RUSH: Last night on MSNBC, one of the guests was managing editor Joy-Ann Reid of something called TheGrio.com. I never heard of it, I don’t even know why I’m promoting it, but she showed up. They were talking about the Republican primary, the attacks on Romney during his time at Bain Capital, and the host said, “How do you think this is gonna go in South Carolina? You’ve got high unemployment down there. It’s a different dichotomy,” whatever the hell that means. What’s a “different dichotomy”? These people! I swear, you have people in the media who do not know the definition of words. A dichotomy? It’s a “different dichotomy”?
Do you know what a dichotomy is? Do you know what a conundrum is? You know the difference a between a conundrum and a dilemma? A dilemma you have two options; a conundrum is three or more. (interruption) No, I didn’t just look it up. I know it! What the hell is this, “It’s a different dichotomy in South Carolina. High employment…” Different dichotomy? There’s no different dichotomy. Anyway… (interruption) It doesn’t “sound good.” It might make somebody sound smart only because they think they’re using a word people can’t define, but for those of us who can define it cements the fact that you’re stupid! Anyway, “How do you think it’s gonna play down there, Joy-Ann Reid?”
REID: The narrative is being implanted that Mitt Romney’s company was a vulture capitalist — whatever your opinions of capitalism writ large — and then I think it’s forced him in this position where he’s parroting the sort of Rush Limbaughisms. “Don’t hate me because I’m rich! I’m rich and that’s too bad if you’re not!” That’s not good for him in a general, don’t think that stops him from winning, though, among Republican voters in South Carolina.
RUSH: Rush Limbaughisms? So this babe thinks that this is forcing Romney to parrot me? If Romney were parroting me he would have the nomination sewn up! The Rush Limbaughism, “Don’t hate me because I’m rich. I’m rich and it’s too bad if you’re not”? I have not said that. I haven’t said that. (interruption) You like that? Well, it may be a good party line. I haven’t said that. “Don’t hate me because I’m rich?” I don’t care if people hate me. In fact, I know that people hate me. I don’t care. They’re gonna hate me for a whole host of reasons. I think it is too bad that everybody’s not rich. But I also think Obama’s not the route to that. Obama’s not the route to rich for anybody. Here’s a montage. Here’s how the criticism of Newt has blown up in the evening news. This is a montage NBC, ABC, and a couple of others.
REPORTER: It hasn’t helped Perry and Gingrich in the polls much. Both were constant finishers in Iowa and New Hampshire. Nor has it helped win favor with conservative heavyweights like Rush Limbaugh.
RUSH ARCHIVE: I don’t care what, you know, folks, the attacks that they mounted on Romney are not defensible.
REPORTER: Because of the attacks, the Romney team has been able to achieve one thing: Rallying support from influential conservatives.
RUSH ARCHIVE: Newt and Perry blew it, the attacks that they mounted on Romney are not defensible.
RUSH: That’s NBC Nightly News. That’s the NBC Nightly News — and, this is yesterday Spartanburg, South Carolina. Newt in South Carolina agreeing… Now, we had the report yesterday from The Politico that Newt was walking back his criticism of Bain and Romney. The Politico reported that. Then after Politico reported it, Newt said, “No, I’m not. I’m not walking it back. I’m gonna keep it up!” Here is what led to it all.
MAN: I think you’ve missed the target on the way you’re addressing Romney’s weaknesses. I want to beg you to redirect and go after his obvious —
GINGRICH: Yeah.
MAN: — disingenuousness about his conservatism, and — and lay off the corporatist versus the free market.
GINGRICH: Meh…
MAN: I think that’s nuanced and would like you to go after —
GINGRICH: I agree. I agree with you.
MAN: All right.
GINGRICH: I — I — I — I think that it’s an impossible theme to talk about with Obama in the background, and Obama just makes it impossible to talk rationally in that area because he is so — he is so deeply into class warfare, uh, that automatically you get an echo effect — which had as a Reagan Republican it frankly never occurred to me until it happened — so I agree with you entirely.
RUSH: I tell you, this will… (laughing) Yeah, “WTF” big time: Whiskey Tango Foxtrot?
