1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:02,759 Speaker 1: If you've missed any episodes of Russia Limbaugh The Man 2 00:00:02,800 --> 00:00:06,120 Speaker 1: Behind the Golden E I B Microphone, you've missed more 3 00:00:06,200 --> 00:00:10,400 Speaker 1: great stories from some of Russia's closest friends, family, and colleagues. 4 00:00:10,760 --> 00:00:14,720 Speaker 1: All previous episodes are available now on I Heart Radio 5 00:00:14,960 --> 00:00:19,919 Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your podcast. Today on Rush 6 00:00:20,040 --> 00:00:22,720 Speaker 1: Limbaugh The Man Behind the Golden E I B Microphone 7 00:00:22,720 --> 00:00:27,520 Speaker 1: a special treat we are going to examine closely the 8 00:00:27,640 --> 00:00:31,760 Speaker 1: Limball letter. Whether you listened every day, you are at 9 00:00:31,760 --> 00:00:34,440 Speaker 1: the E I B Network and the Russia Limbaugh program, 10 00:00:34,560 --> 00:00:37,560 Speaker 1: heard on over six hundred great radio stations where every 11 00:00:37,600 --> 00:00:40,000 Speaker 1: now and then nation's leading radio talk show, the most 12 00:00:40,040 --> 00:00:43,560 Speaker 1: eagerly intersepted program in America, are the stories you've never 13 00:00:43,640 --> 00:00:46,080 Speaker 1: heard from the people behind the scenes who knew him 14 00:00:46,120 --> 00:00:49,760 Speaker 1: best and loved him most. Rushman Ball having more fundly 15 00:00:49,880 --> 00:00:52,519 Speaker 1: human being, it could be allowed to have Rush Limbaugh 16 00:00:52,640 --> 00:00:58,840 Speaker 1: The Man Behind the Golden EIP Microphone, hosted by James Golden. Hey, 17 00:00:58,920 --> 00:01:01,680 Speaker 1: James Golden here. You might remember I told you a 18 00:01:01,680 --> 00:01:03,800 Speaker 1: few weeks ago that my pillow had sent me their 19 00:01:04,080 --> 00:01:08,640 Speaker 1: entire collection. Well, you know what, it's amazing. They are 20 00:01:08,760 --> 00:01:12,800 Speaker 1: so luxurious and it's time that you experience some of 21 00:01:12,840 --> 00:01:16,640 Speaker 1: that luxury to My pillow makes more than pillows. I 22 00:01:16,680 --> 00:01:19,000 Speaker 1: love the pillow. I sleep on it every night. But 23 00:01:19,120 --> 00:01:21,480 Speaker 1: you know what else they have. They have sheets that 24 00:01:21,560 --> 00:01:26,640 Speaker 1: are simply incredible. They're smooth, they're soft, they're comfortable. I 25 00:01:26,680 --> 00:01:30,000 Speaker 1: look forward to getting to bed every night under these sheets. 26 00:01:30,600 --> 00:01:33,520 Speaker 1: Get yourself a set of these. They're called Geeza sheets. 27 00:01:33,600 --> 00:01:37,759 Speaker 1: They come with a sixty day comfort guarantee. You get pillows, 28 00:01:37,800 --> 00:01:41,039 Speaker 1: you get sheets. Oh did I mention the slippers. They're 29 00:01:41,120 --> 00:01:44,679 Speaker 1: incredible slippers. There is a level of comfort from my 30 00:01:44,800 --> 00:01:48,800 Speaker 1: Pillow products that you simply have to experience. Log on 31 00:01:48,880 --> 00:01:52,040 Speaker 1: to my pillow dot Com, click on the new radio 32 00:01:52,160 --> 00:01:56,360 Speaker 1: listener specials. Use the promo code icon. That's I C 33 00:01:56,640 --> 00:02:00,800 Speaker 1: O N. You'll find lots of incredible office right now. 34 00:02:01,320 --> 00:02:11,440 Speaker 1: That's my pillow dot Com romo code icon. Oh, we 35 00:02:11,520 --> 00:02:14,160 Speaker 1: have with us the edit tricks of the Numball letter. 36 00:02:14,440 --> 00:02:18,400 Speaker 1: Diana a loco. Welcome Diana. How are you? I am wonderful. 37 00:02:18,440 --> 00:02:20,399 Speaker 1: It's so good to hear your voice, jays Well, thank 38 00:02:20,440 --> 00:02:24,160 Speaker 1: you so much. Now where do we begin? Let's begin 39 00:02:24,320 --> 00:02:26,560 Speaker 1: at the beginning day. Hey, I got it, I have 40 00:02:27,000 --> 00:02:29,960 Speaker 1: I have an idea. How about I asked you a question, 41 00:02:30,280 --> 00:02:35,359 Speaker 1: is that okay, do you remember the day that I 42 00:02:35,440 --> 00:02:42,440 Speaker 1: cut off radio stations from the studio? No? No, So 43 00:02:42,560 --> 00:02:45,640 Speaker 1: I wanted to tell that story before you started asking 44 00:02:45,680 --> 00:02:51,280 Speaker 1: me questions because it is so hilarious in retrospect. At 45 00:02:51,280 --> 00:02:56,079 Speaker 1: the time, it was very traumatic for everyone. But if 46 00:02:56,080 --> 00:03:01,000 Speaker 1: you remember what happened when I first started, they wanted 47 00:03:01,040 --> 00:03:04,120 Speaker 1: me to sit in the studio to absorb all that 48 00:03:04,160 --> 00:03:07,160 Speaker 1: I could of the atmosphere, and I sat to the 49 00:03:07,280 --> 00:03:10,200 Speaker 1: right of you for a few years. If you remember, 50 00:03:10,280 --> 00:03:13,440 Speaker 1: you were screening calls, and then I sat to the 51 00:03:13,480 --> 00:03:15,560 Speaker 1: seat next to you. Then there was Mike, Mamone and 52 00:03:15,680 --> 00:03:21,359 Speaker 1: Kit in the room typically, and this one day Rush 53 00:03:21,760 --> 00:03:26,080 Speaker 1: was remotely broadcasting. I think he was in California, but 54 00:03:26,560 --> 00:03:29,480 Speaker 1: as long as he was there, it didn't really matter 55 00:03:29,520 --> 00:03:33,720 Speaker 1: where here was. I don't remember where it was, but 56 00:03:34,080 --> 00:03:37,160 Speaker 1: he was broadcasting remotely. And at the time you would 57 00:03:37,160 --> 00:03:40,400 Speaker 1: speak to him by pushing a button on the board 58 00:03:41,080 --> 00:03:43,040 Speaker 1: every time you wanted to add or he had a 59 00:03:43,120 --> 00:03:45,600 Speaker 1: question for you, so you would keep up your repartee 60 00:03:45,760 --> 00:03:50,240 Speaker 1: that you usually did well. I used to have comments 61 00:03:50,320 --> 00:03:53,920 Speaker 1: that he invited me to also make comments and I 62 00:03:53,920 --> 00:03:57,000 Speaker 1: would tell you, because you were right near the microphone, 63 00:03:57,040 --> 00:03:58,800 Speaker 1: and I would tell you my comment, and then you 64 00:03:58,840 --> 00:04:01,640 Speaker 1: would tell Rush I comment. And after a while, I 65 00:04:01,680 --> 00:04:04,240 Speaker 1: think you got tired of it, and you said, hey, 66 00:04:04,320 --> 00:04:07,680 Speaker 1: why don't you push the button yourself if you have 67 00:04:07,840 --> 00:04:12,400 Speaker 1: something to say to Rush. So, fortunately, James, this was 68 00:04:12,560 --> 00:04:17,440 Speaker 1: during an advertisement, an advertising break. I had something to 69 00:04:17,600 --> 00:04:21,400 Speaker 1: say to Rush, and I pushed the button and I 70 00:04:21,480 --> 00:04:24,719 Speaker 1: went to make my comment, and all of a sudden, 71 00:04:25,279 --> 00:04:28,880 Speaker 1: Kit and Mike and You started standing up and scrambling around, 72 00:04:28,960 --> 00:04:31,880 Speaker 1: and it was like the e R pushing buttons and 73 00:04:32,040 --> 00:04:35,799 Speaker 1: redoing this and doing that, and I was like, what happened? 74 00:04:36,120 --> 00:04:38,960 Speaker 1: And you said to me that I had cut Rush 75 00:04:39,040 --> 00:04:42,240 Speaker 1: off from his entire e I V network of five, 76 00:04:42,400 --> 00:04:51,080 Speaker 1: the main field. So fortunately you all scrambled and you all, 77 00:04:51,279 --> 00:04:56,440 Speaker 1: you know, got the connection going again during the advertising break, 78 00:04:57,160 --> 00:05:00,479 Speaker 1: and so Rush basically as you, Hey, what the hell happened? 79 00:05:00,839 --> 00:05:03,919 Speaker 1: And you did not throw me at underbus. I'm still 80 00:05:03,960 --> 00:05:06,400 Speaker 1: grateful for it. You said, oh, yeah, there was a 81 00:05:06,480 --> 00:05:10,240 Speaker 1: satellite uploop glitch of some FOD and you covered me. 82 00:05:10,640 --> 00:05:15,479 Speaker 1: And as far as I know, Rush never knew what 83 00:05:15,680 --> 00:05:19,320 Speaker 1: really happened. That you had some woman in the studio 84 00:05:19,680 --> 00:05:23,960 Speaker 1: basically pushed the wrong button. So, okay, let's talk about 85 00:05:24,240 --> 00:05:27,640 Speaker 1: um you for a minute. When did you first hear 86 00:05:27,760 --> 00:05:30,120 Speaker 1: Russia Lamball? When did you first become aware of that 87 00:05:30,240 --> 00:05:32,839 Speaker 1: there was this guy on the radio Russia Lumba. Well, 88 00:05:32,880 --> 00:05:36,719 Speaker 1: it is a really cool story. Actually, I was the 89 00:05:37,160 --> 00:05:40,640 Speaker 1: one of the four issue editors at the Reader's Digest, 90 00:05:40,839 --> 00:05:45,000 Speaker 1: and it was my job to choose all the material 91 00:05:45,320 --> 00:05:48,280 Speaker 1: for one full issue. There were four of us and 92 00:05:48,320 --> 00:05:52,920 Speaker 1: we rotated, and so I was working on I believe 93 00:05:53,040 --> 00:05:59,479 Speaker 1: it was the possibly May issue, and I was in 94 00:05:59,560 --> 00:06:01,760 Speaker 1: charge of picking all the stories. And there had been 95 00:06:01,880 --> 00:06:06,960 Speaker 1: I believe, in Atlantic profile of Rush Limbaugh, and that 96 00:06:07,080 --> 00:06:10,120 Speaker 1: was the first time I had ever heard his name. 97 00:06:10,400 --> 00:06:14,800 Speaker 1: It was a wonderful profile, very positive, and I thought, man, 98 00:06:14,880 --> 00:06:17,640 Speaker 1: this will be just perfect for the issue. It a 99 00:06:17,720 --> 00:06:21,360 Speaker 1: round it out. It's different this this guy has such personality, 100 00:06:21,880 --> 00:06:24,919 Speaker 1: and it's radio, which we didn't have a lot of 101 00:06:25,080 --> 00:06:28,720 Speaker 1: material on, so I scheduled it for that issue. When 102 00:06:28,760 --> 00:06:31,760 Speaker 1: I was putting together and one of the editors who 103 00:06:31,839 --> 00:06:35,320 Speaker 1: was working underneath me, whose job it was to edit 104 00:06:35,360 --> 00:06:38,520 Speaker 1: it condense it. Of course, we condensed everything at the 105 00:06:38,560 --> 00:06:43,080 Speaker 1: Reader's Digest, she brought it in finished ready for my keen, 106 00:06:43,440 --> 00:06:46,520 Speaker 1: and she said, by the way, you should listen to 107 00:06:46,600 --> 00:06:48,919 Speaker 1: this guy, because I said, Wyn, he sounds so cool. 108 00:06:49,360 --> 00:06:53,080 Speaker 1: She said, nothing competes with hearing him yourself. And that 109 00:06:53,440 --> 00:06:57,160 Speaker 1: woman's name was Susan France, and I later hired her 110 00:06:57,200 --> 00:06:59,440 Speaker 1: for the Limball let or believe it or not, but 111 00:06:59,600 --> 00:07:03,000 Speaker 1: she was the one who introduced me to the idea 112 00:07:03,040 --> 00:07:05,279 Speaker 1: that you had to hear him. And I went out 113 00:07:05,400 --> 00:07:09,000 Speaker 1: on my lunch break, turned on the radio in my 114 00:07:09,200 --> 00:07:14,200 Speaker 1: car and I was immediately hooked. I know everyone has 115 00:07:14,320 --> 00:07:19,760 Speaker 1: those same experiences. And from that time I spent every 116 00:07:19,880 --> 00:07:23,320 Speaker 1: lunch hour in the editorial library at the Reader's Digest 117 00:07:23,440 --> 00:07:27,160 Speaker 1: secretly listening to Russia show as much as I could. 