Obama doesn’t want people to listen to Rush.
As if on cue, the bipartisan gloves are off immediately after the election. Now our President is urging republicans that they shouldn’t listen to Rush Limbaugh if they want to get things done in Congress.
It sure sounds like he’s pleading with a ruefully divisive minority to try and throw a real consensus together, but only if you aren’t paying any attention. In reality, Obama wants to get everyone to agree, but refuses to give up any semblance of his burgeoning stimulus plan, which now famously contains a mob museum and contraception, of all things.
Its an interesting battle between his ego and the reality that republicans, even the fake ass ones in the Guvamint right now, don’t like nationalization, huge spending, rising taxes and an overthrow of an even polical playing field. He personally needs to be the healer, but he also knows that he’s the correct opinion, and won’t budge (as evidenced by his “I won.” moment).
He wants righties to give up the Rush because he wants righties to become lefties. This really has little to do with Rush, other than the political tactic of giving the boogeyman a face. Mr. Alinsky, your table is ready.
So, I’ve stayed away from the whole “why is our President trying to control what we watch/hear” thing, and how it is leading unerringly for the fairness doctrine, but lets visit it for the moment. Are even the more liberal people out there not a bit worried that the leader of this nation may seek to remove opinions he doesn’t agree with from the airwaves, or is it all cool because you happen to agree? Isn’t dissent the highest form of patriotism?
Thought I had heard that everywhere during the last 8 years…
Chris said,
January 26, 2009 at 1:28 pm
I thought you might blog about this one… but I’m not sure why all the fuss over a sound byte.
No.
regulusred said,
January 26, 2009 at 3:54 pm
I’m surprised you have no issue with quashing an element of free speech in this country, much less one that is profitable and successful (unlike newspapers, television stations, and the like).
I’m hoping its for some other reason than you disliking talk radio, because that would be depressing, as well as a bit totalitarian.
To be clear on the sound byte: This is the President of the USA attacking a private citizen through Guvamint means. Beyond that, I am focusing more on the impending Fairness Doctrine, because so far, this is just a quote.
Curbing the 1st Amendment is not change I can believe in ™ (Hear me, McCain?).
Chris said,
January 26, 2009 at 9:55 pm
I think you may be missing the point a bit, to be honest. I understand your argument about free speech, but I don’t see that in any danger here. What I do see is someone on the Right urging people to pray for the failure of the President of the United States… an act that would’ve been labelled as treason had the shoe been on the other foot.
regulusred said,
January 27, 2009 at 4:27 pm
I’m unintentionally muddying the waters, I think.
The Fairness Doctrine is an attack on free speech.
I hope Obama’s socialist policies fail, because I believe they will endanger our country’s prosperity and future. I’ll leave this debate for later, though.
I will say, Obama is much smarter than he looks on this issue. He sees right through Boehner and McConnell as leaders of the party, and recognizes that Limbaugh and what he represents is where the groundswells of conservatism largely emanated from in recent years. He can push around the dopes in our party at the moment, but he can’t push Rush in any fashion, other than writing laws to shut him up, which I’ve addressed.
Disempowering Limbaugh is the way to neuter the party for decades. He’s gonna try, but he’s gonna fail. Rush is one of the few political minds that is every bit as fertile as our current President, as far as playing the media goes.
The treason thing is simply you misinterpreting the facts of the situation. Wanting policies to fail is not equivalent to wanting the country to lose a war. Its as simple as that.
Bush took as much criticism and ill-wishes on a daily basis as any man in history for the last 8 years. I think you’ve forgotten the things said about him and his policies, even two months ago. The treason word wasn’t thrown around very much, particularly not by the media or the President.
Chris said,
January 27, 2009 at 7:47 pm
I agree with you that the Fairness Doctrine was a limitation on free speech rights, but I don’t believe that two sound bytes will bring it back – especially considering that Barack Obama himself is not a Fairness Doctrine supporter.
I’m not misinterpreting any facts – what Rush said is treasonous. Note, however, that Bush criticisms were labeled the very same by many of those on the Right, and thus the response here shouldn’t be all that surprising.
