Newsweek’s Jonathan Alter: Rush Limbaugh Is the ‘Great Blowhard of Our Time’

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Newsweek columnist and editor Jonathan Alter appeared on Friday’s Hardball and slammed Rush Limbaugh as the "great blowhard of our time." Host Chris Matthews prompted the quote when he discussed how Limbaugh had criticized him on his radio show for calling Barack Obama the "last brother" of the Kennedy clan. Referring to Ted Kennedy's death, Matthews snarled, "What is the matter with these people? Can't they take a week off, Jonathan? Just take a week off. It's a funeral."

Responding to the Hardball anchor’s complaint, Alter attacked, "If Ted Kennedy is one of the great senators of our time, Rush Limbaugh takes the crown as the great blowhard of our time." The Newsweek editor derided, "There's nobody who would have criticized Rush Limbaugh if he had talked about a brother because there's so many other things to criticize him for, other outrageous things that he says almost every day on the radio."

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On August 26, the MRC’s Tim Graham blogged about the original Matthews quote, which occurred on Wednesday’s Today show:

MSNBC host Chris Matthews appeared three times on Wednesday’s Today show to lionize Sen. Ted Kennedy, and twice he promoted Barack Obama as the "last brother" of the Kennedy political tradition. He tried to clarify a little in his appearance in the 10 am hour: "I don’t mean that in an ethnic sense or a black sense. I mean a brother of the Kennedy tradition. And I think he’s the new brother, not that last brother."

Rush Limbaugh joked on Wednesday that he wouldn’t be allowed by the media to use the word "brother" to describe Obama. Matthews suggested Kennedy "took a while to grow up," but portrayed him as the great brother who ran for president not out of power lust, but to bring back the Jack-and-Bobby aura.

A transcript of the Hardball exchange, which aired at 5:35pm EDT on August 28, follows:

CHRIS MATTHEWS: The other day, Rush Limbaugh, in his inimitable fashion, said that I had done something he would have got in trouble for. Please explain. I need a Biblical exegesis for this. I said that last year Ted Kennedy passed the torch of the Kennedy brotherhood to Barack Obama, making him the next Kennedy, and it was so clear to everybody that's what was going on, in fact, we put it in the documentary. He said if he has said something like that he would have been accused of making an ethnic slur, because I used the word brother. Even though, in terms of brotherhood, I point out, I’m not using this- I said it at the time, not in an ethnic sense, not in any racial sense, brother in the sense of sibling brother, actual brother. And he jumped up and made himself into a victim again. What is the matter with these people? Can't they take a week off, Jonathan? Just take a week off. It's a funeral. Take a week off from politics.

JONATHAN ALTER: He’s one of the- If Ted Kennedy is one of the great senators of our time, Rush Limbaugh takes the crown as the great blowhard of our time. There's nobody who would have criticized Rush Limbaugh if he had talked about a brother because there's so many other things to criticize him for, other outrageous things that he says almost every day on the radio. So he's just blowing smoke.

MATTHEWS: I think it's an attempt at victimhood.

—Scott Whitlock is a news analyst for the Media Research Center.


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Which proves once again,

Which proves once again, the more you expose these numbskulls the more insane they become.  And once again Rush proves that folks don't get angry when you lie about them but get damn mad when you tell the truth.

Rush was right.  Golly, I sure get a kick out of watching ol' tingle legs get hammered.   

logic applied

If Ted was a great Senator than Rush is a blow-hard. So...

IF Ted was NOT a great Senator than Rush is NOT a blow-hard.

Dig deep enough, the truth will out.

Some facts about your hero

http://johnrj08.word...

Limbaugh is NOT the "Great Blowhard". He's just another blowhard who has delusions of greatness.  

→ Jar-Jar

I presume this is your writing?

I’ve seen this Limbaugh character before, in several old black and
white movies. He’s the pot-bellied, sweaty guy in the rumpled white
suit who ends up surrounded by a few demented followers in a rundown
shack on the outskirts of town, screaming that his enemies and their
evil ways are going to bring destruction upon the world. Then the roof
caves in
.

Since you've seen this character in several old black and white movies, please name just three.

We will Barry you! - Russian prophecy

So Jonathon admits he listens

So Jonathon admits he listens almost daily

Listens Daily?

If Jonathon listened daily, his views would have moderated somewhat.  By listening, I think he meant that he reviews Media Matters digests of the show.

Hey Jonny, how well is

Hey Jonny, how well is "Newsweek" doing financially?  How soon until the rag goes online only?

