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GOP Civil War: Gingrich Strikes Back at Limbaugh

Posted by Matt Corley, Think Progress at 10:00 AM on March 8, 2009.


"You're irrational if you don't want the president to succeed."

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In his speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference last week, hate-radio talker Rush Limbaugh repeated his assertion that he hopes President Barack Obama "fails."

In the same speech, Limbaugh took a veiled shot at former House Speaker Rep. Newt Gingrich, R-Ga., who is one of his rivals for the leadership of the conservative movement, saying that people who say the GOP needs to move on from Ronald Reagan must be stamped out.

On NBC's Meet the Press today, Gingrich fired back, saying that "you’ve got to want the president to succeed."

"You're irrational if you don’t want the president to succeed, because if he doesn’t succeed, the country doesn’t succeed," said Gingrich.

Asked by host David Gregory if that clashed with the views of people like Limbaugh, Gingrich warned against calling for Obama's failure:

Gregory: Do you think that Republicans are discordant on that point, about whether they want him to fail or succeed?

Gingrich: I don't think anyone should want the president of the United States to fail. I want some of his policies to be stopped, but I don’t want the president of the United States to fail. I want him to learn new policies.

Watch it:

Gingrich's warning echoes Bill Kristol's break with Limbaugh on Fox News earlier this week.

"Americans wish a new president well," said Kristol. "They hope his policies succeed, as they should."

Digg!

Tagged as: limbaugh, rush limbaugh, newt gingrich, gop civil war, newt


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Compare media coverage of Rush to the coal protest, why the press is gonzo
Posted by: Sister_Lauren on Mar 8, 2009 11:09 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Too many news shows are ignoring the coal protests. They are giving media time to Rush instead. I guess the white house gave them permission.

Why don't they cover the coal protests? Don't the main stream media editors care about our collective future?

Here is the news on the subject. I couldn't find any TV. Five More Arrested Protesting West Virginia Coal Mining

Quick without checking, how many have been arrested so far?

Rush is not the story.

Covering him now to the exclusion of the youth coal protest means he is most likely a part of the media cover up. I find it very interesting there is a media feeding frenzy about him and a deafening silence about the threat against citizens poised by coal.

It is very suspicious.

Since 2005, local residents have demanded that Marsh Fork Elementary School be moved to protect the children from a massive dam failure like the one that happened at the Tennessee Valley Authority's coal-fired power plant in Harriman, Tennessee on December 22 last year.

The Schumate Dam holds back 2.8 billion gallons of toxic coal waste in a sludge pond above the Marsh Fork Elementary School and upriver from the towns of Whitesville and Sylvester in the Coal River Valley.

If the dam were to fail, students and teachers at Marsh Fork would have less than a minute to get upriver before they would be buried by the sludge, the demonstrators said.

Today's protest stands as a symbol of the growing movement against this type of coal mining, the demonstrators said. More than 150 West Virginia residents joined a hundred others from across Appalachia at last weekend's Power Shift Conference in Washington, DC, which was marked by a substantial focus on mountaintop removal coal mining.


I don't wonder why they are ignoring it. I know why. Fraud. But, I am VERY disappointed.

I'd like to know why the children there, all these people threatened by this 'ash pond', don't rate any real news coverage.

This is terrorism! Or is it a case of ethnic cleansing perhaps?

Who owns that plant? Do they have any historic reasons to want to kill these people?

Why isn't the issue being covered on TV? I wanted to see the protests but the only thing on TV was Rush. Multiple channels.

Don't tell me it was too cold for the reporters, I won't believe it. Perhaps theses 'news' organizations need to lose their licenses from the FCC. This is just plain ridiculous.

It is a blatant effort to cover up a hazard far greater than that of Islamic terrorism, something we all had to give up our rights and freedoms for so people could be tortured.

I have more choice words for that.

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» reality check Posted by: aislinnluv
RE: media?
Posted by: Sister_Lauren on Mar 8, 2009 2:22 PM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Well if they don't do something about that ash pond they may end up with a school full of dead children. Is that what they want?

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Wanting the president and therefore our nation to fail
Posted by: Obamasupporter on Mar 8, 2009 1:09 PM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Wanting our president and therefore our nation to fail and actively working towards and promoting those ends is simply treason - especially in time of war!

