Published Sunday | February 17, 2008
Limbaugh calls Obama a 'blank canvas'THE NEW YORK TIMES

NEW YORK — Rush Limbaugh lobbed yet another grenade last week in his Republican-on-Republican smackdown against Sen. John McCain.

"I would like today to announce a tentative decision — I'm still thinking about it — to endorse Barack Obama," he said, his head cocked slightly toward his 18-karat-gold-plated microphone.

Limbaugh then listed nearly a dozen qualities he said he found admirable in Obama. "Barack Obama is pro-life," he began. "Barack Obama is a tax-cutter extraordinaire."

If neither statement was descriptive of Obama, a liberal Democrat, nor was there much hope for what followed. "Barack Obama will establish a college football playoff, once and for all," Limbaugh said. "Barack Obama will offer free-beer Fridays."

His point, Limbaugh said, was that Obama represented "a blank canvas upon which anyone can project their fantasies and desires."

But implicit in his "endorsement," however tongue-in-cheek, was this: Limbaugh, who draws more than 13.5 million listeners a week, considers McCain to have so betrayed conservative principles by voting against tax cuts and not being as tough as Limbaugh would like on illegal immigrants that the commentator was openly flirting with the enemy. Later, Limbaugh dangled the possibility of endorsing Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton.

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