BREAK TRANSCRIPT
RUSH: There is some confusion out there on the Gingrich campaign as to how he is going to go forward because, as you heard, he was confronted by a voter in Spartanburg, South Carolina, and the voter gave him a little static. He said, “Why you going after the guy this way? Don’t go after Romney this way,” and Newt said, “You’re right. I’m not gonna go after the guy.” In fact, we had this yesterday afternoon. This is The Politico story. It’s right here. “Newt Gingrich on Bain Attacks Against Mitt Romney: ‘I Crossed the Line,'” and then the subsequent story: “Gingrich on Misleading Media Reports: ‘I Never Said I Crossed the Line.'”
So The Politico put a story out at about 2:45 p.m. Eastern yesterday (close to the end of this program, and we reported it) that Newt said he’d crossed the line and we reported it. It was this guy in Spartanburg, South Carolina, who had made Newt realize he was going a little too far. Then Newt comes out and says, “No! I never said I crossed the line, and, furthermore, I’m gonna keep attacking Romney.” So we’re gonna put this in context in order here. Again, going back to Spartanburg, South Carolina, at a book signing. This is an unidentified guy, although yesterday we had his name, “Gossoloff” or something or some other name. Maybe it’s a different guy. If it’s a different guy there was the woman that said something to Newt. Anyway, here’s that bite again…
(replaying of bite)
RUSH: “As a Reagan Republican, it frankly never occurred to me until it happened.” I want to make sure I understand. Is Newt saying it never occurred to him that his criticism of Romney as a capitalist at Bain Capital was the same kind of criticism that Obama and Democrats level against Republicans? He wasn’t aware of that until it happened? Is that what he’s saying? It may be true, folks. Don’t discount it. We think these guys are very smart. We think that they are able to anticipate how what they say is going to be reacted to and used. But it’s clear in this sound bite that Newt’s saying, “Yeah, you know what? I had no idea that Obama’s saying the same stuff! It took me saying it for me to learn that.” That’s what that means: As a Reagan Republican, frankly, never occurred to me that Obama, the echo effect on class warfare until it happened. “I agree with you entirely,” he said to the questioner. Now we move on. Last night On the Record With Greta Van Susteren on the Fox News Channel. She said, “I’m gonna sort of sort out this latest kerfuffle about the Politico headline, which seems to indicate you thought you’d ‘crossed the line’ in the attack on Governor Romney and Bain, the venture capital firm that he worked for was a partner at; and then I see a statement by your representative which said that that headline’s misleading, that you’re not backing down on the aggressive attack on Bain Capital. So where are we on this?”
GINGRICH: Well, first of all I’m not attacking Bain Capital. I’m questioning Mitt Romney’s judgment; I’m questioning Mitt Romney’s decisions. I’ve raised the question, which I think’s a totally legitimate question: What about some companies that Bain took over, uhhh, that went bankrupt? And what I’ve said is this isn’t about free enterprise. This is one of those phony efforts to throw up a smokescreen. This isn’t about capitalism. This isn’t even about private equity funds. This is about one person who wants to be president of the United States. He owes the country an explanation: Why were certain decisions made, how were they done, what was the consequence of them, does he stand by them in retrospect?
RUSH: Okay. So it is obvious that Newt not backing down in the attack on Romney. Even though he said he agreed with the guy in Spartanburg, South Carolina. So then Greta said, “So, what I understand from what you said is, you’re not anti-venture capitalism, that you’re pro-capitalism. So let me ask you this: At what point is it sort of fair to sort of clamp down on venture capitalism? Is there a point where there is abuse and it’s not just sort of open season for venture capitalists to do whatever they want?”
GINGRICH: Well, I think there’s always, uhh, some boundaries of free-market behavior that you watch and you check. If Governor Romney thinks there’s nothing there, then he ought to just hold a press conference, walk the news media through it, explain how it was done, let people see it. But I find it strange that they are so sensitive on this issue that they’ve sort of pushed the panic button. But — but — but — but understand me: This is not about free enterprise. This is about the character, values and judgment of a particular person who is running for president of the United States.
