I love this guy. Really I do. This is what Rahm had to say this morning on Face the Nation:
Transcript:
SCHIEFFER: We talked about Newt Gingrich a lot this morning and now you bring up Rush Limbaugh. Who do you think now speaks for the Republican Party?
EMANUEL: You just named him: it is Rush Limbaugh. He has laid out his vision, in my view. And he said it clearly. I compliment him for that. He's been very up front and I compliment him for that. He's not hiding. He's asked for President Obama and called for President Obama to fail. That's his view. And that's what he has enunciated. And whenever a Republican criticizes him, they have to run back and apologize to him and say they were misunderstood. He is the voice and the intellectual force and energy behind the Republican Party. He has been up front about what he views and hasn't stepped back from that, which is he hopes for failure. He said it and I compliment him for his honesty. But that's their philosophy that is enunciated by Rush Limbaugh and I think that's the wrong philosophy for America... because what Americans want us to do, and what I think President Obama has been very clear about, is work together setting our goals. We may take different roads to get to that goal, but be clear on what we have to do to build this country by investing in our people, changing the healthcare system, having an energy independence policy that clearly weens America off of its dependence on foreign oil.
SCHIEFFER: Do you think that he's that important that other Republicans are paying that much attention to him?
EMANUEL: Well, he was given the keynote basically at the [CPAC conference] to speak. When a Republican did attack him he clearly had a turn-around and comeback and basically said that he apologized and was wrong. I think do think he's an intellectual force, which is why the Republicans pay such attention to him.
I mean seriously, let's see more of Rahm! As a diary on the rec list notes, the Republicans are completely torn on who their leader is. Some people want to be more "rational" while others want to pull further to the right. I caught some of MTP this morning, and the Republicans there were talking about how Obama pulling to the left on policy is giving them an opening to redefine conservatism, well Rahm is not going to let them get away from what they really represent which is the ideals and philosophy of "comedian Rush Limbaugh" (as Keith Olbermann likes to call him). The poor Republican Party is really running around like a chicken with its head cut off, and it's really quite interesting to watch (when you can stomach it). They are destroying themselves, and losing a generation of voters in the process.
UPDATE This is a quick update, but watching some of the morning shows Rahm has been quite successful in painting Limbaugh as the voice of the Republican party. In fact, on Morning Joe they are saying that wanting Obama to fail is fine, and Rush is simply "ahead of his time" according to Pat Buchanan. They also think the budget is a good issue for the Republicans because they can show they have "ideas." Somehow I don't think we'll see any ideas beyond "tax cuts" and we all know how well those have worked the last 8 years. Kudos for the White House getting out early to brand the budget.