Survey Shows Talk Radio Audience Unaffected by Rush Limbaugh - Sandra Fluke Controversy

Richard Harker of Harker Research talked to a wide range of listeners of various media outlets while the Rush Limbaugh – Sandra Fluke story was breaking. These are just a few highlights from the not yet released study that Harker shared exclusively with NTS Media Matters
A majority of Americans continue to consider themselves ‘conservative.’ They feel that attacks in defense of conservative values are justified. Yes, they are frustrated by lack of progress on a broad range of issues, but they don’t blame people like Rush Limbaugh.
• The central issue in this economy remains the economy. Reproductive rights are a ‘hot button’ for a minority of Americans, but a secondary issue for the majority.
• The people we talked to considered the response to Limbaugh over-the-top and disproportionate to the offense.
• We saw no evidence that talk show listeners were turned off by Rush’s comments. Based on what our participants said, there wasn’t even a temporary negative impact, let alone a lasting one.
Summing up, Harker found that the controversy gave those who already hated Rush one more reason to hate him, while those who shared, or at least respected, Limbaugh’s viewpoint were unaffected by the events.

Petition to Keep Rush Limbaugh on Armed Forces Radio

Please sign the following Petition to Keep Rush Limbaugh on Armed Forces Radio at the Grassfire Nation Website. The White House and the Left are also running a petition drive and the reason is clear---the truth is a threat to their agenda. I first became aware of Rush Limbaugh through Armed Forces Radio while stationed in Naples, Italy in 1993 as a musician in the CINC South Band. I was already a conservative, but had never heard anyone articulate some of the thoughts and feelings I had held for years about politics and the world in general. The Military is a diverse group and all points of view need to be heard. At the moment radical liberal voices like Ed Shultz are being heard with little opposition, so there seems to be no reason why Rush can't be heard as well.

Conservative Women Take Aim At Liberal Misogynist Hypocrisy

Limbaugh Issues Apology to Calm Down National Firestorm

One of the most fascinating aspects of the recent incident involving Rush Limbaugh and a woman who appeared before a Congressional Committee, Sandra Fluke, is how hard those on the left are working to show they have no sense of humor, and they are succeeding.
Limbaugh, who yesterday summed up what happened using the format of a classic joke: “ A woman walks into a congressional hearing (instead of a woman walks into a bar) and says she’s having so much sex, she’s going broke and wants a new entitlement program.”
Fluke went on to tell the committee that surveys taken at Georgetown showed 40% of Georgetown’s coed’s were paying as much as $1000 per year on contraceptives and therefore needed to be put on welfare.
When reacting to the story Limbaugh followed his patented style of illustrating the absurd with the absurd that his show is famous for. With a straight face he commented on Miss Flukes statements saying: “What do you call a woman who wants us to pay for her sexual activity? Answer: a prostitute and a slut.. And then suggested that if we did indeed end up funding a new entitlement program to help the Flukes of the world satisfy their sexual appetites at the taxpayer’s expense, then shouldn’t we be allowed to watch videos of them using the contraceptives. After all aren’t customers who pay for a sexual act entitled to participate in the sexual act? Well of course he wasn’t being serious but it doesn’t matter anymore.
They think they finally have Limbaugh where they want him, in a position that will make him less credible. Of course it’s going to take a lot more than that to cause his 20 million strong audience to abandon him. In fact the initial reaction to his public apology statement released today shows the faithful closing ranks behind him in support and the incident more than likely will increase his audience rather than diminish it. The following is the apology statement issued by Rush earlier today:
Over the years since he started his radio show in 1988, the liberal establishment has thought they had him on the ropes many times only to realize he was growing stronger and I’m sure that will be the case this time, because of his honesty and refusal to back down against the absurdities and mischievousness of the extreme left.
The following apology was isuued on Saturday. For over 20 years, I have illustrated the absurd with absurdity, three hours a day, five days a week. In this instance, I chose the wrong words in my analogy of the situation. I did not mean a personal attack on Ms. Fluke.
I think it is absolutely absurd that during these very serious political times, we are discussing personal sexual recreational activities before members of Congress. I personally do not agree that American citizens should pay for these social activities. What happened to personal responsibility and accountability? Where do we draw the line? If this is accepted as the norm, what will follow? Will we be debating if taxpayers should pay for new sneakers for all students that are interested in running to keep fit? In my monologue, I posited that it is not our business whatsoever to know what is going on in anyone's bedroom nor do I think it is a topic that should reach a Presidential level.
My choice of words was not the best, and in the attempt to be humorous, I created a national stir. I sincerely apologize to Ms. Fluke for the insulting word choices.

