiana and Montana, Limbaugh's Republican crossovers will be out in force to sabotage Obama by voting for Clinton.

Since Limbaugh is claiming that thousands of Republicans are capable of changing their party affiliation to corrupt the presidential election process, none of the other closed primaries are above suspicion.

The entire 'democratic' system in the United States of America is broken. From Republican crossovers to Diebold, Sequoia, ES&S, Katherine Harris who dealt the death blow to democracy in Florida and J. Kenneth Blackwell who sabotaged the election of 2004, America is staggering toward its new status as a Mugabesque nightmare ruled by invisible Leviathans, audible Limbaughs and desperate, presidential campaigns embroiled in vendettas that would make Michael Corleone cringe.

Follow Michael Carmichael on Twitter: www.twitter.com/alchemistoxford

Comments

[ChristianEcon.com]

We haven't even had a chance to thank Limbaugh for the Bush administration, and the Iraq war, and the destruction of the middle class, and environmental destruction, the denigration of education, record deficits, America becoming a nation that tortures, detains, plants news stories, and spys on its own citizenry, lack of health care, etc.etc.etc., yet.

[palealien]

He still thanks himself and takes credit for Bush. At least he used to. . . if so, we should consider him thanked when his name is included on the arrest warrants.

[CynAnne]

... Bravo, ChristianEcon.com! As Arianna herself said last night (on "Real Time w/ Bill Maher") : "..Eight years wasted.." ! Couldn't have summed it up better myself..! ;) ...

[joy316]

Michael is 100% correct--Rush and the "lunatic right' are trying to win at any cost.

Hillary also is suspect because she is aligning herself with the same Richard Mellon Scaiffe who worked to destroy her husband's presidency. The "win at all cost" attitude of Hillary also explains why she remained on the MI ballot after agreeing with the other candidates that the vote was not going to count. Why she is fighting to seat MI and FL. Why she uses the same campaign strategy firm as McCain.

Hillary's wins in CA, OH, TX, and PA are all suspect. Many republicans in CA voted for her becasue the republican primary is open only to registered republicans--so those who registered as "decline to state" voted for Hillary (even several talk show hosts admitted to not knowing they could not vote in the republican primary until election day).

Also, a previous poster is correct in understanding that Rush et al would love it if we had one party controlling everything.

[fayted]

yeah, maybe a connection with mark penn that works for the same firm that helps Mcwar, we already know how the colombia deal was being talk behind closed doors, shamfull behavior from the same assholes that have given us bush for 8 tourtuos years, create kaos (hillary more than willing to get there help) make people forget the real problem going on in the country (mortgage crisis, gas prices through the roof, food prices, billions wasted on illegal war, beting drums to start another war, didn't even care about the folks of katrina, our economy stinks, the dollar value down, and tons more) all thanks to the most corrupte, despicable criminal, deranged, vile, evil, warmongerer, destructive,irresponsible "administrtion " ever, and these idiots looks like are content with mediocrity at the hights level,wow I thought we had learn our lesson and would raise above the occasion, when the moment would be given to us, don't let these totally UNamericans (clearly they could care less of what affect us the americas) give us more despair,desolation, in the name of J Mccain GOD HELP US

[jfor]

Rush Limbaugh is that drug addict who the ACLU defended right?

[fishsandwichesr2good]

MC, you're way off the mark. Rush is not trying to torpedo Barack -- it's the whole damn party that he's after. Don't you see it? Regardless of who wins the nomination, forestalling the emergence of a nominee means more Democrat infighting and damage to both candidates. Plus, don't forget that, whatever voting block is dissed, pissing them off and keeping them home on the Election Day in November can only help Republican Congressional candidates. Ah, what a thing of beauty!

[ann1]

I believe Sen Obama will do fairly well with wealthy Repubs in the GE. They tend to be more tolerant to change than the poorer Repubs.

[Bluedog12]

Not to worry Rushites made the same claim in Poland in 1939.

[KBAR]

Poland had a Presidential election campaign in 1939? Who knew?

