White House Scores On Republican Bickering

(CBS)  With the help of the White House and the Republican Party, radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh has grabbed headlines all week, his stinging diatribes sparing no one, Democrat or Republican, reports CBS News correspondent Randall Pinkston.

"I'd be embarrassed to say I'm in charge of the Republican Party in a sad sack state that it's in," Limbaugh said earlier this week on his radio program.

That dig was aimed at Michael Steele, the newly elected head of the Republican National Committee, who's perceived as indecisive and wavering, with little background for the job of rebuilding the party.

"The rap was he is not good at fundraising, not particularly a good manager, but he is good on television," says Mike Allen of Politico.com. "Television has been where all his problems are."

On CNN last week, Steele told host D.L. Hughley: "Rush is just an entertainer."

Steele's criticism of Limbaugh blew up into a controversy over who runs the party and became fodder for late night T.V. On "Saturday Night Live," this week, the character portraying Steele had electrodes in his head to prevent him from criticizing Limbaugh.

The White House seized on the party infighting to score political points, Pinkston reports.

"Republicans don't have a leader, so Democrats were anxious to push Rush Limbaugh into that vacuum, and for now its worked," Politico.com's Allen says.

Amid calls for his resignation, Michael Steele is also adjusting his message.

"We're prepared to move forward and state the case, make the case for the American people that we've got something to offer," Steele said this week.

Complicating matters even further, Steele is now under FBI scrutiny for questionable campaign expenses during his failed 2006 Maryland senate run.
By Randall Pinkston

[GumbysGum]

Okay formrusmcsgt, sorry but your post was just dumb. You sound like someone parroting what he reads on the Daily Kos or the National Council of the Race (la Raza).

>> The repubs want the black vote in spite of refusing invitations to speak to their organizations while attacking affirmative action. Good luck with that. <<

They've done a lousy job of courting the black vote, but the Dems essentially bribe poorer black voters with promises of entitlements, which, ironically enough, keep them in poverty, perpetuate their feelings of victimhood and keep the Dems in power because they'll provide... more entitlements.


>> They want the hispanic vote even though they promote ripping families apart. Good luck with that, too. <<

Stupid. The Republicans, most anyway, want order on the border. We are a NATION. That means we BORDERS. Get it? We, like an homeowner, have the RIGHT to decide who enters and how. Anything else is insanity and potentially suicidal, as 9/11 has shown us.

Besides, families don't need to be "ripped apart" as you so uneducatedly put it. They can all go home TOGETHER. Anything else is just far-left propaganda fed to people like you by the open borders lobby, and you buy it hook, line and sinker.


>> They want the women's vote even though they oppose funding for education and health care and oppose a woman's right to choose. Super good luck with all of that. <<

We oppose excessive spending (well we're supposed to, anyway) and don't want to see money wasted on public education when money has YET to solve our nation's academic problems. And publicly funded healthcare? Ask California or Massachusetts what happened when those bastions of progressivism tried that. If it can't be done at the state level, what makes you think it can be done on the national level? C'mon man, wake up.


>> They want the homosexual vote even though the party openly advocates discrimination against them. As if there's a chance on that one, eh? <<

Discrimination against? Homosexuals have the same rights as anyone else and are treated equally. If you're referring to gay marriage, then you're talking about a whole different ball of wax. PEOPLE are different from their BEHAVIORS, and all behaviors are NOT created equally. If you buy that, then pedophilia, bank robbery and other societal poisons should never be "discriminated" against.

>> So they have the self-righteous, paranoid, xenophobic, cracker, and corporate whites in their pocket. <<

You don't sound like a self-righteous bigot. Nawww.

[GumbysGum]

One thing I meant to add to my first post containing examples of MSM bias.

Tonight, 3/10/09, it was reported that no one wanted Bush to fail. But 51% of, I believe, Democrats polled DID want Bush to fail when he was elected. Now this may be talking about 9/11 vs his first entering office, but the piece was a bit misleading. There are ideologues on the Left and Right who'd rather the country fail than their own ideology not get promoted. Example: those who hung signs and spewed such hatred for Bush's attack of Iraq that they actually wanted America to LOSE that war, ignoring or not caring about the consequences of such a failure.

If Obama does what's right by the country and doesn't turn us into an anti-Christian, anti-traditionalist, socialist dystopia, then I hope he doesn't just succeed, but that he kicks butt.

Registered Republican, Born-Again Christian and Ideological Conservative here.

[GumbysGum]

Got news for you sudduthr1, America didn't get tired of conservatism or conservatives. They voted Obama in because they blamed the Right (rightly or wrongly) for the economic mess we're in right now. They wanted somebody different in there. Most of America is not liberal or progressive. Based on polls at least, it is still a center-right country, like it or not.

If Obama starts getting all super-progressive and socialistic, he will not get a second term.

[GumbysGum]

>> Today?s arch conservative talk show hosts use the post-9/11 Cold War to launch their own crusade against - the silent majority of Americans. They claim the moral high ground while demonizing and ridiculing Independents, Democrats, liberals, moderates, Republicans, civil libertarians, a free media, and anyone who disagrees with them. <<

Some radio talkshow personalities are indeed hyper-ideologues and probably some are also in it for the money. But there's one difference between them and their "mainstream" news media counterparts, like CBS News, on the Left: they don't lie about their world view or political positions. You KNOW they're conservatives and they openly admit it. Outfits like CBS News, NBC News, sometimes CNN, the LA Times, the NY Times, the Seattle Post Intelligencer, the Atlanta Journal Constitution, the SF Chronicle, etc., etc., all MASQUERADE as bastions of truth and objectivity while promoting left-wing, "progressive" candidates and policies while ripping and personally attacking those on the Right. Want examples? I'll be happy to provide some.

