Plouffe: Limbaugh, Beck and Palin are a problem for GOP

President Barack Obama's political adviser, David Plouffe, on Sunday called Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck and Sarah Palin the leaders of the Republican Party — and also a "problem" for the GOP in this fall's elections and beyond.

Plouffe emphasized the "intolerance" and "extremism" of the tea party and of the right wing of the Republican Party as both a short-term and a long-term electoral problem for the moderate GOP, citing their attacks even on conservative senators such as Tom Coburn of Oklahoma as an example of how narrowly they have tailored their messaging and base.

"Right now — and this is a problem for them — I do think Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, Sarah Palin, they are the leaders of the party," Plouffe said on NBC's "Meet the Press." "There is an intolerance in that party and an extremism that I think is where the real energy is, and so I think you'll see in '11 and '12 with that presidential primary; those are going to be the people who come out to vote."

Tea-party-backed candidates — from Sharron Angle in Nevada to Rand Paul in Kentucky and, most recently, Joe Miller in Alaska — have enjoyed high levels of success in primary battles, but Plouffe and the Democrats are banking on the hope that these candidates will alienate independents and more moderate Republicans.

With Limbaugh, Beck and Palin emerging as the leaders of the GOP, and edging out more mainstream Republicans, Plouffe said Democrats could make gains in specific races across the country.

"That's going to be a problem" for them, Plouffe said.