August 18, 2021 • 41 mins
Every episode of the Rush Limbaugh: Man Behind The Golden EIB Microphone podcast included a feature narrated by a special guest, chronologically documenting the life, career, and legacy of Rush Limbaugh. This bonus episode contains each chapter of those twelve vignettes in order, narrated by Rudy Giuliani, Mark Steyn, Sean Hannity, Mark Levin, Megyn Kelly, Glenn Beck, Neal Boortz, Mary Matalin, George Noory, Scott Baio, Nick Searcy, Clay Travis, and Buck Sexton.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
The Life of Rush Limbaugh, Chapter one, narrated by America's
Mayor Rudy Giuliani. I knew what I wanted to do
when I was eight years old. How did I know? Well,
you know the story. I hated school. It was prison.
I just hated it. Here I'm locked in this place.
(00:21):
I'm having to learn about whatever you learn about in
first grade, you know how to pace things instead of in
in the last place I wanted to be. So every morning,
getting ready to go to this prison, this school, my
mother had the radio one and she's listening to the guy,
a local jock. And this guy sounds like he's having
fun doing whatever he's doing. He's playing records, he's doing commentary,
(00:44):
a little weather forecast. It's sound like he's having fun.
That's how I want my day to be. I don't
want to begin my day in drudgery and something I
don't want to do. But I had no choice. You
have to go to school. If ever a man was
born for radio, it was Rush Hudson Limbaugh, the third.
He entered this world in January of n right in
(01:04):
the heartland of America, Cape Girardo, Missouri. He was born
into a family of lawyers who enjoyed success at nearly
every level, and he almost seemed destined to be the same.
His paternal grandfather, Rush Hudson Limbaugh the First served as
a United States ambassador. His father, Rush Hudson Limbaugh the Second,
(01:25):
was a lawyer, as was his uncle, and even his
younger brother David was also since gone on to becoming
a best selling author. But no Rush had different plans.
As you can imagine, a deviation from the family business
wasn't received all too well. Even Rush would have said later,
there's no way my dad could have anticipated that Rush
(01:46):
would break all odds and being phenomenally successful, not going
the conventional route. So in the end it just worked
out for the best. Though Russia's family initially frowned upon
his aspirations for a career in radio, they didn't completely
ignore his passion for broad guest the age of nine,
Rushwood broadcast from his own bedroom using a toy radio
(02:06):
given to him by his parents that could only transmit
throughout his house. There was a device called a Rimco
carat Vlle and it was the most amazing thing. My
parents got it for me for Christmas one year, and
my mother actually dutifully put a radio on her lap,
and I would go upstairs where the bedroom was, and
(02:28):
I would have my photo. And you had to have
an external microphone to put into the speaker of the
phonograph that you were playing records on. You had to
move the microphone to your mouth when you were doing
DJ stuff, and then you'd hould the microphone near the
speaker for the phonograph to play the record. And my
mother would dutifully sit down there and listen to this,
and that the quality was just was was horrible, but
(02:51):
it allowed me to get started on on living out
my my dreams. As time passed, Rush came to believe
that his family had a change of heart about his
pursuit of broadcasting. Even though the family didn't understand it,
the fact that I hadn't quit it was enough for
(03:13):
them to encourage me to stay in it, and I did,
and all that happened happened, and it's it's been so rewarding.
It has been so so meaningful to me, and there
have been so many people that have made it possible.
Among them all of you, thankfully for the rest of us,
(03:35):
my friend Rush Hudson Limbo the third spent the next
seven decades in his relentless pursuit of broadcast excellent, and
he set the standard that will be very, very hard
to beat. The Life of Rush Limbaugh Chapter two, narrated
(03:56):
by Mark Stein. Rush Hudson Limbo the Third Land as
his first job when he was just thirteen shining shoes
at a Cape Gerardo barbershop. And our Betty was a
pretty good shoe shine boy. But what he really wanted
to be was that guy on the radio. For us,
being a disc jockey represented more fun than a junior
(04:19):
human being should be allowed to have. My wildest dreams
when I was a young kid pretending to be a
DJ on the radio. When I was eight years old,
he fell in love with a toy radio transmitter that
allowed him to broadcast inside the house two members of
his family. Any kid who's wanted to be on the
radio will know the thrill of making your own cassette
(04:41):
tapes of you doing voiceovers over Frankie Avalon and the
McGuire sisters or whoever's singles it was back then. But
as one of those gazillions, it would be boss jocks.
I certainly envy rushed that transmitter gizmo some kids have
to make do with bringing an old baby monitor down
for the attic was the most amazing thing. It's plastic.
(05:04):
It was about three ft long and two feet high,
and it transmitted over a m within the confines of
a I don't know, a small house. The quality was horrible,
but it worked. At sixteen, Rush, with a little help
from his dad, advanced from the toy transmitter to the
real thing. He got an internship at KGMO fifty a m.
(05:29):
And then the intern realized his childhood dream and got
on the s spinning classes under the name Rusty Sharp.
That's a fabulous radio monica, but only half true. In
this case, Brush was always sharp and never rusty. Gerda
was very steven. It's my hometown. How are you, sir?
(05:51):
Good greetings from the city of Roses. Thank you, Thank
you sir very much. It was six years behind you
in school, but I used to listen to you on KGMO.
I was the one that called every day and say, man,
play in a got a davida? Will you? Once he
was on the radio, he never looked back, working mornings
and afternoons at KGMO. And then ed happened. Rusty Sharp
(06:13):
got fired and kicked off the air, the first too
many firings for Rush over the years, all of which
setbacks he overcame and learned from on his way up
to the One Gig, the third of a century engagement
that ultimately only God could terminate him from. He wasn't
your typical nineteen sixties teen age, didn't need and never
(06:35):
sought the approval of the high school in crowd. He
preferred to socialize with older, more mature friends. Although he
won the admiration of his school's upperclassman with his quick
wit and sharp mind and fearlessness in debate, he wasn't
afraid to stand out to be contrarian. He refused, for example,
(06:55):
ever to wear blue jeans. Come on, let's face it,
it's looks like a b of ore, a sab. It's
it's it's it's a prius. It's it's a liberal status symbol.
Genes are liberal status symbols. At least they were. I
know everybody wears them. Now it's another battle we've lost. Absolutely.
They used to be a status symbol, carbalized our startorial splendor.
That we run around looking like a bunch of hippies,
(07:16):
And I'm not gonna do it. He had yet to
finish high school, but already there was a Rush Limbaugh
style and a Rush Limbo brand. After graduating from Cape
Grado Central in nineteen nine, Rush was expected by his
father to go to college, so he enrolled at nearby
Southeast Missouri State University, but after only two semesters, Rush
(07:41):
dropped out for good. Radio was calling, and Rush chose
to pursue his dream, confident that it was about to
become reality. The Life of Rush Limbaugh, Chapter three, narrated
by On Hannity. After enduring a painful year of college
(08:04):
at Southeastern Missouri University, young Rush Limbaugh he bid farewell
to college life and then immersed himself into his next
big radio job. After loading up his nineteen sixty nine
Pontiac Leman's Rush headed east with dreams of making it
big in the Iron City, and d J. Rusty Sharp
from Cape Toronto, Missouri was soon reborn as Bachelor Jeff Christie,
(08:29):
first hosting an afternoon drive shift and later holding down
the morning show on Wixie thirteen sixty, known as one
of Pittsburgh's premier top boardy radio stations, continues Rock and
Goal seven three in the morning. I wish he silent
God Bachelor Jeff Radio Network from just want to have
(08:51):
a big hand for Mr and Missus Arnold PELUSI a
couple of new members of Christy Radio Network this morning
celebrating refrigerators. Jeff Christie lasted barely eighteen months on w
i X before he was fired. I was in the
fall of nineteen seventy two over what were described as
(09:11):
quote differences over format. His departure from Wixie thirteen sixty
quickly led to a bigger opportunity for Rush. S k
H Jeff Christie and in early nineteen seventy three, Crosstown
Top forty competitor k q V Radio Well, they hired
him to be their new nighttime DJ. That afforded Rush
an even bigger platform and another opportunity to further develop
(09:35):
his on air persona q v V three g K
Jeff Christy Rocky Radio Sean Friday Night justin minutes away
from forteen not stop right now of statistics, Jeff Christie
was beginning to hone future on air skills would eventually
(09:57):
become the trademarks of Rush Limbaugh was excellence in broadcasting. Now.
