Rush to Republicans: Why not go after Kagan instead of Steele?
posted at 6:00 pm on July 6, 2010 by Ed Morrissey
The Right Scoop has the full-length blast from Rush Limbaugh to Republicans arguing to remove Michael Steele from his position as RNC chair — presumably including Bill Kristol and Liz Cheney. Heck, just that alone makes the point that the entire issue is more of a distraction and a division point during a march towards a victory that Republicans should win if they remain unified. Instead of forming the rhetorical guns into a circular firing squad, Rush wonders, why aren’t Republicans uniting on something that matters — like blocking Elena Kagan’s nomination to the Supreme Court? Click on the image to watch:
Blowback
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OT but this is awesome . Homeless man saves the flag
http://news.yahoo.com/video/austinkvue-tv-15750583/homeless-man-rescues-american-flag-during-storm-20738426
CWforFreedom on July 6, 2010 at 6:02 PM
Because she is going to get confirmed. The GOP decided they were not going to fight her confirmation months ago, because they are wimps.
Joe Caps on July 6, 2010 at 6:03 PM
They won’t go after Kagan because they don’t want to make waves and lose their non-existent allies in the Democratic Party. Liberals have long memories for the people who have wronged them, and they’re vicious bullying little tyrants when in power.
Tommy_G on July 6, 2010 at 6:05 PM
Reminds me of baseball’s Greatest Play:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrV8QPQAhxo
WitchDoctor on July 6, 2010 at 6:05 PM
Sorry, meant to add: The OT flag/homeless man thing, not Rush.
WitchDoctor on July 6, 2010 at 6:05 PM
As always—Rush is Right
dirtseller on July 6, 2010 at 6:05 PM
OT: Hell just froze over.
portlandon on July 6, 2010 at 6:07 PM
Rush is right, once again.
When will the DC RINOs learn? It’s more important to fight liberalism than to get an invite some Beltway cocktail party.
Norwegian on July 6, 2010 at 6:07 PM
The Senate GOP weaklings could have, and should have filibustered Kagan.
I get that some Senate Republicans consider it politically unwise to do so, because they will want a future Republican president not to have judicial nominees get filibustered.
But the point really should be to get rid of judicial filibustering altogether. What better way for Republicans to scuttle it than to deploy it, and motivate Democrats to hate it?
Edouard on July 6, 2010 at 6:08 PM
Good question.
chief on July 6, 2010 at 6:10 PM
Hands across the aisle in friendship and collegiality.
a capella on July 6, 2010 at 6:16 PM
It’s more “mavericky” to go after fellow Republicans.
SouthernGent on July 6, 2010 at 6:17 PM
I go back and forth as to whether a filibuster on judicial nominees is good or bad. To be sure, Republicans are net losers on filibuster politics… (1) GOP nominees get filibustered more frequently, and (2) at least twice, filibusters or threatened filibusters have resulted in GOP Presidents nominating considerably more left-leaning justices (Kennedy & Souter) than would otherwise have been put on the bench (Bork & Doug Ginsburg), but a filibuster threat has never resulted in a Democrat president appointing a more conservative Justice.
But on the other hand, a meaningful filibuster has the effect of at least keeping us relevant on judicial politics when we’re in the minority, and the additional effect of discouraging Obama from nominating the absolute craziest left-wing judges to the Supreme Court.
Outlander on July 6, 2010 at 6:20 PM
Sadly I have to wonder what his angle is.
Tommy_G on July 6, 2010 at 6:20 PM
Rush the unifier. Now when can we expect his “fans” (aka obsessed stalkers) to start showing up.
MeatHeadinCA on July 6, 2010 at 6:20 PM
“Mavericky is so ’08 among RINOs. Grahamcrackery is totally in, though.
MeatHeadinCA on July 6, 2010 at 6:23 PM
GOP doesn’t go after Kagan because they are too busy cannibalizing their own party to get facetime on TV. Rush expects people to make sense.
clnurnberg on July 6, 2010 at 6:23 PM
Sarah has recently become wealthy. Just sayin’…
a capella on July 6, 2010 at 6:23 PM
Good one
clnurnberg on July 6, 2010 at 6:24 PM
Yup!
