Ron Paul Ain't the Tea Party (Rush Limbaugh blasts Ron Paul)

The Rush Limbaugh Show ^ | 12-6-2011 | Rush Limbaugh

[TitansAFC]

RUSH: This is Will in Amanda, Ohio, as we stay on the phones. Hi, Will. Welcome to the program.

CALLER: Hey, Rush? Hey, Rush, at best you don't understand the Tea Party movement, and at worst you're trying to co-opt the Tea Party -- and I hate to say that because I've listened to you for a lot of years -- but the Tea Party movement is about trust, justice, and constitutional leadership; and Newt Gingrich is the RINO's RINO. He's taken several hills from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, he plays both sides of the aisle, he's well known for his progressivism. If his multiple wives don't trust him, don't expect me to trust him as a president for this country. The Tea Party's not about Republican[s] and Democrats. The Tea Party is about, like I said -- trust, justice, and constitutional leadership -- and at this point we're down to three candidates, in my opinion. We got Ron Paul, Michele Bachmann, and Rick Santorum -- and I'm leaning towards Ron Paul because at least in Congress, for all his years, both sides call him Dr. No because he'll at least stick to the Constitution, what it requires.

RUSH: Right.

CALLER: And we've gotten into this mess, Rush, because we've always chosen the worst of the two choices. And this is probably our last chance. This country is going down fast.

RUSH: Are you telling me ... that the Tea Party ... is gonna end up rallying around Ron Paul?

CALLER: One of the three. I think in the end, one of the three.

RUSH: Where is that reflected in the...?

CALLER: (crosstalk) chance for Iowa, and I hope he wins because --

RUSH: Where is it reflected....?

CALLER: -- if he does I think you're gonna see people rally to him.

RUSH: Where is it reflected in the polling data?

CALLER: (silence) Well... Right now he's running second from what I understand in Iowa.

RUSH: He's probably gonna win Iowa. I would be surprised if Ron Paul wins Iowa, by the way.

CALLER: I think you're gonna see people break away from this two party madness. That's how we got in this position, Rush.

RUSH: Well, we'll see, we'll see. But you misunderstand where I am in all this. But that's okay. That's okay. I am shaken, but not stirred.

BREAK TRANSCRIPT

RUSH: All right, once again, let me bring some reason and sanity to all this. We just heard that the Tea Party is gonna support Ron Paul, Santorum, Bachmann, or bust. And this guy is not a Tea Party caller. This guy's a Ron Paul caller. I just went to the Gallup poll, dug deep inside the Gallup poll, the one I just told you that shows Gingrich over Romney 37-22. Ron Paul is at 7% among Tea Party supporters. But there's more than that. The Tea Party is not the Ron Paul campaign. Ron Paul has nothing to do with the Tea Party, zilch, zero, nada. There is no way that you can back Ron Paul and also back Bachmann and Santorum. The reason is that Ron Paul's foreign policy has nothing in common with Tea Party foreign policy, nothing in common with Bachmann or Santorum foreign policy. Ron Paul did not start the Tea Party. Ron Paul is not the Tea Party.

Now, that caller also said -- and all this is so predictable, it happens every four years. "That two-party system, two party madness, we're not gonna put up with anymore, Rush, and you're part of it. You're part of the two party establishment, we know you." Let me tell you something. If two party madness is the issue, why did Ron Paul leave the Libertarian party to run as a Republican? Ron Paul's not running as a third party; he's not running as a Libertarian; he's running as a Republican. He's involved himself in the two-party system. And Ron Paul has led the way with tens of millions of dollars in earmarks. Ron Paul blames America for 9/11. That's not what the Tea Party thinks. It's not what conservatives think.