RUSH: Okay. So I get the walk-back now. What Newt’s trying to do here is walk back his indictment of capitalism, and he’s trying to focus it on Romney as a mean guy. He’s trying to get everybody focused like a laser on the idea that Romney is a cold-hearted, mean-spirited, heartless SOB who doesn’t care who gets hurt as long as he profits. That’s how I read this. He said “character.” He said, “We gotta look at the character, the values and judgment of a particular person who’s running for president.” He did. Character. That’s what Newt said, “character values and judgment particular person.” He’s walking back this whole notion that he’s talking about capitalism and Bain.
That’s right. He wants to talk about the character and values and judgment of a particular person. I assume he doesn’t mean himself. No, he doesn’t mean himself. He’s talking about Romney here. “It’s about the character, values, and judgment of a particular person who’s running for the president of the United States.” That’s the “character, values and judgment” of Mitt Romney. That’s what he’s trying to say. Now, we move to this morning on Fox & Friends. Guest, former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani. Steve Doocy, the weather guy, said, “You pick up the phone as soon as you’re done and you say to Newt what?”
GIULIANI: What the hell you doing, Newt? You believe what…? I expect this from Saul Alinsky, Newt! This is what Saul Alinsky taught Barack Obama, and the stuff you’re saying is one of the reasons we’re in the trouble we’re in right now. This total, ignorant, populist view of the economy that was proven to be incorrect with the Soviet Union, with Chinese communism. I’m gonna tell you this: My emotional inclination is to support a Gingrich or a Perry or a Santorum.
DOOCY: And you’ve been on this program doing that.
GIULIANI: I like their version of more consistent, long-term conservatism as opposed to Mitt, but what they’re doing to Mitt now is totally absolutely unfair and bad for the Republican Party.
RUSH: See, this is fascinating. (chuckles) You know what Rudy’s really ticked about here? He doesn’t like Romney, just like none of the other guys in 2008 liked Romney. Huckabee didn’t like Romney, McCain didn’t like Romney, Giuliani didn’t like Romney. He’s gotta defend Romney! They didn’t like Romney in 2008. None of them liked Romney. But because of what Newt and Perry are doing, Giuliani’s gotta defend Romney, which he doesn’t want to do. (paraphrasing) “What are you doing Newt? For crying out loud, I would rather be supporting you or Perry or Santorum, but, my God, we’ve gotta save capitalism here. We got a Marxist in the White House. We got somebody trying to destroy the country, and you sound just like him. We’ve gotta defend the American way of life here, and that means we gotta defend Romney,” and that ticks us off. That’s what’s bugging people.
And that’s why Beckel and the boys are rubbing their hands together in glee because they want Romney as the nominee. And now all these Republican big names, they’re even saying that about me. Some of the salivating on the Drive-By Me, the cable shows: “Limbaugh Forced to Defend Romney.” And in Giuliani’s case it’s very clear here, you listen to that bite the way I listened to the bite, Giuliani does not want to defend Romney. But Newt is forcing him into it, in a secondhand way. What Giuliani is saying he’s gotta defend is capitalism and the American way of life.
Now, let’s keep going. Sarah Palin. I was not watching cable news last night, and I got a text message from a good friend of mine, Mr. Hawaii, Mike Hartley. He has been hoping since two years ago that Sarah Palin would run for president. Mike has been just constantly peppering me. “You gotta do what you can. She’s gotta run. She’s the only hope, Rush, you gotta do everything you can.” I said, “Mike, I don’t know her, I can’t do anything about it.” “You gotta, you gotta,” and when she got out of the race he was devastated. Handicap went from a 24 to a 30 overnight. And so he texted me last night, he watched Palin on Hannity and he texted me and I read the text message and his tongue is hanging out, (panting) “Did you hear that? She’s gonna get back in? Oh, God, did you hear that?” I had to write back, “I’m sorry, I didn’t see it, but Mike, I know nobody as skilled as you at intuiting the intentions of women, so I have to say she might be thinking about it if that’s what you thought.”
