Mitch Daniels Delivers Terrific Speech

Rush Limbaugh.com ^ | January 25, 2012 | Rush Limbaugh

[Kaslin]

BEGIN TRANSCRIPT

RUSH: You know, the response to the State of the Union last night is getting more positive reaction than the State of the Union speech itself. Mitch Daniels. And I have to tell you, other than his opening when he started, I said, "Oh, no, no, no, please." Then I started thanking God that nobody was watching 'cause it's a response that's, you know, 15 minutes after the State of the Union speech. But after he got through the open, it was good. It was really, really good. Mitch Daniels was really, really good in his response last night. Take away the first minute and a half, I was having panic attack in the first minute and a half, talking about how much we have to respect and love the presidency and respect and love Obama. He's a nice guy and all that sort of stuff.

But then, after getting that, that was perfunctory as it turned out, after getting that out of the way, he was called an extremist, he didn't use the word liar, but Mitch Daniels called Obama a liar in the classiest way I've ever heard it done. He called him pro-poverty. He articulated conservatism pretty well, really did. And at the end of it -- I knew this was gonna happen, too. I knew this was gonna happen. They went to the Fox All-Stars, and they went to Dr. Krauthammer of Krauthammer online.com, or Krauthammer review, whatever it is. And he said that there are no doubt people sighing with desire or something after watching Mitch Daniels. I guarantee you that out there in the Republican establishment there were people, kind of like what Madonna was doing when JFK Jr. married Carolyn Bessette, "Oh, no, what if? If only me." I guarantee you, the Republican establishment right now is trying to figure out a way to make it happen.

Remember, before the State of the Union show, we had a story on Monday, the headline story was "Establishment hoping to find a way to get Mitch Daniels back in the game." Well, I know his wife said no, but things change. I'm not predicting it. In fact, the unconventional wisdom is that it can't happen, it's unlikely to happen. It's way too late now anyway as a matter of law within the party, party rules, not so much law, party rules, the delegates are pledged. But there are people holding out hope. There were people holding out hope there would be anybody but Romney or Gingrich before last night. Now in Mitch Daniels' response, I got Cookie working on putting together some bites for you in case you'd missed it and didn't hear it.

BREAK TRANSCRIPT

RUSH: Let's listen to some Mitch Daniels sound bites. He did the response. This has created... Oh, you cannot imagine what's going on in the Republican establishment since last night into this morning and up to the present. There is... I don't quite know how to describe it. It's not quite buyer's remorse. There's just, "Oh, what if! Oh, if only," and then, "How can we maneuver things to get rid of these guys that are currently running and get this guy to say yes?"

There is such a mixture of disappointment yet anticipation and excitement about what could have been. It is near orgasmic on the establishment side. This is, "If we only ran..." (interruption) Well, but, see, when to look at... (interruption) No, no, no. It's not, "If we only ran a conservative." The Republican establishment doesn't look at Daniels as a conservative. It's why the speech was good but they don't look at him as a conservative. They look at him as a one of them, a moderate. They see him as a moderate. He's strong conservative on budget matters, but outside of that? "No, no, he's not an extremist racist, sexist, bigot, homophobe who appeals to the NASCAR hicks who are pro-life." (interruption)

Well, he called Obama an "extremist" but he did in a polite way after praising Obama first. Now, here's how Mitch Daniels opened. We don't have that. I'm gonna read that to you. When he started I said, "Oh, no! Oh, no." But when he got this out of the way, it turned around. Here was his open. He said, "The status of loyal opposition imposes on those out of power some serious responsibilities: To show respect for the presidency and its occupant, to express agreement where it exists. Republicans tonight salute our president, for instance, for his aggressive pursuit of the murderers of 9/11 and for bravely backing long-overdue changes in public education.

"I personally would add to that list admiration for the strong family commitment that he and the first lady have displayed to a nation sorely needing such examples," and you're probably thinking, if you haven't heard the rest, "Oh, my gosh! Rush was right. The Republican Party actually thinks the only way they've got to win this thing is by praising Obama, 'cause the independents love Obama, and he's personally popular. He's revered and loved, and if we criticize Obama, the independents are going to go running away." So that paragraph that I just read to you, that was the outreach to the independents -- and what followed was anything but what you just heard.

