Impossible Scissors

The first major political battle during the Obama Administration appears to be a shouting match of the most juvenile variety.

In one corner we have Rush Limbaugh. A fixture in right-wing talk radio since 1988, Rush is no stranger to controversy. If nothing else, he revels in it. Like so many other talking heads, he runs his mouth to gain attention and boost ratings.

Perhaps President Obama didn’t get the memo, because he’s calling on congressional Republicans to “quit listening to Rush” and support his so-called stimulus bill. But by making Rush Limbaugh into his new bogeyman, President Obama will quickly learn that resisting the radio talker will only make Rush stronger.

Already the word “treason” is being used by left-wing commentators in regards to Rush Limbaugh. He has said that he wants President Obama to fail, in the context that he thinks the Obama agenda will ruin America. Again, it’s another example of Rush coming up with a phrase that will generate maximum controversy (and ratings.) But it’s enough to get Rush branded as a traitor. Limbaugh’s critics probably believe that any opposition to the “stimulus” bill is treasonous because the alternative (in their view) is the second coming of the Great Depression.

The word “treason” is flung around too readily in modern America. For the right, opposition to Bush foreign policy is treason. But now the left thinks that it’s treasonous to oppose the Obama Cult of Personality. Perhaps it’s time to cool the rhetoric and realize that there’s a good reason why treason is the only crime defined in the US Constitution. If prosecutors couldn’t nail John Walker Lindh for treason, it’s clear that very little falls within that narrow definition.

For Rush Limbaugh, the battle with the Obama Administration is a personal one. Rush’s success can be attributed to Reagan-era policies at the FCC which eliminated the arbitrary “Fairness Doctrine,” where the government decreed “equal time” for opposing viewpoints. But Nancy Pelosi wants to bring this doctrine back, and it will be a big blow to Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and other titans of right-wing radio (including some whom I happen to admire, like libertarian Larry Elder.) While President Obama opposes the original “Fairness Doctrine,” he has expressed support for forcing more “local” programming onto radio stations, thus crowding out the nationally-syndicated broadcasters. While the “big dogs” like Rush & Hannity will likely survive any moves towards “Localism” in talk radio, the second-tier syndicated talkers will probably see their audiences crumble. But Rush is bringing attention to the issue now, and any moves on the part of the administration to regulate the content of talk radio will be cast as a personal vendetta between President Obama & Rush Limbaugh.

In fairness to Rush, he seems to have a better understanding of bipartisanship than Barack Obama does. Rush reasons that, if Barack won 54% of the popular vote, then 54% of the stimulus money should be spent on the social programs and pork-barrel spending requested by Democrats. But the 46% that John McCain won should go towards tax incentives to get people spending money again. The Obama approach to bipartisanship has been to guilt-trip Republicans into supporting a pork-heavy bill, while offering up childish gloats such as “We won.” In spite of the rhetoric from the left, there are plenty of alternatives to the current stimulus bill that will be far more effective than the current package. The worst course of action isn’t inaction; rather, the wrong action may be far worse.

As it currently stands, the Republican party is weaker now than at any other time in my life. There isn’t even a standard-bearer, as Mitch McConnell and John Boehner try to rally opposition in Congress, Michael Steele tries to get the RNC back in order, and Sarah Palin & Bobby Jindal prepare for possible White House runs in 2012 or later. If nothing else, Barack Obama’s vilification of Rush Limbaugh is giving marginalized conservatives a face they can rally around.

My words of advice to a young president who has about as much time in federal service as I do: try making some concessions and work towards a genuine compromise. And don’t pay too much attention to Rush Limbaugh, because you’re only giving him what he wants.