Do you think

anyone would actually read it on the internet...I don't.

There is a long list of great ones in front of Kennedy....

"If Ted Kennedy is one of the great senators of our time, Rush Limbaugh takes the crown as the great blowhard of our time."

Which clears Rush of the above mentioned slur and lets  Sissy pants keep the blowhard title.

 

"Live for yourself...there's no one else more worth living for.
Begging hands and bleeding hearts will only cry out for more"- Rush--Anthem

Oh this is rich... It is

Oh this is rich...

It is more than obvious the left are in fear...all over the place.

Seriously...you gotta love it.

Obama's a Community Agitator, a walking, talking destroyer. ~ Rush Limbaugh

I had to laugh

at matthew's last line "...it's an attempt at victimhood". Some how when I listen to Rush the word "victimhood" is about the last thing I think of.

Brother....

And Rush draws blood AGAIN!!!!

Forbus... Delicious isn't

Forbus...

Delicious isn't it?

...and yet the poor leftist babies continue to dig their hole deeper.

Obama's a Community Agitator, a walking, talking destroyer. ~ Rush Limbaugh

Maybe Newsweek's advertisers

Maybe Newsweek's advertisers are being boycotted like Glenn Beck's?

Alter and Matthews--two

Alter and Matthews--two trained seals trying to please their owner so they get get extra fish for dinner. HONK HONK.

No citizen's right to life, liberty, pursuit of happiness, or property is safe as long as Obama is President of the United States.

I hope Rush is right...

Rush asked today "Have you seen the ratings of these 24 hour all Kennedy coverage stations?" implying MSNBC I guess and implying they were awful.

Has 1 day gone by since January 20, 2009

that some left-wing nutball hasn't mentioned Rush?

Chris Matthews is a joke even when he is trying to be serious. At least he settled the matter. Barack Obama wasn't born in Kenya, he was born in Massachusetts.

correction

you say ;;
Has 1 day gone by since January 20, 2009

////////////////////

actually the date should read  August 1, 1988..his first day

 

Paaarl of Rhodesia

Thanks to NB

At least fourteen people now know what Jonathan Alter said.

"What a revoltin' development this is!"

Chester Riley

Logic and libs

Alter attacked, "If Ted Kennedy is one of the great senators of our time, Rush Limbaugh takes the crown as the great blowhard of our time." 

Let's apply the rules of logic to this classic "IF...THEN" statement.

"If Ted Kennedy is one of the great senators of our time,..."

FALSE

 "...Rush Limbaugh takes the crown as the great blowhard of our time."

Since the "if" statement is false, the "then" statement must also be FALSE

Bonus observation:  Matthews said, "I think it's an attempt at victimhood."  Sounds like he's talking about himself.

“Always love your country — but never trust your government!" -- Bob Novak (1931-2009)

Apt analysis.

An appropriate analysis. 

TK is not the greatest.   Rush tweaks the liberals via Media Matters again. Matthews seldom thinks before he opens his mouth.

→ Wrong Alter!

Hey Alter!  Look no further than the Chairman of the Financial Services Committee.

We will Barry you! - Russian prophecy

SNL was never this good.

Another one of El Rushbo's predictions come true again. The left just isn't able to handle any truth, and what's so very sad for theses people, they actually believe the trash that comes out of their mouths. We on the right must be doing a pretty good job, because the attacks are getting better and better, when all else fails add a few race baiting remarks in there for good measure. I think Matthews and crowd should get on SNL , I'm sure thier new poster boy Franken would be happy to join them, then we all can have a great laugh all at the same time. SNL has never been as good as MSLSD...

Its a good thing the left isn't remotely competent

 Its a good thing the left isn't remotely competent. Could you imagine if they were as competent as Rush? They'd own the White House, both houses of Congress and probably the media.

 

I am the mob. Don't tread on me.

They do own the media, no

They do own the media, no probably about it, lock-stock and keyboard.  And you are correct, they do own the White House.  With the thug tactics they use they can have it for just a short time longer, and the House as well. 

Talk about chickens coming home to roost.  There is a big time reckoning coming and they damn sure won't be able to stop it, with or with out their private brown shir...errr....army.  And to think they'd have brought all on themselves.  And they can't stop it. LOL

So you think there may be a war

So you think there will be some type of horrific event?

 

This message may or may not have be edited by Blond.

I am the mob. Don't tread on me.

And The Huffington Post is

And The Huffington Post is the worlds biggest joke!

Huffington Post BUSTED!

