WEBVTT - Highest Civilian Honor 0:00:01.560 --> 0:00:07.200 Two things are connected and will be connected to Russia's 0:00:07.240 --> 0:00:14.920 diagnosis forever. He got the diagnosis, he told his staff 0:00:14.960 --> 0:00:17.279 in the morning, as I said, and he broke the 0:00:17.320 --> 0:00:23.040 news to his audience that afternoon, while all the audience 0:00:23.120 --> 0:00:26.200 and the rest of us on the staff were still 0:00:26.200 --> 0:00:33.360 in shock. There was a pleasant shock to come. I 0:00:33.479 --> 0:00:39.040 first got wind of that pleasant shock that afternoon when 0:00:39.120 --> 0:00:41.440 I got a call from my good friend Sean Hannity. 0:00:43.240 --> 0:00:46.640 Sean told me that tonight was going to be a 0:00:46.640 --> 0:00:52.400 special night. No matter what I did, I shouldn't miss 0:00:52.440 --> 0:00:56.600 the President's State of the Union address. Of course, my 0:00:56.720 --> 0:01:00.040 curiosity was piqued. What on earth would be happy and 0:01:00.240 --> 0:01:02.000 on the State of the Union address that I wouldn't 0:01:02.000 --> 0:01:07.959 want to miss. And after Sean's call, I started getting 0:01:08.040 --> 0:01:10.080 other calls from some of my friends in d C. 0:01:10.840 --> 0:01:13.640 One of them from Connie Hair, who was the chief 0:01:13.640 --> 0:01:18.039 of staff for Congressman Louise Gombert, who was a very 0:01:18.160 --> 0:01:24.520 very close friend of mine. And Connie said that something 0:01:24.640 --> 0:01:29.480 special was going to happen tonight, and word was that 0:01:29.520 --> 0:01:34.360 it would involve Rush, and that rumor was circulating all 0:01:34.400 --> 0:01:40.680 over Washington, d C. Well, it didn't take long before 0:01:41.040 --> 0:01:46.679 we all knew what was happening. The president State of 0:01:46.720 --> 0:01:53.120 the Union was one that will never be forgotten. Rush 0:01:53.200 --> 0:01:57.000 later said that there was more to this story then 0:01:57.200 --> 0:02:03.000 he told his audience, and one day he would tell 0:02:03.080 --> 0:02:09.280 us what that more was. Sadly, I don't think we'll 0:02:09.280 --> 0:02:14.800 ever know. I don't think we'll ever know. Whether you 0:02:14.880 --> 0:02:16.880 listened every day you are at the E I B 0:02:17.000 --> 0:02:20.160 Network and the Russia Limbaugh Program, heard on over six 0:02:20.280 --> 0:02:23.200 hundred great radio stations for every now and then nation's 0:02:23.280 --> 0:02:26.880 leading radio talk show, the most eagerly intersepedient program. Are 0:02:26.919 --> 0:02:29.600 the stories you've never heard from the people behind the 0:02:29.639 --> 0:02:33.200 scenes who knew him best and loved him most. Rushman 0:02:33.280 --> 0:02:35.560 Ball having more funt to the human being it could 0:02:35.560 --> 0:02:38.320 be allowed to have Rush Limbaugh, the man behind the 0:02:38.400 --> 0:02:46.680 Golden EP microphone, hosted by James Golden unforgettable. That's the 0:02:46.760 --> 0:02:50.480 impression that you, the Russia Limbaugh audience made with your 0:02:50.560 --> 0:02:55.360 support for Russia's last charitable effort while Rush was still 0:02:55.400 --> 0:02:58.760 with us, through the stand Up for Betsy Ross campaign. 0:02:59.160 --> 0:03:03.920 You're generosity resulted in a five million dollar donation to 0:03:04.040 --> 0:03:08.120 the Tunnel to Towers Foundation. Rush said it best. We 0:03:08.240 --> 0:03:12.040 chose Tunnel to Towers to be the beneficiary of the 0:03:12.160 --> 0:03:15.440 campaign because we love the work they do and the 0:03:15.520 --> 0:03:20.720 story about how they started. When a family experiences significant 0:03:20.760 --> 0:03:24.160 loss the mother or father passes while serving our country, 0:03:24.200 --> 0:03:28.920 Tunnel to Towers steps in freeze that family of a 0:03:29.000 --> 0:03:33.160 major worry during their time of crisis. Tunnel to Towers 0:03:33.240 --> 0:03:38.960 pays off mortgages in full for these families and provides 0:03:39.000 --> 0:03:41.960 them with the comfort of a home when their