MSNBC’s O’Donnell: Obama Has ‘Cojones’ for Bashing Limbaugh

Less than a week after suggesting Republicans had "lost their cojones" after confirming Hillary Clinton for secretary of state, on Monday, MSNBC’s Norah O’Donnell wondered: "Does President Barack Obama finally have the cojones, that some Democrats haven't had in the past, in saying to other Republicans ‘you don't have to listen to Rush Limbaugh?’" Democratic strategist Penny Lee agreed with O’Donnell and replied: "Enough with this politics of personal destruction. Let us get back to business and you don't have to listen to the extremes on either side."

O’Donnell also spoke with Republican strategist Phil Musser and asked: "...what out does it give the Republican Party to have Rush Limbaugh out there saying, who is the voice of many conservatives, that he hopes the president fails. I mean, that's kind of lame, isn't it?" Musser responded: "He is raising some legitimate issues in the context of what some would characterize as maybe impolitic language, but that's his business." However, he later attacked Limbaugh: "...the Republican Party is now the minority party and in a lot of ways, we're back to throwing the bombs from the sidelines... And that's one of the things that I think Rush Limbaugh is stepping up to try to capitalize on."

Later in segment, O’Donnell attempted to portray Obama’s comments about Limbaugh as political savvy:

O’DONNELL: But isn't this exactly the kind of fight that Obama wants to have? Don't fight with the Republicans in the House, don't fight with the Republicans in the Senate, because you have to work with them. But find somebody like a Rush Limbaugh, who they can argue is on the fringe, and fight with him, score points with your base and not lose out with the Republicans that you need?

PENNY: Absolutely. I mean, Rush Limbaugh is on the extreme. He is, again, he takes the -- and I'm sure he will ratchet up his vitriolic -- you know, to get all of his supporters on board and rally around all things. They need to ignore. If they really want to do and get this country back on the right track, they will ignore Rush Limbaugh and all of the crazies that go along with him on all the radios, and diddoheads, and everybody else that is out there. They will stop listening to him and actually get back to the will of the American people.

MUSSER: 68% today, going to 58% in two weeks if we keep fighting with Rush Limbaugh. I'd ignore.

Here is the full transcript of the segment:

3:00PM TEASE:

NORAH O'DONNELL: President Obama takes on Rush Limbaugh. The president says Republicans should tune out the right-wing radio show host, and today, Limbaugh is fighting back. We're going to have it for you.

3:20PM TEASE:

O'DONNELL: Coming up, President Obama's message to Republicans: 'You can't just listen to Rush Limbaugh and get things done.' Well, now today, Rush Limbaugh has some choice words for the president, we're going to bring them to you.

3:43PM TEASE:

O'DONNELL: Coming up, President Obama has his hands full dealing with lawmakers on Capitol Hill. So why is he taking on conservative radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh? Well, we've got for you what Rush Limbaugh said today. He fired back.

3:47PM SEGMENT:

NORAH O'DONNELL: And another controversy now between President Obama and conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh. Limbaugh started it all when he recently said he hoped the president would fail. Well, on Friday, the president reportedly told GOP lawmakers that quote, 'you can't just listen to Rush Limbaugh and get things done.' Well, Limbaugh isn't letting that comment sit. On his radio show today, Limbaugh said, referring to the president, quote, 'he's obviously more frightened of me than he is of Mitch McConnell. He's more frightened of me than he is of, say, John Boehner, which doesn't say much about our party.' Well, Penny Lee is a Democratic strategist and former senior advisor to Senator Harry Reid, she now works for lobbying group Venn Strategies. And Phil Musser is a Republican strategist and former executive director of the Republican Governors Association. Boys and girls, we got a fight on our hands now between Rush Limbaugh and the president, Barack Obama. We've -- listening to Limbaugh today and here's what Limbaugh said in his latest salvo against President Bush [Meaning Obama]. Let's listen.

