RNC Chair: Limbaugh's show incendiary and ugly

HUGHLEY: Like Rush Limbaugh, who is the de facto leader of the Republican Party.

STEELE: No, he’s not.

HUGHLEY: I will tell you what …

STEELE: I’m the de facto leader of the Republican Party.

HUGHLEY: You know what? I can appreciate that. But no one will actually decry down some of the things he says. Like when he comes out and says he wants the president to fail. I understand he wants liberalism to fail. Like, I get it’s not about the man. But it is still about the idea that he would rather have an idea fail so his idea can move to the forefront. And that would succeed. And that to me is destructive.

STEELE: How is that any different than what was said about George Bush during his presidency?

HUGHLEY: You’re absolutely — let me say something. You’re absolutely right.

STEELE: So let’s put it into context here. Let’s put it into context here. Rush Limbaugh is an entertainer. Rush Limbaugh, his whole thing is entertainment. Yes, it’s incendiary. Yes, it’s ugly.

Seems only the recently elected chairman of the RNC can get away with saying that. But good for him. It's not an ego thing: Steele knows the GOP can't appeal to moderates -- and can't win -- if Limbaugh is the face of the party.

Update: Damn, I was wrong. The right goes nuts, Rush responds, and Steele is forced to apologize:

Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele says he has reached out to Rush Limbaugh to tell him he meant no offense when he referred to the popular conservative radio host as an “entertainer” whose show can be “incendiary.”
“My intent was not to go after Rush – I have enormous respect for Rush Limbaugh,” Steele said in a telephone interview. “I was maybe a little bit inarticulate. … There was no attempt on my part to diminish his voice or his leadership.”

I thought there was a limit to this "criticize Rush than be forced to apologize" but now we see it pervades the Republican party from the Chairman on down. Only guys like David Frum are able to break from it.