[zendem1]

Well FUBAR, not really. But there were similarities to the US. Alot of Nazis took over Poland.

[Bluedog12]

No but their neighbors had 80 million dittoheads that followed the orders of a madman and well you know the rest of the story. Now go study up on your ditto head talking points chickenhawk.

[dabrigadier]

I listened to the whole interview, then listened to the whole sermon on you tube & I agree 100% with what Rev Wright was saying. As a Sergeant who served 6 years in the Marines like Rev Wright who by the way I also found out saved Linden Johnsons life by performing sergery on him a little detail that the oh so patriotic coperate controled media forgot to mention. I urge you to you tube that interview & listen to both controversal sermons in there entierty & you may change you opinions like I just did. Finally I am awaking to the lies I have been told my whole life. Rev. Wright is now my spirtual advisor. I need a pastor like that.
The Rev. statement about coming home to roost is a quote from MSNBC
http://www.futurepower.org/cia_trained_b...
It has always been rumoured that in 1977 the US Gov was trying to resolve a cure for hemopheliacs. They were testing volunteers in San Fransico, Ca. Most of the poor who came in as test volunteers were poor homosexuals in the area, then soon after you had your first major aid outbreak. The Rev. is not the first to say that to the public. And had this been proven to be true, every aid victum could create a class action lawsuite against the US Gov.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/aids_conspi...

[simplify]

This is just more proof how politically naive and downright stupid some Americans are to listen to a buffoon like Limbaugh. God help America!!!!

[ChristianEcon.com]

Amen, amen, amen.

[newpantaloons]

Please, don't call them "stupid Americans", they prefer "stupid dittoheads".

[ElliotNC]

As reported in HuffPo, back in January. The Obama campaign officially promoted the "Democrat for a Day" voting strategy with mailings, videos, etc. It's a matter of record.

Limbaugh didn't start promoting it until two months later, presumably to bolster Clinton.

After the vote analysis in PA confirms that NEW REGISTRATIONS broke for Obama.
Last minute (already registered voters) broke for Clinton.

This is just another example of Obama supporters blaming Clinton for their own corrupt practices.

A new Obama ad in NC blames Big Pharma for high medical costs and Obama swears he wouldn't take their money. Guess what, according to the independent CRP.org, he has taken over $625,000 from the pharmaceutical industry. More money than ANY candidate running for president!

[Aywaller]

Can you provide any proof of what you're saying? I'm not challenging you--I really want the information if it's available. Full disclosure, I'm an Obama supporter but if true, this is information I would like to have.

[SMP]

Obama and Clinton have recieved monies from pharmaceutical...Clintons from the Brass of the company...Obama from employees ( which by the way are American citizens, just like you and me) Fact Check on CNN disclosed this.

Clinton takes PAC monies regularly. and monies from lobbists. BIG CORPORATIONS...she is indebted to them

Obama recieves monies from regular citizens , like you and me, doesnt matter where we work..... Obama is indebted to us, American Citizens.........................Clintoinian like to spin everything.

[KBAR]

You missed the BHO mailers in Ohio touting this?

http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/2008-03-02-obama_N.htm

[stoplooklisten]

In the traditional republican counties they broke for Hillary in alarming numbers. That is true.

[lysistrata]

I would bet, if they voted for Hillary they would vote for her anyway, Rush or no Rush. Maybe a handful would be stupid ditto heads but not enough to change the outcome.

[dill]

ElliotNC, if you had read the article in USA TODAY, the article interviewed Republicans who were voting for Obama in the primary with the hope they would be voting for him in the November election. There is nothing in this article about a "Democrat for a Day" that you claim in your post.

As to the CRP.org that you claim shows that Obama has received over $625,000 from the pharmaceutical industry, I went to the site to check your figures. According to the chart, these figures are BOTH INDIVIDUAL DONATIONS OVER $200 or PAC money, with no distinction between the two. Obama's contributions totaled $405,745, only slightly more than the $404,606 given to Hillary who accepts PAC money.

