Obama: Quit Listening to Rush Limbaugh if You Want to Get Things Done

[TheSarge]

The Drudge Report blared the New York Post report by Charles Hurt that President Obama told the Republicans in Congress that they should go along and get along, and stop listening to Rush Limbaugh: "You can't just listen to Rush Limbaugh and get things done."

Obama is clearly worried that Rush Limbaugh is going to be the GOP Speaker of the House, so to speak. Over at Radio Equalizer, talk-radio guru Brian Maloney is amused:

Beyond the absurdity of a Democrat barking orders at his political opposition, he's especially foolish to air his fear of Limbaugh and talk radio in a public setting. Now, what was long suspected by conservatives has been verified by the man himself.

The timing was no coincidence: after a rocky first week in office, the Obamists are also faced with a resurgent Fox News Channel, where ratings have been climbing since the moment he took office.

In particular, Hannity's Limbaugh interview, which took place in the latter's Florida studios, scored fantastic audience figures for the former's network. In overall viewers, Thursday's Hannity nearly trebled his MSNBC competition and almost doubled CNN's Larry King.

By telling Republicans to stop listening to Limbaugh, President Obama’s only singling out Limbaugh (as he’s often singled out Sean Hannity) as menaces to his cult of personality:

After a rough start for the Obamists this week, the last thing they want is a viable, effective opposition movement. Rush, Sean and others provide hope that America can be saved from this budding dictator and his cultist followers.

But as the new regime oversteps its bounds, it is far more likely to elevate talk hosts to heights they've never before seen, proving Obama is truly a rank amateur.

Will the Obama-loving media notice this signal that Obama is telling Republicans who shows they should listen to? Let’s imagine that Obama went to a black audience and suggested to them that if they wanted to make their way in America, they should stop listening to Al Sharpton’s radio show, because it’s too divisive. How long would the media ignore those remarks?

This is also a distinct signal that Obama could be serious about imposing a Censorship Doctrine on talk radio. White House correspondents who aren’t in the tank for Obama ought to be peppering White House spokesman Robert Gibbs with questions about this report.

http://newsbusters.org/blogs/tim-graham/2009/01/24/obama-tells-congressional-gop-turn-rush-limbaugh-show-will-media-notice

[bijou]

From the UK

Barack Obama picks a fight with Rush Limbaugh as bipartisan spirit crumbles

Mr Obama has told Republicans in Washington to stop listening to the right-wing talk show host Rush Limbaugh, risking a new culture war with conservative voters.

His exhortation came as he enraged other Republicans by reversing George W Bush's ban on funding international aid to charities that perform or provide information about abortions.

After less than a week in office, Mr Obama's presidency is already encountering the very partisan bickering he had pledged to stamp out during his first 100 days.

...

After the euphoria of his inauguration, Mr Obama's team have been handed a cold dose of political reality. A series of controversial policy decisions, mistakes and unforeseen events has brought home the difficulty of bridging the divisions in Washington.

Mr Obama has pledged to end the culture wars on social issues that have riven American politics for a generation and did not allow television cameras to film him signing the executive order reversing the Bush abortion funding ban on aid agencies abroad, in order not to provoke pro-life groups.

When he finally did sign the order he issued a statement in a bid to placate abortion critics by promising to "reach out to those on all sides of this issue to achieve the goal of reducing unintended pregnancies." He added: "It is time that we end the politicisation of this issue."

...

Other elements of Mr Obama's political morning after, like most hangovers, are self-inflicted. Having announced new ethics rules banning lobbyists serving in his administration, the president was immediately forced to make an exception for his deputy defence secretary William Lynn, who has lobbied for the defence industry giant Raytheon.

The president has also reacted badly to his first taste of tougher questioning from the previously supine Washington press corps - becoming visibly irritated, during a visit to journalists' offices in the White House, when asked a substantive question about the ethics affair.

...

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/barackobama/4331839/Barack-Obama-picks-a-fight-with-Rush-Limbaugh-as-bipartisan-spirit-crumbles.html

[Chris_]

Obama: Quit Listening to Rush Limbaugh if You Want to Get Things Done

S'pose Bela Pelosi would be a little miffed if, during Dear Leader's State of the Union speech coming up, when Dear Leader entered the House chambers, they cranked up a boom box with My City is Burning (Limbaugh's opening theme music) doing it's best to drown out Hail to the Chief?

