Question For Media: Is Rush Limbaugh Conservative Movement's "Unofficial Leader?"
MEMORANDUM
To: Interested Parties
From: Jessica Levin, Media Matters for America
Re: Question For Media: Is Rush Limbaugh Conservative Movement's "Unofficial Leader?"
Date: Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Rush Limbaugh rose to prominence in the early 1990s through a relentless series of smears leveled at President Clinton, his administration, and his family. With a progressive back in the White House, Limbaugh has returned to regular attacks on the president. The Los Angeles Times described him as "the politically wounded party's unofficial leader" and his keynote speech at this weekend's Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) was broadcast live on Fox News and CNN and then rebroadcast on Fox News the next day - a treatment that, according to Fox News' Greg Jarrett, "not even the president" gets.
Limbaugh started a media firestorm with his comments in January -- just days before President Barack Obama's inauguration -- that he "hopes" Obama "fails." Since then Limbaugh has continued his drumbeat repeating this theme, recently asserting that it is not only him but "every Republican in this country" who "wants Obama to fail."
Among top conservatives, reaction to Limbaugh's sentiment has been mixed. Former Rep. Tom DeLay and former Sen. Rick Santorum have publicly agreed with Limbaugh's sentiment while some conservative figures have distanced themselves the conservative commentator. RNC Chairman Michael Steele recently joined Rep. Phil Gingrey in the list of conservative leaders who have bowed down to Limbaugh after publicly criticizing him.
With Republican at a crossroads on whether Limbaugh speaks for the party, it might be best, as White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said in yesterday's briefing "to ask individual Republicans whether they agree with what Rush Limbaugh said this weekend." Media Matters today launched "Limbaugh Wire," a resource center for all of the latest research on the top-rated radio talk show host:
www.mediamatters.org/limbaughwire/
Below are some of Limbaugh's attacks on President Obama and his policies since the inauguration as well as conservative commentary on Limbaugh's rhetoric:
Limbaugh's "I Hope He Fails" Mantra Against President Obama
During the broadcast of his January 16 show, in response to the invitation of "a major American print publication" to describe his "hope for the Obama administration," Limbaugh replied "I hope he fails." Limbaugh has continued to pound this theme on his show, not only saying that he wants "the stimulus package" to fail but that "every Republican in the country wants Obama to fail."
- Limbaugh: "The dirty little secret ... is that every Republican in this country wants Obama to fail, but none of them have the guts to say so; I am willing to say it"
- Limbaugh: "I want the stimulus package to fail," "I want everything he's doing to fail."
- Limbaugh on GOP strategy for Obama era: "Hoping he fails"
A Limbaugh Fissure Within Conservative Movement?
Since President Obama's inauguration, there has been a wide range of reactions from conservative officials and media figures to Limbaugh's rhetoric.
Conservatives in Congress such as Rep. Eric Cantor and other prominent leaders such as Republican strategist Mike Murphy have distanced themselves from Limbaugh.
House Minority Whip Eric Cantor
- Responding to George Stephanopolous' question whether "the Rush Limbaugh approach of hoping the president fails" is "the Eric Cantor House Republican approach," Cantor replied "absolutely not." [Media Matters' County Fair, 3/1/09]
South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford
- Gov. Sanford, when about the "view that perhaps Republicans are rooting for President Obama to fail," replied: "I don't want him to fail. Anybody who wants him to fail is an idiot, because it means we're all in trouble." [Center for American Progress' Think Progress, 2/25/09]
GOP Strategist Mike Murphy
- Mike Murphy disagreed with Limbaugh saying "Republicans want the country to succeed," and warned against a "party of 25 percent of the vote going to Limbaugh rallies." [Media Matters' County Fair, 3/1/09]
While other conservative leaders and personalities such as Tom DeLay and Rick Santorum have echoed Limbaugh's comments.
Former House Minority Leader Tom DeLay
- When asked if he agreed with Rush Limbaugh that we shouldn't hope for President Obama to succeed, DeLay replied "Well, exactly right. I don't want this for our nation. That's for sure." [Center for American Progress' Think Progress, 2/27/09]
Former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum
- Similarly, when asked "do you hope, should we hope that President Obama fails," Santorum replied that "absolutely we hope that his policies fail," adding "I believe his policies will fail, I don't know, but I hope they fail." [Center for American Progress' Think Progress, 2/28/09]
RNC chairman Michael Steele and Rep. Phil Gingrey actually backed down from their respective criticisms of Limbaugh.