The RNC should stop allowing the Left/Dems to write the narrative. Their media stenographers simply repeat the message until the truth is lost.
Considering the hit job that ObaMao put on Roberts and Scalia, no nominee of his should get a pass, especially not an easy one.
Kagan is a weak nominee for such a weighty position, and her ideology is pretty transparent. She will be a rubber stamp.
onlineanalyst on July 6, 2010 at 6:25 PM
Rush: Grand Slam.
The entire Democratic agenda is a hanging curve ball and their is no competent opposition party to drive the point home.
rickyricardo on July 6, 2010 at 6:25 PM
RINO
WHAT A SQUISH!
/
blatantblue on July 6, 2010 at 6:26 PM
Thomas Sowell got the analogy dead on when sizing up the current state of the wimpy Republicans in Congress in his most recent article: “Santa and Frank”
Found here:
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2010/07/06/santa_and_frank_106192.html
KendraWilder on July 6, 2010 at 6:27 PM
Yep, it’s an issue of priorities, and Rush has it right.
Also let it not pass unnoted, Rush was generous to Steele today, even after Steele so gratuitously bashed him in the media a short while ago. My view: Steele needs to go to https://members.premiereinteractive.com/store/28566/45108.html and buy into Rush’s Adopt-a-Soldier Program as deeply as he can personally afford. (And a note on the side wouldn’t hurt.)
petefrt on July 6, 2010 at 6:28 PM
That’s in the headlines.
Esthier on July 6, 2010 at 6:29 PM
The GOP won’t go after Kagan, won’t ‘filibuster’ the nomination because democrats fight back. So they go after easy targets who have no leverage.
Skandia Recluse on July 6, 2010 at 6:33 PM
Every time that Rush referred to his expected remarks re Steele as a fatwa, I had to laugh out loud.
I am also glad that Rush distinguished the difference between the RNC and conservatives and who he really speaks for.
onlineanalyst on July 6, 2010 at 6:41 PM
The last people that the Repub’s need to listen to are Limbaugh, Hannity and Beck. They all have poor analytical skills. DD
Darvin Dowdy on July 6, 2010 at 6:43 PM
Because they’re worthless, unprincipled, uninspired mopes.
Rae on July 6, 2010 at 6:44 PM
Do elaborate.
katy the mean old lady on July 6, 2010 at 6:45 PM
What does Rush know? He is just an entertainer after all. War hero John McCain even said he was just a clown.
Kagan is of so little importance. If she is confirmed what will that mean? So a whole bunch more little babies get their brains sucked out. We have too many babies anyway. So freedom of speech is given the complete deep-six. We talk way too much anyway. So a gazillion Mexicans become U.S. citizens. They are all God’s children and will just do the jobs that Americans are too lazy to do and never ask anything more, just like John said.
Now Steele, on the other hand, clearly must go. He denies that Afghanistan is the center of the universe. Can you even imagine such an absurd notion? For a Republican that is as bad as a democrat denying Global Warming, maybe even worse. He thinks that we could lose in Afghanistan without all life in the United States coming to an end. And just when success is so close as all Afghan Muslims are on the very door of becoming NASA engineers. The man is clearly moon barking insane. He must be excommunicated from the Republican party. Bill Kristol and Liz Cheney must do an immediate intervention with Rush Limbaugh and if even those two brilliant minds can not get him to renounce his dangerous and blasphemous ideas then he too should be excommunicated from the Republican party. We have no room for traitors.
Tav on July 6, 2010 at 6:46 PM
That poor boy!
Obviously, the thought of having sex with Kathy Griffin again made into a new man.
LOL
Welcome back to the land of responsible adults, Levi!
Jenfidel on July 6, 2010 at 6:48 PM
I have been saying the same for ages here, but some people here who love the sound of their own voices kept making a ton of noise.
We are trying to blow this thing.
Chudi on July 6, 2010 at 6:50 PM
Rush is right. They’re screaming about Steele and ignoring Kagan.
Please, let’s see if we can’t get a huge chunk of these do-nothing opportunistic weenie “Republicans” kicked out of office this year, in addition to the relentless termite “progressives” in the other party. The useless people in both parties need to be replaced — yesterday.
Aitch748 on July 6, 2010 at 6:51 PM
Brooks, Frum and Noonan???
