RUSH: Now, Alan Simpson yesterday on this program, I did refer to former Senator Simpson and the former Clinton cover-up artist ‘Irksome’ Bowles as retreads. I did do that and I did wonder aloud, why are you guys allowing yourselves to be tricked here because all that’s going to happen is that when you come back with your report, I mean, you served your time. The guy is currently in office, it’s their job to deal with the debt because they caused it! They caused the debt. They made all of this happen and now they want you to come exonerate them. Why would you do this? What you’re going to end up doing, Senator Simpson and ‘Irksome’ Bowles, you’re going to have to recommend tax increases. We know how establishment types think. You’re going to recommend tax increases and guess what? Obama’s going to have no fingerprints on it which is exactly what he wants. So last night on The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer on PBS, senior correspondent Judy Woodruff interviewed the chairmen of the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform, former Senator Alan Simpson and former Clinton White House cover-up artist ‘Irksome’ Bowles. She said, ‘Whatever you recommend is not going to be binding, you’re going to make some recommendation but nobody in Congress is required to enact this.’
SIMPSON: We’ll be called naive, I’ll be called a Republican toady, Rush babe will be after me day and night, but this is bigger than me or Erskine or you. This is about your — this is about the future of America. This country is going to go to the bow wows unless we deal with the entitlements and Social Security and Medicare.
WOODRUFF: So you do expect to take flak?
SIMPSON: You bet.
RUSH: Rush babe. (laughing) He’s got a great sense of humor. I’ve always gotten a kick out of Senator Simpson’s sense of humor, it’s funny, Rush babe, Rush babe be after me day and night. This is Jeb Bush responding to my suggestion that Obama’s laying a trap for the Republicans on this health care summit. This morning on Fox & Friends, Steve Doocy and Jeb Bush have this exchange.
DOOCY: I think it is brilliant that he has called the Republicans in and said, ‘Okay, let’s do this. We’re going to talk about health care on television.’ Of course, Rush Limbaugh says, ‘Look, it’s a political trap, you gotta be careful Republicans.’
JEB: I actually think it’s a great thing, not necessarily for who wins and who loses, but great for the country that there is more transparency and more open discussion, and I think our ideas are the more relevant ones for the majority of Americans so it may be a trap because it could be designed the wrong way perhaps to give one side the upper hand, but to have an open conversation about these huge issues is healthy.
RUSH: Snerdley, shut up! Good Lord. Snerdley is livid here at Jeb Bush. ‘Is he this stupid or is he just saying this for the cameras?’ I think the politically correct thing to do here if you are an official elected, former elected Republican, is to go. The Republicans have to go. The president calls you, you can’t say screw you, we’re not showing up. I’m going to maintain however there is no reason for the Republicans to show up at the Blair House for this meeting. From the Associated Press: ‘White House: Democrats Near Accord on Health Care Bill.’ Why go? ‘The White House and congressional leaders are preparing a detailed health care proposal designed to win passage without Republican support if GOP lawmakers fail to embrace bipartisan compromises at next week’s summit.’ What bipartisanship has happened?
Let me read this to you again. ‘The White House and congressional leaders are preparing a detailed health care proposal designed to win passage without Republican support if GOP lawmakers fail to embrace bipartisan compromises at next week’s summit.’ There aren’t any bipartisan compromises. The Democrats are putting together the compromise bill that they want and they’re bringing the Republicans up there, if the Republicans don’t sign onto it, guess what? They’re the party of ‘no.’ ‘We tried bipartisanship.’ This is a total, total trap. I appreciate all these people thinking it’s a great forum for the Republicans to get their ideas out there, but Obama runs this show. I don’t know, folks. I always trust my instincts on this and we’ve got ’em on the run. Nobody wants any part of this health care bill, one side of it or the other, the House side or the Senate side. Nobody wants it. There’s a reason Democrats are dropping like flies and there’s a reason Republicans are winning elections left and right, and it’s not because they’re going along and being bipartisan. The era of McCain is over, sirs.
BREAK TRANSCIRPT
RUSH: Jeb Bush, love you, as you know, and all of you Republicans, but I have a name for you. That name is Oscar Goodman, the mayor of Las Vegas who declined an invitation from Obama to meet. Follow that example.