Tom Ridge disses Limbaugh as 'too shrill,' says Cheney is out to lunch too
Well, it seems Tom Ridge isn't a Rush Limbaugh fan. On yesterday's State of the Union show on CNN:
KING: Where's Tom Ridge?
Are you in the Rush Limbaugh/Dick Cheney version of the Republican Party or the Colin Powell version of the Republican Party?
RIDGE: I'm in the Tom Ridge version of the party. And my version of the party is simply, when you're asked to serve, as I have been by two Republican presidents -- one gave me a draft notice and sent me to Vietnam and the other called me away from the office I had led as governor, and neither one asked me where I stood on gay rights or abortion. They said, "Will you serve?"
And I think, for the American public -- for the Republican Party to restore itself is not as a regional party but as a national party. We have to be far less judgmental about disagreements within the party and far more judgmental about our disagreement with our friends on the other side of the aisle.
KING: You've used those terms, "need to be less shrill, less judgmental." Who's being shrill? Who's being judgmental?
RIDGE: Well, I think a lot of our commentators are being shrill. I mean, I don't disagree...
KING; Rush?
RIDGE: Yes, I -- listen, Rush Limbaugh has an audience of 20 million people. A lot of people listen, daily, to him and live by very word. But words mean things, and how you use words is very important.
KING: I want to be clear, though. You think Rush is among those being too judgmental, too shrill?
RIDGE: Well, I think -- I think Rush -- Rush articulates his point of views in ways that offend very many. It's a matter of -- matter of language and a matter of how you use words. And it does get the base all fired up, and he's got strong following. But, personally, if he would listen to me -- and I doubt if he would -- the notion is, express yourselves, but let's respect others' opinions. And let's not be divisive.
Let's lead our party based on some principles that have been very much a part of who we are for decades, and let's be less shrill, in terms of -- and, particularly, not attack other individuals. Let's attack their ideas. Let's explain, in a rational, thoughtful, responsible and reasonable way why our ideas and our approach are more acceptable, why they should be more acceptable to the average citizen.
With Ridge the dynamic is kind of interesting, because he doesn't have go groveling to the Flaming Gasbag, so he may not wind up being forced to.
He also made clear that he disagreed with Dick Cheney:
KING: On the threshold question Vice President Cheney has raised, he says because of the changes in policy that President Obama has made the American people less safe. Do you agree?
RIDGE: Well, I agree that both men in principle are saying the right thing to the American public. President Obama has said we must conduct ourselves and combat terrorism in a way that's consistent with our value system, and I think he is spot-on.
I also think the vice president in his retort saying, look, we need to do everything we can, everything possible to protect American citizens, and I think Americans in large agree with both.
I think the interesting...
KING: But do you -- you had the intelligence. You served in a very sensitive position in those days after 9/11. Do you believe we are less safe today because of steps taken by President Obama?
RIDGE: I do not.
KING: You disagree with Dick Cheney then?
RIDGE: Yes, I disagree with Dick Cheney, but I also disagree with the approach both men are taking.
Indeed, he goes on to criticize Obama for being too "backward looking" in dealing with torture and Gitmo and the like -- the classic centrist's mantra.
But it is interesting to see the sensible Republicans trying to retake control of their party. Lotsa luck with that, fellas.
"There's a Mr. Limbaugh on the phone for you--he say's it's urgent."
"..and a Mr. Cheney on the other line who wants to know if you're free to go on a hunting trip next weekend"
And I doubt very much that Rush will attack him. Rush laid off Wanda Sykes, after all. Ridge did what Rush did not: fought in Vietnam. He's a warrior, Rush is a pansy. If Rush is stupid enough to attack Ridge, Ridge won't apologize. Unlike Rush, Ridge is a classy and thoughtful Republican. Ridge is no longer in public office and doesn't need to worry about votes from any dittoheads, who are less than 7 percent of Americans anyway.
I just had this flash in my head of Rush demanding an apology from Ridge and Ridge punching the fatheaded drug addict in the eye knocking him out cold live on TV.
That would be a pay-per-view event.
Following the law is soooo pre-9/11.
The depised LimpDick doesn't even have one friend in this world that likes him.
