Schwarzenegger Calls Rush Limbaugh Irrelevant

"All irrelevant. Rush Limbaugh is irrelevant. I am not his servant." - Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger this morning on the "Today Show," speaking to Campbell Brown.

During the one-on-one interview, the Republican-registered California governor was asked about criticism from Limbaugh and other conservatives that he has become a Democrat in disguise for supporting stem-cell research, mandatory curbs on carbon dioxide emissions and universal health care. Schwarzenegger said he is "the people's servant of California. What they call me - Democrat or Republican or in the center, this and that - that is not my bottom line. This is for them to talk about."

In recent weeks, Limbaugh has complained that Schwarzenegger's views on global warming are "no different than what Greenpeace would say." When the governor called a proposed $12 billion levy on hospitals, doctors and health plans a "loan, because it ... goes back to health care," Limbaugh couldn't stop laughing on the air. He said Schwarzenegger's rhetorical spin was no different than former President Bill Clinton calling tax increases "investments."

Limbaugh, it should be noted, has always been cautious about Schwarzenegger. In August 2003, during the recall election, Limbaugh told his listeners: "Hear me now and believe me later, my friends. All these conservative orgasms over Arnold Schwarzenegger are ... fake." Limbaugh said Schwarzenegger was a closet liberal who supported abortion, gay adoption and gun control, and recoiled at comparisons to former President Ronald Reagan.

"This guy may be the next actor elected governor of California," Limbaugh said, "but that's where the similarity between him and Reagan ends."

Schwarzenegger's landslide victory against Democrat Phil Angelides last year is almost always viewed as a calculated strategy to win re-election in a heavily Democratic state. His policy moves therefore look like political manipulations rather than evolving from core beliefs. Indeed, the governor rarely mentions his own political philosophy - it's usually what "the people" want. This year, his core belief is compromise and cooperation, which he calls post-partisanship.

UPDATE: Limbaugh responds, calls the governor a nice guy and a sellout.

(Photo: Joseph Kaczmarek / AP; Clifford Otto / The Record via AP)

Comments

[craith]

"as usual, Rush is right"

Oh boy...I wonder how many more Rushgasms we'll see posted today by the ever-faithful EIB disciples?

[John L]

When was Limbaugh ever relevant? To be relevant, he'd have to actually participate in a debate beyond the safe havens of his empty dittohead clones. At least Schwarzenegger isn't afraid of a little scrutiny.

[Marco]

I guess the right would like Arnold if he were borrowing money from China to finance his budget? The left costs us money? Clinton spent less than W! The rhetoric of the right is stale if they're still spouting off like this after 8 years of massive Federal spending and what amounts to fiscal suicide with Medicare D.

[Brian S]

Good for Arnold. Politicans should follow their hearts and not worry what that blustering drug addict thinks.

[Your's Truly - San Diego, CA]

Craith?

Who would name their child Craith?

Yikes...

[Mark Ruffolo]

A Republican that supports gay rights, abortion, and stem-cell research is like a feminist that is a housewife, pro-life, and honors men.

[Dutch]

I used to listen to Rush on a daily bases. But began to find him just to partial and to critcal of others views.
Those who have a few moral problems themself should not be lecturing others about morals.

[the truth]

Rush is the most popular talk show program in America, with an audience greater than any other news station, because:.

1. Most Americans are idiots
2. Most of what he says is the intelligent truth.

Pick one

[Rush the douche]

Rush is like most Republicans,....a self serving greedy fat bastard,...unwilling to sacrifice and give back to a country that has given him so much. These guys cry for years about xtra taxes that improve communities and poor people's lifestyles,....but they don't mind supporting worthless wars that cost billions. They ride on the back of the american military as if that would compensate for their own cowardness they exhibited when they had a chance to defend their country. He is the definition of the "ugly american", loud mouthed and arrogant to everything except his ego. Truly an xtra-large all american biligerent douchebag. Keep poppin those pills buddy they're helpin!

[RJP3]

Limbaugh is OBVIOUS propoganda.

Those who "believe" him are being led astray day by day ... sad really.
Entertaining: "yes". Anything other than propoganda to support the Wealthy Straight Men of the World: "no"

I love it when the woman who hate the "Feminazis" (Rush's most famous word) call in.

Freedom of Choice is what we've got.
Freedom From Choice is what the Rushies want.

