Limbaugh Ranks Palin, Christie in Tie Atop List for 2012 Presidential Candidates

Firebrand conservative Rush Limbaugh ranks former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie in a tie at 8 on a scale of 1 to 10 when asked to rate a list of the leading 2012 Republican presidential candidates, according to a Newsweek report. Limbaugh, who is on Newsweek’s cover this week for ranking first on a “Power 50” list of pundits and politicos, contends that a continued "hell-no" strategy is required to achieve the goals of the grass-roots conservative tea party movement.

Limbaugh’s other rankings:

• Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour: 7
• Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, and Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty: tied at 6
• Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee: 4

The popular radio talk-show host also laid out his conservative agenda, which includes repealing the healthcare law and financial reform; ending the ban on offshore drilling; killing cap-and-trade legislation (he regards global warming as a hoax); eliminating the capital-gains tax; cutting the corporate tax rate to 20 percent; and replacing the progressive income-tax code with a flat or "fair" tax, Newsweek reported.

“The mistake the GOP made in 1994 is that they stopped teaching after they won,” Limbaugh said. “Send Obama a repeal bill every week and make him veto it. My attitude is, who says we can’t override his vetoes? The Republicans are being sent to Washington to stop the Obama agenda. And it is not just Republicans sending them to D.C. Lots of independents and Democrats are going to vote for Republicans to stop this.”