For some odd reason, the right-wing radio reactionaries are determined to help presidential candidate John McCain win the general election by blasting him as “not conservative enough.” While this desperate attempt to steal away McCain’s likely GOP nomination is probably going to fail miserably — and possibly even backfire by driving the Republican Party base away from the extreme right and back toward the center — the blow-hards continue to bloviate.
The always controversial Rush Limbaugh has been leading the charge, even going so far as to erroneously knock McCain’s national security credentials. But like the man he’s pushing, Mitt Romney, Limbaugh’s attack are loaded with flip-flops.
Eric Pfeiffer of CQ Politics noted an interesting 2006 quote that shows the talk show host’s “transformed” position on the Republican Party. Here’s a recent rationale for attacking McCain:
If a candidate who is asking me and the American people for his vote isn’t particularly conservative on a wide array of issues, I’m going to talk about it. It’s not my job to get him elected. . . . I’m in the free speech business. I am not a campaign spokesman. I believe it would be a setback for the Republican Party to attract liberals and independents by being like them in order to attract them.”
But compare that to what Limbaugh said after the 2006 midterm elections:
But the way I feel is this: I feel liberated, and I’m just going to tell you as plainly as I can why. I no longer am going to have to carry the water for people who I don’t think deserve having their water carried. Now, you might say, “Well, why have you been doing it?” Because the stakes are high. Even though the Republican Party let us down, to me they represent a far better future for my beliefs and therefore the country’s than the Democrat [sic] Party does and liberalism.
So… umm… huh? Looks like Limbaugh’s pedestal isn’t too sturdy.
This entry was posted on Tuesday, February 5th, 2008 at 4:11 pm and is filed under Primary Season, Republicans. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
You’re hilarious. Talk about “dirty spin.”
Do you see this part of Ham’s post? “So, he’s talking more about the idea that we don’t absolutely have to settle for McCain to cover national security, not so much the idea that McCain and Dems are equivalent.”
And I’m still waiting for a response to see how McCain’s legislative record and statements slamming the Republican party over the past half dozen years or so makes him the “real conservative” in this race. Are you going to or is this just yet another hit-and-run post?
I guess I don’t see what you are trying to point out Adam. I am pretty sure if you go through what everyone says you could cut and paste numerous flip flops (including your blogs). The fact of the matter is McCain has repeatedly shown he is not conservative and he should not try to pretend that he is. Action speak louder than words.
I’m a Ron Paul kind-of-guy, and even I’m not infected with Rush Derangement Syndrome or the I-Hate-Fox-News chant. No wonder The State newspaper loves this site so much. Wait til they turn on TPS, top to bottom, probably some time this spring. That’ll be interesting.