By one measure, Rush Limbaugh is a clear winner this week: His ratings have nearly doubled since his feud with the White House burst into the media limelight. But the Obama administration's strategy of trying to elevate the conservative radio commentator to leader of the opposition has prompted a vigorous counterattack, with a key Republican senator saying the move is an "outrage" that "reeks of hypocrisy coming from a president who campaigned against these very cynical political tactics last fall." That letter from Sen. John Cornyn (TX), chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, and a Washington Post opinion piece by House Minority Leader John A. Boehner (R-OH), also accusing the White House of cynicism, underscore the GOP's attempt to make President Obama pay a political price for the rhetorical assault on Limbaugh.
