WEBVTT - Remembering A Legend 0:00:00.000 --> 0:00:02.640 All right, thanks Scott Shannon, and thanks to all of you. 0:00:02.800 --> 0:00:05.600 Thanks for being with us eight hundred and nine four one. 0:00:05.720 --> 0:00:08.959 Shawn of you want to be a part of this program. 0:00:09.400 --> 0:00:12.720 Scott Shannon sent me a couple of notes speaking of him, 0:00:12.760 --> 0:00:17.320 the great broadcasting genius that he is, talking about the 0:00:17.360 --> 0:00:21.960 saddest news of the day, the loss of our dear friend, 0:00:22.920 --> 0:00:25.560 you know, as as our friend Jim Gray say, greatest 0:00:25.600 --> 0:00:31.080 of all time, Rush Limbaugh losing his battle with cancer. 0:00:32.200 --> 0:00:35.879 And you know, here's a guy, Scott Shannon, and he 0:00:36.080 --> 0:00:39.519 loves radio. He's such a good guy. He to this 0:00:39.640 --> 0:00:45.600 day just an amazing voice himself and creating Morning Zoo Radio, 0:00:45.720 --> 0:00:48.600 taking things to another level. And he actually just said 0:00:48.680 --> 0:00:51.559 something so deep and so profound that it just struck me. 0:00:52.360 --> 0:00:55.600 Not only did he say it's a sad day for America, 0:00:55.680 --> 0:01:01.640 he says he changed everything in so many different ways. 0:01:02.920 --> 0:01:05.240 We have a lot to talk about as it relates 0:01:05.280 --> 0:01:10.000 to Rush. I have my own, my own side of things. 0:01:10.200 --> 0:01:14.040 I've been close with his family, and let me start 0:01:14.080 --> 0:01:17.600 by saying I know that his wife Katherine was the 0:01:17.680 --> 0:01:23.399 love of his life. She gave an incredible tribute to him. 0:01:23.440 --> 0:01:25.959 And I'm going to play it at the start of 0:01:26.000 --> 0:01:31.160 Russia's show today. I know Russia's family. I haven't had 0:01:31.160 --> 0:01:35.280 a contract in radio and TV that wasn't done by 0:01:35.360 --> 0:01:39.480 a good friend of this program, David Limbaugh. I know 0:01:39.520 --> 0:01:42.560 how devastated his whole family is today and his beautiful 0:01:42.600 --> 0:01:46.560 wife Lisa and their wonderful kids. I know that Russia's 0:01:46.640 --> 0:01:52.080 team James Golden boasts Nerdly as Rush called him, Kathleen 0:01:52.240 --> 0:01:57.760 cookie Is as Rush called him, Mike Maimon It's just 0:01:57.800 --> 0:02:06.960 a loss. It's a very deep, profound, irreplaceable icon broadcasting icon. 0:02:08.360 --> 0:02:11.200 He You know, my friend Neil Boortz always said he 0:02:11.280 --> 0:02:14.799 was the Babe Ruth of our industry, and he's right, 0:02:15.240 --> 0:02:18.919 but I'd add to it a little bit and Babe 0:02:18.960 --> 0:02:25.240 Ruth Lou Garrick, Hank Aaron and Derek Jeter of our industry, 0:02:25.600 --> 0:02:29.839 and he had he transformed radio. And I'll go through 0:02:29.880 --> 0:02:34.120 this story through as the program goes through this afternoon. 0:02:35.600 --> 0:02:43.840 And he transformed singlehandedly, saved AM radio singlehandedly. Then then 0:02:44.040 --> 0:02:47.680 then he went on to save FM radio as broadcasting 0:02:47.680 --> 0:02:51.800 and podcasting and new media came on the scene, and 0:02:52.880 --> 0:02:55.280 no one else would have ever been capable of doing 0:02:55.320 --> 0:03:00.320 any of this all of us that are broadcasters in 0:03:00.480 --> 0:03:04.880 talk radio. And I would even argue Rush Limbaugh paved 0:03:04.919 --> 0:03:10.359 the way for Fox News and even these liberal networks 0:03:10.400 --> 0:03:14.800 that give strong opinion. There's no talk radio as we 0:03:14.919 --> 0:03:20.880 know it, but for him, single handedly paving the way, 0:03:21.000 --> 0:03:25.600 taking this slings and the arrows and every shot, and 0:03:25.680 --> 0:03:28.160 it made it easier for every single one of us 0:03:28.200 --> 0:03:33.240 that followed after him, and just nobody could match it, 0:03:34.720 --> 0:03:38.560 and we're all blessed because of it. It was very 0:03:38.640 --> 0:03:42.280 simple in some ways, deep and profound in so many others. 