Rush would soon learn success in radio is kind of fickle,
especially a station ownership change his hands and a dramatic
turn of events the lame duck KQUB management will They
pushed the new program director to fire Rush, and ninety
days later Rush Limbaugh Jeff Christie was out of work.
(10:19):
When I got fired, I thought I was finished. I'd
give it my best shot. D J didn't work out.
I didn't want to do anything else. This has been
my one passion. And in a stinging rebuke that Rush
would remember for decades, the station's general manager told the
twenty something Rush Limbaugh that he would quote never make
(10:40):
it in radio as an air talent, and that he
should strongly consider the sales end of the radio business.
I had an interview with a sales manager at a station.
To the guy was a genuine lunatic. He's I'm just me.
I'm interviewed for the job, and he's yelling and screaming
at me about what his demands will be and what
they are. And since he's I gonna face this every day. So,
(11:01):
after three years of trying to make a go of
it in Pittsburgh, while Rush was out of another radio gig,
feeling defeated and dejected, the return to the security and
comfort of his home in Cape Girardo, Missouri. Rush was down,
but as we all know, far from out. His determination
for success far outweighed the idea of failure. The long
version here of telling you that this has been That's
(11:24):
why I'm so fortunate I've I was able to end
up doing what I think I was born to do.
I've never had passion for anything else, I mean, career
wise like I've got for this unforgettable. That's the impression
that you, the Russia Limbaugh audience made with your support
for Russia's last charitable effort while Rush was still with us,
(11:48):
through the Stand Up for Betsy Ross campaign. Your generosity
resulted in a five million dollar donation to the Tunnel
to Towers Foundation. Rush said it best. We chose Tunnel
to Towers to be the beneficiary of the campaign because
we love the work they do and the story about
(12:09):
how they started. When a family experiences significant loss the
mother or father passes while serving our country, Tunnel to
Towers steps in freeze that family of a major worry
during their time of crisis. Tunnel to Towers pays off
mortgages in full for these families and provides them with
(12:31):
the comfort of a home when their world has literally
been turned upside down. The foundation does the same for
first responders and also build smart homes for our most
catastrophically injured veterans and first responders. More heroes need your help.
Do good by donating eleven dollars a month to Tunnel
(12:53):
to Towers at T two t dot org. That's the
letter T, the number two the letter T dot org.
The Life of Rush Limbaugh, Chapter four, narrated by Mark Levine.
Despite being fired from his first three jobs in radio,
(13:14):
Jeff Christie a k A. Rush Limbaugh didn't stay down
for long. He worked aggressively to return to the airwaves,
and by nineteen seventy five landed the afternoon show at
top forty k u d L in Kansas City. Still,
Russia's time at k U d L was short lived,
(13:34):
listening barely two years before he was let go. For
the first time in his life, Russia had become disenchanted
with radio. After serious thought, he chose to temporarily walk
away from his dreams of a successful radio career. In
nineteen seventy nine, Rush set a new career course major
League Baseball. Remember my father when I when I quit radio,
(13:57):
was the happiest he ever was. I quit radio age
of ye because I figured it burned out. That was
playing records the son what does that mean? I mean,
where's that gonna take you? When I got that job
of the Cantony Royals, making thirteen thousand dollars, he was
happier than he had ever been. Russia's four years with
the Royals were successful. I had led to a lifelong
friendship with Hall of Famer George Brett. After baseball, Rush
(14:20):
returned to radio in three as the afternoon news and
sports anchor at k m b Z Radio. The first
time in his career used his given name on the airwaves,
Rush Limbaugh. But he even boasted to his general manager quote,
it's only a matter of time before you're going to
fire me. Russia's prediction became his reality, and after less
(14:43):
than a year at camb Z, he was out by four.
Rush replaced Morton Downey Jr. In mid days on kf
b K and Sacramento. Kf K was a perfect fit
for Rush, and he was soon dominating the market in
his time slot. I finally got to do a radio
show of the way I wanted to do it the
things that I cared about, the things I thought people
(15:03):
would listen to, and it was basically just sharing my passions.
I love sharing my passions. I come up with things
or passion and I want everybody to know about it
and want everybody experience it. I want everybody to agree.
And it finally all came together for me in Sacramento, California.
After three years of ratings success in Sacramento, Rush left
KFBK to become part of Ed McLaughlin's newly formed e
(15:26):
f M Media Network. Still, his departure from kf b
K was better. Sweet. I'm just the guy on the radio.
When I started this thirty years ago. I never envisioned
any of this happening. What I wanted to become was
the best radio guy in the country, and I had
this great opportunity. I could be me, I could be honest,
(15:46):
I could talk about whatever I wanted to talk about,
and there was nobody that could tell me I couldn't.
And I have, folks, I have to tell you it
is the greatest blessing that I've ever had, is to
have the opportunity I do each and every day. The
life of Rush Limbaugh Chapter five, narrated by Megan Kelly
(16:06):
In A retired radio executive named Edward F. McLaughlin decided
to use his golden parachute from ABC Radio Networks to
form his own brand new talk radio network apt LEE
titled e FM Media. After meticulous planning for a successful launch,
McLaughlin knew he needed more than just a talented host,
(16:26):
but a force behind the mic and cast a wide
net in his search. A hot tip led him out west,
where a thirty eight year old talk radio host was
burning up the airwaves of Sacramento, California. There are any
number of people Ed McLaughlin could have chosen, but I've
fortunately met some people along the way after moving the
(16:47):
Sacramento that Ed McLaughlin knew and trusted implicitly and when
he was looking unbeknownst to me, I don't know any
of this is going on. My name is in the
list of people he should look into. He could have
picked any This was his guy, and McLoughlin made him
an offer leader described as impossible to turn down. Rush
Limbaugh created the capital of California for the bright lights
(17:09):
of the Big Apple. He relocated to New York City
and established first a local ten am to noon show
on w ABC Radio, Rush Limball in New York. Twenty
minutes after ten back to the Fallows, we go, Vinny, Hello,
I'm glad you're with us, all right. I wanted a
California Beats name. Go no No, I'm originally Beach Names
in New York. Limbaugh's early days were an unqualified success,
(17:32):
even with the challenge of a meddling program director who
unsuccessfully tried to get Rushed to change what would become
his signature on air style, Rush being Rush dug in
and ultimately prevailed. After his first shows on w ABC
Radio went off without a hitch. Rush's mentor and new boss,
Ed McLaughlin proudly recalled after hearing his first show the quote,
(17:54):
I knew he could handle it. Ed McLaughlin never wavered
a single time. He never asked me to tone it down,
to change things, to do whatever to accommodate this complaint
or that safe to say, Rush Limbaugh more than just
handled it. He crushed it. People credit me with this,
but I couldn't have done any of this if it
(18:14):
hadn't been for Ed McLaughlin. Ed McLaughlin saved DAM Radio
by investing in it. Fast lane to nationwide syndication for
the Rush Limbaugh Show was just around the corner. It
really hit me how damn lucky I am and have been.
I try to never ever forget it. The Life of
(18:37):
Rush Limbaugh, Chapter six, narrated by Glenn Beck. The landscape
of national syndication of daytime talk radio shows was lonely
compared to the daytime syndication space of today. The idea
of the time was bold and full of risk. But
(18:57):
Ed McLaughlin knew intimately the power of spoken word radio,
and he knew the time to strike was then you
have a giant in the radio business. Ed McLaughlin, who
retires from ABC, is given two hours of satellite time
to fill as he wishes. He could have chosen to
do anything with these two hours. He could have played music.
(19:17):
He could have done you know, polka, he could have
done Chinese opera. But he believed in the power of
spoken word radio. He believed it could win. So on
August one, nationwide syndication of the Rush Limbop program began.
(19:38):
The initial offering was two hours a day, and fifty
six brave stations stood with Rush as true believers and
loyal affiliates. On day one. It took off. It took
off faster and bigger than anybody had expected. It took
off and exploded the way you dream about. The flagship
(20:02):
station of the Rush Limbaugh program was seventy W a
d C in New York. In the beginning, Rush also
hosted a local show from ten till noon, and then
his national radio program from noon to two pm Eastern
every day on the inaugural affiliates scattered all across America.
