The Newark Star Ledger - a reliably liberal New Jersey newspaper- is also home to self-described "true conservative" columnist Paul Mulshine. It turns out that Mr. Mulshine is offended that Mr. Limbaugh is giving conservatism a bad name. The article here: http://blog.nj.com/njv_paul_mulshine/2009/...

Mulshine describes how the "hefty huckster" was paid by GM to plug their products:

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Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele recently termed him "an entertainer." For that, Steele is said to be in danger of losing his job. But that term seems a bit too polite when you consider what Limbaugh's really up to.

Consider his relationship with General Motors. In a 2007 article in Automotive News headlined "General Motors Payola," writer Mary Connelly told how "General Motors is recruiting many of America's best known radio personalities -- including Rush Limbaugh, Bill O'Reilly, Laura Schlessinger and Whoopi Goldberg -- to talk up its vehicles on the air."

The article noted that the company didn't pay the stars directly but advertised on their shows and gave them cars to drive and other favors. In return, the talkers would plug GM products. But not during advertisements. They would do so during the normal course of their on-air patter. In other words, Limbaugh would go from offering some insight about national politics to saying this:

"GM has a ton of momentum. They are working hard and they are thinking smart. Believe in General Motors, folks. They're a classic American company doing it all."

A ton of momentum? True. But it was all going in the wrong direction.

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This is not Mulshine's first derogatory take on Limbaugh and hopefully, not the last. Popcorn anyone?