House GOP member to Rush: Back off

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Rush Limbaugh may command a large following, but his caustic comments Monday about the GOP’s congressional leadership have at least one Republican House member defending his colleagues and offering an unusually candid critique of the talk radio powerhouse and his fellow commentators.

Responding to President Obama’s recommendation to Republican congressional leaders last week that they not follow Limbaugh’s lead, the conservative talkmeister said on his show that Obama is “obviously more frightened of me than he is Mitch McConnell. He's more frightened of me, than he is of, say, John Boehner, which doesn't say much about our party."

Rep. Phil Gingrey, R-Ga., did not take kindly to this assessment in an interview with Politico Tuesday.

“I think that our leadership, Mitch McConnell and John Boehner, are taking the right approach,” 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. You don’t have to try to do what’s best for your people and your party. 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 the base and that sort of that thing. But when it comes to true leadership, not that these people couldn’t be or wouldn’t be good leaders, they’re not in that position of John Boehner or Mitch McConnell."

Asked to respond to Gingrey, Limbaugh, in an email to Politico, wrote: “I'm sure he is doing his best but it does not appear to be good enough. He may not have noticed that the number of Republican colleagues he has in the House has dwindled. And they will dwindle more if he and his friends don't show more leadership and effectiveness in battling the most left-wing agenda in modern history. And they won't continue to lose because of me, but because of their relationship with the grassroots, which is hurting. Conservatives want leadership from those who claim to represent them. And we'll know it when we see it.”

The back and forth comes as some on the right speak more openly about what they perceive as the lack of leadership in the Republican Party. Unapologetic conservatives, like Limbaugh would prefer to see elected Republicans confront the new president. But many GOP officials, daunted by the new president’s approval rating and what they believe is fatigue on the part of voters over partisan fighting, are loath to openly criticize Obama.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0109/18049.html

[Pooky 3,795]

Unfortunately, this time around Rush is right.

He's going to be really insufferable now.

[Jasman0717 9]

Rush Limbaugh may command a large following,

Has this actually been documented

[Jasman0717 9]

Rush Limbaugh's fans are at their most numerous when he is not even speaking. That is among the findings of a study by Coleman Insights, a radio consulting firm, that uses newly available minute-by-minute listener data from New York, Philadelphia and Houston to map the ebb and flow of Mr. Limbaugh's audience.

The study found that Mr. Limbaugh's share of radio listeners was greatest during commercials, beating his share during on-air segments by 0.18 percentage point.

[luckytxn 2,264]

Rush Limbaugh may command a large following,

Has this actually been documented

Actually yes. He is pretty huge and to piss him and his listeners off is a bad idea. Better to ignore.

[Sofiyya 1,687]

I listen to Rush's show and have for about 18 years. He's a conservative first and a Republican second, and he's right. Republicans need to grow a backbone and stop trying to get along to go along. There is no leadership, period, and that's been the problem for too long.

Edited January 28, 2009 by Virtual wife