world 0:03:42.040 --> 0:03:45.400 has literally been turned upside down. The foundation does the 0:03:45.520 --> 0:03:49.280 same for first responders and also build smart homes for 0:03:49.400 --> 0:03:54.760 our most catastrophically injured veterans and first responders. More heroes 0:03:55.040 --> 0:03:59.480 need your help. Do good by donating eleven dollars a 0:03:59.520 --> 0:04:05.360 month to Tunnel to Towers at T two T dot org. 0:04:05.840 --> 0:04:09.840 That's the letter T, the number two, the letter T 0:04:10.520 --> 0:04:17.520 dot org. He is the greatest fighter and winner. The 0:04:17.560 --> 0:04:23.080 President's State of the Union, President Trump announced Rush that 0:04:23.160 --> 0:04:27.640 Russia Limball was his guest for your decades of towers 0:04:28.120 --> 0:04:31.400 devotion to our practice. They're sat Russia Lamball next to 0:04:31.440 --> 0:04:35.800 his wife Katherine and on the other side the President's 0:04:35.839 --> 0:04:40.479 wife Melanie. At Trump and President Trump went on to 0:04:41.320 --> 0:04:45.400 praise Rush and say and the Medal of Freedom will 0:04:45.400 --> 0:04:48.960 be awarded to Rush. You could see the sort of 0:04:49.000 --> 0:04:56.120 surprise looker on Rush's face, because that announcement usually means 0:04:56.200 --> 0:04:58.200 somewhere in the future, there's going to be a White 0:04:58.279 --> 0:05:01.719 House ceremony. Rush would be invited to the White House 0:05:01.839 --> 0:05:05.960 and the President would place the medal on Rush at 0:05:06.000 --> 0:05:08.920 that point. But no, the President had something else in mine. 0:05:09.680 --> 0:05:12.360 This Medal of Freedom was going to be awarded instantly. 0:05:12.520 --> 0:05:15.359 Right there on the spot, he asked me, Lonny to 0:05:15.400 --> 0:05:18.880 stand up, and presently was Now you see Rush really surprised, 0:05:19.520 --> 0:05:21.919 and he turns and he puts his back toward the 0:05:21.920 --> 0:05:25.719 first lady, and she puts the Medal of Freedom on Rush. 0:05:25.880 --> 0:05:29.680 And I think that was the big surprise. I have 0:05:29.839 --> 0:05:32.640 since learned that that Rush knew that he was going 0:05:32.680 --> 0:05:34.800 to be invited. Of course, he knew he had he 0:05:34.839 --> 0:05:38.000 had to get to Washington, d C. Let's go back. 0:05:38.839 --> 0:05:43.919 Rush told the story. He's getting ready to start his treatment. 0:05:44.600 --> 0:05:48.080 He's in the hospital where the testing is supposed to 0:05:48.120 --> 0:05:51.279 begin imminently, and he gets a call from the President 0:05:51.279 --> 0:05:54.720 of the United States, Donald Trump, asking if he can 0:05:54.760 --> 0:05:57.480 come to Washington, d C. Well, no, Mr President, I can. 0:05:57.520 --> 0:06:00.360 I'm about to start treatment. But Donald Trump was in existant. 0:06:00.440 --> 0:06:03.560 You have to come, you have to be here. As 0:06:03.600 --> 0:06:07.560 Rush related the story, he wasn't prepared. He had no 0:06:07.760 --> 0:06:14.800 clothes with him for the occasion, and his wife Catherine 0:06:15.040 --> 0:06:18.560 found him the right ensemble to wear that night, as 0:06:18.640 --> 0:06:22.440 well as for herself. And there they are in the 0:06:22.520 --> 0:06:26.200 capital on the State of the Union night, which is 0:06:26.240 --> 0:06:31.159 the biggest night in Washington, d c. And not only 0:06:31.920 --> 0:06:35.799 are they there, they're seated next to the First Lady 0:06:35.800 --> 0:06:38.160 of the United States, which is the highest honor that 0:06:38.200 --> 0:06:43.799 the president can bestow on anyone attending. That's the coveted 0:06:44.440 --> 0:06:51.000 guest spot. But then Rush gets the Medal of Freedom. 0:06:51.080 --> 0:06:57.320 Later on, as the accolades and the hysteria poured, and 0:06:57.360 --> 0:07:00.760 the hysteria was for from the left. And I have 0:07:00.839 --> 0:07:04.360 to tell you I enjoyed watching and reading all of it. 0:07:04.640 --> 0:07:08.560 The left world, they were beside themselves. How dare this president? 