BREAK TRANSCRIPT

RUSH: Let's go to the Mitch Daniels sound bites now. Remember how he ended his open. You could say that this is a slap at Newt Gingrich. "I would personally add to that list of admiration the strong family commitment that the president and the first lady have displayed to a nation sorely needing such examples." That is what has made some Republicans think that Mitch Daniels might actually be changing his mind and that that was a slap at Newt. So we'll see. So you heard me read the open. Here is some of what else Mitch Daniels said.

DANIELS: As Republicans, our first concern is for those waiting tonight to begin or resume the climb up life's ladder. We do not accept that ours will ever be a nation of haves and have-nots. We must always be a nation of haves and soon-to-haves.

RUSH: Here he rips Obama's extremism.

DANIELS: The extremism that stifles the development of homegrown energy or cancels a perfectly safe pipeline that would employ tens of thousands, or jacks up consumer utility bills for no improvement in either human health or world temperature, is a pro-poverty policy. It must be replaced by a passionate pro-growth approach that breaks all ties and calls all close ones in favor of private sector jobs that restore opportunity for all and generate the public revenues to pay our bills. That means a dramatically simpler tax system of fewer loopholes and lower rates, a pause in the mindless piling on of expensive new regulations that devour dollars that otherwise could be used to hire somebody. It means maximizing on the new domestic energy technologies that are the best break our economy's gotten in years.

RUSH: The extremism that stifles the development of homegrown energy cancels a perfectly safe pipeline that would employ tens of thousands. He called that extremism. Jacks up consumer utility bills for no improvement in either human health or world temperature is a pro-poverty policy. He called Obama a liar in one of the most creative ways. "The president has to know what he's saying tonight isn't true." After praising him for being great on family values, he says, "The president has to know that what he says tonight just isn't true," and he said it very effectively. Here he defends the Republican Congress.

DANIELS: It's not fair and it's not true for the president to attack Republicans in Congress as obstacles on these questions. They and they alone have passed bills to reduce borrowing, reform entitlements, and encourage new job creation, only to be shot down time and time again by the president and his Democratic Senate allies.

RUSH: Who's defending the Republicans in Congress? There's nobody. They don't even defend themselves. Mitch Daniels did last night. And here he calls out Obama for dividing the nation.

DANIELS: No feature of the Obama presidency has been sadder than its constant efforts to divide us, to curry favor with some Americans by castigating others. As in previous moments of national danger, we Americans are all in the same boat. If we drift, quarreling and paralyzed over a Niagara of debt, we will all suffer, regardless of income, race, gender, or other category. If we fail to shift to a pro-jobs, pro-growth economic policy, there will never be enough public revenue to pay for our safety net, national security, or whatever size government we decide to have.

RUSH: And here he says Republicans stand for the individual against the state.

DANIELS: 2012 must be the year we prove the doubters wrong. The year we strike out boldly, not nearly to avert national bankruptcy, but to say to a new generation that America is still the world's premiere land of opportunity. Republicans will speak for those who believe in the dignity and capacity of the individual citizen; who believe that government is meant to serve the people rather than supervise them; who trust Americans enough to tell them the plain truth about the fix we are in and to lay before them a specific, credible program of change big enough to meet the emergency we are facing.

RUSH: That's Indiana Governor, Mitch Daniels, and just some of his remarks in his response last night. The whole thing, front-to-back, in continuity was really good, and one of the things that he counters here, this individual against the state, I can't tell you how important it is with Obama out there saying teamwork is what made this country great. Teamwork? Man, that is one of the biggest openings any Republican has had to run against Democrats in a long, long time, in an instructional, educational, factual, informative way. This country was established so the individual would triumph over government. It limited what government could do to constrain individual liberty and freedom. And Obama just spits that aside, "No, no, no, teamwork, government working with people."

BREAK TRANSCRIPT

RUSH: Now, here is the Mitch Daniels statement that you haven't heard yet in which he calls Obama a liar in one of the most creative ways. He comes very close to calling him a liar. In one of the most creative ways I've heard.

