"Cut off the support network; isolate the target from sympathy; go after people, not institutions, because people hurt faster than institutions. Well, I don't hurt. I am not hurt by any of this. What this is, though, is cruel. It is cruel because it is a game of manipulation emanating from the Oval Office. It is an attempt to distract Americans from the destruction of their ability to earn a living. It is an attempt to distract you from your plunging economy. It is an attempt to distract you from your ability to save for retirement and to pursue happiness. See, honest face-to-face discussions and debates are fair. I gave a speech at CPAC on Saturday, televised my first national address, address to the nation. In that speech were not just illustrations of what's wrong with this administration and liberalism. There were solutions, solution after solution after solution, because conservatism is a solution. None of the things that I said in that speech are being repeated by the Drive-By Media which I knew would be the case, because face-to-face discussions and debates are not going to happen. Instead, Alinsky's Rules for Radicals number 12 has been employed: Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it."
Rush Limbaugh.
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270 comments:
1 – 200 of 270 Newer› Newest»Well, that's the media for you...
That is what you get when you elect and appoint corupt Chicago Politicians.
Ah, yes, I recall the days when Bushitler was accused of demonizing his opponents; just another case of liberals' projecting their own character flaws onto others.
We haven't seen the bottom of the cheap meanness of this White House. The treatment of Joe the Plumber was merely a shot across the bow.
Rush loves being attacked. Why do people keep doing it?
'Cause they're stupid.
In the car repair shop this morning...Good Morning America...reports on:
A pink dolphin has been discovered in a fresh-water lake...
What your eye glasses say about you ("an unscientific social experiment" by the reporter)...
The mighty blue whale (Its tongue is the size of an elephant's)...
A vacuum cleaner ad "for clean freaks"...
"The Bachelor," an ABC TV-show which has an ABC correspondent covering it and a special focus group of female viewers....
The Philadelphia flower show...
An ad for a drug to stop female urinary incontinence...
A mention of the economy...a mention of Pres. Obama.
Not a word about Mr. Limbaugh,
rastajenk said...
'Cause they're stupid.
And that about sums up tis administration.
Rush will turn his enemies' thrusts to his advantage. My only concern is that Northeast Corridor Republicans afraid of losing their invitations to the best Beltway parties and independents who aren't paying attention will be taken in by Rahm Emanuel's Alinskyesque maneuvers.
On CNN-HN last night, pretty much non-stop Rush Limbaugh/Michael Steele commentary.
Welcome to the Chaveznization of the USA...
Yes, the cruel Leftists like to be as mean as they can be towards their individual target.
"I love 'mankind', it's people I can't stand" ... especially any real people who disagree.
They were cruel towards Bush.
Expect a run on Alinsky's book. What's good for the goose...
Does anyone hold any hope that someone like Dennis Miller would ever be invited to host a Press Club dinner and treat The One with the same level of respect (or lack thereof) that Colbert held for Mr. Bush? Libs just can't stomach the thought of having it both ways.
I was sad to read over the weekend that Paul Harvey had died. When the family took car vacations when I was young, he was omnipresent on the radio.
A clear voice ringing out in a media sea of confusion and distraction. How can the the Demogarchy not try to silence Rush? He is the only antidote left around to their Poison.In Rush the American Republic still has a voice that has not been ridiculed to the point of stopping work against the Demogarchy's plans to convert the USA to socialism. I suggest that Rush needs a form of Secret Service protection now.
Hee hee. They're picking the wrong target, and I love it! This will be fun. :)
Rush is the first American kulak.
And Rush's analysis is exactly right.
I like Rush and I am enjoying this sideshow very much.
I do think though that this is all trash talk before the big game. In 2010 our first vote on this administration will occur, and it will hinge on the economy, Iraq, Afghanistan, and who knows what surprises between now and then.
I don't think Rush will matter a whole lot compared to actual events.
Wether he's a distraction used by the administartion, or a serious critic making valid points, the judgement will be based on outcomes, not this silly back and forth.
I do think it's a bit juvenile and unpresidential for the leader of the free world to get in a pissing contest with a radio talk show host. I wonder when this show will end.
Ann Althouse, dittohead. Literally, as she just re-spews Rush Limbaugh's drivel.
Not one original thought from Ann.
Somehow, I doubt the Great Pill Popper is accurately representing Mr. Alinsky.
about the pink dolphin -- it's an albino.
However,
1. There are a few types of freshwater dolphins.
2. One is the pink amazonian river dolphin
Why so much media interest in Limbaugh and Steele. They aren't in power.
How does their rise or fall affect the fact that the economy is going to hell in a hand basket and most people's wealth has been cut in half?
This isn't the Obama-focus-on-the-economy I thought I knew.
This is nothing more than "poor me" victimization.
In fact, Limbaugh is just the best Republican leader Dems could ask for. He needs no polarizing as he is The Polarizer. No-one did it to the Willy WHiner, he did it to himself.
Polls demonstrate Rush Llimbaugh drives away moderates and independents. Of course Dems want someone like that as the leader of the GOP.
Then the Great Lush keeps making other Republicans grovel before him, like some Maoist humiliation. It simply does not get much better than that.
MISHU...Expect a run on Alinsky's book.
I just bought a copy about a week ago.
RUSH...because face-to-face discussions and debates are not going to happen.
What the country needs is a nightly debate show, akin to the presidential debates. Nowadays the presidential debates are about the only time the right has a chance to communicate clearly to the left.
Alpha, are you concerned at all about the stock market and the downturn of the economy?
Gibbs is really out of his league in trying to villify Rush as a leader of the Republican party. He just doesn't get who Rush is to many people of all political persuasions including liberals - he is a fascinating pragmatic commentator and entertainer. You have to take him seriously and if you intend to hurt him is like trying to pet a porcupine - at your own risk. We call these moments - "pass the popcorn" moments.
Alinsky's rule works a lot better when the target has some sense of shame or something to hide. Rush is a poor target, he has everything hanging out there, and he has a hide like a rhino.
The real winner in this will be Rush's contract.
Instapundit picked-up on my Althouse comment yesterday, Does anyone really think Team Obama’s focus on Limbaugh reflects their success so far in office?
I would love to see a statistical analysis that details exactly what percentage of Rush Limbaugh's show is devoted to him talking about himself. It's got to be in the high 80's. He's totally neurotic/paranoid.
I just can't help but think that all sides of this entire kerfuffle are being played by Rush.
That said, this entire thing will be forgotten by 2010; the only thing which has potential to stick is the "Obama's thin skinned" meme.
Yes, the cruel Leftists like to be as mean as they can be towards their individual target.
"I love 'mankind', it's people I can't stand" ... especially any real people who disagree.
They were cruel towards Bush.
Perfect synergy. At one end, this post defends Rush and with this comment we learn how mean and cruel liberals are. Yet, not one hint of self-reflection from a group that follows a man who likened the previous President's 15-year old daughter to a dog on national radio. Oh, I forgot, it's not bad if the Right does it.
MadisonMan said...
I was sad to read over the weekend that Paul Harvey had died. When the family took car vacations when I was young, he was omnipresent on the radio.
This was sad news indeed. Mr. Harvey was a terrific announcer and wonderful human being. He will be missed.
Although I come from the right side of the political spectrum, I never listened to Rush that much. His ideas were fine, but his style just wasn't to my liking.
Since President Obama started to make an issue of Rush, I find myself listening to El-Rushbo more frequently.
I wonder how many others are listening to Rush more often?
It is an attempt to distract Americans from the destruction of their ability to earn a living.
That's his best line. He stumbles into an economic fact now and then.
I don't know what it takes to get a feel for economics, but Limbaugh doesn't have it intuitively. He knows conservative economic lines but can't come up with them from direct reasoning, a great failing.
The other side has zero economic ability too, but they're not trying to explain things.
Somehow, I doubt the Great Pill Popper is accurately representing Mr. Alinsky.
Have you actually read Saul Alinsky? Or are you just talking out of your poop shooter as usual?
BTW, is it appropriate to refer to the ONE as the great coke snorter?
bill--
So! That's what explains the pinkness of the dolphin.
ABC's Good Morning America did not report that detail.
It did have video pictures of the dolphin. I don't think it has a name yet.