0:07:08.760 --> 0:07:12.880 How dare he give Russian Lumba the Medal of Freedom 0:07:13.080 --> 0:07:15.880 but not just give him the Medal of freedom? How 0:07:16.000 --> 0:07:20.480 dare he do it on this special night? Russia's fans, 0:07:21.040 --> 0:07:26.160 millions and millions and millions of Americans applauded the president 0:07:26.240 --> 0:07:28.840 for this. We have been wanting something like this for 0:07:28.920 --> 0:07:34.040 Russia's entire career, for him to be recognized for the 0:07:34.160 --> 0:07:40.760 work that he did in helping to shape American politics 0:07:40.760 --> 0:07:45.120 and American culture. We and and his defensive freedom, his 0:07:45.200 --> 0:07:55.480 defensive liberty, his defense of individualism, and American exceptionalism. We 0:07:55.480 --> 0:08:00.120 were beside ourselves with joy on the very night that 0:08:00.200 --> 0:08:05.400 we were feeling immense pain from this diagnosis. I later 0:08:05.440 --> 0:08:09.840 thought to myself, only President Trump could do this. Only 0:08:09.920 --> 0:08:14.640 President Trump could give Rush Limbaugh the highest civilian award 0:08:14.760 --> 0:08:19.960 possible in America and make sure almost every elected Democrat 0:08:20.840 --> 0:08:25.600 was forced to attend the ceremony. It was a beautiful moment. 0:08:26.040 --> 0:08:30.360 I was at home watching TV when it happened, and 0:08:31.400 --> 0:08:36.120 tears of joy, and that my phone was was going off. 0:08:36.440 --> 0:08:41.040 Every other moment there was another alarm on my phone 0:08:41.040 --> 0:08:46.120 from someone else texting. People were genuinely surprised, genuinely happy. 0:08:46.240 --> 0:08:50.959 It was a celebratory night. The celebration was almost as 0:08:50.960 --> 0:08:54.640 if we had won the election. That night. It was 0:08:55.040 --> 0:09:02.720 just joyous among Rush fans all for the world, and 0:09:02.880 --> 0:09:06.720 we all thanked President Trump for doing what I don't 0:09:06.720 --> 0:09:10.880 think any other president would do, which was to recognize 0:09:10.960 --> 0:09:17.840 publicly how important Rush was not just to Republican politics, 0:09:17.880 --> 0:09:21.840 but to the politics of the American people. It was 0:09:21.880 --> 0:09:25.439 a joyous celebration for Rush fans, one that we will 0:09:25.480 --> 0:09:28.120 never forget. It was a once in a lifetime thing. 0:09:28.200 --> 0:09:33.080 I it's uh, it's so special. And the President was 0:09:33.840 --> 0:09:36.520 not gonna let me miss it. He was not going 0:09:36.600 --> 0:09:41.439 to let me talk him or myself out of appearing 0:09:42.120 --> 0:09:46.920 in the House Chamber that night. And it is. I 0:09:47.520 --> 0:09:52.400 couldn't stop looking down at it the whole time that 0:09:52.520 --> 0:09:57.040 I am, that I'm wearing it. It's just it's just beautiful. 0:09:58.760 --> 0:10:01.560 Throughout this series, as you know, we've been taking you 0:10:01.720 --> 0:10:05.160 on a biographical journey of Russia's life, narrated by some 0:10:05.240 --> 0:10:08.520 of his colleagues and closest friends over the years. Today, 0:10:08.880 --> 0:10:13.800 we're pleased to have with us another media giant, fearless, outspoken, 0:10:14.160 --> 0:10:18.600 and a friend of Rush. Welcome Megan Kelly. The Life 0:10:18.600 --> 0:10:24.360 of Rush Limbaugh, Chapter five, narrated by Megan Kelly In 0:10:25.360 --> 0:10:29.280 A retired radio executive named Edward F. McLaughlin decided to 0:10:29.360 --> 0:10:32.800 use his golden parachute from ABC Radio Networks to form 0:10:32.840 --> 0:10:36.559 his own brand new talk radio network APT Lee titled 0:10:36.760 --> 0:10:41.240 e FM Media. After meticulous planning for a successful launch, 0:10:41.559 --> 0:10:44.559 McLaughlin knew he needed more than just a talented host, 0:10:44.840 --> 0:10:47.480 but a force behind the mic, and cast a wide 0:10:47.520 --> 0:10:51.040 net in his search. A hot tip led him out west, 0:10:51.320 --> 0:10:53.960 where a thirty eight year old talk radio host was 0:10:54.200 --> 0:10:58.240 burning