118 00:07:27,720 --> 00:07:31,640 Speaker 1: So it actually was, you know, necessary for me to 119 00:07:31,760 --> 00:07:34,920 Speaker 1: work for him, because it was kind of unethical to 120 00:07:35,000 --> 00:07:38,640 Speaker 1: be paid by the Reader's Digests and spending an hour 121 00:07:38,760 --> 00:07:41,800 Speaker 1: listening to the Russia Limbo. So how did it come 122 00:07:41,840 --> 00:07:46,400 Speaker 1: about that you became the Limba letter the edit Tricks 123 00:07:46,800 --> 00:07:52,200 Speaker 1: of the Limb, as Rush calls you of the letter. Well, 124 00:07:52,320 --> 00:07:55,040 Speaker 1: right after that, I think a month or two after that, 125 00:07:55,120 --> 00:07:59,880 Speaker 1: I heard through the grapevine that Rush was starting a publication, 126 00:08:00,720 --> 00:08:04,680 Speaker 1: and I thought, man, I'm made for that. And I 127 00:08:04,760 --> 00:08:07,640 Speaker 1: saw an advertisement in the New York Times. That's how 128 00:08:07,720 --> 00:08:11,400 Speaker 1: we found there was no online applying for jobs or 129 00:08:11,440 --> 00:08:14,360 Speaker 1: searching for jobs in those days. This was the early nineties, 130 00:08:14,760 --> 00:08:16,920 Speaker 1: and so I read the New York Times. I was 131 00:08:17,000 --> 00:08:20,120 Speaker 1: in publishing, and that's where the want ads were for 132 00:08:20,200 --> 00:08:24,160 Speaker 1: the publishing world. And so I saw this little two 133 00:08:24,240 --> 00:08:32,480 Speaker 1: line um ad wanted editor for new publication combines humor 134 00:08:32,679 --> 00:08:36,920 Speaker 1: and conservative politics. And I knew, I'm like, okay, there's 135 00:08:36,960 --> 00:08:41,960 Speaker 1: only one person on the planet who combines humor and 136 00:08:42,000 --> 00:08:45,320 Speaker 1: conservative politics. And since I already had gotten win that 137 00:08:45,360 --> 00:08:49,360 Speaker 1: there was a new publication starting, and so I sent 138 00:08:50,040 --> 00:08:54,640 Speaker 1: to the company. I sent a two line letter that said, 139 00:08:54,720 --> 00:08:59,000 Speaker 1: I hear you're starting Excellence in Publications and I am 140 00:08:59,640 --> 00:09:03,600 Speaker 1: very interested, and I gave my contact information. So they 141 00:09:03,640 --> 00:09:08,080 Speaker 1: called me and I had an interview. You know what's fun. 142 00:09:08,280 --> 00:09:12,600 Speaker 1: The second interview was with Rush himself, and I did 143 00:09:12,640 --> 00:09:15,480 Speaker 1: not know it at the time, but it was because 144 00:09:15,520 --> 00:09:19,200 Speaker 1: of something I didn't say in the interview process that 145 00:09:19,280 --> 00:09:23,000 Speaker 1: I got the job. I didn't ask anybody about benefits. 146 00:09:23,040 --> 00:09:26,880 Speaker 1: I didn't ask any aboue about vacation time, I didn't 147 00:09:26,920 --> 00:09:30,199 Speaker 1: ask anybody about anything other than what they wanted in 148 00:09:30,320 --> 00:09:33,480 Speaker 1: the job itself. And I learned later that that was 149 00:09:33,559 --> 00:09:36,199 Speaker 1: just a bug a boo that Rush had that he 150 00:09:36,440 --> 00:09:38,920 Speaker 1: couldn't stand people who just wanted to know as soon 151 00:09:38,960 --> 00:09:41,600 Speaker 1: as they were being interviewed, what are the benefits and 152 00:09:41,640 --> 00:09:44,640 Speaker 1: when's my vacation? And so the fact that I didn't 153 00:09:44,800 --> 00:09:47,480 Speaker 1: ask those what put me in the plus column. Yeah. 154 00:09:47,480 --> 00:09:49,640 Speaker 1: I remember the day you first that you were first 155 00:09:49,679 --> 00:09:53,199 Speaker 1: introduced to the staff. Beautiful dark haired woman comes in 156 00:09:53,320 --> 00:09:56,120 Speaker 1: and I'm like, Wow, who's that. That's That's the person 157 00:09:56,160 --> 00:09:59,280 Speaker 1: that's going to start the Russ lumbab newsletter, and and yeah, 158 00:09:59,400 --> 00:10:01,560 Speaker 1: and so you hung out with us in the studio 159 00:10:01,920 --> 00:10:05,520 Speaker 1: a while and then out rolls issue number one, and 160 00:10:05,640 --> 00:10:08,160 Speaker 1: issue number one I still half of the limbo letter, 161 00:10:08,840 --> 00:10:11,520 Speaker 1: and it was what it was like, four pages. I 162 00:10:11,559 --> 00:10:13,840 Speaker 1: think when it first was it four pages? It wasn't. 163 00:10:13,920 --> 00:10:18,720 Speaker 1: It was eight eight pages. They started with basically two 164 00:10:18,720 --> 00:10:23,480 Speaker 1: color news print eight pages. And you know, to me, 165 00:10:23,600 --> 00:10:25,680 Speaker 1: they had given me a few months to sit in 166 00:10:25,720 --> 00:10:29,280 Speaker 1: the studio and absorb Rush as much as possible. And 167 00:10:29,360 --> 00:10:33,080 Speaker 1: my job was to try and contain lightning in a 168 00:10:33,120 --> 00:10:38,000 Speaker 1: bottle basically is to distill that down somehow into eight 169 00:10:38,080 --> 00:10:42,360 Speaker 1: pages every month a daily radio show about the news. 170 00:10:42,760 --> 00:10:46,320 Speaker 1: So that was a you know, my greatest professional challenge, 171 00:10:46,400 --> 00:10:51,120 Speaker 1: I think, was to figure out a way of containing 172 00:10:51,200 --> 00:10:54,640 Speaker 1: him into print and you know, as much as it 173 00:10:54,720 --> 00:10:57,400 Speaker 1: is possible. And that's why I immediately said, well, eight 174 00:10:57,440 --> 00:10:59,559 Speaker 1: pages is never gonna be enough, and we bumped it 175 00:10:59,640 --> 00:11:02,319 Speaker 1: up to well and then to sixteen, which is what 176 00:11:02,640 --> 00:11:05,680 Speaker 1: lasted its whole life, and then we went full color 177 00:11:06,240 --> 00:11:10,199 Speaker 1: because it had to be to contain Rush. So it 178 00:11:10,280 --> 00:11:13,439 Speaker 1: was a real interesting thing to figure out a way. 179 00:11:14,120 --> 00:11:18,360 Speaker 1: And I noticed that he talked big picture as well 180 00:11:18,400 --> 00:11:22,320 Speaker 1: as news, and so I was trying to every month 181 00:11:22,960 --> 00:11:26,480 Speaker 1: hit on for the cover story, help him, you know, 182 00:11:26,559 --> 00:11:30,440 Speaker 1: basically convey his main theme of that month. So there 183 00:11:30,440 --> 00:11:33,640 Speaker 1: we're big picture items that would fit in a monthly publication. 184 00:11:34,120 --> 00:11:38,160 Speaker 1: And that was the fun of it, is to write down, oh, yes, 185 00:11:38,240 --> 00:11:41,840 Speaker 1: he's talking about this important subject, education or whatever it was. 186 00:11:42,520 --> 00:11:45,320 Speaker 1: And then you know, the smaller items we could do, 187 00:11:45,360 --> 00:11:48,000 Speaker 1: the news items, the funny things, and the stupid quotes. 188 00:11:48,520 --> 00:11:53,080 Speaker 1: So we try to combine both humor and substance. And 189 00:11:53,120 --> 00:11:56,320 Speaker 1: he always wanted to do original research in the newsletter, 190 00:11:56,440 --> 00:11:59,960 Speaker 1: So it wasn't a duplication of what was on the radio. 191 00:12:00,000 --> 00:12:01,880 Speaker 1: Know it all all right? Tell us what it was 192 00:12:01,920 --> 00:12:04,120 Speaker 1: like working with Rush? First time you met him, it 193 00:12:04,240 --> 00:12:07,200 Speaker 1: was the interview? What about after that? What happened? How? 194 00:12:07,360 --> 00:12:10,320 Speaker 1: How did you What was your relationship like with Rush? Well? 195 00:12:10,400 --> 00:12:15,160 Speaker 1: Rush was wonderful. I mean, I'm going to get choked up, 196 00:12:15,200 --> 00:12:20,120 Speaker 1: but I loved him and he was the best boss 197 00:12:20,120 --> 00:12:24,800 Speaker 1: ever because he, as I think you said earlier, he 198 00:12:24,840 --> 00:12:29,600 Speaker 1: would choose self starters and people that he felt would 199 00:12:29,760 --> 00:12:34,280 Speaker 1: be independent, work independently and just let us go. And 200 00:12:34,360 --> 00:12:37,160 Speaker 1: so he was not a person who looked over the 201 00:12:37,200 --> 00:12:42,640 Speaker 1: shoulder or micromanaged. He trusted us and that trust was 202 00:12:42,760 --> 00:12:46,760 Speaker 1: such an honor and it really got the best work 203 00:12:46,800 --> 00:12:48,920 Speaker 1: out of all of us. I think we all wanted 204 00:12:48,960 --> 00:12:51,720 Speaker 1: to please him, and we all wanted him to be 205 00:12:52,120 --> 00:12:55,200 Speaker 1: approving of what the work was, and so we gave 206 00:12:55,240 --> 00:12:58,080 Speaker 1: it our very best every single day. And also we 207 00:12:58,160 --> 00:13:00,840 Speaker 1: knew that's what he was doing, so he set the 208 00:13:00,960 --> 00:13:06,720 Speaker 1: tone for excellence. You know, basically the entire team wide, 209 00:13:07,080 --> 00:13:10,040 Speaker 1: and everyone worked well together because of that. We all 210 00:13:10,080 --> 00:13:13,800 Speaker 1: had the same mindset. But you know, if you don't mind, 211 00:13:13,840 --> 00:13:19,800 Speaker 1: I have a memory of a pretty funny thing where 212 00:13:19,840 --> 00:13:22,880 Speaker 1: I think I got my nickname at a tricks and 213 00:13:23,120 --> 00:13:28,480 Speaker 1: this was in He wanted to do a reprint not 214 00:13:28,559 --> 00:13:32,600 Speaker 1: only of the thirty five Undeniable Truths of Life, but 215 00:13:32,760 --> 00:13:37,960 Speaker 1: also update them. So we had a new thirty five Undeniables. 216 00:13:37,960 --> 00:13:40,640 Speaker 1: But as I was talking to him, he was standing 217 00:13:40,640 --> 00:13:43,040 Speaker 1: in my office. I had the office next to him 218 00:13:43,080 --> 00:13:46,760 Speaker 1: at the time, and he came in and were discussing it, 219 00:13:46,840 --> 00:13:51,800 Speaker 1: and I corrected him on uh, the number twenty four. 220 00:13:51,960 --> 00:13:55,800 Speaker 1: Feminism was established so as to allow unattractive women of 221 00:13:55,920 --> 00:13:59,800 Speaker 1: access to the mainstream of society. And I said to him, hey, Rush, 222 00:14:00,280 --> 00:14:03,720 Speaker 1: you just worded that wrong. You've got too many words 223 00:14:03,720 --> 00:14:08,200 Speaker 1: in there. It should be Feminism was established to allow 224 00:14:08,640 --> 00:14:11,920 Speaker 1: you don't need the sow as to it's just superfluous. 