Eye On Boise

Otter: Rush isn’t right

March 6, 2009 1:36 p.m. • 11 comments

When he addressed the Idaho Press Club this morning, Gov. Butch Otter was questioned by Idaho Statesman political columnist Dan Popkey about whether he agreed with radio host Rush Limbaugh recent controversial statement that he hopes President Obama fails. “No,” Otter responded, adding that he hadn’t heard Limbaugh’s speech. “My answer to that’s no, I don’t share that. Spending billions of dollars and getting nothing from it - I think it’d deepen and lengthen and maybe even go into a depression if we failed. So for my part, I’m gonna do all I can to get as many people working … getting ‘em jobs on building bridges and roads and water systems for rural Idaho. … I think we can create a lot of jobs. A person gets a job, that whole family suddenly gains a lot of confidence. … I believe that’s the kind of hope everybody had for the stimulus package when it was first mentioned.”

11 comments on this post so far. Add yours!

Kage_Mann on March 06 at 1:58 p.m.
Think about it, if liberals socialism works,it will set back the conservative movement for a long time and get Obama re-elected.All through Bush’s terms as president, the democrats wanted Bush and the republicans to fail, even at the expense of losing a war.Why would conservatives want to support something that goes against everything they believe in?
Sisyphus on March 06 at 3:47 p.m.
I could see where that line of thought might have very superficial appeal to people who don’t think really about it and need an excuse to conduct themselves in their highly partisan fashion. But the truth is many Democrats went along with Bush’s policies in the spirit of bipartisanship even including Bush’s folly in Iraq while the rest warned about what a drastic mistake it was only to be proven right. Their criticisms about the policy were substantive and ultimately correct. Rush’s criticisms, and those of his followers, are merely very simple knee jerk reactions.

How very ironic Kage that your single biggest fear is that the success of Obama’s policies will lead to his re-election. You clearly appear more worried about your beloved conservatives than for what’s good for the country.
fortboise on March 06 at 4:13 p.m.
Otter is smart enough to (a) not listen to Rush, and (b) respond narrowly enough to this question that I trust that the dittohead army won’t force him to recant.

As for your observation, Kage, it runs the same parallel as the right-wingers who went on and on about how Democrats “hated” Bush. Since Republicans want Obama to fail, gee, Democrats must’ve wanted Bush to fail?

No. I utterly opposed us (re)starting the Iraq war for what have all been proven to be valid reasons. When Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld launched the invasion, I wanted it over ASAP, and the US out, not as “failure” but as the best outcome for all concerned.

Opinions differ about what has been and what will be best for this country or that. But I have no desire to see anyone fail if they are trying to do something constructive.

Limbaugh is moronically over the line by equating politics with a football game. He’s happy to shoot the country in the foot to stay in the limelight, he gets paid either way. More, if he draws more attention to himself. The Republicans are being played for fools by sucking up to him.

He also confuses ends and means. True patriots want what’s best for their country, not for their ideology. Michael Steele was exactly right the FIRST time — Rush’s message is incendiary, and ugly. And counterproductive. So much so that the Republicans are now blaming the Democrats for somehow putting Rush in charge. The irony is too rich.

So, good on Idaho’s governor for stating not only a bipartisan point of view, but a COMMON SENSE one.
Kage_Mann on March 08 at 1:24 p.m.
Sis, I wouldn’t call voting for the war but, voting to cut funding for the war,as not being very supportive of the war effort, as Hillary and some other demos did.Further, putting our soldiers in harms way and early on our soldiers needed the Humvees to
be beefed up to protect themselves from the roadside bombs.
Remember, also that the last two years of Bush’s presidency,he
was hamstrung by a democratic congress, not real excited by Bush’s proposed defense budget plans.

“You clearly appear more worried about your beloved conservatives than for what’s good for the country”.Sisyphus.

I’m not worried, Socialism has never worked. While, these bailouts may work in the short-term eventually, it will also, cause heavy inflation and sink this country into the throes of a depression IMO.
Sisyphus on March 09 at 11:53 a.m.
“Socialism has never worked.”—LOL. Without getting into a semantic war over your definition, do you righties actually believe this? Lets just take Denmark for example, the happiest populace on the planet.

All education is free in Denmark, right on through university. And students can take as long as they like to complete their studies. Denmark also provides free health care, subsidized child care and elder care, a social safety net spread the length and breadth of the country.

And at what cost? 50% in taxes. Now considering we pay about 30% in taxes would you be willing another 20% to get what the Danes have? How much do you pay for those things now?

Wow you either have a bad memory or a revisionist agenda. Bush wasn’t hamstrung. Congress endeavored for a long time to get Bush to change direction in Iraq and Bush resisted. Bush put the military in harm’s way and, in Rumsfeld’s words “with the army he had’ which was sorely lacking in armor and other life saving equipment.
OfCoffee on March 09 at 3:02 p.m.
So sys - do you think that the US should remodel itself after Denmark?

And as an aside, do you really think we only pay 30% in taxes?