The move to remove Rush

[audtatious]

So, looks like Obama and others are trying to silence Rush. They keep using the sound clip of him saying he hopes Obama fails which IS what he said, but not the full context of the statement.

Now:

(UPI) - As President Barack Obama pulls out the stops to ensure economic stimulus passage, Democrats seek a wedge between the GOP and Rush Limbaugh, officials say.

Obama and top aides are reportedly be using all the trappings of the office, from phone calls and cocktail parties to a politically mixed Super Bowl party to push the stimulus package as the issue moves to the Senate. The House passed a $819 billion stimulus package this week with no Republican support.

Meanwhile, liberal groups are taking out after Limbaugh, the influential talk show host, Politico reported.

One group, Americans United for Change, plans to begin airing radio ads in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Nevada, three states Obama won, asking GOP senators bluntly, "Will you side with Obama or Rush Limbaugh?"

In the ads, after playing Limbaugh's declaration that he hopes Obama "fails," the narrator states, "Every Republican voted with Limbaugh -- and against creating 4 million new American jobs.

"We can understand why an extreme partisan like Rush Limbaugh wants President Obama's Jobs program to fail -- but the members of Congress elected to represent the citizens in their districts? That's another matter."

The radio buy comes on the heels of an eight-state TV campaign by Americans United for Change and other liberal groups to rally stimulus support.

Is this simply a way to further justify the fairness doctrine or does anyone else think it is stupid for the new President to spend his time targeting a talk radio personality?

[Urabus GodofTraction]

-- and against creating 4 million new American jobs.

You know, I've yet to finish my econ degree, but can somebody remind me how Barack Obama is going to create 4 million new American jobs?

Ooooh, you mean he's going to take credit for Americans creating 4 million new American jobs? Gotcha.

[audtatious]

Or something like that.....

Must be in a "to be released" stimulus package because the current one sure won't do it.

[dusred]

Flame me if you want but I actually like listening to Rush.

Rush can say whatever he wants since we have freedom of speech here in the US.

Here's what the media doesn't realize; first it will be rush then it will be them. Or maybe they do realize it and they don't care .

[Cold_Zero]

Personally, I hope that my two Senators Lugar and Bayh and my Representative Carson will neither side with Obama or Limbaugh, but will side with ME that actual person that they represent. Since Rep. Carson is a stooge of the Democrat Party, I highly doubt that he will do anything except position himself to cozy up to the newly elected President. I have much higher hopes for my Senators.

[audtatious]

Betcha Lugar will side with Obama....

[Cold_Zero]

I highly doubt that anyone will take Rush Limbaugh off the air, since he has the highest rated talk radio audience of anyone, followed by Hannity. If you take Rush, Hannity, Levin, Beck, Boortz and Savage off the air, there will always be someone to fill their places. Plus, these shows make massive amounts of money compared to the overhead that is invested in them. So the owners of these shows wont let that happen anyway.Besides, the liberals are just bent because their Air America channel flopped and went bankrupt. Ha!

[audtatious]

Who needs Air America when you have CNN, MSNBC, CBS, NBC and the ultra-majority of printed newspapers to get your left-leaning information

[AZhitman]

Interesting that the lefties, who scream incessantly about their freedoms, want to silence ANYONE.

Pathetic and hypocritical.

Obama would be wise to laugh, shrug it off, and say, "That's what makes America great."

He won't. And neither will his proselytizers.

[Cold_Zero]

I heard an interview with Rep Mike Pence and he indicated that Obama has taken the pieces of the Fairness Doctrine that deal with Radio and Broadcasting off the table. But if Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid wish to present them to Congress, that is another thing.

[audtatious]

I see that Obama is meeting with both sides in order to get them talking and I find that great. Unfortunately he seems to have no control over Pelosi/Reid/etc and they are not willing to work with Republicans and have shown that in the past. This is their "day of glory" where they feel they have the power and its up the the Republicans to lean further left if they want to be included. It's not like the GOP fools in office have not leaned enough that way with their financial decisions of the past.

Damn RINO's.

[VersaMG08]

It's stupid Obama is targeting Rush, why can't he focus on the country more and try to fix the economy than worrying about conflict of different political ideas? Sh** is really starting to hit the fan.

[audtatious]

Maybe having someone so vocal in the "media" that is against his whole idea and plans is really eating at him mentally.......

[telcoman]

Who needs Air America when you have CNN, MSNBC, CBS, NBC and the ultra-majority of printed newspapers to get your left-leaning information

And Howard Stern with Robin's News

[ishkabibble]

Interesting that the lefties, who scream incessantly about their freedoms, want to silence ANYONE.

Pathetic and hypocritical.

Stretch. Nobody seems to be trying to silence anyone here. It looks to be a war of words.

But yes, Dems should be getting to work rather than focusing any attention on a fat, ugly, drug addict partisan hack and his mindless followers.

[Jesda]

LOL, is the left still intimidated by Rush Limbaugh after all these years? Such a ridiculous thing to focus on.

[Armelius]

LOL, is the left still intimidated by Rush Limbaugh after all these years? Such a ridiculous thing to focus on.

I would rather hear Ann Coulter. It's difficult for me to take fat people seriously.

[OriginalWheelman]

LOL, is the left still intimidated by Rush Limbaugh after all these years? Such a ridiculous thing to focus on.