The reason I had to do that was that we
(20:23):
started with fifty six stations. That's not enough stations for
national advertisers to care. And I faced for a year
and a half derision and criticism and mockery and all
after what I was trying to do and the way
we did it. The reason I had to do that
in New York show is because that's where we were
given three minutes an hour to sell national advertising. So
(20:45):
we were able to tell advertisers their commercials would be
heard in New York City. Because if you couldn't do
that back then, you couldn't have a nationally syndicated program.
In a matter of months, the program expan ended to
three hours of daily national syndication, airing noon to three,
and the program's rapid growth demanded more attention and focus
(21:08):
from Rush, ultimately leading to the end of his local
midday program on w ABC. ED McLaughlin's brilliant bet on
daytime syndication paid off, exceeding even the wildest expectations of
his now superstar host Rush Limbaugh. The show's growth was unstoppable,
reaching an unprecedented five hundred national affiliates in only three years,
(21:34):
and that's a number that only continued to grow in
the thirty that followed. Hey, James Golden here. You might
remember I told you a few weeks ago that my
Pillow had sent me their entire collection. Well, you know what,
it's amazing. They are so luxurious, and it's time that
you experienced some of that luxury. To My pillow makes
(21:56):
more than pillows. I love the pillow. I sleep on
it every night. But you know what else they have.
They have sheets that are simply incredible. They're smooth, they're soft,
they're comfortable. I look forward to getting to bed every
night under these sheets. Get yourself a set of these.
They're called Geza sheets. They come with a sixty day
comfort guarantee. You get pillows, you get sheets. Oh did
(22:20):
I mention the slippers. They're incredible slippers. There is a
level of comfort from My Pillow products that you simply
have to experience low. Going to my pillow dot Com,
click on the new radio listener specials. Use the promo
code icon. That's I C O N. You'll find lots
of incredible office there right now. That's my Pillow dot
(22:43):
Com promo code icon. The Life of Rush Limbaugh, Chapter seven,
narrated by Neil Vortz. When you think about what it
means to be inducted into the Paul of Fame, you
might think first of legendary names like Ruth Aaron, maybe
Montana Marino. Here's a few more for you, Freed Harvey Limbaugh.
(23:08):
That's right, members of the Radio Hall of Fame, and
Rush Limbaugh is obviously right there a member. But unlike
the others who typically have to wait until the end
of their careers, it was clear early on that the
Hall needed to make room for Rush. After only five
years of syndication and overwhelming record breaking success, he became
(23:29):
part of a prestigious class of inductees in nineteen For
a guy from Cape Girardo Missouri, fired from his first
seven radio jobs before finding any sort of success behind
the microphone. The entire experience was nothing short of humbling.
So many standards of excellence have been set by previous inductees,
(23:52):
including tonight's, that all I can hope to do is
try to approximate them as I go through my career,
and if I am one day judged to have done
and I will consider it to have been worth it.
In the success, I say what I say to the
American people, and any chance I have a chance to
speak to them, I do, and I am so grateful
and so honored. Regardless what I mean to them, I
am certain that I will never mean as much to
(24:13):
them as they mean to me. After patiently waiting through
a critical introductory speech from Sally Jesse Raphael based on
their political differences, Rush confidently strolled up to the podium
and delivered an acceptance speech full of class, grace, and gratitude.
Into speech, he offered his thanks to the American people, family,
(24:33):
and colleagues, and ironically, enough is competition and those who
disagreed with you. When I came to New York, there
was one man I said, here's the standard. That's what
I'm up against. Here's who I consider my competition to be.
If Larry King had not shown that syndicated talk programming
would work, I wouldn't have had the chance. I thank
Larry King as well. I thank all of you, Thank
you so much for allowing you to run along. No
(24:54):
matter if you're an athlete, a musician, or a broadcaster,
being inducted into the Hall of Fame is usually the
crowning achievement of a long career, finished as you head
off in the sunset. But for Russia Limbaugh, it was
only the beginning, with still more than twenty five years
of excellence and broadcasting to come. The Life of Russia Limbaugh,
(25:20):
Chapter eight, narrated by Mary Madaline. You wouldn't note at
the time, but in election a battle for the ages
was born, and not between incumbent President George H. W.
Bush and its challenger, a young, smooth talking Democratic governor
from Arkansas. That election was over. Now at this point
(25:42):
a political chess match for the ages began between that
very governor, now President elect Clinton, and the hero of
this story, talk radio icon Brush Limbaugh. It is it's
fundamental to remember that here are the Clinton's admitting their
paranoia because they did know how to deal with a
non supportive media, and all it was was just me
(26:04):
on the radio and some other local talk show guys
in the Wall Street Journal at a trull page, and
they're acting like it is the biggest threat to their
existence ever. In the process, and Russia became the number
one voice of Conservatism, a mantle literally passed on by
none other than President Ronald Reagan himself in a treasured
written letter. Russia's political savvy, combined with an uncanny reality
(26:28):
based ability to make the complex understandable, helped the Party
of Reagan get back on track. In fact, with Russia
at the helm, the GOP one long shot landslide victories
across the fooded plane, up and down the ballot, plus
the House majority for the first time in over a
half a century, now known as a Republican revolution in
(26:52):
it was the peak. It was huge. I'll tell you
what shocked me, and it really did. Clinton was flying
into St. Louis In on Air Force One. He's doing
an interview before he arrives with the morning crew at
camel X, our affiliate St. Lucie, starts complaining about me
you got Rush Limpball coming up here. When you guys finish,
you can come up at News. You a three hours,
(27:12):
three hours say whatever he wants, and nobody's gonna say
anything other way, And no trick, Detective. Here's the President
of the United States, for the biggest bully pulpit in
the world, complaining about some guy in the radio for
three hours. It's no coincidence that the Rush Limbaugh program
is you note actually began during the Reagan administration, and
though the Clinton ears were filled to the brim with
(27:34):
easy fodder for Rush to feast on, he spent the
years after battling a misperception that the show's success was
primarily built on the daily Melo drama dished up by
the Clintons. In reality, the show's popularity exploded long before
the presidency was even a twinkle in Bill Clinton's eye.
I can't tell the number of people who believe that
(27:55):
this program arose to its current heights because Bill Clinton
won the elect This program got off the ground and
became the most listened to radio talk show in three
years before Bill Clinton never thought about running for In
the end, Rush reminded his listeners that his program never
depended on the party that was in power. I've often
had a phrase, my success doesn't depend on who wins elections.
(28:18):
I can't control who's gonna win elections anyway, regardless who's
in the White House or not. By the way, just
because your team wins doesn't mean they don't screw up
the whole objective hears to have a good show, Rush
Limbaugh hosted far more than a good show. In fact,
for decades after the Clinton administration had come and gone,
he proudly carried the conservative tords forward, both on the
(28:42):
air and off the air. For the Life of Russia Limbaugh,
Chapter nine, narrated by George Mary. The nineties drew new
lines in the political battlefield, ultimately leading to a hotly
contested two thousand presidential election. But by the time George W.
Bush was inaugurated and the dust began to settle, the
(29:05):
era of compassionate Conservatism seemed poised for smooth Saley. The
Clinton presidency was in the rear view mirror, the House
had a Republican majority, and because Conservatives were riding high,
Russia's critics predicted, without anyone to complain about, his show
would soon be on the decline, and then on a
clear Tuesday morning, everything changed. Debris is just falling off
(29:29):
the building. I mean it's under looking at the trade
towers exactly what it happened. We need to unite, We
need to understand together. September eleven, two thousand one profoundly
impacted America, the Bush presidency and Russia limpus. All different
sets of emotions start taking over. Then in the course
(29:50):
of the next few weeks, learned that I knew people
who lost people, family members and friends of the World
Trade Center. They are still not the same. The tone
of politics changed on a dime, and Russia's audience grew
dramatically as Americans turned to a familiar, soothing voice to
calm the chaos, pick up the pieces, and move America forward.
