Rush Limbaugh's Unannounced DC Trip Has Left, Right In A Frenzy

WHERE'S RUSH?

Surprise Visit Has Politicos Scrambling For Answers






*** NEW: TALK STATION PLANS TO MUZZLE RUSH DURING OBAMIST TAKEOVER PROCEEDINGS ***

*** VERIZON LEAVES OBAMIST MESSAGES ON HOME ANSWERING MACHINES ***


Rumors that Rush Limbaugh may have met with Barack Obama had both the mainstream media and blogosphere scrambling for answers Tuesday. Could it possibly be true?

As the day went on, it seemed pundits were far more concerned about the whereabouts of El Rushbo than with major political developments in Washington. Just the possibility of a Rush - Obama Summit could horrify both the left and right all at once. Could anything be more subversive?

Though it didn't prove to be the case, a remarkable set of coincidental circumstances gave credence to this speculation. First, Rush unexpectedly took the day off, with his fill-in host instructed to tell listeners he'd been called to Washington for a "super-secret meeting" after offering Obama his own ideas for jump-starting the economy on Monday's program.

As you may recall, Barack sought economic stimulus ideas from the public, with the talk titan providing a tongue-in-cheek proposal:

RUSH: Charles Krauthammer believes that Barack Obama will own the bad economy within six months, at which point he will not be able deflect blame to George W. Bush. By midyear it becomes his. Everything is blamed on the predecessor at the beginning as it should be, and this always happens. By summer, it will be his recession, and of course by his own estimates it will be getting worse. Popular opinion is not going to react to the programs he passes; they're going to react to economic numbers and reality. They're going to get worse. So inevitably he will be the president, and in about six months or so it will be his economy -- and with unemployment high, it will be his responsibility. Now, we spoke about this. Mr. Snerdley and I spoke about this last week. There's an ingredient here that's being left out, and that's the role of the Drive-By Media in this. Snerdley got sucked in.

Snerdley believes that the American people will react as Krauthammer writes that they will, that they're going to react to economic numbers and reality. They're not going to react to the programs he passes or to the speeches he makes. But then, as I just said, Herbert Hoover was in charge, in power during the Great Depression for one year; FDR for seven or eight years; and who gets the credit for fixing it all this time since and who gets the blame? Herbert Hoover was there for one year. It was Roosevelt whose policies and plans sustained and prolonged the Great Depression.

You're going to have a Drive-By Media here that will look at Obama and say, "He's too big to fail," and they're going to be propping him up. It will be exactly the opposite of what they did in the last six years when there was no recession, trying to convince everybody that there was -- and after a while, they were able to reach enough people to depress a lot of people in the country, the national mood. They're going to try just the opposite with Obama. They're gonna focus on what he's proposing and what he does whether it has any impact or not, because he's too big to fail. It's going to be fascinating to watch, if people will ignore their real-life circumstances.

BREAK TRANSCRIPT

You just heard my proposal for Obama: Bail out the rich. Cut taxes. I might even be persuaded for a direct cash infusion to the rich, but it would take a lot of money. You'd have to give them 750 grand or a million dollars each to get 'em back into action out there, folks. But either way will work, there's no question about it, which is what Obama says he wants. Now, The Politico has a story today: "Stimulus Not Just for 'Burly Men.'" Now, what's interesting about this... Well, it speaks for itself. "Christina Romer, chair of the Council of Economic Advisers [for Obama], says in a new video that investments in education and health care, along with direct state aid and tax cuts, will help spread the benefits of the stimulus beyond merely road and bridge projects."

Now, what's happening out there is some of the Looney Tune left is starting to get nervous about these proposals, and they are apparently harassing the Obama office with all kinds of criticism and questions, such as, "What do you mean tax cuts? You didn't talk about tax cuts! You talked about tax cuts for the middle class. Now you talk about tax cuts for businesses? What do you mean, tax cuts?" He's got some people that are very mad out there. Now, listen to what Christina Romer said. "'Sometimes it's not so clear -- "why do you have tax cut in here, is that really going to create any jobs?"' Romer says in the video. 'Absolutely, we think when you cut people's taxes, they spend more, and when people spend more, that means people have to produce the goods that they're (buying), so those kinds of things do have jobs effects as well.'" How did this get out? This is Economics 101!

This is not a mystery. It's not even arguable, and yet Christina Romer has to include this in a video to Obama supporters who are waffling here on his economic plan and talk to them as though they're not even first graders yet. Even to her when she says it, it sounds like it's news, that tax cuts spur growth. I'll tell you, the divide and the disconnect is just profound. Obama's whole team: "We're gonna rebound this economy with roads and bridges. We're going to rebound this economy with government spending," and here his own economic advisor admits (begrudgingly and somewhat shocked herself), "Yeah, tax cuts do put more money in people's pockets, and they go out and spend things, and these people have to produce things, and, yeah, that can lead to new jobs." Shazam!

But apparently unbeknownst to Rush, Obama actually was hosting several figures the mainstream media considers to be "conservative opinion leaders", including David Brooks, squishy moderate Bill Kristol and conservative legend George Will at the latter's Maryland home.

At that point, many assumed Rush must have joined them, leading to a media frenzy, but it just wasn't the case.


So why was Rush really in Washington? To meet with President Bush for a private lunch in the Oval Office and to attend the Medal of Freedom award ceremony honoring former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, onetime Australian Prime Minister John Howard and Colombian President Alvaro Uribe.

Rather than focus on the awards and their recipients, the Obamist Washington Post focused on a petty, invented "controversy" regarding Howard's reservation at the Blair House, which Barack & Family sought to occupy earlier than expected:

America's most inconvenient houseguest received the presidential medal of freedom today during a White House ceremony.

Former Australian prime minister John Howard accepted America's highest civilian honor after spending the night at Blair House -- edging out President-elect Barack Obama for that lodging. The 119-room mansion across from the White House serves as an official presidential guesthouse.

Howard, a staunch supporter of President Bush criticized by his political opponents for sending Australian troops to Iraq, was soundly defeated for reelection in 2007 and suffered the indignity of also losing his seat in parliament. Bush called Howard "a sturdy friend in time of need," and noted that Howard was in Washington on Sept. 11, 2001, and "saw the burning Pentagon."

Most recently, though, Howard's stay at Blair House caused a stir here and in his home country. Obama and his family had hoped to stay at the mansion prior to his inauguration so the Obama girls, Malia and Sasha, could start school. The Bush administration declined the request, saying the mansion was taken. It later was revealed that Howard and his wife were was the only overnight guests during the period the Obamas wanted to stay at the mansion. The Obamas opted to stay at the Hay-Adams Hotel until they move into Blair House on Jan. 15.

As for Rush, the day-long speculation over his whereabouts in Washington certainly flies in the face of those (mostly mushy RINO Republican moderates) who claim he's no longer relevant, doesn't it?

More intriguing is the idea of a Limbaugh - Obama showdown. What would it be like? Can you even imagine it?


MEANWHILE, ELSEWHERE: significant layoffs have hit San Francisco's left-leaning KGO Radio, with at least five cut yesterday, according to a source. Among them: a producer, the in-house Internet specialist, news persons Greg Jarrett and Greg Edmonds and even head honcho Mickey "Mouse" Luckoff's longtime secretary. With KGO's parent company struggling to survive, is this just the tip of the iceberg?


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