I'm going to repeat myself...

...I can't help it, it's in the Tracy DNA. But the more I think of it and read about it, the more I think Obama is consciously and shrewdly making Rush Limbaugh the de facto head of the Republican Party. Limbaugh has a huge following in absolute numbers but only from the 30% or so that still approve of George Bush. He's the perfect straw man.

As everyone knows, the Republican Party is in disarray. The neo-con foreign policy of the Bush years has been largely discredited and in domestic policy they have abdicated their traditional role as the party of small government. So where does that leave them and who are their leaders? Who knows?

While John McCain is a has-been and Sarah Palin lacks credibility with all but a small base, it's difficult to determine who the next leader of the party will be. Michael Steele, an African-American, was just voted the new chairman of the Republican National Committee. John Boehner and Mitch McConnell are the minority leaders in the House and Senate, respectively. All are capable and serious men but also drab and colorless. The GOP has a crop of rising stars in the governor's mansions, including Bobby Jindahl and Tim Pawlenty, and in the House, such as Paul Ryan and Eric Cantor, but none are exactly a household name just yet. Newt Gingrich is probably the leading intellectual in the party but comes with a ton of baggage. My guess is that he will play the role of kingmaker in 2012. So who does that leave?

Consider the case of Representative Phil Gingrey of Georgia. Never heard of him? No matter; no one else has outside of his district. But in an appearance on Hardball last week he said:

"I think that our leadership, Mitch McConnell and John Boehner, are taking the right approach," Gingrey said. "I mean, it's easy if you're Sean Hannity or Rush Limbaugh or even sometimes Newt Gingrich to stand back and throw bricks. You don't have to try to do what's best for your people and your party. You know you're just on these talk shows and you're living well and plus you stir up a bit of controversy and gin the base and that sort of that thing. But when it comes to true leadership, not that these people couldn't be or wouldn't be good leaders, they're not in that position of John Boehner or Mitch McConnell."

Big mistake. Gingrey received a high volume of phone calls and correspondence and had to go on Limbaugh's show and beg forgiveness:

"I clearly ended up putting my foot in my mouth on some of those comments, and I just wanted to tell you, Rush — and all our conservative giants, who help us so much to maintain our base and grow it to get back this majority — that I regret those stupid comments."

He also published this on his web site:

As long as I am in the Congress, I will continue to fight for and defend our sacred values. I have actively opposed every bailout, every rebate check, every so called "stimulus." And on so many of these things, I see eye-to-eye with Rush Limbaugh. Regardless of what yesterday's headline may have read, I never told Rush to back off. I regret and apologize for the fact that my comments have offended and upset my fellow conservatives--that was not my intent. I am also sorry to see that my comments in defense of our Republican Leadership read much harsher than they actually were intended, but I recognize it is my responsibility to clarify my own comments.

Now more than ever, we need to articulate a clear conservative message that distinguishes our values and our approach from those of liberal Democrats who are seeking to move our nation in the wrong direction. Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Newt Gingrich, and other conservative giants are the voices of the conservative movement's conscience. Everyday, millions and millions of Americans--myself included--turn on their radios and televisions to listen to what they have to say, and we are inspired by their words and by their determination. At the end of the day, every member of the conservative movement, from our political commentators and thinkers to our elected officials, share an important and common purpose in advancing the cause of liberty, reigning in a bloated federal government, and defending our traditional family values.

Does Gingrey sound afraid of Limbaugh? I think so. He should be; Limbaugh has millions of listeners. But he remains an entertainer, not a serious leader. If Obama can keep the focus on him and not the more legitimate Republicans, he should improve his odds in the forum of public opinion.