Rush claims McCain is too much of a wuss to stand up against Obama- that the fight for the Republican nomination will be fought on 'Rush Limbough'. There's a theory going around that McCain is doing this (objecting to Obama criticism) in a brilliant stroke of genius, that he gets to stand above all the 'ugliness' and come out smelling like a rose. Which is it, wuss or genius? What do you think?
RUSH LIMBROUGH TRANSCRIPT:
There's no question about it. But the news here that Senator McCain, from his high horse in Washington, called the North Carolna... Well, he didn't even see the ad. (View the ad here:)
He issued a denouncement and asked them to stop airing the ad. He said, "The television advertisement you're planning to air degrades our civics and distracts..." It does no such thing!
Everything in the ad is factual. McCain says, "It degrades our civics, detracts us from the very real differences we have with the Democrats. In the strongest terms, I implore you to not run this ad." The RNC got in on the gig, too, said, "Senator McCain's been very clear that he expects to run a respectful campaign based on the critical issues confronting the nation. The RNC's been in contact with the NC," the North Carolina, "GOP, communicated that we do not believe the ad's appropriate or helpful and we've asked that they refrain from using it.
The state Republican Party, however, will not relent. They are going to run the ad."
My question, multiple questions: How in the world do you build support for your campaign within your party acting like this? Is this how you help rebuild the Republican Party in these states? Is this how you treat fellow Republicans, by trashing them to highlight the ad and then come off like you're above the fight?
There's a theory going around here that McCain is doing this in a brilliant stroke of genius, that he gets to stand above this; condemning the ad and gets the ad played all over the place at no charge to the North Carolina GOP.
But I don't see it that way. I think this is an absolute disaster, and it means exactly what I said was the founding reason for Operation Chaos. The Republican Party is gutless. They're not going to attack Obama, on anything.
They want to have a civics debate, Civics 101 -- and because they're afraid of being called racists and so forth -- which they will be, but so what? If you're not, don't worry about it. Broom it! The idea that you can't criticize a black candidate, you can't criticize a potential black president? People have said to me, "You know, Rush, if we elect a black guy, though, that's the end of racism in America." Hardly! It's only going to get worse. Every time the black president's criticized on anything -- policy, you name it -- the Jesse Jacksons of the world, all the liberals are going to come out -- racist, racist, racist -- and try to shut it down.
And MSNBC last night aired this ad, and they're trying to proclaim the ad's totally racist.
They're trying to get the North Carolina GOP to be tagged as racist and intimidated into stopping running the ad.
Norah O'Donnell talked to the North Carolina Republican Party chairman Linda Daves and said, "McCain wants you to pull the ad. Are you going to heed his call?"
DAVES: We plan to run the ad because I think that we're thinking about the people of North Carolina. This is not about the president's race. This is about the people of North Carolina, and they have a right to know.
O'DONNELL (interrupting): Aren't you a loyal Republican?
DAVES: Well, of course I am, but I'm also the chairman of the state Republican Party, and it is also my responsibility to point out the weaknesses of the Democrat candidates in North Carolina.
RUSH: Absolutely! Who is McCain? When he's traveling all over the country, what Republican candidates is he trying to help? I haven't seen any. He might be. I'm not saying he's not. I just haven't seen him stumping for anybody running for the House or Senate or as governor in the state, and this woman's job is to make sure Republicans get elected in the state, and she's doing the exact right thing: drawing a contrast. "Okay, our two gubernatorial candidates on the Democrat side have endorsed Obama, and look who he's tied to: Reverend Wright!"
It's a great ad. And then Norah O'Donnell asks, "Are you a loyal Republican?" She needs to ask that of Republicans in Washington, not of Linda Daves -- and then the piece de resistance question from Norah O'Donnell, PMSNBC, to Linda Daves, "Are you playing the race card?"
DAVES: No, none whatsoever. If this had been Hillary Clinton I'd do the same thing, and I really would encourage people to get past that race card thing. That is an accusation that is frequently made by people when they want to divert the discussion from the real issue at hand, and the issue at hand is good judgment and patriotism.
RUSH: Yeah, this is not about diverting discussion; it's about silencing people.
It's about stopping discussion.
The media, we can't call Obama by his middle name. We can't use that, can't call him a liberal -- he doesn't like that -- and now you can't associate him with Reverend Wright.
And it's only going to get worse. Reverend Wright will not go away. Reverend Wright is going to be speaking to the National Press Club soon, on what -- yes! -- on what goes on in black churches.
Now, what brainiac is running the Obama campaign? They're going to bring him up to the National Press Club? I can tell you what this is all about. Reverend Wright is going to speak in ways that we haven't heard him speak. He's going to come across great.
He's going to talk about these great charitable works, trying to cure AIDS in Africa and all that stuff, and the Drive-Bys are going to say, "See? What was all the hubbub about? This was a great, humanitarian preacher," blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. That's what the purpose of that speech in the National Press Club is.
Does anyone want to bet that Obama's preacher does not go to the National Press Club and start sounding like he does in those sermons? Do you want to make a bet that he will not make a statement blaming America for the creation of AIDS -- the CIA, whatever? If he does that, then there's something seriously wrong with Wright and the Obama campaign, but it's gotta be, obviously, just the opposite of that. So the full-court press is on, trying to get the magic of the messiah back, this aura of hope and change and larger-than-life personality of Obama, and that's what this is all about. So the North Carolina Republicans run a great, great ad here -- and it is being broadcast all over the place, and it's not costing them nickel -- and the criticism of the ad started from the Republican presidential nominee.
http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site_042408/content/01125112.guest.html.