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GOP Asks 'Chicago Tribune' Not to Publish Errant 'Rush Limbaugh' Email -- Doesn't Sto
By E&P Staff
Published: August 30, 2008 4:00 PM ET
NEW YORK What to do when you are mistakenly sent a highly provocative, even distasteful, email from a political party staffer and are then asked not to publish its contents? The issue came up again today when the Chicago Tribune received an email from a GOP staffer regarding a suggestion that the party post something on YouTube regarding a radio comment by Rush Limbaugh related to Sarah Palin's new baby and Barack Obama's view of abortion.
Here is an excerpt from a posting today on the Tribune's popular blog, The Swamp, by Andrew Zajac.
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Conservative radio commentator Rush Limbaugh boosted Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's pro-life position and mocked Barack Obama on his radio show yesterday with a make-believe riff in which Obama asked Palin "When you found out your baby would be born with Down syndrome, did you consider killing it before or after the due date?"
Limbaugh's "humor" caught the fancy of the Republican National Committee, which, in an internal e-mail, proposed using the bit in a YouTube clip.
The e-mail, which was sent to RNC Communications Director Danny Diaz, and mistakenly to a Tribune reporter, was titled "wow...good YouTube potential..."
In a statement, an RNC spokesman said, "A staffer with separate responsibilities made a poor recommendation that was not heeded. The individual has been spoken to and this will not occur again."
The staffer who wrote the message said the obvious -- that it was sent to the wrong person -- but otherwise declined to discuss it.
Diaz asked The Swamp not to post the message and said the RNC had not and would not act on the suggestion, but otherwise declined to talk about it on the record.
There's a time to honor requests to disregard misdirected email, but this isn't one of them.
The note is a good illustration of how campaigns really work and helps to explain why many people think the national political discourse is noxious.
The official McCain campaign, and the official Obama campaign for that matter, generally take the high road, rarely getting down and dirty.
Limbaugh and his ilk in talk radio and the blogosphere, on the right and left, are, officially, independent actors. So when they veer into coarse or offensive commentary, campaigns shrug, 'What can we do? We don't control them.'
They could repudiate ugly comment. But that rarely happens.
What does happen, as yesterday's errant RNC notes illustrates, is campaigns look for a benefit, furtively.
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Who is actually on the RNC? The only info I can find easily is who is chairperson. Is there a site that lists the actual members?
Ask LaCardJoe... :
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Here's to the Army and Navy and the battles they have won; here's to America's colors, the colors that never run. May the wings of liberty never lose a feather. ....
Still looking for a staff directory. The people who do most of the work. Like the Executive Director for National AGC and their staff do for Contractors.
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5-11 with 'em. 5-11 without 'em.
You have got to be the most miserable person in the world. If not, you have my vote...might even campaign for you.
I don't even get close to Sarah Palin.....
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Here's to the Army and Navy and the battles they have won; here's to America's colors, the colors that never run. May the wings of liberty never lose a feather. ....
I think the point is, Rush puts stuff like this out there trying to sway the minds of his audience and/or throw this red meat out there.
He's basically accusing Obama of wanting to abort a baby because he wouldn't want to deal with a baby that has down syndrome. Then hints that if it was born, he'd kill the child afterwards. (via the before/after due date)
The sad thing is that many of his listeners will believe this stuff. Not all of course, but it is a very distasteful joke wrapped in and around a policy trumpeting right wing talk show host with a history of foot in mouth syndrome.
It also speaks volumes when the RNC is discussing using this piece by putting it out on youtube. Meaning they WANT you to make your decision not on facts but on ill advised words of a buffoon like Rush.
Yes, I don't understand how the Christian dominated party can not just put up with, but actually embrace someone who is so obviously going to hell. Rush has to be an atheist.
When you go back and forth between hateful remarks that are later, referred to as just jokes, and actual policy talk. Policy talk that is then contrasted by hateful remarks....
You aren't an advocate of a position, you aren't a comedian, your a propagandist.
I remember in High school, I didn't like him, but I watched his show that came on around noon (about 1993 or 1994 ..I'd go home for lunch if I didn't go eat with friends).
I still remember his propaganda piece back then. The days that 'America held hostage'. I did think it was a bit funny, but considering what his party and him have favored since then when they gained power at that point, it would be more accurate to say, 'America free from being held hostage'.
He is a master at projection, taking what he thinks and feels and dumping it on dems for what they supposedly think and feel.
I also don't get how religious people put up with this stuff. But then again, it appears the biggest group of bigots, hypocrites, un-american, sexist, whack jobs left in america seem to be those considered religious, or even are pastors/priest/etc.
It seems they have a bigger allowance for these individuals to spew their hatred. I really don't get it. I truly believe that not only is our country/politics in crisis, I believe many of our churches are in crisis based on their leadership.
If I was ever in a church service and heard some of this stuff myself firsthand, I'd get up, say to them, 'you are leading your flock astray', and walk out.
Because when it comes to these right wing churches, that's all I see. Flocks being led astray, and the flock think the exact opposite, that they are doing the lords work.
If you believe, and it's your right not to have to, I feel alot of these people have a big surprise coming upon death.
I just don't get why religious people have no problem denying people their god-given rights, will force people to make bad decisions, kill in the name of America, screw everyone else, and tell their flock to vote for people like this and then claim righteous indignation about their viewpoint. Say they are right, we're wrong, and god is on their backwards viewpoints side. That god demands it to be so, and if you don't do what god demands, you'll wind up on the other side. B.S.
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