Rush Limbaugh is a Big, Fat Idiot* -- Wants U.S. to Fail, Claims "Creator" Language in Declaration is Preamble to Constitution, Then Gets Constitution Award from CPAC

(*Al Franken's book of that title)

Rush made no bones about it. He wants the President of the United States to fail. He told the Conservative Political Action Committee (CPAC) that he views your future and mine like the Superbowl -- he rooted for the Steelers and he wanted the Cardinals to fail.

He was wildly cheered. Apparently, their "team" is the Conservative Movement, not the American people. Ever notice that movement conservatives (i.e., the activist types) have a very low opinion of the American people because Americans want--and use their democracy to vote for--such non-conservative policies as a minimum wage? Rush called upon his legions to tell the American people they are "wrong."

In the very same speech Limbaugh declared in different places that the US is the greatest country on earth for what it has accomplished in such a short history (n.b., I agree: the first country that achieved surplus wealth--beyond subsistence--for its working classes in the '50s), a country that has embarked on socialism for 60 years since Franklin Roosevelt, and that no country with such elements of socialism has ever been successful. Again, to thunderous applause.

But, in what was even more revealing, Rush proudly accepted the CPAC award for defending the Constitution....after he said, in this speech, that the Preamble to the Constitution says: "we are endowed by our Creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." Shades of Paul Bremer and George Tenet getting Presidential Medals of Freedom for their wonderful jobs running the Coalition Authority in Iraq and providing Bush the information he wanted to justify the Iraq invasion respectively.

This was not a random "mistake." Rush's misstatements are deliberate and purposeful. The rightwing has a major dilemma: insisting on a literal interpretation of the Constitution to make the case against government action, but the complete absence from the Constitution of any mention of god or the bible that, with literal interpretation of the Constitution, would remove religion from the public square.

To those concerned about little things like consistency or logic, this would seem to be an insoluble dilemma. Not for Rush, Newt or the right wing. Their answer is simply to conflate the Declaration and Constitution into a category of the "founding documents" and, in Rush's case, to import the Declaration into the Constitution as the preamble.

Problem solved. So simple, it almost makes one want to join their movement, nothing is too taxing to one's mind (perhaps the real meaning of keeping taxes low). That the Declaration has no force of law in the United States is, as the Soviet Union used to call inconvenient truths, a mere 'technicality.'

Of course, the preamble, as actually written, is a huge problem itself for conservatives. It is the "mission statement" for the Constitution, stating clearly what the purposes of the mixture of powers, rights, and processes that the rest of the Constitution describes.

As indicated in "Prescription for a Progressive Politics: I Am a Preambler, Will You Join Me?" October 23, 2007, the preamble not only states the various purposes and intents of the Founders (establish justice, ensure domestic tranquility, provide for a common defense, promote the general welfare, ensure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity), but it also establishes a creative tension among the goals so that they must be reconciled.

Conservative movement dogma only picks up liberty and the common defense. Justice, the general welfare and, to a large extent, posterity are ignored. Bill Clinton may have stumbled on the meaning of the word "is," but the rightwing deliberately rejects the meaning of the word "and."

That is, the conservative movement rejects the Founders' vision and mission for the country. Rush wants the President of the United States to fail.

Rush's award, then, from this group seems perfectly...well, logical. Did I say "logical?"!

Comments

[mistymi]

Rush Limbaugh is NOT an idiot. He is a well paid hate monger. He says what those who insures that he stays on the radio, wants said but are too afraid to say, or have too much to lose to say it publicly. Mr. Limbaugh did not have to do any time for drug use because he is well protected by his handlers. He does what he is paid to do very well.

Steel HAD to apologize because he is also in power by the same interests who operate behind the scenes. Had he not apologized, he would have been history.

But why concern ourselves with the likes of Limbaugh or Steele? They have to obey their handlers to maintain their status. The rest of us do what our bosses tell us to do. In time all of us are rewarded for our actions. Some rewards are positive, others may not be. This is very interesting especially if you have religious beliefs.

[RickCoMatic]

Rush Limbaugh is the undisputed heavy-weight champion of lying and running his mouth trying to incite a riot. Just like the kid who laughs to himself after getting the two sides of a dispute to finally start duking-it-out by begging the unasked question: You ain't going to take that crap off of them guys are you?"
Rush isn't in charge of Jack-Do-Di­ddley-Squa­t!
He's very happy to TELL you he's in charge. But, the only thing Rush is really in charge off is the Cough Button on his Radio Studio Console.
Everything else he says he is in charge of is just a pile of words crammed together to make you imagine what you are hearing is believable.
It's not.
It's only his job. He does it well.
Rush can open his mic and say that there is going to be a spaceship landing at Yankee Stadium to take some of his worthy followers to a place where they will be made perfect in every way and given a million dollars just for showing-up and taking a ride in the spaceship at midnight.
Police will have to surround Yankee Stadium to keep the Rush-fanatics from breaking-in!