RUSH LIMBAUGH: Folks we're on day three. It appears that the president I support, I just don't support his policies. It appears he doesn't know what he's doing. He hasn't run anything in a long time. He's never really accomplished much.

O'DONNELL: What about that, Phil? I'll turn to you as the Republican. He says that 'Obama's more frightened of me,' meaning Limbaugh, 'than Mitch McConnell and John Boehner, which doesn't say much for our party.' Is Rush Limbaugh now the spokesman for the Republican Party?

PHIL MUSSER: Look, I think this all stems back to the fact that about, you know, Norah, about a week ago you challenged the Republican Party's cojones on the issue of whether or not we were going to stand-up to President Obama and Rush clearly heard you as a woman of power and has responded.

[LAUGHTER]

MUSSER: So, I'd really put the blame for this squarely at Norah O'Donnell's feet. But looking beyond that, look, Rush has got a -- Rush has got a constituency. This is a fight that he's thrilled to pick with President-elect -- excuse me -- President Obama, and you know, Rush does not speak for the Republican Party.

O'DONNELL: Yeah, but what out does it give the Republican Party to have Rush Limbaugh out there saying, who is the voice of many conservatives, that he hopes the president fails. I mean, that's kind of lame, isn't it?

MUSSER: Not my choice of language, to be totally honest with you as someone who also speaks out in the Republican Party. But Rush has got a 20-million-person following in this country. He is raising some legitimate issues in the context of what some would characterize as maybe impolitic language, but that's his business. And-

O'DONNELL: Let me just -- let me just continue this. You brought up cojones. So Penny, let me turn to you about cojones. Does President Barack Obama finally have the cojones, that some Democrats haven't had in the past, in saying to other Republicans 'you don't have to listen to Rush Limbaugh?'

PENNY LEE: I think you just heard exactly what he said. He said exactly that on Friday. And he -- what he is saying, and what he is trying to say, is open the dialogue for everybody. And he's just saying enough. Enough with this politics of personal destruction. Let us get back to business and you don't have to listen to the extremes on either side. Let us get together, let us get in the room together and let's work together.

O'DONNELL: Yeah, but how many Republicans, especially in the House, are worried about, and listen to what Rush says when it comes to a big spending bill like the one that's about to go through Congress?

LEE: Well, I want to say, I mean, if they want to listen to Rush Limbaugh, they are going down the wrong track. 60% of the American public are in favor of, actually, the goals of which Barack Obama has put in place for this recovery package. So, if they want to go on the ways of Rush Limbaugh, more power to them, but they are going against the will of the American people.

MUSSER: But it does show, Norah, that the fundamental change that's occurred, that the Republican Party is now the minority party and in a lot of ways, we're back to throwing the bombs from the sidelines as opposed to driving the agenda for our country that we had under President Bush. That's a fundamental paradigm shift in the way the balance of power has worked. And that's one of the things that I think Rush Limbaugh is stepping up to try to capitalize on and whether the Republican Congress pays attention to that is to be determined.

O'DONNELL: But isn't this exactly the kind of fight that Obama wants to have? Don't fight with the Republicans in the House, don't fight with the Republicans in the Senate, because you have to work with them. But find somebody like a Rush Limbaugh, who they can argue is on the fringe, and fight with him, score points with your base and not lose out with the Republicans that you need?

PENNY: Absolutely. I mean, Rush Limbaugh is on the extreme. He is, again, he takes the -- and I'm sure he will ratchet up his vitriolic -- you know, to get all of his supporters on board and rally around all things. They need to ignore. If they really want to do and get this country back on the right track, they will ignore Rush Limbaugh and all of the crazies that go along with him on all the radios, and diddoheads, and everybody else that is out there. They will stop listening to him and actually get back to the will of the American people.

MUSSER: 68% today, going to 58% in two weeks if we keep fighting with Rush Limbaugh. I'd ignore.

O'DONNELL: Alright, Phil Musser, Penny Lee, hot conversation. Spicy. Alright.