NBC’s Gregory Frets Romney Missed ‘Sister Souljah Moment’ to Denounce Limbaugh; Noonan Blasts Limbaugh as ‘Piggish’
No love on the Sunday morning television talk shows for Rush Limbaugh, not even a mild defense as the unifying theme was disappointment in Mitt Romney for not denouncing the leading national conservative talk radio host. “The problem with Rush Limbaugh,” NBC News White House correspondent Savannah Guthrie complained in pretending to care about the fate of Republicans, “is that he re-framed the debate on Democrat’s terms” and “Romney lost an opportunity there to speak out forcefully against” Limbaugh which “would have shown some political courage, some backbone and ultimately,” she argued, “that would help him with conservatives.”
Meet the Press host David Gregory jumped in to assert “Sister Souljah’s not just a rap reference, it’s a political reference.” He cued up Republican strategist/Romney backer Mike Murphy: “Was this a ‘Sister Souljah Moment’ that Romney missed?” Murphy, naturally, agreed as he added in a snarky shot at Limbaugh: “It could have been and it should have been. The big myth about Rush Limbaugh is he can’t deliver a pizza let alone a vote.”
Murphy, however, also pointed out the media’s double standard, alluding, without naming him, to Bill Maher: “There are folks on the left throwing the same kind of language around, even giving a million dollars to Democratic – I don’t hear about them. That said, this was an opportunity for Mitt to push back...”
Audio: MP3 clip
Limbaugh didn’t have any defenders either on ABC’s This Week, not even amongst the conservatives, where Wall Street Journal columnist and former Reagan speechwriter Peggy Noonan declared: “What Rush Limbaugh said was crude, rude, even piggish.” She lamented that “what he said was also destructive. It confused the issue, it played into this trope that the Republicans have a war on women. No, they don’t, but he made it look they that way. It confused the larger issue which is the real issue, which is ObamaCare and its incursions against religious freedom....”
Matthew Dowd, the former George W. Bush operative, denigrated Limbaugh, arguing Romney and other top Republicans “think Rush Limbaugh’s a buffoon. They don’t think he’s helpful in this marketplace. They think he’s like a clown coming out of a small car in the circus.”
Also during the roundtable, Democratic operative/CNN commentator Donna Brazille, however, recognized liberals and Democrats are hardly pure: “We have pigs on the Democratic side. Some of us don’t want to say it, we have male pigs....We know the culture is sexist, misogynist.”
Of course, Limbaugh’s comment only deflected attention from Obama’s antagonism to religious liberty because the news media eagerly pounced to push liberals efforts to make Limbaugh the issue.
From the Sunday, March 4 Meet the Press on NBC:
SAVANNAH GUTHRIE: Obviously both parties think they’ve got a winner here. The problem with Rush Limbaugh, beyond the obvious in terms of what he said, is that he re-framed the debate on Democrat’s terms. Republicans were trying to say here we have, at last, an example of how the health care law reaches in and intrudes on religious liberty. And Rush Limbaugh takes that moment and decides to make it personal, vitriolic and use these words that anyone would find offensive. You ask Speaker Gingrich about this, you ask some of the people on the panel, I think potentially, Romney lost an opportunity there to speak out forcefully against Rush Limbaugh. This was not a gray area. Look no further than the fact that
even Rush Limbaugh apologized for it.
I think they probably thought, you know, why antagonize social conservatives who listen to Limbaugh. On the other hand, it would have shown some political courage, some backbone and ultimately I think that would help him with conservatives.
DAVID GREGORY: Sister Souljah’s not just a rap reference, it’s a political reference, Mike Murphy, was this a Sister Souljah moment that Romney missed?
MIKE MURPHY: In my view, it could have been and it should have been. The big myth about Rush Limbaugh is he can’t deliver a pizza let alone a vote. A lot of noise. Now, there’s a double standard. The media covers him like he’s the king of the Republican Party. There are folks on the left throwing the same kind of language around, even giving a million dollars to Democratic – I don’t hear about them. That said, this was an opportunity for Mitt to push back. Even Santorum, who said it was absurd, was a click or two tougher on him than Mitt was. And I thought it was a lost opportunity for his campaign....
