Democrats and Democratic Groups Continue To Attack Limbaugh

American's United for Change have released an ad that asks "Who's the Leader of the Party's Leader? And later this week, the liberal group will release another ad.

"Democrats are engaging in a concerted campaign to link the national Republican Party to conservative talk-radio show host Rush Limbaugh, an effort that will ramp up over the next few days in the form of another round of television ads and an increased rhetorical focus on the issue from Democratic National Committee Chairman Tim Kaine, according to sources familiar with the plans."

Limbaugh is an easy target and is being pummeled with increased intensity. "Rush is the bloated face and drug-addled voice of the Republican Party," said Paul Begala, a longtime Democratic strategist who rose to prominence during Bill Clinton's presidency. "Along with lots of others, I intend to continue to turn up the heat until every alleged Republican either endorses or renounces Rush's statement that he hopes our President fails."

As part of the coordinated effort, Tim Kaine called Limbaugh "the leading force behind the Republican Party, its politics and its obstruction of President Obama's agenda in Washington" as DNC officials explained that the Limbaugh critique would escalate.

Chris Cillizza reported: "The ramping-up of the "Republicans equal Limbaugh" strategy began over the weekend when White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, appearing on CBS's "Face the Nation," argued that the talk-radio host "is the voice and the intellectual force and energy behind the Republican Party."

At this afternoon's White House Press briefing; press secretary Robert Gibbs took a sharp jab at Limbaugh's ample midsection when he answered a question about the Democrats concerted attack against the talk show host and replied: “I’m a little surprised at the reaction and the fervent reaction that Mr. Limbaugh got from CPAC. I’ve encouraged members of the press to ask Republicans whether they agree with Mr. Limbaugh’s adage that he hopes that the president’s economic ideas fail. I was a little surprised at the speed in which Mr. Steele, the head of the RNC, apologized to the head of the Republican Party.”

Gibbs' remark pitted Michael Steele, the actual head of the RNC, who is turning out to be nothing more than a figurehead against the defacto head of the conservative ideologues who control the GOP via the commands of Limbaugh.

"The strategy has already proven effective as Limbaugh and Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele spent the day sparring following a television appearance in which Steele called Limbaugh's show "ugly" and "incendiary". Limbaugh went after Steele on his show on Monday and the chairman quickly backed down, offering his apologies for what he described as a misunderstanding."

"National Democratic strategists believe that they have only begun to mine the Limbaugh vein, maintaining that while he is a potent force -- and much beloved by the GOP's conservative base -- he is widely disliked by independent and swing voters. In a recent poll by Democratic survey firm Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research, 44 percent of Republicans felt warmly toward Limbaugh while 32 percent expressed "cold" feelings. Compare that to the broader swath of all voters where 58 percent felt coldly toward Limbaugh and 21 percent felt warmly."

National Democratic leaders feel convinced that by raising Limbaugh's incendiary remarks to the point where they become common knowledge among everyday Americans is "the best way to keep Republicans in a permanent minority status is to keep Limbaugh" the face that represents the GOP.

RNC Chairman Michael Steele has become the latest high-profile Republican to grovel in abject humility before radio talk-show host Rush Limbaugh. Tell me if you agree that this spectacle -- one of the nation's two major political parties held hostage by one large man with a microphone -- is embarrassing and almost sad.


Eugene Robinson explains: "Steele, interviewed on comedian D.L. Hughley's CNN infotainment show, said two things about Limbaugh that are hard to refute: that he is an entertainer, and that some of the sentiments expressed on his show are "ugly." Hughley was pressing the RNC chief on Limbaugh's diktat that right-thinking conservatives must do what they can to ensure that President Obama fails. Steele wasn't ready to sign up for that program."

"At least he wasn't until Limbaugh took to the airwaves to set him straight," Robinson continued. "Limbaugh reminded Steele that he had offered help, in the form of air time, during Steele's failed 2006 run for the Senate. He peremptorily explained to Steele what the duties of the RNC chairman should be and ordered him to stick to those tasks -- suggesting, in effect, that as far as the public dialog is concerned, the Republican Party's first African American chief should be seen and not heard. (Those are my words, not Limbaugh's; his were more circuitous, but also more high-handed.)

Within hours, Steele had apologized humbly for saying anything bad about the Big Man. This was no surprise," Robinson explained; "really. Since the election, Republicans have been falling over themselves to to apologize for any offense, real or imagined, they might have given to the radio host who claims to have 22 million listeners. Rep. Phil Gingrey of Georgia -- who was bold enough to note that it is easy for Limbaugh to throw bricks from his perch while Republican leaders in Congress had to, you know, actually write legislation and marshal votes -- apologized even more profusely than Steele.