GOP Launches Counteroffensive To Rush Controversy

By: Michelle Levi
Topics: Republicans

(Getty Images/Chip Somodevilla)

The Republican Party today has launched a counteroffensive to the controversial recent questioning over conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh's "leadership" of the party -- describe it as a White House diversion attempt.

House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) issued a statement Wednesday which said called the controversy a White House "diversionary tactic" without mentioning Limbaugh by name.

"Political operatives in the White House are trying to divert attention away from the challenges facing our economy, the sinking stock market, and the irresponsible spending binge they are presiding over," the statement read. "In the midst of a deepening recession, White House staff should have higher priorities than this cynical strategy."

Boehner told reporters Wednesday, "The White House has created this big distraction…No one should be distracted right now."

House Minority Whip Eric Cantor also looked to change the subject and criticized Mr. Obama for comparing the stock market to a tracking poll yesterday.

"It's not a tracking poll. It's real," Cantor said today. "The stock market reflects real money, it reflects real loss."

On NBC's 'Today Show' this morning, Republican National Committee Chairman Michel Steele told Matt Lauer, "this is a great side-show distraction. You know, there's a lot of popcorn going around for folks who are watching this."

Steele avoided directly mentioning the controversy in his first several responses until Lauer asked bluntly, "It seems as though Mr. Limbaugh is taunting Republicans like you, though, saying, look, they all agree with me; they're just too gutless to say it. Does Rush Limbaugh put people like you in a very tough position?"

"Look, that's the nature of this job, baby," Steele said. "And along the way, my opponents, Democrats and even a few others out there, will try to mix us up and get us off track."

The controversy began last month when Limbaugh said he did not want President Obama's brand of politics to succeed.

He reiterated this sentiment last weekend at the Conservative Political Action Conference. "I want Barack Obama to fail if his mission is to restructure and reform this country so that capitalism and individual liberty are not its foundation?" Limbaugh said. "Why would I want that to succeed?"

White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel and Press Secretary Robert Gibbs then started calling Limbaugh the true leader of the Republican party. He "is the voice and the intellectual force and energy behind the Republican Party," Emanuel said on CBS News' Face the Nation this past Sunday.

Over the weekend, Steele called Limbaugh, "an entertainer" whose comments can be "incendiary" and "ugly." But he then apologized within one day to the radio host.

During his daily briefing Tuesday, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs also added to the controversy. "I've encouraged members of the press to ask Republicans whether they agree with Mr. Limbaugh's adage that he hopes that the President's economic ideas fail. I was a little surprised at the speed in which Mr. Steele, the head of the RNC, apologized to the head of the Republican Party."

Limbaugh-gate has continued to fester since Sunday and it now seems that Republicans have decided to try to quell these potential intra-party fires.

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by umbrellathunder March 6, 2009 5:06 PM EST: liberals own the house. the senate. the presidency. 95% of the media. everything that goes wrong now - is the liberals fault. not rush limbaugh's fault. everytime obama unveils another socialist program, the stock marked plunges further. since getting elected, the stock market has lost a third of its value. every time he opens his mouth, the market goes crashing further. the market has zero faith in obama's marxist programs. and neither to the people (as evidenced by their economic behavior). abroad, american kids are dying in obama's middle eastern wars. he campaigned on the lie he would end the iraq war. now he's talking about another year and a half of murder over there. and he's doubling the troops in afghanistan - a war we can never win. so how do you distract america in the midst of these failures? you attack the only voice of dissent. which they have done. meanwhile congress and the executive branch continue to work under the cloak of darkness - passing massive socialist bills, unread, in the middle of the night. meeting with unions in secret closed door affairs... and what are they doing? hey look - over there - rush limbaugh!; Reply to this comment


by ramos1129 March 5, 2009 3:42 PM EST: No matter how much lipstick you put on a pig (Rush), it is still a pig.
The most vivid proof that Rush is the current leader of the GOP is the fact that no prominent Republican dares to criticize him. The two that did were forced to immediately apologize to him - humbly and in public.; Reply to this comment


by pinthetailonthedonkeys March 4, 2009 10:46 PM EST: Neither Limbaugh nor anyone else leads the Republican Party, because Republicans are not followers. The problem Republicans have had is not their lack of a Democrat-style Fuhrer, but faithful representatives. All of the braying by the Jacks and Jennys about someone whom THEY have appointed as "Leader" speak more of THEIR mentality than of Republicans'.; Reply to this comment