Letter from candidates for MA GOP State Committee

True Massachusetts Conservatives have a big election coming up on Tuesday, Mar 6 on the Massachusetts South Coast for Republican State Committee members. If you live in the following Masssachusetts cities or towns you'll be able to vote for Linda Rapoza and Timothy Sullivan: Fall River, Westport, Somerset, Swansea, Freetown, Lakeville, Rochester. Both candidates need your support as they are true conservatives and are therefore despised by the RINO's that run the MA GOP and have been targeted for defeat. The country clubbers that are responsible for a GOP that only controls 11% of all registered voters in the state are content with attending their coctail parties that masquerade as meetings and their permanet minority status. Content not to make any waves, the establishment has pulled out all stops to stop both of these true conservative candidates from being in a position to try to change the status quo. The following is a letter by the present incumbent, Linda Rapoza on behalf of both her and Timothy Sullivan _________________________________________________________________________________________________________

                                                                                                        

Linda J. Rapoza

Republican State Committeewoman

February 7, 2012

Dear Voter of the 1^st Bristol & Plymouth State Senate District,

March 6^th, 2012 is Super Tuesday. Along with presidential primary candidates, Republican State Committee candidates will also be on the ballot. As the incumbent State Committeewoman for the District (which includes Westport, Fall River, Somerset, Swansea, Freetown, Lakeville, and Rochester), I’m seeking re-election to continue the work begun by a conservative coalition created by a handful of us in that body back in 2008.

From my work in many Republican campaigns including Jeff Beatty’s bid for the Senate in 2008; to my participation in the 2009 “9/12 March on the Capitol” in Washington D.C.; to getting back on the bus for D.C. in November of that same year to protest the  “Healthcare Bill”; to organizing against Rep. Barney Frank in 2010; to rounding up volunteers for the “Brown Brigade”; to helping to coordinate stand-outs and phone calls for Rep. Keiko Orrall’s election, (a candidate outside of my own Rep. District for whom victory was imperative), I’ve worked continuously for the regeneration of the Republican base and it’s conservative principles.

I’ve also experienced the same frustration as many of you who worked hard to help Republicans get elected to office only to watch helplessly as they abused our trust by capitulating to Democrats for worthless compromise which gained us nothing of value in return.

Those of you who read the Fall River Herald News and/or the New Bedford Standard Times know who I am and what I stand for.  My principles will not be compromised, even in the face of “establishment” criticism. I’ve been consistently committed to the conservative grassroots movement which led to national Republican election victories in 2010, and have always felt that in order to bring fiscal and cultural sanity to our state, Republicans must stop serving merely as the Right Arm of the Democrat Party.

The good news is the tide is turning. Conservative Republicans and Independents are refusing to be taken for granted. They’re prepared to fight the good fight to turn this ship around by supporting candidates who understand that when moderate Republicans control the Party at the bottom, socialists end up in control of our government at the top.

The State Committee recently had its Chairman’s election. I was one of the 21 who voted for former U.S. Attorney Frank McNamara to lead our Party. As an honorable man with a history of leadership qualities, he would’ve become a catalyst for a new, more energetic and effective Republican Party that has grown stale and irrelevant, plummeting to 11% registration under an elitist and out-of-touch leadership.

Instead, a majority of State Committee members voted for Robert Maginn in exchange for promised “campaign aid”. You may have heard of the new leader of the MassGOP.  He was the Republican who contributed the maximum donations allowed to Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Democrat Deval Patrick during the 2010 election cycle while our own statewide Republican candidates were struggling to keep their campaigns afloat. This is unacceptable and shouldn’t be tolerated, but it is.

I humbly ask for your vote as State Committeewoman, and am also requesting that you give your vote for State Committeeman to someone I will be able to work with to get things accomplished for the 1^st Bristol & Plymouth District. That candidate for State Committeeman is Timothy R. Sullivan.