The lefties fervently deny following Obama like children but assume that righties do the same with Rush. The problem is everyone is different, and everyone thinks out their arguments (some more than others) the problem is that everyone thinks they are mentally superior to someone who thinks different because "I thought this out and came to this conclusion so any intelligent person would do the same." It's fallacy and narcissism.

[ishkabibble]

People who actually think out their positions have no need for MSM pundits like Rush.

Most people are too busy with the rest of their lives to be analytical about politics; they just accept what they hear. It is no coincidence when someone talk about or posts something, and then you do a search on what they said, and it's almost word for word from Fox News, Hot Air, Malkin, Think Progress, Kos, etc. That's where the jaded perception comes from - independent thought is rarer than you believe.

Anyway, your recent disrespect and assumptions about my viewpoints show that you don't practice what you preach. Your point might have some validity, but I can't take it seriously when I consider the source.

[OriginalWheelman]

I did say everyone didn't I? And what is wrong with my perspective exactly?

Anyway, your recent disrespect and assumptions about my viewpoints show that you don't practice what you preach. Your point might have some validity, but I can't take it seriously when I consider the source.

zer...strip

I have to assume you mean this thread. You proceed to slander Bush, and refuse to admit the man did anything good. If anything you show that you fit the criteria I posted. Furthermore, I linked facts to support my argument where you just attacked me and accused me of not backing up my statements, when I was the one linking and posting supporting evidence. I tried to have a discussion, you stayed closed minded and rehashed the antiGWB propaganda pamphlet, without feeling the need to reinforce your statements with evidence.
Modified by OriginalWheelman at 1:14 PM 1/31/2009

[ishkabibble]

In that thread, you pointed to two initiatives: economic stimulus and education. You did not show that either initiative was successful. From this, and from your baseless attacks on me, I can only conclude that you did not put any thought into your position, and probably don't put much thought into anything since you always seem to lean towards the standard wingnut positions in a debate.

If you linking to a Wikipedia article with some useless information is "facts" which prove your argument, so be it. You have drawn foregone conclusions, just like those you criticize in your later posts. I'm not going to convince you of anything, dittohead.

[OriginalWheelman]

I pointed you to the article, and to avoid a wall of text, I stopped at what I felt was sufficient evidence that he had done good while in office. If you read that there are more and more. I can take the time to go through and link all of them, but you aren't going to change your mind. If you're going to try to convince me that GWB never did anything good you are never going to succeed, as I have already shown evidence that he had.

hatemonger (hāt'mŭng'gər, -mŏng'-)

One who incites others to hatred or prejudice.

If you want to take that as a personal attack, fine. You were trying to incite hatred for Bush in me, admittedly. You are, by that definition, a hatemonger.

[ishkabibble]

You're either an idiot or are the worst human in the world... Grow up... Listen hatemonger...

If you want to take that as a personal attack, fine.

Fuggin' .

[OriginalWheelman]

Fuggin' .

Or you could use the whole of what I said, instead of taking part of it out of context.

You're either an idiot or are the worst human in the world if you can't see that the man did good.

I already proved my point with the hatemonger part.

[ishkabibble]

Using your logic, we are all hatemongers on this forum. Going around trying to incite hatred in those who do not share our viewpoints. Um, no.

Anyway, back on topic...

[OriginalWheelman]

I'm not trying to incite hate in anyone that I can recall. I'm trying to discuss things and provide evidence to support sides. If anything I'm trying to incite understanding.

[HashiriyaS14]

I think it's a bad idea for Obama to appear to PERSONALLY challenge Rush. It is, and should be, beneath him.

Of course, what Rush said was A+ bonehead material and he deserves to take some fire over it. He should be allowed to say whatever he wants, but he needs to understand that he's only effective if he's popular, and saying things like that will make him less popular with many people.

I guess time will tell in regards of this incident hurting or helping his influence, but for some reason I suspect (in small measure) the former.

That said, I think it is very much in the Dem's best interest to take the fight to Limbaugh. Like it or not, he (and Newt, and Hannity) ARE the current de facto leaders of the GOP. They wield the most clout and they sway the hearts and minds. The Dems would be nuts to somehow limit their PR assaults to elected officials only. It also so behooves the GOP to go after people like Stewart and Colbert.

Personally, even when I was a very ardent conservative, I never much cared for Limbaugh. I think he's a big windbag who will say anything to increase his listener base.

[mattblancarte]

Rush has 10+ million people listening to him every time he's on the air. I'd say it's a smart move for the dems to challenge his credibility. It's a huge stretch to say they are trying to remove or silence him.

We saw what happened when the GOP head remained apathetic towards the media during the last administration.

[AZhitman]

The lefties fervently deny following Obama like children but assume that righties do the same with Rush.

Brilliantly-stated.

[AZhitman]

People who actually think out their positions have no need for MSM pundits like Rush.

That's like saying people who are musicians have no need for a radio.

It's entertainment. No different than any of the other talk-show hosts out there.

In that vein, we could surmise that there's no "need" for Dr. Phil, Oprah, The View, etc.

Everyone gets their "news" from somewhere, and bases their opinions on what they've learned. When you can show me that nothing that enters your eyes or ears is biased in the least, then I'll buy that argument.

Automatically dismissing the capacity for independent thought of anyone who listens to a certain program is ludicrous.

Read that last line again. Ludicrous.