With a weekly audience of nearly 15 million, Limbaugh's stature among conservatives rivals that of the biggest Republican politicians. He deploys his enormous influence to attack not just Democrats but also Republicans he deems insufficiently conservative. At the lowest ebbs in the fortunes of the Republican Party, Limbaugh continues to fight Obama administration initiatives on the basis of core conservative values like limited government and free markets. Determined to remain on the offensive against liberals no matter the issue, he wrote in 2005, “Conservatives are never stronger than when we are advancing our principles.”

Earning upwards of $30 million a year, he can speak freely without fear of losing his livelihood. Limbaugh received a personal apology from none other than Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele, who made the mistake of dismissing the host as a mere “entertainer.”