225 00:14:11,960 --> 00:14:16,760 Speaker 1: And so he looked to me after kind of giving 226 00:14:16,800 --> 00:14:19,840 Speaker 1: me that one eyed look, and he said, let me 227 00:14:19,840 --> 00:14:23,680 Speaker 1: tell you. He says, you have three hundred and twenty 228 00:14:23,760 --> 00:14:26,520 Speaker 1: five radio stations and then you could write it however 229 00:14:26,640 --> 00:14:32,640 Speaker 1: you want. And I looked at him and I said, 230 00:14:32,760 --> 00:14:36,480 Speaker 1: point taken. And I immediately he laughed. He was he 231 00:14:36,560 --> 00:14:39,080 Speaker 1: was being very funny, but he had a boy and 232 00:14:39,240 --> 00:14:41,800 Speaker 1: I laughed and he left, and after that he started 233 00:14:41,840 --> 00:14:45,880 Speaker 1: going atriss. So I think there was a little bit 234 00:14:45,920 --> 00:14:48,960 Speaker 1: of dominatrix soon because I had argued with him and 235 00:14:48,960 --> 00:14:52,640 Speaker 1: I wanted to correct his ridic So I got a note. 236 00:14:53,240 --> 00:14:56,080 Speaker 1: I got an email here from the edit Drinks and 237 00:14:56,280 --> 00:14:59,960 Speaker 1: the limb Ball letter that's the most widely read politic 238 00:15:00,000 --> 00:15:03,840 Speaker 1: the newsletter in America. Dear boss, I sadly think your 239 00:15:03,880 --> 00:15:07,560 Speaker 1: caller is right. I think Hillary is going to be 240 00:15:07,680 --> 00:15:11,800 Speaker 1: on a higher platform to make her look equal to Trump, 241 00:15:12,360 --> 00:15:16,520 Speaker 1: a podium, and she's got dictionary definitions here, as though 242 00:15:16,720 --> 00:15:23,080 Speaker 1: I don't know what these things are. A podium. A 243 00:15:23,240 --> 00:15:27,280 Speaker 1: podium is the raised platform on which the speaker stands 244 00:15:27,320 --> 00:15:30,000 Speaker 1: to deliver his or her speech. Podium derived from the 245 00:15:30,040 --> 00:15:34,720 Speaker 1: Greek word as a podiatrist. A lector is a raised, 246 00:15:35,040 --> 00:15:38,080 Speaker 1: slanted stand on which a speaker can place his or 247 00:15:38,120 --> 00:15:41,720 Speaker 1: her notes or secret teleprompter. Electorn is derived from the 248 00:15:41,800 --> 00:15:46,680 Speaker 1: Latin word electus, a past participle of the verb legear, 249 00:15:47,000 --> 00:15:50,560 Speaker 1: which means to eat vegetables. The word elector comes from 250 00:15:50,560 --> 00:15:58,760 Speaker 1: the same source. So I was confused anyway. It's a 251 00:15:58,800 --> 00:16:00,760 Speaker 1: long way of saying that the corner might have been 252 00:16:00,840 --> 00:16:06,600 Speaker 1: right that they're gonna have her jacked up. Each week 253 00:16:06,640 --> 00:16:08,880 Speaker 1: One Russia Limbaugh, the man behind the Golden E I 254 00:16:08,920 --> 00:16:13,160 Speaker 1: B Microphone. We delve into Russia's biographical journey with the 255 00:16:13,200 --> 00:16:17,080 Speaker 1: help of his friends, colleagues, and family members. Today we 256 00:16:17,160 --> 00:16:23,080 Speaker 1: welcome one of America's most loved actors and patriots, Scott Bao. 257 00:16:24,200 --> 00:16:29,160 Speaker 1: The Life of Russia Limbaugh, Chapter ten, narrated by Scott Bayo. 258 00:16:31,000 --> 00:16:33,920 Speaker 1: On November fourth, two thousand and eight, America made history 259 00:16:33,960 --> 00:16:36,560 Speaker 1: by electing its first black president, and known for his 260 00:16:36,680 --> 00:16:39,880 Speaker 1: signature cutting edge analysis and insight, Russia. Limbaugh was quick 261 00:16:39,880 --> 00:16:42,360 Speaker 1: to explain how Barack Obama was able to convince so 262 00:16:42,400 --> 00:16:45,080 Speaker 1: many Americans to vote for him. In fact, Russia was 263 00:16:45,200 --> 00:16:48,480 Speaker 1: very detailed as to why Obama's election victory was so decisive. 264 00:16:48,640 --> 00:16:51,960 Speaker 1: The main reason Obama was elected was a bunch of 265 00:16:52,000 --> 00:16:56,320 Speaker 1: people in this country very distressed and fed up but 266 00:16:56,440 --> 00:16:59,360 Speaker 1: the ongoing allegation that they and the rest of the 267 00:16:59,400 --> 00:17:03,200 Speaker 1: country were bunch of racists and bigots, and they believed 268 00:17:03,360 --> 00:17:09,240 Speaker 1: that if they participated in electing the first African American president, 269 00:17:09,440 --> 00:17:12,240 Speaker 1: that they could do away with that charge. They could 270 00:17:12,280 --> 00:17:15,679 Speaker 1: do away with that notion that idea. I firmly believe 271 00:17:15,880 --> 00:17:19,080 Speaker 1: that the vast majority outside of the Democrat but the 272 00:17:19,160 --> 00:17:22,760 Speaker 1: vast majority of white votes for Obama were made with 273 00:17:22,840 --> 00:17:26,439 Speaker 1: that hope. After eight years of conservative leadership on the president, 274 00:17:26,480 --> 00:17:29,359 Speaker 1: George W. Bush Rush was eager, willing, and ready to 275 00:17:29,400 --> 00:17:32,480 Speaker 1: resume his role as chief conservative critic in opposition to 276 00:17:32,520 --> 00:17:35,440 Speaker 1: the Obama regime. As he frequently labeled, and it fits 277 00:17:35,720 --> 00:17:37,720 Speaker 1: what the hell else is it? But not a regime. 278 00:17:38,160 --> 00:17:40,600 Speaker 1: It didn't take long for Rush to start making waves 279 00:17:40,800 --> 00:17:44,399 Speaker 1: with only four little words just before inauguration, they I 280 00:17:44,440 --> 00:17:47,320 Speaker 1: hope he fails. I wanted Obama to fail so that 281 00:17:47,400 --> 00:17:51,960 Speaker 1: my country would not. I wanted Obama's liberal agenda, his 282 00:17:52,160 --> 00:17:57,199 Speaker 1: socialist community organizer agenda, to fail. I did not, and 283 00:17:57,320 --> 00:18:00,400 Speaker 1: never have and never will want a are it could 284 00:18:00,400 --> 00:18:05,120 Speaker 1: have failed, Never, no way. I wanted America to be saved. 285 00:18:05,359 --> 00:18:08,000 Speaker 1: Rush soon found plenty more to criticize and what became 286 00:18:08,040 --> 00:18:11,520 Speaker 1: the signatures of the Obama administration. From Obamacare to the 287 00:18:11,520 --> 00:18:15,560 Speaker 1: closing of GIBMO. They ran nuclear deal to Obama's border tactics, 288 00:18:15,560 --> 00:18:18,320 Speaker 1: and much much more. For Rush Limbaugh, the Obama years 289 00:18:18,320 --> 00:18:21,760 Speaker 1: were chock full of policies and bad politics to dissect 290 00:18:22,000 --> 00:18:25,280 Speaker 1: for tens of millions of listeners daily, and throughout Obama's 291 00:18:25,280 --> 00:18:28,000 Speaker 1: two terms in office, rushed to great pride in telling 292 00:18:28,040 --> 00:18:30,520 Speaker 1: his listeners that he had no doubt the president was 293 00:18:30,560 --> 00:18:33,280 Speaker 1: one of them. As he often explained on air, not 294 00:18:33,359 --> 00:18:36,240 Speaker 1: only was Obama paying attention to him, he was fixated 295 00:18:36,240 --> 00:18:38,560 Speaker 1: on him. The Republicans are only concerned about what's on 296 00:18:38,600 --> 00:18:42,040 Speaker 1: Fox News or what Rush Limbaugh saying, and Democrats are 297 00:18:42,440 --> 00:18:45,200 Speaker 1: looking at the New York Times or Huffington Post. So 298 00:18:45,280 --> 00:18:49,439 Speaker 1: Obama comes into office telling Republicans that they can't listen 299 00:18:49,480 --> 00:18:53,040 Speaker 1: to Rush Limbaugh anymore and get things done. That's just 300 00:18:53,160 --> 00:18:56,680 Speaker 1: not how it happens in Washington. And he's leaving office 301 00:18:57,200 --> 00:19:01,280 Speaker 1: having failed to remove one of his and impediments from 302 00:19:01,280 --> 00:19:05,399 Speaker 1: his equation, and that would be me. So after eight years, Obama, 303 00:19:05,680 --> 00:19:09,320 Speaker 1: he comes into office with me living rent free in 304 00:19:09,440 --> 00:19:12,320 Speaker 1: his hand, and I'm still there. It could be said 305 00:19:12,320 --> 00:19:15,400 Speaker 1: today that during the Obama administration, Rush Limbaugh was at 306 00:19:15,400 --> 00:19:19,040 Speaker 1: his best, staunchly defending conservative principles and standing up for 307 00:19:19,080 --> 00:19:23,080 Speaker 1: America and its exceptionalism. But in the end, whether at 308 00:19:23,119 --> 00:19:25,400 Speaker 1: his best or even on a bad day, a few 309 00:19:25,480 --> 00:19:29,119 Speaker 1: could touch Russia. Limbaugh the Obama chapter was but just 310 00:19:29,280 --> 00:19:40,480 Speaker 1: eight years of more than thirty of unprecedented broadcast excellence. Unforgettable. 311 00:19:40,920 --> 00:19:44,480 Speaker 1: That's the impression that you, the Russia Limbaugh audience made 312 00:19:44,520 --> 00:19:49,440 Speaker 1: with your support for Russia's last charitable effort while Rush 313 00:19:49,560 --> 00:19:52,400 Speaker 1: was still with us through the Stand Up for Betsy 314 00:19:52,480 --> 00:19:57,399 Speaker 1: Ross campaign. Your generosity resulted in a five million dollar 315 00:19:57,520 --> 00:20:01,960 Speaker 1: donation to the Tunnel to Towers found a. Rush said 316 00:20:01,960 --> 00:20:04,560 Speaker 1: it best. We chose Tunnel to Towers to be the 317 00:20:04,560 --> 00:20:08,280 Speaker 1: beneficiary of the campaign because we love the work they 318 00:20:08,320 --> 00:20:13,520 Speaker 1: do and the story about how they started. When a 319 00:20:13,560 --> 00:20:17,720 Speaker 1: family experiences significant loss the mother or father passes while 320 00:20:17,760 --> 00:20:22,520 Speaker 1: serving our country, Tunnel to Towers steps in freeze that 321 00:20:22,640 --> 00:20:26,639 Speaker 1: family of a major worry during their time of crisis. 322 00:20:26,680 --> 00:20:31,000 Speaker 1: Tunnel to Towers pays off mortgages in full for these 323 00:20:31,080 --> 00:20:35,000 Speaker 1: families and provides them with the comfort of a home 324 00:20:35,680 --> 00:20:38,919 Speaker 1: when their world has literally been turned upside down. The 325 00:20:38,960 --> 00:20:42,560 Speaker 1: foundation does the same for first responders and also build 326 00:20:42,600 --> 00:20:48,120 Speaker 1: smart homes for our most catastrophically injured veterans and first responders. 