Rush Limbaugh on Trump's Birther Attack on Ted Cruz

Ted Cruz has made no friends in Washington. This has mostly been a big feature rather than any kind of a bug. But now that Birtherism has dogged him as it dogged the President and even John McCain, it's kind of telling.

There was always an irony in attacking the President for not being born in this country as John McCain  himself really wasn't born in the United States; Obama had been born in Hawaii; though his mother was an American citizen anyway. McCain was born in Panama but he was eligible because his mother was an American citizen.

But when he was attacked in 2008 and opponents tried to muddy the question, his fellow GOP Senators all came to his aid. Not so this time with another GOP Senator in the same position-that being Ted Cruz.

http://lastmenandovermen.blogspot.com/2016/01/john-mccain-sucker-punches-ted-cruz.html

McCain himself said that There are questions regarding Cruz's eligibility. He argued that unlike Cruz, he was born in a US territory-Panama. Of course, in reality this distinction doesn't matter. In truth as both Cruz and McCain had parents who were American citizens, it makes no difference where their birthplace was-whether or not it was a US territory is not at all relevant.

For that matter, even if Obama had been born in Kenya, he'd still be a US Citizen and eligible to be President. But of course, none of this matters, Birtherism is just a clever wedge issue to introduce murkiness about your opponents basic legitimacy.

As for Cruz, it's tough to feel sorry for him as he sure as heck never defended the President. And by renouncing his own Canadian citizenship as he did a few years go to run for President, he actually suggests himself that there is something shameful in his Canadian birth. It wasn't necessary for him to do that but it sort of suggests he himself finds it shameful.

Anyway, the big question about Trump's Birther attack is would Right wing radio let him get away with it. Rush, Mark Levin, Howie Carr, the rest of them, gave Trump a hard time when he criticized Cruz for being such an obstructionist in the Senate. Rush said he sounded like a Democrat. For Rush that's worse than calling someone a child molester.

So what does Rush say?

"And we've got the Drive-By Media sitting here in anticipation, wondering if Trump is gonna get away with this. They're eagerly waiting. Trump does this, goes after Cruz. They think it's all gonna depend on what happens on talk radio if Trump gets away with it or not, that it's gonna be me and others on talk radio who will determine whether or not Trump succeeds with this attack on Cruz. And then they're saying, "Remember what happened last time that Trump went after Cruz? Rush Limbaugh went after Trump and Trump backed down!" 

"People have forgotten (and it wasn't that long ago) why it is that I sounded a warning bell to Trump on that. It wasn't the fact that he had gone after Cruz. It was the way he did it. I'm not gonna sit here and tell people not to go after people. That's crazy. But the way Trump went after Cruz, it was very, very dangerous, because he was using left-wing, liberal language. He was going after Cruz the way a liberal Democrat would. I was saying, "Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa! You don't want to do it that way." But as far as Trump hitting Cruz or vice-versa? Have at it, boys."

http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/daily/2016/01/06/trump_goes_birther_on_cruz_and_the_drive_bys_eagerly_await_my_response

It's ok to go Birther on Cruz just not to knock him on obstruction is the edict from Rush.

" Now, let's move on to the Republican presidential campaign. Starting here with Trump. This has got the Drive-Bys all excited. They're waiting and they love Republican infighting. They have tried their best to take Trump out. Now they want talk radio to take Trump out. That's essentially what they're hoping happens. That's what they're breathlessly waiting for. Because whatever else they say on a given day, they are fully aware of the power that resides here. What they don't understand -- and what they will not believe and never will believe -- is that said "power" is not even something that I am aware of on a day-to-day basis."

Rush argues that the media is hoping that Trump going after Cruz will sink Trump-but it won't:

"Talk radio is not gonna put up with Trump going after Cruz, and when even talk radio starts dumping on Trump..." They really believe that if we start dumping on Trump, that he's finished, which illustrates once again that they have no idea. You know, if you want to understand, if you're watching now today, tomorrow, at any time, the media talk about talk radio, the key to understanding it, the key to deciphering it, is they believe you are incapable of thinking on your own, that you never have, and you don't."

"That every action you take politically, every thought you have politically, every opinion is the result of you being brainwashed by me and others like me. You are not independent; you do not think on your own; you don't have the ability to. And they believe this because they think all of conservatism is mind-numbed robots, idiots, you name it. They think all of conservatism is what you watch, what you saw when you watch Making of a Murderer, frankly."

So have at it boys. Rush is giving his ok. I have to say it's going to be a lot of fun if Ted Cruz is the nominee. I do wish it was Marco Rubio who had been born in Canada. But while this primary has given so much, I guess you can't have everything.

P.S. There is truth in what Rush says. Trump doesn't owe anything to Rush. He isn't so popular because Rush praised him. Though it is clear that when Rush sanctioned him over using 'Democratic attacks' it was a source of concern and Trump did drop that line of attack.