Anyway, on "The Bachelor" it seems that the guy gave "a rose" (i.e. proposed) to one girl and for six weeks was going to marry her, but then! Then, the ABC reporter who was wearing stilettos, said he unproposed and told Molly he wanted to marry her.
Diane Saywer, who was wearing boots, said that "chatrooms across the nation lit up." And with outrage.
The guy said he thinks he can still be friends with the first girl. And some talk show host said, "Yeah, like Israel and Iraq."
None of the things that I said in that speech are being repeated by the Drive-By Media which I knew would be the case, because face-to-face discussions and debates are not going to happen.
Limbaugh can't have a discussion with the media outside Sean Hannity. Way too many uncomfortable drug and sex tourism questions might pop up. Limbaugh IS the drive by media!
It amazes me how Rush is some sort of tailsman to the Dems. Any time you make a counter point to a liberal no matter how reasonable the response is always "well if you would just think and stop getting your talking points from Rush...". In fact, the better point you make the more they accuse you of just parroting Rush Limbaugh as if the mere accusation is a suffifient in lieu of substantive argument.
"Why so much media interest in Limbaugh and Steele"
Jeez the answer to that question is in in the quote that is this post's subject. You can't be that obtuse can you?
"Limbaugh can't have a discussion with the media outside Sean Hannity. Way too many uncomfortable drug and sex tourism questions might pop up. Limbaugh IS the drive by media!"
Why would his drug use have anything to do with the substance of what he is saying? Would you say this about anyone else? Does the fact that Bill Clinton got blowjobs in the oval office prevent people from engage him on the substance of his opinions?
What you are admitting in saying that is that liberals can't engage the guy in any meaningful way and can only throw personal stones. Ultimately, Rush for all of his faults is a very smart articulate guy. Liberals can't win arguments with him so they are reduced to call him a devil. Pathetic really.
Hee hee. They're picking the wrong target, and I love it! This will be fun. :)
Ultimately yes you're right.
Don't underestimate the collateral damage.
Ha ha! You are all losers! Not Ann, of course, but certainly the rest of you!
A reporter asks Gibbs a question about Limbaugh, Gibbs answers the question with very little affair, and this is the great wound that you will all nurse for the next 24 hours! So completely pathetic, and really fun to witness.
I just love how Rush gets the lefties in such a frothing lather.
It's better than a snuggie.
"What you are admitting in saying that is that liberals can't engage the guy in any meaningful way and can only throw personal stones. Ultimately, Rush for all of his faults is a very smart articulate guy. Liberals can't win arguments with him so they are reduced to call him a devil. Pathetic really."
Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it.
Democrats pick a target - anyone will do, Palin, Gingrich, Bush etc.
They need someone to vilify to distract the drones. They love to simplify the debate into personalities
But I believe they have made a serious error in picking Rush as their latest target. Most demons, even someone with a bully pulpit, don't have three hours a day to respond, and Rush knows what they are doing and he knows how to counter quite well.
This is exactly what we need too. We need an ideological debate. The Republican Party will not win anything with a "charm offensive" as long as fundamentaly hostile media remains in place.
Even McCain who was universally accepted before the campaign as an acceptable, reasonable, moderate Republican that Democrats and Independents could see themselves voting for, got zilch from them in terms of votes and in terms of positive media coverage.
So the issue isn't about the facade of Republicans anyway.
Here, at least we have an articulate counter to Obama's brazen leftism, and this needs exposition. When middle class moderate Democrats begin to understand what Obama is really up to, any Republican will get their vote. It won't be about looks or charm in 2010 and 2012.
We interrupt this blog for this special ABC News update:
A pink dolphin has been discovered by a boat captain in Calcasieu Lake, Louisiana.
The rare Bottlenose dolphin was first found and photographed by Capt. Erik Rue, 42.
"It was absolutely, stunningly pink," says Rue. "I had never seen anything like it. It's the same color throughout the whole body and it looks like it just came out of a paint booth."
Rue began studying the unique animal after he spotted it swimming with four other dolphins. He believes the dolphin, which has reddish eyes, is an albino.
We now return you to regularly scheduled commenting.
You know it's no accident that Hillary made famous the phrase "politics of personal destruction". After all she was steeped in the concept from her Alinskyite training. Quite typical of leftist projection too, as they rely almost exclusively on ad hom arguments.
We need to start a top 10 list of Rush's shameful defects: Mean. Paranoid. Pill popper. Polarizer. Maoist. Schizophrenic. Plantation owner. Neurotic. Great lush. Hated by everyone. That's 10 just from this thread, and the real Players are still asleep. How can anyone claim that Rush is being personally attacked??? The List can be used interchangably on other conservatives...just change the name and repeat it.In fact many commenters are eligible to have their names inserted at the head of the List, it seems.
MadisonMan wrote:
When the family took car vacations when I was young, he was omnipresent on the radio.
My memory too, though it's been ages.
@Peter V. Bella: Welcome back.
I love it! I LOVE it! After 8 years of stunning mismanagement, after 8 years of Limbaugh republicans in office, you all think Limbaugh is the one with all the answers to the crisis built by his own party! Republicans ran this country into the ground, now the country has moved on from their nonsense, and here in this denizen for followers of the fallen, you natter on about Rush Limbaugh having the answers! Well, Rush Limbaugh and his party had their chance to apply their answers. They either did so and failed, or proved to us that, on spending at least, they don't have the WILL to actually follow through.
Thank you, goodbye!
What annoys liberals most about Limbaugh is that he can play the game in their court and win....I don't share Tina Fey's political sympathies, but I think she's likable and funny. I have similar feelings toward Rush. His show really is entertaining....Beyond that, he is very convincing in selling his point of view, much more so than the Hollywood crowd....I stopped listening to him for a while during the Republican primary campaign. I thought his criticisms of McCain were unfair. I regard myself as part of his audience, not part of his cult. I wish there were as much distance between Obama and his supporters as there is between Rush and his.
sohereiam, sothereigo. soyouthinkRushiswhythemarketisdown?
Is there any liberal who can make an actual argument anymore? The liberal response to anything seems to fall into one of two catagories; you just heard that on Rush and the Republicans ran the country in the ground.
This is what qualifies for reasoned debate? One of my favorite quotes of all time is from St. Theresa of Lisieux. It is something to the effect of prayers answered cause more tears than prayers unanswered.
I think liberals are living that quote today. They finally have all they have prayed for. They finally own both Congress and have a real liberal as President. It should be the greatest time ever to be a liberal. Instead, the Dow is headed for 5000, unemployment is headed for 10%, the world still resents the US, and our enemies wish us the same ill today that they did yesterday. All of the liberal sollutions, big spending, high taxes, high regulations, commitment to the environment, are doing and will continue to do nothing but making things worse. It is no wonder they want to change the subject to Rush or the good old days when all the problems were George Bush's fault.
William -- are you kidding? Are you KIDDING? Distance? What about the visceral reaction of the ditto-heads to Hillary Clinton? Aren't they the cult who accused Clinton of MURDER???? I mean, that's Rush's specialty -- the cultivation of hatred for the left. My gosh, I used to watch his TV show with my father, and the things he would say about Janet Reno, Hillary Clinton, Bill -- personal, funny, mean things, over and over and over again, drumming knee-jerk reactions into the heads of his followers.
John -- what nonsense! Do you think liberals crashed the economies in the last month and 13 days?
Don't underestimate the collateral damage.
Hey, chicklit! :) You mean to conservatives? Or liberals/Obama? I'm curious.
Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it.
That's been Limbaugh's m.o. It's worked pretty well for him.
"John -- what nonsense! Do you think liberals crashed the economies in the last month and 13 days?"
They certainly haven't helped. Passing a trillion dollar deficit, promising to raise taxes in the out years to pay for it and promising to regulate and tax carbon hasn't helped. The dow was flat in December and has nosedived since the stimulus passed.
Liberals with a market economy are like medival doctors applying leaches. Face it. Thanks to BO, the Dems now own the deficit and will shortly start to own the economy.
I mean, really, John, I was going to leave it at that, but really? Really? The stimulus bill was signed, oh, what, a week and a half ago? And you are already blaming it for making matters worse? Oddly enough, the country gave President Bush 8 years to conduct his experiment in conservative rule. I think it's willing to give its new president more than 8 eight weeks to clean up.
