Limbaugh falsely claimed that Obama has "never reached across the aisle as a senator in legislation"

Summary: Rush Limbaugh falsely claimed that Sen. Barack Obama has "never reached across the aisle as a senator in legislation." In fact, Obama was a key co-sponsor of the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act. In a press release upon Senate passage of the bill, Republican Sen. Tom Coburn himself referred to the legislation as the "Coburn-Obama Bill." Obama has also worked with Republicans on other bills.

On the March 27 edition of his nationally syndicated radio show, Rush Limbaugh falsely claimed that Sen. Barack Obama has "never reached across the aisle as a senator in legislation." In fact, as Media Matters for America has documented, Obama was a key co-sponsor of the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act (S.2590) with the bill's primary sponsor, Republican Sen. Tom Coburn (OK). In a press release upon Senate passage of the bill, Coburn himself referred to the legislation as the "Coburn-Obama Bill."

Obama also worked with Republican Sen. Richard Lugar (IN) to produce the "Lugar-Obama proliferation and threat reduction initiative," which President Bush signed into law on January 11, 2007, and which received funding on June 28 of that year. The initiative, according to Obama's Senate website, "expands U.S. cooperation to destroy conventional weapons. It also expands the State Department's ability to detect and interdict weapons and materials of mass destruction."

In addition, four of the 12 co-sponsors of Obama's bill (S.2125) to "promote relief, security, and democracy in the Democratic Republic of Congo" were Republicans: Sam Brownback (KS), Susan Collins (ME), Mike DeWine (OH), and James Inhofe (OK). President Bush signed the bill into law on December 22, 2006.

From the March 27 edition of Premiere Radio Networks' The Rush Limbaugh Show:

OBAMA [audio clip]: President Clinton was the one who I think decried the politics of personal destruction, so obviously he recognizes that there's a line that can be crossed -- a line that can be crossed, where you stop focusing on the American people's business and it becomes just sport. And it all becomes about winning as opposed to getting stuff done.

LIMBAUGH: What have you gotten done? You haven't gotten anything done. These people are sitting ducks for a Republican Party that has no idea to pick up the weapon and start firing at the ducks -- politically speaking, of course. They got this little carnival show and our side's gone to the carnival -- and we got the carney, got the little ducks rolling by there. You know, grab the little fake pistol, and of course the carney has all the things where you can't possibly win the big teddy bear. And the Republicans don't -- it just -- he hadn't gotten anything done. He can't unify his preacher. He's never reached across the aisle as a senator in legislation. He's a blank slate by his own admission. And Barry, this "politics of personal destruction" business? President Clinton was not saying he realizes there's a line that you can't cross -- the line -- there is a line you can't cross. He's saying there are no lines when it comes to you.

—A.C.S.