up the airwaves of Sacramento, California. There are any 0:10:58.320 --> 0:11:01.360 number of people Ed McLaughlin could have chosen, but I 0:11:01.640 --> 0:11:05.040 fortunately met some people along the way after moving the 0:11:05.080 --> 0:11:09.320 Sacramento that Ed McLaughlan knew and trusted implicitly, and when 0:11:09.320 --> 0:11:11.480 he was looking unbeknownst to me, I don't know any 0:11:11.520 --> 0:11:13.360 of this is going on. My name is in the 0:11:13.480 --> 0:11:17.320 list of people he should look into. He could have 0:11:17.360 --> 0:11:20.800 picked anybody. This was his guy, and McLaughlin made him 0:11:20.800 --> 0:11:24.480 an offer leader described as impossible to turn down. Rush 0:11:24.600 --> 0:11:27.839 Limbaugh created the capital of California for the bright lights 0:11:27.840 --> 0:11:30.319 of the Big Apple. He relocated to New York City 0:11:30.480 --> 0:11:33.920 and established first a local ten am to noon show 0:11:34.080 --> 0:11:36.840 on w ABC Radio. Rush Limball in New York. Twenty 0:11:36.840 --> 0:11:39.640 minutes after ten, back to the Falls would go, Vinny, Hello, 0:11:39.760 --> 0:11:42.640 glad you're with us? Right that one of the California 0:11:42.640 --> 0:11:47.280 seats names no no, I'm originally beach names in New York. 0:11:47.440 --> 0:11:51.080 Limbaugh's early days were an unqualified success, even with the 0:11:51.160 --> 0:11:54.760 challenge of a meddling program director who unsuccessfully tried to 0:11:54.800 --> 0:11:57.680 get Rushed to change what would become his signature on 0:11:57.760 --> 0:12:02.600 air style, Rush being Rush dug in and ultimately prevailed. 0:12:02.760 --> 0:12:05.800 After his first shows on w ABC Radio went off 0:12:05.920 --> 0:12:09.280 without a hitch. Rush's mentor and new boss, Ed McLaughlin 0:12:09.360 --> 0:12:12.080 proudly recalled after hearing his first show, the quote I 0:12:12.160 --> 0:12:15.800 knew he could handle it. Ed McLaughlin never wavered a 0:12:15.920 --> 0:12:19.520 single time. He never asked me to tone it down, 0:12:19.559 --> 0:12:22.920 to change things, to do whatever to accommodate this complaint 0:12:23.000 --> 0:12:26.080 or that safe to say, Rush Limbaugh more than just 0:12:26.240 --> 0:12:30.240 handled it. He crushed it. People credit me with this, 0:12:30.360 --> 0:12:32.400 but I couldn't have done any of this if it 0:12:32.400 --> 0:12:36.319 hadn't been for Ed McLaughlin. Ed McLaughlan saved M radio 0:12:36.600 --> 0:12:40.400 by investing in it. Fast lane to nationwide syndication for 0:12:40.440 --> 0:12:43.360 the Rush Limbaugh Show was just around the corner. It 0:12:43.480 --> 0:12:48.000 really hit me how damn lucky I am and have been. 0:12:48.880 --> 0:12:55.040 I try to never ever forget it. Hey, James Golden, 0:12:55.120 --> 0:12:57.600 here you might remember I told you a few weeks 0:12:57.600 --> 0:13:01.440 ago that My Pillow had sent me their entire collection. Well, 0:13:01.480 --> 0:13:05.640 you know what, it's amazing. They are so luxurious, and 0:13:05.679 --> 0:13:09.160 it's time that you experience some of that luxury. To 0:13:10.040 --> 0:13:12.920 my Pillow makes more than pillows. I love the pillow. 0:13:12.960 --> 0:13:15.000 I sleep on it every night. But you know what 0:13:15.040 --> 0:13:18.640 else they have. They have sheets that are simply incredible. 0:13:18.679 --> 0:13:22.760 They're smooth, they're soft, they're comfortable. I look forward to 0:13:22.760 --> 0:13:26.840 getting to bed every night under these sheets. Get yourself 0:13:26.880 --> 0:13:29.560 a set of these. They're called Geeza sheets. They come 0:13:29.960 --> 0:13:33.360 with a sixty day comfort guarantee. You get pillows, you 0:13:33.440 --> 0:13:37.840 get sheets. Oh did I mention the slippers. They're incredible slippers. 