Yesterday, Barack Obama handed down a commandment to Republicans:
Thou Shalt Not Listen to Rush Limbaugh.
From FOX News, by the New York Post:
President Obama warned Republicans on Capitol Hill today that they need to quit listening to radio king Rush Limbaugh if they want to get along with Democrats and the new administration.
"You can't just listen to Rush Limbaugh and get things done," he told top GOP leaders, whom he had invited to the White House to discuss his nearly $1 trillion stimulus package.
One White House official confirmed the comment but said he was simply trying to make a larger point about bipartisan efforts.
"There are big things that unify Republicans and Democrats," the official said. "We shouldn't let partisan politics derail what are very important things that need to get done."
That wasn't Obama's only jab at Republicans today.
While discussing the stimulus package with top lawmakers in the White House's Roosevelt Room, President Obama shot down a critic with a simple message.
"I won," he said, according to aides who were briefed on the meeting. "I will trump you on that."
If Obama really was "simply trying to make a larger point about bipartisan efforts" by invoking Limbaugh, he failed.
Obama could have said "You can't just listen to NPR and Bill Moyers and get things done."
That would have been effective in making his "larger point" about bipartisan efforts.
Obama could have said "You can't just read the New York Times and get things done."
Obama could have said "You can't just watch Keith Olbermann, Chris Matthews, and MSNBC and get things done."
But no, Obama chose to target Limbaugh as a symbol of partisanship, dismissing all the drooling liberal hacks in the media.
Obama and his fellow libs don't understand what it means to be bipartisan. It requires compromise from both sides to achieve goals.
Of course, Obama and his Dem comrades do understand. They just have no intention of working in a bipartisan manner.
Obama made that clear when he shot down a critic by saying, "I won."
He can talk and talk, but he doesn't walk the walk. Obama is spouting empty words.
I guess I should get used to that.
_________________
UPDATE, January 24, 2009: Limbaugh Responds to Obama
Byron York asked Limbaugh for his thoughts on Obama's remarks. Here's Limbaugh's response:
There are two things going on here. One prong of the Great Unifier's plan is to isolate elected Republicans from their voters and supporters by making the argument about me and not about his plan. He is hoping that these Republicans will also publicly denounce me and thus marginalize me. And who knows? Are ideological and philosophical ties enough to keep the GOP loyal to their voters? Meanwhile, the effort to foist all blame for this mess on the private sector continues unabated when most of the blame for this current debacle can be laid at the feet of the Congress and a couple of former presidents. And there is a strategic reason for this.
Secondly, here is a combo quote from the meeting:"If we don't get this done we (the Democrats) could lose seats and I could lose re-election. But we can't let people like Rush Limbaugh stall this. That's how things don't get done in this town."
To make the argument about me instead of his plan makes sense from his perspective. Obama's plan would buy votes for the Democrat Party, in the same way FDR's New Deal established majority power for 50 years of Democrat rule, and it would also simultaneously seriously damage any hope of future tax cuts. It would allow a majority of American voters to guarantee no taxes for themselves going forward. It would burden the private sector and put the public sector in permanent and firm control of the economy. Put simply, I believe his stimulus is aimed at re-establishing "eternal" power for the Democrat Party rather than stimulating the economy because anyone with a brain knows this is NOT how you stimulate the economy. If I can be made to serve as a distraction, then there is that much less time debating the merits of this TRILLION dollar debacle.
Obama was angry that Merrill Lynch used $1.2 million of TARP money to remodel an executive suite. Excuse me, but didn't Merrill have to hire a decorator and contractor? Didn't they have to buy the new furnishings? What's the difference in that and Merrill loaning that money to a decorator, contractor and goods supplier to remodel Warren Buffet's office? Either way, stimulus in the private sector occurs. Are we really at the point where the bad PR of Merrill getting a redecorated office in the process is reason to smear them? How much money will the Obamas spend redecorating the White House residence? Whose money will be spent? I have no problem with the Obamas redoing the place. It is tradition. 600 private jets flown by rich Democrats flew into the Inauguration. That's fine but the auto execs using theirs is a crime? In both instances, the people on those jets arrived in Washington wanting something from Washington, not just good will.
