START THE CLOCK…. At last count, there are four fairly high-profile Republicans — Michael Steele, Mark Sanford, Rep. Phil Gingrey, and congressional candidate Jim Tedisco — who quickly backtracked after making derogatory comments about Rush Limbaugh.
Will Rep. Zach Wamp (R-Tenn.) be #5?
Yesterday, on CNN, Wamp was asked about the ongoing debate in Republican circles about whether Americans should hope for their president to fail. Limbaugh has obviously made his perspective clear, but this week, Mitt Romney took issue with the position. How about Wamp?
“Frankly, we need to listen more to the people back home, and not so much just the voices out there. There’s not much difference between entertainment and journalism on some fronts….
“Listen, I don’t want to get in the crossfire here. But the fact is entertainers sometimes say things. We really need serious-minded policy people to help chart this ship of state out of these rocky waters right now. And so we shouldn’t spend so much time caught in what others are saying.”
Greg Sargent summarized: “So Wamp believes Rush = An Entertainer Who Isn’t Serious And Shouldn’t Be listened To About The Crisis.”
Given that Wamp is not only a sitting Republican lawmaker but also a gubernatorial candidate in Tennessee, can he afford to take a dismissive attitude towards the leading right-wing radio host? After all, aren’t there a lot of GOP primary voters in Tennessee who consider Limbaugh less of an “entertainer” and more of a “serious-minded policy” person?
If recent history is any guide, expect a “clarification” from the congressman’s office sometime today.