[elgin]

Haha... I like to read all the SP rants in the comments.... It never ceases to amaze me how people with no intellectual values or copmments sink to personal name calling and distorted fact. If Clinton spent less than Bush how come the nation had a SURPLUS at the end of the Clinton administration. I don't know about the rest of you but that was my money in federal hands. Personally I like my money in MY hands.

[craith]

Oh no, Kory, I'm no lefty. I'm what Rush loathes most: a moderate.

And yes, I own both a dictionary and a thesaurus; however, I much prefer dictionary.com. :-p

[Skip Mac Lure]

Gee Dave, maybe a change of medication..........

[James]

Most of Rush's audience are Liberal and listen to him the same way most of Howard Sterns listeners were people who hated him - they want to hear what the enemy is saying.
People who actually believe Rush are either ignorant or retarded (probably both).
Arnold is a good guy doing the best he can with the hand he was dealt.

[Robere']

Good for Rush Limbaugh. Der Arnold has revealed himself to be just another whoring politician who will do anything to try to survive in politics. What a creep--doesn't anybody remember how gross he acted toward girls on his movie sets?

[-S-]

Limbaugh is right.

The only thng that assigns "Republican" to Schwarzenegger is the CAGOP naming him candidate prior to election. Which is exactly why I strongly doubt that the CAGOP has anything to do with "Republican," either.

[Murphy]

I suspect the Republicans will embrace Arnold much like the Democrats have embraced Joe Lieberman for expressing views that don't align themselves with the Party playbook. This, as much in politics today, has nothing to do with who is right, but who wins elections, controls the money, and the power.

[Bob]

Arnold is a joke - I really regret my vote.

[JohnnyG]

But he did make what I thought was a Dandy of a speech at the Republican National Convention in 04

[Frankie]

all this political backbiting is making my head hurt. Let's talk about something more fun. Fantasy baseball! Can you guys join my dodger fan league at www.rotohog.com? Thanks!

[Rush Limplog]

Folks... please... you gotta realize that the whole "conservative" label is all just a load of hooey anyway. You think I'm a conservative? You think Hannity is? Hell no... we're all just neo-con radicals who are interested in nothing more than corporatist domination of government at any cost... and the real term for that is fascism. www.rushlimplog.com

[Ed]

When you go the bed with a Kennedy, you wake up with Liberal fleas.

[Steve]

Rush Limbaugh is right on target. I'm sick of liberals crying over everything.
Liberals:
1) Try to position themselves as victums
2) Are hypocrites (Like Gore and John Edwards) with their mansions and their pollution, but want you to live in a rickshaw.
3) Will complain about everything, so why give them their way. You will never appease them.
4) Never help their supporters get out of poverty. I live in New Orleans and the democrats have run this city for over 20 years, and the whole world saw the poverty and desperation that was here and is here.
5) They want to legislate every aspect of a person't life. First, it was smoking. Next, transfats, next, next, next, next, next, and they will never stop.

[mcg]

First of all: I can't believe anyone actually still believes Bill Clinton gave us a surplus. News flash guys: our government hasn't spent less than it has taken in for DECADES. The notion that we had a surplus sprung from two things. The first are clever accounting tricks separating Social Security from the general budget (when in fact they are mixed) that would make an Enron accountant blush. Second, they were PROJECTIONS based on assumptions of economic growth that collapsed when the recession began in the last year of Clinton's tenure in office.

Now look, I actually don't have anything against Clinton's tax policy, but let's not fool ourselves into thinking it was somehow saving us. What is more, under Bush's tax cuts, the rich are now paying a LARGER percentage of the government intake than they were under Clinton. Who was it that said that rich gasbags like Limbaugh aren't sacrificing? Don't give me that baloney. If it weren't for the rich we wouldn't be able to afford the bloated government we have now.

I'm leaving this silly state in two weeks and I can't wait to take my CA income tax payments with me. The state is going down the crapper and all Schwarzenegger can do is figure out more ways to spend more money to screw it up further.

[Jerry Johnson]

Rush was correct when he warned Conservatives about Arnold. And he is correct now when he says that Arnold governs like a liberal. Like him or not, Rush is usually correct in his observations.

For those of you who hate Rush, instead of acting like a six year old and calling him names, give examples of observations he made that were wrong. Tough, isn’t it?