327 00:20:48,560 --> 00:20:53,560 Speaker 1: More heroes need your help. Do good by donating eleven 328 00:20:53,600 --> 00:20:58,199 Speaker 1: dollars a month to Tunnel to Towers at t two 329 00:20:58,200 --> 00:21:03,320 Speaker 1: T dot org. That's the letter T, the number two, 330 00:21:03,840 --> 00:21:11,440 Speaker 1: the letter T dot org. So this was a relationship 331 00:21:11,680 --> 00:21:15,879 Speaker 1: that started in the nineties and and and continued right 332 00:21:15,960 --> 00:21:18,840 Speaker 1: up until the time that Rush left us. And so 333 00:21:19,520 --> 00:21:22,960 Speaker 1: all those years, I mean, what what what what's your 334 00:21:23,040 --> 00:21:26,800 Speaker 1: takeaway from working with with Rush? Although those years, well, 335 00:21:26,840 --> 00:21:29,439 Speaker 1: you know, I don't know if you remember the Nightline appearance. 336 00:21:29,480 --> 00:21:35,720 Speaker 1: I think it was April of and he had been 337 00:21:35,800 --> 00:21:40,240 Speaker 1: on along with Carville and some other you know, one 338 00:21:40,280 --> 00:21:43,240 Speaker 1: New York Times writer, and it was a town hall. 339 00:21:43,600 --> 00:21:48,719 Speaker 1: It was supposed to be about Hillary and healthcare. And 340 00:21:48,920 --> 00:21:53,280 Speaker 1: this was before the midterm elections where the Republicans took over, 341 00:21:53,359 --> 00:21:56,040 Speaker 1: as they used to quote the Republican takeover. So this 342 00:21:56,160 --> 00:21:59,359 Speaker 1: was still in the honeymoon phase of the Clinton administration. 343 00:22:00,119 --> 00:22:04,119 Speaker 1: And Ted Copple really liked Rush at that point and 344 00:22:04,280 --> 00:22:06,880 Speaker 1: had him on. He was the only one who wasn't 345 00:22:06,880 --> 00:22:11,359 Speaker 1: physically in the town hall I think Iowa. And he 346 00:22:11,400 --> 00:22:16,239 Speaker 1: was supposed to talk about healthcare and Hillary Care, and 347 00:22:16,320 --> 00:22:20,479 Speaker 1: he was the first person up and he immediately changed 348 00:22:20,520 --> 00:22:24,600 Speaker 1: the subject, did not talk about anything other than all 349 00:22:24,680 --> 00:22:28,200 Speaker 1: the lies that these people that Clinton's had been promulgating 350 00:22:28,240 --> 00:22:33,240 Speaker 1: about Whitewater, and he started talking listening them. He rattat, 351 00:22:33,600 --> 00:22:36,040 Speaker 1: you know, the billing records, Whitewater, and went on and on, 352 00:22:36,480 --> 00:22:39,720 Speaker 1: and the rest of the group was there to talk 353 00:22:39,760 --> 00:22:45,960 Speaker 1: about healthcare, and they simply just ignore, basically what Rush 354 00:22:46,040 --> 00:22:49,000 Speaker 1: had said. They didn't respond to it. And the next 355 00:22:49,440 --> 00:22:51,680 Speaker 1: day we were all you remember this, We were all 356 00:22:51,680 --> 00:22:55,280 Speaker 1: standing in the hallway before the show, and I said 357 00:22:55,520 --> 00:22:59,720 Speaker 1: to Rush, Hey, Rush, did you notice that you basically 358 00:22:59,840 --> 00:23:04,800 Speaker 1: accused them on television, national television of being liars and 359 00:23:04,840 --> 00:23:09,320 Speaker 1: they didn't defend her. And he did what you and 360 00:23:09,359 --> 00:23:13,080 Speaker 1: I used to call that sponge thing. He would look 361 00:23:13,200 --> 00:23:16,639 Speaker 1: so intently at you when you were talking, and he 362 00:23:16,680 --> 00:23:19,600 Speaker 1: wouldn't necessarily say anything. And this was the first time 363 00:23:19,600 --> 00:23:24,240 Speaker 1: I had experienced it, and he had this piercing look, 364 00:23:24,400 --> 00:23:26,439 Speaker 1: and he listened to what I had to say, and 365 00:23:26,480 --> 00:23:30,159 Speaker 1: he didn't respond. He just walked down the hallway to 366 00:23:30,240 --> 00:23:33,480 Speaker 1: the studio. And then he kind of used that as 367 00:23:33,560 --> 00:23:36,639 Speaker 1: his jumping off point. And then a few days later 368 00:23:37,240 --> 00:23:40,359 Speaker 1: there was the Pretty and Pink conference because Hillary knew 369 00:23:40,440 --> 00:23:42,840 Speaker 1: she had not been defended by her own people on 370 00:23:43,000 --> 00:23:47,080 Speaker 1: national TV, and so that was the first time I 371 00:23:47,200 --> 00:23:52,080 Speaker 1: knew he was probably the best listener that I have 372 00:23:52,440 --> 00:23:56,760 Speaker 1: ever encountered in my life. He had the ability, and 373 00:23:57,240 --> 00:24:01,119 Speaker 1: even after he lost his hearing, he had the ability 374 00:24:01,200 --> 00:24:07,159 Speaker 1: to absorb information, filter it into this amazing creative mind 375 00:24:07,280 --> 00:24:10,960 Speaker 1: he had, and be able to then transform it and 376 00:24:11,080 --> 00:24:14,520 Speaker 1: bring it out as the Rush take, because he would 377 00:24:14,520 --> 00:24:17,399 Speaker 1: take things that we all would suggest or give a 378 00:24:17,440 --> 00:24:19,639 Speaker 1: line or whatever, and he would make it into something 379 00:24:20,119 --> 00:24:23,879 Speaker 1: miraculous and amazing. And to watch him do that, live 380 00:24:24,480 --> 00:24:30,439 Speaker 1: that ability to spontaneously think on ninety different levels at once, 381 00:24:31,040 --> 00:24:34,280 Speaker 1: I tell you that was We all have talked about 382 00:24:34,320 --> 00:24:37,760 Speaker 1: how much we love him and his generosity and his character, 383 00:24:37,880 --> 00:24:40,480 Speaker 1: and all those things are true. And the thing that 384 00:24:40,680 --> 00:24:45,480 Speaker 1: I also appreciate so much as his mind, the most 385 00:24:45,520 --> 00:24:48,280 Speaker 1: brilliant human being that I have ever been in the 386 00:24:48,359 --> 00:24:53,880 Speaker 1: presence of, and yet very very gentle and kind and 387 00:24:54,119 --> 00:24:59,000 Speaker 1: of all good character. But his brilliance was aside. To behold, 388 00:24:59,040 --> 00:25:01,800 Speaker 1: we will never ever ever be in the presence of 389 00:25:01,880 --> 00:25:04,920 Speaker 1: someone as brilliant as him. Again, you made a reference 390 00:25:04,960 --> 00:25:06,240 Speaker 1: to it, and I want to just get you to 391 00:25:06,280 --> 00:25:10,200 Speaker 1: expand on it. The Sponge Rush had this uncanny ability 392 00:25:10,240 --> 00:25:16,479 Speaker 1: to absorb information like nobody else. He could read something 393 00:25:17,119 --> 00:25:20,280 Speaker 1: and and pick out points that and and find points 394 00:25:20,320 --> 00:25:22,400 Speaker 1: in it and talk about points that no one else 395 00:25:22,400 --> 00:25:24,600 Speaker 1: saw in an article. It could be a sentence and 396 00:25:24,640 --> 00:25:29,760 Speaker 1: he could then launch into an original take from that 397 00:25:29,760 --> 00:25:33,600 Speaker 1: that would turn into a monologue. He would talk to 398 00:25:33,680 --> 00:25:37,480 Speaker 1: people and and something a sentence that they would say. 399 00:25:37,800 --> 00:25:41,760 Speaker 1: He could develop an entire line of thought that no 400 00:25:41,800 --> 00:25:45,000 Speaker 1: one else in the media would have. This guy he 401 00:25:45,400 --> 00:25:48,600 Speaker 1: took everything in and he would say, show prep is 402 00:25:49,119 --> 00:25:52,119 Speaker 1: life is show prep. He would take everything in. He 403 00:25:52,240 --> 00:25:57,760 Speaker 1: read an incredible amount of material every single day he 404 00:25:57,840 --> 00:26:00,520 Speaker 1: had to in order to do a show. And but 405 00:26:00,600 --> 00:26:03,040 Speaker 1: he would also listen him and you you you pointed 406 00:26:03,080 --> 00:26:05,439 Speaker 1: that out too. He would listen to people on the staff. 407 00:26:05,480 --> 00:26:07,520 Speaker 1: He would talk with them, and you didn't get a 408 00:26:07,600 --> 00:26:11,159 Speaker 1: lot of time. It was, it was, it was. It 409 00:26:11,240 --> 00:26:14,040 Speaker 1: was just the most uncanny thing, absolutely, and I think 410 00:26:14,080 --> 00:26:17,000 Speaker 1: you hit on something so important and I'm sure other 411 00:26:17,040 --> 00:26:20,639 Speaker 1: people have mentioned it, but not the conventional wisdom. The 412 00:26:20,640 --> 00:26:25,119 Speaker 1: fact that he could not stand group thing. He hated 413 00:26:25,160 --> 00:26:30,439 Speaker 1: the conventional wisdom. It was almost physical with him, and 414 00:26:30,560 --> 00:26:35,879 Speaker 1: so that natural inclination to ignore what everyone else's take 415 00:26:36,080 --> 00:26:39,400 Speaker 1: was on something that he wanted to make sure that 416 00:26:39,440 --> 00:26:44,240 Speaker 1: whatever his observations were, and his conclusions from that were 417 00:26:44,520 --> 00:26:48,920 Speaker 1: were absolutely original, and that is why everybody tuned in 418 00:26:49,080 --> 00:26:52,000 Speaker 1: every day. And you and I, if you remember, we 419 00:26:52,160 --> 00:26:55,399 Speaker 1: used to try and predict an event would happen, and 420 00:26:55,400 --> 00:26:59,280 Speaker 1: we'd say, what do you think Russia's taken? And you know, 421 00:26:59,440 --> 00:27:03,320 Speaker 1: we would sometimes be close, but these we were with 422 00:27:03,440 --> 00:27:07,120 Speaker 1: him all the time, and we couldn't predict on a 423 00:27:07,160 --> 00:27:10,639 Speaker 1: regular basis because it was so original. And that is 424 00:27:10,720 --> 00:27:13,760 Speaker 1: something that I think so many people, especially as critics, 425 00:27:14,040 --> 00:27:19,359 Speaker 1: took for granted about him because they didn't understand that 426 00:27:19,480 --> 00:27:22,480 Speaker 1: was why so many people tuned in every day. And 427 00:27:22,560 --> 00:27:24,960 Speaker 1: you and I both know that he used to say 428 00:27:25,080 --> 00:27:27,920 Speaker 1: something like, you know, saying more in five seconds than 429 00:27:28,320 --> 00:27:31,240 Speaker 1: you know, most hosts say in a lifetime, and that 430 00:27:31,320 --> 00:27:34,000 Speaker 1: was so true. Once he moved to Florida and I 431 00:27:34,040 --> 00:27:38,720 Speaker 1: started working from home, I could not leave my radio, 432 00:27:38,960 --> 00:27:41,919 Speaker 1: I could not use the facilities in the house because 433 00:27:41,960 --> 00:27:44,720 Speaker 1: I would miss two seconds of what he would say 434 00:27:44,760 --> 00:27:47,399 Speaker 1: coming back from a break, and it would be important 435 00:27:47,440 --> 00:27:52,080 Speaker 1: and significant. And so that hanging onto every word was 436 00:27:52,359 --> 00:27:55,960 Speaker 1: due to his original thinking and because he was hilarious 437 00:27:56,240 --> 00:27:58,080 Speaker 1: when you when you look back on it on and 438 00:27:58,280 --> 00:28:01,240 Speaker 1: I asked the question want to ask it again. First 439 00:28:01,240 --> 00:28:04,200 