0:03:43.720 --> 0:03:50.720 The simple is God, faith, family, country, And for what 0:03:51.160 --> 0:03:56.640 almost thirty three years now, since nineteen eighty eight, that 0:03:56.720 --> 0:04:03.080 has been Rush Limbaugh. We're gonna play President Trump. He 0:04:03.120 --> 0:04:05.720 had comments on this earlier today. The great one Mark 0:04:05.800 --> 0:04:09.480 Levin also close friends with the family and with Rush, 0:04:09.560 --> 0:04:12.840 and I just want all of Russia's family to know 0:04:13.080 --> 0:04:18.680 his wife, Katherine. I want James Golden, I want Cookie 0:04:19.279 --> 0:04:23.120 Kathleen and her husband and all these wonderful Mike Mamon. 0:04:23.200 --> 0:04:27.359 I can't mention everybody, Dawn and all the whole team 0:04:27.400 --> 0:04:30.920 over there. You know that we love you all. You're 0:04:30.960 --> 0:04:33.560 all in our prayers today. We know you're all suffering 0:04:34.839 --> 0:04:39.000 I'll say this before I play Catherine's statement. I've seen 0:04:39.040 --> 0:04:41.600 too much cancer in my life. Both my parents died 0:04:41.640 --> 0:04:44.359 from it. Well, my mom not so much, but she 0:04:44.440 --> 0:04:47.640 had stage four breast cancer at one point in her 0:04:47.640 --> 0:04:53.480 life double mess stectomy, keemote therapy, lost their hair in radiation. 0:04:53.720 --> 0:04:58.040 She survived that, but never really fully recovered enough and 0:04:58.080 --> 0:05:02.880 died pretty young. And my dad to pancreatic cancer. And 0:05:02.920 --> 0:05:05.120 I know many people my family was a medicine A 0:05:05.120 --> 0:05:07.520 lot of my family, my sisters, nurses, etc. So I 0:05:07.560 --> 0:05:11.760 knew more than I wanted to know. And they half 0:05:11.839 --> 0:05:14.720 kill you. Although treatments are getting better by the way, 0:05:14.880 --> 0:05:18.320 leukemia is now almost always curable. And Rush help raised 0:05:18.360 --> 0:05:22.080 a ton of money for the Leukemia Society, millions and millions, 0:05:22.120 --> 0:05:26.520 and donated millions and millions himself. And the thing that 0:05:27.000 --> 0:05:29.880 I would want more that if you take only one 0:05:29.920 --> 0:05:34.560 thing away besides his love of God, family and this country, 0:05:34.960 --> 0:05:37.359 and his deep faith. And he had a deep faith. 0:05:38.360 --> 0:05:42.080 I know that for a fact. If you take one 0:05:42.120 --> 0:05:45.680 thing away is okay, You're pretty much given about a 0:05:45.760 --> 0:05:49.520 year ago. Ah, you maybe have six months to live. 0:05:49.560 --> 0:05:51.320 We'll try and make it so you can live as 0:05:51.320 --> 0:05:56.360 long as possible. Okay, most of you. I'm sure I've 0:05:56.400 --> 0:05:59.960 seen the movie The bucket List, Morgan Freeman, Jack Nicholson. 0:06:00.520 --> 0:06:03.960 It's a great movie. I don't know how many people 0:06:04.640 --> 0:06:06.960 have a bucket list. I don't really have a bucket list, 0:06:08.760 --> 0:06:15.440 but Russia's bucket list. His chose, his choice was to 0:06:15.480 --> 0:06:18.719 get through this next treatment, hope for the best, but 0:06:18.839 --> 0:06:22.880 get back on the air because he wanted to be 0:06:22.920 --> 0:06:26.039 with all of us. He wanted to be with all 0:06:26.080 --> 0:06:29.360 of you and all of the people that listened to him, 0:06:31.360 --> 0:06:37.000 and that was his great passion. That was his great love. 0:06:37.080 --> 0:06:39.839 You were his great love, on top of his family 0:06:39.880 --> 0:06:44.800 and his wonderful wife and family. That was all of you, 0:06:48.560 --> 0:06:50.919 his wife Catherine, and you know when he gave the 0:06:50.960 --> 0:06:56.280 announcement saying that I want to play this part first, 0:06:57.600 --> 0:07:00.559 that he now understood how Luke Garrick felt it one point, 0:07:01.839 --> 0:07:06.640 it's an amazing comment from somebody, you know, Blue Garrick 0:07:06.720 --> 0:07:09.080 said in his speech. Many told me I got a 0:07:09.120 --> 0:07:13.480 tough break. No, I feel like