Eagleburger: Limbaugh, Hannity Don't Speak for the GOP
Huffington Post
Brad Friedman
February 22, 2008

Republicanist Radio Pundit Responds in Heated Tirade to Criticism by Former Bush Sr. Secretary of State, Concerning His Attacks on John McCain...

In response to critical comments by former Republican Secretary of State Lawrence Eagleburger, rightwing talker and self-proclaimed "Dean of the Limbaugh Institute for Conservative Studies," Rush Limbaugh, offered a fresh and perhaps telling explanation yesterday morning for his ongoing attacks on presumptive Republican Presidential nominee John McCain.

"We're trying to avoid a fifty state landslide!" Limbaugh shouted angrily in reply to the comments from Eagleburger, who had slammed him and fellow Republicanist entertainer Sean Hannity of Fox "News" and ABC Radio.

"I don't know who elected Rush Limbaugh or Hannity as the heads of this conservative movement," Eagleburger says at the beginning of a clip from MSNBC on Tuesday night that and aired on Wednesday's radio show. "They throw that word around as if it was theirs and theirs alone."

"I thought I was a conservative, but that doesn't mean that I have to buy off on everything these poobahs thinks is what's necessary to be a conservative," continued the former Sec. of State, before defending what he sees as McCain's conservative national security credentials.

(The audio clip of the entire outburst is posted here...)

The apparently irksome comments by the former high-ranking Republican statesman reflects the continuing confusion and dismay among an increasingly dispirited, disjointed and desperate Republican Party, torn apart after seven years of what all but 19% of America sees as the failed Presidency of George W. Bush, coupled with the party's inability to select a 2008 Presidential nominee perceived as being both Conservative on all fronts and entirely flip-flopless.

On the taped portion of his comments, as aired by Limbaugh, Eagleburger concluded by adding, "They boggle my mind in terms of what it is they think they're doing. The whole thing is so confusing, and so illogical that I cannot understand what they have on their minds," before El-Rushbo broke into his tirade.

"We're trying to win. We're trying to avoid a fifty state landslide, Dr. Eagleburger!," Limbaugh hollered in reply. "We're trying to win!," he said again.

He then launched into an attack on the former State Department official who served under Presidents Nixon, Reagan and Bush Sr., and who now serves as an analyst for MSNBC -- referred to by Limbaugh conversely as "DNC TV" and "PMSNBC" on the program.

"We've always wanted to win!," Limbaugh continued in his defense before releasing a huge sigh of exasperation. And then..."We don't have a death wish!"

He went on to attack Eagleburger at length, yet again, later in the broadcast. Limbaugh's telling admission came during the first hour of his nationally syndicated radio broadcast on Wednesday.

Originally published at The BRAD BLOG, including the full audio clip, posted the end of the article...

Original Text