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RUSH: Well, some of you people are gonna love hearing about this story. It’s from The Politico today, by Mike Allen. And the headline of The Politico story: “GOP Elite See Daniels as 2012 Savior — Top Republicans are increasingly convinced that President Barack Obama will be easily reelected if stronger GOP contenders do not emerge, and some are virtually begging Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels to add some excitement to the slow-starting nomination race. It’s a sign of the GOP’s straits that the party is depending on the bland, wonkish Daniels for an adrenaline boost. But interviews this week with longtime party activists and strategists,” and, by the way, not one person is named in this piece. So we don’t know who these Republicans speaking to Mike Allen at Politico are.

“But interviews this week with longtime party activists and strategists made clear that many in the Republican establishment are unnerved by a field led by Mitt Romney, who could have trouble confronting Obama on health reform; Tim Pawlenty, who has yet to ignite excitement; Jon Huntsman, who may be too moderate to get the nomination; and Newt Gingrich, weighed down by personal baggage and a sense that he is a polarizing figure from the 1990s. Despairing Republican lobbyists say their colleagues don’t ask, ‘Who do you like?’ but instead, ‘Who do we back?'” A central player in the GOP money machine,” again unnamed, says, “It’s not that they’re up in arms. It’s just that they’re depressed.”

So we have a story here about the RINOs. We’ve been talking on this program about the Republican Party whose convinced that Obama can’t be beat. Mike Allen found ’em, whoever they are. We know they’re out there. It’s absurd to believe that Barack Obama can’t be beat. Look, nothing personal meant here, and even Mike Allen refers to it. Republicans are increasingly convinced that President Obama will easily be elected if stronger Republican contenders don’t emerge. They need Mitch Daniels to show up and add some excitement. And Mike Allen says, now, that is a sign of how bad it is for the Republican Party when they’re depending on a bland, wonkish guy for excitement.

Here’s a pull quote: “There is one other scenario, and it terrifies Washington Republicans. That is the possibility that some very conservative, insurgent candidate will become the Romney alternative: former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum or former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.” So, folks, the word’s gone out, the inside-the-Beltway Republican elites, the RINOs, they are scared to death that some conservative is gonna get the nomination, and they want the exciting Mitch Daniels to ride in, announce, and save the day.

Let me throw a name at you out there, and this person’s toying with getting in the race. And there are some Republicans who are trying to convince this person to get in the race, and there is a lot of excitement attached to the possibility that this person will get in the race. Well, who do you think I’m talking about? You have a look on your face in there as though you know who I’m talking about. Texas Governor Rick Perry. Texas Governor Rick Perry is lurking out there, and he has the potential to light this up.

If Rick Perry decides to get in this, folks, then you can wipe away all the conventional wisdom that’s out there heretofore and to date, ’cause it’s a brand-new day, and it starts all over again. And the Republican elites do not like Rick Perry. The Republican elites do not like Rick Perry. (interruption) Who said endorsement? No, I’m not endorsing anybody here. Don’t do that. Look, Drudge has the story that Rick Perry’s being asked to consider and that he’s thinking about it.

Folks, I’m just gonna tell you a little story. I was asked a year ago, sometime in the last 12 months, I forget exactly when, I was asked to appear in Texas at a fundraiser for a very popular Texas politician. I’m not going to name the politician. Doesn’t matter. This was in the midst of the Texas gubernatorial race. Remember Kay Bailey Hutchison was challenging Rick Perry for the governorship of Texas. And I received a panicked e-mail from a member of the inside Republican elite warning me — now, get this — warning me that Rick Perry was gonna show up for the express purpose of trying to horn his way into a photograph with me. I was insulted and angered by this, not by what Perry was gonna do, but, so? Rick Perry wants to show up, he’s the governor of Texas. They were warning me to be on the lookout that Rick Perry might try to use me to advance his gubernatorial campaign.

The only reason I tell you this, and the only reason it’s interesting is that the people sending me the note were the same people talking to the Politico here who think Mitch Daniels equals Mr. Excitement, who are petrified of Newt getting in, petrified of Bachmann, petrified of Santorum, petrified of Palin, petrified of somebody conservative getting in. They wanted to warn me that I was going to be used, and I’d better be on the lookout, “Whatever you do, do not let this happen.” And of course it happened.

I posed for a picture with Perry. He showed up, he said some nice things about me. He was a friend of everybody there. He didn’t intrude in a place he wasn’t wanted, the governor of Texas. I tell you the story only to illustrate what I’ve told you all along and what you’ve known instinctively probably yourselves, and that is the Republican Party is by no means unified here and the Republican Party, well, the elites in it are as alarmed at the prospect a conservative will get the nomination as are the Democrats alarmed that a conservative could get the Republican nomination.

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RUSH: Now, Rick Perry used to be soft on immigration, now he’s not. There’s no way you’re gonna hear Rick Perry supporting amnesty in any way, shape, manner, or form. He’s solid on that, plus pro-life. Rick Perry stands in opposition to inside the Beltway Washington elites, I don’t care what party they are. And he’s got great hair. Folks, we gotta put a picture of Rick Perry up on our website, if you haven’t seen him. It’s axiomatic, you are not going to be elected president unless you’ve got at least a ten inch part in your hair, preferably 14-inch. You can’t be bald. It’s the same thing with television anchors. You’re never going to be a prime network news anchor unless you have a 14-inch part in your hair. Well, in the television age there are just certain realities that you can’t get around.

But, I’ll tell you, liberals are gonna react to any Republican that’s… don’t make me say this again. Look, I’m gonna get in enough trouble with these Republicans. Snerdley wants to know how the liberals are gonna react with another Texas governor. They’re gonna go nuts. So what? Let ’em. When are they ever not nuts? Look, Rick Perry is a strong fiscal conservative. There are people in Texas that wanted a state income tax. He fought it. Rick Perry’s the guy that tracked these Democrats that left the state down. Remember they ran out, just like the Wisconsin Democrats did. No, I’m not endorsing anybody. I’m just telling you he’s lurking out there. It’s why I’ve always tried to caution people, it’s way too early here to start throwing in the towel or thinking all’s lost regarding the presidential field. There’s other people that might decide to get in this thing, too. You never know.

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RUSH: You know, it’s funny to me how the Republican establishment guys, they seem to always go to Politico to make their case. You know, Politico’s a liberal site. These inside-the-Beltway Republicans, they always go whining to the Politico about how dull and boring their nomination process is and what they’re afraid of. “Well, gosh, we don’t think we’re gonna win. We really can’t win. We’re really gonna lose if it’s Santorum or Palin.” Why are they going to the Politico to tell these things? It may be Politico’s calling them and they are answering.

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RUSH: From the Washington Times: “He’s not on the ballot for 2012, but Texas Gov. Rick Perry strongly impressed a gathering of top Republican officials here Tuesday, with many high-ranking GOP officials saying the governor would be their top choice if he entered the presidential race.” Now, this is interesting. This is the general council of the Republican National Committee saying this, Bill Crocker, “I would love to see a movement to draft Rick for the nomination if that’s the only way we can get him to run.” This was after Perry “delivered a luncheon address that had several hundred party officials attentive throughout. ‘The comments I got after his speech made it clear I am not alone,’ Mr. Crocker said at the meeting of GOP state chairmen and other RNC members,” meaning outside-the-Beltway Republicans. These are not the Republicans talking to Politico who are having the reaction, the thought that they had to Rick Perry as he addressed the group.

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