RNC chairman Michael Steele
- RNC Chairman Michael Steele originally said "Rush Limbaugh, his whole thing is entertainment. Yes it's incendiary, yes it's ugly." [Politico, 3/2/09]
- After Limbaugh addressed those comments on his radio show, asserting that Steele that he is "head of the RNC" and not "head of the Republican Party," Steele soon was backing down on his comments. Steele said his "intent was not to go after Rush" and that "[t]here was no attempt on my part to diminish is voice or his leadership." Steele further claimed that what he was trying to say was that "a lot of people...want to make Rush the scapegoat, the bogeyman, and he's not." [Politico, 3/2/09]
Rep. Phil Gingrey
- Responding to Limbaugh's assertion that Obama is "obviously more frightened of me than he is Mitch McConnell" and "John Boehner," Rep. Gingrey said "I mean, it's easy if you're Sean Hannity or Rush Limbaugh or even sometimes Newt Gingrich to stand back and throw bricks." Gingrey continued: "You know you're just on these talk shows and you're living well and plus you stir up a bit of controversy and gin up the base and that sort of thing." [Politico, 1/27/09]
- Gingrey appeared on Limbaugh's show the following day to express his "very sincere regret for those comments" and said "I clearly ended up putting my foot in my mouth on some of those comments." [Center for American Progress' Think Progress, 1/28/09]
Limbaugh's Influence on Conservative Echo Chamber: Health IT falsehoods and Other Attacks on Obama's Policies
As evidence of Limbaugh's influence among both conservative and mainstream media, he was the first to unabashedly advance former New York Lt. Gov. Betsy McCaughey's falsehood that a provision in the House-passed version of the economic recovery bill grants the government authority to "monitor treatments" and "make sure your doctor is doing what the federal government deems appropriate." This dubious claim was soon being parroted by several conservative media figures. Limbaugh took credit, saying "I found it. I detailed it for you and now it's all over the mainstream media."
Media Matters has documented Limbaugh leading the conservative echo chamber in advancing other false and misleading information about President Obama's economic proposals.
RSS Feeds
SMEARS? The Clintons were a reporters DREAM! So, if you restate their actions, it's a SMEAR? I am having a BALL on this site reputing all of the SMEARS of Rush and Republicans in general. Well, I guess there is a good market for this type of fiction with all of the folks that despise the American way of life...
you mean like rush's drug addiction and his numerous marriages and hoping the president fails? those kind of smears?
Who despises the American way of life? How about a few examples? How are you defining the American way of life? Does Rush represent the American way of life to you?
well of course to liebuster Rush represents "his" version of american life. having a fat 20 million dollar contract to spew racisim and crap for 4 hours a day
Don't even give him the option of setting the terms of what the American way of life means. You already know his answer is peace through violence, prosperity through exploitation, education through poverty; Me FIrst and to hell with the rest.
Why bother asking him to repeat himself? We know what this liebuster guy is about without having to ask.
I'm gonna make a prediction right now...
Further dialogue with liebuster is going to prove disappointing.
wanna see how i schooled liebuster?
http://mediamatters.org/discuss/200903030004?threaded=1#443658
Saw that. Nice work.
What Liemaker is subconsciously saying is that he hates America. Limbaugh, Hannity and other conservative entertainers actually do hate the American 'way of life'.
Yeah, in this tight economy, 2000 Clear Channel employees have to be laid off to make room for Rush's multi-million dollar contract. Talk about valuing families and loving the American way of life... you guys really prove everyday, with your radical self-interested actions, that the well-being of America is the very last item on your agenda.
Ooooh don't blame Rush for that. See, his taxes went up, so he didn't have incentive to hold on to those employees. Those people had been lucky to benefit from his generousity, but it just wasn't worth it anymore. You can blame Obama for those poor people's misery. ;-)
You haven't refited $#!t. You're a funny little clown walking amonst giants.