(30:14):
The Bush White House also recognized the breach of his program,
as both President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney became
regular contributors. Welcome back to the program the Vice President,
Dick Cheney, Mr Vice President, thank you as always, it's
a it's an honor and a delight to have you
here with us. Talk to you again. After two successful
terms and despite expertly guiding America through an unprecedented crisis
(30:37):
early in his administration. President Bush left Washington with waning
popularity and a missed harsh criticism. In the years that followed,
Rush tried to set the record straight the Bush was
a solid leader dealing with mind eleven of it. How
in the world you go from that perception to go
to being approval, hated and reviled. You do that by
(30:59):
letting the media to story you are not fighting back
and not getting political because you don't want to sully
the office or whatever. To the end, Russell Limbaugh had
profound respect for his friend President George W. Bush and
his stewardship of the American presidents. Bush has been rehabilitated.
In the eyes of the drive by media, Bush is gracious. Now.
What's missing in this transformation, of course, Bush the evil,
(31:19):
to Bush the gracious is the acknowledgment that he has
always comported himself this way. Despite the relentless attacks these
past eight years, George W. Bush has been a class act.
He considered Bush a strong leader who was unfairly defined
by his opponents, and for his part, George W. Bush
had a mutual respect for Rush, and a statement after
his death, Bush praised Russia's belief in God and country
(31:42):
as an indomitable spirit with a big heart like his
father forty one before him. Perhaps the same could be
said about number forty three, The Life of Russia Limbaugh,
Chapter ten. They're rated by Scott Bao. In November fourth,
two thousand and eight, America made history by electing its
(32:03):
first black president, and known for his signature cutting edge
analysis and insight Russia. Limbau was quick to explain how
Barack Obama was able to convince so many Americans to
vote for him. In fact, Rush was very detailed as
to why Obama's election victory was so decisive. The main
reason Obama was elected was a bunch of people in
this country very distressed and fed up but the ongoing
(32:26):
allegation that they and the rest of the country were
a bunch of racists and bigots, and they believed that
if they participated in electing the first African American president,
that they could do away with that charge, They could
do away with that notion, that idea. I firmly believe
that the vast majority outside of the Democrat for the
(32:48):
vast majority of white votes for Obama were made with
that hope. After eight years of conservative leadership by the
President George W. Bush. Rush was eager, willing, and ready
to resume his role as chief concerned of critic in
opposition to the Obama regime. As he frequently labeled, it
fits what the hell else is it? But not a regime.
It didn't take long for Rush to start making waves
(33:09):
with only four little words just before inauguration Day. I
hope he fails. I wanted Obama to fail so that
my country would not. I wanted Obama's liberal agenda, his
socialist community organizer agenda, to fail. I did not, and
never have and never will want America to fail. Never,
(33:30):
no way. I wanted America to be saved. Rush soon
found plenty more to criticize and what became the signatures
of the Obama administration, from Obamacare to the closing of GIBMO,
the Iran nuclear deal, to Obama's border tactics, and much
much more for Russia, Limbaugh, the Obama years were chocked
full of policies and bad politics. The Dissect for tens
(33:51):
of millions of listeners daily and throughout Obama's two terms
in office, rushed to great pride in telling his listeners
that he had no doubt the President was one of them.
As he often explained on air, not only was Obama
paying attention to him, he was fixated on the Republicans
are only concerned about what's on Fox News or what
Rush Limbaugh is saying, and Democrats are looking at the
(34:12):
New York Times or Huffington Post. So Obama comes into
office telling Republicans that they can't listen to Rush Limbaugh
anymore and get things done. That's just not how it
happens in Washington. And he's leaving office having failed to
remove one of his main impediments from his equation, and
that would be me. So after eight years, Obama he
(34:34):
comes into office with me living rent free in his head,
and I'm still there. It could be said today that
during the Obama administration, Rush Limbaugh was at his best,
staunchly defending conservative principles and standing up for America and
its exceptionalism. But in the end, whether at his best
or even on a bed day, a few could touch
(34:55):
Rush Limbaugh. The Obama chapter was but just eight years
of more than third of unprecedented broadcast excellence. The Life
of Russia Limbaugh Chapter eleven, narrated by Nick Searcy. After
the election of Barack Obama in two thousand and eight,
(35:16):
Russia Limbaugh was immediately concerned for the direction America was headed,
as he intuitively sensed the growing loss of freedoms and
liberty to come over the next eight years, and as
the end of the Obama regime neared, Russ's listeners trusted
him more than ever as Conservatism's most vocal champion and
opinion maker. As a well known businessman, a non political
(35:37):
outsider started gaining steam in a long shot bid for
the Republican presidential nomination, Rush made clear where his priorities stood.
Whatever you think I'm advocating, it's not because I care
what happens to the Republican Party. I care about what
happens to America, and I know that any more of
what we've had the last eight years, it's gonna be America.
But it's not going to be the America you and
(35:59):
I know. As then candidate Donald J. Trump took off
on a meteoric rise, the mainstream media and political pundits
were dumbfounded by his success and his refusal to play
by the usual tired set of rules. But Russ knew
early on that Trump was different and why he connected
with the American people. He's real, he isn't phony, he
(36:21):
is not politically correct, and he's fearless. He's not afraid
to tell people what he actually thinks about other people
or things. Trump is showing that the things the Republican
parties afraid of are baseless. They don't need to be afraid.
With his signature insight, Limbaugh told his listeners why the
experts were failing to understand the man who was promising
(36:43):
to make America great again. Despite the scores of critics
and doubters, Trump never gave up, and he campaigned relentlessly
right until the early morning hours of election day, November eight,
two thousand sixty. So is that officially Tuesday November? Did
(37:04):
you ever think you'd be hearing amazing speech like it?
Around close to one o'clock in the morning, A we
phrase and as America came alive the next morning, it
discovered Trump had shocked the world with a decisive win
over Hillary Clinton. For his part, Rush became one of
President Trump's most vocal advocates throughout his presidency and the election.
(37:25):
He saw Trump as a uniter who would be good
for America in the long run, he is out trying
to get as many people in this country as he
can to join his movement. He's not trying to lose.
He's not trying to clean things up and make the
party something that it isn't. He's trying to rename it,
reshape it so that it is a party of victory.
(37:45):
And what's the slogan, make America great again? America first.
Everything he's talking about is real. The outcome of the
last presidential election of Russia's lifetime didn't produce the results
for which he had hoped. And if the world ever
needed his insight and commentary, it does today more than ever.
But if you listen close, even though the golden E
(38:07):
i B microphone sits empty, through the speakers of radio
stations across the country, you can still hear the man
we knew and loved for more than thirty years. The
voices offering their opinion on the radio now may be different,
but the footsteps in which they follow undoubtedly belonged to
Rush Limbaugh. The Life of Rush Limbaugh, Chapter twelve, narrated
(38:35):
by Clay Travis and Buck Sexton. I have to tell
you something today that I wish I didn't have to
tell you. That's how Rush began to break the news
to you, to us on February that he had been
diagnosed with advanced lung cancer, and for the first time
in more than thirty years, we had to confront the
(38:57):
reality that he wouldn't be there middle of our day forever.
Most people might have walked away from their professional life
for good at that point, especially somewhat of his means,
but not Russia. Limball determined as ever, he dug in
for the long haul, no matter how painful or difficult
it would get. I thought about trying to do this
without anybody knowing, because I don't like making things about me.
(39:20):
But there are going to be days that I'm not
going to be able to be here, and you know me,
I'm the mayor of real film. This has happened, and
my intention is to come here every day I can.
But what else would you expect. This is a man
whose passion for his craft was unparalleled, a man who
taught us that no matter how many times you get
knocked down or in his case, even fired seven times,
(39:43):
you keep getting up and pushing forward until you reach greatness.
Be humble, grateful, and share your success with others, helping others,
even if you don't expect or want credit publicly for it.
The legacy of Russia Limball and its surface, might be
that he was a groundbreaking broadcaster who had a m
radio or a savvy intellectual who knew politics had started out,
(40:04):
both things true he surely was, But his bigger legacy
will live on even brighter behind the scenes, with the
people who knew him best and loved him most. Checking
with a mother on his staff before asking her to
travel to make sure her daughter didn't have any events
at school she wouldn't want to miss. Quietly helping an
employee pay off some debt or replace a broken down vehicle,
(40:27):
sending ten, twenty or fifty thousand dollars to someone he'd
never met, whose stories he found and touched his heart.
You know, I have a philosophy. There's good that happens
and everything that may not reveal itself immediately, and even
in the most dire circumstances, if you just wait, you
just remain open to things, the good in it we'll
(40:51):
reveal itself. And that has happened to me as well.