0:13:38.240 --> 0:13:41.240 There is a level of comfort from my Pillow products 0:13:41.240 --> 0:13:45.120 that you simply have to experience. Longing to my pillow 0:13:45.200 --> 0:13:48.920 dot com. Click on the new radio listener specials. Use 0:13:49.040 --> 0:13:53.559 the promo code icon. That's I C O N. You'll 0:13:53.559 --> 0:13:57.400 find lots of incredible office there right now. That's my 0:13:57.600 --> 0:14:08.600 Pillow dot Com promo code icon. I have probably watched 0:14:08.640 --> 0:14:12.320 almost every State of the Union address since I was 0:14:12.360 --> 0:14:14.800 a child. Since I was as a child, I was 0:14:14.840 --> 0:14:18.840 interested in politics, and politics was always a big deal 0:14:18.920 --> 0:14:24.040 in our house, so I watched every State of the Union. 0:14:25.240 --> 0:14:29.440 As I think about it, probably since Lyndon Johnson was 0:14:29.480 --> 0:14:34.200 in office, I have never had the kind of reaction 0:14:34.440 --> 0:14:40.000 that I had that night watching my guy, I'm my hero, 0:14:41.600 --> 0:14:48.200 my boss, my friend, Rush Limbaugh receiving what I thought 0:14:48.320 --> 0:14:55.080 was his just due, which was worldwide recognition for the good, 0:14:55.120 --> 0:14:59.920 for the value that he had constructed with his increas 0:15:00.000 --> 0:15:07.560 credible career. This was also bitter sweet because usually when 0:15:07.640 --> 0:15:13.080 something big happens the next day, I couldn't wait to 0:15:13.240 --> 0:15:15.680 run into the studio As soon as I got there. 0:15:16.240 --> 0:15:18.080 Rush would usually be in the middle of the show prep. 0:15:18.120 --> 0:15:19.640 But if it was something big, I didn't care. I 0:15:19.720 --> 0:15:21.600 just go right in and start running my mouth up, 0:15:21.640 --> 0:15:25.240 blurting or asking questions or whatever. This was different because 0:15:25.320 --> 0:15:28.120 Rush wasn't there. We had a guest host. The next day. 0:15:28.600 --> 0:15:32.400 Rush was back to treatment, and it would be a 0:15:32.440 --> 0:15:35.720 few days before we saw Rush. So yeah, there was 0:15:35.720 --> 0:15:38.760 some bitter sweet to it as well. But still the 0:15:38.840 --> 0:15:42.520 fact remains. It will go down in history that Rush 0:15:42.880 --> 0:15:49.480 Hudson Limbaugh the Third received the Medal of Freedom. I 0:15:49.600 --> 0:15:54.360 was speaking with a friend earlier who is not a 0:15:54.400 --> 0:15:57.320 political guy. He's he's very much not a political He's 0:15:57.320 --> 0:16:00.960 a fellow broadcaster. And what he was telling me was, 0:16:01.080 --> 0:16:04.400 you know, I I don't follow politics day to day, 0:16:05.240 --> 0:16:09.720 but I do know this. My friend said, there are 0:16:09.760 --> 0:16:15.640 two names that defined conservatism. One is Ronald Reagan and 0:16:15.720 --> 0:16:20.640 the second one is Russia Limbaugh. Now think about that. 0:16:22.000 --> 0:16:25.160 And Russ used to acknowledge this. He just and he 0:16:25.240 --> 0:16:29.640 used to acknowledge it in such a almost self effacing way. 0:16:29.760 --> 0:16:32.160 He used to say, I'm just a guy on the radio. 0:16:33.400 --> 0:16:38.880 I'm just a guy on the radeo. But he was 0:16:38.920 --> 0:16:41.400 so much more than that. He was a guy that 0:16:41.560 --> 0:16:46.800 shaped American politics. He was the guy that defined what 0:16:47.040 --> 0:16:51.920 being a conservative was from behind a microphone. He was 0:16:51.960 --> 0:16:56.520 a guy that could talk policy, make that complex policy 0:16:57.160 --> 0:17:01.160 understandable to millions of Americans who would then say, you 0:17:01.200 --> 0:17:05.560 know what, that's what I believe. I'm with you, that's 0:17:05.720 --> 0:17:09.480 what I think too. Those are my values you are describing. 0:17:10.680 --> 0:17:17.560 And that is why that metal of freedom ultimately wound 0:17:17.600 --> 0:17:24.439 up being placed right near Russia's heart, because he was 0:17:24.480 --> 0:17:31.920 the heart of American conservatism. When we look out over 0:17:31.960 --> 0:17:34.400 the United States of American, when we are anywhere, when 0:17:34.400 --> 0:17:37.399 we see a group of people such as this or 0:17:37.440 --> 0:17:43.440 anywhere we see Americans, we see human beings. We don't 0:17:43.440 --> 0:17:47.639 see groups. We don't see victims. We don't see people 0:17:47.680 --> 0:17:52.480 we want to exploit what we see. What we see 0:17:52.680 --> 0:17:57.639 is potential. We do not look out across the country 0:17:57.960 --> 0:18:01.040 and see the average America, the person that makes this 0:18:01.119 --> 0:18:04.639 country work. We do not see that person with contempt. 