He's Enjoying Himself

Rush Limbaugh had an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal yesterday, where he decided to speak for the entire Republican Party (and who's going to stop him) in offering his stimulus plan:

Yes, elections have consequences. But where's the bipartisanship, Mr. Obama? This does not have to be a divisive issue. My proposal is a genuine compromise.

Fifty-three percent of American voters voted for Barack Obama; 46% voted for John McCain, and 1% voted for wackos. Give that 1% to President Obama. Let's say the vote was 54% to 46%. As a way to bring the country together and at the same time determine the most effective way to deal with recessions, under the Obama-Limbaugh Stimulus Plan of 2009: 54% of the $900 billion -- $486 billion -- will be spent on infrastructure and pork as defined by Mr. Obama and the Democrats; 46% -- $414 billion -- will be directed toward tax cuts, as determined by me.

Then we compare. We see which stimulus actually works. This is bipartisanship! It would satisfy the American people's wishes, as polls currently note; and it would also serve as a measurable test as to which approach best stimulates job growth.

Did you know that we had a proportional representation based on the popular vote in this country? You doubtlessly remember George Bush getting 49% of his ideas passed in 2001, and Al Gore 51%.

Rush Limbaugh hasn't been this prominent since the Lewinsky affair. He's a preening, self-regarding fame addict, and because the Republican Party has basically handed the reins to him, he's going for it.

The talk radio king says Thursday he wants to personally present a stimulus proposal to the president.

“I am ready to build a road, build a bridge ... to the White House.”

As John Cole said, imagine Randi Rhodes drafting a bill and demanding an audience with George W. Bush. Imagine the Democratic Party allowing her to speak for them.

Limbaugh's "ideas," by the way, are the usual mix of cutting the corporate tax rate (even though 2/3 of our corporations use loopholes to pay no taxes) and suspending the capital gains tax (anyone you know have any capital GAINS this year?) and "get out of the way!" He's a front for unpatriotic corporate paymasters who don't think they owe the country anything for their charter.

Also, his ideas have been tried. That's what the Bush era was all about. They failed. His party is a failure. And their turning to him is very revealing. Also crippling for a party that doesn't have enough of a base to win a national election.

Democrats are licking their chops at this, by the way. These radio ads are fantastic.

“Every Republican member of the House chose to take Rush Limbaugh’s advice,” says the narrator after playing the conservative talk radio giant’s declaration that he hopes Obama “fails.”

“Every Republican voted with Limbaugh — and against creating 4 million new American jobs. We can understand why a extreme partisan like Rush Limbaugh wants President Obama’s Jobs program to fail — but the members of Congress elected to represent the citizens in their districts? That’s another matter. Now the Obama plan goes to the Senate, and the question is: Will our Senator"—here the ad is tailored by state to name George Voinovich in Ohio, Arlen Specter in Pennsylvania, and John Ensign in Nevada—"side with Rush Limbaugh too?”

Brilliant. Dems actually boxed the GOP in on this one.