From ABC’s This Week with George Stephanapoulos:
GEORGE WILL: It is the responsibility of conservatives to police the right of its excesses just as liberals unfailingly fail to police the excesses on their own side. And it was depressing, because what it indicates is, the Republican leaders are afraid of Rush Limbaugh. They want to bomb Iran, but they're afraid of Rush Limbaugh.
PEGGY NOONAN: Look, what Rush Limbaugh said was crude, rude, even piggish. It was just unacceptable, he ought to be called on it. I am glad that he's apologized. I guess there will be a debate now about the nature of the apology, but what he said was also destructive. It confused the issue, it played into this trope that the Republicans have a war on women, no, they don't, but he made it look they that way. It confused the larger issue which is the real issue, which is ObamaCare and its incursions against religious freedom, which is a serious issue. It was not about this young lady at Georgetown. So what he said was deeply destructive and unhelpful and he ought to be called on it.
...
MATTHEW DOWD: Anybody should have come out with courage of their convictions and told Rush Limbaugh he was totally wrong to do this. I think there is myth around Rush Limbaugh, the idea that he influences a large number of Republican voters is a complete myth. Keep in mind, Rush Limbaugh attacked Newt Gingrich before the South Carolina primary and Newt Gingrich won South Carolina and then Rush Limbaugh attacked Mitt Romney before Florida primary and Mitt Romney wins Florida.
I think the problem is the Republicans leaders – Mitt Romney and the other candidates – don't have the courage to say what they say in quiet, which they think Rush Limbaugh is a buffoon, they think Rush Limbaugh’s a buffoon. They don't think he's helpful in this marketplace. They think he’s like a clown coming out of a small car in the circus. It’s great, it’s entertaining, it’s all that. But nobody takes him seriously. If I were Mitt Romney, I would stand up and say, we need to change the political discourse in this country. Whatever words we use on the left or the right we need to change the political discourse.
- Brent Baker's blog
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Comments
Of course - lambaste
Submitted by mattm on Sun, 03/04/2012 - 6:25pm.
Of course - lambaste Limbaugh, so you don't have to justify the absolute ridiculousness of a 30 year old law student testifying before Congress why the taxpayers should pay for her contraceptives.
(I would, however, agree with taxpayer funded sterilization of all left-wingers)
BTW - When did Noonan sell her soul to Satan?
Peggy Noonan voted for Obama the socialist
Submitted by frank14 on Sun, 03/04/2012 - 8:16pm.
Never ever ever should anyone call Peggy Noonan a conservative. She thought John McCain was a right wing wacko. She is a DC WaPo cocktail party sychophant... just like Granny Parker, Colin Powell and Dougie Kmiec.
Peggy
Submitted by amyshulk on Mon, 03/05/2012 - 4:41am.
Noonan *can* be useful - did you see where she tried *so* hard to get Brazile to see the distinction - that it's about gov't cram down vs. the 1st amendment?
So sweet, So futile.
Ronald Reagan
Oooooh....
Submitted by P. Aaron on Sun, 03/04/2012 - 6:25pm.
....a chance to rip on Limbaugh. They all jump on it knowing come Monday, they'll all be little plebes with a few scant columns in a newspaper with declining circulation.
These people are delusional re Rush
Submitted by acaiguana on Sun, 03/04/2012 - 6:29pm.
Rush was right to begin with on Fluke. But why is it suddenly we have to change the political discourse after all the viciousness from the Left on a nearly daily basis?
Oh yeah, Rush is a Conservative.
ACA
...
Quoted from: 'Acaiguana notes from the Underground' (Soon to be at theaters near you)
Loonan er Noona
Submitted by mmilesll on Sun, 03/04/2012 - 6:29pm.
I have had enough of this RINO's comments over the years. If she is dumb enough to support this liberal political hack/slut then let her blast away-nobody is listening anyway.