by enriquecaliente March 4, 2009 6:41 PM EST: 8 years of Regan + 4 years of Bush 1 = 12 years of Republican rule.
What did we get triple digit inflation and deficits
8 years of Clinton and when he left we had no deficit. In fact we had a surplus.
8 Years of Bush. Two wars (one unjustified, NO. Found any WMD's yet.)
Dropping of the ball of the other war in Afghanistan. (Binladen sitll out there, laughing)
Trickle down economy didn't work cause the fat cats at the top kept it all for themselves.
(No, then why, if you say have a job that pays $975.000.00 a year, do you still need to get millions in bonuses and perks to do a job that you're being well paid for in the first place.?)
KATRINA, boy was that handled well.
8 Years and NOW THE REPUBLICANS ARE COMPLAINING.
Look at who they look up to.
Joe the Plumber who is not and never was a plumber and is also a TAX CHEAT.
Rush Limbaugh, who is a talk radio entertainer and a drug addict, with NO CLASS at all.

8 Years you led us and here we are. It's your fault you lost the election. Get over it. Come up with some new ideas that work. Stop blaming the liberal media, like FOX news is non-bias.
Fare and Balanced my A$$. So now that the so called liberal media out plays FOX at their own game, you're crying. Wah, I'm gonna take my ball and go home. PLEASE.

LEAD, FOLLOW OR GET THE HELL OUT OF THE WAY.
Boy did you guys turn into a bunch of Sissy Mary's.; Reply to this comment


by strangeworld March 4, 2009 5:59 PM EST: This is a hoot...the modern republicans have turned their party into a carnival sideshow. They don't have much hope for the future I'm afraid unless they cut away from limbaugh, hannity, etc., and the evangelical nuts who are sinking the GOP's hopes for any kind of election chance for the forseeable future. With Limbaugh, I think that the republican leaders are just starting to figure out that they were led into a trap and now are faced with either chewing off their paw and escaping, or sitting in the trap and starving to death.; Reply to this comment


by gce651 March 4, 2009 5:14 PM EST: JESUS IS OUR LEADER YOU LIBERALS AND THE BIBLE IS OUR MISSION STATEMENT!
Posted by mrs_concrete at 12:48 PM : Mar 4, 2009
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Does Jesus want the GOP to fail?
Posted by briannorwood at 1:03 PM : Mar 4, 2009
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Yes, Jesus wants the GOP to fail!

Jesus was not a conservative, he was a radical liberal in his day. He stood against the conservative status quo. In modern terms he would probably be more of an economic socialist.; Reply to this comment


by credibility2 March 4, 2009 4:57 PM EST: Limbaugh may be the extreme and not indicative of the party, but other so-called party leaders need to step up to the plate and stop taking the trash and debris being thrown at them by the left. Forget Limbaugh, the rest of you need to get in everyone's face just like the new president and his hyena political hacks.; Reply to this comment


by newslink March 4, 2009 4:54 PM EST: I blame the Media for entertaining Rush. And giving him a false sense of reality. Reality tells me that Rush is killing the GOP. And it is allowed. He is painting a very distrubing Picture.; Reply to this comment


by DefendLiberty March 4, 2009 4:33 PM EST: Pure garbage:

Obama is in control now, we are in a steeper nose dive than before. blame it on whoever you want but either Obama fixes it or he gets out of the way so someone else can.
Posted by McHineguy at 1:16 PM : Mar 4, 2009
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This statement is NOTHING MORE THAN DISINGENUOUS PRATTLE. The US (and world) economy is like an aircraft carrier. It takes a LONG TIME TO TURN. It took a LONG TIME TO GET IT HEADED DOWN THE PATH OF DESTRUCTION.... 8 years of GOP gobbledygook and mismanagement to be exact.

The ONE+ MONTH since Obama took office and the months ahead are nowhere near enough time to fix the YEARS OF GOP MESS. But you GOP parrots know that, don't you? You just spew your garbage hoping someone as stupid as you will believe it.; Reply to this comment


by DefendLiberty March 4, 2009 4:28 PM EST: So, how many "ditto heads" will admit that JOHN BOEHNER has MORE EARMARKS IN THIS BUDGET BILL for his congressional district than almost ANY OTHER CONGRESSMAN?

Boehner is nothing more than a a hypocrite and a demagogue.; Reply to this comment