the luckiest man in 0:07:13.520 --> 0:07:17.800 the world. That's what Rush said. The day that lou 0:07:17.880 --> 0:07:23.440 Garrick announced that he had his disease that was forcing 0:07:23.520 --> 0:07:27.800 him to retire, from Major League Baseball. He said to 0:07:28.000 --> 0:07:33.480 the sold out Yankee Stadium today, I feel like the 0:07:33.560 --> 0:07:35.360 luckiest man on the face of the earth. And I 0:07:35.920 --> 0:07:38.360 didn't understand that. I mean, here's a guy who had 0:07:38.360 --> 0:07:45.120 just been diagnosed with the most terminal of terminal diseases, 0:07:47.200 --> 0:07:49.720 and I said, this can't be Rik, You can't really 0:07:49.920 --> 0:07:51.640 think he's the luckiest guy in the world. This is 0:07:51.680 --> 0:07:56.880 just something to be saying because it will play well, 0:07:56.960 --> 0:07:59.920 it'll don't. I don't mean to be insulting, lou Garrick, 0:08:00.000 --> 0:08:02.160 don't misunderstand. I'm just thinking that, how in the world, 0:08:02.200 --> 0:08:03.800 if you're being honest, can you feel like you're the 0:08:03.880 --> 0:08:06.520 luckiest man on the face of the earth. Well, when 0:08:06.520 --> 0:08:14.520 I got my diagnosis, and when I began to receive 0:08:15.040 --> 0:08:23.760 all of the outpouring of love and affection from everywhere 0:08:23.920 --> 0:08:29.880 in my life, from so many of you in so 0:08:29.920 --> 0:08:35.320 many ways, and from my family who man, they have 0:08:35.400 --> 0:08:40.880 supported me my entire career, even during times it would 0:08:40.920 --> 0:08:45.520 have been understandable and easy for them to say, rush who, 0:08:45.520 --> 0:08:49.079 we don't know this guy, But that never happened. I mean, 0:08:49.120 --> 0:08:54.120 I've been totally supported by virtually everybody in my family. 0:08:54.200 --> 0:08:56.520 I've been propped up. I have been defended. I've been 0:08:56.559 --> 0:09:03.520 made to look better than I am. My my lovely 0:09:03.559 --> 0:09:07.400 wife Catherine has done so much in that regard. She 0:09:07.520 --> 0:09:12.120 has done so much with Rush limbaud dot Com and 0:09:12.200 --> 0:09:16.400 with the charitable efforts that we have engaged in, and 0:09:16.559 --> 0:09:18.720 all of it has been to my benefit. All of 0:09:18.720 --> 0:09:23.000 it has been for the h and yours. It's the 0:09:23.240 --> 0:09:27.040 benefit of people who are the recipients of our efforts. 0:09:30.080 --> 0:09:33.920 So many people have put me first in all of this. 0:09:34.240 --> 0:09:39.280 I understand now what Luke Garrick meant, because I certainly 0:09:39.320 --> 0:09:47.800 feel like that. I feel extremely fortunate and lucky. Rush 0:09:47.920 --> 0:09:53.320 wanted to be with all of you. Here's the love 0:09:53.320 --> 0:09:55.840 of his life, Katherine making the announcement at the start 0:09:55.840 --> 0:10:00.840 of a show today. Hello, everyone, I know that I 0:10:00.880 --> 0:10:04.120 am most certainly not the Limbaugh that you tuned in 0:10:04.200 --> 0:10:08.560 to listen to to day. I like you very much 0:10:08.640 --> 0:10:13.280 wish Rush was behind this golden microphone right now, welcoming 0:10:13.320 --> 0:10:18.720 you to another exceptional three hours of broadcasting. For over 0:10:18.800 --> 0:10:23.800 thirty two years, Rush has cherished you his loyal audience 0:10:24.440 --> 0:10:29.560 and always look forward to every single show. It is 0:10:29.600 --> 0:10:35.800 with profound sadness I must share with you directly that 0:10:35.920 --> 0:10:42.760 our beloved Rush, my wonderful husband, passed away this morning 0:10:43.600 --> 0:10:50.560 due to complications from lung cancer. As so many of 0:10:50.600 --> 0:10:56.280 you know, losing a loved one is terribly difficult, even 0:10:56.360 --> 0:11:00.000 more so when that loved one is larger than life. 0:11:02.720 --> 0:11:08.120 Rush will forever be the greatest of all time. Rush 0:11:08.280 --> 0:11:15.840 was an extraordinary man, a gentle giant, brilliant, quick witted, 0:11:17.120 --> 0:11:27.160 genuinely kind, extremely generous, passionate, courageous, and the hardest working 0:11:27.280 --> 0:11:33.559 person I know. Despite being one of the most recognized 0:11:33.920 --> 0:11:38.760 powerful people in the world, Rush never let the success 0:11:39.360 --> 0:11:45.880 change his core or beliefs. He was polite and respectful 0:11:46.120 --> 0:11:52.520 to everyone he met, even most recently when he was 0:11:52.559 --> 0:11:56.840 not feeling well in the hospital. He was so appreciative 0:11:57.360 --> 0:12:06.440 to every single doctor and custodian and first responder. He 0:12:06.559 --> 0:12:10.600 never wanted to put anyone out and always thank them 0:12:10.679 --> 0:12:18.320 profusely for their help. From today on, there will be 0:12:18.360 --> 0:12:22.400 a tremendous void in our lives and of course on 0:12:22.440 --> 0:12:31.080 the radio. Rush loved our miraculous country beyond measure. An 0:12:31.200 --> 0:12:39.199 unwavering patriot, he loved our United States military, our flag, 0:12:40.440 --> 0:12:48.160 our Constitution, our founding fathers. He proudly fought and defended 0:12:48.200 --> 0:12:51.840 conservative values in a way that no one else can. 0:12:54.640 --> 0:12:58.079 Rush often stood up and took arrows on his own 0:12:58.800 --> 0:13:00.960 because he knew it was the right thing to do. 0:13:02.960 --> 0:13:06.960 Rush encouraged so many of us to think for ourselves, 0:13:07.679 --> 0:13:13.679 to learn, and to lead. He often said, it did 0:13:13.720 --> 0:13:17.200 not matter where you started or what you look like. 0:13:18.160 --> 0:13:23.560 As Americans, we all have endless opportunities like nowhere else 0:13:23.600 --> 0:13:29.520 in the world. Rush gave us hope that through hard 0:13:29.520 --> 0:13:34.640 work and determination, we can overcome the obstacles in our 0:13:34.679 --> 0:13:40.920 lives and be our best. Many of you started small 0:13:40.960 --> 0:13:47.000 businesses or pursued personal dreams because Rush gave you the 0:13:47.040 --> 0:13:52.640 faith that you could. He made the most complex issues 0:13:53.040 --> 0:13:59.840 simple to understand, while making that level of genius look easy. 0:14:00.600 --> 0:14:09.360 It most certainly was anything but easy, irreplaceable, remarkable talent 0:14:12.679 --> 0:14:17.680 on behalf of the Limbaugh family. I would personally like 0:14:17.880 --> 0:14:21.600 to thank each and every one of you who prayed 0:14:21.640 --> 0:14:27.960 for Rush and inspired him to keep going. You rallied 0:14:28.000 --> 0:14:32.080 around Rush and lifted him up when he needed you 0:14:32.160 --> 0:14:37.960 the most. I am certain, without a shadow of a doubt, 0:14:38.520 --> 0:14:41.200 if he could be here to day he would be. 0:14:42.840 --> 0:14:47.520 He loved you, and he loved this radio program with 0:14:47.800 --> 0:14:56.040 every part of his being. Instead, we know our Rush 0:14:56.400 --> 0:15:00.840 is in heaven encouraging us in the same way he 0:15:00.920 --> 0:15:07.720 always did on earth. Russia's love for our country and 0:15:07.920 --> 0:15:12.800 belief that our best days are ahead live on eternally 0:15:16.280 --> 0:15:22.200 in Russia's honor. May we all continue Russia's mission in 0:15:22.320 --> 0:15:30.040 our individual lives and communities. I know all of you 0:15:30.160 --> 0:15:39.000 listening are terribly sad. We all are. I'm terribly sorry 0:15:39.040 --> 0:15:45.800 to have to deliver this news to you. God bless 0:15:45.840 --> 0:15:50.880 you Rush, and God bless our country. I know many 0:15:50.880 --> 0:15:52.600 of you have a lot to say. Well, We're gonna 0:15:52.880 --> 0:15:55.720 definitely put some time away for a lot of your 0:15:55.760 --> 0:16:00.600 calls today in a sad It's a tragedy, irreplaceable the 0:16:00.720 --> 0:16:04.640 loss of Rush, Lambaugh announced on his program earlier today. 