Tom Ridge calls Rush Limbaugh "Shrill" and asks Republicans to be "less judgmental"

Former Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge is the latest to wade into to the "commenting on Rush Limbaugh trap". It's a question all speakers representing the Republicans need to anticipate and prepare for. Tom Ridge limply answers the question first but CNN's John King doesn't need to press too hard to get a critical response to Rush Limbaugh

Tom Ridge on CNN's 'State of the Union' with John King
JOHN KING: You've used those terms "we need to be less shrill, less judgmental". Who's being shrill, who's being judgmental?
TOM RIDGE: Well I think a lot of our commentators are being shrill. I don't disagree...
KING: Rush?
RIDGE: Listen Rush Limbaugh has an audience of 20 million people. A lot of people listen daily to him and live by every word but "words mean things" and how you use words are very important...

Tom Ridge has intentionally used one of Rush Limbaugh's famous sayings "Words mean things", #Number 34 in his updated list of '35 Undeniable Truths'

In Limbaugh's 1994 book 'See, I Told You So', he devotes a chapter to his famous line "Word mean things"

Chapter 17: Words Mean things
My vast and astute radio audience has heard me say this over and over again...

"Words mean things" is one of those core assumptions - the kind of common-sense principle most people simply take for granted. Of course words mean things. Yet there is a significant segment of our society that apparently needs to reminded constantly of this fact. These people are called liberals...

Some liberals simply do not view language the way ordinary people do. They don't seem to realize that words have consequences. People, voters, even nations, rely on them. Think about it.

Update: May 25
In anticipation of Rush' response to Tom Ridge. Here was Rush' amicable appraisal of Ridge

CNN Promotes Ridge on Rush
Now, ladies and gentlemen, I last saw Tom Ridge at a football game... The room was very crowded. He sought me out, came up and said hello. We talked about his future. It was purely amicable. It was like two guys on the same team saying hello to one another and having a discussion...