... with some "20 million" brain-dead dittoheads as a fan base, who needs friends?
In a nation of 300 million that's 6.6% of the population. We should give a shit about what a small fringe minority of bedwetting, bigoted mouth breathers think? And that's assuming the number is even accurate and that a large portion are not tuning in just to witness the train wreck.
Mmmmmm - maybe Rush just needs a big hug.
You may need arm extenders for the task.
'We, the People'............rimshot................hahahahahaha!
I nominate YOU for that.
Do you own a hasmat suit?
I decline - no suit. It would be funny though to convince everyone to go up to Rush and give him a hug a al Eddie Murphy in “Holy Man”. “If you see Rush, don’t be shy – go up and give him a hug. Tell him everything is going to be ok…”
for Insensible.
Y'all centrist just as well rename yourselves into a Third-Pary and be done with it!
Obama would like nothing more than to just change the laws and move on. Tom Ridge is nothing more than a poor politician with no principles.
shed any tears when Ridge left to be the Secretary of 'Fear'. Any respect I had for him (which wasn't much) went done the tubes when he went on TV and introduced his color-coded 'be very afraid' index. What a sham.
"Egotism is the anesthetic that dulls the pain of Stupidity" - Frank Leahy
Here in AZ we have McSame and Kyl and Franks etc etc
Here in Missourah we have Asscroft, Blunt, Bond ;>(
I'm FROM Missourah....although I am a native...been really sad about the political direction these last decades. Used to be a nice Democratic state. Even Clair McCaskill has slid off the rails on occasion. Nice Blue Oregon's my home now.
“The greatest evildoers are those who don’t remember because they have never given thought to the matter, and, without remembrance, nothing can hold them back,”
Ricky "man-on-dog" Santorum - whom we managed to get rid of, thank gawd. But, we still have Uncle Arlen on our side...er-r-r, on some side, anyway, I think...
"Egotism is the anesthetic that dulls the pain of Stupidity" - Frank Leahy
Although Ridge wound up calling Rush 'shrill' and Cheney 'wrong,' the interview never touches on what Ridge believes is the correct path, except in the vaguest way.
And at this point, even if you're vilifying Cheney, the media takes it as an indication that his stance on torture and surveillance is valid, just like any other partisan pie-fight on the Beltway.
such as remain, in the Sisyphean task of rebuilding their party. The natural instinct of a politician whose party has suffered such a defeat is to cling to their base and build on that. Unfortunately the Republican base has the structural integrity of a muddy flood plain. No one with half an ounce of brains wants to live there. The poor bastards are so afraid of losing Rush's twenty million pinheads that they're scaring away anyone capable of rational thought. Eventually they are going to have to bite the bullet and divorce themselves from the fundies and the right-wing nuts if they ever hope to be a mainstream political force ever again.
Hasa Diga Eebowai
The best bet for the Republicans who aren't wingnuts is to start prosecuting Bush administration officials. Route them out. Bring out the evidence and present it to the AG live on TV.
That's the only way they're going to regain the trust of the American people. For them to say "Look, we fucked up. We're sorry. We're going to fix it and we start now."
Until they do that, they're in the political wilderness.
I wonder if Ridge has started working on his apology to El Fatbo yet.
Obama is reminding the American people that we as a country have to pick up the pieces after the former administration and wall street and the Republican Party left this country and the world in a shambles. He has to remind everyone because we have faux news and Limbaugh constantly harping that Obama is making a mess of things rather than trying to pick up the pieces.
Jeanne
such a stupid question? Does he think his viewers are waiting in the wings for the "Newsworthy Answer?" How can these snooze corporations claim to be news channels?
He knows that the question will cause controversy and controversy sells. There's nothing the media like better than finding wedges and then reporting on the split.
He doesn't give a shit about serving anyone except his party.
"We have to be far less judgmental about disagreements within the party and far more judgmental about our disagreement with our friends on the other side of the aisle."
He just wants to stop the infighting so they can fight the real enemy on the other side of the aisle.
"Let's lead our party based on some principles that have been very much a part of who we are for decades, and let's be less shrill, in terms of -- and, particularly, not attack other individuals. Let's attack their ideas. Let's explain, in a rational, thoughtful, responsible and reasonable way why our ideas and our approach are more acceptable, why they should be more acceptable to the average citizen."