Oh, and Dear Leader (or whichever of his knuckle-dragging, Ministry of Troof minions is reading this for him), what if I DON'T want Congress to get a damned thing done?  Then What?

[NHSparky]

While this is indication of some scary stuff to come, I can't help feeling that you'd have to be very brave or very stupid to pick a fight with Rush Limbaugh.

I vote for option number two.

[Tess]

I vote for option number two.

Well, I think the third option is very arrogant.  And we all know he hails himself as the messiah.  It is same mentality he displayed when he put his hands on the reporter.  "Listen to me, I'm Mr. President.  Everyone loves me and listens to me and I can do or say anything and people will always love and follow me."  It takes a level of condescension to be able to say and do the things he has said and done just his first week in office.

[bijou]

Well, I think the third option is very arrogant.  And we all know he hails himself as the messiah.  It is same mentality he displayed when he put his hands on the reporter.  "Listen to me, I'm Mr. President.  Everyone loves me and listens to me and I can do or say anything and people will always love and follow me."  It takes a level of condescension to be able to say and do the things he has said and done just his first week in office.

Good point, let us hope that his hubris is soon followed by our feeling of schadenfreude.

[Chris_]

Good point, let us hope that his hubris is soon followed by our feeling of schadenfreude.

Mmmmm... feeling Schadenfreude.

If only I wasn't married...

[bijou]

Mmmmm... feeling Schadenfreude.

If only I wasn't married...

The moment I hit 'post' I regretted that phrasing with its double entendre.

[Airwolf]

I doubt many of the members here would agree with that tidbit......I'm still wondering why, since you bring nothing even remotely coherent to the discussion......why you waste the effort?  Shouldn't you be tending your drug store or out tapping maple trees, or something productive?

doc

Asking that jackhole to do something productive is like asking Osama to change religions. It's not going to happen

[Carl]

Asking that jackhole to do something productive is like asking Osama to change religions. It's not going to happen

I see he has done what is typical of trolls....scream a bunch of rambling nonsense and then when challenged conveniently disappears.

[docstew]

Good point, let us hope that his hubris is soon followed by our feeling of schadenfreude.

To paraphrase Euripides, who must have seen Obama's coming almost 2500 years ago:

"Those whom the Gods would destroy, they first make proud"

"Humility, a sense of reverence before the sons of heaven — of all the prizes that a mortal man might win, these, I say, are wisest; these are best."

"Cleverness is not wisdom. And not to think mortal thoughts is to see few days."

"God helps him who strives hard."

"Every man is like the company he wont to keep. "

And I just found my new sig line: "Who dares not speak his free thoughts is a slave."

[Schadenfreude]

The moment I hit 'post' I regretted that phrasing with its double entendre.

Heh... you said hubris as well. 

[paladin0]

a smart person may actually LISTEN to  the man that just whooped the crap out of you...

Obama won on only one reason, the economy. The economy tanked and John McCain wallowed around Washington getting nothing done, while Obama stayed away from the subject and the stimulas package and he didn't get the negative smear from it.

Paladin0

[Strider]

**** you *** hole!!!
I will listen to who I want when I want!
If this is the kind of party the dems want to have...let the games begin!

[Tucker]

Obama won on only one reason, the economy. The economy tanked and John McCain wallowed around Washington getting nothing done, while Obama stayed away from the subject and the stimulas package and he didn't get the negative smear from it.

Paladin0

IMO, obama won because he was shielded by the media. If Mr. and Mrs. America knew the real "one", he wouldn't have been elected dog catcher. Well maybe he would have. He had one on his arm at all the big balls.

[DixieBelle]

Three thoughts and a Big Finish:

First, an unexpected defense - if his point was that Republicans cannot listen to Rush exclusively but must consider other viewpoints as well, then fine.  I would certainly expect Republican leaders to be familiar with a range of arguments and positions, including those offered by the majority party and the President as well as those presented by cranks like me right-wing nut jobs important voices from the right.

Second, although he is long gone and nearly forgotten, for old times' sake let's play the "What if Bush had said that?" game.  If Bush had said "You can't just read Paul Krugman..." libs would be leaping from tall buildings and wailing about free speech, a free press and a crackdown on dissent all the way down.  Of course, if Bush had made the same comment about Keith Olbermann, evidently not one of the 25 Most Influential Media Liberals, no one would have noticed or cared.