Michael Steele is Now ex-RNC Chairman
Submitted by libBuster on Sun, 03/04/2012 - 6:32pm.
Ask Michael Steele the ex-RNC Chairman how productive it is for a Republican to denounce Rush Limbaugh. His little episode hurt him dearly and taught hima valuable lesson.
It is just the usual left wing high dudgeon cackling. Limbaugh will be there stronger than ever.
The really sad thing is a President of the United States who thinks so little of the Offfice that he is willing to "denounce" a private citizen. Remarkable.
I am so tired to death of
Submitted by HelenS on Sun, 03/04/2012 - 6:34pm.
I am so tired to death of Piggy "mealy mouth" Noonan. She talks like a first-grade teacher who thinks children are slow and hard of hearing.
Me - "The libs/dems of today are the Quislings of former years - the cowards who would vote a fraud into office in exchange for handouts from the devil."
mad at romney for not taking a strong stance ??
Submitted by dmacleo on Sun, 03/04/2012 - 6:35pm.
no way !!! say it isn't so?
its about the only non-position hes not taken I agree with, its not the candidates job to police the pundits.
give him time, in a few days we'll hear him strongly saying something and contradicting it.
is it just me or do they sound jealous?
Poor
Submitted by grammajane on Sun, 03/04/2012 - 6:36pm.
little whiny baby Gregory. So upset about Rush who has a bigger audience in one hour then his show has all year. Noonan, who is she anyway? Can't stand her voice and dramatics
I trust Rush has something planned....
Submitted by Paul G on Sun, 03/04/2012 - 6:40pm.
We'll see tomorrow.
He hadda know this would be THE talk on the sunday shows.
He's up to something....can't wait!
Paul
Submitted by Tugboat Phil on Sun, 03/04/2012 - 8:52pm.
I hope he doesn't even mention it. Liberal heads will explode all across the country!
Sistar Soldjah out!
Submitted by Cool Arrow on Sun, 03/04/2012 - 6:46pm.
Did Gregory perhaps miss a Sister Souljah moment of his own in bypassing President Obama's personal launch of "African Americans for Obama"?
Could he have justified the President's plea with that of Dr. King?
"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character."
It would seem something so diametrically opposed to the spirit of equal rights would be noticed, even by an intellectually challenged
newsreaderword reader such as Gregory.Rush was right period
Submitted by apostle53 on Sun, 03/04/2012 - 6:41pm.
He shouldn't have to apologize. Libs never do.
Gregory, Noonan, Guthrie and
Submitted by celator on Sun, 03/04/2012 - 6:55pm.
Gregory, Noonan, Guthrie and Murphy, gathered in a dark cave, around a boiling cauldron, singing:
Double, double toil and trouble;
Fire burn, and cauldron bubble.
Fillet of Republican snake,
In the cauldron boil and bake;
Eye of Newt and toe of Rick,
Wool of Perry and tongue of Romney,
Perry's fork and Bachmann's sting,
Huntsman's leg and wing of Cain
For a charm of powerful trouble,
Like a hell-broth boil and bubble.
Double, double toil and trouble;
Fire burn and cauldron bubble.
Macbeth Act 1, Scene 1
With apologies to Bill Shakespeare
celator ---
Submitted by matthewdean on Sun, 03/04/2012 - 7:14pm.
Excellent !
MD
Rush was correct in his
Submitted by BOOMER8 on Sun, 03/04/2012 - 7:10pm.
Rush was correct in his assessment. A whiny liberal Sluterella complaining that Congress should supply her with condoms for her promiscuous lifestyle. Maybe we should all be forced to buy her drink, too.
Conversely
Submitted by Model850 on Sun, 03/04/2012 - 7:15pm.
I think the problem is the Republicans leaders – Mitt Romney and the other candidates – don't have the courage to say what they say in quiet, which they think Rush Limbaugh is a buffoon....