DANIELS: On these evenings, presidents naturally seek to find the sunny side of our national condition. But when President Obama claims that "the state of our union" is anything but grave, he must know in his heart that this is not true. The president did not cause the economic and fiscal crises that continue in America tonight, but he was elected on a promise to fix them, and he cannot claim that the last three years have made things anything but worse.

RUSH: Well, there is no denying that. There is literally no denying it -- and it was so powerfully stated coming off that 90-minute State of the Union Show of the president's.

END TRANSCRIPT

[altura]

Apparently there is no one in the GOP who is willing to run for president and who would be a candidate everyone would like, if not love.

Mitch’s wife didn’t want him to run. Haven’t heard why, but I understand that’s the reason.

I’m seeing a lot of buyer’s remorse here on Free Republic now that we’ve decided to go with Newt.

It’s ironic and mildly satisfying to me, as I supported Rick Perry, who—out of all the original candidates— was the only one with true credentials to run for president.

He was destroyed with hate here on Free Republic and wasn’t warmly received by the general public, probably because he was a Texan and people related him to Bush. He’s much more conservative than Bush.

But when he dropped out and endorsed Gingrich, I moved over to Gingrich. He has a lot of faults but also a lot of virtues.

When you consider the field we started with:

Cain - a nasty man with no record to run on except being a nice man which he turned out not to be. A joke as a candidate.

Bachmann - a lovely lady who self-destructed in hysteria over Gardisal.

Rick Santorum - a loser who was looking for work after an inglorious defeat for senator. Hadn’t done much since so president seemed like a good idea.

Mitch Romney - good businessman who decided he’d like to run the country. conceived the idea of government run healthcare.

Ron Paul - nothing needs to be said. He didn’t run to win, but just to get his ideas out there.

Rick Perry - perfect candidate that nobody wanted.

And so, we’re left with Newt.

Deal with it everybody.

[Tenacious 1]

Cute. Even clever.

[Timber Rattler]

Isn’t there anyone in the GOP who can make a friggin’ speech?

[RitaOK]

Of course, Rush, the Response is getting more attention than the SOTU address.....by that one-third of the Republicans who are said to want Newt derailed and to cut Romney loose and impose Daniels the Other Equally Moderate.

[Major Matt Mason]

The president did not cause the economic and fiscal crises that continue in America tonight,

Not true. He was a part of the problem as a member of the U.S. Senate, especially as part of the majority from 2006-2008. That is where our problems truly began, although they existed before this, too.

[Tenacious 1]

I see your list. My condolences on Perry for you.

I think I would still rather have Cain over either Gingrich or Romney. I am shaken by his apparent character flaw. I feel fooled a little bit. But still think he would be grounded in some honest values.

[Psalm 144]

I am happy his wife allowed him to speak. I guess. Whatever.

[altura]

No. Rush is a staunch conservative. He’s very far from being a rino.

Call him a rino if you want because he isn’t going all out for your candidate.

There are a couple or three reasons for this. One, there are things about Newt that are unsettling. Let’s just admit it.

Two, and more important, Rush and Mark Davis have a deathly fear of Newt doing something to self destruct and give Obama the presidency.

We all know he’s capable of doing just that. Let’s pray he doesn’t.

[wilco200]

Was that Mitch Daniels? I thought is was Tim Pawlenty or maybe Evan Bye. I get the milk toast “moderates” all mixed up.

As the song goes “It’s better to burn out than fade away” I support NEWT purely because he is the only one willing to oratorically tear Obama limb from limb.

[RitaOK]

Daniels wife divorced or left him leaving the children with him for two years before they were reunited. She quashed his nomination run and he obliged. (I believe this is close, as I would have to be refreshed also on the details of the story.)

[jwalsh07]

I was being facetious, I agree with Rush and mucof what you just wrote btw.

[wilco200]

“I agree with Rush.
There was steel in his speech. It was well constructed and communicated the real need to begin to reunite the country and reject class envy.”