[GovernmentIsNotTheAnswer]

Obama is intent on transforming this country into a quasi-Soviet-style State. In that regard, I hope he fails because his attempt is going to hurt the people of this country. That is what Rush is saying. Most of Obama's ideas are extreme left, so it's logical that conservatives would not want his agenda to succeed. I would be hoping for his success if he was advocating things like free markets, free speech, 2nd amendment, property rights, limited government, etc. I hope Obama continues to keep us safe from terrorists. Obama's attack on capitalism, explosive government spending, and his comfortless speech is scaring the hell out of the market and the country. You all can't seem to understand the difference between "Obama failing" and the "country failing" because you can't imagine Obama's "success" = hurting Americans. I have faith in my fellow Americans and believe that we are an honorable, giving, creative, hard-working people and when big government gets out of our way, WE SUCCEED. I care about PEOPLE'S SUCCESS, NOT GOVERNMENT'S!

[jpopphan]

Wow! You've been drinking lots of the Kool-Aid, haven't you?

You say: Obama is intent on transforming this country into a quasi-Soviet-style State.

Documentation please? Outside of the imagination of the conservative movement, where is there any evidence whatsoever that Obama wants or will lead us to a "Soviet-style" state?

* I have yet to see him criticize the "free market" or capitalism in general.
* I have yet to see him say anything about be against free speech or against the First Amendment.
* Why are conservatives convinced that all Democrats want to take their precious guns away?
* I have yet to see him say anything about "property rights". He's resisting nationalization at every turn.
* After eight years of the largest growth in the size of government under Bush 43, you're seriously going to take that stand against Obama?

Most of us are very comforted and inspired by Obama's speeches. I am jubilant to know that there is a real, intelligent and honest man sitting in the Oval Office. I am so happy to know that we finally have a president who respects the Constitution, the power of his office, and the real needs of the American people.

[toje]

Limbaugh, Hannity, Beck, Maddow, Olberman, Matthews.

They're ALL rich. They're ALL polarizing. The ONLY difference is that the first three would love nothing more than to have you buy the house next to theirs, while the other three would condemn you for being too selfish and greedy if you did.

[Fernando]

This comment is obviously anal in origin.

If the first three supported and continued to endorse the economic policies that got us into this mess to begin with, then obviously they don't even want you to buy the house on the other side of the tracks, let alone the one next to theirs. Whatever.

[CitizenRA]

The REAL reason Rush & Co. want the stimulus package to fail is because if it does not, it will be a complete, total, and irrefutable repudiation of conservative fiscal policies and the conservative view of the proper role of government. If Obama succeeds, it will be great for the nation as a whole, but disastrous for the Republican party. Party and ideology come before the welfare of the nation as a whole, every time.

[GovernmentIsNotTheAnswer]

You can't fathom Obama's policies being bad for the nation. YOUR party and ideology comes before the welfare of the nation as a whole.
Whatever happens, the liberal media will proclaim the stimulous a success. Obama has already framed it that way. He said "It will create or SAVE 4 million jobs". So even if millions of jobs are lost, they can report that 4 million jobs were saved even though there is no way to measure this "fact".

[gbenga30]

The collapse of the stock market, Bernie Madoff, Enron, Blackwater, the mortgage crisis and the bail out scandal, have all proved that capitalism has major flaws. It was Bush, a conservative, who first started the bail out of the banks, then Detroit. It seems everyone is a socialist when their business fails.

Anyone with half a brain should realize that the US has never been a purely capitalist country.

[zola77]

agreed.

[GovernmentIsNotTheAnswer]

I know exactly what socialism is, despite my "half a brain". I realize that there are many of our "allies" with more socialist systems...­. so what? I completely understand that we have many socialist programs in this nation.

I DO GET IT....