Speaker 1: of all, doing what you did is not easy, because 440 00:28:04,600 --> 00:28:08,040 Speaker 1: Rush never wanted to quote unquote cannibalize the radio show, 441 00:28:08,720 --> 00:28:12,320 Speaker 1: So he didn't want the same things in the newsletter 442 00:28:13,119 --> 00:28:17,280 Speaker 1: exactly as he laid it out on the radio. And 443 00:28:17,359 --> 00:28:20,680 Speaker 1: he would say that he did not want to cannibalize 444 00:28:20,720 --> 00:28:24,400 Speaker 1: the radio show. But you had the job of making 445 00:28:24,480 --> 00:28:30,399 Speaker 1: sure that this profound thinker who could articulate things so well, 446 00:28:30,840 --> 00:28:34,440 Speaker 1: also was represented in the print medium. And the print 447 00:28:34,480 --> 00:28:37,199 Speaker 1: medium is very different than the spoken word medium. Yes, 448 00:28:37,520 --> 00:28:41,480 Speaker 1: and that was a hard Chalee. I'll talk to you 449 00:28:41,560 --> 00:28:45,480 Speaker 1: about the issue that came out right after Rush past. 450 00:28:46,200 --> 00:28:50,520 Speaker 1: It was almost as if I don't know it was 451 00:28:50,640 --> 00:28:54,880 Speaker 1: god thing, I guess because it was, you know, I'm 452 00:28:54,880 --> 00:29:00,880 Speaker 1: with God, you know God is with me. Actually, how 453 00:29:00,920 --> 00:29:04,520 Speaker 1: did that issue happened? Did you kind of was there 454 00:29:04,640 --> 00:29:08,080 Speaker 1: some sort of sense of knowing? What? What? How did 455 00:29:08,080 --> 00:29:12,440 Speaker 1: that issue come about? Well? It was really interesting how 456 00:29:12,480 --> 00:29:16,880 Speaker 1: that came about, because I think Rush knew because that 457 00:29:17,080 --> 00:29:22,200 Speaker 1: was a throwaway line in a long monernologue about something else. 458 00:29:23,080 --> 00:29:26,880 Speaker 1: And I thought that the sentence that he said on 459 00:29:27,000 --> 00:29:30,920 Speaker 1: the air was so poignant, and he said God is 460 00:29:31,000 --> 00:29:35,840 Speaker 1: with me, and I put that on the list of suggestions. Um, 461 00:29:35,880 --> 00:29:39,440 Speaker 1: it wasn't the first because he was talking about other things, 462 00:29:39,560 --> 00:29:41,520 Speaker 1: but I did put that on because I thought what 463 00:29:41,600 --> 00:29:44,360 Speaker 1: a powerful sentence that just was. And he chose that 464 00:29:44,440 --> 00:29:48,520 Speaker 1: for the cover. And at the time, of course I 465 00:29:48,560 --> 00:29:52,200 Speaker 1: didn't know. We knew he was very ill, but we 466 00:29:52,320 --> 00:29:55,320 Speaker 1: didn't know, and I think he may have and that's 467 00:29:55,320 --> 00:29:58,040 Speaker 1: why he picked it. And he chose the art of 468 00:29:58,120 --> 00:30:04,440 Speaker 1: him basically with praying him, and that was a beautiful cover. 469 00:30:04,640 --> 00:30:10,600 Speaker 1: And I felt so honored to have helped that come about, 470 00:30:10,800 --> 00:30:13,640 Speaker 1: because I know Catherine held that up at the Sea 471 00:30:13,800 --> 00:30:16,560 Speaker 1: Pack meeting and so that meant a lot to her, 472 00:30:16,800 --> 00:30:19,120 Speaker 1: and it meant a lot, I think to all of us. 473 00:30:19,480 --> 00:30:22,680 Speaker 1: How are you going to remember Rush? You know, I 474 00:30:23,120 --> 00:30:30,600 Speaker 1: mostly as great just his greatness, and you know, you 475 00:30:30,680 --> 00:30:33,120 Speaker 1: know when you're in the presence of greatness, and he was, 476 00:30:33,200 --> 00:30:36,400 Speaker 1: so he didn't wear that on his sleeve. He was 477 00:30:36,480 --> 00:30:42,080 Speaker 1: so wonderful to be around, fun just you know, hilarious, 478 00:30:42,120 --> 00:30:47,280 Speaker 1: and he always interacted with people as equals, you know, 479 00:30:47,560 --> 00:30:50,120 Speaker 1: it was there was never a sense I'm the great 480 00:30:50,160 --> 00:30:51,880 Speaker 1: one and kissed my ring. There was none of that. 481 00:30:51,960 --> 00:30:54,680 Speaker 1: He would just joke around with everybody and enjoyed that. 482 00:30:55,600 --> 00:31:00,760 Speaker 1: And however, just being in his presence and knowing how 483 00:31:01,000 --> 00:31:06,480 Speaker 1: wise and wonderful and brilliant and how he helped this country. 484 00:31:06,520 --> 00:31:11,560 Speaker 1: I remember when I first was hired that at that 485 00:31:11,680 --> 00:31:15,800 Speaker 1: time there was the similar feeling in the country you 486 00:31:15,800 --> 00:31:19,480 Speaker 1: couldn't say out loud of things you thought, and here 487 00:31:19,720 --> 00:31:22,800 Speaker 1: was this guy on the radio. Do you remember people 488 00:31:22,920 --> 00:31:26,120 Speaker 1: used to call up and say, are you allowed to 489 00:31:26,160 --> 00:31:29,040 Speaker 1: say this on the air? People were shocked to keep 490 00:31:29,200 --> 00:31:34,160 Speaker 1: hear that their own ideas and wisdom reflected back at 491 00:31:34,160 --> 00:31:38,800 Speaker 1: them in such a compelling way. So what he did 492 00:31:39,040 --> 00:31:42,160 Speaker 1: was he gave voice to all of us. And I 493 00:31:42,280 --> 00:31:45,520 Speaker 1: have been so honored to have at the part of 494 00:31:45,560 --> 00:31:48,480 Speaker 1: my career as well is just to be to be 495 00:31:48,760 --> 00:31:52,120 Speaker 1: a supporter of getting his message to as many people 496 00:31:52,200 --> 00:31:57,040 Speaker 1: possible that America is wonderful and we will fight for her. 497 00:31:57,960 --> 00:32:00,920 Speaker 1: So I would say, his great is and I think 498 00:32:00,960 --> 00:32:04,640 Speaker 1: the term you used was, you know, a second generation 499 00:32:04,680 --> 00:32:07,600 Speaker 1: founding father, and you wrote the cover story for that 500 00:32:07,760 --> 00:32:11,880 Speaker 1: for the Limbo Letter last month, and that he is 501 00:32:12,080 --> 00:32:16,160 Speaker 1: going to be remembered as one of the greatest Americans 502 00:32:16,200 --> 00:32:21,320 Speaker 1: who ever lived. I miss him. So before we wrap 503 00:32:21,400 --> 00:32:23,560 Speaker 1: up on masks one more time, anything else that you'd 504 00:32:23,600 --> 00:32:26,360 Speaker 1: like to add that you haven't said. Just what an 505 00:32:26,360 --> 00:32:29,480 Speaker 1: honor it's been personally for me to be part of 506 00:32:29,480 --> 00:32:34,200 Speaker 1: this team. And you know I will remember with just 507 00:32:34,560 --> 00:32:39,200 Speaker 1: great love and joy every single moment that I was 508 00:32:39,400 --> 00:32:41,800 Speaker 1: a part of the Rush team. Now I'm gonna just 509 00:32:41,840 --> 00:32:47,440 Speaker 1: say this to you, Um, the folks. Diana is one 510 00:32:47,480 --> 00:32:51,920 Speaker 1: of my best friends on the face of the art. Um. 511 00:32:52,000 --> 00:32:55,880 Speaker 1: She There was a time when I first started working 512 00:32:55,880 --> 00:33:00,840 Speaker 1: with Rush that Um and Diana had come on board, 513 00:33:00,960 --> 00:33:05,640 Speaker 1: and I realized how brilliant this woman was, and I 514 00:33:05,640 --> 00:33:09,520 Speaker 1: felt almost inadequate, and I remember asking, how how do 515 00:33:09,560 --> 00:33:12,920 Speaker 1: I It was so funny, how do I get as 516 00:33:12,920 --> 00:33:16,840 Speaker 1: smart as you people? You guys, do you remember that? 517 00:33:16,880 --> 00:33:21,240 Speaker 1: Do you remember those conversations? You don't remember. I don't 518 00:33:21,280 --> 00:33:24,760 Speaker 1: remember that because it was because it's obviously so not true. 519 00:33:24,880 --> 00:33:27,880 Speaker 1: I mean, you are way quicker than me, and you 520 00:33:27,960 --> 00:33:31,960 Speaker 1: are got all kinds of wit and wisdom, and if 521 00:33:32,000 --> 00:33:35,400 Speaker 1: anyone could predict a Rush take, you were as close. 522 00:33:36,200 --> 00:33:39,400 Speaker 1: So what I did was though you you recommended that 523 00:33:39,480 --> 00:33:41,320 Speaker 1: at the time, because I kept pressing you on it, 524 00:33:41,960 --> 00:33:45,040 Speaker 1: so you recommended that. I watched two or three different shows. 525 00:33:45,080 --> 00:33:47,320 Speaker 1: I won't reveal what they were because they're all going 526 00:33:47,400 --> 00:33:51,120 Speaker 1: now anyway, Um, you said, every night, if you really 527 00:33:51,160 --> 00:33:53,960 Speaker 1: want to get to where the landscape is politically in 528 00:33:53,960 --> 00:33:58,320 Speaker 1: this country, watch this, this, this, this, read this, this, this, this, 529 00:33:58,840 --> 00:34:02,040 Speaker 1: and with then two or three months, you'll you'll have 530 00:34:02,120 --> 00:34:09,520 Speaker 1: it down. And I did, and I did. What good advice? Yes, 531 00:34:09,640 --> 00:34:14,080 Speaker 1: what good advice? And uh but but beyond that, you know, um, 532 00:34:14,719 --> 00:34:18,800 Speaker 1: you have with the Limball Letter, like every like every 533 00:34:18,800 --> 00:34:22,360 Speaker 1: body else that that reads the Limball Letter, it's an 534 00:34:22,440 --> 00:34:27,680 Speaker 1: impressive it is an impressive body of work that that 535 00:34:27,760 --> 00:34:32,200 Speaker 1: you and Rush put together there. And I hope that, uh, 536 00:34:32,760 --> 00:34:36,839 Speaker 1: that limb Ball Letter is looked at by historians and 537 00:34:36,880 --> 00:34:40,879 Speaker 1: by educators for what it is. It is truly reflective 538 00:34:41,920 --> 00:34:45,400 Speaker 1: of a time, those thirty three years, those those that 539 00:34:45,520 --> 00:34:48,640 Speaker 1: thirty period. How how many years did you you didn't 540 00:34:48,680 --> 00:34:51,719 Speaker 1: start at the beginning? How many years? Nope? Started in 541 00:34:52,040 --> 00:34:56,360 Speaker 1: the first issue was the October issues, so we we 542 00:34:56,440 --> 00:35:00,160 Speaker 1: will this October will be our twenty nine. So only 543 00:35:00,200 --> 00:35:04,000 Speaker 1: nine years, almost thirty years, the Limball Letter stood as 544 00:35:04,080 --> 00:35:09,640 Speaker 1: the the number one political newsletter in America. And and 545 00:35:10,400 --> 00:35:14,480 Speaker 1: you are largely responsible for that, along with Russian what 546 00:35:14,560 --> 00:35:17,880 Speaker 1: an amazing thing. Then well, Russia is the one the 547 00:35:17,960 --> 00:35:21,120 Speaker 1: inspiration for it all. And I have to say, at 548 00:35:21,120 --> 00:35:24,319 Speaker 1: the time a lot of people copied him, and there 549 00:35:24,440 --> 00:35:27,840 Speaker 1: was the various newsletters I won't name for other hosts 550 00:35:27,880 --> 00:35:31,000 Speaker 1: who I won't name, and they lasted maybe a year 551 00:35:31,080 --> 00:35:33,960 Speaker 1: or two, and Rush has lasted this long and it's 552 00:35:34,000 --> 00:35:40,120 Speaker 1: because of him. But I gloat. No, you recite history honestly. 