Wednesday, March 4, 2009

On the Same Subject: The Limbaugh Wars

I watched Rush speak the other day at CPAC. Now, I don't always agree with him. Although I am a staunch Republican, I am more conservative in my views than a Conservative. In other words, I often get angry at Limbaugh and the extreme right, particularly when it comes to immigration, a topic which often raises thinly-veiled bigotry. In fact, I believe that the border security brouhaha might very well have cost McCain the presidency.

All of that is prelude, however, because as I heard Rush Limbaugh speak, I was re-energized. In that rambling speech, he succeeded in reducing our common differences with the administration to a gem like consistency. Forget tweaking their policies and programs. We love liberty, believe in self-determination, venerate the legacy handed down to us, and don't think we have the right to take other people's money. Frankly, I was impressed.

Now I gave up reading Newsweek for good during the campaign, but I stumbled on this column by Jonathan Alter. Reading it, I could be forgiven for thinking that there must have been another speech by another Rush Limbaugh. I was reminded of a point Bernie Goldberg makes, namely these journalistic types are surrounded by people with like views and assume the rest of the world thinks as they do.

So here's my take. If this budget is any sample of where Mr. Obama intends to take this country, Rush Limbaugh is absolutely correct in hoping he fails. What, because their guy got in we're supposed join hands in a circle and sing kum-ba-ya? Even if we were willing to forget the absolutely despicable way they treated Bush, why would we support a program that is anathema to everything we believe? Even moderates are horrified at what is going on. At the moment we may be a few voices in the wilderness, but Mr. Alter would do well to remember how fickle the public can be.

To think that for years I used to subscribe to the rag.