White House: Reporters Should Ask Republicans Whether They Agree With Rush Limbaugh

http://theplumline.whorunsgov.com/political-media/robert-gibbs-reporters-should-ask-republicans-whether-they-agree-with-rush-limbaugh/

White House: Reporters Should Ask Republicans Whether They Agree With Rush Limbaugh


I’d missed this yesterday, but it seems even more relevant in light of RNC chair Michael Steele’s decision yesterday evening to prostrate himself before Rush Limbaugh after the latter unleashed a tirade towards the former on his radio show yesterday afternoon.

At the White House press briefing, press sec Robert Gibbs doubled down on the White House strategy of elevating Rush as the face of the opposition, pushing reporters to ask GOP officials whether they are With Rush Or Against Him when it comes to Rush’s desire to see President Obama fail:



One quick point about this. If more reporters do start asking GOP officials this, Limbaugh and other conservatives will accuse the media of doing the White House’s bidding by trying to foment a civil war within the GOP. Indeed, Rush is already doing this: On yesterday’s show, he accused the “drive by” media of exploiting his fight with Steele to portray the party as wracked by “infighting.”

But the above question, obviously, is exactly the one that Rush, for his own purposes, wants the “drive by media” to be asking Republican officials. It’s a nifty little game: Rush gets the story framed his way, and he gets to accuse the media of being anti-GOP. A twofer! Anyway, this story won’t be going away anytime soon, if the White House, and Rush, get their way.

and the Republican was terrified to say anything bad about Rush. He kept repeating that he wants Obama to succeed, and when Shuster asked why Republicans have such a hard time saying that they disagree with Rush on this one narrow issue, the Republican just ignored him. There's a clip of it on the Huffington Post.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/03/02/gop-congressman-repeatedl_n_171264.html

Now, who else might have the cojones to do so?

...any statement by a particular Dem pol, organization, or media person who showed the least bit of backbone in standing up to Bush policies?

I recall the Moveon "General Betray Us" flap and another one over Sen. Durbin referring to Gitmo as Nazi tactics.

If the Dems were as cynical as the GOPers, we'd hold a vote in Congress to repudiate Rush for his "fail" comments, and force the Repukes to vote yay or nay on it.

No longer is it wanting "Obama to fail" but rather his economic agenda--which, of course, is an accurate interpretation of what Rush wants. But it lays it out plain and simple to the average American. As the economic stimulus starts putting more money in people's pockets (and hey, $8 around here is what the average hourly wage is) and gets people more jobs and improves infrastructure--people will turn against Rush and recognize how un-American his statements are.

How the Prez ignited this little firestorm w/in the rethug party. They showed the videoclip of that vermin named Rush saying how he wants the Prez to fail, how he wants his policies to fail.

And Gibson said straight out that most Americans see that to want his policies to fail is to want *them* to fail.

I have to say the story was very fair and accurate. They said that the Prez did this on purpose right up front.

But then focussed totally on Rush's message and the headless goops running in circles trying to distance themselves from Rush and that viscious message...and then apologizing to him.

And then showed one brief clip of the Prez walking in the distance. You could almost see the smiling little Buddha inside him light up the screen :evilgrin:

It was mostly all right, laying out the sides (Obama and the angels on one side, the Prince of Porkness on the other, and a nervous crowd of Republicans, praying they're not called on by either side). But for some reason, the report said that the Democrats were taking a "risk" in confronting the hugely unpopular Limbaugh. The statement just clanged in the middle of the narrative, unsupported by any other fact or footage.

But tying Limbaugh securely around the neck of the GOP is an almost Rovian strategy, in that it takes the Republicans' perceived strength and turns it into a liability. "Do you support Rush Limbaugh?" It's a simple statement, and given the bellicose rantings by the king of hate radio, impossible to avoid for very long. Either acknowledge him as your leader, Republicans, or consign him to oblivion. If you can.

He is a raving lunatic who would castrate himself if Democrats would just let him.

decided lack of. So far, everyone is kissing Rush's boots. He's having a ball, but it's not doing much for the rethug party.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=389&topic_id=5161817


Rethugs running scared, perhaps because Rush has the ability to damage all kinds of things, like rethug fundraising...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=5170737&mesg_id=5170737

It's a tangled web, and no rethug seems to be able to fight their way out of it.

America wants to know why Republicons Assume the Position
for a Big Mouth Draft Dodger like Limbaugh who wants America to fail?

http://vwt.d2g.com:8081/assume_the_position.jpg

Kudos to Rahm, Gibbs and others who have set up this rope-a-dope game that could finally break the corporate media narrative, and possibly the back of hate radio.

Every elected repugnican is now under the gun. With Rushbo or against? The framing is one Democrats are familiar with as Rove and his ilk constantly tried to associate Democrats with the guilt by association game. They were pushed to "admit or deny" things Michael Moore or Al Franken or Jeremiah Wright had to say...a "beat your wife" game always ensued. Now the tables are turned. Can a repugnican dare to speak out against Rushbo? Obviously not...and in the process they look very weak.

Rushbo's always been most effective when he's below the corporate media radar. It's why he avoids the talk shows (and they avoid him)...so he can bloviate in his rarified dittohead air without ever having to be held accountable. Shining the media light on his blows up his huge ego, but also exposes his most ugly sides...inflicting more damage on his corrupt party. He cost them votes in 2006 and 2008...his "operation chaos" is now destroying his own inept party.

President Obama now clearly controls both the high ground and the media narrative. This happens when you have that POTUS shield on your podium. And he knows the power of that podium and how to use it. He also knows he's been constantly underestimated and lets his opponents overplay...make the mistake. It's a thing of beauty to see as the more unhinged the GOOP gets, the more reasonable President Obama does.