RUSH FORWARD
We’re most likely going to see more of Rush Limbaugh on camera. He’s dropped a bunch of weight. He’s got a nice girlfriend. He’s employed. Recent broadcast moments were good: Mr. Limbaugh enjoyed a positive experience, for example, driving a car over a cardboard Al Gore cut-out on Jay Leno’s sort-of-late-night show on NBC. He had a productive time with Chris Wallace on “Fox News Sunday.”
So we’ll likely see some more of same.
That should make the White House and the Democratic Party, not to mention select Republicans, very nervous. Should Mr. Limbaugh seek more public exposure and a wider audience, well, good luck, guys. The talk-radio host can deliver a precise, snappy smart bomb of a sound bite; that’s his forte. Nervous keepers-of-the-flame will have to worry all over again that Mr. Limbaugh “controls” the Republican Party, conservatives or maybe even the known universe.
Here’s what he did say to Mr. Wallace.
“The conservative message is not ’OK, Hispanics, we have this plan for you; women, we have this plan for you.’ That’s what the Republican Party is trying to do and emulate group politics. Why be Democrat-lite?” Mr. Limbaugh asked.
“Let’s go after the big tent that is the country and let’s go get every person in this country. I don’t care what their race is, what their gender is, what their sexual orientation is. If they are told that there is somebody that’s going to lead this country or party that is actually going to strengthen them, give them the tools, get out of their way and let them make this country work, the Republican Party can attract a majority like they haven’t seen since the ’80s.”
YOU BETCHA
In our last installment of the Sarah Palin-as-goddess caper, the city of San Carlos, Calif., blocked an attempt by local Palin fans to showcase a 14-by-48-foot “Sarah Palin for President 2012” billboard over U.S. Highway 101. The fans sued the city, claiming commercial messages were given precedence to those guaranteed by the First Amendment.
U.S. District Court Judge Marilyn Hall Patel in San Francisco agreed, and placed a restraining order on the city’s decision; the city retaliated by declaring an emergency 45-day ban on all new signs. That must mean that they really, really, really don’t want the monumental likeness of Mrs. Palin looming above their roadway. Or does it?
“The moratorium does not prevent persons from displaying messages of any kind on existing billboards in the city. The moratorium is directed at the construction of new Billboard Structures in the City of San Carlos and is content neutral. The City is allowed by law to place a moratorium on new structures and to study and propose new or revised ordinances for 45 days and may extend the moratorium for up to 2 years,” city attorney Gregory J. Rubens tells Inside the Beltway.
“The city has no issue with the content on the proposed billboard face. We are not aware of any connection between the billboard structure proposed by the plaintiffs and Governor Palin.”
Alan Herson, attorney for the Palin fans, says that the city could very well be in contempt of court.
There is little contempt for the Palin story, meanwhile. Eleven biographies of the former Alaska governor have appeared in 2009; her yet-to-be-released autobiography still ranks No. 2 on Amazon.
THE SHORT TAKE
” ’Tea party’ activists are the new GOP,” says Richard A. Viguerie, chairman of ConservativeHQ.com, in a post-Dede Scozzafava world.
“Conservative anger at Washington-establishment Republicans will cost the national committees tens of millions of dollars as conservative money will start flowing directly to the Tea Parties and their candidates,” he said after the moderate Republican candidate dropped out of New York’s special election Saturday.
BARB’S BARBS
The Democrats are pretty crabby, meanwhile. And a little unnerved, too.
“Sometimes when I hear the crazy ideas being dispensed by the right, I think, ’Have these people totally lost their minds?’ Congress wants to create death panels? America is on a slippery slope to socialism? Fascists are loose in the White House? It’s tempting to just tune it all out, to write it off as the outrageous rants of a fanatical fringe,” says Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski in a message to partymates.
“But if we do, it’s at our own peril. We can’t ignore it, because a good portion of America is paying attention,” the Maryland Democrat adds. “Now’s the time to really ramp things up, to get into heavy campaign mode. But I keep hearing the same excuses. ’It’s too early,’ people say. Well, it’s not too early for the Republicans, who’ve been attacking us with everything they’ve got for months now.”
BLARNEY FACTOR
Oh, faith and begorrah, Mother MacCree. The Irish are betting on the New York mayoral race, with the odds set by Paddy Power, the nation’s largest bookmaker.
“Could be a one-horse race with current Mayor Michael Bloomberg the 1/80 favorite to win a third term in office. At 12/1 rival Bill Thompson seemingly has an impossible task,” spokesman Darren Haines tells Inside the Beltway.
“With the Bronx the only borough of New York that Bloomberg lost last time, Paddy Power’s also betting on how much of the vote the mayor will secure next week in his rebel borough. It’s 9/2 he secures more than 50 percent of the vote, with 41-45 percent deemed most likely at 6/4.”
POLL DU JOUR
• 78 percent of American mothers have cut back on household spending this year.
• 58 percent are making more home-cooked meals.
• 77 percent are using more leftovers.
• 72 percent are cutting back their own clothing expenses, but not their children’s.
• 51 percent have cut back on health and beauty products.
• 51 percent follow the news.
• 50 percent clip coupons.
• 39 percent are on Facebook, 28 percent on MySpace, 11 percent Twitter.
Source: “State of the American Mom” survey of 1,225 mothers with children younger than 18, conducted by Marketing to Moms Coalition April-June and released Oct. 30.
• Rumors, gloom, merriment, press releases to jharper@washingtontimes .com
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