Honestly, I don’t think any of this issue is important – it’s two media darlings duking it out. Let them. However, if such a deal is to be made about it, one has to admit that Rush could’ve done a lot better than saying he hoped Obama would fail; namely, by offering up a counter-solution which hasn’t been debunked already in the last 8 years. (Which, by the way, rules out tax cuts on the rich – we tried those.)
If the Right is so sure that Obama will fail, why do they not simply let him and his administration go through with the new stimulus package? After all, if it fails, the country will know full well that it was the Democrats who enacted it, and the Republicans will look all the better for opposing it from the start… unless, of course, what the Right is actually afraid of is Obama’s success, which would keep the Left in the good graces of public opinion for the time being, and seemingly further the Republican new-idea deficit.
Yup, I’m going for the latter.
regulusred said,
January 28, 2009 at 10:54 am
Swing and a miss. I am not afraid of Obama’s success as much as I fear the damage he will do while pursuing his foolish dreams and plans. The government NEVER gets smaller. Every freedom and dime they extract for the first time is one we’ll never see again. Even failed policies grow and hang out. Planned Parenthood has done nothing to fufill any of its goals, and did you know that the DARE program we endured as children is still getting boatloads of cash? Nothing dies except our freedoms and wallets when it comes to government.
Actually, the Dems are looking for GOP support in this bill because they’re so scared their won’t be a fall guy if/when this whole thing blows up. Remember how important the bank bailout was, and how it was delayed until GOP people changed their minds (jerks), even though it would have passed along a party line vote? That is the cowardice that I see. Don’t give me any garbage about Obama trying to heal everything, because 1) this already happened before the day that changed everything, and 2) Obama didn’t bend a bit when meeting with GOPers.
Also, you do not know a single thing about tax cuts and their relationship to economic growth. The reality remains that the single biggest tax cut in the Bush Plan was given to the lowest income taxed brackets. You’ve proven over the time I’ve bantered with you that you don’t get it, and have also shown a complete unwillingness to understand or even discuss it. We should simply talk about other things.
Your class warfare foolishness is just that, but if being a fool is wrong, then you don’t want to be right.
Chris said,
January 28, 2009 at 1:56 pm
Wow, a bit angry are we? I’ve tried not to let this debate go down the path many of ours have gone in the past and turn into an ideological showdown where we both start throwing personal insults, and I’d appreciate it if you would do the same.
Look, let me clarify my positions here, to clear up this very muddy water.
Agreed. I, however, don’t think that it needs to, as my overall ideology does not call for a smaller government (and yours does). That’s fine. I wasn’t aware we were debating that here.
Per Barack Obama’s last weekly address, his administration is standing behind their economic plan and stimulus package 100% (both with media coverage and in writing) to ensure that the public always knows who is responsible for the results, no matter what they may be. If Obama fails, he will take many Democrats with him; it would be the equivalent of what happened with Bush and the Republicans. Thus, the Democrats aren’t looking for fall guys; They already have one (the President), and it’s clear the majority of the Right is against the package. Again, I would urge those who don’t support the plan to give it a chance. If it fails, you know who to vote out.
Here’s some facts about tax cuts that may interest you, from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities:
tax cuts have been the single largest contributor to the reemergence of substantial budget deficits in recent years.
Robust revenue growth in 2005-2007 has not made up for extraordinarily weak revenue growth over the previous few years (contrary to Bush Administration claims concerning their tax cuts).
The tax cuts have made the distribution of take-home pay more unequal — at a time when inequality in before-tax income has also increased (which is evidence for my “class warfare foolishness”).
[President Bush's] tax cuts affect small business owners much as they affect the population as a whole: they provide large gains to those with high incomes and little benefit to others (again, leading to “class warfare foolishness”).
My personal favorite: Taking into account the fact that their costs eventually must be paid for, most American families likely will lose from tax cuts over the long run.
You admit that government does not get smaller, and yet you support tax cuts? If larger government is a constant (as you suggest), tax cuts are clearly not the way (as has been shown over the last 8 years).
The most controversial section of the bill (free contraceptives) has been removed. What Obama will not budge on is the middle-class tax credit – and it is the Right’s opposition to such which, again, fuels the class warfare debate.
Chris said,
January 28, 2009 at 1:58 pm
Apologies for the formatting of the list above; it would seem unordered lists in comments are not allowed.