Why Rush Limbaugh Doesn't Like Duncan Hunter

Spank That Donkey ^ | Staff

[pissant]

I was surprised to hear Rush Limbaugh the other day say that there was no 'Thoroughbred' Conservative in the 2008 Republican nomination Field for President. I was thinking to myself, What? Rep. Duncan Hunter is Conservative right down the line. From his web site: Hunter' Ratings

National Rifle Association: A+

Americans for Better Immigration: A+

Eagle Forum: 100%

Christian Coalition: 100%

Family Research Council Action: 100%

Campaign for Working Families: 100%

Concerned Women for America: 100%

National Right to Life Committee: 100%

Federation for American Immigration Reform: 100%

National Federation of Independent Business: 100%

Gun Owners of America: A (Read GOA article here)

** GodVoters.org: A ** (the ONLY A they gave) (See their endorsement here)

American Conservative Union: 92%

Americans for Tax Reform: 88.5% (lifetime, most recent rating was 100%)

National Tax Limitation Committee: 88

National Taxpayers Union: B

ACLU: 7% (indicates very conservative)

NARAL: 0% (indicates a pro-life record)

Exactly how Conservative can you get? Ok, so what's with Limbaugh? Simple, found this On the Hill article that says:

"It is difficult to change Rep. Duncan Hunter’s mind. House leadership officials and the White House have found that out the hard way."

"When they wanted him to vote for a pending trade bill last year, Hunter (R-Calif.) refused — again and again. And when the Bush administration tried to convince the powerful Armed Services Committee on its controversial port security plan, Hunter refused to budge."

"Twisting Hunter’s arm is impossible, his close friends say."

The article continues:

"And Hunter, whom many call a protectionist, was instrumental in scuttling a deal that would have given the operations at six major U.S. ports to Dubai Ports World, a company owned by the United Arab Emirates."

“He was shocked that the administration approved the deal,” said Rep. Jim Saxton (R-N.J.), a senior member of Hunter’s committee and a close friend. Saxton worked with Hunter to introduce legislation blocking the deal and revising the foreign-investment process to ensure national security.

“On the Dubai issue, he got all fired up,” a congressional source said. Hunter gathered information to prove that Dubai has not been trustworthy — despite repeated administration assertions that the UAE is a vital ally in the war on terrorism."

"It is not often that a guest on a TV news program has the boldness to put the interviewer’s political-activism past in the open, but Hunter wasn’t one to shy away. He made sure to point out, three times, that George Stephanopoulos, the host of ABC’s “This Week,” had worked for President Clinton, who supported the Dubai Ports deal."

“I don’t think President Clinton, your old boss, knows the facts of the transshipment that take place through Dubai sending nuclear components to all parts of the world,” Hunter told Stephanopoulos, in one of the references to Clinton."

I remember Rush getting particularly getting bent out of shape on the issue:

Rush probably felt he could personally change every American's mind on the issue from behind the EIB Golden Microphone, but alas, the deal fell through. Is El Rushbo taking out his frustration on the actual 'Thoroughbred Conservative' Republican Candidate for POTUS in 2008?

Hey Rush, why don't you give your ego a break bud?

[ChessExpert]

Thanks for the link. I think Duncan Hunter makes good arguments.

I hadn’t heard his argument on taxes before from him. I knew that some countries subsidized exports, but I never heard that we agreed to it, or that China was one of those countries. Nor had I heard of the devaluation of the China’s currency. Competing on devaluations is a bad idea, and I'm glad he did not suggest it.

Duncan Hunter is right that equalizing the playing field on taxes and trade policy is a proper role for the President. John McCain and others are probably asleep on this topic, as they were on the southern border.

[Little_GTO]

Maybe Fred was the phony candidate to throw the sheeple into a tizzy while the well oiled machine was in stealth mode promoting their candidate of choice, Mitt.

Good point!

[HawaiianGecko]

"Why on earth would Limbaugh support Hunter?"

Who said he does support him or even should?

[RasterMaster]

We have “Fair trade” with our ALLIES, NOT COMMUNISTS....they get the better part of the deal each and every time.

Interesting look back on “Free Trade” from the 1980s-90s....

Part1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GecyyDHmNg

Part 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxPigywkkKE

Part 3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZ2VvviC0PQ

Part 4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZLpULKK6XQ

Part 5
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGVcTqaKUU8

Part 6
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSgdXlZIGx4

If one cannot learn from the JAPANESE example (our “ally), then they are bound to make similar mistakes with Chinese (a Communist enemy) and trade.

[ChessExpert]

You introduce several significant topics. I’ll just respond to one for now:

“Nonetheless, when his government changed the rules for trade and didn’t enforce the borders, the rug was effectively pulled from beneath him.”

International trade means that goods cross borders. It does not mean that people cross borders. It is one thing to compete with a Mexican worker in Mexico, and a very different thing to compete with a Mexican worker across the aisle. The border should be sealed. As clear as that is to me, I am amazed that some would nominate John McCain.

