Posted on 03/28/2008 8:52:43 AM PDT by LoneStarGI
Radio talk-show host Rush Limbaugh has been telling his audience for days now that he could be indicted for encouraging Ohio Republicans to take a Democratic ballot in the March 4 primary in what he calls "Operation Chaos."
Could that actually happen?
Not likely, Ohio officials say.
"We have no intention of prosecuting Rush Limbaugh because lying through your teeth and being stupid isn't a crime," said Leo Jennings, a spokesman for Democratic Attorney General Marc Dann.
When asked whether she has concerns about what Limbaugh did, Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner, a Democrat, replied, "I think it's very bad form, but I think most voters are intelligent enough to make their own decisions."
Limbaugh's "Operation Chaos" in Ohio, Pennsylvania and other states holding presidential primaries is designed to help presumptive Republican nominee John McCain win the Nov. 4 election.
The idea is to encourage Republicans in those states to vote for Hillary Clinton as a way to prolong the Democratic fight for the nomination with Barack Obama, possibly making it more difficult for Democrats to unite in the fall.
Some critics have complained that Limbaugh is improperly encouraging voters to break the law.
In Ohio, party-switchers are supposed to sign a form attesting, under penalty of election falsification -- a felony -- that they support the principles of the party whose ballot they are obtaining.
But Jennings said it would be difficult to prosecute anyone because they also have constitutionally protected freedom of speech and it's hard to prove voter intent.
"You can't just make the assumption that someone is lying," Jennings said.
Neither Limbaugh nor a spokesman could be reached, but Limbaugh has a transcript posted on his Web site addressing listeners concerned about being charged with voter fraud.
"I wouldn't worry about it," Limbaugh said. "Look at this as a badge of honor, ladies and gentlemen. If anybody gets indicted, if anybody has to go jail, it will be me -- and I'll do my program from jail for the short amount of time I will be there before I am excused and the charges dismissed.
"I had the temerity, ladies and gentlemen, to tinker with a tradition, a liberal Democrat tradition: voter manipulation."
Good thing, too ... else the prisons would be overflowing with liberals.
there are Duers across the country pulling out their hair over this..........
DUers
yeah for my hero. love ya RUSH
Nah, no libs would ever be pursued for the same “violation”.
Just like no “black” churches will ever be investigated for tax exemption violations.
Rush was praying they would indict him. The publicity would have been priceless.
Does this mean that there are NO RINOs in Ohio?
I read a couple of left wing message boards where the people literally were overjoyed at the thought of Rush being charged over this; didn’t seem to matter to them that a few honest people at the message boards pointed out that the Daily Kos people were doing this way back to McCain.
I’m surprised that Rush hasn’t received the Profiles in courage Award by from the kennedy’s. After all lying is the means by which things get done in liberal land.
Isn't that also known as a "loyalty oath"?
DUmmies.
Quick! Quick! If this doesn’t occasion a thread over on the DU site worthy of a DUmmie FUnnies for tomorrow... then: nothing EVER will! ;)
The guys calling us Nazis see no problem with requiring a loyalty oath to vote in a party’s campaign primary, and sending people to prison for breaking it.
Grrrrrrrrrrr... you are an idiot Limbaugh, you are so stupid for starting this entire thing. It will never work and I hate you for it. We had nothing to do with John McCain being nominated for your party...
aside from the New York Times, Washington Post, and other newspapers siding with him...
aside from so many of the most liberal Republicans siding with him...
aside from the Governator of California siding with him (great conservative by the way~!)...
Aside from having CNN, MSNBC, and ABC all proclaim he should be the nominee...
Of COURSE we had nothing to do with him being nominated! The American people all wanted him.</sarcasm>
do they have a kool-aid test?
Rush has carried this Operation Chaos to an extreme but when it comes down to it, all’s fair in love, war, and politics. After all, it was the liberals who gave us McCain as the GOP nominee. Nice to see them get some payback.
“We have no intention of prosecuting Rush Limbaugh because lying through your teeth and being stupid isn’t a crime,” said Leo Jennings, a spokesman for Democratic Attorney General Marc Dann.
Good thing Democrats are totally non-partisan and believe in elevating discourse.
This guy should get some calls and e-mails about “hate speech.”
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