On the other hand, I think the problem is the Democratic leaders -- Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi and others -- don't have the courage to say what they really think, which is they think Barack Obama is a stuttering, stumbling buffoon of a fraud, who might just actually be a complete imbecile, since no one has ever seen his school transcripts.
Wow. See how easy it is, with no proof whatsoever, to characterize your own thoughts as belonging to someone else?
True
Submitted by ant on Sun, 03/04/2012 - 7:27pm.
But he is the perfect foil for the agenda of idiocy...a black man who shall not be criticized.
They wish, they sooo wish.
Submitted by ant on Sun, 03/04/2012 - 7:24pm.
They wish, they sooo wish. First of all, it is insulting to suggest that if someone, like Rush, divergees into a story on a 30-year old feminazi who believes her sex life should be subsidized, it takes the story into a 'framed narrative' for the public. It shows what 'journalists' think of us. We are, believe it or not, MSM, able to handle more than one tidbit of info at a time and can actually hold onto and recall the 'nuance' of a political ploy. We are not so brain-dead as the propaganda-prompter readers. Secondly, denouncing Rush would have helped Romney? Simple answer....no...maybe with the ivory-tower political hack ignorami...not the rest of us.
Glad to hear.
Submitted by desert3030 on Sun, 03/04/2012 - 7:31pm.
The rah rah auto industry fix comments. NBC hasn't seen the Volt shut down and lay notice? Only 60 billion a green start up here or there.
They may get around to reporting it Nov 18th.
Just read where ProFlowers joined the
Submitted by Bodini on Sun, 03/04/2012 - 7:37pm.
Just read where ProFlowers joined the ranks of advertiser defectors from Rush's show. I'll add them to my no-buy zone list as well as the other corporate weenies that bow to the libs!
spayandneuterliberals
Submitted by liberalsarefunny on Sun, 03/04/2012 - 8:15pm.
Correctomundo!!!
Only an idiot (read: liberal) would believe that Limbaugh will actually lose advertisers because of this non-event.
For every cowardly advertiser who panics and skedaddles, there are hundreds, thousands of other advertisers who have been waiting in line for years to advertise their products on his extremely highly rated show.
What a joke....
Strange, I have yet to hear from Auto Zone, ProFlowers or
Submitted by UpNorth on Mon, 03/05/2012 - 12:40am.
Sleep Number, since I sent them emails asking if they'd also withdrawn their advertising from all NBC, CNN, ABC, CBS stations and their cable networks. I pointed out Anderson Cooper's rants about "tea baggers", and the daily crap that the others put out, but, no response. I'm shocked.
Selective Memory
Submitted by northone on Sun, 03/04/2012 - 8:10pm.
Where was David Gregory's sense of indignation in March 2011 when Bill Maher referred to Sarah Palin as a "dumb twat" and then a week later as a "stupid c*nt"? When did David express his dismay when, in May 2011, Ed Schultz referred to Laura Ingraham as a "right-wing slut" and a "talk slut"? The hypocrisy of liberals never fails.
Peggy Noonan and Matthew Dowd were MIA
Submitted by frank14 on Sun, 03/04/2012 - 8:19pm.
They were too busy schmoozing at the DC cocktail parties and kissing up to libs like they were still in high school trying to get the cheerleaders and jocks to like them.
Yep
Submitted by oldfart on Sun, 03/04/2012 - 8:44pm.
I don't think it is possible to be a Democrat unless you are a hypocrite.
Exactly!
Submitted by tomchris on Sun, 03/04/2012 - 10:26pm.
And when will the palace guards, oops, I mean the mainstream media, call on Obama to siege his "Sister Soldja" and take on Bill "Million Dollar" Maher? But, as we know, calling Sarah Palin a "stupid c*nt" is funny. Calling an admitted, sexually active, left wing activist a "slut" is hate speech. Calling Michelle Obama anything is punishable by death.
has the establiishment apologized for comments about Sarah?
Submitted by MidAmerica on Sun, 03/04/2012 - 8:19pm.