These are the lesser known measures of the man behind
the Golden e I B microphone. On air, it was
talent on loan from God, but off the air his
character resolved and warm, loving heart. That was all Rush
Hudson Limbaugh the third with integrity on loan from Nobody,
The Life of Rush Limbaugh, Chapter one, narrated by America's
Mayor Rudy Giuliani. I knew what I wanted to do
when I was eight years old. How did I know? Well,
you know the story. I hated school. It was prison.
I just hated it. Here I'm locked in this place.
(00:21):
I'm having to learn about whatever you learn about in
first grade, you know how to pace things instead of in
in the last place I wanted to be. So every morning,
getting ready to go to this prison, this school, my
mother had the radio one and she's listening to the guy,
a local jock. And this guy sounds like he's having
fun doing whatever he's doing. He's playing records, he's doing commentary,
(00:44):
a little weather forecast. It's sound like he's having fun.
That's how I want my day to be. I don't
want to begin my day in drudgery and something I
don't want to do. But I had no choice. You
have to go to school. If ever a man was
born for radio, it was Rush Hudson Limbaugh, the third.
He entered this world in January of n right in
(01:04):
the heartland of America, Cape Girardo, Missouri. He was born
into a family of lawyers who enjoyed success at nearly
every level, and he almost seemed destined to be the same.
His paternal grandfather, Rush Hudson Limbaugh the First served as
a United States ambassador. His father, Rush Hudson Limbaugh the Second,
(01:25):
was a lawyer, as was his uncle, and even his
younger brother David was also since gone on to becoming
a best selling author. But no Rush had different plans.
As you can imagine, a deviation from the family business
wasn't received all too well. Even Rush would have said later,
there's no way my dad could have anticipated that Rush
(01:46):
would break all odds and being phenomenally successful, not going
the conventional route. So in the end it just worked
out for the best. Though Russia's family initially frowned upon
his aspirations for a career in radio, they didn't completely
ignore his passion for broad guest the age of nine,
Rushwood broadcast from his own bedroom using a toy radio
(02:06):
given to him by his parents that could only transmit
throughout his house. There was a device called a Rimco
carat Vlle and it was the most amazing thing. My
parents got it for me for Christmas one year, and
my mother actually dutifully put a radio on her lap,
and I would go upstairs where the bedroom was, and
(02:28):
I would have my photo. And you had to have
an external microphone to put into the speaker of the
phonograph that you were playing records on. You had to
move the microphone to your mouth when you were doing
DJ stuff, and then you'd hould the microphone near the
speaker for the phonograph to play the record. And my
mother would dutifully sit down there and listen to this,
and that the quality was just was was horrible, but
(02:51):
it allowed me to get started on on living out
my my dreams. As time passed, Rush came to believe
that his family had a change of heart about his
pursuit of broadcasting. Even though the family didn't understand it,
the fact that I hadn't quit it was enough for
(03:13):
them to encourage me to stay in it, and I did,
and all that happened happened, and it's it's been so rewarding.
It has been so so meaningful to me, and there
have been so many people that have made it possible.
Among them all of you, thankfully for the rest of us,
(03:35):
my friend Rush Hudson Limbo the third spent the next
seven decades in his relentless pursuit of broadcast excellent, and
he set the standard that will be very, very hard
to beat. The Life of Rush Limbaugh Chapter two, narrated
(03:56):
by Mark Stein. Rush Hudson Limbo the Third Land as
his first job when he was just thirteen shining shoes
at a Cape Gerardo barbershop. And our Betty was a
pretty good shoe shine boy. But what he really wanted
to be was that guy on the radio. For us,
being a disc jockey represented more fun than a junior
(04:19):
human being should be allowed to have. My wildest dreams
when I was a young kid pretending to be a
DJ on the radio. When I was eight years old,
he fell in love with a toy radio transmitter that
allowed him to broadcast inside the house two members of
his family. Any kid who's wanted to be on the
radio will know the thrill of making your own cassette
(04:41):
tapes of you doing voiceovers over Frankie Avalon and the
McGuire sisters or whoever's singles it was back then. But
as one of those gazillions, it would be boss jocks.
I certainly envy rushed that transmitter gizmo some kids have
to make do with bringing an old baby monitor down
for the attic was the most amazing thing. It's plastic.
(05:04):
It was about three ft long and two feet high,
and it transmitted over a m within the confines of
a I don't know, a small house. The quality was horrible,
but it worked. At sixteen, Rush, with a little help
from his dad, advanced from the toy transmitter to the
real thing. He got an internship at KGMO fifty a m.
(05:29):
And then the intern realized his childhood dream and got
on the s spinning classes under the name Rusty Sharp.
That's a fabulous radio monica, but only half true. In
this case, Brush was always sharp and never rusty. Gerda
was very steven. It's my hometown. How are you, sir?
(05:51):
Good greetings from the city of Roses. Thank you, Thank
you sir very much. It was six years behind you
in school, but I used to listen to you on KGMO.
I was the one that called every day and say, man,
play in a got a davida? Will you? Once he
was on the radio, he never looked back, working mornings
and afternoons at KGMO. And then ed happened. Rusty Sharp
(06:13):
got fired and kicked off the air, the first too
many firings for Rush over the years, all of which
setbacks he overcame and learned from on his way up
to the One Gig, the third of a century engagement
that ultimately only God could terminate him from. He wasn't
your typical nineteen sixties teen age, didn't need and never
(06:35):
sought the approval of the high school in crowd. He
preferred to socialize with older, more mature friends. Although he
won the admiration of his school's upperclassman with his quick
wit and sharp mind and fearlessness in debate, he wasn't
afraid to stand out to be contrarian. He refused, for example,
(06:55):
ever to wear blue jeans. Come on, let's face it,
it's looks like a b of ore, a sab. It's
it's it's it's a prius. It's it's a liberal status symbol.
Genes are liberal status symbols. At least they were. I
know everybody wears them. Now it's another battle we've lost. Absolutely.
They used to be a status symbol, carbalized our startorial splendor.
That we run around looking like a bunch of hippies,
(07:16):
And I'm not gonna do it. He had yet to
finish high school, but already there was a Rush Limbaugh
style and a Rush Limbo brand. After graduating from Cape
Grado Central in nineteen nine, Rush was expected by his
father to go to college, so he enrolled at nearby
Southeast Missouri State University, but after only two semesters, Rush
(07:41):
dropped out for good. Radio was calling, and Rush chose
to pursue his dream, confident that it was about to
become reality. The Life of Rush Limbaugh, Chapter three, narrated
by On Hannity. After enduring a painful year of college
(08:04):
at Southeastern Missouri University, young Rush Limbaugh he bid farewell
to college life and then immersed himself into his next
big radio job. After loading up his nineteen sixty nine
Pontiac Leman's Rush headed east with dreams of making it
big in the Iron City, and d J. Rusty Sharp
from Cape Toronto, Missouri was soon reborn as Bachelor Jeff Christie,
(08:29):
first hosting an afternoon drive shift and later holding down
the morning show on Wixie thirteen sixty, known as one
of Pittsburgh's premier top boardy radio stations, continues Rock and
Goal seven three in the morning. I wish he silent
God Bachelor Jeff Radio Network from just want to have
(08:51):
a big hand for Mr and Missus Arnold PELUSI a
couple of new members of Christy Radio Network this morning
celebrating refrigerators. Jeff Christie lasted barely eighteen months on w
i X before he was fired. I was in the
fall of nineteen seventy two over what were described as
(09:11):
quote differences over format. His departure from Wixie thirteen sixty
quickly led to a bigger opportunity for Rush. S k
H Jeff Christie and in early nineteen seventy three, Crosstown
Top forty competitor k q V Radio Well, they hired
him to be their new nighttime DJ. That afforded Rush
an even bigger platform and another opportunity to further develop
(09:35):
his on air persona q v V three g K
Jeff Christy Rocky Radio Sean Friday Night justin minutes away
from forteen not stop right now of statistics, Jeff Christie
was beginning to hone future on air skills would eventually
(09:57):
become the trademarks of Rush Limbaugh was excellence in broadcasting. Now.
Rush would soon learn success in radio is kind of fickle,
especially a station ownership change his hands and a dramatic
turn of events the lame duck KQUB management will They
pushed the new program director to fire Rush, and ninety
days later Rush Limbaugh Jeff Christie was out of work.