[akkadian]

These fools, Limbaugh-Cunningham-Ovilley-Hannity-Cafferty et al regard themselves as 'good americans.'
In actuality they are black-hearted traitors.
They betray the constitution. They betray the american people and they are now working feverishly to steal america's future.

[KBAR]

No! Save it from Socialist 'fellow travelers' like you!

[Sanity01]

on what do you base their betrayal to the constitution?

[billydog]

I heard that Obama got 61% of the crossover vote and actually made a fool of Limbaugh and a mockery of his Operation Chaos.

Why does the MSM cover Limbaugh when he constantly rakes them over the coals and calls them
gangsters who do "drive-by shootings"? Why the hell do the media kiss Limbaughs ass after that?

[957]

In limbaugh's world there would be only one party. one system of government sort of like was tried in germany in the late 30's. thats his vision of america. Beside does anyone know anyone who has crossed over and voted democrate while being a republican? there must be some. but I have never seen anyone interviewed that has done it, or the numbers are so small it does not matter anyhow. The media gives limbaugh to much credit he has very little impact on politics.

[ChristianEcon.com]

"In limbaugh's world there would be only one party. one system of government sort of like was tried in germany in the late 30's. thats his vision of america."

Oh, you mean "fascism."

[AbstractImp]

Morons on the Right

Fish rots from the head, so lets start at the top.

Only here we have a two-headed fish, the "Bush-Cheney", where the active particle is the "vice", and the dormant "brain" makes all the decisions. "Chocolate or vanilla, George?" for the cake as millions starve...

Or is this the shadow police state, where one party fits all? The one party is privy to all intelligence, that is, the raw information that they are recording from everyone that they are trying to listen to. And I wonder who gets to share in this information overload...?

They believe that they are the only people on the planet capable of digesting and properly interpreting this evidence. They believe that they are the only ones capable of properly responding to and acting on this intelligence, even in the face of all their massive failures with such intelligence, including most especially these two famous pieces of early intelligence:

1 - Osama bin Laden in 2001 was planning a massive attack inside the United States
2 - Hurricane Katrina was threatening New orleans with disaster.

I fail to see how the republicans have any more credibility in the proper conduct of presidential affairs.

[ChristianEcon.com]

"Fish rots from the head, so lets start at the top."

Uh, I'd say the "top" consists of the Heritage Foundation, the American Enterprise Institute, Heartland, etc. All the wealth-funded "think" tanks that distribute the propaganda and fallacies used by Limbaugh et. al. and implemented by rightwing politicians.

[fun2bfree]

I blieve the exit polls in PA showed that Obama got 2/3 of the cross overs votes --so Rush could not have had that big of an effect...

[knighthowl]

B.S.

[jpanz]

Yeah and they wonder why us liberals sound paranoid, because we have every reason to be!

[backwoodsintellect]

Limbaugh is being investigated in the few states where this is, in fact, illegal. Most notably Ohio. Interesting that Limbaugh and his super-patriotic lapel pin wearing followers don't see his tactics as bastardizing the democratic process. Guess it shows what they really think of Democracy.

[KBAR]

Your late! NO INVESTIGATIONS! Every state AG said it was a waist of time. Little facts like that get in your way?

[ChristianEcon.com]

What's a "waist of time"?

[clevelandchick]

First of all, it wasn't the AG in Ohio that said it was a "waste" of time it was the Secretary of State who is charge of elections. Second, the only reason she did not go after those voters that is if the Democrats who have won back the State House went on a warpath convicting Republican voters for the fraud they actually committed it would become a huge clusterf**k. The Right Wing Spin Machine would go after them like rabid dingos.

It was strictly a political decision not to convict the Republican voters who committed fraud at the behest of Limbaugh. That's all. It was gutless because if the situation would have been the other way around - a Republican administration would have gone after Demcratic voters who did the same thing.

[ChristianEcon.com]

They seem to care a lot about Democracy--in Iraq.

(I guess as long as it doesn't get out of control--they wouldn't want the Iraqi people profiting from all that oil.)