LIE , You havent reputed anything . It's your heros RUSH and the REPUKES that have been smearing because thats all they have. They would lose their shorts if they had to debate on the issues.
And how about bringing to light some of Limbaugh's more incindiary bon mots, such as when he called Obama the "black man child?"
If more people outside of his audience heard that sort of thing, I wonder how high he would go in his "leadership" and/or "influence"
Why has there been no investigation into the Limbaugh Family (the First Family of Cape Girardeau, Missouri ? Any dealings with the German American Bund ? Were they ever slave holders? How did they make their fortune? Many were judges and lawyers. Any of them on the take? Why is the media afraid to dig?
====
Money-laundering?
Remember when Aymen Al-Zawhiri (sp?) called Obama a "House Negro"? Now - first off, let me say that AAZ sure has balls. But back to the point... While I do not approve of the use of racially derogatory terms do descibe ANYONE, if we WERE to look for a modern example of a "house negro," who do you think better fits the stereotype - Barack Obama or Michael Steele? If you wanted to define the term (maybe for urban dictinary or something) you could do a lot worse that showing the RNC's latest shameless, shallow example of tokenism (and that would be their CHAIRMAN) grovelling before a G-D talk-show host!
There's no queston 'Ol Fathead is the leader of Conservatives and Republicans...
And us Democrats thank him for his efforts. Everytime this fool opens his mouth it's another couple House seats for us.
You go Rush!!
"Ol Fathead has his own page now...
Not for the faint of heart. You go Rush. You're really making a name for yourself. Keep screaming, keep lying, keep defacating on yourself and America. Conservatism will rise again under your guidance........
well, yeah, of course he is. he has been for many years now, no big surprise there.
regarding his wish that obama fail, i'm inclined to agree with mr. limbaugh: most, if not all, republicans want pres. obama to fail. it wouldn't be in their political best interests for him to succeed. they may not admit it, but they do.
mr. limbaugh doesn't really care much what you or i think, we're not his core audience, the people that pay his salary. conservatives are. as long as they're happy, mr. limbaugh is happy, all the way to the bank.
Yeap, Rush is the Conservatives, Neo-Conservatives, and Republicans de-facto Leader. The Republican House of Representatives did what Rush told them to with voting "NO" for the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act (Stimulus Bill), and ALL "100%" did just that.
A few "elected" Republican Leaders said some bad things about Rush and within 24 hours of making their statements, called Rush for forgiveness. You know to be a Leader, one must have a group to do their deed, right? Well, Rush got 100% of the House Republicans and a few Republican Heads doing just that.
Rush got Republican "Power" and no one else in the Conservative, Neo-Conservative, or Republican Party can match him. To see that a 'Radio Talk Show Host' is more "powerful" than these Republican Politicians in the House, Senate and Committee is shocking. I learned something new today, because I thought it was the other way around. Wink, wink.
I’d say investigate and prosecute Limbaugh for sedition but on second thought why make him a martyr? Besides, he’s much more of a detriment to the Conservative Republican Party roaming free and babbling away like the bloated lunatic and Hermann Goering look-alike he is.
====
but rush was given an award for being a defender of the consitution.....even though he spoke the wrong preamble. the one he quoted was the decleration of independence and he even got that wrong
FDR Murdered?
Was
FDR poisoned by pro-Nazi Limbaugh Crime Family operatives?
====
I like when Rush speaks, in fact I even listen to his show when I can. It like a lesson about what it means if one do not get educated or what an educated fool sounds like. Thanks for the lesson Rush!
I wonder why Rush never ran for a political office, sense he allegerly has 20 millon non thinkers as followers. Hummm?
The fact that two high profile Republicans have had to kowtow to Rush after making disparaging remarks is a strong indicator of Rush's power.
Here's why it's good for the Dems: Rush has taken the notion of a 'party of opposition' to a preposterous extreme. If the Republicans are willing, from the top down, to rally around a guy who is on the record saying he wants the President of the United States to fail in his attempt(s) to right the ship of state, they will continue to be marginalized to the point of irrelevance.
I wonder if Rush Watch will outlast the Matthews Monitor...
The airwaves belong to the PEOPLE!!