If I can be made to serve as a distraction, then there is that much less time debating the merits of the trillion dollar debacle.
One more thing, Byron. Your publication and website have documented Obama's ties to the teachings of Saul Alinksy while he was community organizing in Chicago. Here is Rule 13 of Alinksy's Rules for Radicals:"Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it."
There's no question that Obama is using Saul Alinsky's Rules for Radicals as his bible.
Alinksy's tactics helped Obama win the Democrat primary. They helped him defeat John McCain.
It should be no surprise that Obama is continuing to use his successful playbook.
Here's more of what Alinsky has to say about the rule that Limbaugh cites:
Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, polarize it. Don’t try to attack abstract corporations or bureaucracies. Identify a responsible individual. Ignore attempts to shift or spread the blame.
Obama and his crew knew what they were doing when Obama mentioned Limbaugh's name in that meeting.
Alinsky writes, "The enemy properly goaded and guided in his reaction will be your major strength."
So Limbaugh is the enemy.
That's a mistake. Obama is incapable of properly goading and guiding Limbaugh's reaction.
That's clear.
Limbaugh has this announcement on his website:
Rush to Announce a Bipartisan Plan to Resolve the Fight Over the Stimulus Package on Monday's Show
Let's stop the acrimony. Let's start solving our problems... together. Why wait another day?
Hmm. I guess Obama is wrong.
You can listen to Rush Limbaugh and get things done. I hope Obama tunes in on Monday.
17 comments:
Limbaugh is already under the Messiah's skin. This is all too funny. Obama continues to prove that the emperor has no clothes.
Bush endured constant BS from the press and media but not once during his eight years did he call out one of his critics. He was too big of a man to so something so infantile.
Obama has no clue about what he is supposed to be doing now that he's elected. I shutter to think what is his knowledge and understanding of history. He's nothing more than a small time empty suit of a machine politician. Looks like Nancy Pelosi will be running the country!
Good gracious all of this is incredibly funny.
Thats right he has no idea what to do. Now how does closing a prison full people who want to kill every american and release these people into this country where the aclu can get them released here. Now how does that make our national defense stronger.
Obama's Stalinist attitude makes me physically ill. He's like a kid that won a game of hopskotch "I won. Nananabooboo"
But he's also reminiscent of the days of Stalin -- Thwart, destroy, or ban all oppositional voices. If they aren't enamored with your soaringly deceitful rhetoric, ban people from even listening to or possibly agreeing. The truth must be silenced at all costs. That's the only way authoritarians can get anything done.
Banning abortion is the worst idea to these drones, illiterates, and amoral worthless pieces of garbage, but banning people's thoughts, opinions, and oppositional voices is just fine.
One day during this wretched administration we will mourn for our Constitution and remember fondly the days when we could cling to our First Amendment right to free speech without having to be silenced by the power-hungry elitists in this country.
And when will the libs get the memo...banning something makes people want to do it more!
Obama is a terroist sypathizer and he supports the murder of babys! Bush was a real president that always did the right thing
Of course you can listen to NPR and Bill Moyers and get things done. Have you listened to NPR lately? It's a radio news program that reports on events in the world, differentiates between opinion and fact, and frequently airs opposing viewpoints on issues.
LImbaugh, on the other hand, spews out rhetoric (which is not the same as information), confuses fact and opinion, and is a generally divisive individual. He's very much about hating the left and ranting. You really can't get much done if you think that way.
Obama's statement is absolutely true. People have to talk and communicate- not rant at each other- in order to create and implement effective policy.
You yourself are clearly jumping to conclusions in a very 'rush limbaugh' fashion. This is an overtly emotional reaction to the challenge to let go of your own fears and rhetorical stand. What, for example, makes you think that closing Gitmo equates to letting terrorists go free? There are alternatives to holding people indefinitely, without trial, in a makeshift prison on foreign soil. You might try them, determine if they are guilty, and send them to a proper prison. You might obey the rules of international law.
And as far funding abortion is concerned-- that's a very uninformed statement. What Obama did was repeal a ban on funding for groups that mention abortion as a possibility in addition to other forms of birth control of family planning. That's not the same as funding abortions. That's funding clinics that provide numerous services- and supporting the distribution of information. It's not the same as handing a kid a wad of cash and saying 'go murder your baby'-- which seems to be your outlook.