We’ve got the sound bites of Palin. Well, we’ve got one sound bite of Palin. Hannity says, “Newt has backed off his criticism of Bain.” No, Sean, he didn’t. Okay, Hannity says, “Newt has backed off his criticism of Bain, but I had Governor Perry on the program last night, he’s doubled down, vulture capitalist, taking advantage of these companies in their hour of need. You know, just turn a quick profit. What do you think of those attacks in particular, Governor Palin? Is that where, if you were running a campaign, would that be your line against Governor Romney? Are they making a mistake? Are they attacking the fundamentals of conservatism, which is we support capitalism?”
PALIN: I don’t believe that that’s really what is at the heart of Governor Perry’s criticism of Romney and his time at Bain. Governor Romney has claimed to have created a hundred thousand jobs at Bain, and, you know, people are wanting to know is there proof of that claim. Nobody should be surprised that things about Bain Capital and maybe tax returns not being released yet and maybe some, you know, records not being as transparently provided to the public as voters deserve to see right now. Don’t be surprised that that’s all coming out today because it would come out as an October Surprise had these GOP candidates not brought those out today.
RUSH: Whoa! The mama mayor, the mama bear wants Mitt’s tax returns! The way I heard that is, she wants Perry to rally. She’s not gonna dump on Rick Perry. I don’t think that’s the heart of Governor Perry’s criticism of Romney and his time at Bain, but if he’s gonna run out there and say he created a hundred thousand jobs, let’s see the tax returns. Let’s see the proof. Whoa. I’ll tell you, folks, isn’t it obvious, 2008, 2012, on the Republican side in the universe of potential presidential nominees there’s not a whole lot of love for Romney. That’s fascinating.
BREAK TRANSCRIPT
RUSH: Grab audio sound bite number 27. By the way, on Hannity last night, Sarah Palin went out of the way not to endorse Newt. “Well, wait a minute, your husband, Todd Palin out there, he endorsed Newt.” She said, “Todd went rogue.” Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha. Todd went rogue. (laughing) Those of you who aren’t married may not get the significance of that. I remember back in one of the early Republican debates, I think it was Byron York, asked Michele Bachmann a question. “If you happened to be elected president, would you submit to your husband?” Because she is a devout believer in the Word of God-d, and the literal translationists believe that women are to subordinate themselves. “Would you submit to your husband, even as president?” Meaning, would your husband really be running the show?
Now, I think that question is a little unfortunate, but imagine if it were asked of Sarah Palin? (laughing) “Would you submit to your husband?” (laughing) The first dude, the first dude went rogue. That’s exactly what her quote was. The first dude went rogue. (laughing) I don’t know. Snerdley asked me during the break, “How do they put this back together with this much enmity, with this –” (interruption) No, Bachmann’s not submissive at all. She’s not a wallflower. But, you know, when this is all over and there is a nominee, how do you get ’em all on stage standing there arms linked, hands together? How do you do it after this? ‘Cause this is descending into being vicious now. Whereas the anger originally was pretty much focused on Romney, now it’s focused at Newt and Perry, with the existing anger at Romney still there. Andrea Mitchell, NBC News, Washington, interviewed Rick Tyler, the super PAC senior adviser of Newt’s. And during a discussion about the negative attack ads that Newt’s super PAC is running against Romney, Andrea Mitchell, NBC News, Washington, and Rick Tyler had this 22-second tete-a-tete.
MITCHELL: You’ve got Rush Limbaugh, you’ve got Club for Growth, calling it disgusting. Do you not worry that you’re helping to reelect Barack Obama, which, from your perspective, would not be a good thing?
TYLER: Oh, Andrea, do you think for a moment that Axelrod doesn’t know 20 times what I know about Mitt at Bain Capital? And then, remember, we didn’t run any ads ’til yesterday. They’re gonna have a billion dollars.
RUSH: All right. In fairness, that was not the question. The question is, “Why are you doing what Obama is gonna do?” You’re doing Obama’s work for him, that was her question. She’s not upset, don’t misunderstand, she’s excited. They all think that this is gonna pave the way for Obama’s reelection. (interruption) No. I told Snerdley that they’ll just pay ’em off. Money speaks. That’s what Washington’s all about. They’ll pay ’em all off and they’ll end up on stage together with total unity. It will happen. Don’t worry about it.