Well I admit I have not seen Rush's speech-
But-this is the part that seems to have been the most inflammatory-
My hope, and please understand me when I say this. I disagree fervently with the people on our side of the aisle who have caved and who say, 'Well, I hope he succeeds. We've got to give him a chance.' Why? They didn't give Bush a chance in 2000. Before he was inaugurated, the search-and-destroy mission had begun. I'm not talking about search-and-destroy, but I've been listening to Barack Obama for a year-and-a-half. I know what his politics are. I know what his plans are, as he has stated them. I don't want them to succeed.
."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 U.S. 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."
I really think Rush Limbaugh has faulty logic here.
Rush Limbaugh in fact might be a lot of the reason Obama is the President -who has both a Democratic Senate and House at his disposal.
Rush Limbaugh gave plenty of his listeners reasons and excuses not to vote for Republicans.
Fine. Rush Limbaugh is smart enough to know that he depressed and infuriated Republican and Conservative voters-he needs to live with that. I get that he might realize this and be angry with himself.
By failure and wishing for it-what is he talking about?
An economic collapse? Like say-
The Great Depression.
That's NOT going to get Limbaugh what he supposedly wants.
After The Great Depression -the Democrats were in power for decades.
The time to beat Obama was before he got the hat trick of the Executive, Senate and House.
Now Obama is Limbaugh's President and Limbaugh had a chance to do something about it more than most.
An economic collapse stateside is going to have a huge effect on National Security a global economic crisis is only going to add stress to that.
It really would be-National Security wise akin to burning the dynamite at both ends.
Now to be fair to Rush that might be the situation the democrats are creating but he is sure funny in his timing. He's coming a little late to that realization and he gave his followers plenty of ammunition to fight Republicans who tried to tell people this would be the outcome if they didn't vote.
so--
The market looks ahead, not backwards. The market will not go down because somebody has a radio show.
Welfare, regulation and redistribution are the luxuries we can afford when the economy is down. Initially, I thought the economic downturn would reighn in BO's worst instincts because only a lunatic would raise taxes during a severe recession. I under estimated BO's lunacy.
Ultimately, I think BO thinks he can blame whatever problems happen on Bush and want to use this crisis as an excuse to gain political power. In the end, if the US is sitting at say 0 or negative growth and 10 or 12% unemployment, but have universal healthcare, powerful unions, lower income inequality, serious environmental regulations and a large government, I doubt many "progressives" will be too troubled by it. The latter goals are much more important to them than growth, which just leads to consumption and in equality, and full employment, which just causes people to think for themselves and be less dependent on the government.
Dennis Miller? Didn't he used to be edgy?
How about inviting Jeff Ross to speak at the press corps dinner?
So if Limbaugh wants Obama to fail...that means he's hoping for a depression. Rush Limbaugh hates America.
Some facts seem to be flying over someone's head.
I was reading the lefty side of this in the NY Times Opinionator blog comments section. The vitriol, name-calling and moral-failure schadenfreude over there is enough to make your stomach turn.
Rush isn't a politician. Most people who listen to him really wouldn't vote for him. But what the Left cannot seem to grasp is that he gives a voice to a chunk of America that feels the Conventional Wisdom of an established media has taken sides against both them and their values.
The real reason Lefty Talk radio hasn't met success has more to do with this: it's like if almost every convenience store served Coke exclusively, wouldn't the few that served Pepsi attract a huge following?
What I love about all this is the failure to come to terms with what has actually happened. The economy was ALREADY IN THE SHITTER when the President was inaugurated. Had been in the shitter for some time! And so to hear you say, John, that "when the economy is really bad, progressives won't be too troubled by it" is hysterical! Progressives were elected to fix the dire, dire mess -- the near collapse of the banking system, indeed! -- that had come to fruition under conservative rule. They are fixing it, and we'll see in a few years whether the fix works. But to argue from this invented perch of sobriety and authority and received wisdom is just phenomenally absurd of all of you. To suggest that conservatives have an answer to the problem they presided over -- my god, the banks almost went under while suffering Bush's watch! -- is so funny to me. . . if conservatives had the answer, then why the hell didn't they implement it while they had so much power? Out of some perverse sense of WANTING the crisis, some masochistic desire to lose their power to liberals, or maybe a desire to guitar hero while Wallstreet burned?
All of you leftists are really quite dense, aren’t you? Incapable of understanding simple syllogisms:
Limbaugh wants those who propose damaging policies to fail in implementing them.
Obama proposes damaging policies.
Limbaugh wants Obama to fail in implementing them.
You’re so interested in “gotcha” you don’t realize how deeply, deeply stupid you look.
Can you possibly be this obtuse? But of course you can.
soheriam,
Rush doesn't make his audience hate the left. Leftists have made millions hate them all by themselves. Rush is the place where they go for like-minded commentary.
How do you think he got his audience? They found him, not vice-versa. If Rush went away tommorow their would still be as much hatred for the left, if not more - they deserve it.
Maybe if lefties didn't lie cheat and steal so much, they wouldn't be held in such low esteem.
You mean to conservatives? Or liberals/Obama? I'm curious.
I meant damage to people's confidence in markets. Right now a correction is occurring, but there is potential for overreaction. Hasn't that always been the case?
Ya know, that Alinsky guy sounds pretty interesting. I've heard of him lots of times. Althouse, if you put a link to Amazon, I'll use it. It's only fifteen bucks for the updated version so it's not really much, otherwise I'll just click directly.
Progressives were mistakenly elected by an electorate badly served by a media subservient to the left to fix the dire, dire mess -- the near collapse of the banking system, indeed! -- that had come to fruition under two short years of Democratic control of congress
There, so. Fixed it for you.
Franco -- yes, you are right. Leftists are the ones who cheated the country out of a surplus, and they are the ones who cheated the country into a needless war. I forgot!
So if Limbaugh wants Obama to fail...that means he's hoping for a depression. Rush Limbaugh hates America.
Arguably, the point is that Limbaugh loves liberty.
It is possible to object to certain exercises of government power on principle, despite the consequences.
If you think that the accumulation of power in Washington will have terrible consequences, the logic for failure goes something like this:
You expect that Obama's policies will fail and will fail with a lot of collateral damage to the economy and fundamental liberties.
The longer the policies are in place, the greater the long-term damage.
Therefore you want the policies to fail with speed and certainty, so they can be reversed sooner rather than later.
I think this is an honorable argument and one that many opponents of the Iraq war should recognize.
They're annoyed because Rush is right, and they have no argument to counter it. The tanking economy is backing Rush up on this. The market certainly believes him and not the crypto-communists in power.
What ever happened to "speak truth to power," Libs? Rush is speaking truth, and your bolsheviks are certainly in power.
I hope enough people wake up in time for the 2010 elections and a switchover to a GOP Congress can reverse a lot of the damage done. Of course, look what they've accomplished in one short month! Imagine what they'll do in the next year and a half!
This is all assuming, of course, that the Iranians haven't gotten us into a nuclear exchange. Then the economy, and possibly our way of life, will no longer exist as we know it.
Ann, are you ready yet to admit you were wrong to fall for the One's "charisma"? His "smooth, calm demeanor?" The certainty that he would "rule from the center?" The poo-pooing of the concerns that his absolute lack of experience, mixed with his corrupt Chicago politician, racist, radical, Marxist and terrorist associations, hinted at a TERRIBLE President?
How bad does it have to get for people to admit they allowed themselves to be used?
rocketeer67 --
hmmmmm. I do not remember the great, game-changing legislation enacted by our democratic congress in the last two years of the Bush adminstration. . . can you remind me?
Also, if Republicans can neither govern nor conduct themselves in the contemporary media environment, whose fault do you think that is? Although I must say, feeding American's on racial and religious fear of Obama was a noble effort!
And more propaganda from Obama Central. Bush spent too much. This is true, but many problems were festering for decades i.e. sub-prime mortgages (which was promoted by Democrats and protected from oversight by Democrats.
But the Obama Administration wants us to believe that Bush overspent and got us here and the solution is.. more overspending!..And this time in Triplicate!
