Political Hotsheet
By

Tyler Finn /

CBS News/ April 23, 2010, 12:33 PM

Rush Limbaugh: Liberals Playing the "Violence Card"

AP Photo

Rush Limbaugh is accusing liberals and the media of playing the "violence card" and mischaracterizing conservative protests as dangerous, violent events.

The controversial radio host penned an op-ed in today's Wall Street Journal which argues that "conservative protest is motivated by a love of what America stands for."

Limbaugh criticized those who he said blame right-wing talk radio for inciting disorder, and blasted the left for what he characterized as hypocritically equating all opposition to the Obama administration with violence.

His op-ed responds to claims by former President Bill Clinton and others that the current political climate and the heated rhetoric demonizing the government could potentially incite domestic terrorism akin to the Oklahoma City bombing fifteen years ago. Joe Klein from Time Magazine suggested that the rhetoric of Glenn Beck and Sarah Palin bordered on sedition.

"What self-serving nonsense," Limbaugh writes. "Liberals are perfectly comfortable with antigovernment protest when they're not in power."

Limbaugh provides examples of what he casts as the left's penchant for taking their discontent to the streets, and for "breaking shop windows with bricks and throwing rocks at police." He points, among other topics, to the protests against the war in Vietnam.

Limbaugh adds: "Not all leftists are violent, of course. But most are angry. It's in their DNA. They view the culture as corrupt and capitalism as unjust."

Conservatives who peacefully protest or attend Tea Party movement rallies, on the other hand, are motivated primarily by love, he writes.

"They love their country and want to save it from those who do not," argues the talk show host.

"I do not hate the government, as the left does when it is not running it. I love this country," Limbaugh adds.

Limbaugh says that he has no problem with the government as an institution, but he clearly takes issue with the people currently occupying high political office.

He describes the Obama administration as implementing a transformational "radical agenda," including the nationalization of the health-care system and "amnesty for illegal aliens."

Limbaugh also takes the opportunity to take a shot at what many on the right have recently deemed the "lamestream media."

"The Obama/Clinton/media left" are taking advantage of violence and social unrest while also perpetuating it, Limbaugh claims.

"It allows them to blame and demonize their opponents (doctors, insurance companies, Wall Street, talk radio, Fox News) in order to portray their regime as the great healer of all our ills, thus expanding their power and control over our society," he says.

© 2010 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.
72 Comments Add a Comment
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FauxNews says:
This shows you the sorry state of conservatives in America, when their championed spokesperson is an oxycotin drug addict.
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bailey241 says:
the problem rush has with the present administration & the tea party
is they do not like the president, the did not vote for him & he has promoted
he wanted them to fail" & called obama "little black man child" he has been promoting hate every single day & getting rich spewing hateful rhetoric, same as beck,& palin. all three do not have credible voice.
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vielmann says:
Limbaugh promotes violence and racism, and then accuses anyone who notices of playing the "card." He's such an ugly slob.
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kmrunner122 says:
Rush plays any card he can to incite peple, inflame tensions and to try to keep his name in the press because that's how he makes his money and Money is all he really cares about! What a jerk!
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OldProfessor says:
Rush is at it again. My friends try to tell me what he says but Dittoheads are not good at understanding, but awfully good at repeating. If Rush Limbaugh was really a concerned American he would do what Al Franken did. Get involved, get elected, help the president run the country.
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SueZeeeQue says:
Rush promotes hate and violence every day.

Of course he's going to deny what he can't defend.
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KeithDrippingSprings says:
Rush is dangerous like the Devil is dangerous. If you don't give him any power he is non-existent.
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Mortar_29 replies:
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Silly.
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nearl451 says:
The "Violence Card"....a completely fabricated term if I ever have heard one.

LOL.
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Mortar_29 replies:
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So, you are saying that you dont understand what is being said here in the article.
nearl451 replies:
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Hey Mort, thanks for your usual worthless two-bits.

BTW, John Adams rolls in his grave with the thought that you quote his eloquent broad tenets in support of your shallow, ********* positions.
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consh8theusa says:
Isn't that classic neo-con, Baggers show up at political rallies armed to the teeth and this moron says that liberals are violent.
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Mortar_29 replies:
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Please show me where people showing up to a rally, "armed to the teeth" is violent.
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steeepe says:
Franken said it best: Limbaugh is a big fat idiot!
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Mortar_29 replies:
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You are quoting Franken??? LOL!!
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