Rush Limbaugh says Clinton-Obama race is proceeding precisely according to his plan

Rush Limbaugh, the self-appointed Commander-in-Chief of Operation Chaos, is puffing on his immense cigar and gloating at this very moment in his Florida bunker. And preparing to celebrate two more grand and glorious political victories over Democrats today, no matter who wins the primaries in Indiana and Florida.

Usually as shy and retiring as, say, P.T. Barnum, the influential conservative radio talk-show host is in his bombastic element these past couple of months, ordering many of his 12 million-plus obedient daily listeners to switch their voting registration presumably from the Republican party and go cast a ballot wherever they are for Sen. Hillary Clinton.

Not because he suddenly likes her after all these years of anti-Clinton rants. Nor, judging by what he's said on the air, because he's a huge fan of the presumptive Republican nominee, Sen. John McCain, who isn't conservative enough for the broadcaster.

Rushbo says he couldn't care less who wins the Democratic Party's presidential nomination. He just wants the two surviving candidates to beat up on each other as long as possible, hopefully...

into their national convention in Denver in late August.

In fact, the maverick maestro admitted during a Fox News interview Monday that he thinks Sen. Barack Obama will ultimately win the Democratic nomination. But the freshman Illinois senator will be a lot more bruised than he would have been had he floated to easy victories all winter and into the spring as Clinton fell behind in votes, delegates and money.

Nobody really knows, of course, how influential Limbaugh has actually been, although the promotional publicity for him and his program has been absolutely priceless. Anecdotal evidence suggests many thousands of Republicans did, in fact, cross over to vote for Clinton, which, frankly, is fine with her. She'll take anybody's vote these days.

All Rush is saying is that he urged Texas Republicans, without a real contest of their own, to cross over and vote for Clinton and she won the state's popular vote. And he urged Ohio Republicans to cross over. And she also won there big-time, raising disturbing doubts about Obama's ability to win the populous heartland industrial states that Democrats need for a November victory.

And then Rush urged Republicans to cross over in Pennsylvania. Which they did. And Clinton won again by nearly 10 points.

So Rush is just saying.

He's also just saying that Obama hasn't won a primary since Feb. 22, that Clinton has slowed his momentum and landed numerous blows, and Obama and his wife Michelle have stumbled a little on their own with the Rev. Wright business and being proud to be American for the first time and all.

It's all helped to bring the freshman senator down to earth and turn him into a mortal politician instead of the unstoppable evangelical force he was early on in the nominee selection process coming out of Iowa.

"Our definition of success," Rush says, "is that there be chaos. Our original purpose was to bloody up the messianic Obama. We don't care which one gets it as long as neither one gets it in the primaries. We want the fight to proceed into the convention."

On Sunday during her appearance on ABC's "This Week," when Clinton praised a Republican audience member who'd decided to vote Democratic, the host, George Stephanopoulos, noted that Limbaugh was urging the same thing.

"Oh," Clinton said with a wave of her hand, "he's always had a crush on me."

Hardly. Asked about that, Limbaugh told a story instead about ex-President Clinton allegedly "hitting on" Rush's date last year in a New York restaurant.

Rush admits he's worried though about Indiana today. One of his well-informed sources told him that Clinton's internal polls had her losing the Hoosier State, which would be a stiff blow for the New York senator, especially since she's also been trailing in North Carolina polls.

"That's why," Limbaugh explains using the royal we, "we've issued orders to our operatives in Indiana today to get out and vote for Hillary Clinton."

We'll see tonight if enough followed their commander's orders to prolong the Democratic chaos.

-- Andrew Malcolm

                                                       Photo Credit: RushLimbaugh.com

Comments

[Robert Williamson]

"Our definition of success," Rush says, "is that there be chaos."
- - - - - -
Thank you, Mr. Limbaugh, for clarifying the neo-conservative concept of success -- "chaos." By this measure, everything that has occurred in Iraq is an unqualified success. The aftermath of Hurricane Katrina also is something that all Americans can be proud of. The nation's economy? That's tetering on the brink of great "success," too.

Heckuva job, Rushie.

[maz hess]

I don't think that the republicans from indiana, north carolina, pennsylvania and the remaining states are so grateful for Rush Limbaughs activities. The current democratic battle force barack and hillary to pump dozens of millions into this states which could weaken the republican parties in those states for a very long term.

[Son of Liberty]

I say there should be a law, if you cross over in the primary, you must vote that way in the general. That would stop this sort of shenanigans.

[NormK]

Rush, Rove, and Bush - Three honest and intelligent men working for the good of our nation. Sleep well, sleep well.

[Jon Fraud Carry]

Pass the popcorn! The DemocRATs are eating each other alive!

[BigBusinessIsTheProblem]

Sounds like Rush is on the 'wacky candy' again. He thinks he's singlehandedly controlling the primaries by telling Republicans what to do? Man, I wish I had some of what his Dr. Feelgood is prescribing...

[Jack]

As a Repub, I'd rather see Hill/Bill as the First Couple than Barack/Michelle, at least I've got them calibrated. So I hope Limbaugh's plan works.

[norman ravitch]

Limbaugh flatters himself in thinking he is so influential. He is an egomaniac.

The real driver of this election is this: do you want Bill Clinton back in the WH? Do you want a black separatist as first lady?

Spouses here are everything.