Those few talk show hosts who make up "facts"; lie about consumer products; lie about news content; fabricate news "stories"; lie about medical matters: they VIOLATE THE PUBLIC TRUST (the airwaves)
They don't deserve an opposing view under a Fairness Doctrine.
They deserve a JAIL TERM !
Michael Korman
misterfact@yahoo.com
as correct as you may be, there is little to no chance of the return of the Fairness Doctrine
I predict Rush will self-destruct before the midterms, leaving the GOP without an Unofficial Leader.
Letterman called Limbaugh a bonehead the other night.
Guess who has a larger audience? Guess who has more influence on the public at large? Guess who's not going to be apologizing to Rush?
Media Matters: Visit Our New Rush Limbaugh Page
Me: Do I have to? I can almost smell the stench coming through my computer screen. But, you're right, we'd be wrong to ignore this individual.
You know too, David Letterman went on a comedy rant about John McCain for days and what did the Ole Maverick (John McCain) do about this? The Ole Maverick went on David Letterman and apologized. Now remember at the time, John McCain was the Republican Presidential Candidate which was one of the highest leadership roles for the Conservatives, Neo-Conservatives & Republicans in 2008 next to former Pres. Bush.
And just quickly, I think he@# would freeze over before Mr. Letterman apolozies to Rush, because Mr. Letterman is a real "man", 'Smile'.
Is Rush Limbaugh Conservative Movement's "Unofficial Leader?" I guess for about 25% of them (the neo-cons) he is. He used to insist that he was just an entertainer now I guess he figures he is the leader because they bow down to him like a false god.
This is what the Repugs have come down to and believing Limbo and others like him more or less figure, like (43), if you say or listen to it enough, it becomes the truth. I think that his audience will go down as more an more of the people become aware that the repugs are not for the people but for the elite and corporations and that their trickle down theory doesn't work because without regulations greed is to powerful to resist when it comes right down to it they will eat their own. How they have convinced many of the average people to vote Republican for their theory I don't know because they are voting against themselves.
The trickle down theory DOES work. How do you think our country was so successful over the two hundred years? Cause we have been doing it wrong? You think the Framers of the Constitution where wrong when they decided that Government involvement is generaly bad? No, they understood the danger of Government involvment not only in the lives of the people but also in the economy. Capatilism works, its the best economic system out there. Why do you think China is starting to apply Capatilism to its economic policies? Cause it works.... The only problem is that Government HAS been getting involved and thats why the Left is saying "See, Capitalism doesnt work!!!" If you trully believe all wealthy people are corrupt, you must live a sad, opressed life. But it does not have to be so. Try googling, "Self-Reliance".
Everyone can hate on Rush if they want, but I will say this. I have lived long enough to see that he is right at least 95% of what he talks about.
FYI Rush is not the leader of the GOP. The GOP is a sad slop of a party that lost its base when its leaders (W) started spending money like its going out of style. Once he did that conservatives lost faith in the GOP and so has Rush. -Conservative in Exile
Number one. I never got schooled because you have nothing that you can offer to teach me. Next, this Obama policy will fail to fix our economy and you all will be ran out of Washington for years. Let's be honest with ourselves here folks, this was merely a beaurocratic shopping spree, nothing more. Obama's deficit is already 13% of our GDP, Bush was 4%. I despise Bush. Bush is not conservatism. Bush was out of control spending almost as well as Obama. Bush is about handing my tax dollars and country to folks that are here illegally. I don't consider Rush as being part of the far right. (I had the gut feeling you guys would like to consider yourselves as part of the far left. Suspicion there.) The top 1% paid more revenues to the government at a lower tax rate in 1996 than they will at a higher rate now. The people stimulate an economy, not government.
Finally, as a veteran, I could never long for the President of our country to fail in his duty. In this Presidency, I expect failure. I pray for him and I want him to make the right moves for our country, but that will not happen. It really does bother me to say that, but if you put a man in the pilot seat with no license and he crashes the plane...do you blame him or those that voted him into office?
It is truly unfortunate that the people on this website are so narrow minded. It is quite obvious that you can't take the "heat in the kitchen". It was so much fun for you to bash Bush for the last 8 years, that you have to now turn your attention to someone else. Keep on drinking that koolaid!!!!!!