0:18:05.000 --> 0:18:07.840 We don't think that person doesn't have what it takes. 0:18:08.160 --> 0:18:10.320 We believe that person can be the best heat or 0:18:10.400 --> 0:18:13.600 she wants to be if certain things are just removed 0:18:13.600 --> 0:18:17.600 from their path, like onerous taxes, regulations, and too much government. 0:18:31.960 --> 0:18:35.639 This is my pleasure to introduce Well, I don't have 0:18:35.680 --> 0:18:38.480 to introduce him. Everybody in America knows who he is. 0:18:39.520 --> 0:18:41.760 And I'm proud to say that he's a friend not 0:18:41.920 --> 0:18:44.040 just of me, he's a friend of the russianan busshow 0:18:44.040 --> 0:18:46.960 and everyone that works with russ Sean Hannity Shan. Before 0:18:46.960 --> 0:18:49.560 I get into the what what I wanted to talk 0:18:49.560 --> 0:18:53.560 with you about, which is the events leading up to 0:18:53.640 --> 0:18:56.880 Rush being awarded the Medal of Freedom and your reaction 0:18:56.960 --> 0:18:58.560 to all that. But before that, I want to tell 0:18:58.600 --> 0:19:03.560 you a story. I ran into a gentleman about a 0:19:03.640 --> 0:19:08.160 year ago black guy in his forties, and I ended 0:19:08.240 --> 0:19:13.160 up hiring him to UH to do some work with 0:19:13.760 --> 0:19:17.960 a group that I had founded. He was a broadcaster 0:19:18.080 --> 0:19:20.919 at one point when he was very when he was 0:19:20.960 --> 0:19:24.720 in his thirties, he started a broadcast career. He was 0:19:24.760 --> 0:19:27.760 at a convention somewhere and there were or some gathering 0:19:27.800 --> 0:19:32.080 where there were a bunch of well known broadcasters, and 0:19:32.200 --> 0:19:36.600 he went seeking advice from these well known broadcasters. Every 0:19:36.640 --> 0:19:42.280 single one except one gave him the cold shoulder. The 0:19:42.359 --> 0:19:45.760 one person, he said, there was one guy who took 0:19:45.800 --> 0:19:48.240 the time to kind of explain some of the points 0:19:48.320 --> 0:19:51.800 of the business, give him advice on what he should 0:19:51.800 --> 0:19:57.000 be doing and how he could grow in terms of 0:19:57.040 --> 0:20:00.399 being a good broadcaster and also grow a show. And 0:20:00.440 --> 0:20:02.760 he said he would never forget it. And I'm talking 0:20:02.800 --> 0:20:05.679 to that guy right now, Sean Hannity, and this is 0:20:05.720 --> 0:20:08.359 tobably consistent with the human being that you are. You know, 0:20:08.640 --> 0:20:12.639 you have climbed to the heights of broadcasting both in 0:20:12.720 --> 0:20:16.480 television and radio. You were a househole name did you 0:20:16.560 --> 0:20:23.280 expect to become Sean Hannity. No, no, not, I'm laughing. 0:20:23.960 --> 0:20:26.639 And I can actually I can refer back to a 0:20:26.680 --> 0:20:33.240 conversation we had outside of a restaurant. Uh, it was 0:20:33.359 --> 0:20:36.960 very early on after we first met. You know, did 0:20:37.080 --> 0:20:41.320 I ever think I'd be success? No? Absolutely not. All 0:20:41.359 --> 0:20:46.080 I knew James Golden is that the first time I 0:20:46.480 --> 0:20:49.239 was for whatever reason, I was a kid and I 0:20:49.320 --> 0:20:52.480 listened to radio and my parents they weren't coming in 0:20:52.560 --> 0:20:54.880 my room that my and telling me to turn off 0:20:54.920 --> 0:20:57.240 the TV. My parents would come in the room turn 0:20:57.680 --> 0:21:03.479 that radio off. And in the early days of talk radio. Uh, 0:21:03.640 --> 0:21:06.199 sometimes I'd be listening to baseball games because I was 0:21:06.240 --> 0:21:09.520 a sports nut as a kid. And but then I 0:21:09.600 --> 0:21:12.760 heard the great