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Limbaugh: McCain Out to Destroy GOP for 2000 S.C. Defeat
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ShareFebruary 04, 2008 4:13 PM
ABC News' Jennifer Parker Reports: Continuing his attack on Republican frontrunner Sen. John McCain, conservative radio show host Rush Limbaugh devoted a significant portion of his radio show Monday to urging conservatives not to vote for the senator in tomorrow's Super Tuesday contests.
For weeks, Limbaugh has been on the attack against McCain, branding the Arizona senator a "liberal" and suggesting he would destroy the Republican Party.
On his radio show Monday Limbaugh said that if McCain is elected president, he would destroy the Republican party by working with Democrats to pass liberal legislation.
Watch the VIDEO HERE.
"He's going to reach out to Democrats in Congress," Limbaugh said, citing "McCain -Kennedy" and "McCain -Feingold" as examples of McCain-sponsored bipartisan legislation.
"This is how he's going to get even with Republicans for defeating him in South Carolina in 2000," Limbaugh said.
"The Republican Congress will effectively be neutered."
In 2000, McCain lost South Carolina to George W. Bush, effectively killing his first presidential bid.
Limbaugh also suggested conservatives should be wary of media endorsements of McCain. McCain has won the endorsement of the New York Times.
"It was just six months ago that if a candidate was endorsed by the liberal media we were instantly suspicious of them," Limbaugh said.
Now he said, "we've got drive-by media organizations having orgasms about McCain."
The conservative radio host also lambasted Fred Barnes, editor of the conservative magazine The Weekly Standard for an editorial titled "Let's Grow Up Conservatives" that urges conservatives to give McCain a chance if he continues to reach out to them.
"Fred, you used to be one of us!" Limbaugh said. "Now you seem to be all for Republicans having its liberal wing too."
Limbaugh also suggested McCain is winning over anti-abortion advocates, despite McCain's long-held record of opposing abortion rights.
"It's pro-choicers who are voting for McCain. That's who liberals are!" Limbaugh said.
McCain's chief Republican rival former Gov. Mitt Romney aired a campaign ad today on Limbaugh's radio program attacking McCain's record on taxes and immigration.
"John McCain, he's been in Washington a long time," the announcer says.
While Limbaugh has not endorsed Romney, he has been urging his listeners for weeks not to vote for McCain at a time when McCain and Romney have argued over who is the true conservative.
While Romney has argued that he is a "Ronald Reagan" conservative, many of his earlier positions on abortion, same-sex marriage and gun rights while he was governor of Massachusetts leave many conservatives doubtful of his candidacy.
McCain, meanwhile, has always had a difficult relationship with the conservative wing of the Republican party.
Before the South Carolina primary, McCain's 95-year-old mother, Roberta, urged conservative to "hold their nose" and vote for her son.
Limbaugh's opinions appeared to rub off on one caller Monday named Bruce.
"I'm not a mind-numb robot and I'm not going to vote for John McCain!" the caller said.
Limbaugh's outspoken rejection of McCain led former Republican Senate leader Bob Dole to write him a letter today that was sent to media today by the McCain campaign.
"Rush," Dole wrote, "I was the Republican Leader from January 1985 until I left the Senate voluntarily in June 1996. I worked closely with Senator McCain when he came to the Senate in 1987 until I departed. I cannot recall a single instance when he did not support the Party on critical votes.
"Whoever wins the Republican nomination will need your enthusiastic support. Two terms for the Clintons are enough," Dole wrote.
February 4, 2008 in Hunter, Duncan, Thompson, Fred | Permalink | User Comments (160)
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Honk if you think we should send Rush to Guantanamo. HONK!
Posted by: Charity | Feb 4, 2008 5:04:18 PM
Rush doesn't realize that it was the very minor neo-con wing of the Republicans that took over the WHOLE Republican party and used it to leverage their ideas.
Now the few sensible ones are getting the party back and he can't take it. Maybe if he'd shut up, some of us Republican of old might come back from the Democratic party. But so far, even a small amount of news time from Rush acting like he's the mouth piece of the whole Republican party and saying what's best for the party is still too much for me.
Posted by: Roy | Feb 4, 2008 5:04:58 PM
Old Mush LameBrain is a joke.. He's still mad a McCain for calling him a "CLOWN"..
I sure that the OXZY., and the Viagra is still taking him to highs & lows.. Such is life..
Posted by: J.Murphy, CA. | Feb 4, 2008 5:06:13 PM
I feel sorry for anyone that follows or thinks like Rush. It makes me cringe to hear him talk. He is a purveyor of hate & separation. He helped Repubs lose in 2006 with his Michael J Fox condemnation. If I were Republicans I would denounce this fool. I do not understand why people listen to him. Yikes!
Posted by: hobojo | Feb 4, 2008 5:07:31 PM
Take a deep breath, snap into reality - its going to be McCain vs. Hillary/Obama - He has an 83% conservative voting record, and is an unquestioned War Hero - All the personal insults are quite nauseating
Posted by: Chill Pill | Feb 4, 2008 5:07:54 PM
The GOP is in full meltdown and the rest of the country is laughing their heads off. Nobody cares what Republicans think or say about anything anymore because we HATE Republicans now! Good riddance, losers! You deserve it!