Now, there's some Tea Party activists that support Ron Paul, but most don't, as is evidenced by the Gallup polls at 7%. But Ron Paul's foreign policy, there's nobody, no other Republican running on that nomination dais up there in any of these debates that has a foreign policy that's anywhere near Ron Paul's. Bachmann, Santorum, Gingrich, Romney, none of them blame the United States for Iran nuking up. None of them blame the United States for 9/11. I love the way these Ron Paul supporters try to tell us who is or who isn't conservative, when Paul is a Libertarian. Ron Paul's a Libertarian, used to belong to that party but knows he can't win as a Libertarian so he comes over and joins the Republican Party. He says he could relate to and understand the Occupiers. The Tea Party doesn't think that.

"Boy, Rush, now you've really done it. Now you've run around and attacked Ron Paul." I didn't attack Ron Paul. I'm simply telling you what is. There's a big difference here. I was the one who was attacked. My callers are gunning for me today, folks. I am a shaken host here. Not stirred, but shaken. Hanging tough. But none of the GOP, apart from Ron Paul, blames Wall Street for the recession. Ron Paul does. Where is this common ground between Ron Paul and Rick Santorum and Bachmann? Have you seen Santorum's face when Ron Paul's describing his foreign policy? Santorum's waving his arms trying to get in there and respond to it. Who's next? I can't believe what Snerdley is finding out there today.

[ozzymandus]

I agree. Rush has been calling out the RINO establishment the last 2 days. Good listening!

[dragnet2]

You bet...

We went through 8 years of Bush as many millions entered our country illegally from foreign countries, and barely a peep out of Mr. Limbaugh.

Foreign policy?

It was around 2005 when we stopped tuning him in.

[Hop A Long Cassidy]

One thing that Ron Paul has is consistency and clarity in
stating his position, and trust. None of others seem to demonstrate these traits.

The big negatives on Paul are his foreign policy stance and some of his social values. Although I supported Bush’s Iraq operation... once he said that the U.S. needs to bring “democracy to the Middle East” I went against his over reach. I’m coming to believe that any Republican President, Ron Paul included, would use the military to vigorously protect the U.S. in case of attack.

To me, the big issues are stopping illegal immigration, drastically cutting spending, reigning in the Fed, and throwing Obama and the entrenched liberals out of the federal government. Without these, there is no US. The other issues can be argued out over once we survive. I believe we are in “emergency mode.”

Although I’m not a Paul activist, I now believe he supports these issues better than other candidates. I’m starting to change to Ron Paul because of these issues and the surplus of RINO’s offered. The GOP has better candidates, but they don’t want to run. In short, he displays his trust by his actions and consistent message.

[moonhawk]

You’re either an idiot or a liar.

[Fester Chugabrew]

BUMP. Well said.

[Jim Robinson]

Rush is right.

I've been to one helluva lot of tea parties coast to coast. Every one I attended was loaded to the gills with veterans and military people who proudly defend America from all enemies foreign and domestic. Doubtful that many grassroots tea party folks share Ron Paul's isolationist foreign policy views. Oh, yeah, there's always a smattering of Ron Paul signs present, but they are the minority.

And Ron Paul is not picking up much tea party support in the polls either:

http://www.gallup.com/poll/151355/Gingrich-Romney-Among-GOP-Voters-Nationwide.aspx

[Jim Robinson]

On the other hand, Gingrich is picking up one helluva lot of tea party support. Several times that of Ron Paul. And probably always will until the paul spambots learn how to spam Gallup's calling lists.

http://www.gallup.com/poll/151355/Gingrich-Romney-Among-GOP-Voters-Nationwide.aspx

[FryingPan101]

I listened to Rush today as usual. He ranted. I think he always loses out when he rants. Today he seemed pure ego. That Angela caller got to him. Maybe he deserves to toot his own horn every now and then. Levin ranted today too, more than usual. When he does it, I hate it because he calls people names, especially Obama. He does it to the point of insanity, pal. He doesn’t seem to get it that there are troops of every rank who may hear him during drive home. They may not like Obama either but he’s their Commander in Chief. I live near Fort Bliss. Levin is becoming an issue in this market. I thought Conservatives were beginning to win the game of common sense and ideas. Today, everything sounds frantic and desperate. Maybe just an off day. .