Rush's apology moment may actually be helpful in one way it will flush out some of the establishment rabbits from their cover and we can see who they are.
what a joke
Submitted by oldfart on Sun, 03/04/2012 - 8:37pm.
But none of these educated idiots thinks Bill Maher says anything wrong?
LOL
They sure are drinking the koolaid. :)
This is war...cmon Rush hang in there...
Submitted by wahappened on Sun, 03/04/2012 - 9:08pm.
even Patton had to apologize for what he knew in his heart was right.
Hey Mike Murphy...get your own damn pizza, we'll see who gets the votes in November,if Romney's the nominee it aint him you pompous ass.
Hey George Will...take in an Oriole game and convince the liberals there to police themselves you erudite fool.
Hey Peggy Noonan...Reagan's gone, you can stop telling conservatives how to think now you over-analyzing excuse making has-been
Hey Matthew Dowd...go to he** with Obama in his little clown cars you cowardly RINO
Good Lord help us...
We're screwed....
Maybe this is why Romney loses in November, he didn't come to Rush's defense. We need somebody that will hold Gregory and his ilk by the nose and kick them in the ass. Why do you think a candidate as flawed as Gingrich took off as soon as he started giving it to the media? Cmon guys...we're waiting for a leader!!
talk about insults
Submitted by MidAmerica on Sun, 03/04/2012 - 8:45pm.
I still haven't got over obama accusing doctors of not treating diabetic patients so they could get a bigger fee for cutting off feet.
Well, Obama NoCare will take
Submitted by celator on Sun, 03/04/2012 - 10:37pm.
Well, Obama NoCare will take care of that little problem. There won't be care for diabetics older than 60. They can keep der feets.
After this dreadful election we simply must go to the Maldives
Submitted by MidAmerica on Sun, 03/04/2012 - 9:01pm.
These Republican elites are absolutely insane. They want Romney to win. He's fighting for survival in every primary. Now the overpaid windbags suggest Romney should come out against Rush. They must be eating some tainted hors d'oeuvres. No wonder Romney is struggling with expert advice like that.
Trust me, Mid - you DON'T
Submitted by killa37 on Sun, 03/04/2012 - 9:06pm.
Trust me, Mid - you DON'T want to go to the Maldives...........unless you want to get some good surf, or nice diving, or wind/kite surfing, or nice atoll beaches. The place is right at sea level ('there are those' who say that 'global warming' is going to cover the Maldives with the Indian Ocean),and it's super crowded in the main island, and most of all,it's a very staunch mooooooooooooooooooslem country, so they don't put up with too much infidel hanky-panky, other than taking their tourist dollars.
LOL
Submitted by MidAmerica on Sun, 03/04/2012 - 10:31pm.
Oh I just did a quick search for an exotic sounding destination and saw this place where a person can rent a private island so I went with it.
Mid
Submitted by Radical1979 on Sun, 03/04/2012 - 9:12pm.
I think the GOP elites are pretty much all RINO's. None of them will come out in support of Rush because he calls them on it.
Is Gregory a 'Sister Souljah'
Submitted by Boil It Down on Sun, 03/04/2012 - 9:02pm.
He certainly seems to have been wounded by Limbaugh's comments. Poor David, still thinking he has relevance and credibility as a journalist. Perhaps he can organize some of his 'sisters' to march outside EIB headquarters.
Mid, I'm in for the Maldives run, ---
Submitted by matthewdean on Sun, 03/04/2012 - 9:05pm.
but I think I'll pass on the tainted horses doovers.
MD
know what you mean
Submitted by MidAmerica on Sun, 03/04/2012 - 10:39pm.
When they start passing around that pate' stuff and you don't know what creature your eatin' I get to wishin' for something normal like some firey hot chicken wings.
Speaking of "Piggish"
Submitted by djwolf12 on Sun, 03/04/2012 - 9:46pm.