If there was some measure of prudence in the "stimulus" bill, I would have believed he was simply misguided, but since it is clearly a fraud, and the rationale behind it is obviously fraudulent, I must conclude that it is a power grab by Obama's left hand.
Thanks, chickenlittle. Yeah. Scary.
The war of the orators
The cast
Obama: busy with economy, wars in Iraq/Afghanistan, appointing tax cheats, socialising healthcare.
Rush: has 24 hours a day available, is 3 hours a day on radio, and reaches hundreds of thousands more through streaming and podcasts.
ACT I, SCENE 1 ...
Franco --
Republicans, apparently, believe in profligate spending on odd wars in the Middle East, tax for people who don't need them, and pandering medicare drug benefits.
Progressives believe in investment in the country's physical, educational, energy, environmental and health infrastructure.
Simply put -- Republicans like silly spending, Progressives invest.
after 8 years of Limbaugh republicans in office,
You really really really don't get it do you?
Conservatives, which are the demographic that Rush reaches and represents, are not necessarily Republicans as represented by the Bush administration. Bush is not a 'conservative'.
Conservatives have a lot of animus towards many of the Bush policies, especially those economic policies of spend spend spend and never vetoing the pork that he allowed to wallow across his desk.
Conservatives are about SMALL government, LOWERED taxes, FREE enterprise, personal responsibility and FREEDOM. And with the exception of the small group of religious fundamentalists, one issue voters, freedom also means the right to choose and the right for ME not to have to pay for your choice.
Keep the government out of my life as much as possible and keep the government out of my pocket as much as possible.
This is Rush's beef with the Republican Party machine. They have abandoned those principals and are RINOs......just like McCain who was never the choice of the 'conservative' wing of the party. McCain was chosen by the media and that is why he lost.
Conservatives will vote for a Blue Dog Democrat over a RINO any day. Conservatives are not party loyal.....they are loyal to their own principals.
But...of course YOU wouldn't understand that.
Progressives have help up Europe as a model for years. Europe generally has low growth and 10% or more unemployment. What do Progressives value? They value universal government benefits, income equality, and central government control. Further, growth in the Progressive view, is creates environmental damage and is generally at the expense of the less fortuneate. Given those facts, I can't see why progressives would be very troubled if the economy stayed at 0 or mild negative growth and unemployment hovered around 12% if such a situation were accompanied by a general enactment of thier policies.
Limbaugh follows the same rule, so I guess he'd recognize it when he sees it.
Republicans ran this country into the ground, now the country has moved on from their nonsense
Oh, that's beautiful. What astute perceptive analysis!
In your head inside your bubble, you silly little twat. Once, just once. Once. Once. Once. I'd soil myself if I heard a partisan liberal address the subject directly.
"Progressives believe in investment in the country's physical, educational, energy, environmental and health infrastructure."
Who doesn't beleive in that? The question is who does the investing. Progressivism is about central control. That is why progressives object to economic growth. When people create their own wealth, the government cannot control what is done with that wealth. People have a bad habbit of consuming and doing damage the environment and just doing unfashionable nasty things with their money if a progressive isn't there to help them. That in the end is what the upscale progressivism that BO represents is all about.
hereiam: There's a reason that Ralph Nader claims that the Republicans and Democrats are the same party (only the rhetoric is different). Your little list is a perfect example.
One person's pander is another person's infrastructure.
No matter what happens you are not going to get rid of Obama for a long, long time.
Incumbency and having the majority of both the Senate and House to re-write election law, re-district/ gerrymander, find a vote in the House for the DC, do card check for unions, nationalize health care-the list goes on and on and on...
They haven't begun to fill the lower Courts but that they'll do in high time and Bush never got any credit for how business friendly his lower court appointments were.
Obama is going to get re-elected the powers of incumbency are that great.
He's going to have more campaign funds at his disposal than anyone in history and he is going to have the power of the Senate and House like wind at his back.
Before he is done he'll replace Biden with someone younger and that person might have enough benefits written in for him ahead of time to go two terms.
This last election was that critical.
It's a good thing Bobby Jindal is young-and he Jindal should definitely wait to run against Obama's successor-not Obama. Jindal or someone else needs to think long term.
"Simply put -- Republicans like silly spending, Progressives invest."
Progressives only 'invest' with other peoples money; never their own.
Dust Bunny Queen --
Yes, of course I understand all too well what you think Rush represents -- But whom do you think Limbaugh's followers support? Did they not vote for Bush? Were Limbaugh's media and rhetorical skills not put to use supporting Bush in both of his campaigns? Bush and McCain have been the best you could do, apparently.
Face it, if you support what you say you support, your little group of Burkean conservatives is apparently so statistically insignificant that you must back politicians who merely pay lip service to your ideals, and instead cater to their evangelical base and the others what brought them to the dance.
The religious fundamentalists are not so small in number, since you can't elect even a nominal conservative without them!
I grew up in a household that watched and listened to Rush and that called itself conservative. We were Rockefeller Republicans, and desired value in return for our tax dollars. That's why I'm a progressive today.
Ha ha. I do get you. And I get why your movement -- what you want to claim as the true conservative movement -- continues to fail in an even more pathetic fashion than the nominally conservative Republican party!
sohereiam,
Hmmm. A short look at recent history of war doesn't support your Republican/Democrat view.
World War II, Korea and Vietnam along with the Gulf War and Bosnia, combined with our bases all over the world and attendant costs, as well as Afghanistan and (at least initially) Iraq itself all had broad Democratic support.
I guess Democrats don't believe in pandering drug benefits?
The fact that Republicans can be statists and panderers does not absolve leftists in the least. If it weren't for their friends in the media, most Democrats in office today would be out of office.
This is not a purely partisan debate, it is a philosophical debate.
Isaac Newton invented calculus, physics, and,as director of the mint, standardized the currency. There are many who make the hyperbolic claim that he was as smart as Barack Obama in some respects. Newton invested his money is the South Sea Bubble. He recognized the South Sea Bubble as a bubble and took his money out. The bubble continued to rise. Newton put his money back into the Bubble and lost everything. That is the seductive power of bubbles. They are very hard for even the smartest man alive to resist....This current bubble rose on the exhalations of more than just the Republicans--or for that matter those of Barney Frank and Chris Dodd. We were all involved. American banks under the Republicans were leveraged at about 22-1 to their assets. European banks under the social democrats were leveraged at about 60-1. If you are highly leveraged in a rising economy, you are a genius of the first order. Just look at Robert Rubin. If you are highly leveraged at the moment of collapse, you're a greedy bastard. Just look at Robert Rubin.....Two facts: For the past two hundred years booms and busts have been endemic to capitalism. But also for the past two hundred years mankind, under capitalism, has enjoyed the greatest quantum leap in living standards ever....I hope Obama figures out a way to set things straight. My fear is that there is a part of him that thinks that capitalism is a really bad idea, and that he and his brain trust can figure out a much better system.
Obama's starting to look less and less like Lincoln and Kennedy and more like Nixon.
Is that how he wants to be classified, as a Democratic Nixon.
I'm not a fan of Rush in a literal or a political sense. At some level he's both amusing and annoying. Like MadisonMan's monkey's at typewriters, he pounds away at enough topics long enough and does say some intelligent things amongst a lot of ranting, however:
rastajenk said... We haven't seen the bottom of the cheap meanness of this White House. The treatment of Joe the Plumber was merely a shot across the bow.
Plumbers and White House? We've ben there before. Though I don't care for Rush, I really really dislike the idea of a White House focusing the power of the entire government to attack its enemies list. I think Rahm has fewer political morals than Haldeman.
I hope we don't discover IRS audit lists of enemies.
Jindal or someone else needs to think long term.
American politicians do not think long term. That's a big part of the problem.
Oh ya I forgot to add how slanted the media is against Republicans-and when Republicans are represented it's Rush Limbaugh's face vs. Pretty boy Obama-that's why the Obama team is doing this.
Or you know that great Bircher left over Pat Buchanan.
Sorry but most of America does not react favorably to what Buchanan has written.
Franco -- if you really want to compare the current war in Iraq to World War II -- even to Vietnam -- I leave you to it! Cheers!
Madison Man-
That's a good point.
The Pentagon has been trying to deal with that for a long, long time.