Ever read a story in the LA Times about illegal immigration? AT BEST it is neutral, but more often than not, the ones I've read paint a pitiful, sympathetic picture of the illegal alien that seems designed to motivate you to get behind amnesty.

The NY Times' story on John McCain's "possible involvement" with a colleague. ALL evidence was hearsay, indirect, but that didn't stop the Times from reporting it. Can anyone tell me how many reports the Times did on Obama's bizarre and numerous connections to far-left America-haters?

Oh and then there's the media's coverage of Sarah Palin. If you watched her coverage, she could do nothing right. But when Pelosi or Biden or that Kennedy girl who was running for the open NY Senate seat all made gaffs or put their foot into their mouths, not a frickin' peep from the so-called MSM.

That sir, is the difference.


>> These pretenders who have never worn a uniform viciously attack Republican and Democratic veterans who continue to serve their country in public office. <<

They may be many things, but they're not pretenders.


>> These are not defenders of the faith, but merely snake oil salesmen lining their own pockets with the money of angry, scared followers. <<

Just like those who follow the Huffington Post or Media Matters or the Daily Kos or Stephen Colbert or John Stewart or Bill Maher.


>> Many of these glib peddlers of hate and anger have been exposed for their double standards ? drug addiction and prescription fraud, sexual harassment ? yet they have no shame. They?re not embarrassed nor humiliated, not disgraced nor discredited. <<

Amazing how all your anger is so one-sided while there are plenty of demonizers on the Left doing far worse than Rush has ever done (not that I even bother to listen to him).


>> How sad that their followers do not feel any shame for them. They are a mob that follows the bully until he is shown to be the coward, as bullies always are. <<

Ideologues come in all strips sir. It sounds like you're not so ready to critique those on the Left, implying that you have entities that you "follow" and trust that are likely on the Left end of things. Am I right? Straighten me out if I'm not.

[russb721]

It is a shame that CBS could not report Rush's full comment about wanting the President to fail. All CBS did was continue to fan the flames of this controversy. Rush did say that he wanted to fail in instituting policies perceived to lead to socialism. He did not say he wants the President (and country) to fail and collapse.
I am not fool enough to believe that Limbaugh supports President Obama. But to constantly replay only part of the quote, and not the rest, CBS just encourages division - not exactly what we need now.

[kansas1946]

"I'd be embarrassed to say I'm in charge of the Republican Party in a sad sack state that it's in," Limbaugh said earlier this week on his radio program.
***************************]\\

He is in charge of the Republican party. None of them can take a step unless it is OK with Rush. Rush has been in charge for years because Republicans are sheep and just follow the leader, Rush. He tells all the uninformed, lazy, Republicans at home who to vote for, and he tells all of the sheep on the hill how to act. He is the perfect front man for the party. A bloated, criminal doper, brainless, hypocritical, gas bag. They need to replace the Elephant with Rush.

[zzelda]

according to who? (do you actually believe that ALL in our country are for the insanity that is going on in washington right now!)

i know i am not alone in recognizing that we still supposidly have free speech in this country but for how long is obviously up in the air!!! with the nancy p & harry r /obama agenda being shoved down our throat

i beg to differ with anyone that thinks all republican/ conservatives arn't righteously fighting to save the freedoms and liberty our constitution was created to instill for all americans... if we leave it to "politicians" i guess we have reason to be full of fear "by the people for the people" means even the people who think "in God we Trust" is what made this country & it's freedoms possible!

we DO need to get SMALLER Gov't and less taxation...

MORE smooth talking isn't going solve our problems & anyone who is treated above the law because of their money & influence should be behind bars when they brake the law. I think we need to examine amending the 16th & 17th amendments!!! it's time for the 'campaign for liberty' to set in motion a revoloution against this outrage going on in the congress these 545 servant of our's don't seem to actually get what the people actually want... they need to be replaced in my view ~ the cpac convention opened my awareness to why the republican party will go to the center to defend our liberty and freedom, since quiet honestly the democrats are failing terribly if they don't realize we are ALL paying attention not just the obama loving (blindly-"lets follow him off the edge of the cliff") democrats. the minute we legalize gay unions it's the end of our civilization - that is scientific fact, not opinion! (check your history)

[formrusmcsgt]

Sorry for giving the wrong impression but I'm not the author.

See the writings of Mary Beth Harrell (http://insighttexas.com/2008/04/blog-post-1/)
Posted by makeitso928 at 7:07 AM : Mar 9, 2009

I didn't take it that way.

iIdid observe, however, that you could have easily made your point with about half the text...lol.

[formrusmcsgt]

How do you win elections without minorities, women, snd Independents?

Can't be done.

The repubs want the black vote in spite of refusing invitations to speak to their organizations while attacking affirmative action. Good luck with that.

They want the hispanic vote even though they promote ripping families apart. Good luck with that, too.

They want the women's vote even though they oppose funding for education and health care and oppose a woman's right to choose. Super good luck with all of that.

They want the homosexual vote even though the party openly advocates discrimination against them. As if there's a chance on that one, eh?

So they have the self-righteous, paranoid, xenophobic, cracker, and corporate whites in their pocket.

Not a winning hand by any stretch of the imagination.

[formrusmcsgt]

Posted by makeitso928 at 6:45 AM : Mar 9, 2009

Interesting analogy.....