But if you do that Tom, people reject your ideas which is why you attack the messenger in the first place.
The Rude Pundit did a piece on republicans like Ridge who now want to "reach across the aisle." He equates that sort of language as meaning, "Please don't throat rape us, now." His answer: "Let the throat raping begin!"
It's Republicans like Mr. Ridge who empowered the radicals, fundamentalists and ignorant and dysfunctional nutjobs in order to win elections who now CAN'T take back the party, because Republican deceit, exploitation and manipulation of the lunatic fringe ended up creating a monster that has divided Republicans and united Independents, Moderates and Democrats against them.
Republicans knew they couldn't win elections by being intellectually and morally honest, so they made a conscious decision that winning would require them to let the nutjobs into their tent and then lie, lie, lie about sharing their values. They thought they could control them, but the lunatics have taken over the asylum and it's too late for any Republican to put the toothpaste back into the tube. Even NOW, Mr. Ridge doesn't want to too aggressively disagree or condemn Mr. Limbaugh or Mr. Cheney because he knows that in order for Republicans to have any hope of regaining power, the Republican Party NEEDS the backing of the monster they created!
The propagandist will of course attack your patriotism, your sanity, your honesty, etc. All the usual things. Rush Limbaugh is the most heavily established thug propagandist, so he will of course belittle Ridge, and then Ridge will get the usual death threats and such from Rush's mindless minions. Ridge will then publicly apologize, and so on and so forth... Frankly, it's getting boring.
Wingnuts need to lounge on a heat rock.
Wingnut lights only require a heat pad.
'We, the People'............rimshot................hahahahahaha!
Rush is waiting http://www.tvgasm.com/newsgasm/jabba.jpg
I hate this, 'let us put politics aside', as if there is a space beyond politics. It is like saying, 'this is just common sense'. There is no such thing - there are just different positions. The fact is America is a deeply divided country, always was and always will be, adn why not admit it, and fight for one's politics within that framework.
The problem I think we face as progressives is that democrats and obama are actually just offering another form of oppression/imperialism... ie, how can they possibly justify not having an audit of the FEDERAL RESERVE, or propose having a private banking establishment have oversight of the American economy - who will the FED be answerable to? Or take the issue of bombing in Middle East that continues to occur, as if we can 'bomb away terrorists'... It's absurd. Obama is already beginning to betray us, just more subtlely than Bush did... His economic plan, while better than GOP tax cuts, is a complete disaster (just see where we'll be in another two years)... The retort is always, well, he has to compromise, but that is not true... Look at how successful the fascistic right is at pushing the conversation to the right... who on the democratic side is doing this...
The great challenge for us as progressives will be to move away from being progressive as an 'identity' and to actually get some guts and say some conversations are not legitimate full stop, and start looking to form some new way that frankly is just too meaningful for entrenched democratic/republican parties... they are simply too bureaucratically corrupted...
Tom, it's your turn next http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkyGrgXEwds
'Cause if the in your face divisiveness continues, then we are headed for a very very painful period in America.
if the Coulter's, Limbaugh's, Savage's and such can not be reigned in, then there will be 20 million mostly gun toting very (even more so) pissed off American's in a fairly short period.
Looks like Ridge is positioning for the 2012 presidential primaries.
maybe he's positioning to run here in PA as the Repug against Uncle Arlen - that'd be a fun 'contest' to watch > Arlen vs. Tommy
"Egotism is the anesthetic that dulls the pain of Stupidity" - Frank Leahy
Judging by chainey's girth, he's never back from lunch.
Between what he and limpball's eat, they could feed the Sudanese.
Diabolus est Deus Inversus
"My Arms Too Short To Hug Rush Limbaugh"
"Anyone that makes less than $150K in this country, has no business voting Republican."
..... when they are being sensible and reasonable and the shrill button is on mute.
Dam you Tom Ridge and Collin Powell. Stop with your Jedi mind games of being truthful and honest and open for debate.
Thankfully Rush will be back tomorrow to whip these mavericks back into line.
Why do anything with Ridge says rush, there's no money in it.......
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