Republicans aren't taking a hard enough line against President Barack Obama's actions on immigration, conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh charged Sunday, saying the GOP should not be worried about losing support for taking action that includes another government shutdown
"This is about two elections in which the people of this country are betting the Republican people to stop this man," Limbaugh told "Fox News Sunday" host Chris Wallace. The midterm elections showed that last year's shutdown did not hurt the party, he continued, despite polls that blamed Republicans more than Obama for the action.
"The essence of a poll is an election," he argued with Matthews.
Republican lawmakers plan to fund the government through next September, and many key party members, including former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, agree with Obama on the subject of immigration.
“This is a trick,” he said. “The Republicans want what Obama wants on immigration.”
And even when the government shut down last year, it didn't really close the services, such as welfare and Social Security, that people depend on receiving, said Limbaugh, but instead shut down some memorials in the nation's capital.
In other matters on Sunday, Limbaugh called on Obama to do more to heal the nation's racial divisions, not encourage them.
"If he wants to, he can inspire," said Limbaugh, calling the president a "great orator" who has the power to bring the country together after white police officers were not indicted in the deaths of African-Americans Michael brown in Ferguson, Mo., and Eric Garner in Staten Island.
But instead, "grievance politics" are tearing the country apart, and "there are too many people profiting off this strife," he said.
But Obama and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio are giving speeches that divide the country and ignoring centuries of advancement when it comes to civil rights, the talk show host commented.
"I don’t think things are perfect and rosy in America,” Limbaugh said, but with the leaders' reactions, “You would think it’s 200 years ago.”
Limbaugh said he finds it outrageous that Garner was killed for selling loose cigarettes on the street and was being arrested on tax issues, noting that the per-pack price in New York is now $13, with $6 going to pay taxes.
"I think the real outrage is that an American died while police were enforcing tax collection on cigarettes," said Limbaugh. If you want a powerful state, there's your police force."
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