[Little_GTO]

The Bushes and their people then spent the last 19 years destroying what he created, and the job is almost done.

Bush 41 & 43 are trying to finish the job by anointing Willard (Bush III). The bad thing is that Rush is helping them.

[fetal heart beats by 21st day]

Thank you for this link.

[Lexinom]

So your theory boils down to good-old-boy networks, pigs, and lipstick...

For Huckabee, I don't know what to make of him. He is a slick-Willard type and, apart from the life issue (which is extremely important), not really a conservative, but more palatable than McCain or Romney.

It would be satisfying to see a meltdown of the so-called "conservative" establishment - but please, not at the considerable expense of nominating John McCain.

[SierraWasp]

"I’ll also remind you that we don’t have a free trade agreement with China."

Well then, what's that "Most Favored Nation" status they enjoy all about???

[Little_GTO]

So your theory boils down to good-old-boy networks, pigs, and lipstick...

LOL Yea, kind of. The key is to block the Rockefeller types from continuing with Bush III. I have to do some more research on Huckabee. If he is reliably pro-life, pro-gun and anti gay agenda that's a good place to start. I heard Newt has started advising him. Newt has been a little flaky on some issues lately, but he does have a head on his shoulders. In general what I have observed is that Huckabee knows he doesn't know everything and finds the appropriate experts to help.

[Lexinom]

At this point, my only apparent option is to write in Duncan L. Hunter in the primary. Many of us have been getting beaten daily on FR with a hammer labeled "Fred!", but I do believe that a man who is open about his faith and has military experience fits the bill far better. Hunter satisfied both criteria, Huckabee only one. However, if Hunter gives Huck the thumbs-up with an endorsement, that may be enough to sway me - esp. if the prospect of a Hunter in the next administration looked bright.

"The average age of the world's greatest civilizations from the beginning of history, has been about 200 years' 'During those 200 years, those nations always progressed through the following sequence:
1. From bondage to spiritual faith;
2. From spiritual faith to great courage;
3. From courage to liberty;
4. From liberty to abundance;
5. From abundance to complacency;
6. From complacency to apathy;
7. From apathy to dependence;
8. From dependence back into bondage

- Alexander Tyler, Scottish History Professor, 1787

[Little_GTO]

Thanks for the history sequence. I'll print it out and post it near my desk.

I'll keep an eye on the changing landscape for the primary in my neck of the woods and evaluate the options as this race progresses.

[COgamer]

“Rush is a republican, not a conservative, like some of the posters on FR.

Wow, Rush Limbaugh is not a conservative. You heard it here first, folks!”

This is hardly the first time someone has said this. Rush himself has admitted not only that he is an entertainer, but that he’s been known to carry water for candidates and issues he didn’t really believe in.

[freekitty]

You are for Fred and yo tell pissant this. That’s the pot calling the kettle black.

[freekitty]

That’s the problem. Who can win. We have been voting that way for a long time and America is losing it’s foundation and issues and values and goals because of it.

Hunter brought all this back.

[freekitty]

Well, I was wrong with the exception of Hunter who is a Thoroughbred; when I said they don’t run Jackasses in the Kentucky Derby.

That’s all I see now. And that goes for both sides.

What a mess.

[freekitty]

Wouldn’t it be neat if we wrote Hunter in on the ballot for POTUS? There would be hope for America.

I am sorry he got out. He shouldn’t have and we shouldn’t have let him.

[Dog Gone]

Well then, what's that "Most Favored Nation" status they enjoy all about???

That's completely unrelated to Free Trade agreements. We have MFN status with many countries, but no Free Trade agreement.

As a matter of fact, I'd like to see a list of countries that we don't have MFN status with. I'd guess it's fairly short.

Cuba, I think is a gimme.

[SierraWasp]

Sincerely, thanks for eliminating some of my unfortunate ignorance. I appreciate that. I still don't understand then what these MFN countries are favored in regard to, or what!!! I sure was wrongly certain it was most favored trading partner, and like that... as they say.

Us "hard-over" 100 percenters and "I want one just like me" conservative candidate seekers have a hard time with anything that doesn't put this exceptional country ahead of all others, in all things. You know how it is with us "true believers!" We git all carried away with our obsession with America and want to protect it because we believe it needs special standards of care!!! (they're not makin anymore Americas with freedom, these days)

[Dog Gone]

MFN status really only means that you won’t impose special sanctions against a country that you don’t extend to everyone else in the absence of a special negotiated trade agreement.

A rule that says China gets hit with a 20% tariff on all its exports to us would be contrary to MFN status, unless we hit all countries with a similar tariff.

Theoretically, we could hit China with a 20% tariff and still have them in MFN status, if we did it with everyone else.

Free Trade agreements are different in that they require the nations involved to lower or eliminate tariffs between the two countries. Those supersede MFN status, and generally lower prices for consumers in both countries by removing, or at least reducing, the government taxes on imports and exports.