553 00:35:40,160 --> 00:35:44,239 Speaker 1: Low alright, Diana, thank you. I really appreciate you. Thank you. 554 00:35:44,400 --> 00:35:49,440 Speaker 1: James ye parable about pictured worth a thousand words. The 555 00:35:49,520 --> 00:35:53,080 Speaker 1: Limbaugh letter this this month was worth the whole library. 556 00:35:53,160 --> 00:35:57,399 Speaker 1: It was great of Limbo letter. It said it all, well, 557 00:35:57,400 --> 00:36:00,399 Speaker 1: thank you sir. You know, we don't get a lot 558 00:36:00,400 --> 00:36:02,799 Speaker 1: of calls about the Limball Letter, but when we do, 559 00:36:03,200 --> 00:36:06,719 Speaker 1: everybody on that staff just loves it. The Limball Letter 560 00:36:06,800 --> 00:36:09,880 Speaker 1: is sixty. People don't know how difficult that is because 561 00:36:09,920 --> 00:36:13,480 Speaker 1: look at fifteen hours a week here on the radio. 562 00:36:13,560 --> 00:36:16,400 Speaker 1: That is that is then reproduced on the website, and 563 00:36:16,440 --> 00:36:20,120 Speaker 1: then here's the sixteen page monthly publication that's not on digital. 564 00:36:20,480 --> 00:36:22,399 Speaker 1: What do you do to put things in it that 565 00:36:22,400 --> 00:36:25,200 Speaker 1: that haven't been said? It's a it's a monthly challenge 566 00:36:25,239 --> 00:36:27,560 Speaker 1: and the people that put that together are excellent at it. 567 00:36:27,880 --> 00:36:30,600 Speaker 1: I agree, it's good. It's good magazine and they follow 568 00:36:30,640 --> 00:36:34,120 Speaker 1: my example. That's why it's great. And but really it 569 00:36:34,719 --> 00:36:38,480 Speaker 1: all candor. It is it is fifteen hours a week. 570 00:36:39,239 --> 00:36:41,640 Speaker 1: What is They're not said? It turns out a lot. 571 00:36:42,080 --> 00:36:45,680 Speaker 1: And the newsletter is the repository for So I'm really 572 00:36:45,680 --> 00:36:47,920 Speaker 1: flattered that you mentioned that whoever had to cover that 573 00:36:48,000 --> 00:36:51,839 Speaker 1: was that was brilliant. That was brant. Today you get 574 00:36:51,840 --> 00:36:53,759 Speaker 1: a chance to hear from Denise and May, who is 575 00:36:53,800 --> 00:36:57,560 Speaker 1: the creative director not just for the Limball Letter, but 576 00:36:57,560 --> 00:37:00,960 Speaker 1: for I Heart Media and Premier Networks. And Denise welcome, 577 00:37:01,040 --> 00:37:04,000 Speaker 1: how are you? I'm good? How are you? James? It's 578 00:37:04,000 --> 00:37:06,200 Speaker 1: so good to hear your voice. And well, that's good 579 00:37:06,239 --> 00:37:08,920 Speaker 1: to hear your voice as well. Now listen, you came 580 00:37:08,960 --> 00:37:11,840 Speaker 1: on board. I remember when you came on board. You 581 00:37:11,920 --> 00:37:18,800 Speaker 1: were a young thing. Yeah, it was four years old. 582 00:37:19,040 --> 00:37:22,320 Speaker 1: I mean I can't even like, Yeah, it was amazing 583 00:37:22,920 --> 00:37:26,200 Speaker 1: and so um all I remember we started the newsletter 584 00:37:26,680 --> 00:37:29,439 Speaker 1: Diana a loco, who's the edit tricks of the Limball Letter. 585 00:37:29,480 --> 00:37:31,759 Speaker 1: And then the next person that was hired was you. 586 00:37:31,880 --> 00:37:33,799 Speaker 1: So let me ask you a question. The first time 587 00:37:33,840 --> 00:37:36,160 Speaker 1: you met Rush? What was that? Like? Oh my god. 588 00:37:36,160 --> 00:37:39,360 Speaker 1: It was at a party and um, I was invited 589 00:37:39,400 --> 00:37:41,399 Speaker 1: to when we were doing some sort of dinner and 590 00:37:41,600 --> 00:37:43,520 Speaker 1: he was standing there and it was a group and 591 00:37:43,640 --> 00:37:46,320 Speaker 1: I think it was John Axton who said, you know, Denise, 592 00:37:46,360 --> 00:37:47,960 Speaker 1: come over here. I want to introduce you to Rush. 593 00:37:48,280 --> 00:37:55,399 Speaker 1: And I remember like being completely awestruck. Just be like, Hi, 594 00:37:55,640 --> 00:38:00,719 Speaker 1: I'm a big fan, That's what I said, and he went, oh, 595 00:38:00,760 --> 00:38:05,600 Speaker 1: thank you very much, right, And I was like, oh crap, Like, well, 596 00:38:05,600 --> 00:38:10,360 Speaker 1: I'm such a ding dong, you know. I just you know, 597 00:38:10,800 --> 00:38:13,279 Speaker 1: when you meet him, he's you know, he's got such 598 00:38:13,280 --> 00:38:18,240 Speaker 1: a presence. And obviously I was just in awe of him. Okay, 599 00:38:18,239 --> 00:38:20,640 Speaker 1: so now you so now here you are twenty four 600 00:38:20,719 --> 00:38:24,440 Speaker 1: years old and you're in New York City and and 601 00:38:24,480 --> 00:38:28,279 Speaker 1: here's this this job, and what's like, what's it like 602 00:38:28,440 --> 00:38:32,720 Speaker 1: working with Rush? Oh my gosh. It was such a gas. 603 00:38:32,760 --> 00:38:35,799 Speaker 1: I mean we I mean, well, we were all about. 604 00:38:35,840 --> 00:38:38,200 Speaker 1: We were all at w ABC Radio. We had these 605 00:38:38,239 --> 00:38:42,000 Speaker 1: small offices at the end of the hall, and um, 606 00:38:42,160 --> 00:38:46,279 Speaker 1: we just had so much fun um interacting and we 607 00:38:46,320 --> 00:38:50,000 Speaker 1: would sit in the studio while Rush was talking and 608 00:38:50,120 --> 00:38:54,960 Speaker 1: obviously the Limball letter is a product of the radio show, 609 00:38:55,400 --> 00:38:59,319 Speaker 1: um where we you know, and take content from what 610 00:38:59,440 --> 00:39:02,920 Speaker 1: Rush is talking about and expand upon that and create 611 00:39:03,000 --> 00:39:05,759 Speaker 1: new content. So it's super important for us to like 612 00:39:06,120 --> 00:39:07,840 Speaker 1: listen in and hear what he was saying, and it 613 00:39:07,920 --> 00:39:10,600 Speaker 1: was so inspiring. And then and on top of it, 614 00:39:10,680 --> 00:39:14,120 Speaker 1: like you know, hanging out with you and Kit and 615 00:39:14,239 --> 00:39:18,719 Speaker 1: Mike and UM, we just it was just such an 616 00:39:18,719 --> 00:39:23,000 Speaker 1: inspiration to be there and and to experience that energy. 617 00:39:23,440 --> 00:39:26,640 Speaker 1: You know, it continue to grow and and get more 618 00:39:26,680 --> 00:39:29,359 Speaker 1: and more subscriptions, and we all grew with the show 619 00:39:29,440 --> 00:39:32,720 Speaker 1: and kept going and so finally we reached the point. 620 00:39:33,040 --> 00:39:35,400 Speaker 1: Um that brings us to one of the reasons that 621 00:39:35,440 --> 00:39:38,720 Speaker 1: I asked you here to do, Russ this announcement. What 622 00:39:38,719 --> 00:39:41,680 Speaker 1: what you were on the phone? I think Diana called 623 00:39:41,719 --> 00:39:45,359 Speaker 1: me and told me at the time, you know, I've 624 00:39:45,360 --> 00:39:49,399 Speaker 1: never known anybody to have stage four lung cancer, and um, 625 00:39:50,320 --> 00:39:54,160 Speaker 1: I've known people that have survived cancer. So at the time, 626 00:39:54,239 --> 00:39:58,840 Speaker 1: I think I thought, if anybody can do it, I mean, obviously, 627 00:39:59,360 --> 00:40:03,000 Speaker 1: you know, we've been there through a lot of adversity 628 00:40:03,040 --> 00:40:07,319 Speaker 1: that rushes fast, you know, and I thought, well, this 629 00:40:07,400 --> 00:40:10,399 Speaker 1: is just one hurdle that we're all gonna like pull 630 00:40:10,480 --> 00:40:13,520 Speaker 1: together and do what we do best, and you know 631 00:40:13,680 --> 00:40:15,560 Speaker 1: he's going to pull through and he'll get to the 632 00:40:15,560 --> 00:40:19,000 Speaker 1: other side. I was with you. I mean, I was 633 00:40:19,040 --> 00:40:20,879 Speaker 1: sad that he had to go through all this, but 634 00:40:21,360 --> 00:40:24,720 Speaker 1: I absolutely thought he was going to beat it. Yeah. 635 00:40:24,800 --> 00:40:27,320 Speaker 1: And were you were you listening at the moment that 636 00:40:27,440 --> 00:40:29,919 Speaker 1: Catherine made the announcement or were you did you find 637 00:40:29,920 --> 00:40:32,719 Speaker 1: out about the I did. I mean, obviously I heard 638 00:40:32,760 --> 00:40:36,600 Speaker 1: Catherine and make the announcement. I was told beforehand. Um, 639 00:40:36,600 --> 00:40:38,960 Speaker 1: it was awful. I mean, we it was a Wednesday. 640 00:40:39,520 --> 00:40:41,520 Speaker 1: We were going on pressed with the Limball letter on 641 00:40:41,560 --> 00:40:44,600 Speaker 1: a on the Thursday that following day, so we were 642 00:40:45,040 --> 00:40:49,200 Speaker 1: like crazy busy on deadline. Um, the Limball letter is 643 00:40:49,360 --> 00:40:57,200 Speaker 1: written in first person, and it's just you know, it's 644 00:40:57,239 --> 00:41:02,120 Speaker 1: just it was just so like surreal because we were like, 645 00:41:02,280 --> 00:41:04,280 Speaker 1: you know, we have we always have Rush on the cover. 646 00:41:05,000 --> 00:41:08,239 Speaker 1: And I think it was Monday, Diana and I had 647 00:41:08,280 --> 00:41:11,600 Speaker 1: a conversation and we were like, you know, it's weird. 648 00:41:11,640 --> 00:41:13,640 Speaker 1: We just had a feeling like things were not good. 649 00:41:13,680 --> 00:41:16,479 Speaker 1: What do we do like and and so we had 650 00:41:17,760 --> 00:41:21,480 Speaker 1: we had talked about how we should probably in the 651 00:41:21,719 --> 00:41:25,400 Speaker 1: in the case that something should happen to Rush have 652 00:41:25,560 --> 00:41:29,120 Speaker 1: something as a backup cover, because we can't have Rush 653 00:41:29,200 --> 00:41:32,719 Speaker 1: on the cover if he's if he's not here anymore 654 00:41:32,719 --> 00:41:35,040 Speaker 1: in the in the same capacity as we have in 655 00:41:35,080 --> 00:41:38,759 Speaker 1: the past. So we came up with an alternate cover, 656 00:41:39,320 --> 00:41:43,640 Speaker 1: and um that was really that was really difficult because 657 00:41:44,560 --> 00:41:47,000 Speaker 1: it was the first cover in thirty years that I've 658 00:41:47,040 --> 00:41:52,600 Speaker 1: designed that he um was not on the cover, and 659 00:41:52,680 --> 00:41:55,480 Speaker 1: I just I couldn't imagine doing Milamo Letter without him 660 00:41:55,520 --> 00:41:57,799 Speaker 1: on the cover. You know. It just it's just such 661 00:41:57,800 --> 00:42:01,920 Speaker 1: a staple of of what we do and how we 662 00:42:01,920 --> 00:42:05,560 Speaker 1: we visualize the Limball letter and the whole Limba Letter 663 00:42:05,640 --> 00:42:08,879 Speaker 1: is written obviously in his you know words, and as 664 00:42:08,960 --> 00:42:12,760 Speaker 1: I and you know, we had to kind of rethink 665 00:42:12,840 --> 00:42:16,839 Speaker 1: that and it's just, you know, after thirty years, it's 666 00:42:16,880 --> 00:42:20,359 Speaker 1: just unimaginable to think about how we could do that. 667 00:42:20,640 --> 00:42:24,240 Speaker 1: And I have the I have so many amazing memories 668 00:42:24,280 --> 00:42:27,960 Speaker 1: about him and and just hang out with him and like, 669 00:42:28,800 --> 00:42:31,800 Speaker 1: and I just didn't I just didn't see it coming. 