Roux was a bit faster, though a lot fewer words :)
The tanking economy is backing Rush up on this. The market certainly believes him and not the crypto-communists in power.
Absolutely. The market began tanking in earnest when it became apparent that Obama and his socialist policies would become the candidate....then when it became even more apparent that he might win...the nose dive began and the money when fleeing to the sidelines. Where it still sits and will continue to sit until we get an administration that isn't determined to punish the people who make the country work and who isn't set on wealth transfer. From those who work and pay taxes to those who don't. OR .....from each according to his ability to each according to his need.
For a great analysis of why the market continues to tank and why we are not going to get out of this recession anytime soon. I suggest you read this. Read it and weep. We are so screwed
I do not remember the great, game-changing legislation enacted by our democratic congress in the last two years of the Bush adminstration. . . can you remind me?
Precisely, So - they failed to act in the one area that could have mitigated, and quite possibly avoided, this mess - greater regulation of the secondary mortgage market. Let me be precise, since I can't count on you to understand: reining in Freddie and Fannie, which were rife with Democratic cronyism and corruption, and immune from oversight thanks to Frank, Dodd, et al.
In 2012, the question once again will be "Are you better off today than you were four years ago?"
It will be hard to answer yes.
Whenever the market hits bottom at 5000 (or 500 for the S&P) or who knows where, it will take years for people's portfolios to recover.
We're going to see the start of some sort of health care rationing.
And there is zero talk of a drawdown from AfPak. We've been there about as long as the Soviets, with fewer troops, and with Pakistan teetering.
"I hope Obama figures out a way to set things straight. My fear is that there is a part of him that thinks that capitalism is a really bad idea, and that he and his brain trust can figure out a much better system."
Bingo!! If you locked Obama, Axelrod and Emmanuel in a room and gave them truth serium and ask them if in 2012 US growth would be zero or mildly negative and unemployment would be 12% to 15% but there would be universal healthcare, unions would represent a majority of workers, there would be a strict carbon regulation regime, the government would control the bounds of political discourse, there would be a real european style welfare state and BO would be re-elected, would they take the deal? I think the answer would be yes. Everyone acts like BO looks at the tanking market and economy as some kind of bug. I think he views it as a feature. BO and his advisors think they can blame any failings of the economy on Bush and use the “crisis” to enact their programs.
BO is not troubled at all by the economy. Its downfall is a feature not a bug in his view, at least until he can’t blame it on Bush anymore. With what amounts to a state run media, I doubt he is too worried about that happening anytime soon.
rocketeer67 --
Yes, yes! You are correct, certainly! NOW I remember George Bush standing ready to sign reform legislation, calling on the congress to act, cooperating with the Democrats to avert financial disaster!
Is that how he wants to be classified, as a Democratic Nixon.
Or a cross between Nixon and Andrew Johnson. Washington D.C. is going to carpetbag the whole freakin' country. I'm just waiting for Obama to say, "We're all reconstructionists now."
Obama better tread lightly with Rush. If Obama is this supposedly post racial messiah hailing in a brand new world he cant be labeling people like Rush a racist at the drop of a hat. It would be hilarious for the president of the United States to claim is he been victimized by a citizen.
"Yes, yes! You are correct, certainly! NOW I remember George Bush standing ready to sign reform legislation, calling on the congress to act, cooperating with the Democrats to avert financial disaster!"
Yes that is exactly what happened in 2003. They had hearings on Freddie and Fannie and Bush officials said something needed to be done. Barney Frank said there was nothing wrong with either of them. Meanwhile, Barney Franks' live in boyfriend was collecting millions in bonuses from Freddie and Fannie based on what we now know was fraudulent accounting. Search youtube for Barney Frank and you can see Frank telling witnesses that "freddie and fannie were perfectly fine". I would send you the link but my firewall prevents me from getting to youtube. Barney Frank is a crook who ought to be in prison. Instead, thanks to people like you who will never admit fault with a Dem, is is running government lending policy.
Beth said...
Limbaugh follows the same rule, so I guess he'd recognize it when he sees it.
Beth, I agree with you, but I think it's scarier when The President/Government is doing it.
NOW I remember George Bush standing ready to sign reform legislation, calling on the congress to act, cooperating with the Democrats to avert financial disaster!
Your sarcasm belies your ignorance, So, not that I'm the least bit surprised. Leftists are always ignorant of history - even recent history - that's why they're leftists. W proposed, pushed, cajoled, and begged for precisely that - and was rebuffed by the economic illiterates and corrupt beneficiaries of the status quo at Fannie and Freddie - to wit, congressional Dems.
I gave a speech at CPAC on Saturday, televised my first national address, address to the nation.
Seriously, who else is pompous enough an ass to think he's delivering his "first address to the nation." But I did notice the rush of the head of the RNC to kiss His ring -- this only reinforces bad behavior.
conservatism is a solution
“In the present crisis, conservatism is not the solution to our problem; conservatism is the problem” -- Ronald Hussein Reagan
Alinsky's rule works a lot better when the target has some sense of shame or something to hide. Rush is a poor target,
Rush Limbaugh is shameless -- it's official.
The Limbaugh syllogism is really much simpler:
Limbaugh wants non-conservatives to fail, and for the economy to collapse.
Obama is not a conservative.
Limbaugh wants Obama to fail.
Bush is not a 'conservative'.
DBQ argues that our problems were caused by apparent soft-headed liberals like Bush and Cheney. But who among the conservatives tried to keep Bush in check, as the government ran along at a 31% annual growth rate? Conservatives are completely ineffectual. I wouldn't put one in charge of a pancake breakfast.
John -- the surely Bush must have reformed Freddie and Fannie once he had solid majorities in congress, no????
Yes that is exactly what happened in 2003.
And 2005. And 2007.
It one of the truly smart things Bush ever pushed for.
And he was swatted down by crooks.
Did they not vote for Bush?
Not really.
I voted for Ross Perot....twice. :-)
I voted AGAINST John Kerry, that weasel traitor. I voted AGAINST Clinton, that narcissistic sociopath. I voted AGAINST, Obama that narcissistic, communist and not for McCain. I wasn't even going to vote at all in this last Presidential election until it became obvious that Obama was set on deliberately destroying the economy and the country in order to remake us all in his 'community organizing' image.
I would love to have some one to actually vote FOR again.
You really ought to try to realize that not all people who voted for a candidate voted for the same reasons.....or that we actually voted FOR that person.
You might also be interested to know that I don't really listen to Rush Limbaugh during the day, since I have ....like a real job and stuff. I occasionally read about him, follow internet links to see what the fuss is..... and DID listen to his CPAC speech, which was magnificent.
Recall in the pres. campaign, team obama forced McCain to distance himself from Rush over quasi-racial words made by the latter.
It was a brilliant political move then, and it is now as well.
John -- the surely Bush must have reformed Freddie and Fannie once he had solid majorities in congress, no????
You are truly hopeless, So. Uneducable.
"John -- the surely Bush must have reformed Freddie and Fannie once he had solid majorities in congress, no????"
No question that Republicans in Congress were spineless as well. Freddie and Fannie were a bi-partisian crisis. But we ought to admit the truth, that the housing bubble was not some deregulated economy running amuck. I was the creation of specific government policies, easy money, pressure on banks to lend to the less fortunate, the government guarenteeing mortgages, and some real supidity on the part of the finincial industry. It was a perfect storm of government stupidity and corruption with private sector greed and stupidity.
Franks is a crook, but he is not the only one in Congress, true enough. But if we are going to talk about the last 8 years, lets tell the truth instead of telling fairy tales about unbridled capitalism and the evil Bush.
rocketeer67 --
And of course, Bush always had to bow to the will of those nasty congressional dems, who were always in power throughout his two terms!
The funny thing is, why didn't Bush bring his enormous credibility on economic matters to bare with the American people? Why didn't he take the case them and force change in congress?
I love it. A word to the wise -- your movement's unwillingness to accept responsibility -- ANY responsibility -- for the nonsense you have propagated is what alienates the rest of the country.
American politicians do not think long term. That's a big part of the problem.
What should compel them to think long term? There are term limits. I think our (we the people) lack of consensus on where to go is the root cause problem here.
Oh BTW, it's time to move on from Bush.
