How High?

Rush Limbaugh might not be what Rahm Emanuel asserted on Sunday when he said that Limbaugh has become the "voice and intellectual force" behind the Republican Party, but frankly it does seem to be becoming increasingly true. When Limbaugh says jump, Republican officials quickly respond, "How high?"

Georgia Republican, Representative Phil Gingrey, criticized Limbaugh back in January, but then immediately called in to apoligize after receiving a slew of complaints from Rush listeners. And now, after RNC chair, Michael Steele, told CNN over the weekend that Limbaugh is an entertainer who can be "ugly and incendiary", Limbaugh gladly returned the fire. And sure enough the chairman called Limbaugh to smooth things over.

Steele's apology yesterday was the second time he has said something during his month-old chairmanship that he has had to backtrack from. Earlier, in a FOX interview, Steele suggested that the three Senate Republicans who voted for the stimulus -- Susan Collins, Olympia Snowe and Arlen Specter -- would face primary challenges, and left open the possibility that those three might not receive funds from the RNC. But the committee reversed course, telling NBC News Political Director, Chuck Todd, "That the RNC has no intention of getting involved in primaries. We work with state parties to elect Republicans and will continue to do that." To put it kindly, it seems as if Steele has gotten off to a rocky start as RNC chair (as Rush himself said) -- primarily due to a lack of message discipline. And some Republicans might agree with this statement from Limbaugh yesterday: "It's time, Mr. Steele, for you to go behind the scenes and start doing the work that you were elected to do instead of trying to be some talking head media star, which you're having a tough time pulling off."

I find it truely disturbing that a man like Limbaugh has the power that he does. What are people thinking? Or is that the problem -- they're not.