by Mark Silva
It's unanimous: The Republicans lost.
Now it's time to pick up the pieces.
"We got a drubbing in the last two elections,'' Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele said this morning. "We've got a lot of work to do.''
That echoes the sentiments of the party's 2008 presidential nominee, Sen. John McCain, who says his party has lost the last two elections "big-time,'' not only the race for the White House, but also the midterm congressional elections before ir.
And Steele is seconding McCain on the notion that he, as chairman, has to consider the voices of all the party's factions - not simply the voice of Rush Limbaugh, the radio commentator whom Democrats are trying to portray as the face of the GOP. Steele calls the flap over his public clash with Limbaugh "a distraction - there's a lot of popcorn going around for folks....
"We're building slowly,'' Steele said this morning on NBC News' Today Show. "Let's see where we are 30 or 50 or 90 days from now... we're building
"My job right now is to tell Americans what happened to their wallets,'' the chairman says of the economic debate underway. Asked about the notion that Limbaugh has popularized - that some want President Barack Obama to fail - Steele said, "I don't think the Republicans, Democrats, independents or anyone... want policies that nationalize health care in our nation... "One of the challenges... is to be heard,'' the chairman said, "talking and focusing on the impact of the stimulus bill.''
Comments
The game continues. I got an idea...let's call the Obama agenda socialism. That way we look patriotic when we say " I want him to fail". The American people are just dumb enough to get away with that. Remember how the patriotic card played for us before? It was great.
Problem is......perfume on a pig is still a pig. I don't care how you dress this up, it is a great mistake and outside of the rabid, it doesn't play well with the American people.
Posted by: bill r. | March 4, 2009 7:59 AM
Rush Limbaugh putting the CON in the Conservative movement.
Posted by: George | March 4, 2009 8:34 AM
Limbaugh's bellicose antics damage what's left of the fabric of the GOP.
There's a very warm place waiting for him when he passes on, I believe.
Posted by: Cheire Fayan | March 4, 2009 8:45 AM
the problem with labeling social projects as "socialism" is the fact that most people are on to the marketing concept, they don't but it
most people understand, the roads are socialism, electricity to our house, water to our house, police, fire dept, the shcools most of us graduated are social projects and socialism
I happen to be a fiscal concervative but myself, I am looking forward to universal health care becuase that will force my private health insurance to compete and lower their rates
national health care operates at an administrative and waste markup of under ten percent, private health care operates above 20 percent
my private provider is going to be forced into operating more efficiently and charge less
government health care is in the business of accepting claims, private health care has a profit model and will be is in the business of denying claims
sad but true, and that model will change when they are forced to compete against a socially provided health system
and no, raised taxes will not be more expensive then the differance in cost of health insurance, that has not happened anywhere that has socially provided medicine
as I travel abroad it is brutally obvious, we pay more for health care and have treatment far worse then other countries paying less
the mythical, "you'll have to wait in line" does not exist, if they don't want to wait they don't, they go out and pay from pocket when they need to
simple stuff here and calling social projects "socialism" is not an effective marketing tool, it will only work on those undeducated among us...that's not enough voters to keep a party healthy
Posted by: notso | March 4, 2009 9:05 AM
I once said something bad about Rush Limbaugh. That was because I was out quail hunting and drank only one can of beer. I send my sincere apologies to Mr. Limbaugh and want him to know that I view his drug addiction as an excellent representation of the Republican Party.
Posted by: John Doe | March 4, 2009 9:38 AM
This is a Mad Hatter's Tea Party
"Take to the streets!" What with pick-axes and shovels to destroy those symbols of socialism? To revert them back to the "true owners of the right-of-way"? Hey, maybe some good will emerge from that as these Tea Party anarchists get charged 1000 different "tolls" for crossing "private property".
Tolls for trolls!
Posted by: ciinamonape | March 4, 2009 9:56 AM
Michael Steele, I voted for you; remember Democrates for Ehrlich. When you apologized for telling the truth, you lost more than a discussion, and proved the Democratic Party correct. If you or your position is not respected, move on and man-up!