Tim worked hard for Republican candidates throughout 2010, and spent a great deal of time and effort campaigning for (newly-elected) Republican State Representative, Keiko Orrall. He’s been successful in bringing attention to the fact that establishment Republican policies are hurting us all by making it difficult to see the real differences between Republicans and Democrats. 

He believes, as I do, that conservatives should never be hounded from involvement in the Republican Party, nor should they be intentionally discouraged from running for office. Tim will be a valuable asset in helping to organize solid local Republican committees with people who are genuinely dedicated to fighting for the Republican Party’s basic principles, and not just fighting for their place in line at the trough. His partnership will be beneficial in building on the strengths of the Republican Party for the purpose of improving our communities, and not for the “rewards” of personal and political advancement.

Tim and I will make a good team for the 1^st Bristol & Plymouth State Senate District, able to make significant strides in a State Committee that must cease its current operation as a “Country Club” for political cronyism.

The Massachusetts Republican State Committee must become the barometer for a stronger, more respected and effective Republican Party from the tenants of our Platform (which was recently transformed into a canned environmental group-hug), to the support and election of decent and honorable Republican candidates who are willing to lead with their campaign promises once elected.

The troubles our nation now faces are quickly filtering down through our state and local governments. The Republican Party must face this challenge head-on with determination and vigor, with our aim squarely in the direction of genuine fiscal responsibility and cultural sanity. With your help, we will be closer to getting this accomplished.

Thank you for your consideration in this matter and hopefully your support.

Respectfully,

Linda J. Rapoza, Candidate for Re-election,

Republican State Committeewoman, 1^st Bristol & Plymouth State Senate District

Sure, You'll Be Able to Keep Your Own HealthCare: NOT!

I knew when President Obama said you could keep your own health care under Obama Care it was all BS. He left out the part, that the strategy was always designed to squeeze private health insurance companies completely out of existence, while he arrogantly lied to our faces and told us we could keep out own health plans.

This fear was confirmed by Health Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius who told the House Ways and Means Committee on Tuesday that the days of private health insurance are coming to an end in the United States.  The private market is in a death spiral, she said, confirming my worst fears that destroying the private health insurance plans has been the plan all along.

Even in the domain of military healthcare where significant increases in Tricare fees for active duty personnel and military retirees are being proposed, the same strategy seems to be at work. According to a frightening article about the attack on tricare, Trashing Tricare, administration officials told congress that one goal of the increased fees is to force military retirees to reduce their involvement in Tricare and eventually opt out of the program in favor of alternatives established by the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, aka Obamacare.

When they talked to us, they did mention the option of health exchanges under Obamacare. So its in their mind, said a congressional aide involved in the issue

The more the veil is pulled back on OBamaCare, which was passed into law before anyone could read it, by a partisan vote in the Democrat Controlled Congress, the more our fears are being confirmed on an almost daily basis.

According to the article entitled Obama Cabinet Secretary: The Private Market is in a Death Spiral, Sebelius said the next important step in implementing the president’s health care plan is to establish essential health benefits __the basic package of coverage that the federal government will order all health insurance plans to cover. The Affordable Care Act outlines 10 areas of basic coverage, including preventive services, prescription drugs, pediatric care and hospital services. The preventive services area is the one under which the administration has already ordered that all health insurance plans must cover sterilization and all FDA approved contraceptives, including those that induce abortions, without charging any fees or co-payment to insured workers and their dependents.

This latest move is what was interpreted by the Catholic Church as an attack on the religious liberty guaranteed by the US Constitution, by allowing their employees to receive services that they find objectionable. The compromise reached with the administration in the aftermath of the battle, which OBama started, not Rick Santorum or the Catholic Church, turned out to be a farce, by passing the costs on to the insurance companies which cover the policy. By doing so the administration seemed to miss the point entirely that the President simply does not have the authority to force a religious institution to do anything against it's beliefs or doctrines.

