RUSH: Here’s Albert in San Jose, California. Hi, Albert. Great to have you on the EIB Network. Hello.

CALLER: Hi, Rush. I had a question with regard to the health care law and the Republicans and what they’re proposing. I know that Ted Cruz and Mike Lee are proposing defunding Obamacare, which I think is great. But what I don’t understand, and what I’m hearing from other GOP leaders, is the idea of delaying Obamacare. So I don’t understand politically — and just talking politically — why the Republicans are going down that path. Why are they trying to fix this bill like they did with the medical tax? Why fix this bill at all? Why don’t they just let it go and not put their hands on this bill at all?

RUSH: This is a fascinating question, and it cuts to the quick. It cuts to the core of what has happened to the Republican Party, and I happen to be uniquely qualified to answer this for you. Here goes. The reason is, there’s a modus operandi in Washington. The Democrats propose something — this is, by the way, how things happen. The Democrats are the ones that propose something.

The Democrats are the ones always advancing their agenda; the Republicans never say “no.” Because they are so frightened of the media and so frightened of the first black president, the Republicans’ initial reaction to every Democrat proposal is that they must have an alternative. In their view, Obama won. The American people, therefore, want Obama to get what he wants.

Therefore, to be seen positively by the American people, they must appear to be at least partially supportive of Obama, because he’s so loved and adored by the American people. I’m telling you, that’s how they think. So Obama proposes health care and the Republicans say, “Uhh, we’ve got a better plan,” and then they start trying to, quote, “fix” it. But the basic premise (government-run health care) survives, and it becomes what ends up being debated.

That’s why the Tea Party came into existence, frankly, because the Republican Party stopped opposing the Democrat Party. The Tea Party said, “Why are we sending ’em there?” and the Tea Party begot people like Ted Cruz and Mike Lee, and they’ve gone there, and they’re opposing. They’re trying to stop it, and the Republican establishment is getting mad at ’em.

“Well, you guys are just obstructionists! You know, you guys aren’t legislators. You guys don’t compromise. We’re gonna get nothing done in Washington if you guys just constantly obstruct things,” and that’s what they were sent there to do. The whole party ought to be obstructing! The whole party ought to be saying “no” to everything in Obama’s agenda. They shoulda said “no” to the stimulus; they shoulda said “no” to Obamacare.

Now, in fairness on Obama, they didn’t have the votes to stop it at all, and so there was some bravery there. They knew that they didn’t have the votes. But once it became law, they didn’t see any benefit to opposing it. The leadership and the Republican establishment doesn’t see any benefit in opposing what’s been signed into law. They just think that they’re gonna end up being hated and despised, and never, ever win another election.

I got a story somewhere here in the Stack — since you asked, Albert — about this very thing: The Republican establishment leaders upset with Cruz and upset with others. “If these guys keep obstructing, we’re never gonna win! We’re never gonna get back in power,” as though the only route to power is Democrat Lite. Well, what about the country? Meaning: What about the people of the country?

The whole Washington establishment — and it’s made up of Republicans and Democrats — and, Albert, I hate to say it, but there may be some Republicans that you are thinking would naturally be opposed to this who are actually not that opposed. “Hey, you know, we’re in government. Government can be good when we’re running it. We’d like to be in charge of all this money.

“We’d like to have the committee chairmanships in charge of all this money! Yeah, we could do it better and smarter than they do.” In the Washington establishment, Albert, there aren’t a whole lot of limited-government types, Republican or Democrat. There really aren’t. They just aren’t there. Does that help? I know it doesn’t make you feel any better, but does it help answer your question?

CALLER: Yes, it does, and thanks, Rush. Yeah, you’re right. It doesn’t make me feel better. Thanks.

RUSH: Look, it doesn’t makes sense at all, especially on health care. The way I look at it — and I’m not a politician. I don’t have to get votes. But the way I look at polling data — and these people live and die by polls, Albert. Every poll shows a vast majority of the American people don’t want this. That’s a majority of Americans waiting to be connected with by the Republican Party.

I always thought — naive, stupid me — that the Republican Party was different and therefore opposed to Democrats and wanted to beat them. But that doesn’t seem to be operative right now. And if there is a reason for it, it’s the fact that we are now being led by the first black president, and they look at it as there’s no payoff. There’s literally nothing to be gained by opposing Obama, no matter what.

Sorry to say, we do not live in a colorblind society, and politics certainly isn’t. But that’s such a good question. “Why would the Republicans want their fingerprints on this?” Well, you have to think that they’ve made a calculated guess that their fingerprints on this are gonna help ’em, just like their fingerprints on amnesty are gonna help ’em. Let’s throw something else in the mix, Albert, and really make your day.

What if I were to tell you that the Republican establishment doesn’t want people like you and me making up their base? Their primary supporters, their number one supporters, they want to trade us in for a new base of people. More moderate, not so pro-life, not so focused on the social issues. So they might be willing to live in the wilderness for a few elections in order to switch out their base.

There could be any number of things going on. Well, I think there is a little envy on the Republican side that they can’t relate to the low-information crowd. I think they’re a little jealous. ‘Cause the low-information crowd is pop culture. I think they would love to have some support from pop culture. I actually think it’s a factor. They see the Democrats loved and adored by the cool and the hip, and they want to be loved and adored by the cool and the hip.

I don’t know how big a concern that is, I don’t know how big a factor it is, but human nature is human nature — and let’s face it, folks, none of us ever get out of high school. I don’t care how old we get.