NYT confirms that the attacks on Rush were “explicitly authorized” by the WH

– specifically senior advisor David Axelrod, the “Karl Rove” of the Obama administration. Money quote:

[Axelrod] also helps decide which fights to pick and which ones to avoid, making him a leading voice in setting the political tone in Washington. The recent back-and-forth with Rush Limbaugh, for example, was explicitly authorized by Mr. Axelrod, who told aides that it was not a moment to sit quietly after Mr. Limbaugh said he hoped that Mr. Obama would “fail.”

Of course, the Politico was onto the WH’s political antics against Rush way before the NYT was, but the NYT has Axelrod specifically on record as authorizing the attacks.

Radical leftist Saul Alinsky, an early influence on Obama, would be so proud. From “Alinsky’s Rules for Radicals”

RULE 12: Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it.” Cut off the support network and isolate the target from sympathy. Go after people and not institutions; people hurt faster than institutions. (This is cruel, but very effective. Direct, personalized criticism and ridicule works.)

Ed Morrissey adds:

And for that matter, why didn’t the New York Times report this separately? The White House has ginned up an attack machine to pillory Rush Limbaugh, but meanwhile dozens of high-level appointments have yet to be made at Treasury. They’re too overwhelmed to figure out correct protocol for Gordon Brown’s visit (and too busy to offer decent gifts), but they have the time to coordinate attacks on a radio-show host.

Where’s the outrage?