BigWyo on July 6, 2010 at 6:52 PM
Hate to tell you, but Steele is ambivalently pro-life at best. He’s characterized abortion rights as being a personal choice.
Outlander on July 6, 2010 at 6:54 PM
I will try to remember that if he is ever nominated to the U.S. Supreme Court which will probably happen about the same time Kagan is appointed a U.S. Army General.
Tav on July 6, 2010 at 7:00 PM
A good rule of thumb for the GOP: Do whatever El Rushbo says.
Mr. Wednesday Night on July 6, 2010 at 7:01 PM
Why not do BOTH?
Nelsa on July 6, 2010 at 7:03 PM
Can’t Republicans walk and chew gum at the same time? I agree with much of what Rush says here – too many really important issues aren’t being given the prominence they deserve. Or at least not so’s you’d notice.
But I disagree with him about Michael Steele. The Republicans MUST be committed to not politicizing the war in Afghanistan the way Democrats did Iraq. And Steele just doesn’t seem to get that. He’s put them in the position of either calling for his resignation of disavowing what he says. Awkward to say the least.
ProfessorMiao on July 6, 2010 at 7:04 PM
Steele was foolishly elevated by Republicans in a game of affirmative action poker: “I’ll see your black President and raise you a black RNC Chairman.”
aengus on July 6, 2010 at 7:05 PM
Why not sh*tcan both?
johnnyU on July 6, 2010 at 7:06 PM
I am so glad to read your comments (which are more numerous than mine, lately!) I hope you are doing well Chudi!
RB
/sorry to everybody else for the OT personal stuff.
RushBaby on July 6, 2010 at 7:14 PM
Who cares about the RNC anyways? The RNC Chair is not an important position. Primary responsibility is fundraising, which success is more dependent on outside forces than the ability of the chairman. Case in point; the RNC is raising more money than the DNC right now, but that’s hardly the result of Steele’s leadership.
Stop the handwringing about Steele, it’s an pointless exercise.
Norwegian on July 6, 2010 at 7:15 PM
We support you Mr. Steele. Rush is right. As usual.
Narutoboy on July 6, 2010 at 7:16 PM
Grahamcrackery is totally in, though.
MeatHeadinCA on July 6, 2010 at 6:23 PM
Rock solid A+++ :-)
cableguy615 on July 6, 2010 at 7:19 PM
Really. I don’t get the dichotomy here. Is there something that prevents us from opposing a disastrous SC nominee AND finding an effective RNC leader?
paul1149 on July 6, 2010 at 7:22 PM
Yup. Kagan’s nomination; a little oil spill needing some cleanup down in the Gulf; the expiration of the evil Bush tax cuts at the end of the year. All sorts of things that could be front and center.
But, Naw. Those anen’t important. Steele is.
Yup. Republicans … the Stupid party.
BowHuntingTexas on July 6, 2010 at 7:22 PM
Yup. Kagan’s nomination; a little oil spill needing some cleanup down in the Gulf; the expiration of the evil Bush tax cuts at the end of the year. All sorts of things that could be front and center.
But, Naw. Those aren’t important. Steele is.
Yup. Republicans … the Stupid party.
BowHuntingTexas on July 6, 2010 at 7:23 PM
If I were in the Senate, I would have to be dragged kicking and screaming from the Senate chamber before I ever gave up opposing Elena Kagan.
She is utterly anathema to the literal word of the Constitution.
And I could not live with myself knowing that I didn’t do everything in my power to oppose someone that thinks that sucking out infant’s brains is in any way ethical, moral, legal, etc. Such people are not fit to sweep the streets or empty cesspools, never mind being the protectors of the Constitution.
This is the bald face of evil as far as I am concerned.
turfmann on July 6, 2010 at 7:27 PM
When you see Grahmnesty asking Kagan where she was on Christmas, and that invoking laughter…. tells you GOP Senators have given up.
As usual Rush is right. Agreed Steele is dumb and incompetent. Still Supreme court is much more important. Fight idiots fight.
antisocial on July 6, 2010 at 7:31 PM
I just happened to be listening to Rush discus this today while traveling. The key point he made regarding Steele’s comment; at worst Steele is half wrong.