Third, can Obama be foolish enough to cite Rush as Obama Enemy Number One and then try to revive the Fairness Doctrine?  Dumb, de dum dum.  If it is a bad idea to get in an argument with a person who buys ink by the barrel, how smart is it to get in a verbal contest with someone that sits behind a live mike three hours a day?

And the Big Finish - why shouldn't Republicans listen to Rush?  Consider the latest WaP/ABC poll with this buried gem:

19. Generally speaking, would you say you favor (smaller government with fewer services), or (larger government with more services)?

The answer, it turns out, is that even in the current environment, post-Katrina and in the midst of the worst economy since the last bad economy (OK, 1982), 53% of the respondents plumped for "smaller government with fewer services", in contrast with 43% backing expanded government.  Let's acknowledge a bit of momentum for the "Bigger Government" crowd: Small Government peaked at 63% in 1996, hit 62% in 2002 and has faded a bit; Ginormouser Government has swollen from 32% in 1996 all the way to 43% today.  So Obama's huge government stimulus package combined with a Federal take-over of the health care industry may not fully embrace the majority opinion in this country.  As Rush will no doubt point out.

 
http://justoneminute.typepad.com/main/2009/01/rush-to-judgement.html

[Airwolf]

That's eloquent enough for a H5 from me..........

doc

And from me too

[Airwolf]

I see he has done what is typical of trolls....scream a bunch of rambling nonsense and then when challenged conveniently disappears.

Hes a ****in *****. That same internet tough gu ythat said at CU that the Vermont National Guard was "His Boys" then not eeven barely a year later into the war calls everyone in the military "Mercenaries". This for some jackhole that plays like he's in a Civil War Army unit but couldn't man up to join the real deal.

[RobJohnson]

a smart person may actually LISTEN to  the man that just whooped the crap out of you... <snip>

Welcome back, glad to see you post. I was just wondering the other day where you had been. Hope everything is ok with you and your family.

[NHSparky]

http://justoneminute.typepad.com/main/2009/01/rush-to-judgement.html

And another thing to note--even if the percentage in favor HAS increased since 2002, this doesn't take into account the backlash from this whole government "stimulus".  I'm of the mind that once Joe Six-Pack sees just how much HIS taxes went up--and make no mistake, EVERYONE is going to have to pay for this--he's going to come to the realization that maybe bigger government wasn't such a wonderful idea after all.  Look for the opinions to swing back towards smaller government--and quickly.

[Tucker]

And another thing to note--even if the percentage in favor HAS increased since 2002, this doesn't take into account the backlash from this whole government "stimulus".  I'm of the mind that once Joe Six-Pack sees just how much HIS taxes went up--and make no mistake, EVERYONE is going to have to pay for this--he's going to come to the realization that maybe bigger government wasn't such a wonderful idea after all.  Look for the opinions to swing back towards smaller government--and quickly.

It's too ****in late.

[NHSparky]

It's too ****in late.

It's NEVER too late.  I'm not giving up yet.

[Tucker]

It's NEVER too late.  I'm not giving up yet.

We will never be able to eliminate all the entitlement programs that obama enacts in the next four years.

[Chris_]

To paraphrase Euripides, who must have seen Obama's coming almost 2500 years ago:

"Those whom the Gods would destroy, they first make proud"

"Humility, a sense of reverence before the sons of heaven — of all the prizes that a mortal man might win, these, I say, are wisest; these are best."

"Cleverness is not wisdom. And not to think mortal thoughts is to see few days."

"God helps him who strives hard."

"Every man is like the company he wont to keep. "

And I just found my new sig line: "Who dares not speak his free thoughts is a slave."

Excellent thoughts......perhaps we could move a thousand years or so ahead in history, and hire a person to stand behind the new president, whispering constantly in his ear........."Caesar, thou too art mortal......."

doc

[Redstatecka]

Excellent thoughts......perhaps we could move a thousand years or so ahead in history, and hire a person to stand behind the new president, whispering constantly in his ear........."Caesar, thou too art mortal......."

doc

That presumes, of course, that we have another 1,000 years of history.

One wonders, though: With certain Democrats -- Conyers, wasn' it? Somone else, too? -- wanting to repeal the 22nd Amendment -- I'm sure they'd want not just an end to term limits, but to natural-born-citizen status, too -- perhaps they're hoping that medical science will find a way in the next four years or so, so that Obama can be made essentially immortal.

Then, if we reach that 1,000-year mark, he could still be president?

That, then, would require that whisperer-in-the-ear to keep saying, "Remember, it's medical science that's kept you alive this long."