 

http://iamnotaracist.wordpress.com/  

Jonathan Alter

I do not read or subscribe to Newsweek because of people like jonathan alter  and eleanor clift because of their liberal bias.  There may be a lot other others who feel the same as I do and will not have anything to do with this magazine.  Maybe alter and clift should consider that when they appear on television and show their  political leanings, it is going to affect the business of Newsweek.  If they don't care, I see no reason to patronize a  publication that favors one political party over another.

They KNOW Rush is right...

There's no other reason why they'd be wailing and gnashing their teeth like this - other than the fact that Rush Limbaugh skinned them alive, nailed them to the wall and strung their pelts up on a flagpole.

The liberal media retards have the rat-traps clamped firmly on their fingers and they know it.  Rush may not be a prophet - but they make him LOOK like a prophet every day by doing, saying and behaving exactly the way he knows they will.

Rush knew they'd used Kennedy's rotting corpse as ventriloquist dummy to pimp their Communist Medical takeover and predicted it months ago - they're just mad because they can't help themselves.

Rush dug a pit trap for them - he even set up a big glowing neon sign for them in advance which flashed in brilliant red letters, 'You Liberals will fall into this pit, right HERE!'

And they STILL stampeded into it like a bunch of depressed lemmings.  That's why they hate Rush.   Because Rush is always right.

Slyrr... You've got me

Slyrr...

You've got me laughing...'depressed lemmings' is right...of course the rest of your sentiments go without saying.

You topped my night off.

Obama's a Community Agitator, a walking, talking destroyer. ~ Rush Limbaugh

Slyrr

Hear! Hear! And it's truly disgusting, the exploitation of his death.

Liberals. Exploiters.

(Oh, not to mention, hypocrites, dishonest with themselves up the wazzoo, and many more...)

 

Matthews thoughts

Rush knows exactly what he is doing. Don't doubt him.  

LOL Kansas Girl.. ...I

LOL Kansas Girl..

...I don't.  ;-)

Obama's a Community Agitator, a walking, talking destroyer. ~ Rush Limbaugh

Alter and Matthews...

....tingling together.

Day 4 and Tingles still in his funeral outfit.

Day 4 and Tingles still in his funeral outfit.

              

              Rush can't be the biggest blow hard. He doesn't work for ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, MSNBC, or any of the dying news shows. Newsweek must have been thinking of Matthews or Olbermann.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

Chris Matthews Is The

Chris Matthews Is The Cowardly Lion 

Once again, Matthews plays the Cowardly Lion to perfection. He snarls and insults and bullies, but when someone calls him on it, he cries like the Lion when Dorothy swatted him on the nose - "What did you do that for?"

The "Mainstream" Media: By liberals. For liberals.

Very Funny

Someone should Photoshop Matthew's face into the Cowardly Lion portrait.

I don't listen to radio

I may have NPR on during makeup time (have to catch all sides), but I don't listen to Rush, Levin, or the others, though I sometimes see them on Hannity. But I have to observe that all media people are showmen--blowhards, bloweasies, whatever--or people won't be interested enough to watch or listen. The difference is this works for Limbaugh and doesn't work for Matthews. Matthews gets plain silly. And Alter? I dropped Newsweek when he started in as a blatant shill for this admin. I got my money back after 40-some yrs as a subscriber.

It took you forty years to wise up? I never...

considered subscribing to them based on their covers I saw while waiting in my dentist's office.  No wonder you listen to NPR over Rush.  Jim Webster

Tell the MSM to take the week off

The MSM quit reporting about 10 years ago.  No one will miss a week off. 

"What experience and history teach is
this - that people and governments never have learned anything from history,
or acted on principles deduced from it."


G. W. F. Hegel

Liberal tolerance on

Liberal tolerance on parade

The Rocky Mountain Collegian: Illustrating Idiocy

I listen to Rush every day. If he were a "blowhard" in the...

pejorative sense, I would never listen to him.  Now, Jonathan Alter works for Newsweek.  He obviously agrees with their far or extreme left editorial stance.  Mr. Alter and his publication have nothing to say to me because I trust Rush far more than I do them and based on Rush's popularity, so do millions and millions of good right of center Americans.  Jim Webster

This characterization of Rush is expected...

This characterization of Rush is expected, coming from someone once characterized as, "Newsweek's menopausal Leftist Jonathan Alter (aka "Eleanor Clift in drag").

Hey Bro'

Obama the last "brother?" You would think Chris would be more racially sensative than that. Now if Rush had said that....