Posted on 08/01/2008 5:57:33 PM PDT by silent_jonny
President & Mrs. Bush are spending the weekend at the family home in Kennebunkport, Maine. The President will return to the White House on Sunday before beginning his trip to Asia and to the Olympics in China next week.
Today President Bush surprised Rush Limbaugh with a live call to his radio show, congratulating him on his 20th anniversary. (Transcript & Audio)
Rush: What are...? (interruption) Interrupting for what?
President Bush: Hello!
Rush: Oh, jeez. The president?
President Bush: Rush Limbaugh?
Rush: Yes, sir, Mr. President.
President Bush: President George W. Bush calling to congratulate you on 20 years of important and excellent broadcasting.
Rush: Well, thank you, sir. You've stunned me! (laughing) I'm shocked. But thank you so much.
President Bush: That's hard to do.
Rush: (laughing) I know, it is.
Vice President Cheney also appeared on Rush’s show today in a pre-recorded greeting. (Transcript)
Vice President Cheney: Hello Rush. This is Dick Cheney. I'm a big fan of your show, as you know, and I'm sending good wishes to you as you mark your 20th year on the air.
Enjoy your visit to Sanity Island
Quote of the Day:
Rush Limbaugh: Have you heard what Senator Obama wants to do? He wants another stimulus check of a thousand dollars to every American paid for by the oil companies.
President Bush: Yeah. Well, what we ought to be doing is encouraging oil companies to find oil, and that's the best way to take the pressure off the gasoline prices.
Photo of the Day:
President Bush shows off his thigh after a bike ride in Kennebunkport, Maine, Friday August 1, 2008.
GOD President Bush thigh is muscluar
BTW I did hear that radio show on Rush that was so sweet
President Bush holds onto his thigh following a bike ride in Kennebunkport, Maine, Friday August 1, 2008.
RUSH: What are...? (interruption) Interrupting for what?THE PRESIDENT: Hello!
RUSH: Oh, jeez. The president?
THE PRESIDENT: Rush Limbaugh?
RUSH: Yes, sir, Mr. President.
THE PRESIDENT: President George W. Bush calling to congratulate you on 20 years of important and excellent broadcasting.RUSH: Well, thank you, sir. You've stunned me! (laughing) I'm shocked. But thank you so much.
THE PRESIDENT: That's hard to do.
RUSH: (laughing) I know, it is.
THE PRESIDENT: I'm here with a room full of admirers. There are two others that would like to speak to you and congratulate you, people who consider you friends and really appreciate the contribution you've made.
RUSH: Thank you, sir, very much. Put 'em on.
THE PRESIDENT: How you doing? This is my swan song? If this is all you got for me, I'm moving on.
RUSH: (laughing) No! The show's yours; take as much time as you want.
President Bush 43 and President Bush 41 wave from their boat in the waters near the family’s home in Kennebunkport, Maine, August 24, 2006.
THE PRESIDENT: Well, I'm just calling along with President 41 and the former governor of Florida. We're fixing to have lunch here, and I said, "Listen, we ought to call our pal and let him know that we care" for you. So this is as much as anything, a nice verbal letter to a guy we really care for.RUSH: Well, thank you, sir, very much. I'm overwhelmed. I can't tell you how much I appreciate this and how much you've surprised me.
THE PRESIDENT: Well, that was the purpose of the phone call.
RUSH: (laughter) You succeeded.
THE PRESIDENT: Good.
RUSH: They were waving at me trying to tell me you were on the line, and I didn't know what was going on. So you succeeded here in the surprise. How are you doing, sir?
THE PRESIDENT: I am great. We're doing very good, thank you very much, sir. Concerned about our economy, obviously, but know we need to be drilling for some oil and gas in order to take the pressure off the gas prices -- and I'm pleased with the progress in Iraq.
I did?
BTW I just have a thought do you realize this going be last August the MSN Media be sweating under hot Texas sun in middle of August
HA HA I going miss those days
Would be that something if Senator McCain if he win decided spent his summer vacation in hot Arizona in middle of August
You think the b***hing happen now wait till if Senator McCain become President that going be awsome
THE PRESIDENT: Yeah. Well, what we ought to be doing is encouraging oil companies to find oil, and that's the best way to take the pressure off the gasoline prices. We're on a very strong push to get the Congress to allow for there to be offshore drilling, and most Americans understand now that an increase in oil, particularly here in America, will help take pressure off of price. And I tell people I'd rather, you know, be buying American oil instead of sending our money overseas.
RUSH: You know, Mr. President, it's amazing. In 2004 during your campaign, Senator Kerry was constantly criticizing you for not "jawboning" with the Saudis enough to bring the price of oil down. Now, four years later, they're doing everything they can to keep the price from coming down. They apparently want it to remain high.
THE PRESIDENT: Well, they may want to, but the American people want to see some relief. It would be like a massive tax cut when the gasoline prices decline. So we're in times of economic uncertainty and the more money people have in their pockets the quicker we'll be able to recover, in my judgment. You asked how I'm doing. My spirits are high; I'm going to finish strong. I love my family and I'm spending two days here with mother and dad before I head overseas.
RUSH: Well, that's right. You've got China on your agenda.
THE PRESIDENT: I do. But listen, President 41. You might remember him.
RUSH: I do. (laughing) Yes, I do. We all do.
THE PRESIDENT: You know what? He remembers you.
RUSH: Good.
THE PRESIDENT: Fondly, I might add. Anyway, here he is. Congratulations.
RUSH: Thank you, sir, very much, again.
THE PRESIDENT: Yes, sir.