670 00:42:32,000 --> 00:42:34,800 Speaker 1: I really didn't when Katherine, you know, even when Katherine 671 00:42:34,880 --> 00:42:37,160 Speaker 1: was talking about it on air, I just was just like, 672 00:42:37,200 --> 00:42:40,160 Speaker 1: oh my god, I can't I can't. And it was 673 00:42:40,800 --> 00:42:42,560 Speaker 1: you know, we had this issue to get out, and 674 00:42:42,600 --> 00:42:45,360 Speaker 1: we were working full blasts and the only thing I 675 00:42:45,440 --> 00:42:47,760 Speaker 1: kept thinking about is that Rush would want me to finish, 676 00:42:47,920 --> 00:42:49,759 Speaker 1: and we have to keep going and we have to 677 00:42:49,800 --> 00:42:53,960 Speaker 1: keep doing what we're doing, and you know, that's what 678 00:42:54,000 --> 00:42:57,240 Speaker 1: we do. And so we pulled the you know, pulled 679 00:42:57,239 --> 00:43:00,360 Speaker 1: the cover and put the alternate on and and we 680 00:43:00,440 --> 00:43:03,960 Speaker 1: moved and you know, we've been moving forward and you know, 681 00:43:04,640 --> 00:43:07,279 Speaker 1: trying to Well, let me tell you something about that 682 00:43:07,400 --> 00:43:14,160 Speaker 1: cover I have. That cover was perfect. Yeah, you know, 683 00:43:14,320 --> 00:43:17,359 Speaker 1: God is with me. That cover was the cover we 684 00:43:17,400 --> 00:43:20,920 Speaker 1: did before he died. That was the cover before. The 685 00:43:20,960 --> 00:43:23,440 Speaker 1: cover that we did when he died was the one 686 00:43:23,640 --> 00:43:27,319 Speaker 1: of just the microphone, right, Okay, Well, the cover that 687 00:43:27,400 --> 00:43:30,680 Speaker 1: was out the limbo letter that was out when he died. 688 00:43:30,680 --> 00:43:32,960 Speaker 1: It was almost like the time. It was perfect. I know, 689 00:43:33,200 --> 00:43:37,359 Speaker 1: it really was, and it was almost surreal because when 690 00:43:37,400 --> 00:43:39,839 Speaker 1: we did it, it was interesting. We had we when 691 00:43:39,840 --> 00:43:42,400 Speaker 1: I presented covers to Russia, I often did like a 692 00:43:42,440 --> 00:43:45,879 Speaker 1: couple of different covers for him to choose from, and 693 00:43:46,080 --> 00:43:48,080 Speaker 1: we had a couple of different ideas for that cover, 694 00:43:48,800 --> 00:43:53,840 Speaker 1: and honestly, we were surprised he chose that one and 695 00:43:54,000 --> 00:43:56,040 Speaker 1: we were like okay. And you know what, Rush is 696 00:43:56,120 --> 00:44:00,440 Speaker 1: never wrong ever ever, Like you know, sometimes Diane and 697 00:44:00,480 --> 00:44:03,279 Speaker 1: I are like, oh, maybe we'll do this, and we 698 00:44:03,320 --> 00:44:05,360 Speaker 1: show him something and he goes with something else and 699 00:44:05,400 --> 00:44:10,040 Speaker 1: it's always perfect. It's always somehow per sees the future. 700 00:44:10,160 --> 00:44:14,040 Speaker 1: I don't know how he does it. And so that cover, yeah, 701 00:44:14,080 --> 00:44:17,680 Speaker 1: he chose that one, and we were like, oh, okay, great, 702 00:44:17,760 --> 00:44:21,200 Speaker 1: and you know, we moved forward. And then later on 703 00:44:21,520 --> 00:44:23,759 Speaker 1: when we looked at them, I mean, Katherine held it 704 00:44:23,880 --> 00:44:27,160 Speaker 1: up at Seapack and it was just like, yeah, he's 705 00:44:27,200 --> 00:44:30,960 Speaker 1: with God. It's like, it's amazing. And I was in 706 00:44:31,000 --> 00:44:34,759 Speaker 1: the room when Catherine held that up up and that 707 00:44:34,880 --> 00:44:38,960 Speaker 1: was just I'll tell you, that's a moment I won't forget. Yeah. Yeah, 708 00:44:39,080 --> 00:44:41,279 Speaker 1: and those people that could see it, you know, they 709 00:44:41,280 --> 00:44:43,400 Speaker 1: had they had monitors people that could see it, and 710 00:44:43,480 --> 00:44:46,520 Speaker 1: you could hear the reaction through the room. Yeah, it 711 00:44:46,600 --> 00:44:51,520 Speaker 1: was really impactful. And yes, and Rush shows that he 712 00:44:51,640 --> 00:44:54,160 Speaker 1: Rush chose every cover. He was very involved in the 713 00:44:54,200 --> 00:44:58,839 Speaker 1: covers and yeah, and I missed that so much. But 714 00:44:59,000 --> 00:45:02,320 Speaker 1: let me hear one of those in using stories about Rush. Okay, 715 00:45:02,440 --> 00:45:04,479 Speaker 1: so I know which one you're talking about. So when 716 00:45:04,520 --> 00:45:06,279 Speaker 1: we were in New York, and I know you you 717 00:45:06,320 --> 00:45:08,799 Speaker 1: were probably there for this, and you might never remember this, 718 00:45:08,880 --> 00:45:11,280 Speaker 1: but we used to go out all the time, right 719 00:45:11,640 --> 00:45:16,080 Speaker 1: and go to like, um fancy restaurants like Rus Crisp 720 00:45:16,200 --> 00:45:18,480 Speaker 1: and twenty one Club, and we always had a private 721 00:45:18,520 --> 00:45:22,759 Speaker 1: room in the back, and um we entertained clients when 722 00:45:22,800 --> 00:45:27,080 Speaker 1: they came in, like advertisers, important advertisers. And once a time, 723 00:45:27,120 --> 00:45:30,480 Speaker 1: I remember I was I think I had just I started. 724 00:45:30,520 --> 00:45:32,719 Speaker 1: I think Rush was curious about like what I was 725 00:45:32,800 --> 00:45:35,360 Speaker 1: like or who I was, you know. So I was 726 00:45:35,400 --> 00:45:38,000 Speaker 1: sitting next to him at dinner and we had a 727 00:45:38,040 --> 00:45:40,799 Speaker 1: great time there was you know, we were always having 728 00:45:40,960 --> 00:45:43,040 Speaker 1: you know, so much fun, giggles, lots of giggles with 729 00:45:43,080 --> 00:45:45,160 Speaker 1: all of us. But at the end of the dinner, 730 00:45:45,360 --> 00:45:49,720 Speaker 1: he turned to me and he said, you know, his niece, Um, 731 00:45:49,800 --> 00:45:52,719 Speaker 1: we're gonna we're gonna smoke cigars. Do you mind moving? 732 00:45:53,719 --> 00:45:58,640 Speaker 1: And he kind of like gave me this like sheep's 733 00:45:58,680 --> 00:46:03,320 Speaker 1: grin like and I was like looked at him and 734 00:46:03,800 --> 00:46:05,480 Speaker 1: I didn't want to move. I was having way too 735 00:46:05,560 --> 00:46:10,680 Speaker 1: much fun. I listened to him. I go, well, Rush, 736 00:46:10,840 --> 00:46:13,319 Speaker 1: you're not going to offer me a cigar, like I 737 00:46:13,400 --> 00:46:18,000 Speaker 1: like smoking cigars. And he started to laugh and he 738 00:46:18,080 --> 00:46:20,879 Speaker 1: was like, sure you could have a scar. I didn't 739 00:46:20,920 --> 00:46:24,080 Speaker 1: know you smoked cigars. And he had a human door, 740 00:46:24,160 --> 00:46:27,239 Speaker 1: and um that he always you know, we at those 741 00:46:27,239 --> 00:46:29,040 Speaker 1: types of things, there was always a humid door. We 742 00:46:29,040 --> 00:46:31,160 Speaker 1: were always smoking cigars. You know, it was a different time. 743 00:46:31,200 --> 00:46:33,960 Speaker 1: It was a long time ago, you know. And he 744 00:46:34,080 --> 00:46:36,080 Speaker 1: opened up the human door, and of course you know 745 00:46:36,200 --> 00:46:40,640 Speaker 1: now the challenge. He goes, well, which one do you want? Now? Right, 746 00:46:40,719 --> 00:46:43,880 Speaker 1: I know nothing about cigars. I was totally bluffing, right, 747 00:46:43,960 --> 00:46:47,960 Speaker 1: I mean like and I turned to him and I go, well, 748 00:46:48,080 --> 00:46:53,560 Speaker 1: which one is the most expensive one? He's laugh because 749 00:46:53,600 --> 00:46:55,399 Speaker 1: that was the only thing I knew that there were 750 00:46:55,400 --> 00:46:57,920 Speaker 1: probably an expensive cigars in there, and they were probably 751 00:46:57,920 --> 00:47:00,319 Speaker 1: really expensive cigars. And if I was gonna do this, 752 00:47:00,440 --> 00:47:04,400 Speaker 1: like I gotta have the best, right so I um 753 00:47:04,440 --> 00:47:07,480 Speaker 1: so he says, well, this one's the most expensive one 754 00:47:07,560 --> 00:47:09,719 Speaker 1: or something like that, and I go, well, then I'll 755 00:47:09,719 --> 00:47:13,960 Speaker 1: have that one. And I love that story because we 756 00:47:14,080 --> 00:47:17,719 Speaker 1: just we were giggling and it was just sort of him. 757 00:47:17,760 --> 00:47:20,040 Speaker 1: That was sort of him, like he liked to kind 758 00:47:20,040 --> 00:47:22,840 Speaker 1: of like test you kind of a little bit to 759 00:47:22,880 --> 00:47:26,120 Speaker 1: see and it was it was fun. We just were 760 00:47:26,719 --> 00:47:29,640 Speaker 1: That's how we interacted, and we had such a good time. 761 00:47:29,880 --> 00:47:33,920 Speaker 1: And remember just enjoying that cigar. And I think I 762 00:47:33,960 --> 00:47:36,480 Speaker 1: held onto the cigar for I didn't smoke the whole thing. 