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Mar
4
They are going to be just lining up, aren’t they, like early voters in Cuyahoga County – the people who are saying that the emperor has no clothes (God forbid). From the Columbus Dispatch‘s The Daily Briefing:
At a news conference today, House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-West Chester, wanted to talk about President Barack Obama and his new budget. But when it came down to the first question from reporters, it wasn’t about taxes and spending. Instead, it was about conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh.
“What’s your response to the White House now saying that Rush Limbaugh has become the basic voice of the Republican Party?’’ one reporter asked.
Boehner quickly replied that the White House “has created this big distraction so that nobody will pay attention to what they’re doing in their budget. We shouldn’t be distracted. This budget calls for higher taxes and more spending.’’
Not willing to give up, a reporter asked Boehner about Limbaugh’s role in the Republican Party. And unwilling to budge, Boehner said once again it was “nothing more than a distraction created by the administration to take people’s attention away from the fact that they’re trying to raise taxes and grow the size of the government.’’
He’s a distraction alright – I can agree with that. But I also agree with consevative Richard A. Vigurie on the need for the GOP to stop blaming anyone else and instead recognize that they and no one else created this problem:
Broadcasters and commentators such as Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Laura Ingraham, Mark Levin, Glenn Beck and Michael Savage are seen as the de facto leaders of the Republican Party for a simple reason, Richard A. Viguerie said today: “It’s because no one else is acting like a Republican leader.”
“The ‘Rushification’ of the GOP is the natural and inevitable result of the fact that those who are supposed to provide leadership – Republican elected officials and party officers – are doing little to bring the party back,” said Viguerie, chairman of ConservativeHQ.com.
“Nature abhors a vacuum, and there is no vacuum in nature as empty as the leadership of the Republican Party today.”
Someone please give Boehner a mirror.
By Jill Miller Zimon at 5:35 pm March 4th, 2009 in Politics
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6 Responses to “Next on his knees: Boehner calls Limbaugh’s role in GOP “nothing more than a distraction””
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I really am shocked that the title of this post is Boehner on his knees.
Your point is well taken along with Vigurie’s that there is a vacuum of sorts in the leadership of the Rep party.
But if your a reporter and the forst question out of your mouth is about Limbaugh. Please.
This story line of course could only be written by the WWE wrestling outfit or a white house not to sure of how to mask the boondoggles they are trying to hoist on the American People. And after the Poltico article of earlier today we now know that this White house is looking more Like the Nixon one than anything of Lincoln.
Hope they find a new scapegoat before 2010.
Well – to say this White House is looking like Nixon because they’re taking advantage of the GOP’s schizophrenic state of being is a bit radical, IMO.
But I’m not sure why you object so much to the title – the stories today and for the last week have been about the begging for forgiveness aspect of Steele et al asking Limbaugh’s forgiveness – were you thinking something else, perhaps that I wasn’t??
Help me out. It was the “reporters” who are looking to Rush as the leader. So that pesky “liberal” press is asking the Minority leader if he has to be blessed by Rush?
1. This might be another reason newspapers are dying? Why are they asking a member of Congress about an entertainer’s viewpoints?
2. Not clear who is the distraction, Obama, Rush or the serious work that really does need to be evaluated line by line and vetted by the American people.
The games people play. Peek A Boo I didn’t vote for you (Rush).
Gena – thanks for reading and commenting.
1. Great question – why DO they do that? You are absolutely right. I admit a curiosity re: how can the political leaders operate side by side with this literally large figure and voice coming out of entertainment. But for the journalists to go after that, as the first question out of the box. And Boehner of all people should know better re: what he can cut to without responding – Ohio’s absolutely terrifying unemployment rate, at a minimum.
Ok – you got me now – I will really try to think about this. We’ve been having a debate about media literacy on one of my listservs and this really proves the point of how it’s needed.
2. Also great point – what do you think about this: the Bush admin. really was excellent not even just at procrastinating, but of making us feel like certain things were more important than they were, over and over, and then the things that really bothered us, the Bush admin. marginalized, trivialized and brushed aside.
Compared to that, trying to put a laser focus, and a public one at that, on some of the most uncomfortable and upsetting realities of the day – it’s painful – for pretty much everyone. And it’s just the pleasure principle at work – people, lawmakers, do not like to face that stuff.
I think Obama is facing the music of reality – like Ohio – and there’s just so much in that that people who are no longer in control can dislike.
So there is a lot of squirming and saying, look over here. And that’s so attractive to the media, as you point out in #1.
I think every American knows EXACTLY what we need to be focusing on – I just think the resolve to do and/or to do it the way Obama is seeking to do it, is what has people being seduced by distraction.
Thoughts?
I really have to go to the Salt Mine and help pay for the bailout/stimulus. I would ask both Dems & Reps where do the want to have the conversation? If it is with the American people then they need to understand some of the social media tools available to them.
If they wan to use traditional press then they need to invoke a wedge or two toward some of those reporters.
I’ll think about this some more as a lose money being at work to support multinational companies.
I think this is all a distraction being propagated by the White House and democrats in general. I have listened to Rush Limbaugh on several occasions. He is simply an entertainer. I really don’t think that people take him that seriously. He uses a lot of sarcasm, irony, etc. to entertain.
Democrats should focus on the problems of governing the country. That was their mandate. Get over Rush Limbaugh. The more they continue to make this a big deal, the more people are going to begin questioning what in the world the white house is doing spending so much time on this issue.
Take the time and focus on the economy and while you are at it, see if you can find a nominee that doesn’t have tax issues. That, in my opinion, is a much larger issue.