CNN Pounces on ‘Controversial’ Limbaugh Comments on Clinton/Obama Ticket

Wednesday’s "The Situation Room" brought on three Democratic operatives to denounce "controversial" remarks made by Rush Limbaugh on his radio show earlier in the day, with only one conservative/Republican, CNSNews.com’s Editor-in-Chief Terry Jeffrey, on to defend the top-rated radio talk show host. Limbaugh’s apparent offense was when he brushed aside talk of a possible joint ticket between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. "Let’s say put Hillary on top, that’s a position she is familiar with. Therefore you’ve got a woman and a black, first time ever on the Democrat ticket. They don’t have a prayer."

Democratic strategist Donna Brazile blasted Limbaugh during a segment about 50 minutes into the 4 pm Eastern hour of the program. "I think that comment is, as far as I can tell, a very un-American conversation.... [A]nd to suggest somehow or another that we are not capable of serving this country in the capacity of Commander-in-Chief is just, in my mind, mind-boggling."

Host Wolf Blitzer then asked Jeffrey for his take on the comments. Jeffrey admitted that he hadn’t heard Limbaugh’s program earlier in the day, and asked for the context of the comments. "I know on his program, where he has an opportunity to speak for, sixteen, seventeen, twenty minutes in a row sometimes, he makes very sophisticated arguments, lays out an argument that takes more than a sound bite to get across ." Jeffrey then voiced his own disagreement with Limbaugh’s position, that "a Clinton or Obama ticket could get elected, or an Obama/Clinton could get elected." He then voiced his opposition to such a theoretical pairing. "I don’t want that ticket elected, because of their views on policy issues, which are way to the Left."

Just over a half hour later, Blitzer played an extended cut of Limbaugh's remarks, and had former Dallas, Texas mayor Ron Kirk, an Obama supporter, and former Hillary Clinton press secretary Lisa Caputo on to discuss the possible Democratic "dream ticket." Blitzer asked Kirk for his reaction to Limbaugh. The former mayor answered using a paraphrase of the title of Al Franken's anti-Limbaugh book. "You know, it's the first time I heard it, but I think -- who was it who wrote the book 'Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Jerk,' whatever it was? I mean, why are we talking about this guy? Why is he on TV? He is so irrelevant, and he only says stuff to be inflammatory. And frankly, the best thing that could happen to either Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama, should they be the nominee, would be for Rush Limbaugh to keep saying stupid stuff like this."

Blitzer then asked Caputo to comment, and she was just as blunt as Kirk. "I think that the voter turnout in these primaries and caucuses for the Democrats, I think, is an indicator of how Democrats feel about both candidates, and I think Rush Limbaugh is absolutely delusional if he thinks at ticket like that doesn't have a prayer."