pioneers of the world and all different people, 0:21:12.800 --> 0:21:16.800 all different perspectives, all different points of view, all different styles, 0:21:17.440 --> 0:21:20.240 and and Rush was the one though that took it 0:21:20.320 --> 0:21:24.440 to this whole other level. And the path was so 0:21:24.560 --> 0:21:28.879 wide that he forged it created opportunities for all of 0:21:29.000 --> 0:21:32.760 us that that came after him. You know, when I 0:21:32.800 --> 0:21:35.679 really think back on it, thirty three years in radio 0:21:35.760 --> 0:21:39.000 now and and twenty five years on Fox, I can 0:21:39.400 --> 0:21:43.000 I can pinch myself, but I still have that same 0:21:43.119 --> 0:21:47.159 feeling when that light went on that first day. I 0:21:47.240 --> 0:21:51.199 don't know what happened, but stuff came flying out of 0:21:51.240 --> 0:21:55.040 me because I had been so passionate listening to all 0:21:55.119 --> 0:21:59.800 of these guys late into the night, and I love politics. 0:22:00.200 --> 0:22:01.919 I just loved it. You know, it took me. It 0:22:01.960 --> 0:22:06.280 takes everybody time to develop their own style and and 0:22:06.359 --> 0:22:08.080 who they are in the type of show that they 0:22:08.080 --> 0:22:11.800 want to do. Um. There's actually a scene in Howard 0:22:11.840 --> 0:22:15.879 Stern's Private Parts where you know he's he's making the 0:22:16.040 --> 0:22:19.320 rounds and traveling from market to market. And you start 0:22:19.359 --> 0:22:22.000 out and you're like, and here's the check of the 0:22:22.119 --> 0:22:26.159 weather here on wwww, hazy hot and human high now 0:22:26.400 --> 0:22:30.720 seventy two degrees on wwww. I mean, we all sound 0:22:30.720 --> 0:22:33.840 like idiots when we start, but because you in your head, 0:22:33.880 --> 0:22:36.560 you're just trying to act like you're a broadcaster or 0:22:37.080 --> 0:22:40.479 how a broadcaster should sound. The one thing that I 0:22:40.520 --> 0:22:43.840 can tell you that is natural about broadcasting, and then 0:22:43.880 --> 0:22:46.680 I don't want to talk about me that much anymore. UM, 0:22:46.840 --> 0:22:51.120 is that for whatever reason, the minute the mic went on, 0:22:52.359 --> 0:22:56.760 I instinctively knew it took energy. Like my kids would 0:22:56.800 --> 0:22:58.680 say to me, Dad, why are you yelling? What? What? 0:22:58.680 --> 0:23:01.240 What are you doing? And I never really thought about 0:23:01.280 --> 0:23:03.439 it until they were pointing it out to me, but 0:23:03.680 --> 0:23:05.879 we're all blessed to do it. And for those of 0:23:05.960 --> 0:23:08.760 us that love it the way you do and I 0:23:08.800 --> 0:23:11.960 do and Rush did, it's just it's innate in a 0:23:12.000 --> 0:23:14.680 lot of ways. Yeah, And I just want to say 0:23:14.680 --> 0:23:17.760 something else. Two, because what the energy that you talk about. 0:23:17.880 --> 0:23:20.960 Not only is this common to radio, and everyone that 0:23:21.080 --> 0:23:24.360 sat behind the Mic and Donna show knows that at 0:23:24.400 --> 0:23:27.080 the end of a show where you have given it everything, 0:23:27.119 --> 0:23:30.640 you're exhausted. But then, Sean, you go on to do 0:23:30.680 --> 0:23:33.879 this five days a week and do television as well. 0:23:33.960 --> 0:23:37.719 And television is not an easy gig. You don't just 0:23:37.760 --> 0:23:41.760 sit there, open your mouth, run your mouth. And that's that. Know. 0:23:43.000 --> 0:23:46.040 My my day starts very early, and I'm I'm flashing 0:23:46.920 --> 0:23:50.639 ideas to both radio and TV all day long. And 0:23:50.640 --> 0:23:53.360 and actually radio is a heart medium. You only get 0:23:53.400 --> 0:23:56.240 to touch people's hearts. And people are going to determine 0:23:56.320 --> 0:23:59.080 if you they can spot a phony a mile away. 0:23:59.400 --> 0:24:01.840 But if you're being real and you're being yourself and 0:24:01.840 --> 0:24:07.560 you're being sincere, they know that you're genuine. Rush was genuine. 