Rush Limbaugh: The Ego and the [Republican] Skid

“I want to send Rush a bottle of vitamins. We need him to stay healthy and loud and proud.” -former Clinton political hack Paul Begala.

Begala and serpenthead James Carville claim the strategy against Limbaugh was hatched last fall after a poll showed people hate Rush.

The "tripwire," says Begala, was Rush's bellowing how he hoped Obama "would fail."

Rush doesn't give a rat's ass if the Dems are using him as a pawn. He tells Politico: "The administration is enabling me. They are expanding my profile, expanding my audience and expanding my influence. An ever larger number of people are now being exposed to the antidote to Obamaism: conservatism, as articulated by me. An ever larger number of people are now exposed to substantive warnings, analysis and criticism of Obama's policies and intentions, a ‘story’ I own because the [mainstream media] is largely the Obama Press Office.”

I do agree with Begala and Carville on this: Rush's ego isn't doing the Republican party any favors...

But it sounds as though the WH is sending the above pit bull pair and salivating Dems a message: lay off. Shut your yaps. Obama press czar Robert Gibbs telling reporters Wednesday attacks on Rush are "counterproductive."