Conservatism 101: Some Differences between Conservatives and Liberals Including Self-Reliance vs Government Dependency

This is the first in a series of articles on randomly selected topics or ideas that differentiate conservatives from liberals which I consider very appropriate during election year primary campaigns. The objective of all primary campaigns for conservative republicans at the present time should be to educate the public on conservatism and why liberalism has been a disaster for our country. Candidates these day seem to opt for the politics of personal destruction over a strategy of working together for a common goal of exposing the weaknesses of the ideology of the opposition candidate. Following an informative campaign, it would then be up to the voters to decide which candidate has been the most effective communicator for the cause. Because the candidates for the most part have chosen the low road this year by breaking Ronald Reagan's 11th commandment (never say anything negative about another Republican), I feel obligated to share my two cents worth.

Today I’d like to discuss some basic differences between conservatives and liberals and the present road the country is on under this administration, a road that leads to bankruptcy, loan defaults, interference from hostile governments, continued decreases in credit ratings, depletion of pension funds and life savings, riots in the streets, martial law, totaltarianism, transition to a worthless banana republic headed by a worthless tin pot dictator, and overall misery under the seudonyms of "fairness" and "equality". And all of this will be the end result from implementing policies like government healthcare based on the wonderful European model that they themselves now despise and consider a complete failure.

But before I get to that please open your copy of Conservatism 101 to page 1 and lets begin slowly (as liberals have a difficult time with this page) The conservative looks at someone and says you can make it. I want you to make it, but you’ll have to do the work. You’ll have to figure out what your passions are and what you really love doing. After that you’ll be on your own, but please understand that I want you to succeed, and will help you anyway that I can. But whether you succeed or fail is completely up to you. Keep trying and remember, never give up, as Sir Winston Churchill was fond of saying in his speeches to graduating classes of various sorts.

I’ll work towards insisting that enough tax dollars are collected to support necessary services we all need i.e. limited government but no more than necessary and I'll work towards insisting that the government impose as few regulations as possible on small businesses to help small business entrepreneurs succeed.

When you succeed as an entrepreneur, your revenue will increase as long as we can refrain from raising tax rates (an always present danger when Democrats are in power). The increased revenue from a growing economy is always the most effective way of paying down the defecit as we saw during the Clinton administration. President Clinton benefited from a robust high tech sector for a while despite his best efforts to destroy growth by increasing taxes.

The less spending the government does, the more of your own money (property) you’ll be able to keep. You’ll then be free to invest that money towards the expansion of your own business interests which will create job opportunities for others. If you don’t expand, invest, or hire more employees, you’ll atleast have more purchase power which is the most efficient way to re-distribute wealth.

When government redistributes wealth, it spends tax dollars without growing the economy. And it spends just as much or more even when it is taking in less revenue, which defies the most common sense business logic known to man, or families. You must not spend money you don’t have. When your needs increase, the challenge is always how to earn more and the most effective way to earn more is by working harder and becoming more self-reliant.

I have found that such common sense thinking does not impress either liberal democrats or moderate (liberal)republicans, who already believe conservatives like myself are simpletons and aren’t as enlightened as they are.

Now lets take a look at the liberal. If the conservative wants you to succeed by being self-reliant, the liberal wants you to depend on a strong government supported by tax dollars confiscated from others through the redistribution of income. A conservative instinctively finds this idea immoral and the liberal thinks it is the essence of morality. Considering that most liberals don't believe in God any more and are ignorant when it comes to understanding basic concepts from the Bible, such as thou shall not covet. I have a tendency to go with the conservative's instinct on morality, even if they haven't been to Sunday school or Church since kindergarten. That basic understanding of what God has revealed to man through his prophets, holy apostles, and the Word of God, is enough to send most Harvard graduates, like Barack Hussein Obama, into a cold sweat these days. Liberals also do not understand that the injunctions for helping the poor and encouraging charity have to do with individuals, not governments which control an evil world system that was handed over to Satan in the Garden of Eden after he tricked the first Man (Adam) into sinning. (Duh!)

He also does not have the same faith in a person’s ability to succeed that the conservative does. I’ll even go so far as to say that the liberal looks at those struggling to get by in the world and say I know you’re stupid and unable to achieve success, but don’t worry we’ll take care of you.

The message of liberty for all is meant to encourage the pursuit of happiness and enjoy the fullness of life by focusing on self-interest. This is a traditional conservative message that we haven’t heard during the present election campaign as much as we should. Even so called conservative publications have been covering the campaign like a horse race according to Rush Limbaugh. Rush was beside himself on Thursday when he came to the conclusion that some high browed conservative journalists just seem to be coming to grips with the idea that self-reliance is the way to go, for people who want to become successful. Duh....