0:16:05.600 --> 0:16:09.240 You know, how do you how do you put into 0:16:09.280 --> 0:16:16.200 words one guy that literally there was there would be 0:16:16.240 --> 0:16:20.960 no talk radio as we know it if not for Rush. 0:16:21.000 --> 0:16:23.760 When he started a syndication, they said it couldn't be done. 0:16:23.760 --> 0:16:26.760 In the daytime, there were less than two hundred talk 0:16:26.840 --> 0:16:32.560 radio stations. Now there's thousands. He ended up literally saving 0:16:32.640 --> 0:16:39.080 AM radio and then later FM radio. He's also defined 0:16:39.680 --> 0:16:46.000 conservatism in a way that. Kaylee mckinatie tweeted out, you know, 0:16:46.040 --> 0:16:49.840 I'm a Rush baby. She's younger, but listening to Rush 0:16:49.880 --> 0:16:53.080 had an impact that that motivated her to get into 0:16:53.120 --> 0:16:57.040 the field of politics and fight for the beliefs we 0:16:57.080 --> 0:16:59.360 all have. We've got a lot to say on the 0:16:59.400 --> 0:17:02.640 other side. President on Rush, Mark Levin on Rush. All 0:17:02.720 --> 0:17:05.040 coming up, All right, twenty five to the top of 0:17:05.040 --> 0:17:07.040 the hour. I'll get back to um. We're going to 0:17:07.119 --> 0:17:10.000 do the whole show. We have the President joining us 0:17:10.040 --> 0:17:13.440 on the issue. He'll be on TV tonight also. Mark 0:17:13.520 --> 0:17:17.440 Levin's going to join us. The passing of Russ Lumbaugh today, 0:17:17.440 --> 0:17:19.960 and I want everybody to know one thing is that 0:17:20.000 --> 0:17:22.440 he would want us. And I can tell you this 0:17:22.520 --> 0:17:29.080 with a certainty because he is irreplaceable. Catherine, his wonderful wife, 0:17:29.119 --> 0:17:33.959 is right. He would want all of us, those of 0:17:34.080 --> 0:17:38.000 us that learned from him and went through all these 0:17:38.080 --> 0:17:43.040 all these different periods in this history, and him leading 0:17:43.400 --> 0:17:53.280 and defining conservatism on a mass scale and influencing generations 0:17:53.320 --> 0:17:58.760 of Americans, including myself, love this country, led this movement, 0:17:59.680 --> 0:18:04.720 and would want all of us to stay in this battle, 0:18:04.800 --> 0:18:07.240 and in this fight, no nobody will ever be able 0:18:07.240 --> 0:18:11.720 to replace him, but we can all do our part. 0:18:13.320 --> 0:18:16.240 It's important. I have a lot that I really want 0:18:16.240 --> 0:18:19.840 to say, and I would I don't want this to 0:18:19.920 --> 0:18:24.000 also be There was such a funny side of Rush 0:18:24.080 --> 0:18:28.240 and a humorous side to him, mischievous side of him, 0:18:29.160 --> 0:18:33.159 and it was just hilarious to those of us that 0:18:33.320 --> 0:18:35.800 knew him when he was very tongue in cheek. And 0:18:36.720 --> 0:18:39.840 in the early years, you'd always say broadcasting high on 0:18:39.920 --> 0:18:44.000 top the EIB building in Midtown Manhattan, and there'd be 0:18:44.040 --> 0:18:48.080 people visiting Manhattan and asking questions, well, where's the EIB building. 0:18:49.440 --> 0:18:52.520 All the secret was there wasn't really an EIB building 0:18:52.520 --> 0:18:54.720 except the one that he worked in, and it made 0:18:54.720 --> 0:18:59.159 it the EIB network, and that all those stories are 0:18:59.200 --> 0:19:05.280 true and and and Rush loved that part of it. 0:19:05.280 --> 0:19:09.800 It drove the left insane. Even a statement, when you 0:19:09.880 --> 0:19:14.399 really think about it, is extraordinarily humble with talent on 0:19:14.520 --> 0:19:18.320 loan from God. What is he saying, Yeah, any talent 0:19:18.359 --> 0:19:21.719 I have came from God, actually praising God in the 0:19:21.720 --> 0:19:24.280 talent saying I'm not responsible for the talent I have 0:19:24.359 --> 0:19:27.480 on the radio, it's God. And that would you know? 0:19:28.040 --> 0:19:30.960 It's like alka Seltzer and water liberals would just melt 0:19:32.680 --> 0:19:36.960 and and that was part of him forging this path 0:19:37.040 --> 0:19:41.520 that every one of us in talk radio and me personally, 0:19:42.400 --> 0:19:46.960 and and even Fox News in so many ways