(10:19):
When I got fired, I thought I was finished. I'd
give it my best shot. D J didn't work out.
I didn't want to do anything else. This has been
my one passion. And in a stinging rebuke that Rush
would remember for decades, the station's general manager told the
twenty something Rush Limbaugh that he would quote never make
(10:40):
it in radio as an air talent, and that he
should strongly consider the sales end of the radio business.
I had an interview with a sales manager at a station.
To the guy was a genuine lunatic. He's I'm just me.
I'm interviewed for the job, and he's yelling and screaming
at me about what his demands will be and what
they are. And since he's I gonna face this every day. So,
(11:01):
after three years of trying to make a go of
it in Pittsburgh, while Rush was out of another radio gig,
feeling defeated and dejected, the return to the security and
comfort of his home in Cape Girardo, Missouri. Rush was down,
but as we all know, far from out. His determination
for success far outweighed the idea of failure. The long
version here of telling you that this has been That's
(11:24):
why I'm so fortunate I've I was able to end
up doing what I think I was born to do.
I've never had passion for anything else, I mean, career
wise like I've got for this unforgettable. That's the impression
that you, the Russia Limbaugh audience made with your support
for Russia's last charitable effort while Rush was still with us,
(11:48):
through the Stand Up for Betsy Ross campaign. Your generosity
resulted in a five million dollar donation to the Tunnel
to Towers Foundation. Rush said it best. We chose Tunnel
to Towers to be the beneficiary of the campaign because
we love the work they do and the story about
(12:09):
how they started. When a family experiences significant loss the
mother or father passes while serving our country, Tunnel to
Towers steps in freeze that family of a major worry
during their time of crisis. Tunnel to Towers pays off
mortgages in full for these families and provides them with
(12:31):
the comfort of a home when their world has literally
been turned upside down. The foundation does the same for
first responders and also build smart homes for our most
catastrophically injured veterans and first responders. More heroes need your help.
Do good by donating eleven dollars a month to Tunnel
(12:53):
to Towers at T two t dot org. That's the
letter T, the number two the letter T dot org.
The Life of Rush Limbaugh, Chapter four, narrated by Mark Levine.
Despite being fired from his first three jobs in radio,
(13:14):
Jeff Christie a k A. Rush Limbaugh didn't stay down
for long. He worked aggressively to return to the airwaves,
and by nineteen seventy five landed the afternoon show at
top forty k u d L in Kansas City. Still,
Russia's time at k U d L was short lived,
(13:34):
listening barely two years before he was let go. For
the first time in his life, Russia had become disenchanted
with radio. After serious thought, he chose to temporarily walk
away from his dreams of a successful radio career. In
nineteen seventy nine, Rush set a new career course major
League Baseball. Remember my father when I when I quit radio,
(13:57):
was the happiest he ever was. I quit radio age
of ye because I figured it burned out. That was
playing records the son what does that mean? I mean,
where's that gonna take you? When I got that job
of the Cantony Royals, making thirteen thousand dollars, he was
happier than he had ever been. Russia's four years with
the Royals were successful. I had led to a lifelong
friendship with Hall of Famer George Brett. After baseball, Rush
(14:20):
returned to radio in three as the afternoon news and
sports anchor at k m b Z Radio. The first
time in his career used his given name on the airwaves,
Rush Limbaugh. But he even boasted to his general manager quote,
it's only a matter of time before you're going to
fire me. Russia's prediction became his reality, and after less
(14:43):
than a year at camb Z, he was out by four.
Rush replaced Morton Downey Jr. In mid days on kf
b K and Sacramento. Kf K was a perfect fit
for Rush, and he was soon dominating the market in
his time slot. I finally got to do a radio
show of the way I wanted to do it the
things that I cared about, the things I thought people
(15:03):
would listen to, and it was basically just sharing my passions.
I love sharing my passions. I come up with things
or passion and I want everybody to know about it
and want everybody experience it. I want everybody to agree.
And it finally all came together for me in Sacramento, California.
After three years of ratings success in Sacramento, Rush left
KFBK to become part of Ed McLaughlin's newly formed e
(15:26):
f M Media Network. Still, his departure from kf b
K was better. Sweet. I'm just the guy on the radio.
When I started this thirty years ago. I never envisioned
any of this happening. What I wanted to become was
the best radio guy in the country, and I had
this great opportunity. I could be me, I could be honest,
(15:46):
I could talk about whatever I wanted to talk about,
and there was nobody that could tell me I couldn't.
And I have, folks, I have to tell you it
is the greatest blessing that I've ever had, is to
have the opportunity I do each and every day. The
life of Rush Limbaugh Chapter five, narrated by Megan Kelly
(16:06):
In A retired radio executive named Edward F. McLaughlin decided
to use his golden parachute from ABC Radio Networks to
form his own brand new talk radio network apt LEE
titled e FM Media. After meticulous planning for a successful launch,
McLaughlin knew he needed more than just a talented host,
(16:26):
but a force behind the mic and cast a wide
net in his search. A hot tip led him out west,
where a thirty eight year old talk radio host was
burning up the airwaves of Sacramento, California. There are any
number of people Ed McLaughlin could have chosen, but I've
fortunately met some people along the way after moving the
(16:47):
Sacramento that Ed McLaughlin knew and trusted implicitly and when
he was looking unbeknownst to me, I don't know any
of this is going on. My name is in the
list of people he should look into. He could have
picked any This was his guy, and McLoughlin made him
an offer leader described as impossible to turn down. Rush
Limbaugh created the capital of California for the bright lights
(17:09):
of the Big Apple. He relocated to New York City
and established first a local ten am to noon show
on w ABC Radio, Rush Limball in New York. Twenty
minutes after ten back to the Fallows, we go, Vinny, Hello,
I'm glad you're with us, all right. I wanted a
California Beats name. Go no No, I'm originally Beach Names
in New York. Limbaugh's early days were an unqualified success,
(17:32):
even with the challenge of a meddling program director who
unsuccessfully tried to get Rushed to change what would become
his signature on air style, Rush being Rush dug in
and ultimately prevailed. After his first shows on w ABC
Radio went off without a hitch. Rush's mentor and new boss,
Ed McLaughlin proudly recalled after hearing his first show the quote,
(17:54):
I knew he could handle it. Ed McLaughlin never wavered
a single time. He never asked me to tone it down,
to change things, to do whatever to accommodate this complaint
or that safe to say, Rush Limbaugh more than just
handled it. He crushed it. People credit me with this,
but I couldn't have done any of this if it
(18:14):
hadn't been for Ed McLaughlin. Ed McLaughlin saved DAM Radio
by investing in it. Fast lane to nationwide syndication for
the Rush Limbaugh Show was just around the corner. It
really hit me how damn lucky I am and have been.
I try to never ever forget it. The Life of
(18:37):
Rush Limbaugh, Chapter six, narrated by Glenn Beck. The landscape
of national syndication of daytime talk radio shows was lonely
compared to the daytime syndication space of today. The idea
of the time was bold and full of risk. But
(18:57):
Ed McLaughlin knew intimately the power of spoken word radio,
and he knew the time to strike was then you
have a giant in the radio business. Ed McLaughlin, who
retires from ABC, is given two hours of satellite time
to fill as he wishes. He could have chosen to
do anything with these two hours. He could have played music.
(19:17):
He could have done you know, polka, he could have
done Chinese opera. But he believed in the power of
spoken word radio. He believed it could win. So on
August one, nationwide syndication of the Rush Limbop program began.
(19:38):
The initial offering was two hours a day, and fifty
six brave stations stood with Rush as true believers and
loyal affiliates. On day one. It took off. It took
off faster and bigger than anybody had expected. It took
off and exploded the way you dream about. The flagship
(20:02):
station of the Rush Limbaugh program was seventy W a
d C in New York. In the beginning, Rush also
hosted a local show from ten till noon, and then
his national radio program from noon to two pm Eastern
every day on the inaugural affiliates scattered all across America.
The reason I had to do that was that we
(20:23):
started with fifty six stations. That's not enough stations for
national advertisers to care. And I faced for a year
and a half derision and criticism and mockery and all
after what I was trying to do and the way
we did it. The reason I had to do that
in New York show is because that's where we were
given three minutes an hour to sell national advertising. So
(20:45):
we were able to tell advertisers their commercials would be
heard in New York City. Because if you couldn't do
that back then, you couldn't have a nationally syndicated program.