[steve binder]

Rush Limbaugh is a disgrace to our country and democracy. Why the L.A. Times would even print this garbage is beyond me. A majority of the so-called spokespeople, like Limbaugh, who write editorials for newspapers and appear on Sunday morning television to 'represent' both sides of the political spectrum are chosen for their flamboyant personalities, stupidity and outrageous behavior and comments. Why not open up the field and fill your editorials with a real cross-section of spokespeople and new-faces who could enlighten a dumbed-down population listening to Rush.

[JGH]

Doesn't he have some pills to pop?

[brian peterson]

That's a radio host's brain on drugs--oxycontin and whatever else he injects--it causes him to defile his own country by poisoning the election process. Drug addicts canot control their impulses and whoever follows LimpPaw is an anti-American enabler. Only a drug addict would propose such corrupt, wacko behavior and think it's normal. Is there room in rehab for 12 million more?

[Tom J]

One wonders what the Founding Fathers would have thought of someone like Rush trying to subvert their system of checks and balances..

[Mr. Unite Us]

NOTE That both Limbaugh and the L.A. Times
failed to mention Obama's landslide wins in Wyoming
and Mississippi

Limbaughs Operation Chaos could backfire.
The longer the race continues the more people
join the Democratic party. 3.5 million new Democrats in North Carolina alone. This will bode well for Democratic
candidates in November. The Republicans lost both of the Congressioanl special elections to Democrats this year.

[Deborah]

I have seen no plausible justification yet for the oft-repeated assertion that the contest for the Democratic nomination somehow "divides" the party to the point that Democrats will vote in November for the party that brought us Iran, recession, loss of civil rights, No Child Left Behind, La Entrada (No Truck Left Behind?), etc., etc., etc.

[Does your chewing-gum loose it's flavour on your bedpost overnight ?]

Dullsville is what the dems race would amount too were it not for the à propos interventions of Rush,and a few other
sagacious republican wheels. I mean ,wouldn't you tire
pronto at the gum-beating of the Hanoi Jane,Gov Judas,
Ayers,Rezko and all the like minded bums knee jerking ?
The dems Mickey mouse revolution will implode just the
same.

[Rusty]

Yeah - Rush Limbaugh - the great "american" hero - inciting his listeners to RIOT. That's a good plan - hope he gets his anal cyst invested ass in prison.

[lucybrown]

"And preparing to celebrate two more grand and glorious political victories over Democrats today, no matter who wins the primaries in Indiana and Florida."

That's odd. I thought they were voting in Indiana and North Carolina today.

[Pubbie]

Reading all these hysterical comments makes me say one thing:

O-PE-R-A-T-I-O-N C-H-A-O-S !!!!!!!

[OohLahLah]

12 million people listen to Rush? Really? Wow. This country really does deserve the wonderful presidents we get. Bush Sr. Clinton. Bush Jr. Clinton Jr. If Hillary gets 8 years, we could have 28 years of ONLY Bush and Clinton presidents. 30 year-olds would not be able to remember a time before these two Royal families were in charge of the Whitehouse. Maybe Jenna would be ready for a run in 2016. Or Chelsea. We could start our own quasi monarchy. It's been working out so well for everyone so far.

WAKE UP, LEMMINGS.

[Atlas is my dog]

We need to persuade Dems to send high-priced hookers and bottles of sleeping pills labled as Vicodin. That should shut him up for a while....

[Franky]

Further proof that Republicans are american terrorists.

[Bignumone]

What a bonehead!
I wanted to say something stronger, but this place has a "G-rating".
This is the best way to ensure we get the worst president possible. Can you imagine if all the Democrats voted for the weakest Republican and visa-versa? We will always be picking between the worst candidates in the general election.
I am conservative, but I love my country and hate to see a noble institution like voting rights so abused.

[Randi Rhodes]

WHAT RUSH IS DOING is COVERIING UP THE MASS DEFECTION OF REPUBLICANS WHO WANT TO VOTE DEMOCRATIC THIS TIME.

His party is DONE and he is trying to create an illusion that people are switching party affiliation because they are NEFARIOUS AND EVIL AMERICA HATERS like HIM.

Nope, Republicans have families, cars, homes and debt thanks to RUSH AND HIS FRIENDS. He can't admit to his audience that RUSH WAS WRONG ALL ALONG.

Wrong on Iraq, WMD, Terry Schiavo, Bin Laden (where IS HE?) on spending, taxes, oil and energy policy, torture, rendition, personal freedom, privacy, and most of all PATRIOTISM.

This is a cover up of A GREAT MIGRATION to THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY.

Thank GOD and GOD BLESS YOU, AND MAY GOD BLESS AMERICA.

Randi Rhodes

[Slobodan Kvetch]

Rush is a mild mannered conservative entertainer and many of all political stripes enjoy his show. When you
look at all the slime balls and low-life gravitating around
the junior senator from Illinois...Rush appears like a saint.
Sad to see the multitude of credulous and naïve take their
marching orders from Judas Richardson,Fonda,Ayers etc.
When you add moove on and Soros you get the most lethal threat the USA has ever faced.

[Skullie]

If Clinton wins the Democratic nomination, Obama will still prevail in the general election because true Republicans and Democrats will vote for Obama by "write-in".

That's a fact.

He's the best thing for that's run for President of this sweet country in more than 40 years black or white.
God Bless America. Thank the Lord for Barack!