Rush Limbaugh rips GOP leaders for 'capitulating' to Obama, Democrats

WASHINGTON, July 31 (UPI) -- The Republican Party is shifting from its conservative base and ceding its position to President Obama on key issues, conservative firebrand Rush Limbaugh says.

Limbaugh, during an interview on Fox News, said the GOP leadership "isn't conservative" and has spent more time fighting the Tea Party movement than Obama's policies, Politico reported Tuesday.

"I always thought that as Republicans we opposed Democrats. We wanted to beat them. I don't see that. I don't see any pushback against anything Obama wants to do," Limbaugh said. "The pushback's against the Tea Party. The pushback is against conservatives. It's a stunning thing. The Republican Party's decided that capitulation with the Democrats seems to be the ongoing strategy."

The conservative talk show host said the Republicans were "capitulating" to Democrats on issues such as the implementation of the Affordable Care Act and immigration.

Limbaugh said "a battle for the party going on" within the GOP but said he believed conservatives would defeat mainstream Republicans.

"I don't think the mainstream of Republican politics can't be beat," Limbaugh said. "I mean -- there's a battle for the party going on. And sure, it would be a tough battle."

"But there's no other option. I mean you don't want to go third party. That just ensures the Democrats are a majority party forever," he said. "You don't want to do that. So you have to do what you can to work within the Republican Party and take it over."