WASHINGTON (CNN) – The chairman of the Democratic National Committee persisted Tuesday in calling attention to his Republican counterpart Michael Steele’s apology to Rush Limbaugh, describing the radio host as “the Wizard of Oz” and “the godfather” of the GOP.
DNC Chairman Tim Kaine told CNN that Steele’s backpedaling from earlier criticisms of the talk show host proves that Limbaugh is "the Wizard of Oz, you know, who kind of oversees everything" in the Republican Party.
Earlier in the day, Kaine told MSNBC that Limbaugh is “clearly the godfather, or the he-who-must-be-obeyed in Republican politics these days.”
“When Chairman Steele over the weekend pointed out that the kinds of comments that Rush Limbaugh has been making, hoping the president will fail, pointing out that those were ugly and incendiary, I thought that that took some guts to say that,” Kaine told CNN.
“But then the fact that he backtracked immediately leaves me wondering, okay, so is Rush Limbaugh the guy that's really in charge of the party?”
Democrats are eager to highlight the GOP skirmish: Kaine made several cable appearances Tuesday and released two statements criticizing Steele after the RNC chair called Limbaugh to apologize for calling him an “entertainer” and saying his comments can be “ugly.”
Story updated 12:36 p.m.
From CNN Politics
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Yeah yeah...Goebles Limbaugh this, Goebles LImbaugh that. Just remember what Goebles was doing in his spare time in his bedroom.
Or was it Goering?
It's a shame people don't listen to talk radio more than the stepford TV cable news channels. Talk radio cares ONLY about the preservation of the United States of America. There is a revolution going on out here in the real world. You guys on Cable news and Network news keep talking about the Casey Anthony case and Rhianna and Chris Brown's reconsciliation and pay us no mind...Oh yes, and how Obama's changes are going to save us! Besides, we talk radio listeners are just pill poppers and crazy war moungers, the things CNN reports are much more relevant than how the large majority of U.S. citizens feel, that are concerned with trivial things like keeping our jobs, keeping our country safe and FREE and not allowing BIG GOVERNMENT to dictate our every move.
Hilarious! This would be like the DNC chair having to apologize to Keith Olberman if he said something unpatriotic. Cause saying you hope the president of your country fails is very, very unpatriotic. That tells me that Steele isn't a true patriot and has no back bone.
Wasn't the Wizard of Oz a phony?? Sounds about right.
HEY CHARLIE AND WILL, YOURE BOTH IDIOTS AND WOULD FIT IN GREAT IN THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION.
Rush has a $40 Million contract for his radio stint.
He is not answerable to any voter. He is answerable to his employer. His duty is to rake up the ratings. He does this by being controversial and us all talking about him.
If the GOP cannot see this, they are just a bunch of IDIOTS!
Rush isn't the devil, he's not nearly charming enough. he's just some fat kid who never heard the word no when he was a kid from his fellow lunatic father. It's funny when right wing nuts sit here and write moronic comments about cnn democrats and liberals, calling obama a socialist. it just shows that the idiots who let mccarthy run the gamant of fear mongering in 1950 still exist. maybe a 10 second examination of what socialism is would make it clear that obama is most certainly not. but they don't have that kind of time, apparently. I mean, if rush says it its true, right?
Was it a slow news day or something? Why did this person (Limbaugh) get so much TV air time? Isn't radio enough? Quite frankly I am disappointed in all of the TV stations that broadcast the rants of someone that is clearly unpatriotic! Please ignore the man and find other things to report on. Such as:
How are farmers doing across the country? They are our food source. Are they struggling? Is there anyone helping them if they are?
How about the elderly? Middle income, newly married, middle age, any and all tax payers? Why can't we have an in depth report on how actual living breathing human beings are doing. Follow these people around for a month, and see how it's going for them.
Find us some hope to report on. Make us feel better. This political bashing is wearing thin. Quite frankly I've lost all interest. I voted in November. Now leave the President, the House and Senate get down to doing the jobs they were elected to do. Support and encouragement from the media will go along way!
Admit it GOP sheep. Limbaugh is your Godfather.
Ann Coulter is your QUEEN. (Drag queen maybe?)