In a matter of months, the program expan ended to
three hours of daily national syndication, airing noon to three,
and the program's rapid growth demanded more attention and focus
(21:08):
from Rush, ultimately leading to the end of his local
midday program on w ABC. ED McLaughlin's brilliant bet on
daytime syndication paid off, exceeding even the wildest expectations of
his now superstar host Rush Limbaugh. The show's growth was unstoppable,
reaching an unprecedented five hundred national affiliates in only three years,
(21:34):
and that's a number that only continued to grow in
the thirty that followed. Hey, James Golden here. You might
remember I told you a few weeks ago that my
Pillow had sent me their entire collection. Well, you know what,
it's amazing. They are so luxurious, and it's time that
you experienced some of that luxury. To My pillow makes
(21:56):
more than pillows. I love the pillow. I sleep on
it every night. But you know what else they have.
They have sheets that are simply incredible. They're smooth, they're soft,
they're comfortable. I look forward to getting to bed every
night under these sheets. Get yourself a set of these.
They're called Geza sheets. They come with a sixty day
comfort guarantee. You get pillows, you get sheets. Oh did
(22:20):
I mention the slippers. They're incredible slippers. There is a
level of comfort from My Pillow products that you simply
have to experience low. Going to my pillow dot Com,
click on the new radio listener specials. Use the promo
code icon. That's I C O N. You'll find lots
of incredible office there right now. That's my Pillow dot
(22:43):
Com promo code icon. The Life of Rush Limbaugh, Chapter seven,
narrated by Neil Vortz. When you think about what it
means to be inducted into the Paul of Fame, you
might think first of legendary names like Ruth Aaron, maybe
Montana Marino. Here's a few more for you, Freed Harvey Limbaugh.
(23:08):
That's right, members of the Radio Hall of Fame, and
Rush Limbaugh is obviously right there a member. But unlike
the others who typically have to wait until the end
of their careers, it was clear early on that the
Hall needed to make room for Rush. After only five
years of syndication and overwhelming record breaking success, he became
(23:29):
part of a prestigious class of inductees in nineteen For
a guy from Cape Girardo Missouri, fired from his first
seven radio jobs before finding any sort of success behind
the microphone. The entire experience was nothing short of humbling.
So many standards of excellence have been set by previous inductees,
(23:52):
including tonight's, that all I can hope to do is
try to approximate them as I go through my career,
and if I am one day judged to have done
and I will consider it to have been worth it.
In the success, I say what I say to the
American people, and any chance I have a chance to
speak to them, I do, and I am so grateful
and so honored. Regardless what I mean to them, I
am certain that I will never mean as much to
(24:13):
them as they mean to me. After patiently waiting through
a critical introductory speech from Sally Jesse Raphael based on
their political differences, Rush confidently strolled up to the podium
and delivered an acceptance speech full of class, grace, and gratitude.
Into speech, he offered his thanks to the American people, family,
(24:33):
and colleagues, and ironically, enough is competition and those who
disagreed with you. When I came to New York, there
was one man I said, here's the standard. That's what
I'm up against. Here's who I consider my competition to be.
If Larry King had not shown that syndicated talk programming
would work, I wouldn't have had the chance. I thank
Larry King as well. I thank all of you, Thank
you so much for allowing you to run along. No
(24:54):
matter if you're an athlete, a musician, or a broadcaster,
being inducted into the Hall of Fame is usually the
crowning achievement of a long career, finished as you head
off in the sunset. But for Russia Limbaugh, it was
only the beginning, with still more than twenty five years
of excellence and broadcasting to come. The Life of Russia Limbaugh,
(25:20):
Chapter eight, narrated by Mary Madaline. You wouldn't note at
the time, but in election a battle for the ages
was born, and not between incumbent President George H. W.
Bush and its challenger, a young, smooth talking Democratic governor
from Arkansas. That election was over. Now at this point
(25:42):
a political chess match for the ages began between that
very governor, now President elect Clinton, and the hero of
this story, talk radio icon Brush Limbaugh. It is it's
fundamental to remember that here are the Clinton's admitting their
paranoia because they did know how to deal with a
non supportive media, and all it was was just me
(26:04):
on the radio and some other local talk show guys
in the Wall Street Journal at a trull page, and
they're acting like it is the biggest threat to their
existence ever. In the process, and Russia became the number
one voice of Conservatism, a mantle literally passed on by
none other than President Ronald Reagan himself in a treasured
written letter. Russia's political savvy, combined with an uncanny reality
(26:28):
based ability to make the complex understandable, helped the Party
of Reagan get back on track. In fact, with Russia
at the helm, the GOP one long shot landslide victories
across the fooded plane, up and down the ballot, plus
the House majority for the first time in over a
half a century, now known as a Republican revolution in
(26:52):
it was the peak. It was huge. I'll tell you
what shocked me, and it really did. Clinton was flying
into St. Louis In on Air Force One. He's doing
an interview before he arrives with the morning crew at
camel X, our affiliate St. Lucie, starts complaining about me
you got Rush Limpball coming up here. When you guys finish,
you can come up at News. You a three hours,
(27:12):
three hours say whatever he wants, and nobody's gonna say
anything other way, And no trick, Detective. Here's the President
of the United States, for the biggest bully pulpit in
the world, complaining about some guy in the radio for
three hours. It's no coincidence that the Rush Limbaugh program
is you note actually began during the Reagan administration, and
though the Clinton ears were filled to the brim with
(27:34):
easy fodder for Rush to feast on, he spent the
years after battling a misperception that the show's success was
primarily built on the daily Melo drama dished up by
the Clintons. In reality, the show's popularity exploded long before
the presidency was even a twinkle in Bill Clinton's eye.
I can't tell the number of people who believe that
(27:55):
this program arose to its current heights because Bill Clinton
won the elect This program got off the ground and
became the most listened to radio talk show in three
years before Bill Clinton never thought about running for In
the end, Rush reminded his listeners that his program never
depended on the party that was in power. I've often
had a phrase, my success doesn't depend on who wins elections.
(28:18):
I can't control who's gonna win elections anyway, regardless who's
in the White House or not. By the way, just
because your team wins doesn't mean they don't screw up
the whole objective hears to have a good show, Rush
Limbaugh hosted far more than a good show. In fact,
for decades after the Clinton administration had come and gone,
he proudly carried the conservative tords forward, both on the
(28:42):
air and off the air. For the Life of Russia Limbaugh,
Chapter nine, narrated by George Mary. The nineties drew new
lines in the political battlefield, ultimately leading to a hotly
contested two thousand presidential election. But by the time George W.
Bush was inaugurated and the dust began to settle, the
(29:05):
era of compassionate Conservatism seemed poised for smooth Saley. The
Clinton presidency was in the rear view mirror, the House
had a Republican majority, and because Conservatives were riding high,
Russia's critics predicted, without anyone to complain about, his show
would soon be on the decline, and then on a
clear Tuesday morning, everything changed. Debris is just falling off
(29:29):
the building. I mean it's under looking at the trade
towers exactly what it happened. We need to unite, We
need to understand together. September eleven, two thousand one profoundly
impacted America, the Bush presidency and Russia limpus. All different
sets of emotions start taking over. Then in the course
(29:50):
of the next few weeks, learned that I knew people
who lost people, family members and friends of the World
Trade Center. They are still not the same. The tone
of politics changed on a dime, and Russia's audience grew
dramatically as Americans turned to a familiar, soothing voice to
calm the chaos, pick up the pieces, and move America forward.
(30:14):
The Bush White House also recognized the breach of his program,
as both President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney became
regular contributors. Welcome back to the program the Vice President,
Dick Cheney, Mr Vice President, thank you as always, it's
a it's an honor and a delight to have you
here with us. Talk to you again. After two successful
terms and despite expertly guiding America through an unprecedented crisis
(30:37):
early in his administration. President Bush left Washington with waning
popularity and a missed harsh criticism. In the years that followed,
Rush tried to set the record straight the Bush was
a solid leader dealing with mind eleven of it. How
in the world you go from that perception to go
to being approval, hated and reviled. You do that by
(30:59):
letting the media to story you are not fighting back
and not getting political because you don't want to sully
the office or whatever. To the end, Russell Limbaugh had
profound respect for his friend President George W. Bush and
his stewardship of the American presidents. Bush has been rehabilitated.