0:24:07.960 --> 0:24:12.919 I I just think eventually everybody's style begins to develop, 0:24:13.240 --> 0:24:16.800 and then the more you can be your real authentic self, 0:24:16.880 --> 0:24:21.240 the better you're gonna be. And that's Rush. I don't 0:24:21.240 --> 0:24:25.120 think Rush ever was anything other than Rush. When did 0:24:25.160 --> 0:24:27.960 you meet Rush? I met him. I don't know which 0:24:28.000 --> 0:24:31.399 one was first. And I met him once when Rush 0:24:31.520 --> 0:24:35.280 came to We had an event for our Atlanta affiliate 0:24:35.400 --> 0:24:39.400 at Spring Training down in Florida for the Atlanta Braves, 0:24:39.960 --> 0:24:42.159 and and he did a big event for this local 0:24:42.240 --> 0:24:45.199 station back then that I was on. And then I 0:24:45.280 --> 0:24:48.399 met him when I went up for the first time 0:24:48.440 --> 0:24:51.800 to the seventeen floor Twopen Plaza, or the E. I 0:24:51.880 --> 0:24:56.480 B Building as Rush would call it. And I just 0:24:57.000 --> 0:25:01.960 happened to meet with him randomly at that point, and 0:25:02.000 --> 0:25:04.399 he couldn't have been nicer. He knew who I was. 0:25:04.560 --> 0:25:08.080 He had done promos for me, as you know, don't 0:25:08.080 --> 0:25:10.919 forget Sean Hannity's on nine to Noon leading into me 0:25:11.000 --> 0:25:14.760 at noon on the Russia Lambus Show, and it was, 0:25:14.840 --> 0:25:18.280 you know, just cordial, nice professional. I saw how he worked. 0:25:18.720 --> 0:25:21.440 He used to have this this sort of pen where 0:25:21.480 --> 0:25:25.199 he would uh be able to cut out very quickly 0:25:25.320 --> 0:25:29.080 articles and newspapers, kind of old style way of prepping 0:25:29.960 --> 0:25:34.639 and one that I used even still today and just 0:25:34.640 --> 0:25:36.800 couldn't have been nicer. And then then when I finally 0:25:37.280 --> 0:25:40.439 got up to New York after Roger Als hired me 0:25:40.480 --> 0:25:43.280 at Fox, then I got a job. I was on 0:25:43.440 --> 0:25:47.639 late night on w ABC in New York and eleven 0:25:47.680 --> 0:25:51.560 and two after TV, and then eventually a year later, 0:25:51.560 --> 0:25:54.479 I got afternoon drive after Rush on his number one 0:25:54.520 --> 0:25:57.439 affiliate and his flagship in New York. So I'd be 0:25:57.560 --> 0:25:59.720 there doing my prep and I kind of like to 0:25:59.760 --> 0:26:02.359 talk to everybody. It got me ready for the show. 0:26:03.040 --> 0:26:05.040 And a lot of times I'd go in to say 0:26:05.080 --> 0:26:07.679 hi to you guys, because we all became friendly pretty quickly. 0:26:07.760 --> 0:26:12.000 And and I think you intimidated the daylights out of 0:26:12.000 --> 0:26:13.840 me when I first met you, because I'd watch you 0:26:14.080 --> 0:26:19.560 screen calls and while Rush was in in his studio 0:26:19.680 --> 0:26:22.400 with his real golden he I be Mike, you were 0:26:22.520 --> 0:26:26.359 in the control room, and I've never seen a show 0:26:26.400 --> 0:26:29.159 behind a show like what you used to do, and 0:26:29.240 --> 0:26:31.560 that is you would go to war with certain people 0:26:31.600 --> 0:26:36.000 that would call in and and it was I was shocked. 0:26:36.040 --> 0:26:38.040 I like, this is a whole other show. We should 0:26:38.080 --> 0:26:40.920 be running this show with the Russia Lumbus show. It 0:26:41.000 --> 0:26:44.359 was hilarious, and you and Joel Santista band used to 0:26:44.440 --> 0:26:46.840 do a show together that was a big success on 0:26:47.000 --> 0:26:50.359 w ABC, and it was just fun. I mean hanging 0:26:50.359 --> 0:26:53.719 out with you guys. We'd all smoked cigars and you know, 0:26:53.880 --> 0:26:57.520 just hang out, have fun. It was just a fun, 0:26:57.720 --> 0:27:02.960 fun environment to be sound. And and I you know, 0:27:03.000 --> 0:27:06.119 I feel blessed. I've been able to watch it unfold 0:27:06.160 --> 0:27:09.480 and watch Russia's success, and you know, my studio was 0:27:09.560 --> 0:27:12.919 next to his, and and then eventually you guys were 0:27:12.960 --> 0:27:16.000