Rush quoted an article in the National Review this week entitled: Why Conservatives Lost the Payroll Tax Cut Battle by Mario Loyola which said:

The Democrats bid to expand the entitlement state for political benefit is a mortal threat to the future of our country. But the fact that these collectivist schemes continue to play out in their favor is not the fault of conservative leaders. It is, rather, a sign that Americans have lost their way. We conservatives have to make a much more convincing case that the road to a better society lies in the direction of self-reliance and limited government, and away from the debilitating entitlement state to which the Democrats’ poisened carrots are leading us.

We conservatives have to make a much more convincing case that the road to a better society lies in the direction of self reliance", Rush repeated and then continued: “Yeah, well (sigh) “This is basic conservatism. Conservative publications are all tied up in the horse race aspects: conservatives ripping Romney to shreds or alternatively ripping Santorum to shreds or ripping Newt. Conservatives aren’t doing conservatism. This what is frustrating. Yeah, the concept of self reliance, we have to do a better job pushing self-reliance, yeah, duh! Where’s it been? We’re just now figuring this out? Are we 30 years behind what’s been going on here?

Since FDR the Democrats have been countering that, and Obama has codified the notion that self-reliance is not the ticket, self-reliance is painful, it’s failure, you’re not gonna get anywhere. The deck’s stacked against you. The future is for you to let us take care of you.

Anyway, as I was saying, the message of liberty for all became supplanted by the quest to build a sort of heaven on earth or utopia through the redistribution of income which the Catholic church since the 1930’s has considered charity. The word charity as actually used in the King James Version of the Bible is usually translated “love” in modern English versions, which stands liberalism on its ear as I implied already. The reference is meant for individuals not governments. This is not to say that charity, in the sense of helping others, especially the poor and the homeless, is not a Christian mandate. It certainly is, but the emphasis is always on individuals’s being their brother’s keeper, not the government once again (Sorry for the repetition, but liberals never get this)

Mark Levin has an excellent book out entitled Ameritopia: The Unmaking of America that covers this very subject.

Most of the people who have ever lived on the planet earth have lived in repressive, controlling, societies. Americans, however, have been blessed to live in a country where they were relatively free to enjoy a fruitful existence that they created for themselves. But we do not hear talk like this as much as we use to, because it is becoming more difficult for individuals to forge ahead.

Liberals blame the rich and global co-operations instead of focusing where the blame really belongs…….on the government and an ever growing segment of the population, comfortable with dependency on government for its needs. Rush continued in his introspective examination of the National Review article which stated the problem of government dependency was complicated by the fact Americans have become addicted to services that are free by saying:

The idea that these services will be free runs against the most basic understanding of economics. It’s like the Democrats and the mainstream media think calling expanded coverage of something “free” makes it free, as they did in the so called compromise involving the Catholic Church and its health care coverage for birth control and abortion related services.

If there’s no free lunch, there are no free abortifacients either “ Yeah, were just now discovering that people actually think that free is free.

Liberalism, socialism, communism, and marxism have failed wherever they have been tried. The specific type of European style socialism that Obama is intent on implementing here after he totally destroys our economy as just compensation for what the “Great Satan” has done to the rest of the world has been a total failure in Europe.

Daniel Hannon, Minister of the European Parliament gave a very sobering speech at CPAC where he spoke of Europe as being in the midst of a long winter…”a winter of discontent”. He continued in great detail to paint a grim picture of what lies in store for us if we continue down the road to oblivion and said: “While some of us in Europe are succeeding in convincing Europeans of the mistakes we have made in pursuing socialism and are working hard to fight back against such damaging policies, we look in our rear view mirror... and see you bearing down on us with recklace abandon (or words to that effect) and there is a cliff up ahead. But there is still time for you to turn aside

He also focused on the importance of not only the up and coming presidential election as being crucial in putting on the brakes in time, but on the congressional elections as well. No matter who becomes the next president, it won't amount to a hill of beans if Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi are running the congress. They will still have the media on their side with the ability to turn the public against those trying to save the country from the firestorm ahead.