Posted by: Shelly Tate | Feb 4, 2008 5:14:36 PM
Rush Limbaugh is an idiot. So is Sean Hannity and Laura Ingraham. Laura Ingraham will vote for Hillary over McCain. That shows you her true colors. What sore losers.
Posted by: Randy Risner | Feb 4, 2008 5:16:08 PM
"I'm not a mind-numb robot and I'm not going to vote for John McCain!" the caller said."
Yeah, you're just gonna let some fat blowhard like Rush Limbaugh tell you who NOT to vote for. If I were this person, I'd be more concerned about being an idiot than I would being a robot. Letting Limbaugh dictate whom you vote for is a sure sign of mental weakness!
Posted by: Tanner | Feb 4, 2008 5:17:36 PM
Funny thing. Romney is Rush's BOSS. He owns the compnay Rush works for. Rush is so far off base with just about everything he says that listening to him has become a fun thing to do when you need a good laugh. I'm not kidding. As a conservative, I can tell you, Rush is from another planet. Bush destroyed the Republican Party for a lotta years to come. Period. End of story.
Posted by: john | Feb 4, 2008 5:21:22 PM
I have been holding my endorsement over this never ending election season..I mean how long has this thing been going on...for 14 months by my reckoning...I guess everyone wants to seet ol' GW out so bad...esp. those in the old line media. Hucksterbee is a fool, McLame is too Liberal. Clinton is a closet, if not an out right Marxist, Obama is an empty skirt. I'm going with Romney.
Posted by: BookemTH | Feb 4, 2008 5:22:03 PM
Probably with the Republicans is their no longer Conservatives of old.
Thats the Fiscal Conservatives and Social Liberals that were the Republican party.
These neo-cons are spend, spend, spend. And don't car about the long term future of this country. They are more like what they accuse the Liberals of being which makes no sense at all.
Posted by: Roy | Feb 4, 2008 5:22:43 PM
If McCain promises to destroy the GOP, I will definitely vote for him. That would make him the greatest patriot in American history, to destroy the party of evil, divisiveness and hatred!
Posted by: Kartrout | Feb 4, 2008 5:23:06 PM
Rush has lost it. Anyone that would listen to him these days has to be crazy. I'm a conservative Christian Republican who is ready for someone like McCain. He is willing to fight for what is right and not always go with what the radical right wingers want. Go McCain....I still wish Condi was running, but who knows what Rush would have said about her.
Posted by: mowens | Feb 4, 2008 5:23:36 PM
Yeh Tanner .. just like those who listen to Oprah??
Posted by: Bruce | Feb 4, 2008 5:24:34 PM
McCain has never earned or received my Arizona vote for senator. I see no reason to dignify his stand for amnesty, perpetuation of the Iraq war and ignorance about the economy crisis by giving him a vote that Romney has earned.
Posted by: Dave | Feb 4, 2008 5:26:08 PM
It's people like Eric who babble that they are "real" Christians that make me want to renounce Christianity.
Posted by: Soulodious | Feb 4, 2008 5:27:05 PM
CBA -- That is an complete nonsense. Mitt Romney does not own the company or companies that employ Rush, Limbaugh, O'Reilly or any of the other radio hosts. He used to work for Bain Capital -- and left there in 1999. Get your facts right before you slander.
Posted by: Derek | Feb 4, 2008 5:31:21 PM
Hahaha... I love that stupid rightwingers are all hung up on illegal immigration and other stupid non-issues, while the rest of the country is trying to fix the messes that Republicans made in the first place. Good luck tearing yourselves apart over nothing - it will make it that much easier for us Dems to kick your dumb, deserving ##### in November! ROFL
Posted by: Klondike Cappy | Feb 4, 2008 5:31:24 PM
Oh yeah, we all need to listen to Rush. "All drug addicts need to be in jail." Oh wait. Except Rush. He's the exception. He's an idiot. The fact that he doesn't like McIdiot almost makes me like him. Almost.
Posted by: BigT | Feb 4, 2008 5:33:02 PM
Romney is the next Ronald Reagan. He is the most capable leader in this race. Romney exudes integrity, decency, leadership, and is a great communicator who will get things done. McCain is a liberal who teamed up with Ted Kennedy to grant amnesty to 20 million illegal aliens, voted AGAINST the middle class tax cuts, and couldn’t care less about defending our borders. McCain will never win in November if he is nominated, and he is just another dishonest Washington politician who would maintain business as usual if he did. Romney can hold his own in a debate (without telling bald-faced lies, like McCain) and could handily defeat Hillary in November. Unfortunately, a vote for Huckabee on Super Tuesday is a vote for McCain….and a vote for McCain is ultimately a vote for Hillary.
Posted by: Derek | Feb 4, 2008 5:33:43 PM
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