Come to the table and talk. Or sit there and rant with good old Rush. One way, you accomplish things. The other way, you don't. Obviously.
What a bunch of sore losers. Eight years of disaster is not enough for you. You now need to carefully parse the words of the man that makes W look the mental midget he really is. Hope it makes you feel better, and good luck in 2012.
Obama may have 'won' but at the rate he's going, it's gonna be a one term president. Then, he'll be out cuz he 'lost.'
Time passes quickly, my friend. Very. very quickly.
if you even acknowledge Limbaugh you have already missed the mark. He has his own agenda which is self serving. Mentioning his name was only a tool to show that both parties should be cohesive for the good of the country.
Now why would Barack Obama be afraid of Rush Limbaugh? And why would he think Republicans march to Rush's drum?
True conservatives will disagree with "liberals" but will defend liberals' right to their opinions. That's called holding to one's principles.
Today's "liberals" will disagree with conservatives, and attempt to find ways to permanently close the debate. That's called paranoia.
President Obama's paranoia is showing.
All tyrannies have begun to the sound of applause.
Anonymous #4:
For speaking about the uninformed and ignorant, you seem to know who they are since you are among them.
What is the alternative to holding known terrorist organizers at Gitmo?
Don't talk about how there is another option when you cannot even come up with what it is! This is the common liberal mentality. Like, I totally don't know what the other options are, but somebody thinks there might be one so yeah, I agree with them!
Also, you may not see harm in funding abortions nationally and internationally, but many people see abortion as legalized murder (really anyone who understands that before Roe v. Wade people were charged with 2 murders for killing a pregnant woman) SO WE DON'T WANT TO FUND IT.
And what if your opinion is unpopular and the elitists don't invite you to the table to talk, what are we supposed to do then, hot shot?
Obama hates Rush because he tells the American public the truth. Obama doesn't. They are very different men. Although both are arrogant, I will admit that.
I keep asking and asking and asking. What's this eight years of DISASTER libs are talking about?
"Anonymous" 2:47 PM, January 24, 2009 --
You're a lib and an Obama supporter, aren't you?
Your misspellings give you away as a poser.
Plus, I don't think any President Bush supporter would make a claim as ridiculous as yours, that he "always did the right thing."
Jimi, by "disaster" I think the libs are referring to the repeated terrorist attacks and the thousands of murdered American civilians occurring in the post-9/11 era under President Bush's watch.
Oh, wait...
There wasn't a single terrorist attack on U.S. soil after 9/11. No deaths.
Yes, what a disaster President Bush was!
He was a miserable failure at keeping us safe. Good grief.
Obama forced banks to loan money to people that had no hope of paying that money back. Acorn anybody?
Dodd and Frank told the banks not to worry about it and instructed Fannie and Freddie to buy those worthless loans.
What did they think Wall St. would do?
SELL, SELL, SELL.......regardless of an individuals capacity to pay the loan back!
Of course that was what was going to happen. Don't blame Wall St., blame the people that set the game up to be taken advantage of.....Dodd, Frank and OBAMA!
Or, like everything else, blame it on Bush.
Now the people who are really responsible for ruining our economy are in charge of fixing it!
God help us all.
Blaming the economic mess on the Bush administration is one of Obama's biggest lies.
MUST READ: What The Democrats Said About Fan and Fred
The problem with this post is that Obama does listen to more than NPR and Moyers. He makes a point of listening to both sides of any issue before making up his mind. He has invited republican leaders to discuss how to salvage our economy and solve the problems ahead of us. He has appointed a varied group to his administration.
Bush, on the other hand, froze the democrats out of pretty much everything from day 1. He had no interest in the views of anyone other than his closest advisers. And Republicans, in general, it would seem, get their news from very limited and extremely biased sources.
Obama did NOT say that republicans shouldn't listen to Limbaugh. He said that if we are going to get anything done, it would certainly help if republicans listened to some sources of news other than (but perhaps in addition to) Limbaugh.
If you really believe that "he makes a point of listening to both sides of any issue before making up his mind," perhaps you should model yourself after the wise, bipartisan, transcendent, almighty Barack "I won" Obama.
Oh, yeah!
Post a Comment