Saturday, February 28:
"Rush Limbaugh, his whole thing is entertainment. Yes, it's incendiary. Yes, it's ugly."
~RNC Chariman Michael Steele on CNN, expounding on whether Rush "is the de facto leader of the Republican Party."
Monday, March 2:
"My intent was not to go after Rush - I have enormous respect for Rush Limbaugh... I was maybe a little bit inarticulate. ... There was no attempt on my part to diminish his voice or his leadership.... I went
back at that tape and I realized words that I said weren't what I was thinking."
~Steele, after Rush rebuked him on his show.
Tuesday, January 27:
"I mean, it's easy if you're Sean Hannity or Rush Limbaugh or even sometimes Newt Gingrich to stand back and throw bricks. You don't have to try to do what's best for your people and your party."
~Congressman Phil Gingrey (R-GA), in an interview to Politico, giving a negative on the eternal "is Rush our leader?" question.
Wednesday, January 28:
"I clearly ended up putting my foot in my mouth on some of those
comments and I just wanted to tell you, Rush, ... that I regret those stupid comments."
~Gingrey, backtracking, after a sternly worded email from Rush to Politico.
Wednesday, February 25:
"I don't want [Obama] to fail. Anybody who wants him to fail is an idiot."
~Gov. Mark Sanford (R-SC), on whether he, like Rush "I hope Obama fails" Limbaugh, wants Obama to fail.
Later that day, February 25:
"The governor was not referring to anyone" in particular.
~Joel Sawyer, Sanford's Communications Director, after Rush mentioned on his show that, "South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford called me an idiot, not by name."
Tuesday, April 14:
"No, no, he's just an entertainer."
~Rep. Todd Tiahrt (R-KS), entering the danger zone by giving his honest opinion on the great Is-Rush-Our-Leader? question.
Sunday, April 19:
"The congressman believes Rush is a great leader of the conservative movement in America -- not a party leader responsible for election losses,"
~Tiahrt spokesman Sam Sackett, desperately backtracking-- Tiahrt was really attempting to defend Rush against the suggestion that Limbaugh could be blamed for the GOP's woes.
Thursday, March 19:
"Rush Limbaugh is meaningless to me."
~Jim Tedisco, GOP candidate in the NY-20 special election race, talking tough.
Friday, March 20:
"Jim's comments were in response to a question about what voters are asking him about on the campaign trail... any effort to characterize it otherwise is a distortion of the facts."
~Tedisco campaign statement: Nothing I said should be construed as criticizing our Great Leader!
Sunday, March 1:
"I don't think anyone wants anything to fail right now... What we need to do is put forth solutions to the problems that real families are facing today."
~Eric Cantor (R-VA), getting close to criticizing the great leader, and his desire for Obama to fail.
Tuesday, March 2:
"If Robert Gibbs is worried about the policies Rush Limbaugh talks about on his show, he should call into the show- I'm sure Rush would welcome it..."
~Cantor's office declining to answer TPMDC, when we called to inquire whether Cantor was criticizing Rush, or not.
Thursday, April 2:
"There's not much difference between entertainment and journalism on some fronts... the fact is entertainers sometimes say things. We really need serious-minded policy people...right now."
~ Rep Zach Wamp (R-TN), on CNN talking Obama-should-fail? and getting into the rocky waters.
Tuesday, April 7:
"This is a James Carville trap for Republicans...and I'm not about to get involved."
~Spoke Wamp, on whether he owed the great Rush an apology. He went on to explicate: "I refuse to apologize to James Carville ever. How's that?"
Thursday, April 24:
"Rush Limbaugh is a racist, he's a cancer to the Republican Party and he should be excised."
~Long-shot PA Senate candidate Larry Murphy (R) on Rush.
Okay, he probably won't be apologizing.