Marxist ideas have given us this ever-expanding government . Over the years, Americans have been duped into believing that this gigantic government cares about them and someday it will finally make things fair. I can tell many of you are joyfully anticipating the final CHANGE. Obama is going to try and complete the deal for you. He got a $750,000,000,000 kick-start from GW. The coming economic meltdown will be the beginning of a long nasty battle of Capitalism vs. Marxism. Obama has already fired the first shots. The economy will collapse and the government won't be able to provide the magical socialist utopia. Instead, the people will learn how corrupt, wasteful, and dysfunctional this government­-corporati­on has become. As an aside, I'm sure many of you can't stand words like corporation, CEO, bank.... yet ignore the most powerful, corrupt, blood-sucking corporation on the planet... the US government. After all, we are the government and our intentions are good, right? As long as the politicians spend our money on "good" things and smack-down those greedy, evil capitalists, right? Wake up!
When the smoke finally clears after Obama's New New New New Deal, Americans will learn from experience that big government is not the answer.

[Baculus]

That's the problem with the Right - they only have half a brain. The only thing they can do is continue this "socialism," without understanding what the term means, nor realizing that most nations - all of our allies - are social democracies with mixed economies.

And not only that, but we already have elements of socialism here in this nation. Even our military is socialized, with a socialistic health care system in Tricare.

They just don't get it, but Limbaugh and his minions would cut off their nose to spite their face.

[omobob]

Ah, one might also consider other US socialistic programs—Income Tax. (redistribution of wealth). Certainly Social Security (hint: it has the word "social" in it). Medicare. Hmmm.
Public schools, Water, Power, Parks, Dams, Bridges and Superhighways. Good God Martha grab the cat, we’re living in Sweden?

[OLMEQ]

Rush like ALL so-called conservatives HATE the American people. The begrudge the citizens any type of assistance that is to go to help the people of this country. You never hear him lament about the cost of rebuilding Iraq or the rebuilding of other war torn nations that the USA is directly responsible for destroying in the first place. If you want to give the American people a "cool drink of water" you hear the so-called conservatives lament about the cost for the future generation­s.... They weren't too conservative spending all of the surplus monies in record time and building the most monumental debt the country has ever seen. Not so conservative spending unchecked the dollars for a fake war in Iraq and Afghanistan ....... These people are the worst thing to happen to the American people because they despise the very air you breathe and they are supposed to serve the people not make them subject to them....

[Baculus]

Yeah - I don't get that, either. Republicans and conservatives had no problems with spending billions in Iraq. They didn't seemingly care, either, when it was revealed that billions were lost through war profiteering or outright incompetency or criminality. Build bridges and schools in Iraq? No problem. Work with the ruling majority socialist Iraqi and Kurdish parties? No problem.

But suggest we actually spend some of that money HERE, instead of THERE, and it's "OMG WE ARE TURNING COMMUNIST!"

It's really puzzling. I have no idea why conservative Republicans feel that Iraq is more deserving of spending then our nation. As you mentioned, they have no problems with spending trillions on efforts that does little to actually improve our nation - the usual talking heads of Hannity, Limbaugh, Malkin, et al., had nothing to say when Bush and his minions were spending like drunken sailors.

The inconsistency of the Right is completely useless and does nothing to resolve America's issues.

[JessWonderin]

My dad was a sailor . . . and I want to say in his most drunken adventures, he NEVER equaled Bush and his minions . . . he spent wisely on good liquor and slow women, never hurt anyone and managed to leave something for the family . . . .

[toje]

Over eight years, they never spent a trillion dollars. And the fraud resulted in millions, not billions, being ripped off. And they're not against spending billions here. They are against spending 1.9 trillion, which is a HUGE difference.

If you're gonna accuse, be accurate.

[VegasDealer]

My Creator(s) gave me unalienable rights of life , liberty and the persuit of happiness.­..

Thanks Mom and Dad!

[wordvarc]

Limbaugh: the hero, savior, and leader of the GOP.

[jeanwny]

The dems could not have hand picked anyone better for thier own purposes, didn't he have a "ton" of influence on voters in Nov.?

[Alison DeLuca]

Just a reminder of some choice Limbaugh quotes, in case you feel like he might be making sense:

"Why should Blacks be heard? They're 12% of the population.
Who the hell cares." -Rush Limbaugh

"Feminism was established so as to allow unattractive
women easier access to the mainstream of society."

"If we are going to start rewarding no skills and stupid people--
I'm serious, let the unskilled jobs that take absolutely
no knowledge whatsoever to do--let the stupid and
unskilled Mexicans do that work."

Mr. Steele, retract that apology!

[jpopphan]

But why should Steele apologize if he agrees with Rush?

The GOP should stick to their strategy and actually go ahead and crown King Rush as the de facto and de jure leader of their party. His is the face of conservatism, and he represents the core of what today's Republicans stand for.

Let them keep going down this road. Let them tell the American people the real truth: that they really don't care about anyone except for themselves and that they despise democracy and freedom.