George Bush standing ready to sign reform legislation, calling on the congress to act, cooperating with the Democrats to avert financial disaster!"
Yes that is exactly what happened in 2003. They had hearings on Freddie and Fannie and Bush officials said something needed to be done.
Barney Franks was one of 206 minority Congressmen in 2003 -- there were 229 Republicans. That dog won't hunt.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/108th_Congress
Meanwhile, Barney Franks' live in boyfriend was collecting millions in bonuses from Freddie and Fannie based on what we now know was fraudulent accounting
A strange definition of "meanwhile." Barney Frank broke up with Fannie Mae employee Herb Moses in 1998.
John -- you have to EXPECT corruption in capitalism. Businesspeople -- and I've worked in corporate America, I'm not typing this from my dorm room or on a break from checking people out at Trader Joe's -- are trying to make most profit possible. A corporate lawyer friend of mine helped to engineer some of the disastrous financial structures that put us in this situation. She feels bad about it, but I don't think she should! It was her job to try and build a really lucrative deal for her client. It is the government's job to investigate, regulate, and to not take for granted that business and finance will police themselves.
Absolutely. The market began tanking in earnest when it became apparent that Obama and his socialist policies would become the candidate
You're funny. And I bet you'll be the first to congratulate and give him credit when the markets rebound.
Now carry on with the rest. Fannie Mae. Chris Dodd. Charlie Rengel. Leftists. Leftism. Socialism. Marxism. Blah fucking blah blah blah. Oh, and Sandy Burglar!
If Obama is this supposedly post racial messiah hailing in a brand new world he cant be labeling people like Rush a racist at the drop of a hat.
I only half-follow this silly spat, but this is the first I've seen someone say Obama called Rush racist. Did that really happen, or are you using hyperbole (ineffectively)?
fls,
The joke is on you. Rush is faux-pompous. You will notice that every time he says this, the audience laughs. He does this also to annoy liberals - he is giving them something to hate and loving it.
It is an act, he is his own caricature and it works much better than faux-humility which is so rampantly on display from famous people.
William said...
There are many who make the hyperbolic claim that [Isaac Newton] was as smart as Barack Obama in some respects.
Awesome!
On second thought, apologies for the parenthetical. That was mean.
I do think it's a bit juvenile and unpresidential for the leader of the free world to get in a pissing contest with a radio talk show host.
This is what I think. It’s pathetic, really. And it concerns me a bit to have him doing it because it could be sort of a chilling of free speech, if we had a different sort of government.
But Rush will be fine. He feeds on this stuff. It’s free advertising.
He's coming a little late to that realization and he gave his followers plenty of ammunition to fight Republicans who tried to tell people this would be the outcome if they didn't vote.
Very very good point, madawaskan, very good. Rush and the far right demonized John McCain almost as much as Obama. Now imagine if McCain were president. And eat your heart out.
I'm one of those independents who voted for McCain,
The other thing that makes the "address to the nation" bit funny is that Rush speaks for three hours to about 8 million people on a given day on the radio.
The combined audience of Fox and CNN on a Saturday afternoon is probably about 2 million (and only because of the newsworthiness of this event).
But people in television news are so arrogant acting as though, if something is not on TV, it didn't happen.
I was sad to read over the weekend that Paul Harvey had died. When the family took car vacations when I was young, he was omnipresent on the radio.
Same here.
When I was in grade school and spent summers with my grandfather, he mandated absolute silence at the lunch table so he could listen to Paul Harvey uninterrupted. I thought Paul Harvey was some old guy with a weird voice.
When I was in high school, I usually spent lunch period in the music department for some quiet time. The chorus teacher listened to Paul Harvey and made us be quiet to lose the music room privileges. I thought Paul Harvey was a wind bag.
When I was in college, I was able to take a noon break some semesters and head to the dorm. My roommate and I listened to Paul Harvey because we thought he was the jerkish epitome of the industrial complex society. We hated him almost as much has Nixon.
In my twenties and selling things for a living, I'd sometimes listen to Paul Harvey while driving. I thought he was out of touch, but liked his devotion to his wife.
In my thirties, I started to seek out the Paul Harvey show on various radio stations. I kinda enjoyed the show.
In my forties, I seldom missed listening to Paul Harvey. he made a lot of sense.
In my fifties, I came to believe Paul Harvey was a genius who invented and sustained a genre of radio broadcast. Plus, i nearly always agreed with what he said, and often sought out the Saturday broadcasts of The Rest of The Story. I like Fred Thompson, but worried about Paul Harvey's health when Thompson was the substitute host.
Now in my early sixties, I miss Paul Harvey. He was awesome.
Well, I must be off to run errand, it's been a thrill, I always read but never comment.
I must say, it was all over the map, but my original point still stands -- the great elephant and the tiny Burkean flies that swarm about its head are are all so sensitive in their defeat. Robert Gibbs says something rather innocuous about their radio-host leader, and the wagons are circled! I think Ann is right -- grow a pair!
The stock market is the real Tea Party, isn't it? Throwing stuff overboard.
Now imagine if McCain were president.
The very, very bad news is that Obama won the presidency.
The good news is that McCain lost!
(Kidding. Sort of)
I haven't read through the comments, so I imagine this has been remarked upon, but...
Why are they personalizing this? They are now the White House. Has any previous Administration done this? I don't believe they have; at least as a sustained attack like this. It's beneath them. It's like they don't realize who they are now. And that's disturbing.
Limbaugh has claimed for himself a role in the political process-- he should stop whining. Of course, he's a world class whiner-- another millionaire republican claiming that if only people listened to him the world would be safe, for, well, him and the people who listen to him. It's cute now that he has more or less marginalized himself. A huge audience that will have not effect on the outcome of anything but a few school board elections, probably.
Though this is about as good as it gets for the Democrats-- the Limbaugh listener as a voting block will drive the republican party into receivership.
Go Rush.
rocketeer67,
I agree. People in this country especially the moderate middle class Democrats need to see is what real leftism is and how the party they think is so great is filled with radicals.
Maybe we will have a chance to save this country. This will be a wake-up call.
Had McCain won we would still be moving leftward and Obama or someone like him would have a better position to implement his plans in 2012, and by them I don't think there would be any hope of going back.
William 10:05: I copied your comment and posted it in the comments over here (with due credit) as an expansion on Callimachus's marvelous comment:
The history of investment finance has been a history of bubbles. You only get bubbles when something is cooking. If you don't want the bubbles, turn back the heat so low nothing cooks. You'll find yourself in about 1490 or so.
AES said...
Though this is about as good as it gets for the Democrats-- the Limbaugh listener as a voting block will drive the republican party into receivership.
Good as it gets? Not very Presidential.... I wonder how long it will take before he starts attacking someone in the press corps ... maybe Jake Tapper will be first.
"I bet you'll be the first to congratulate and give him credit when the markets rebound."
Garage, we ain't even hit bottom yet, so I wouldn't be counting that recovery bonus too soon.
I hope I am very wrong, but recovery won't begin until about 2020-2024, so I hope I recall that advice then.
It's a little funny to hear leftists blaming GOP socialists for the collectivist catastrophe we're in now. Both have followed utopian schemes for so long, the right has become defined as any objection at all to complete submission to the state.
But it is an ideology which has always failed, everywhere it has been tried. And so it does here.
The next 10 years are going to be very hard across the planet. There will soon be much violence. I hope we avoid that outcome, but I doubt it. There was plenty of violence in the 30s, which is often forgotten.
Imagine fighting over food, coming soon to a neighborhood near you.
How did we hear about this...without the MSM??
"Not very presidential"-- come on.
Limbaugh touts himself as having considerable political-- not media-- pull. This is not, say, bringing the might of a federal agency down on say, Janet Jackson.
Notice his "address to the nation." He thinks of himself as the de facto leader of the republican party. He has elected leaders of the republican party kowtowing him.
Obama's and his people have been astute in knowing who influences whom and who speaks for whom--media, blog, or otherwise.
If he wants to play, he can't run off the field and say he thought it was touch football.
And the folks who suddenly say "don't hurt the boy' but revel in the carelessness of his rhetoric-- well, put a bandaid on it. It's just a little scrape for man who makes much of the little actual responsibility he has for governance and its outcome.
