Rush Job: Inside Dems' Limbaugh plan

[kpete]

Source: Politico

Rush Job: Inside Dems' Limbaugh plan
By JONATHAN MARTIN | 3/4/09 4:04 AM EST

Top Democrats believe they have struck political gold by depicting Rush Limbaugh as the new face of the Republican Party.

Top Democrats believe they have struck political gold by depicting Rush Limbaugh as the new face of the Republican Party, a full-scale effort first hatched by some of the most familiar names in politics and now being guided in part from inside the White House.

The strategy took shape after Democratic strategists Stanley Greenberg and James Carville included Limbaugh’s name in an October poll and learned their longtime tormentor was deeply unpopular with many Americans, especially younger voters. Then the conservative talk-radio host emerged as an unapologetic critic of Barack Obama shortly before his inauguration, when even many Republicans were showering him with praise.

Soon it clicked: Democrats realized they could roll out a new GOP bogeyman for the post-Bush era by turning to an old one in Limbaugh, a polarizing figure since he rose to prominence in the 1990s.

Limbaugh is embracing the line of attack, suggesting a certain symbiosis between him and his political adversaries.

Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0309/19596.html

[liberal N proud]

1. Couldn't have worked out better for Democrats

Eventually this gas bag will explode though

[Jefferson23]

2. When Steele apologized to Rush that was priceless. Emanuel having

said prior to that apology, anyone within the GOP who has ever spoken out against Rush always ends up apologizing to Rush....PURE GOLD!!!! LOL, I love it, Steele's apology confirmed the pattern Emanuel revealed.

[slackmaster]

4. Jefferson23 has reinforced my policy of not watching TV news

I have heard that there was some kind of dustup between Steele and Limbaugh, but neither know nor care about any of the details.

[Jefferson23]

8. Perhaps you can explain what you're talking about, who exactly

doesn't know what, nor cares about the details?

[onehandle]

3. The new face? Meet the new face. Same as the old face. nt

[global1]

5. Heard A Repug Talking Head This Morning Say The 'Rush Plan' Was Conceived By.....

Begala, Carville & Emmanual in October.

Just wondering if now that this is out there if the plan will continue to work or if it will be used against them. What will Rush have to say about this now. His head is getting soooo big from all the attention he's been getting lately - this will probably make it explode.

[msongs]

6. are the dems mentioning "that" man is also filthy rich? 3X divorced? junkie? nt

[Jackpine Radical]

7. I get really nervous whenever I hear about Carville getting close to the seat of power.

The guy is slimy, he's a snake in pseudo-liberal coloration, and a pipeline to the Republicans.

[Turborama]

9. As this is a Politco piece, I'm not entirely convinced and it could be a concoction to make Limbaugh

look like some kind of martyr...

I mean, these guys run a tight ship. Nothing substantive leaked out from inside Obama's election campaign team and I'm sure they wouldn't allow a high level 'plan' such as this to be leaked out. Smells like Martin cobbled together some bits and pieces and turned it into a 'plan'. Would this 'plan' have succeeded without Limbaugh's 'fail' moment?

Sure, the Democratic party are making hay while the sun shines but that article about a pre-arranged 'plan' didn't quite ring true with me.

Let's not forget Martin had close ties with the McCain campaign and was even described as going off like Limbaugh himself by Salon.com during the election...

From: Boys' night out: "The Politico guys," Rove's top disciple and how our press corps works

=snip=

...Martin wrote http://www.politico.com/blogs/jonathanmartin/1008/McCain_will_be_accused_of_racism_regardless.html">a widely-cited post at Politico vigorously -- even angrily -- defending John McCain from accusations that the McCain/Palin campaign has been exploiting racist resentment. Sounding like Rush Limbaugh (or Karl Rove), Martin railed against what he called the "outrage industry, ever on the lookout for any sign of racism and quick to pounce even when it's not there," and repeatedly lamented on McCain's behalf that he's in "in a no-win position." (Martin was among those who attended the cozy weekend at the McCain compound in Sedona in March and caused Megan McCain so memorably to gush: "It was really fun to kind of see big journalist figures like Holly Bailey swinging on the tire swing, and Jon Martin helping my dad grill ribs . . . The guys from the Politico brought (my mom, Cindy) flowers which I still think is the most adorable thing ever, so thank you, I thought it was like so cute that they decided to bring my mom flowers . . . ")

More: http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2008/10/12/griffin/

Just sayin'...



(edit due to a pesky "[" making things disappear)