[MiddleRoadLiberal]

Obama's policies might better the country and the American people as a whole. Rush wants them to fail because he doesn't like them. Therefore, Rush wants America to fail.

What he WANTS is for conservative policies to work and for a liberal president to pass them. What is REALITY is that they don't work and Obama is going to do what will work -- liberal policies.

The Declaration was a list of grievances against the British crown. It lists WHY they are grievances, and in doing so also mentions a Creator. It's important to note that at this point in history and in this part of the world, it was actually inconceivable that there wasn't a Creator. Also note that the words were written by Thomas Jefferson, an anti-religious man if there ever was one. And, most importantly, as Mr. Abrams notes, the Declaration was in no way meant as the basis for a government, though some principles did make it to the Constitution in some form.

The Constitution, on the other hand, was written with extreme care. The Constitution was purposely written to say the barest minimum needed to run the country -- mostly how the government should be formed. It does not in any way name a God, Creator, or any possible way for one religion to take over the public sphere.

[STG 44]

When Obama was elected the Dow Jones Industrial Average stood at 9625. It is now below 6765!
I would say the vote is in and Obama is a failure. Obviously the market has no faith in either him or his nostrums. Maybe it's time for a change.

[twistedboomer]

Obviously the American working class has no faith in the Capitalist system (stock market). Maybe it's time for a change.

[VegasDealer]

Okay, the market has plunged 3000 points since the elction, what about the 5000 points it dropped before the election while GW was in charge and McSame was on the ticket? Sounds like the drop has slowed down to me.

[Raiyant13]

Umm, Obama has been in office for less than two months. What do you expect? You'd be naive to think that the economy was magically going to bounce back on inauguration day. We know that the economy is going to get worse before it starts to turn back around. Let us not forget, this debacle was years in the making, and it's gonna take years to get us out. As far as public opinion is concerned, his approval rating was pretty high last time I checked.

[Fenno]

So let me get this straight, your gaging the performance of a president, that need I remind you has been in office for a little over a month, on the performance of the same market that helped W. and Co. DESTROY this country. Mind that, economically, spiritually, and mentally. Indeed it may be time for a change...t­ime for you to change your instant gratification fallacy. Where were you when Bush was raping this country? In a month your yelling about PRESIDENT Obama being a failure. Chicken little is what you guys used to call us, I just call you chicken s-h-i-t for only now standing up to say something. Your obsolete, your party is irrelevant, and when the reality of Obama rebuilding this country comes to fruition, I will be happy to come to your house and bake you some humble pie.

Yes we can, and yes we did.

[Baculus]

Rubbish. The DOW had fallen from 14,000+ before Obama was elected, and Bush was STILL the President in the months following Obama's election. It is totally disingenuous - if not outright stupid - to blame this huge drop on Obama when he wasn't even in charge nor directing policy.

On Jan. 20th, 2009, the high/low for the DOW was 8,291.98/7­,939.93 respectively: THAT is the starting point for analyzing any sort of drop during the Obama administration. Of course, the market drop is merely a tend that started during last year's financial collapse.

BTW, a great portion of the drop is due to the insolvency of various banks and financial organizations.

It's typical of the Right to try shifting blame - they always talk about personal responsibility, but are seemingly incapable of taking ownership for their flawed policies.

[toje]

So is it your position that Wall Street likes what Obama is doing? Multitrillion dollar deficits? Universal health care run by the government? Higher tax rates?

I don't think we have to look back to why it dropped last year. It is dropping now precisely because it knows Obama's "plans" to save the Nation will only further decimate the private sector, which is where the Nation's wealth is generated.

[SurrealPumpkin]

PREAMBLIST - The Party of the True Republican.

[lagumbo]

Yes Rush you are the man. Keep them going down hill.

[lvtunes]

I am sitting in a medical lab waiting area this morning after a doctors appointment
and I hear a Loudmouth at the end of my row of seats. He is old and his wife is
old. They must of had the Rush program on the car radio coming over. All I
hear is LIBERAL, FOOD STAMPs, "no one wants to work any more!"; Over
and Over. This is not new to me for I have heard the same tired old message
time and time again. If Rush thinks that he has all the smart people in this country
on his side, then he is in denial. Wasnt' it the Right Wing complaining that
the illegal immigrants were stealing al the jobs? I have seen first hand who works the
hardest in this town (Las Vegas). So that must mean that pasty white guys like Rush are
the Liberals on food stamps getting handouts from the government. I haven't seen them
crawling on roofs(Building and repairing), gardening, picking up garbage, attending
smelly restrooms and many other terrible jobs.

[cbat]

Amen brother. I would have confronted them, but that is just me.