Michael, when can we expect the IRB consent forms for your blog experiment?
I haven't signed one.
AES said...
"Though this is about as good as it gets for the Democrats"
Good grief.
It's always interesting to hear a multi-millionaire (billionaire?) lecturing the world on the way things really ought to be for the "common folk."
Rush Limbaugh grew up wealthy and has always been wealthy. He has absolutely no experience with finance or even a real job, unless you want to count being a radio DJ and selling tickets for the KC Royals.
Here's an overview of his extensive educational background:
He graduated from Cape Central High School, enrolled at Southeast Missouri State University where he dropped out after two semesters and one summer.
According to his mother, "he flunked everything", even a modern ballroom dancing class. He just didn't seem interested in anything except radio."
The only possible reason, during the kind of economic crisis America is facing right now, anyone would assign credence to anything this man has to say is directly related to right wing politics and the continued bashing of a President who has held office for less than 40 days.
It's disgusting, un-American, and you can bet you asses the world is watching.
*I know...who cares what the rest of the wold thinks...right?
Pogo, I have absolutely no idea what you keep blathering about regarding an "experiment."
Clarify if you want a response.
If the libs and the Administration were serious- which is a stretch- they would just ignore Limbaugh. Instead, like school yard bullies, led by the gangbanger in charge- Rham Emanuel, they are demonzing him. Making popular people victims and martyrs is not sound PR policy. It ususally backfires and backfires badly. Guess ole Rham the ballet dancer is not as smart as he thinks. What do you expect from a corrupt Chicago Pol.
Among other moronic things:
former law student said...
"In the present crisis, conservatism is not the solution to our problem; conservatism is the problem" -- Ronald Hussein Reagan
Of course, Reagan said no such thing, but if you replace "conservatism" with "government", it is accurate.
I certainly am glad you are only a "former" law student. Someone who is that dishonest to simply make up quotations for the purpose of smearing an opponent would never be allowed to be an attorney, right?
Oh, wait...
As usual, when leftists can't argue on the merits of their case (which happens approximately 100% of the time), they just make shit up. That's got to be in Alinsky's Rules for Radicals somewhere...
Saul Alinsky's Rules for Radicals
By the way, for those unfamiliar with Alinsky, you are probably unaware that Hillary Clinton's college thesis was on Alinsky, who invented "community organizing" and proposed using the term "change" as a slogan over 50 years ago. She is also a great fan of his thinking.
So, if Hillary had won the presidency, the only real difference is that we would be experiencing the ultra-feminist variety of this deadly serious political game instead of the uber-racist version.
From the press conferenced with Gordon Brown:
OBAMA: uh, eh, ah, um, em, ah, uh, em, er, ah.
The articulate leader of the former free nation.
C'mon, Michael, not all of us here are fools.
Is there renumeration for this blog experiment of yours?
Is it double blinded?
What are the side effects and risks?
What is that weird rash you tend to induce?
Details, Michael.
Clarify.
Limbaugh just made a brilliant observation. The BHO administration is purposely driving down the stock market in order to cause investors to move into Treasury bonds. The T-Bond purchases help fund the Porkulus and Budgetulus spending.
Has Obama ever spoken encouraging words about the economy?
I want him to fail.
Clarify if you want a response.
Pogo, in the name of God, don't clarify.
Peter V. Bella said..."If the libs and the Administration were serious- which is a stretch- they would just ignore Limbaugh."
With the exception of Emanuel's comments, I haven't heard much of anything from the White House, especially President Obama.
I also think Emanuel's comments were a strategic means of keeping Rush right where he thinks he is: as the leader of the Republican Party.
Why fight with those who can actually do something (Republicans who hold office) when you can banter back and forth with a radio "entertainer?"
If Obama's plans do not work he'll bear the brunt of the criticism...if they work out, he'll garner the accolades.
Whining and bitching about plans and possible solutions to such an immense worldwide situation...43 days into an administration is ridiculous and an overwhelming percentage of Americans see it as just that.
Michael, Stop overcompensating for your undersized penis.
I think Obama will hitting the crack pipe harder than normal once it sinks in how stupid it was for him to attack Rush.
I know...who cares what the rest of the wold thinks...right?
Damn right!
Is rule number 12 the one Rush built his show around? Rush demonizes pretty much everyone he sees as an enemy of his "values".
Personally, I can't stand to listen to Rush much anymore. But what I heard today is Obama is responsible for the economic collapse. Rush is evidently happy to have investment bankers corrupt every aspect of our banking system. As long as he can lay blame on Democrats and the President.
It's what Rush does. And he makes it up as he goes. If the economy were recovering, it would be because of the strong Republican performance of the last eight years.
The BHO administration is purposely driving down the stock market in order to cause investors to move into Treasury bonds.
The logic is that bonds need to become the next bubble in order to keep things cooking.
Pogo said:
"Imagine fighting over food, coming soon to a neighborhood near you."
Look on the bright side, Americans could get more exercise and eat less :)
Barney Franks was one of 206 minority Congressmen in 2003 -- there were 229 Republicans. That dog won't hunt.
Well considering he was the ranking Dem on the financial services committee who was the most vocal in opposing Bush on reform, I'd say it most certainly does.
In other words, you're vaunted Democrats were quite content with playing see or hear no evil.
Shheeat Michael is here.
I guess the principal dismissed the 4th grade early today?
I haven't heard much of anything from the White House, especially President Obama.
So you're content with a slacker eh?
I guess the principal dismissed the 4th grade early today?
Snow day. Obama decreed it.
Barney Franks was one of 206 minority Congressmen in 2003 -- there were 229 Republicans.
How much money did Barney Frank take from those evil special interests to promote and pass legislation allowing these toxic loans? Lest most of you forget, this crisis evolved during the Clinton Administration. He wanted people who could not afford homes to have them. He pushed the legislation. He threatened banks with fines and sanctions if they did not make the loans. Barney Frank, Chris Dodd, Joe Biden, and others went along with him in return for money from the special itnerests and Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Now they are heroes of the Revolution.
Michael said...
"With the exception of Emanuel's comments, I haven't heard much of anything from the White House, especially President Obama."
Then you haven't been listening. It was in fact a comment from Obama directed at Limbaugh that started the dust-up:
WaPo
The tragedy inherent in all this is that the genius and effort of the American people and the resilience of our capitalist system are such that the economy may recover before 2012 in spite of the democrats preposterous "stimulus" bill and Obama's disastrous socialist programs. He and they will then claim credit for the recovery. "Audacity" is a qualiity Obama, like any good narcissist, does not suffer from a lack of.
Of course, Reagan said no such thing
Of course, Reagan's middle name was not "Hussein." I was hoping that would make my parody obvious.
Imagine fighting over food, coming soon to a neighborhood near you.
I can. That's what makes me despise anyone who hopes Obama fails. Consider that nobody on the Left (maybe a few lunatics, I don't know) hoped we would be defeated in Iraq, even though we thought the invasion was ill-advised.
Well considering he was the ranking Dem on the financial services committee who was the most vocal in opposing Bush on reform, I'd say it most certainly does.
That dog is still snoozing under the porch. At that time being the ranking Dem on a House committee was like being the ranking eunuch in the Caliph's harem.
In fact, despite Barney Frank's existence, in the next Congress, the House passed the Federal Housing Finance Reform Act of 2005, on October 26, 2005. It was Richard Shelby's (R-ALA) Senate Banking Committee that sat on it, despite McCain's endorsement.
I just love how Rush gets the lefties in such a frothing lather.
Uh...the lefties are in a frothing later???
it amazes me the alt universe the Republicans continue to live in...
Poor Rush and his abused sensability...however will he and his hundreds of millions of dollars ever weather such horrible treatment.
Michael Hasenstab:When I was in grade school and spent summers with my grandfather, he mandated absolute silence at the lunch table so he could listen to Paul Harvey uninterrupted.
I might as well be married to your grandfather. Only it's 5:55 pm that all has to be still in the range of the AM radio ....
Oh yeah, and FLS -- or whoever -- have you read a summary of Alinsky's Rules? Do you know how Obama became involved with Alinsky's disciples? (Alinksy was dead when Obama got to Chicago.) What goes on at the Alinsky indoctrination(oops, strike that) training camps? Ask Barack. He's been there, done that. But because he wears a suit, and is "clean and articulate" and his grandma taught him a few manners and he went to Harvard, and he isn't out there looking like Bill Ayers -- he must be safe.
