Paul Begala and James Carville attempted to taunt Rush Limbaugh is a time-tested Democrat tactic that they used during the Clinton years. Unfortunately, this time they tried it on the wrong guy. They first villainized Newt. Their next target was Tom DeLay. Now they’re attempting to villainize Rush.

That’s a major mistake because Rush has a mega-sized megaphone. That plus he’s the most articulate well-known conservative in the United States. In the short term, their tactics might work but it’s bound to have serious effect on Obama’s ability to get Democrats elected in 2010.

It’s true that this fiasco will take Wall Street’s troubles off the front page for a little while, people will still be reminded of President Obama’s incompetence when they get their 401(k)’s.

The short term advantage might be short-lived, too, because Rush has challenged President Obama to a debate on Rush’s show:

If these guys are so impressed with themselves, and if they are so sure of their correctness, why doesn’t President Obama come on my show? We will do a one-on-one debate of ideas and policies. Now, his people in this Politico story, it’s on the record. They’re claiming they wanted me all along. They wanted me to be the focus of attention. So let’s have the debate! I am offering President Obama to come on this program, without staffers, without a teleprompter, without note cards, to debate me on the issues. Let’s talk about free markets versus government control. Let’s talk about nationalizing health care and raising taxes on small business.

Let’s talk about the New Deal versus Reaganomics. Let’s talk about closing Guantanamo Bay, and let’s talk about sending $900 million to Hamas. Let’s talk about illegal immigration and the lawlessness on the borders. Let’s talk about massive deficits and the destroying of opportunities of future generations. Let’s talk about ACORN, community agitators, and the unions that represent the government employees which pour millions of dollars into your campaign, President Obama. Let’s talk about your elimination of school choice for minority students in the District of Columbia. Let’s talk about your efforts to further reduce domestic drilling and refining of oil. Let’s talk about your stock market. By the way, Mr. President, I want to help. Yesterday you said you looked at the stock market as no different than a tracking poll that goes up and down.

There’s no “up and down” here. We have a plunge. The president yesterday suggested “we’re getting to the point where profits and earnings ratios are approaching that point where you want to invest.” Uh, Mr. President? There is no “profits and earnings” ratio. It’s “price and earnings” ratio. He’s the president of the United States. He doesn’t know anything about the stock market. He’s admitted it before. Let’s talk about it anyway. You want to maintain it’s a tracking poll? I’d love to talk to you about that. Let’s talk about all of these things, Mr. President. Let’s go ahead and have a debate on this show. No limits. Now that your handlers are praising themselves for promoting me as the head of a political party, they think that’s a great thing, then it should be a no-brainer for you to further advance this strategy by debating me on the issues and on the merits, and wipe me out once and for all!

This is a lose-lose situation for President Obama. If he doesn’t take the challenge or send one of his surrogates in his place, he’ll look intimidated. If accepts, Rush will rip him to shreds on the economy.

It’s apparent to people that President Obama’s economic team isn’t ready for prime time. If the economy was going well, they might’ve disguised that. Things aren’t going well, which focuses the spotlight on their ineptitude.

Still, it’s time for Rush to ignore Begala’s, Carville’s and Emanuel’s time-tested tactics and return to hammering President Obama for not having a coherent economic strategy.

Technorati: Rush, Obama, Begala, Carville, Emanuel, Economy, Entertainer