[dragnet2]

We want a president who will CUT the size and power of the federal government. Not to “move on”, accepting what the Democrat radicals have done as something unchangeable and eternal. BUT END IT.

That's what I want. End these government programs, close these country killing government departments...They're all about control and growing the size of government. They're strangling the country.

The U.N.? They should be treat like the occupy NY cabal. Give everyone in that U.N. building 2 hours to vacate. Evict them all. No joke.

Please, enough with the liberal egomania. Can’t we have a president, after all these years, who agrees that America only needs our military in a dozen places around the world, not 100 different nations, as it is today.

We're the self appointed global sugar daddy baby sitter...It's very unfortunate.

The American people have battered wives syndrome...Fat lips, black eyes and busted teeth, but they keep coming back for more.

[JerseyHighlander]

Let’s keep this conversation simple.

Rush Limbaugh is full of shit and is a revisionist populist actively engaging in highjacking and either resteering or if he fails at that, capsizing the original straightforward message of the original Tea Party participants.

The origins of the Tea Party that is worried about overtaxation and out of control Government spending is actively protesting against out of control Government spending on foreign policy including State Dept and Defense Dept authorizations.

Johnny come lately hangers-on and special interest scoundrels draped in flags can voice their distortions through mouthpieces like Limbaugh, but Limbaugh has nothing to do with the Tea Party, and is just as much a source of comfort to the overspending and overtaxing Beltway insiders as is the Defense industry lobbyists who have paid certain Tea Party groups into forging an aggressive foreign policy to maintain and increase current Defense and State Dept budgets.

[dragnet2]

The origins of the Tea Party that is worried about overtaxation and out of control Government spending is actively protesting against out of control Government spending on foreign policy including State Dept and Defense Dept authorizations.

What you said.

[dragnet2]

Johnny come lately hangers-on and special interest scoundrels draped in flags can voice their distortions through mouthpieces like Limbaugh, but Limbaugh has nothing to do with the Tea Party, and is just as much a source of comfort to the overspending and overtaxing Beltway insiders as is the Defense industry lobbyists who have paid certain Tea Party groups into forging an aggressive foreign policy to maintain and increase current Defense and State Dept budgets.

From the beginning of the Tea Party, Washington insiders, and big party political bosses have attempted to hijack and mold it, into what benefited them.

[SaraJohnson]

Actually, the Tea Party was launched in response to Obama unconstitutionally taking over the health care industry (and our bodies with government care dictating and death panels) and the CORRUPT corporate and bankster bail-outs and pay offs.

That view of corruption from what I have learned in talking to many Tea Party people, includes the dishonest banksters, corporate shysters AND the politicans. Rush should know this. Americans are seeing no angels among the elite these days.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks TitansAFC.

[liberty or death]

Rush has always spoken to “limited government, personal accountability, liberty and freedom.”

That’s the Tea Party. Not Rush but the things we all believe in and why we are here on this forum.

[hocndoc]

Actually, no. We in the Tea Party - we who are “Taxed Enough Already” - oppose government growth, increasing interference in our daily lives, the bailouts and ObamaCare.

However, we are the Conservative base of the Republican Party and we believe in defense as a legitimate purpose of the Federal government. We are happy to take the war to the home town of the terrorists, to keep them busy outside our own Continent.

[hocndoc]

Exactly! Good job.

[woofie]

yep

[Designer]

"Ron Paul has nothing to do with the Tea Party.."

WTF? The "Godfather" of the Tea Party?

Rush is wrong on this and other issues.

[Designer]

"Now that kook and his cult are trying to pollute the Tea Party like they pollute the GOP primary process."

Here's another one who doesn't understand what the Tea Party is all about.

How's that Republican Kool-Aide?

FYI: The Republicans are at least 50% to blame for the mess, so don't try to defend them.

Also, don't try to make the Tea Party something it is not.