Bin Laden said shortly after 9/11 that his primary goal was to punish the US by destroying the US economy. The conservatives led by George Bush with the enthusiastic support of Limbaugh and numerous other right wing talk radio hatemongers have enabled Bin Laden to accomplish his agenda beyond his wildest dreams. Now Limbaugh, seditiously promoting failure of Obama's programs for the survival of our country has become nothing less than an outright ally of Bin Laden, and the remaining crap pile of right wing Republican zealots who survived the Democratic Party juggernaut of the last election because of their misinformed and mindless electorate are Limbaugh's brown shirts, ready to mindlessly support, follow and obey Limbaugh just as they rubber stamped Bush's eight year stampede to malfeasance and corruption in office.
Based on the latest poll figures it is apparent that all but the most brain-dead of the Republicans' core constituency no longer support the failed policies of conservatism.
Let the Republican Party diminish to the point of extinction. That is where Limbaugh is leading them.

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Meanwhile....
Posted by: Longdream on Mar 8, 2009 4:12 PM   
Current rating: 4    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
The new moderate Party base switched off their television sets and continued their search for spokesmen and candidates worthy of their support.

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The GOP should break up - so should the Dems
Posted by: smendler on Mar 9, 2009 4:17 AM   
Current rating: 4    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
As these kerfuffles demonstrate, the GOP's factions are becoming increasingly incompatible. The Dems have similar rifts developing between progressives, moderates, and conservatives.

These parties need to disintegrate, pure and simple. We need to have multiple viable parties, not just two, and to have that we first need to make concrete changes in the electoral system. These include proportional representation and instant-runoff voting. (More information about electoral reform can be found at www.fairvote.org.)

Members of both mainstream parties who are not part of their dominant factions now have a strong interest in seeing such changes made. Without these changes, they will always be marginalized, and their support always taken for granted.

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What else is new?
Posted by: eeuropean2000 on Mar 9, 2009 4:57 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Ever since Senator Franken released his excellent tome on the subject, we have all known that Rush Limbaugh is a big, fat idiot. Enough said about the lard-ass druggie.

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» RE: What else is new? Posted by: mtatasmith
Does anyone believe Lush really exists?
Posted by: P.E.A.C.E. on Mar 9, 2009 6:07 AM   
Current rating: 4    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
A fictional character, fashioned as a prank by sophomoric democretins to exaggerate the extinctionistic swagger of single-celled neo-cons, Lush was originally constructed from squamous material skimmed from primary stages of bubbling D.C. effluent.

Suddenly feeling sorry for future historians.

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So Rush Limbaugh is irrational...
Posted by: thesbrian on Mar 9, 2009 7:10 AM   
Current rating: 3    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
How does this qualify as news? Was anybody unaware of this obvious fact?

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'Godfather' Rush Limbaugh Is Turning GOP Into Political Version of 'The Sopranos'
Posted by: SkeeterVT1 on Mar 9, 2009 7:15 AM   
Current rating: 4    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
You've got to read it to believe it. . .CLICK HERE.

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I PREFER LIMBAUGH TO THAT ADULTEROUS EGOMANIAC GINGRICH
Posted by: joeocho88 on Mar 9, 2009 7:43 AM   
Current rating: 4    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
AT LEAST WITH RUSH LIMBAUGH, YOU KNOW WHERE YOU STAND AND WHAT HE IS ALL ABOUT.

NOT SO WITH THE AMORAL EVER PLIABLE GINGRICH.

THIS GUY IS ONLY ABOUT HIMSELF WHAT HE WANTS WHEN HE WANTS IT AND AS FAST AS POSSIBLE AND HE WILL DO WHATEVER HE WANTS TO GER WHT HE WANTS.

ANY S.O.B. WHO WOULD ABANDON A SICK WIFE, IS RATHER SICK GUY HIMSELF. AND I DON'T THINK A PSYCHIATRIST CAN HELP HIM.