Glad those 2 clowns are the FACE of the GOP! Will make it that much easier for President Cool to get relelected in '12.
I could care less about Rep. & Dems. Rush is right as far I see it. I hope ALL SOCIALISM fails as well, no matter who's behind it. You want socialism, I suggest you move to Russia, COMMY. Cuz it ain't gonna fly here.
Steele is spineless and cowtows to Limbaugh who is Satan himself. If Obama fails, we all fail. Don't they get that? Stop the division. Stop the hatred. All the GOP does is aim for division and hatred.
He will self destruct just like his party.
This is pathetic. How does a junkie entertainer become the Godfather of the GOP? I mean senators and GOP leaders kiss his fat arse.
Rush is an actor. He abuses drugs and his marital problems certainly do not impress James Dobson, yet they all rally behind him anyway. If Rush were a Democrat or a progressive I wonder what Rush would say about Rush. Yes give me those traditional values.
I love it! Rush Limbaugh should be made chairman of the GOP. He apbsolutely has my blessing. Then, he should start a new "GOP Commitee on Unconservative Activities", just like Joe McCarthy did, and blackball any Republicans who dare call him fat, self-loathing, narcisist, or clown from ever participating in the Republican Party again.
That's the ticket, Rush. Hip hop, off the hook, rap rap, bling bling; you da man. I'm laughing all the way to the bank. God bless America, and Barack Obama!
With all that crazy jumping around up on the podium, Rush looked like he had to go to the li'l boys' room in a big hurry.
To nclaw441:
Here's an argument against his speech. He stated that he wants Obama and his policies to fail. This means that he wants higher unemployment, more Americans without health care, more American businesses to fail and more Americans to lose their homes. Maybe he should be more concerned with working together with the current administration, who was voted in by the American people, instead of hoping that Obama fails. If Obama's policies fail, then America is in much worse shape. Is this what you want as well? Can Rush still call himself a patriotic American if he wants the US to fail?
Doesn't the Obama administration have more important things to worry about than launching broadsides against talk show hosts. It's just a little odd that rahm emanuel has a man-crush on Limbaugh. I think that comrade Barack and the rest of his administration should get back to turning a sharp recession into a depression.
I thought Christianity had to do with loving your neighbor. I don't see any love in Limbaugh except for himself, and any Christians who support him should be totally ashamed of themselves. It just doesn't add up.
When will the rest of America wake up! Rush is owned and paid by Big Corporations to do what he does. This is why the GOP fears him cause he's backed by their God (Big Money)!
How can a guy who is extremely dogmatic and authoritarian win the hearts of Americans who think he is dead on? There seems to be something sinister about him.
Mr. Limbaugh is quite obviously mentally ill and completely overly impressed with himself. He deserves our pity. And we just need to ignore him.
I consider Rush to be a domestic terrorist and he will do and say anything to make this country fail while President Obama is in office.
He does not want Gitmo closed...fine....He can be held with no charges for 5+ years at Gitmo till we think of something to charge him with...besides being STUPID.
After 5 years, I'm sure the country will be moving in the right direction for awhile and we can just let him walk back via Cuba. Rush can ask Fidel "Hey Fidel....you got any of those really good cigars? I'll trade you some Oxycontin for one....deal..."
But that would be a waste of tax payers money. By the look of his face at CPAC...it will not be long till his body stops to function. Like it's really functioning now....I just crack myself up sometimes....LMAO at the GOP.
i always come on the site to see the ranting of the loony left. it makes me laugh. anybody with one quarter of a brain knows that rush is only an entertainer and a commentator. while he can be extreme, he does have a lot of good points. but i see the strategy of the DNC and obama. lets try to make people forget how horrible of a job we are doing with our corrupt cabinet, trillion dollar debt in a matter of days, and the shredding of our constitution and the death of personal responsiblity by using rush to divert attention. so while you kool aid drinkers are lapping it up, the rest of the public is not. come 2010 and 2012 your failed policies will be voted out and then we will try to reverse the damage your ideals have done to us.
p.s. your arguments about how the bush spending was outta control is especially hysterical when the messiah just blew that outta of the water with porkulus. bush spending bad but obama spending is good? only from the logic of a liberal