Rush Vs. Steele

The title, if removed from what you may know about it, sounds much more epic than it really is. The truth is, this is just a pathetic, disappointing, and wholly unnecessary power struggle.

Rush first made his career from opposing Clinton, then spent eight years complaining that no one listened to him, and Bush was too moderate. Now he's back, thanks to President Obama, and he finds that he has something to do again.

Michael Steele came to be the first Black American RNC Chairman, a feat that was greatly heralded, and he started out well with calls for the party to increase it's technical know-how, and get it's message out into the open.

Mr. Limbaugh has been carefully crafting his provocative statements to render them as perfect as possible for the daily 2.5 second soundbite. His most recent and famous offering to the public being "I want him to fail!" This statement, when taken in context (yes, I've read the transcript), actually makes sense. He wants the Obama policies to fail. Not America, not Democracy, not the Economy, not your prized bong or M1911A-1 respectively. Just the policies. Oddly enough, this is what we heard for the last eight years from the Left, so kindly replace the flag on it's pole, and dry your eyes. It's politics, Faintheart, America's first and last bloodsport.

Mr. Limbaugh's self-professed profession is one of "entertainer". So why then when he said something to the effect of being in charge of the Republican Party, did anyone take him seriously? Why was Steele's reaction not a tactful version of, "That's nice, now ante up a donation"? Why are people still blogging about this, even after they have stated that they will no longer lend any more credence to such rampant silliness?

You might have noticed by now that I am not siting anything here. This is intentional. I have no desire to start a flamewar, take sides on a ridiculous issue, or dignify such drivel by perpetuating the cycle of ill-advised behavior. Besides, regardless of your political lean, I am sure that you know enough about this exercise in abject futility already. If not, go to any one of the blogs listed to the left of your screen. They will explain it all in painful detail.

So, I say to both the players, "A plague on both your houses", I stand with the party, properly represented or not.

Mr. Steele, kindly return to your assigned tasks of raising money and awareness, restructuring a fractured party, vetting new prospects for the House and the Senate for 2010, and finding a suitable candidate for 2012. Don't worry about who's in charge. We already said that you were. We had a vote and everything. It's official. Just do your job.

Mr. Limbaugh, I will not deny you your place in the party as a voice, but to claim that you are the de facto leader (or to allow your staff to imply such), is reminiscent of Howard Stern's claim to being the "King of all Media". It smacks of silly hype and empty bluster. Analyze, ponder, posit, and profess, even deft criticisms of either party when warranted are welcome, but leave the inner workings to those whose job it is. The leadership position is taken and it doesn't pay as well as yours does.

Not to mention the allegations that the situation has been magnified by the Obama Administration (or by the same's unofficial staff) for the purposes of a distraction, should convince the both of you to stop acting like unruly children and put an end to this unpleasant matter.

This will be, barring any catastrophic developments, the last post I will devote solely to this issue.

To draw some twisted reason from Rahm Emanuel's notorious "You never want a serious crisis to go to waste":

Gentlemen, this should be neither serious, nor a crisis. Now get your acts together, and stop wasting our time.