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Newt and the Repugs need 'to learn' from their Treachery
Posted by: Purple Girl on Mar 9, 2009 7:45 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
So far the Repugs and their corp & foreign sponsors have yet to be held legally respsonsible for their Attack upon the Free marekt Democracy of the United States.
The Repugs handed over our Free market to Logo's which act like Family Crests!
They intentionally derailed all Democratic mechanism to a society which was founded 'For the People & By the People'they have not Protected nor defended our Constitution, nor our citizens- they have not only undermined US, but Seized power over US.
They began with their feudalistic economic treason called Trickle Down and have been infecting our society ever since. Not only through economic & political treasonous means, but social via their 'Religious right' ,which has seeked to gain control in ways no different than the Church of England or the Vatican. King George Calls for a 'Crusade'? Not only killing innocent people in the ME, but our own children in the process.Shit Jindal and Sarah even have resurrected the idea of Witches..When will the Pyres be reignited?Lest we forget the fanatics clinic bombings, the Atlanta Olympics, MD assassinations and the recent psycho who opened fire on a Kids church recital!
Repugs have been as loyal to Corps Logo's as if they were Family Crests! The Relgious Right has been practicing inquistions. What fucking Coutnry do they think they are in? What Damned Century? they flaunt their treasonous and heretical ideology- Willing to print a Clear provocation for Assassianting the president!Repugs have broken every guiding principle of our Nation and the Religious Right have broken Every Commandment. It' stim eto stop mincing words they are Traitors and Heretics (if not outright Satanist).
Sit down and shut the Fuck up before we String you all up for High Crimes against the US and Humanity

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Angelsmom
Posted by: Angelsmom on Mar 9, 2009 7:50 AM   
Current rating: 1    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
With all the biff on what Rush said and didn't say, I think the "MEDIA" and everyone else needs to revert back to their English lesson , on "How to break down a sentence." I am sure that they would find that Rush did NOT say, he wanted to President to fail, that he wanted his socialists policies to fail...
Now do what you were taught and break it down, adjective, by noun by adverb,etc,etc...Com-on people, Are you that naive that you can't tell the difference???

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» RE: Angelsmom Posted by: mizani
» The dittoheads Posted by: LeeAnnG
» RE: Angelsmom Posted by: Boctaoe1
» RE: Angelsmom Posted by: Dr. P. Mooney
» RE: Angelsmom Posted by: Longdream
winston
Posted by: roli on Mar 9, 2009 9:07 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
In regards to Newt and Rush they are 2 peas in the same pod,Rush a little worse. As for Rush, if a Democrat said anything like he said Homeland security would have picked them up under the Patiot Act and we would not have heard from them ever again.

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winston
Posted by: roli on Mar 9, 2009 9:10 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
In regards to Rush, one musn't forget his trips to Indonesia, to visit little Asian girls,sick puppy. Who would want to be associated with him, another pedifial.

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Mr. Piggy vs. Kermit the Lizard. Boy! That's entertainment!
Posted by: monkeywrench on Mar 9, 2009 9:34 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Where else but in contemporary America, the la-la land of pop-culture inanity, could a fat, drug-addicted loudmouth and an endlessly pontificating ex-politician with a name that describes a type of salamander get more face time on the media than anyone with a brain or even a rational thought?

If this is the level of "entertainment and insight" we prefer as a nation, then we are sunk, it's over, turn out the lights. But if this sad excuse for political theater is simply what we have to tolerate being rammed down our throats by a tone-deaf "news" media, then there is still hope – if we turn off our televisions.

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RON M
Posted by: RONMRO on Mar 9, 2009 10:34 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
RUSH LIMBAUGH COULD BE CHARGED ON 2 COUNTS. SEDITION--LANGUAGE INCITING REBELLION AGAINST THE STATE. OR TREASON-BETRAYAL OF ONES COUNTRY- BY AIDING THE ENEMY. TAKE YOUR PICK THEY WILL WORK AS WELL FOR RUSH, DELAY , MALKIN,AND ANY OTHER CONSERVATIVE OR LIBERAL PUNDITS THAT WISH OUR COUNTRY ILL WILL. WE HAVE HAD ENOUGH ILL WILL GENERATED BY BUSH IN THE LAT 8 YEARS. WE DON'T NEED ANY MORE.

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Tongues in cheek
Posted by: alkamm on Mar 9, 2009 2:48 PM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
We shouldn't take the GOP at face value on these mild reprimands of Rush. They want Obama to fail just as bad as he does. It's their way. Like good corporate lawyers, they want to dress their duplicity up and play at playing nice. Their think tanks are working on ways to undermine Obama every which way but loosely.

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(Yawn) In other news, Jennifer doesn't really hate Angelina
Posted by: editnetwork on Mar 9, 2009 3:21 PM   
Current rating: 4    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Who gives a hairy sh!t about these blowhards and their turf wars? Bunch of overblown and overpaid celebrities is all they are.

Let's stop being (and following) such slaves to ideology and get to work as Americans -- world citizens, for that matter -- uniting to tackle the planetary-scale issues on every hand.

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