Huh? I thought RUSH believed in defeating the enemy not “uniting the country” (i.e. compromise)

Nice try establishment but there aint gonna be a draft mitch movement anytime soon

[altura]

thanks. My condolences to the country for making the mistake of rejecting him.

And my condolences to you for putting your trust in somebody who betrayed it.

[Mr. Lucky]

Under Daniel's leadership, Indiana has decertified state employee unions, has adopted the most pro-life abortion restrictions in America, has adopted the most expansive school voucher program in America, has turned in deficit accumulated under the prior Democrat administrations into a surplus and is about to adopt a right to work law. When an Indianapolis federal judge ordered the state legislature to stop opening every session with a prayer, Daniels publicly chastised him (and, with the Republican Attorney General, successfully got the order overruled). Some politicians are show horses, some are work horses. Daniels is a work horse.

[Psalm 144]

“Rush is off his game here trying to play both ends against the middle.”

Rush is hedging bets or doing prep work.

Immediately after Gingrich gutted Romney in SC, the muttering begins about a brokered convention and Mitch Daniels being that brokered candidate. The GOP nomenklatura had better check with Mrs. Daniels to see if she will allow Mitch to come outside and play.

The media cannot unmake Rush. His audience can. He may no longer care.

[Major Matt Mason]

Daniels was a part of the Bush admin, the budget director, actually. He did not provide a very conservative record when in Washington based on how the spending increased during his time in D.C. If he is loved by the moderates, that is a big, red flag, as well. Indiana isn't Washington. His record in Indiana might be a good one, but his previous time in D.C. suggests that we wouldn't see the same thing from a President Daniels. I would vote for him if he was the guy since defeating Obama is my only goal. But I would have no illusions about the kind of presidency we would get from Daniels. He would be OK I'm sure, like Bush, but just OK.

[Tenacious 1]

I won’t argue what kind of a president Daniels would make. I’m honestly not sure. Indiana is a conservative state. He has a large majority of conservative legislature and Hoosier citizens in general. It’s not that hard to do the right thing if you are a real conservative in IN.

That said, he is a man whose actions are more impressive than his words. For instance, last year, he did not want to press the Right to Work issue first. Well, it did get pressed. This year, true to his promise, Katie bar the door.

He is unassuming, has a great conservative track record in IN but is lacking any carisma, fire and brimstone that might inspire.

I might support Daniels over Gingrich or Romney given the choice.

[Uri’el-2012]

Daniels was flaccid and insipid.

Herman Cain should have given the GOP reply !

I'm glad he gave the TEA PARTY reply !

[JerseyHighlander]

From the transcript of Gov Daniels remarks:

"There is a second item on our national must-do list: we must unite to save the safety net. Medicare and Social Security have served us well, and that must continue. But after half and three quarters of a century respectively, it's not surprising that they need some repairs. We can preserve them unchanged and untouched for those now in or near retirement, but we must fashion a new, affordable safety net so future Americans are protected, too.

"Decades ago, for instance, we could afford to send millionaires pension checks and pay medical bills for even the wealthiest among us. Now, we can't, so the dollars we have should be devoted to those who need them most.

"The mortal enemies of Social Security and Medicare are those who, in contempt of the plain arithmetic, continue to mislead Americans that we should change nothing. Listening to them much longer will mean that these proud programs implode, and take the American economy with them. It will mean that coming generations are denied the jobs they need in their youth and the protection they deserve in their later years.

THIS IS UNMASKED UNRESTRAINED CALL TO TURN SOCIAL SECURITY AND MEDICARE INTO A REDISTRIBUTIONIST PROGRESSIVE TAX REGIME. THIS IS PURE SOCIALISM.

And Gov Daniels, Rush Limbaugh, dozens of other blowhard pundits, and hundreds of freepers have openly applauded this stance.

I do not understand how FR's community has fallen so far from the fundamental values of traditional conservative political thought. Turning the UK equivalent of Social Security into a Progressive redistributionist scheme was a step too far for even the hardened Socialists of new Labour during the Blair/Brown/Cook/Milliband eras.

Can anyone chime in on this?

[fortheDeclaration]

Agreed.