The American Spectator

The Spectacle Blog

That's what Camille Paglia--one of President Obama's biggest supporters--calls the new administration's actions towards Rush Limbaugh, of whom she is also a fan.

Paglia points out what few people have, that Limbaugh, in addition to being a talk-radio host with talent on loan from God and 20 million listeners per week, is a private citizen, whom Obama and staff are targeting because they lack the skills to do the real work of the "crushing demands of the Presidency."

Has the administration gone mad? This entire fracas was set off by the president himself, who lowered his office by targeting a private citizen by name. Limbaugh had every right to counterattack, which he did with gusto. Why have so many Democrats abandoned the hallowed principle of free speech? Limbaugh, like our own liberal culture hero Lenny Bruce, is a professional commentator who can be as rude and crude as he wants.

And this gem:

Rush Limbaugh is an embodiment of the American dream: He slowly rose from obscurity to fame on the basis of his own talent and grit. Every penny Rush has earned was the result of his rapport with a vast audience who felt shut out and silenced by the liberal monopoly of major media. As a Democrat and Obama supporter, I certainly do not agree with everything Rush says or does [...] Nevertheless, I respect Rush for his independence of thought and his always provocative news analysis. He doesn't run with the elite -- he goes his own way.

If only her Democratic colleagues had such insight.