I DISAGREE WITH RUSH LIMBAUGH by T. Edwin Perry
I’ve never made any excuses for my STRONG Conservative beliefs. Being a Conservative colors my opinions, my actions and my ethics. And, as a Conservative who likes to remain informed, I read things on the internet, I watch the news, and I listen to the radio…TALK RADIO.
Yes, for my more Liberally-Inclined readers, that means that I listen to Glenn Beck (Say it isn’t so!) and Rush Limbaugh (No, Todd, No! Anything but Limbaugh!) and, infrequently, Sean Hannity (Who? Oh, THAT guy). And, to be perfectly frank with you, there are times when I want to reach through the Television and throttle idiots who say moronic things about these Conservative Powerhouses. Beck & Limbaugh are often the targets of the Liberally-Inclined Media, particularly those who don’t dispute their statements with FACT but, rather, by calling them names and misquoting them. In fact, it’s become so “mainstream” that jokes about these commentators have found their way into sitcoms and dramas, and not typically in their favor. But I don’t normally get into that, and the reason is that these people don’t NEED my help in defending them.
Limbaugh has the #1 syndicated radio show in the nation, and for good reason: if you listen to him, he’s actually very entertaining. And he’s held that position for nearly 20 years. THAT’S saying something that can’t be ignored. Beck is #3 on the radio, and growing, particularly because he doesn’t endorse either of the primary political parties. Like me, he argues the philosophy of Conservatism, not the politics of Republican vs. Democrat. He also has the #1 program on Cable News, and is the #1 rated show at 5pm during the week! (Yeah, he doesn’t need my help.)
So, back to Limbaugh and the title of this post: I Disagree with Limbaugh, and I disagree on two significant points. First, he tends to soft-sell the infiltration of the Republican Party by Progressives, and the risk that they pose to Conservatism in America. While he didn’t endorse John McCain until AFTER the Republican Primary of 2008, he DID support McCain, and still does, even though McCain is an avowed PROGRESSIVE! McCain has said on more than one occasion that his HERO is Theodore Roosevelt, one of the first strong Progressive Presidents in America, and influential in creating the environment that resulted in the creation of Social Security and Medicare, and the restriction of States Rights and Representation in Congress for the States in Federal Government. And, while I do agree that there is room in the debate for both sides of the issues, Progressives have a history of representing themselves as Conservatives to get elected, and then their actions reveal their Liberal tendencies, a la the irresponsible spending of George W. Bush. While I do agree that McCain may have been the “Lesser of Two Evils,” shouldn’t the goal of the new Conservative Movement be to promote Conservatism, not just the “Lesser of Two Evils?!” If you are truly interested in Conservatism, as you claim, stop compromising and making excuses, and demand MORE of YOUR PARTY, Mr. Limbaugh!
The second point that I disagree with Mr. Limbaugh on is his argument about President Obama not revealing HIS plan for Healthcare Reform, even though he enjoys the luxury of promoting the importance of his plan in televised speeches and even the State of the Union Address! Well, Mr. Limbaugh, even though President Obama graduated to the Presidency after serving as a LEGISLATOR in Congress, the PRESIDENT does not have LEGISLATIVE POWERS! The President is afforded the privilege of making SUGGESTIONS to Congress, but he does not have the power to write the laws! THAT power is given specifically to the Congress by Article One of the Constitution! It is important that we remember about the Separation of Powers as defined by that document, which establishes the foundation of what CONSERVATIVES believe. Without promoting the Constitution as it was intended, we are no better than the Progressives, who seek to redefine its meanings for their own purposes.
That said, I’ll say it again: I like Rush Limbaugh, and enjoy his program. If you haven’t given it a chance, find the Rush Limbaugh program on your local Radio Station, or check out his site at www.rushlimbaugh.com. I enjoy his banter and humor, and I agree with a vast majority of what he has to say, but on these points, I respectfully disagree.
I’m going to disagree on one point here, Todd… It’s not at all uncommon for a President to provide “prewritten” legislation to Congress for introduction… If President Obama felt strongly about specific policy, he could very easily have it drafted, exactly the way he wanted it, and send it to Harry Reid or Nancy Pelosi, or any of his supporters in Congress to be introduced…
You are correct: it is not uncommon, which is yet another grievous abuse of position, in my humble opinion, as the Executive Branch has no Legislative Power. That said, even if he were to draft a “suggestion,” it would still require the sponsorship of Harry, or Nancy, or Barney, or whoever he could get to sponsor the bill. That sponsorship would also put ownership of that bill in the hands of that representative. It would be the “Pelosi” Bill or the “Reid” Bill, not the “Obama” Bill, and that’s my point.