as 0:19:47.000 --> 0:19:53.240 a result of this massive movement and growth of opinion 0:19:53.800 --> 0:19:57.920 that will shut, shut down and shut out of all 0:19:58.040 --> 0:20:03.280 mainstream outlets to take you know, two hundred news talk 0:20:03.400 --> 0:20:06.040 radio stations in the country at the time of his 0:20:06.119 --> 0:20:10.160 syndication in nineteen eighty eight. Now there's thousands of them 0:20:10.160 --> 0:20:13.359 over I think over four thousand. Talk radio is the 0:20:13.480 --> 0:20:16.760 number one format in all of radio. Single Handedly, Rush 0:20:16.880 --> 0:20:23.320 Limbaugh save the AM band because people are who's this guy. 0:20:23.440 --> 0:20:26.879 I remember where I first heard of Rush. I was 0:20:26.880 --> 0:20:30.280 in a radio studio in a college station and some guys, 0:20:30.320 --> 0:20:34.359 you gotta listen to this guy. He's he's irreverent, he's funny, 0:20:34.359 --> 0:20:39.800 he's smart, and he was all of that. And you 0:20:39.840 --> 0:20:42.840 know it was it was his passion and to go 0:20:42.920 --> 0:20:47.840 back to in the midst of all of this treatment 0:20:47.920 --> 0:20:52.160 and all of this pain that is associated. We all 0:20:52.200 --> 0:20:55.800 know people that have had cancer. We all know that 0:20:55.920 --> 0:20:58.800 people they have kill you to try and save you 0:20:58.960 --> 0:21:02.359 or to extend your life. And when he gave the 0:21:02.400 --> 0:21:06.520 announcement little over a year ago that he had advanced 0:21:06.560 --> 0:21:10.800 stage four lung cancer. Well, you know, I don't usually 0:21:10.800 --> 0:21:14.520 trust doctor Google, but you don't have to read much 0:21:14.600 --> 0:21:19.400 to figure out where this is likely headed. And at 0:21:19.440 --> 0:21:22.280 that point it was sad, but he wanted to be 0:21:22.440 --> 0:21:25.600 And I want all of you to take this to heart, 0:21:25.680 --> 0:21:31.200 those that love Rush as we do on this program, 0:21:31.240 --> 0:21:33.480 and I want you to just take it and understand 0:21:33.520 --> 0:21:35.920 he was. He didn't have the bucket list. He had 0:21:36.040 --> 0:21:38.040 the I want to be with my listeners list, and 0:21:38.080 --> 0:21:39.800 I want to fight to the day I die for 0:21:39.840 --> 0:21:45.520 this country I love and keep this great movement that 0:21:45.640 --> 0:21:51.320 has impacted generations alive. And I know what he would want. 0:21:52.200 --> 0:21:55.840 He would want all of us to stay in his 0:21:56.080 --> 0:22:00.800 life's work. And we've all we're all better because of him, 0:22:01.680 --> 0:22:05.879 we all know more because of him, because you're certainly 0:22:05.920 --> 0:22:09.240 not getting it from any broadcast channels or the New 0:22:09.320 --> 0:22:12.800 York Times or Washington Post or these fake news channels. 0:22:13.520 --> 0:22:16.439 You're not getting it. And he was the leader of 0:22:16.480 --> 0:22:21.639 that movement, and he has personally impacted all of us 0:22:21.680 --> 0:22:23.840 that are broadcasters. I talked to many of my friends 0:22:23.840 --> 0:22:28.359 in broadcasting today. Every one of them is devastated. Mark 0:22:28.400 --> 0:22:29.920 and I have been on the phone all day. Mark 0:22:29.920 --> 0:22:31.680 will join us at the top of the next hour. 0:22:33.680 --> 0:22:39.680 That side of him that was humorous, mischievous. I mean 0:22:39.800 --> 0:22:43.480 it just it's amazing, you know. Mary Matlin said, I 0:22:43.480 --> 0:22:46.439 said this on Fox today when they called me and 0:22:46.480 --> 0:22:51.119 asked for my comments. Mary Matlin had said, after the 0:22:51.119 --> 0:22:53.320 Clinton years, I don't know how we would have survived 0:22:53.359 --> 0:22:56.879 without Rush. But he was there for the r at 0:22:56.880 --> 0:22:58.520 the end of the Reagan's term. He was there for 0:22:58.640 --> 0:23:01.399 Bush forty one, there for the Clinton years, there for 0:23:01.440 --> 0:23:04.800 the Bush forty three years, there for the Obama years, 0:23:05.440 --> 0:23:07.399 he was there for the Trump years, and fought like 0:23:07.560 --> 0:23:12.520 hell to get Donald Trump reelected. It was his passion 0:23:13.600 --> 0:23:18.160 and the audience you were his passion. There is no 0:23:18.200 --> 0:23:20.720 talk radio as we know it but for Rush. Limbaugh 0:23:21.440 --> 0:23:24.040 and I would argue, there's probably not Fox News as 0:23:24.080 --> 0:23:28.399 we know it, or any of a lot of programming. 