Blue Crab Boulevard

Rushing Into Madness

I have waited to offer any comments about the latest ruckus being promoted over Rush Limbaugh's remarks. Partly, I wanted to wait until the dust settled a little, mostly I figured Rush – who I do not listen to – could handle himself. But I think Callimachus called it correctly last night.

From there, the next dot connected was active-duty soldiers who have written and spoken eloquently in their criticism or condemnation of the reasons and tactics of the U.S. effort in Iraq.

But it is not at all clear to me from that jumbled conversation that Limbaugh didn't mean proven "phony soldiers" who have been embraced and touted by the anti-war movement, like Jesse Macbeth. Whatever he meant (we'll never know) in that moment, Limbaugh at least has that cover to shelter behind.

Limbaugh has released the entire clip of what was said including the follow on to the "phony soldiers" remark (cut completely by Media Matters) that proves he was, indeed, talking about the Jesse Macbeths that the left puts forth and genuflects to – until they are exposed as frauds. Whereupon the left changes the subject and never acknowledges that they pimped for a liar.

Personally, I'm inclined to believe that this is yet another action by the man behind the curtain. The Anchoress sums it up best:

It can’t feel good to realize you have been played by George Soros and pals, and while you were being played, you weakened your president, lost a good deal of power in Congress (not that your party was using it, but still…) and drew inflexible battle lines flanked by impossible demands and pipe dreams, while – in the end – nothing actually changed. Played by a master, your party became divided, some of you literally became one-issue haters of everything and everyone who did not join in your daily chant; “illegal is illegal.” And in being played, you’ve managed to make a fast-growing segment of the voting populace suspicious of conservatives on the eve of an election wherein literally every vote and every voter is going to count. And where fraud may well be rampant.

I have been loath to write about the ‘08 election because the campaigns began too soon. But it is not too early to say that I cannot recall a more urgent or important election in my lifetime. The ‘08 election is going to be the one that determines whether the America you love will be recognizable in twenty years. I know I’m not alone in thinking so.

Once upon a time you could say, “who you gonna believe, me or your lying eyes,” with a wry smirk and appreciate the irony. It’s not so ironic, anymore. Now we are in the third act of Hamlet, the King – his conscience pricked – is crying out and the castle is in uproar and Hamlet declares, “believe none of this,” which is good advice. Maybe all of history has been a staged production, but I don’t believe that. Sadly in American politics, circa 2007, very little is real, very few are motivated by selfless love of country, and illusionists are everywhere.

A lot of people are falling into the trap right about now. Some are not. The MoveOn smear of Petraeus damaged that organization in the minds of average voters – not the true believers, but average Americans. This is a payback. An attempt to play gotcha in a one up way. We all – every one of us – needs to be careful not to allow ourselves to be suckered into playing a game we cannot win. I think they fooled a lot of people with this. Both on the left and on the right.

Blogosphere, Left Wing, Media | Gaius September 28, 2007

By reader_iam, September 28, 2007 @ 9:30 pm

Yet Cal’s ultimate point, and over time, is broader and larger (and is quite akin to mine, far more than some others’, I daresay; and perhaps disagreeably, over the spectrum we share).

Neck-deep in stupid. The republic can survive stupid advertising and stupid talk radio commentary. Stupid in Congress I’m not so sure about.
By Gaius, September 28, 2007 @ 9:35 pm

Quite right, Reader. Looking back, I think it was not a really stunningly good idea for Congress to go after MoveOn. (And I also think – call me jaundiced here) that the surprise House vote against them was part of a setup.
By reader_iam, September 28, 2007 @ 9:42 pm

Cal’s comments to posts on the blog, when he makes them, also carry meaning. Do you follow them?
By Gaius, September 28, 2007 @ 9:45 pm

Honestly, no. There is so much to read and only so much time. But let me go look at the thread.
By reader_iam, September 28, 2007 @ 9:47 pm

Sorry, Gauis, we just cross-posted–the time stamp notwithstanding. Got distracted mid-comment and had to do something else. It is what is it is, but still: sorry about that.
By Gaius, September 28, 2007 @ 9:55 pm

Heh. I just commented over there, Reader. There is a lot going on right now and a lot is in play.

There is also a lot of manipulation. Some is very, very well funded.
By syn, September 29, 2007 @ 5:13 am

Certainty Soros uses his wealth to generate an enormous amount of hate, however, I’m of the understanding that in the 2000 elections Bush ran on the Guest Worker platform precisely to woo that coveted centrist voter such as The Anchoress. Americans, particularily those in the southern border state must have been experiencing all sorts of problems with massive illegal immigrant on historical proportions prior to 2006 otherwise why was it a major platform?

One the matter of manipulation, I believe in God however I no longer trust any of the institutions representing God, in fact I believe most all churches have corrupted God’s word with their form of goodness; I think God said in Matthew something to the effect that goodness is not enough there must also be justice and law.

I find it disturbing that a Church simply for the purposes of filling their pews with people and collection plates with gold coins (for example Methodist/Catholic harboring non-legal people) have the power to supercede law and justice. Yet, when citizens speak out against such immoral act the Church is the first to respond with vicious comments about nativist bigotry and racism. I call this using God’s word to commit emotional blackmail. “Illegal” is no more ‘legal’ than a “fetus” is a clump of cells’

Further, the Anchoress might want to examine the hateful language coming from those of goodness when it comes to people having sex all the while their very own priests and preachers are sodomizing young boys and raping young girls as the Church does nothing but speak of their goodness.

At least Soros illusions can be confronted, none can ever confront the illusions created by the Church.
By syn, September 29, 2007 @ 5:33 am

About Rush and manipulation. Up until 9/11/2001 after I was mugged by reality the only reference I had to Conservatism was that Rush Limbaugh was a rightwing extremist out to destroy America. Further, the only reference I had to Reagan was that he was a warmonger who caused AIDS…I missed the entire Revolution.

It wasn’t until 2003 when I actually listened to Rush’s show and began thinking to myself this guy makes a lot of since not becasue I was a Conservative but because I had been a Liberal who said and did many of the things Rush points out about Liberalism.
I understand exactly what Media Matters was doing when they manipulated those two words made by Rush and I often wonder why moderate open-minded people continue to simply accept this type of manipulation constantly spoon-fed to them.

That said, by this time next year the moderate center American will do what they’ve been doing for the last seven years, will forget all about Move-on’s ads while over-looking Soros’s influence all for the purpose of preserving their image of goodness.
By Quilly Mammoth, September 29, 2007 @ 6:37 am

I don’t really listen to Rush, either. But have enough in the past to question the quote as it was first released. Now it seems that Move On has edited the tape. And I can’t figure out why they would when such faux reportage has been so easily rebuked in the past.

Do they really believe the People are so stupid?
By Gaius, September 29, 2007 @ 6:45 am

In a word, yes.
By spree, September 29, 2007 @ 1:18 pm

Thanks for the link, good piece. Showing Media Matters and other Soros funded groups for the liars they are is almost too easy and like taking candy from a baby.