Posted by: i voted for you | March 4, 2009 10:09 AM
Rush Limbaugh, need to get his head out of Bush's back side first- Then he need to start thinking on his own again- Then he need to accept that a man other than just white men can be intelligent and capable to running the country. Then he need to start helping the country instead of splitting it with his fear antic's. Last, americans are not as stupid as he hopes they are- that is to listen to him and not think for their self.
Posted by: Voncile Myles | March 4, 2009 10:18 AM
Time to ReThinkThe GOP.
My two cents:
http:///www.rethinkthegop.com
Posted by: Bill Cullifer | March 4, 2009 10:24 AM
Mr. Steele just got his first lesson.
Big fat white man tells black token to shut up, so black man apologizes.
All this in front of the world media. Did Mr. Steele think the republican party got its support from white southerners in the 1960s and 70s by supporting equal rights, integrations, etc.?
A little history lesson comes home and the Republican party increases its white membership in the process.
Posted by: basementfrog | March 4, 2009 10:59 AM
'the OBAMA'=our new MARXIST STALIN!!!And you DEMBHOLES thought NIXON was terrible. "the OBAMA' is a BLACK DICTATORIAL DESPOT - taking names, making enemies lists while ruining the economy and proving he is not fit for the job as PREZ but rather GRUPENFUHRER from the CHICAGO PUNK SCHOOL of POLITICS!!! DEMBHOLES are the real racist/haters who wish AMERIKAN CAPITALISM to fail!!!
Posted by: Zyskandar A. Jaimots | March 4, 2009 11:20 AM
Another blog on Rush where lefties can voice their bizarre fixation with him. I'm glad the hate from the left is directed at Rush. He certainly baits lefties and seems to enjoy it when they get their panties in a bunch about him. I say better to have the hate directed at him than at a war hero (McCain) or the disgusting personal attacks on a naïve gov thrown in way over her head (Palin).
Posted by: Herbie H. | March 4, 2009 11:43 AM
'the OBAMA'=our new MARXIST STALIN!!!And you DEMBHOLES thought NIXON was terrible. "the OBAMA' is a BLACK DICTATORIAL DESPOT
Yes indeedy Herbie H.....that hate from the left is astounding. Quite right on Palin also.....how dare the left be upset with a governor thrown in over her head by McCain for VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! sheeeeeez
Posted by: bill r. | March 4, 2009 12:04 PM
Obama mentor Saul Alinsky’s handbook Rules for Radicals outlines the techniques used by this administration to try and break any link between Rush Limbaugh’s influence and the GOP- it’s basically a divide-and-conquer approach.
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And I love how Limbaugh is condescendingly referred to as an “entertainer”… please.
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He IS an entertainer, but what about Al Franken… have they already forgot?
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Franken’s radio show was a flop because few wanted to hear his boring anti-American drivel, but that didn’t stop the DNC from putting that bozo on the ballot for Senator… and they’d have done the same for Chris “Tingle” Matthews if polls hadn’t revealed widespread revulsion at the thought.
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Has Franken done anything in his life other than “entertainer” and author… same as Limbaugh?
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So, a failed entertainer is OK for Senator… but a successful one (who is a major threat to Obama, apparently) isn’t allowed to even have influence?
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Limbaugh and the GOP would be well-advised to ignore these malicious hypocrites, and don’t take the bait. Obama looks desperate and insecure going after Rush, so just let him go down with his ill-advised policies… shouldn’t take long now.
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http://reaganiterepublicanresistance.blogspot.com/
Posted by: Reaganite Republican | March 4, 2009 3:55 PM
The GOP are a party of NAZIS!
The GOP are a party of NAZIS!
The GOP are a party of NAZIS!The GOP are a party of NAZIS!
Posted by: Fleece Johnson | March 4, 2009 3:59 PM
Fleeced Johnson with the counterpoint arguement writen by Rachel Maddow
Posted by: Terry | March 4, 2009 7:56 PM
I'm not sure about the rest of the GOP but I for one don't like to see our leadership, hat in hand begging a radio personality for forgiveness.
Posted by: Teg | March 6, 2009 4:40 PM