In the eyes of the drive by media, Bush is gracious. Now.
What's missing in this transformation, of course, Bush the evil,
(31:19):
to Bush the gracious is the acknowledgment that he has
always comported himself this way. Despite the relentless attacks these
past eight years, George W. Bush has been a class act.
He considered Bush a strong leader who was unfairly defined
by his opponents, and for his part, George W. Bush
had a mutual respect for Rush, and a statement after
his death, Bush praised Russia's belief in God and country
(31:42):
as an indomitable spirit with a big heart like his
father forty one before him. Perhaps the same could be
said about number forty three, The Life of Russia Limbaugh,
Chapter ten. They're rated by Scott Bao. In November fourth,
two thousand and eight, America made history by electing its
(32:03):
first black president, and known for his signature cutting edge
analysis and insight Russia. Limbau was quick to explain how
Barack Obama was able to convince so many Americans to
vote for him. In fact, Rush was very detailed as
to why Obama's election victory was so decisive. The main
reason Obama was elected was a bunch of people in
this country very distressed and fed up but the ongoing
(32:26):
allegation that they and the rest of the country were
a bunch of racists and bigots, and they believed that
if they participated in electing the first African American president,
that they could do away with that charge, They could
do away with that notion, that idea. I firmly believe
that the vast majority outside of the Democrat for the
(32:48):
vast majority of white votes for Obama were made with
that hope. After eight years of conservative leadership by the
President George W. Bush. Rush was eager, willing, and ready
to resume his role as chief concerned of critic in
opposition to the Obama regime. As he frequently labeled, it
fits what the hell else is it? But not a regime.
It didn't take long for Rush to start making waves
(33:09):
with only four little words just before inauguration Day. I
hope he fails. I wanted Obama to fail so that
my country would not. I wanted Obama's liberal agenda, his
socialist community organizer agenda, to fail. I did not, and
never have and never will want America to fail. Never,
(33:30):
no way. I wanted America to be saved. Rush soon
found plenty more to criticize and what became the signatures
of the Obama administration, from Obamacare to the closing of GIBMO,
the Iran nuclear deal, to Obama's border tactics, and much
much more for Russia, Limbaugh, the Obama years were chocked
full of policies and bad politics. The Dissect for tens
(33:51):
of millions of listeners daily and throughout Obama's two terms
in office, rushed to great pride in telling his listeners
that he had no doubt the President was one of them.
As he often explained on air, not only was Obama
paying attention to him, he was fixated on the Republicans
are only concerned about what's on Fox News or what
Rush Limbaugh is saying, and Democrats are looking at the
(34:12):
New York Times or Huffington Post. So Obama comes into
office telling Republicans that they can't listen to Rush Limbaugh
anymore and get things done. That's just not how it
happens in Washington. And he's leaving office having failed to
remove one of his main impediments from his equation, and
that would be me. So after eight years, Obama he
(34:34):
comes into office with me living rent free in his head,
and I'm still there. It could be said today that
during the Obama administration, Rush Limbaugh was at his best,
staunchly defending conservative principles and standing up for America and
its exceptionalism. But in the end, whether at his best
or even on a bed day, a few could touch
(34:55):
Rush Limbaugh. The Obama chapter was but just eight years
of more than third of unprecedented broadcast excellence. The Life
of Russia Limbaugh Chapter eleven, narrated by Nick Searcy. After
the election of Barack Obama in two thousand and eight,
(35:16):
Russia Limbaugh was immediately concerned for the direction America was headed,
as he intuitively sensed the growing loss of freedoms and
liberty to come over the next eight years, and as
the end of the Obama regime neared, Russ's listeners trusted
him more than ever as Conservatism's most vocal champion and
opinion maker. As a well known businessman, a non political
(35:37):
outsider started gaining steam in a long shot bid for
the Republican presidential nomination, Rush made clear where his priorities stood.
Whatever you think I'm advocating, it's not because I care
what happens to the Republican Party. I care about what
happens to America, and I know that any more of
what we've had the last eight years, it's gonna be America.
But it's not going to be the America you and
(35:59):
I know. As then candidate Donald J. Trump took off
on a meteoric rise, the mainstream media and political pundits
were dumbfounded by his success and his refusal to play
by the usual tired set of rules. But Russ knew
early on that Trump was different and why he connected
with the American people. He's real, he isn't phony, he
(36:21):
is not politically correct, and he's fearless. He's not afraid
to tell people what he actually thinks about other people
or things. Trump is showing that the things the Republican
parties afraid of are baseless. They don't need to be afraid.
With his signature insight, Limbaugh told his listeners why the
experts were failing to understand the man who was promising
(36:43):
to make America great again. Despite the scores of critics
and doubters, Trump never gave up, and he campaigned relentlessly
right until the early morning hours of election day, November eight,
two thousand sixty. So is that officially Tuesday November? Did
(37:04):
you ever think you'd be hearing amazing speech like it?
Around close to one o'clock in the morning, A we
phrase and as America came alive the next morning, it
discovered Trump had shocked the world with a decisive win
over Hillary Clinton. For his part, Rush became one of
President Trump's most vocal advocates throughout his presidency and the election.
(37:25):
He saw Trump as a uniter who would be good
for America in the long run, he is out trying
to get as many people in this country as he
can to join his movement. He's not trying to lose.
He's not trying to clean things up and make the
party something that it isn't. He's trying to rename it,
reshape it so that it is a party of victory.
(37:45):
And what's the slogan, make America great again? America first.
Everything he's talking about is real. The outcome of the
last presidential election of Russia's lifetime didn't produce the results
for which he had hoped. And if the world ever
needed his insight and commentary, it does today more than ever.
But if you listen close, even though the golden E
(38:07):
i B microphone sits empty, through the speakers of radio
stations across the country, you can still hear the man
we knew and loved for more than thirty years. The
voices offering their opinion on the radio now may be different,
but the footsteps in which they follow undoubtedly belonged to
Rush Limbaugh. The Life of Rush Limbaugh, Chapter twelve, narrated
(38:35):
by Clay Travis and Buck Sexton. I have to tell
you something today that I wish I didn't have to
tell you. That's how Rush began to break the news
to you, to us on February that he had been
diagnosed with advanced lung cancer, and for the first time
in more than thirty years, we had to confront the
(38:57):
reality that he wouldn't be there middle of our day forever.
Most people might have walked away from their professional life
for good at that point, especially somewhat of his means,
but not Russia. Limball determined as ever, he dug in
for the long haul, no matter how painful or difficult
it would get. I thought about trying to do this
without anybody knowing, because I don't like making things about me.
(39:20):
But there are going to be days that I'm not
going to be able to be here, and you know me,
I'm the mayor of real film. This has happened, and
my intention is to come here every day I can.
But what else would you expect. This is a man
whose passion for his craft was unparalleled, a man who
taught us that no matter how many times you get
knocked down or in his case, even fired seven times,
(39:43):
you keep getting up and pushing forward until you reach greatness.
Be humble, grateful, and share your success with others, helping others,
even if you don't expect or want credit publicly for it.
The legacy of Russia Limball and its surface, might be
that he was a groundbreaking broadcaster who had a m
radio or a savvy intellectual who knew politics had started out,
(40:04):
both things true he surely was, But his bigger legacy
will live on even brighter behind the scenes, with the
people who knew him best and loved him most. Checking
with a mother on his staff before asking her to
travel to make sure her daughter didn't have any events
at school she wouldn't want to miss. Quietly helping an
employee pay off some debt or replace a broken down vehicle,
(40:27):
sending ten, twenty or fifty thousand dollars to someone he'd
never met, whose stories he found and touched his heart.
You know, I have a philosophy. There's good that happens
and everything that may not reveal itself immediately, and even
in the most dire circumstances, if you just wait, you
just remain open to things, the good in it we'll
(40:51):
reveal itself. And that has happened to me as well.
These are the lesser known measures of the man behind
the Golden e I B microphone. On air, it was
talent on loan from God, but off the air his
character resolved and warm, loving heart. That was all Rush
Hudson Limbaugh the third with integrity on loan from Nobody,
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