It WAS the democrats, led by Obama, who said the main war effort was Afghanistan/Pakistan, not Iraq. Obama wanted to exit the distraction in Iraq so he could “win” in Afghanistan/Pakistan where OBL was holed up. Obama did “choose” that war. That is why he bit the bullet and put Petraeus in charge. He has to win.
Steele does need to be replaced because he can’t deliver, but not for this.
ray on July 6, 2010 at 7:36 PM
False dilemma.
Both can be done at once.
Lehosh on July 6, 2010 at 7:36 PM
Rush covered this ground today. Reading Sowell must be part of his show prep.
Mallard T. Drake on July 6, 2010 at 7:37 PM
If the RNC is such a red herring why not abolish it ASAP? It’s already obvious that no sane person would entrust Steele with a serious position.
Seth Halpern on July 6, 2010 at 7:38 PM
What he said. I can’t understand the 180 I’m seeing from posters here. Michael Steele is an embarrassment and needs to go.
Mike Honcho on July 6, 2010 at 7:45 PM
What is with the “we can only do one thing” meme? That just makes no kind of sense at all.
Contact the congressmen about Kagan, AND the RNC about Steele (at least get him better health insurance so he can get that foot removed from his mouth). Or whichever one you want.
People who say we’re “ignoring” Kagan are just plain wrong, it’s news every day, as is the fact that the simps on the committee are being simps about it.
I guess it’s easier to argue about the ONE THING you can do than it is to do anything.
Merovign on July 6, 2010 at 7:57 PM
Reading Sowell should be part of all of our daily preps. He is an extraordinary author and thinker. I am still reading his book “Intellectuals and Society” and absolutely love it. Yes, I am a slow reader.
ted c on July 6, 2010 at 8:27 PM
I thought Rush did an excellent job in this handling of Steele today. Again, he’s right and he did what I thought he’d do….He exposed the hypocrisy on the left, deferred to the leader (GEN Powell) on such an issue to prove a larger point–that Rush is the leader when the left wants him to be, but is ignored (by the MSM) when there are substantive arguments made by him on big issues. He drove that point home like a railroad spike today. He is not going to let the left have it both ways on this issue—to call for Steele’s firing and confirm that he’s the head of the R party, and then to be ignored on issues where he clearly has demonstrated the leadership to make correct decisions and cutting analyses on pertinent topics.
ted c on July 6, 2010 at 8:31 PM
Rush is right, but Lynn Cheney is doing it on principle and because she is daddy’s girl. Foreign affairs is her thing and she doesn’t like Steele squish. She learned a lesson today.
Kristol is another matter. He just wants to be a big kid on the block some day. Well he just found out….he ain’t ready.
notagool on July 6, 2010 at 8:32 PM
The party of NoBalls! Why not scalp ‘em both?
abobo on July 6, 2010 at 8:42 PM
That’s because the GOP is a party of wussies! They couldn’t stand up in a fight if their life depended on it and if things don’t change with them, that might just happen, their political life that is. Throw the bums out and elect people who really care about this country.
flytier on July 6, 2010 at 8:46 PM
Well actually, they could do worse. What makes you think they ever listen to Limbaugh? I’ve never seen any evidence of it. Certainly they are accused of it all of the time.
whbates on July 6, 2010 at 8:55 PM
Because they shouldn’t be water carriers for the lesser of two evils, like you are.
jjraines on July 6, 2010 at 9:00 PM
Go after both. Steele was okay with the public tarring of the base as “Nazis.” I was at the tea party rally being referred to. My father, a life-long conservative Republican, was there. The salt of the earth and backbone of America was there. And Steele thought it was okay to liken us to Nazis. Anyone who goes on television and agrees with a jackass who likens my father to a Nazi can go to H€ll. That SOB insulted all of us while living high on the hog on our dime. He can’t go soon enough. I’d cross the street to spit on him.
boko fittleworth on July 6, 2010 at 9:02 PM
They should go after Kagan and then get Steele to shut up or can his butt!
MCGIRV on July 6, 2010 at 9:08 PM
Kagan will be a rubber stamp for the death cult that is today’s democrat party. She must be stopped.