Ed "Right wing talk slut" Shultz. Thomas "Ritt Romney's campaign is using a KKK Message" Roberts. Dan "I want to have angry hate sex (RAPE) with Rick Santorum" Savage . Chris "Rick Perry is Bull Connor with a smile" Matthews. Bill "Sarah Palin is a stupid twat" Maher. Michael "I hope a hurricane hits New Olreans during the GOP Convention" Moore. Kathy "White Precious" Griffin. David "Sarah Palin dresses like a slutty flight attendent" Letterman. Keith "looks like a mashed up bag of meat with lipstick on it" Olbermann.
Way to Keep it classy, huh? I thought so (sarcasm). Boycott their sponsors.
Obama/Biden 2012: Sponsored by Carbonite: Where there is a liberal protest, we are all over protecting that s***. And by Media Matters: Where there is a liberal protest, we are all over protecting that s***.
Exactly
Submitted by northone on Mon, 03/05/2012 - 9:33am.
When it's Maher, Letterman, Schulz, or any other lib referring to Conservative women as 'sluts', 'twats', or 'c*nts', it's edgy. It's hilarious. It's simply speaking 'the truth'. Let a Conservative speak the truth, that a 30-year old, single, self-admitted vigorously sexually-active woman expects the government to provide her with free birth control for her activities, then it's misogynistic hate speech and the speaker must be fired. Yep.
There have been many things Peggy Noonan has...
Submitted by jawebster1 on Mon, 03/05/2012 - 11:28am.
written in the past that has made me doubt her credentials as a solid Conservative. Now I have no doubts. She is NOT a solid Conservative!
Wheat farmers know how to separate the chaff from the wheat.
Submitted by jawebster1 on Mon, 03/05/2012 - 11:54am.
Rush has the ability to separate the RINOS (chaff) from the Conservative Republicans
Some chaff that was separated in this one story: Mike Murphy, Peggy Noonan, Matthew Dowd and George Will.
Thank you Rush. Keep up the good work!
A "Sister Souljah" moment would have come if any of the...
Submitted by jawebster1 on Mon, 03/05/2012 - 11:41am.
presidential candidates had responded to Gregory by asking for an itemized accounting of the $3,000 Ms. Flute claims to spend on birth control each year.
Now THAT would have been a Sister Souljah moment!
Another "Sister Souljah" moment would have come if any...
Submitted by jawebster1 on Mon, 03/05/2012 - 12:08pm.
of the presidential candidates had responded to Gregory by asking for a list of other "free" benefits they think they should receive from Obama's government. One example: Free gym membership with mandatory attendance. Now THAT would really contribute to the nation's health, more so maybe than free birth control pills.
David Gregory Got Beat Like a Rented Mule
Submitted by Motormouth KOS on Mon, 03/05/2012 - 4:29pm.
By Newt. Monkey-Boy Gregory tried to pose the Rush Limbaugh statement in the terms of a false narrative about "women's contraception" and an attack by the Republican Party. But Newt was having none of it, and laid into him with an 8 minute monologue. You could hear Gregory trying 3 or 4 times to get the floor, but Newt was not coming up for air. It was so effective, Gregory only tried once to re-state the question, but then just gave up and moved on..
David Gregory Gets His Teeth Kicked In (video at page bottom)
Sadly, more of the Conservative talking heads and politicians need to take this approach when the DNC talking points are posed as a "question", but they don't.
Eric Cantor was presented with some of the same false choices and he did not take it on as directly. Worse yet, was Chris Christie's performance with doddering old fool Bob Schiefer last week on Face the Liar, errr, Nation.
Look, it's very simple...
The only way for this BS to actually work on independent voters is for our representatives (be they journalists, pundits, or politician's) is to let the talking point stand. Attack it. Dismantle it.
The Obamination... A crisis leading to a catastrophe..(please donate to MRC)
Newt didn't let them frame the question. Go, Newt!
Submitted by acaiguana on Tue, 03/06/2012 - 9:32am.
And that was driving Gregory nuts.
It was a nice start to my day.
ACA
...
Quoted from: 'Acaiguana notes from the Underground' (Soon to be at theaters near you)