Rush Lies Intentionally, and Admitted It (Sorta)
At this point, this is old news. But I recently had reason to think about it again, and wanted some sort of reference as to the specifics, so I’m adding them here, for posterity’s sake.
The claim is that Rush Limbaugh does not believe what he says. The “proof” is here (that’s rushlimbaugh.com, his own personal website, the transcript dated November 8th, 2006). Here’s the relevant quote from Rush’s page, just in case he ever changes it:
The way I feel is this: I feel liberated, and I’m 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 Party and liberalism does.
So what does “carrying the water” for someone mean? Limbaugh explains:
There have been a bunch of things going on in Congress, some of this legislation coming out of there that I have just cringed at, and it has been difficult coming in here, trying to make the case for it when the people who are supposedly in favor of it can’t even make the case themselves — and to have to come in here and try to do their jobs. I’m a radio guy! I understand what this program has become in America and I understand the leadership position it has. I was doing what I thought best, but at this point, people who don’t deserve to have their water carried, or have themselves explained as they would like to say things but somehow aren’t able to, I’m not under that kind of pressure.
So… the Republican party would do things that Limbaugh didn’t approve of, and rather be honest about it, he would go on the air and pretend that he did approve. Is that lying? Limbaugh’s producer (Bo Snerdley) became worried and interrupted for a moment to ask him about it. Limbaugh responded:
No, I’m not lying. Snerdley’s concerned. I’ve not lied about anything I’ve said. Let me try this a different way. (sigh) I’m going to have to think about this. I tried to make it as clear as I can. I’m not going to eat my own, and I’m not going to throw my own overboard, particularly in a campaign, and particularly when the country is at war — and I’m not going to do it for selfish reasons, and I’m not going to do it to stand out, and I’m not going to do it to be different. I’m not going to do it to draw attention from our enemies. I’m not going to do anything I do so that the Drive-By Media will like me or think that, “Ooooh, Limbaugh has changed! Ooooh, Limbaugh is coming around!” That’s not my thinking. …
It has been a challenge to come in here and look at some of the weaknesses and some of the missed opportunities and try to cover for them and make up for them and make sure that the opportunities are not totally lost. But at some point you have to say, “I’m not them, and I can’t assume the responsibility for their success. It isn’t my job to make them succeed. It isn’t my job to make elected Republicans look good if they can’t do it themselves. It’s not my job to make them understandable and understood if they can’t do it themselves — not in perpetuity, not ad infinitum.” So all I can tell you is I feel a little liberated, and I think this is all going to result in a lot of cleansing in a number of areas.
Translation: I’m a mouthpiece for the Republican Party, and while I sit here and say things to advance the Party, I don’t believe them. But that’s not lying. That’s just repeating things I don’t believe as if I believed them. It may imply that I believe them, but since I never said I did, it’s not lying.
No, maybe not lying. There’s another more polite word for it: acting.
How long as this been going on, then?
There hasn’t been any ideology in the Republican Party, any conservatism, for at least two to maybe four years. You could argue Bush was more of an ideologue in the presidential campaign of ‘04, but in looking at what happened yesterday, it wasn’t conservatism that lost.
So, if Limbaugh believes in conservatism, he’s been lying/acting for the past two, maybe four years.
Well, make your own decision about him. Obviously some folks don’t care whether or not he believes what he says or not. And I guess there’s a market for that. But if you’re looking for honest opinion, Limbaugh ain’t it.
P.S. I do recognize the silliness in using the words of a liar/actor to prove anything.