763 00:47:36,560 --> 00:47:40,400 Speaker 1: I couldn't smoke the whole thing, but like, um, you know, 764 00:47:40,440 --> 00:47:42,799 Speaker 1: holding onto it for a really long time because it 765 00:47:42,880 --> 00:47:46,000 Speaker 1: was just such a great memory of us all hanging 766 00:47:46,040 --> 00:47:49,480 Speaker 1: out and and having such a good time. I read 767 00:47:49,680 --> 00:47:52,960 Speaker 1: a post that you put a tribute on your Facebook 768 00:47:52,960 --> 00:47:55,520 Speaker 1: page to Rush, and I want you to read it. 769 00:47:55,640 --> 00:47:57,799 Speaker 1: What do you feel comfortable reading from it? You don't 770 00:47:57,840 --> 00:47:59,480 Speaker 1: have to read it all, you know, if you want 771 00:47:59,520 --> 00:48:01,399 Speaker 1: to skip a were a few things, that's fine too, 772 00:48:01,440 --> 00:48:03,920 Speaker 1: But give us the gist of that Facebook post if 773 00:48:03,920 --> 00:48:07,000 Speaker 1: you don't mind. So you know, it was really important 774 00:48:07,040 --> 00:48:09,200 Speaker 1: to me when he died, and it took me a 775 00:48:09,200 --> 00:48:12,160 Speaker 1: really well long time to sort of like think about 776 00:48:12,280 --> 00:48:15,960 Speaker 1: how I wanted to honor him. And I have a 777 00:48:16,000 --> 00:48:20,520 Speaker 1: lot of people who were asking me about my relationship 778 00:48:20,560 --> 00:48:24,320 Speaker 1: with him, how I was doing. And you know what, people, 779 00:48:24,600 --> 00:48:26,640 Speaker 1: and I'm sure you encountered this, like what's he really like? 780 00:48:26,920 --> 00:48:30,000 Speaker 1: And I wrote this post it was important to me 781 00:48:30,120 --> 00:48:32,960 Speaker 1: to put down in words like what I was feeling 782 00:48:33,000 --> 00:48:36,359 Speaker 1: about Rush, and I told in the beginning of the post. 783 00:48:36,400 --> 00:48:38,480 Speaker 1: I told a story that I just told about the 784 00:48:38,480 --> 00:48:42,359 Speaker 1: cigar because I wanted to give context, like to how 785 00:48:42,920 --> 00:48:47,239 Speaker 1: he and I kind of interacted. But I do want 786 00:48:47,280 --> 00:48:49,120 Speaker 1: to kind of read some of it if you don't 787 00:48:49,160 --> 00:48:53,160 Speaker 1: mind it, because I want you to share this, all right, 788 00:48:53,800 --> 00:48:56,439 Speaker 1: So I'm gonna start sort of in the middle. So 789 00:48:57,080 --> 00:49:01,160 Speaker 1: his friendship was unconditional that he was first foremost my boss. 790 00:49:01,920 --> 00:49:04,360 Speaker 1: Today it's unheard of to work for thirty years for 791 00:49:04,440 --> 00:49:07,520 Speaker 1: one person, but I'm not alone in my tenure. His 792 00:49:07,640 --> 00:49:11,760 Speaker 1: commitment to family values meant unwavering support for his staff's 793 00:49:11,840 --> 00:49:17,920 Speaker 1: family that instituted unprecedented loyalty. When I proposed something unheard 794 00:49:17,960 --> 00:49:23,480 Speaker 1: of in telecommuting, he did not blink an eye and said, 795 00:49:23,600 --> 00:49:26,239 Speaker 1: do it, show me how it can be done. This 796 00:49:26,320 --> 00:49:28,800 Speaker 1: was during a time the internet was in its infancy. 797 00:49:28,920 --> 00:49:32,919 Speaker 1: He was a visionary and self professed techie. This new 798 00:49:32,960 --> 00:49:36,120 Speaker 1: idea of working from home intrigued him, and he trusted 799 00:49:36,120 --> 00:49:39,040 Speaker 1: me to show him the way. He also supported my 800 00:49:39,120 --> 00:49:42,000 Speaker 1: desire to move to Rhode Island, where my fiance lived 801 00:49:42,200 --> 00:49:45,879 Speaker 1: and keep my job. I packed up my equipment, drove 802 00:49:45,920 --> 00:49:49,160 Speaker 1: to Rhode Island, fired up my computer and modem, and 803 00:49:49,280 --> 00:49:52,960 Speaker 1: launched a will. I sent him a test email, and 804 00:49:53,000 --> 00:49:57,439 Speaker 1: in return I received an enthusiastic congratulations, and we never 805 00:49:57,560 --> 00:50:02,279 Speaker 1: looked back. Over the next six years, we exchanged thousands 806 00:50:02,360 --> 00:50:05,920 Speaker 1: of emails. Our mutual respect meant he had trusted me 807 00:50:06,000 --> 00:50:09,600 Speaker 1: to work from home with very little oversight, and eye 808 00:50:09,680 --> 00:50:13,320 Speaker 1: in turn worked tirelessly to support him to ensure work 809 00:50:13,360 --> 00:50:16,480 Speaker 1: move forward, even when he had the misfortune of personal 810 00:50:16,520 --> 00:50:20,359 Speaker 1: troubles that impacted his ability to work and took him 811 00:50:20,400 --> 00:50:23,759 Speaker 1: away from the office for months at a time. He 812 00:50:23,800 --> 00:50:26,440 Speaker 1: had no allusions that his great success was done on 813 00:50:26,520 --> 00:50:30,480 Speaker 1: his own. Every person who worked for him received recognition 814 00:50:30,600 --> 00:50:34,600 Speaker 1: for their valuable contributions. He did not often share his 815 00:50:34,640 --> 00:50:39,920 Speaker 1: appreciation in writing or verbally. It made him uncomfortable. Instead, 816 00:50:39,960 --> 00:50:43,160 Speaker 1: he sent numerous surprise packages over the years, at great 817 00:50:43,239 --> 00:50:48,759 Speaker 1: personal expense without warning. His generosity knew no limits. He 818 00:50:48,880 --> 00:50:52,279 Speaker 1: also worked tirelessly for many charities and gave millions of 819 00:50:52,320 --> 00:50:55,680 Speaker 1: millions of dollars to support them. He did not boast 820 00:50:55,719 --> 00:50:58,040 Speaker 1: about his charity work because it was not something you 821 00:50:58,080 --> 00:51:00,560 Speaker 1: did for recognition. It was just some thing you did 822 00:51:00,600 --> 00:51:04,120 Speaker 1: because it was the right thing to do. It is 823 00:51:04,160 --> 00:51:07,400 Speaker 1: purposeful that I do not mention him by name, because 824 00:51:07,440 --> 00:51:13,120 Speaker 1: his name is often wrongfully mischaracterized, creating an unfair bias 825 00:51:13,320 --> 00:51:16,480 Speaker 1: in many people. It's important to me to share the 826 00:51:16,520 --> 00:51:21,760 Speaker 1: person I knew without these overshared shadowing misnomers, to share 827 00:51:21,840 --> 00:51:24,520 Speaker 1: that we did not always agree, nor did he expect 828 00:51:24,600 --> 00:51:29,080 Speaker 1: me to. That He always applauded individual thinking and welcome 829 00:51:29,200 --> 00:51:32,960 Speaker 1: discourse that differed from his own. There's no denying he 830 00:51:33,080 --> 00:51:36,640 Speaker 1: said and did things that he admittedly regretted, but haven't 831 00:51:36,680 --> 00:51:39,799 Speaker 1: we all. The difference is he was brave enough to 832 00:51:39,840 --> 00:51:43,080 Speaker 1: do it under the public eye, knowing the unfriendly media 833 00:51:43,200 --> 00:51:46,560 Speaker 1: stood at the ready to pounce, to lie and twist 834 00:51:46,680 --> 00:51:51,320 Speaker 1: contexts to suit their agenda. Many people, including my own family, 835 00:51:51,360 --> 00:51:53,959 Speaker 1: have tried to discredit him, who never took the time 836 00:51:54,000 --> 00:51:57,920 Speaker 1: to really listen to him. He was not impervious to 837 00:51:57,960 --> 00:52:02,680 Speaker 1: this injustice aimed at him. He described himself as quote unquote, 838 00:52:03,000 --> 00:52:06,920 Speaker 1: a lovable fuzz ball, and there is no true words. 839 00:52:07,320 --> 00:52:11,240 Speaker 1: It was his unwavering passion for his convictions that fueled 840 00:52:11,280 --> 00:52:14,840 Speaker 1: his ability to continue his mission that made him great. 841 00:52:15,600 --> 00:52:19,960 Speaker 1: This mission firmly rooted in his belief in God, individual freedom, 842 00:52:20,040 --> 00:52:23,440 Speaker 1: and love for his country, his bravery to continue to 843 00:52:23,440 --> 00:52:26,440 Speaker 1: always speak his truth. It is for this reason he 844 00:52:26,480 --> 00:52:29,239 Speaker 1: will be remembered as one of the most important men 845 00:52:29,400 --> 00:52:34,000 Speaker 1: of our time. This man, this legend, Rush Limbaugh gave 846 00:52:34,040 --> 00:52:36,520 Speaker 1: me an opportunity when I was twenty four years old 847 00:52:37,239 --> 00:52:40,880 Speaker 1: that turned into a great grand adventure, so that the 848 00:52:40,920 --> 00:52:44,720 Speaker 1: precipice of fifty four will be one of the crowning 849 00:52:44,760 --> 00:52:48,279 Speaker 1: achievements and honors of my life. Many tributes have been 850 00:52:48,280 --> 00:52:50,920 Speaker 1: made about Rush since his passing from people who are 851 00:52:50,960 --> 00:52:53,799 Speaker 1: more well known than myself, but it was important for 852 00:52:54,239 --> 00:52:58,560 Speaker 1: my own healing process to express my experience. I know 853 00:52:58,680 --> 00:53:00,760 Speaker 1: my role will not be mentioned in the big picture 854 00:53:00,760 --> 00:53:03,399 Speaker 1: of the Rush Limbaugh legacy. I am good with this 855 00:53:04,040 --> 00:53:07,880 Speaker 1: because I know he thought my contributions were significant, that 856 00:53:08,000 --> 00:53:10,799 Speaker 1: he valued me, and then I made him proud. My 857 00:53:10,840 --> 00:53:12,920 Speaker 1: wren regret will be that I did not have the 858 00:53:13,000 --> 00:53:15,759 Speaker 1: chance to really thank him, share with him how much 859 00:53:15,800 --> 00:53:18,279 Speaker 1: he meant to me, and tell him how much I 860 00:53:18,320 --> 00:53:21,120 Speaker 1: loved him, and say goodbye to my dear friend. I 861 00:53:21,200 --> 00:53:25,160 Speaker 1: take comfort knowing roses with God and that we will 862 00:53:25,160 --> 00:53:28,040 Speaker 1: meet again and share a good laugh over an adult beverage. 863 00:53:28,360 --> 00:53:30,600 Speaker 1: But for now I will move forward the way he 864 00:53:30,600 --> 00:53:33,359 Speaker 1: would want me to and continue to make him proud. So, 865 00:53:33,440 --> 00:53:36,520 Speaker 1: in closing, using Russia to signature, sign off an appreciation 866 00:53:36,520 --> 00:53:38,719 Speaker 1: that you have done me the honor of reading this far. 867 00:53:38,840 --> 00:53:41,680 Speaker 1: Thank you for listening. It means a lot. It means 868 00:53:41,719 --> 00:53:49,000 Speaker 1: a lot. As we mirror the final episodes of Rush 869 00:53:49,080 --> 00:53:52,400 Speaker 1: Limbaugh The Man Behind the Golden EIP Microphone, we'd like 870 00:53:52,480 --> 00:53:56,120 Speaker 1: to offer you sincere thanks for listening to the podcast, 871 00:53:56,400 --> 00:53:58,680 Speaker 1: and a special thanks for those of you who have 872 00:53:58,800 --> 00:54:02,560 Speaker 1: shared your own store and Rush memories, or have taken 873 00:54:02,560 --> 00:54:06,040 Speaker 1: the time to write and share reviews of this series. 874 00:54:06,560 --> 00:54:10,480 Speaker 1: Thank you one and all. Rush Limbaugh, The Man Behind 875 00:54:10,520 --> 00:54:13,640 Speaker 1: the Golden e I B Microphone is produced by Chris 876 00:54:13,719 --> 00:54:18,880 Speaker 1: Kelly and Phil Tower, the Best producers in America, Production 877 00:54:19,000 --> 00:54:23,480 Speaker 1: assistant Mike Mamone and the executive producers Craig Kitchen and 878 00:54:23,560 --> 00:54:28,040 Speaker 1: Julie Talbot. Our program distributed worldwide by Premier Networks, found 879 00:54:28,080 --> 00:54:30,960 Speaker 1: on the I Heart Radio app or wherever you listen 880 00:54:31,040 --> 00:54:35,480 Speaker 1: to your favorite podcast. This is James Golden, This is 881 00:54:35,560 --> 00:54:38,880 Speaker 1: both Snerdley, This is James Golden. I'm honored to be 882 00:54:39,000 --> 00:54:42,440 Speaker 1: your host for this. In every single episode of Russia, Limbaugh, 883 00:54:42,520 --> 00:54:45,759 Speaker 1: the man behind the Golden e I B microphone, thank 884 00:54:45,840 --> 00:54:47,319 Speaker 1: you for being with us.