Heather Wilson Pushing Limbaugh Talking Points

You knew it would come to this. We have soon to be ex-NM-01 Congresswoman Heather Wilson hawking Rush Limbaugh talking points about Obama on a phone call with the "local press" (such that it is). Surprise, the Albuquerque Journal gave the Limbaugh-Wilson talking points front-page coverage today.

The big story? Gov. Bill Richardson, while on the road in Virginia, did a phone interview with Steffan Tubbs and April Zesbaugh on Denver's KOA "Colorado Morning News" in which he muffed a statistic late in the interview. The host led off the interview this way:

"... People in our listening audience certainly equate Barack Obama to a socialist, basically. Your reaction to that?"

Richardson called the socialist charge unfounded and repeated the Obama campaign's promise that, for "anybody under $250,000, there is no tax increase."

Clearly, Richardson originally stated that no family earning under $250,000 would pay increased taxes under Obama's economic plan. (The Obama plan also states families earning under $200,000 would get a tax cut.) That's factual. Later in the interview, Richardson obviously misspoke and used a cut-off figure of $120,000. Whoo. You'd think the sky was falling. Or the Russkis were coming. Karl Marx is in the house!

Radio comedian Rush Limbaugh, who has been in quite a tizzy anyway these days with the right-wing's ship sinking like a stone, jumped on the error likety-split. He took the tacky tack, like the clown he is, that Richardson's mistake proves that Obama (that socialist!) plans to raise taxes on all Americans in a stealthy plot to enrich the poor. Or something. And of course Limbaugh and his followers are using a clip that contains only the flub, omitting what Richardson said earlier in the interview. You know how they are. Click to listen to the entire interview.

Heather Hearts Rush
Okay, we expect a noted liar and GOP tool like Limbaugh to push a silly story like this to try and hold onto his bottom-feeding listeners and keep the GOP "base" incensed enough to vote. But Heather Wilson likes to portray herself as a dignified, brainy analyst of all things political, so her descent into Limbaugh territory represents a real tumble into wingnut territory. Obviously, she craves a post within a McCain-Palin administration so badly that she's willing to become another voice in the say anything to win crowd. I guess she's not as "moderate" as she always claimed at election time.

Here's some of what Heather said:

During a conference call with New Mexico reporters, Wilson charged that the Obama camp is "preparing America" for a tax boost.

"I think Gov. Richardson spoke the truth this morning," said Wilson, who was campaigning in New Hampshire for McCain. "(Richardson) is aspiring to be a Cabinet member under an Obama administration. Someone at that level can't afford to make a stupid mistake like that. He's telling the truth. ... Wilson said she was "amazed" by Richardson's on-air comment. "The reality is, they want our money," she charged. "Not just rich people's money. Not just Joe the Plumber's money."

No, Heather. Richardson made a mistake and cleared it up quickly, which you well know. You're the one who's lying, just like you lied when you stole your husband's case file at the NM Department of Children, Youth and Families when you became its Secretary, and wouldn't admit what you did until you were cornered. And spare me the "Joe the Plumber" BS too. We all know by now that Joe isn't named Joe and that he's an unlicensed ham who owes back taxes and is using his 15 minutes of fame to try and get a leg up as a country music singer -- and threaten to run for office.

Obama Campaign Reveals Truth
The Obama campaign responded:

“Gov. Richardson admitted that he simply misspoke, and yet Sen. McCain continues this dishonest, desperate political attack to distract voters from the fact that his low-road campaign is being rejected by voters across the country,” Obama spokesman Tommy Vietor said, responding to comments Sen. McCain also made today referring to Richardson’s remark. “The truth is that Sen. Obama wants to give tax breaks to 95 percent of workers and their families, while Sen. McCain’s plan provides no tax relief for more than 100 million Americans.”

End of story. Unless you're one of the "journalists" dedicated to flogging false stories generated by Rush Limbaugh and his clones. And this time, Heather Wilson is one of the clones. Understand, she's hard up for a job. She must think she's got nothing left to lose. I wonder what she'll do when Obama-Biden are inaugurated.

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