Schwarzenegger Spars With Limbaugh On His Show
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger doesn't think Rush Limbaugh is irrelevant after all.
The Republican governor called into the nationally syndicated radio show for 15 minutes this morning, a day after Limbaugh and his website lambasted Schwarzenegger as a Republican sellout who had abandoned conservative principles. Limbaugh's commentary came after Schwarzenegger told the "Today" show that his critics, including Limbaugh, were irrelevant.
Schwarzenegger did not apologize, but in fact thanked Limbaugh "for covering me yesterday." The governor continued: "So what you guys are talking about, the ideology and philosophy and, you know, the right versus the left and all of these things, I cannot deal with that as much because to me what is important is that I bring both of the parties together and make things work to serve the people. This is why I pay very little attention if someone criticizes me or calls me, you know, that I'm turning left, that I'm selling out or whatever, I have to stay focused on results."
Limbaugh told the governor: "I have said that your compromise looks more like agreeing with liberals than maintaining your natural conservative beliefs." The governor, at another point, told him: "Your objectives are different than mine."
The two men had a spirited argument for about 10 minutes over universal health care and immigration. At one point, Limbaugh told Schwarzenegger his health care plan was being "applauded by the state's Democrats." The governor replied: "No. You're absolutely wrong,
Rush. Because I vetoed the bill to
cover every child because they did not set up a revenue stream that shows where
the money will come from."
Limbaugh spent a good deal of his broadcast Tuesday discussing his relationship with Schwarzenegger and the governor's abandonment of conservatives. His website modified a poster for the Schwarzenegger movie, "Total Recall," with the title: "Total Sellout: Get Ready for the RINO Of Your Life."
Limbaugh said Schwarzenegger communications director Adam Mendelsohn called him late Tuesday and asked if the governor could be on the show. Limbaugh said "Alan" Mendelsohn was "very nice" and told him the media was misinterpreting the governor's blunt comments as a personal attack.
(Actually, most media outlets simply reprinted what Schwarzenegger said. When the governor says, "Rush Limbaugh is irrelevant. I am not his servant," he is referring to Rush Limbaugh the institution not Rush Limbaugh the fragile human being.)
On Tuesday, Limbaugh offered his theory that the "irrelevant" swipe could itself be a setup:
"So maybe he and Maria (Shriver) said, 'Look, call Limbaugh irrelevant and the people in Hollywood will love you even more,' because there are plenty of leftists who hate my guts. I will guarantee you, 'Schwarzenegger Calls Limbaugh Irrelevant' will be all over the left-wing blogs and the drive-by media by the end of the day.
"Then there will be seminars and discussions on the Sunday shows and on media review shows: 'Is Limbaugh irrelevant?' They'll start examining the kind of impact they say Limbaugh 'used to have' but now the blogs have taken over. Schwarzenegger will be proclaimed right. It's a possibility."
After Wednesday's interview, Limbaugh apologized to the governor for thinking Shriver was influencing his policies - since having him around means she probably doesn't get a word in edgewise.
(Photos: Mark Davis / Getty Images; Jim Sulley / Medialink-WirePix via AP)
I don't know if I would agree with the headline you wrote "Schwarzenegger Spars With Limbaugh On His Show" I listened to the interview today and I would say it sounded like two men who repected each other very much and were very cordial to one another. I didn't see it as "sparring", rather a very positive converstaion all the way through. I actually came away from the interview gaining some respect back for the Govenor. Over time I have felt like he has been leaning toward the Liberal cause also, but I understand his policies better and think he is a very smart man. Now if we in New York could fine a few Senators with the right ideology!!! I'm from NY so my opinion might night count!!
Posted by: Dale | Mar 21, 2007 at 11:59 AM
Arnold is right, or at least he was at the outset. HeadRush Windbag IS irrelevant. The only way to make a bigoted, drug-addicted gasbag like HeadRush relevant is to give him the attention he craves.
The fact that California is a blue state with a Democrat-controlled Legislature, and this affects how Arnold must govern, apparently floats well above HeadRush's floating head. And HeadRush's analogy to Reagan, who was certainly by today's standards a liberal when he was governor shows just how irrelevant HeadRush really is.
Posted by: Dunga | Mar 22, 2007 at 08:09 AM
Look. Rush Limbaugh is irrelevant. I am astonished at how the media builds this fat, sour oaf of a man into something he is not. Limbaugh is a supercilious, conceited bloat of a man whose reputation is as hollow as the inside of his outsized, hoglike head.
He is always boasting about his "20 million a week" audience. Ever wonder why he uses a weekly figure? It sounds more impressive than 4 million a day who wander in and out of his ridiculous talk show which is less about talk than three hours of his wheezing about how wonderful he is right down to the nauseating vision of his "glorious naked body". I mean, come on. Be realistic folks. Other than the most dismally, forlorn, desperately lonely woman on the face of this earth, who is going to look at that bloated mass of blubbery, pasty white flesh and think: "Glorious!" Maybe George W. Bush in one of his more gay moments.
The truth is that Limbaugh--even if we accept his inflated 20 million a week figure; Talker magazine puts it at 13 million--is commanding an aduience of 3 or 4 million a day out of an electorate of 122 million. Think about it. That is 4 out of 122! So what are the othe 118 million people doing on any given day when Limbaugh is dribbling nonsense and foam from the corners of his cigar stinking mouth?
Posted by: Gary Jackson | Mar 22, 2007 at 08:48 AM
What, still no comments on your other "blogs"? I see you didn't even post my original comment the first time. Why don't you open comments up on ALL?
Posted by: commentsonblogs | Mar 22, 2007 at 01:09 PM