Cause we all know that people who believe far out stuff don't really, like, believe it, ya know.
That dog is still snoozing under the porch. At that time being the ranking Dem on a House committee was like being the ranking eunuch in the Caliph's harem.
If that's what gets you through the day, as Steve Perry would sing, don't stop believin.
He and they will then claim credit for the recovery.
And? Not one Republican voted for it, so they can't possibly claim any credit. That's why this post election meltdown by Republicans was so idiotic. To most people it looks like Obama inherited a mess and Republicans crying and taking their ball home guarantees they wont reap any rewards regardless if Obama's policies were the impetus or not. And this time around Democrats are bringing gas to throw on Republicans on fire instead of condolences, so they are learning.
Lest most of you forget, this crisis evolved during the Clinton Administration.
If true, consider that the Clinton Administration ended nine years ago. Further consider that, for all but the first two years of the Clinton Administration, Republicans were the majority in the House and the Senate. This simply demonstrates once more the uselessness of the Republican Party, which instead of fixing the problem, focuses on fixing the blame.
Golly gee, did someone mention Barney Frank? Shouldn't someone post Rush's update theme for Barney Frank. Now all of Rush's fans can laugh and sneer properly. Rush would make Alinsky so proud.
Uh...the lefties are in a frothing later???
Ron, the fact that Obama had to single out a fucking radio talk show host kind of tells me how much he bothers them.
it amazes me the alt universe the Republicans continue to live in...
I'm a conservative. Big difference. If you think simply adding mountains of more debt is going to improve the situation, I have a galaxy out here on the edge of Orion I want to sell you.
What a pleasant surprise to hear there are a bunch of Rockford Files (1974) fans here.
Ahhh...Those where the days ;)
That's what makes me despise anyone who hopes Obama fails.
Despise? Stop and think, my good man - you're on our team, and you don't even know it. The only hope we have to avoid a general depression complete with food rationing is is Obama fails.
Further consider that, for all but the first two years of the Clinton Administration, Republicans were the majority in the House and the Senate. This simply demonstrates once more the uselessness of the Republican Party, which instead of fixing the problem, focuses on fixing the blame.
Was there something wrong with Clinton's veto pen?
The release of the justice memos means they are after Yoo. By the time they have finished he will be banned from academia and the law.
> Consider that nobody on the Left (maybe a few lunatics, I don't know) hoped we would be defeated in Iraq, even though we thought the invasion was ill-advised.
A million Mogadishus, anybody?
The Democratic leadership themselves not only hoped for a defeat in Iraq, but actively participated in the drive toward that end, both legislatively and propagandistically. The leftist media, in cahoots with traitors in Congress and the CIA, leaked classified details of our strategy against terrorists. The release of prisoners at Gitmo became a rallying cry for the left, much higher a priority than say keeping America safe.
In fact, please cite a single Democrat who called for victory in Iraq. A single one. Joe Lieberman doesn't count, seeing that the antiwar Dems kicked him out of the party.
The fringe has become the garment. Wear it proudly.
have you read a summary of Alinsky's Rules?
Sure. Alinsky was one of those "teach a man to fish" guys. He wanted to help communities figure out what they wanted from the power structure, and to train leaders to help them achieve their goals. His legacy is all over Chicago, which has more neighborhood councils, etc., than just about anywhere. His most famous trainee* has to be Cesar Chavez, who has streets named after him in California, where his birthday is a state holiday.
*Alinsky's Industrial Areas Foundation trained Fred Ross, who trained Chavez.
The neatest thing about Alinsky was that he was not ideological. A solidly Dem power structure is just as committed to its own perpetuation, and just as resistant to change, as any other.
In fact, now that Obama is The Man, I would expect his opponents to use Alinsky tactics on him.
The Rockford Files [episode 107] answering machine.
It's Aundra. Remember last summer at Pat's? I've got a twelve hour layover before I go to Chicago. How about it?
the fact that Obama had to single out a fucking radio talk show host kind of tells me how much he bothers them.
Obama was criticizing the Republicans in Congress for not knowing what their positions were on anything, until Rush gave them their talking points for the day.
AES...
How is it Presidential to attack Rush? Obama is the flippin' President. He's supposed to be above that. He's a thin skinned Chicago street thug and his lack of character is showing.
Ha ha, Rush just referred to the WH press corps as butt boys.
Allens:
Alpha, are you concerned at all about the stock market and the downturn of the economy?
Yes. Very much so. I have savings in that stock market. And I'm concerned that we won't do enough and be stuck in the shitter for years, like happened to Japan.
Which is why the juvenile antics of Congressional Republicants is so infuriating. They're fiddling and lying, while "Rome" burns.
Consider that nobody on the Left (maybe a few lunatics, I don't know) hoped we would be defeated in Iraq, even though we thought the invasion was ill-advised.
This is simply wrong. There were many that hoped for defeat. There's a piece up at HuffPo right now admitting just such a thing. There were many lib progressives heavily invested in our defeat so as to gain the White House and Congress in '04. The military was often characterized as lunatic baby-killers, marching in as the tip o' the spear of American Imperialism bent on World Domination, and many hoped fervently that it would not succeed.
Pogo has some kind of delusional belief that I'm a professor and am running an experiment??
I'm not saying I wouldn't like to have Pogo in a lab, doing some real "experiments," but in this case he's kidding himself.
Althouse: your obsession with Limbaugh is fascinating.
Gee, I wonder why.
Is it because you wish you had a following as large as his?
Or are their similarities in physique that attract you?
Roux:
How is it Presidential to attack Rush? Obama is the flippin' President.
When did Obama attack Rush?
rastajenk said..."This is simply wrong. There were many that hoped for defeat."
Provide a single link, article or reference supporting this insane notion.
"When did Obama attack Rush?"
He never has.
It's just more right wing bullshit.
Korla - If you're not on medication, consider it.
From a discussion on volokh.com, here's a good John Derbyshire article on the deleterious effect of conservative talk radio on the movement:
http://www.amconmag.com/article/2009/feb/23/00006/
If conservatism is to have a future, though, it will need to listen to more than the looped tape of lowbrow talk radio.
Obama is tanking as fast as the market!
(Okay, I don't really think that, I just wanted to use that line, sometime).
A month is enough time to calm investor jitters, I would think, but I don't know. We'll find out soon enough.
You really brought out the fun ones today, Althouse.
Petr Bella:
Have you actually read Saul Alinsky? Or are you just talking out of your poop shooter as usual?
Yes. I have a copy of his book at home. Have you? Or do you just hate him as you're instructed?
Former Law Student does a nice job crediting Alinksy:
Alinsky was one of those "teach a man to fish" guys. He wanted to help communities figure out what they wanted from the power structure, and to train leaders to help them achieve their goals.
Alinsky helped people represent themselves and get action to help their communities and families.
Why the right wing is so threatened by that is a very curious question.
And, Limbaugh (and, by ditto-ing Limbaugh, Ann Althouse) are bearing false witness to Mr. Alinsky.
Yeah and we all know what a great place Chicago is. Worked themselves right out of jobs, didn't they all?
Loved what the organizers did with the Annenburg money. How about the neighborhood beautification project the former state senator helped fund. And wow, those Rezko properties! They just helped house the poor so nicely. Hey! And the sit in at the bank? Wow. Helped get those folks loans to buy houses. And breaking up the council meeting? Terrific!
Yeah. Community organizing is great.
He never has.
It's just more right wing bullshit.
Agreed. They only listen to each other and any external fact that contradicts their Groupthink is rejected.
And, Rahm Emmanuel credited Limbaugh on Sunday for being a leader.
"This is simply wrong. There were many that hoped for defeat."
Really, how do you come by this knowledge? Are you inside their heads? Or do yo have a hidden collection of quotes supporting this allegation?
Or are you just talking out your arse?
Why is the left so threatened by Limbaugh, Alpha? Why do they want to use the law to make stations that carry him far less profitable?
You are so un-self aware that it is comical.
And wow, those Rezko properties...
WTF does that have to do with Saul Alinsky?
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