Inanemergencydial on July 6, 2010 at 9:12 PM
When I was young and stupid, I was young and stupid. Okay, nowhere near Levi Johnston stupid. Maybe he learned who his real friends are and what his priorities should be. I’m guessing that he already apologized privately to the Palin family and was asked to do so publicly.
Terrie on July 6, 2010 at 9:13 PM
On this one, Rush is right. Right now, the focus should be on going after Kagan. I don’t like Michael’s comment at all. But first things are first.
My only additional note is that I think Rush should apply his point generally. There may be a few exceptions; Colin Powell is one example. But generally, focus on attacking the Obama Democrats, Hillary and Bill, SEIU, ACORN and the like.
Phil Byler on July 6, 2010 at 9:16 PM
Exactly. This is how I interpreted Steele’s remarks when I first heard them. Rush was brilliant to defer to Colin Powell and chide the GOP for predictably racing to the circular firing squad again. Regrettably, other than Greta Van Susteren, I doubt this will be covered widely by the MSM.
Terrie on July 6, 2010 at 9:18 PM
Steele is a gnat on the elephants’ butt. How long has he been in charge, less than 2 years and his term is up next year. Find someone else then and leave the guy alone so he can try to do his job as soon as he figures out what that is. It’s not running to the media to run your mouth with every opinion that pops up.
Kissmygrits on July 6, 2010 at 9:19 PM
Just look at what the Democrats have done to the courts. They got away with filibustering Miguel Estrada and the Hispanic Community let them do it. No consequences, no nothing, so, to make amends they nominate the “wise latina” to the court and the Republicans don’t fight it.
The Democrats know how to play the game, when it comes to the courts, they can filibuster and Republicans can’t. Our illustrious “free press” allows them to get away with that hypocrisy. It’s time for the Republicans to take a stand because Elena Kagan is little more than a stealth justice, who has views they’ll never find out about because she’s never written about them. Where she has written, when advising President Clinton, she chalks it up to being asked political questions and giving political advise.
She will not protect precedent and will not protect the rights in the Bill of Rights, she will interpret them and lend her own thoughts thus making the constitution what it would have been if she had written it.
Michael Steele was wrong but he’s a minor detail in the scope of things. Keep your eye on the ball.
bflat879 on July 6, 2010 at 10:03 PM
Do what you want, when you want, where you want, and to who you want – as long as it is not to liberal leadership.
Go against the lib lordship and heaven help you, because libs will demand your being “tarred and feathered” at a location of their choice.
MSGTAS on July 7, 2010 at 10:10 AM
Kagan is the dumbest liberal I can see getting picked for SCOTUS. She has no legal credentials so there is little to no chance of her influencing the conservative guys. Lefties can never again claim a Republican nominated judge isn’t experienced enough.
Speedwagon82 on July 7, 2010 at 12:30 PM
Rush, Rush, Rush, Rush…*sigh*
You just don’t get it, do you, Man?
Most of those in the GOP establishment are just as crooked and self-serving as the Dems. Also, a good many of them are Socialists or at the very least “progressives”.
It’s a huge nutcracker with the GOP as one arm and the Democrats as the other and the American sheeple right in the middle and they’re both squeezing every drop out of us that they can with little in the way of return.
They can’t even protect us from our (obvious) enemies which is probably the fundamental job of any nation’s government.
The GOP is wringing their hands looking forward to November…they’re seeing $ signs and little else.
Remember that Republican congressmen attached the same percent of earmarks onto Porkulus as reflected their occupancy in the Senate.
Dr. ZhivBlago on July 7, 2010 at 1:40 PM
What exactly would fighting the Kagan nomination gain? Obama will still be president and he isn’t going to nominate another Roberts or Thomas, or even another Kennedy. He is essentially replacing one liberal justice (Stevens) with another. Just as with the Sotomayor confirmation, this merely preserves the status quo.
There might be some sense in running out the clock if this were the end of 2011 or early 2012, but we simply can’t play this game for another two years. We do need to publicize exactly what kind of nominee Obama is making for political purposes of discrediting him in the next election, but spending a lot of energy on trying to defeat this nomination is a waste.
On the other hand, replacing Steele with an actual Republican might pay big dividends in both the mid-term and the 2012 elections. Rush usually has more sense than this.
JackOfClubs on July 7, 2010 at 4:58 PM