Limbaugh's party of 'No:" Democatic ad

Original Link: http://www.swamppolitics.com/news/politics/blog/2009/02/limbaughs_party_of_no_democati.html

by Mark Silva and updated with reaction

Rush Limbaugh, with the face made for radio, will be the voice of the Republican Party, if Democrats have anything to say about it in their campaign against Republicans balking at President Barack Obama's economic strategy. But the Democrats appear to be doing anything they can to take the focus of their "spending binge,'' the GOP says.

The GOP is the party of "no'' -- that's the message of the chorus of "nos'' from Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, House Minority Leader John Boehner and others featured in a new union-backed cable TV ad suggesting that the director of the choir is Limbaugh, the conservative radio commentator.

Obama himself hoisted Limbaugh's profile by acknowledging the loyal opposition. Now Democratic strategists James Carville and Paul Begala are behind a public relations bid to make Limbaugh the face of a GOP aligned almost unanimously against Obama's economic agenda.

With a cable TV ad entitled "No,'' the Democrats are airing Limbaugh on national cable networks and in Washington, D.C. "Rush Limbaugh is the leader of the Republican Party - he says jump and they say how high," says Brad Woodhouse, tincoming communications director of the Democratic National Committee.

"The vast majority of Americans want Obama to succeed and they know that if he fails, America fails," Woodhouse says. "Republicans have adopted this strategy, and this ad and a bunch of other stuff our side is planning is going to make them own it, and Limbaugh."

"The Democrats are running a permanent campaign rather than doing the bipartisan work of governing,'' Alex Conant, spokesman for the Republican National Committee, tells the Swamp. "These ads are part of the Democrats' larger strategy to do something, anything, to try to take the focus of their massive spending binge."

The ad touts the highlights of the president's stimulus: Rebuilding roads, bridges and schools, 3.5 million jobs and tax cuts for 95 percent of working Americans -- a measure which all the House's Republicans and all but three of the GOP's senators opposed.

"Who are Republican leaders listening to?" the ad's narrator asks, picturing Limbaugh at the end stating, "I want him (Obama) to fail."

"Tell them America won't take no for an answer anymore," the ad financed by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees and Americans United For Change states.

"If you look at the polls which came out earlier this week - Rush Limbaugh led Republicans off a political cliff on the recovery package - and now they are - at his instruction - lining up to oppose the Obama budget and the rest of his agenda hoping - as Limbaugh does - that Obama fails,'' the DNC's Woodhouse contends..