Yesterday, Rush Limbaugh — the leader of the conservative movement — criticized the newly-formed GOP outfit, the National Council For A New America, which is launching a “listening tour.” “We do not need a listening tour,” Limbaugh said. “We need a teaching tour.”
This morning on MSNBC’s Morning Joe, host Joe Scarborough invited Rep. Mike Pence to respond to Limbaugh’s criticisms, but in doing so, warned him to “be careful” about criticizing the boss:
SCARBOROUGH: What say you sir?
PENCE: Well, uh, I — you know, uh, you know — I love Rush and uh, but I think the…
SCARBOROUGH: Be careful.
Scarborough’s concern for Pence is warranted. As ThinkProgress has noted, those in the Republican Party who have dared to criticize Limbaugh (such as Michael Steele and Reps. Todd Tiahrt and Phil Gingrey) have quickly backed down. Pence and Scarborough were not willing to go down the same path.
After being warned by Scarborough not to criticize Limbaugh, Pence sought to placate the right-wing radio host, claiming the GOP is not just about “listening and learning” but also “helping to educate the American people.” Watch it:
Pence has been a staunch defender of Rush. After Limbaugh declared his hope for Obama to fail, Pence backed him up, saying, “You bet, we want those policies to fail.” Pence also defended Limbaugh recently, claiming, “I don’t believe Rush Limbaugh has a racist bone in his body.”
Unlike Pence and Scarborough, former Secretary of State Colin Powell is unafraid of taking on Limbaugh. Yesterday at a security conference in Washington, Powell ripped Limbaugh:
He blasted radio commentator Rush Limbaugh, saying he does not believe that Limbaugh or conservative icon Ann Coulter serve the party well. He said the party lacks a “positive” spokesperson. “I think what Rush does as an entertainer diminishes the party and intrudes or inserts into our public life a kind of nastiness that we would be better to do without,” Powell said.
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