0:23:29.920 --> 0:23:33.000 I want to play Rush reacting. And there's a little 0:23:33.000 --> 0:23:38.160 story behind this, and I know that some people are 0:23:39.200 --> 0:23:42.200 I think that Matt Drudge has gone a little changed 0:23:42.240 --> 0:23:49.440 his political views. Putting that aside, Matt loved Rush, loved him. 0:23:49.480 --> 0:23:54.680 That's a fact, and when Russia announced that he had 0:23:54.800 --> 0:23:59.600 lung cancer. I got a call from Matt and he 0:23:59.640 --> 0:24:02.080 brought up the idea of the Medal of Freedom. It 0:24:02.160 --> 0:24:05.640 was not my idea, and he had talked to other 0:24:05.720 --> 0:24:09.160 people at the White House about it, and I did 0:24:10.119 --> 0:24:12.520 talk to the President about it. It's obviously his decision 0:24:12.600 --> 0:24:18.199 is not mine. And the President immediately said yes. And 0:24:18.280 --> 0:24:21.560 I didn't know when it was going to happen. And 0:24:21.680 --> 0:24:25.080 I got a call earlier that day and I was 0:24:25.200 --> 0:24:27.960 told it was happening at the State of the Union 0:24:28.119 --> 0:24:31.480 and that Milani was going to put it on him. 0:24:31.560 --> 0:24:35.359 I couldn't have been happier for this great American. Here's 0:24:35.400 --> 0:24:40.920 his reaction. Yes, how do you feel about getting them? President? Medal? 0:24:42.200 --> 0:24:47.760 A great feeling getting Oh, oh, I didn't know you're TMC. Yes, 0:24:47.840 --> 0:24:52.560 you're harving. Oh how do I feel about getting the medal? Yes, 0:24:52.840 --> 0:24:57.000 I'm I'm in a state of disbelief. I'm honored as 0:24:57.040 --> 0:24:59.920 I can be by it. Okay, everybody loved to see 0:25:00.160 --> 0:25:02.600 you're doing well and everything like that. Man, well, thank you, 0:25:02.720 --> 0:25:04.960 thank you. I am doing great. I'm doing who could 0:25:05.000 --> 0:25:06.840 not be doing great at a night like this? This 0:25:06.920 --> 0:25:11.640 is just everything you thought, Oh, I didn't think that's 0:25:11.680 --> 0:25:14.560 the thing. I think this is still in a state 0:25:14.600 --> 0:25:19.120 of disbelief about it, man, But I'm accepting it. I'll 0:25:19.160 --> 0:25:22.520 take it. But there was a lot of great people 0:25:22.520 --> 0:25:25.439 who received that on and match. Thank you everything you're doing. 0:25:25.520 --> 0:25:28.000 Appreciate it, Thank you very much. I appreciate it all right. 0:25:29.440 --> 0:25:33.880 And it was I think it was probably the most 0:25:33.880 --> 0:25:38.560 special night in his life. And for all those that 0:25:38.680 --> 0:25:44.159 helped make that happen, I'm very appreciative. Um. So I 0:25:44.280 --> 0:25:46.200 come to New York. Let me tell you a little 0:25:46.200 --> 0:25:50.320 bit of my story. And I got hired by Fox 0:25:50.400 --> 0:25:52.720 when and went on the air when a debut in 0:25:52.800 --> 0:25:59.400 nineteen ninety six in October, and I got a provision 0:25:59.400 --> 0:26:02.320 because I'd been local radio in Atlanta at the time, 0:26:02.400 --> 0:26:05.560 and I got a provision that I could do radio 0:26:05.920 --> 0:26:08.600 as well as television. And that was part of my deal. 0:26:08.720 --> 0:26:12.280 And we started October six or seventh, I think, nineteen 0:26:12.400 --> 0:26:14.480 ninety six on Fox. I've been there the whole time, 0:26:14.560 --> 0:26:17.440 believe it or not. And anyway, so and then I 0:26:17.880 --> 0:26:22.720 started after TV. Every night I go over to where 0:26:23.440 --> 0:26:28.320 the EIB building and I do the eleven to two 0:26:28.400 --> 0:26:31.080 shift talk radio. I loved late night radio so much fun. 0:26:31.080 --> 0:26:33.880 It was different than your daytime slot. And then eventually 0:26:33.880 --> 0:26:37.320 I got the afternoon slot. And then one day I 0:26:37.359 --> 0:26:39.760 got the call, would you want to fill in for Rush? 0:26:39.800 --> 0:26:44.520 And I'm like, okay, twenty one million listeners, six hundred 0:26:44.520 --> 0:26:48.679 plus stations, little nerve racking, and Linda's making me play this. 0:26:49.720 --> 0:26:52.040 But there are some fun stories that I'm going to 0:26:52.080 --> 0:26:54.359 share here, and one of them is so here I 0:26:54.400 --> 0:26:56.280 am in the middle filling in for Rush for the 0:26:56.320 --> 0:27:01.320 first time opening monologue of the show and Russia's mic 0:27:01.480 --> 0:27:05.320 really is a golden eib mic and boom fell down. 0:27:05.960 --> 0:27:08.639 Say that he lied is not gonna happen. He's not 0:27:08.680 --> 0:27:10.639 going to concede that he lied to the grand jury 0:27:10.680 --> 0:27:14.480 because he did not. Is this Is this more of 0:27:14.520 --> 0:27:18.640 the arrogance? Now my face was on the desk as 0:27:18.640 --> 0:27:23.400 I'm now sweating profusely, having you know, a near panic attack. 0:27:23.440 --> 0:27:26.080 I go ahead. I can see Linda laughing and smiling. 0:27:26.840 --> 0:27:30.280 But what made it funny is when Rush got back 0:27:30.520 --> 0:27:32.879 from his vacation or his day off. I don't remember 0:27:32.880 --> 0:27:36.320 how long he was out. He goes and I used 0:27:36.359 --> 0:27:38.400 to try it like I do my Markle event. Thank me, God, 0:27:38.400 --> 0:27:45.040 bless us. I do Sean Hannity dented the golden EIB microphone. 0:27:46.119 --> 0:27:49.359 I'm like, man, it was you know, it was just 0:27:49.520 --> 0:27:55.679 Rush having fun. He had fun, but he also and 0:27:55.760 --> 0:27:57.920 he had fun, and he loved what he did, and 0:27:58.000 --> 0:28:00.880 he and he taught us all thinks, made us, made 0:28:00.960 --> 0:28:06.040 us all smarter, thinking better, learning more. When I did 0:28:06.080 --> 0:28:10.680 that late night show one night, Rush's lines would ring 0:28:10.920 --> 0:28:14.719 all day long. In other words, people would be calling 0:28:14.800 --> 0:28:18.199 into his talk show. Well, his calls would show up 0:28:18.240 --> 0:28:22.240 on the same bank as the phone calls of the 0:28:22.280 --> 0:28:25.919 station I'm on. And one night I just I just 0:28:25.960 --> 0:28:28.679 thought it'd be funny, then fun and I started like 0:28:28.720 --> 0:28:31.280 I did a whole hour and saying, you know, I 0:28:31.359 --> 0:28:34.960 like that. I was Rush. And then people would call 0:28:35.000 --> 0:28:38.920 in and I say, you're on the EIB network Click 0:28:39.440 --> 0:28:43.080 Rush Mega did us? I thought it was funny. Kit 0:28:43.200 --> 0:28:45.560 Carson yelled at me the last at the end. He 0:28:45.640 --> 0:28:48.560 was a great friend. He wasn't really mad. And when 0:28:48.600 --> 0:28:52.160 I told Rush the story, he goes, oh, that's such, 0:28:52.360 --> 0:28:56.040 That's something I would so do, And he was happy 0:28:56.080 --> 0:28:59.880 that I got. He helped my career in ways I 0:29:00.080 --> 0:29:08.200 can't even measure. I'm extraordinarily grateful and humbled, an appreciative 0:29:09.800 --> 0:29:12.360 of everybody in my life that has helped my career. 0:29:12.640 --> 0:29:14.440 I stay in touch with every boss. I have bill 0:29:14.480 --> 0:29:19.120 done of it in Huntsville, Slugo down in Atlanta, Eric Sidell, 0:29:20.080 --> 0:29:22.160 Phil Boyce. I haven't talked to him in a while. 0:29:22.200 --> 0:29:25.720 We need to talk soon. The President. I want to 0:29:25.720 --> 0:29:28.840 play this little segment here of the President and Rush 0:29:28.720 --> 0:29:32.360 where they mentioned me, because the President never understood, well, 0:29:32.360 --> 0:29:35.200 you want to beat Rush, right, I mean, nobody beats Rush. 0:29:35.200 --> 0:29:38.680