BUSH 41: Hey, Rush?RUSH: Mr. President, sir.
BUSH 41: How are you doing?
RUSH: I am never better. I'm so glad that you three called me. I'm stunned here. It's great to hear from you.
BUSH 41: I've got some advice for you.
RUSH: Tell me.
BUSH 41: Slow down your backswing.
RUSH: (laughing)
BUSH 41: (laughing) That's what I'm doing is giving advice. I remember playing with you and enjoying it. How are you?
RUSH: I'm great.
BUSH 41: Proud of you, always.
RUSH: Well, thank you. I'm doing great. And you? You're looking well, too.
BUSH 41: Well, yeah. I'm kind of on the sidelines, but I can't do golf and all that stuff anymore. But life is good. It's wonderful, and it's great having the family up here in Maine, and all is well. Do you see our man Ailes at all?
RUSH: Oh, yeah. I saw Roger at Tony Snow's funeral.
BUSH 41: Oh, did you?
RUSH: And a couple of times earlier this summer.
Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., and former President George H.W. Bush, left, hold a joint news conference at the Bush family home in Kennebunkport, Maine, Monday, July 21, 2008.
BUSH 41: Are we on the radio, are we?RUSH: (laughing)
BUSH 41: I didn't know that. I'll clean up my act here. I'm glad they told me.
RUSH: Yeah, we're on the radio.
BUSH 41: It's wonderful talking to you, I'll tell you.
RUSH: Thank you, sir. Same here.
BUSH 41: Wait a minute, Jeb -- Governor Jeb -- wants to speak to you.
RUSH: That's great.
BUSH 41: We've got the whole family lined up.
RUSH: Put him on.
BUSH 41: All Limbaugh fans. Just a sec. Here.
JEB: Hey, Rush, congratulations on your longevity.RUSH: Thank you, sir, very much. This is a thrill.
JEB: One of the highlights, one of the great things about your show is it's broadcast in the Sunshine State, for which a whole lot of Floridians are very grateful, including me.
RUSH: It's a great place to live, governor. It really is, as you well know.
JEB: We've got a few challenges, but it's not a bad place at all.
RUSH: What's your future? What are you going to do?
JEB: I'm staying below the radar. That's what I'm doing. I love policy, and I have an education policy to try to help folks that are running for office be bold on education reform, which I think is a huge challenge and a great opportunity for our country. So my political stuff is really focused on that, which I love.
RUSH: Well, good. Keep at it, because if there's something that needs reform in this country, it's certainly that.
JEB: Absolutely.
RUSH: Particularly public education. Well, thank you guys so much. This is unexpected and a real honor for me to hear from all of you guys at the same time.
JEB: All right. Take care.
RUSH: Thanks, sir, very much.
JEB: Bye-bye.
RUSH: Wow. And as I was saying... As I was saying... (laughing) Anyway, we gotta go to commercial break. See, folks, I got a note from a friend -- a little instant message flash -- right before the program started that said, "You're going to have so much fun this afternoon."
I said, "Yeah. The thing is, I'm sure there are going to be lots of surprises, and I don't know what they are, and they always make me nervous."
When they were waving their arms, they had given me a written note on the computer monitor here: "President's on the line! President's on the line!" and I was looking at my story here talking about Obama and his stupid idiot idea for Big Oil to give everybody a check for a thousand bucks.
There may be only two photos today but they are dandies...especially the photo of the day...woohoo!
Vice President Cheney: Hello Rush. This is Dick Cheney. I'm a big fan of your show, as you know, and I'm sending good wishes to you as you mark your 20th year on the air. This great achievement testifies to your hard work and to the high standard of excellence that's become your trademark. You are without question one of the great names in broadcasting history. I'm proud to know you, proud to call you a friend, and I look forward to listening for many years to come. Congratulations. Keep up the great work.Rush: Ah, this is cool. I just get goose bumps as I hear these accolades and these tributes…. Thank you, Mr. Vice President. I appreciate it more than you know.
Hey everyone~~ I know Ruth and her family. I can't tell you how much it meant to Ruth that he did stop. Most of the pics posted here were taken by her daughter-in-law with a disposable camera. This was truly a “a spur of the moment” stop for Bush. The only “planning” that happened was when they found out the night before that he was attending a fund-raiser in the neighborhood and the daughter in law “planned” on making the sign because it was Ruth's 91st birthday. She said that they had nothing to lose that it would be fun and that if the President would just wave to Ruth as he drove by then that was good enough.You would have to know the daughter in law to realize that doing something like this is so NOT out of character for her to do. They put the sign in the yard and lined up lawn chairs to watch the motorcade go by. They were all just excited to be able to be this close to the President. When Bush drove by he did see the sign and waved at them. They thought this was the end of it and were thrilled. They stayed outside to watch all the activity and to wait for him to come back out. The neighborhood is a closed in one-street deal that is backed up by woods. Easy for the secret service to contain security wise. Only one way in or out.
When the motorcade passed by again the President's car stopped right in front of them and he got out and walked over to Ruth and sat next to her. That's how it all went down. President Bush had nothing to gain by doing this as his days in office are limited. He did it because he is a wonderful human being. The reason the press was with him was because he had given an award to a woman and toured a facility in Euclid already. I think someone here already mentioned that. I'm going to miss President Bush.
[Jonny note: As some may remember, I made a silly comment on the Wednesday Dose about Kathy bearing a resemblence to David Lee Roth (LOL—yeah I know. I’ve seen too many Van Halen videos :-/) Anyway, Kathy was very forgiving about that and also demonstrated that she has a GREAT sense of humor!]
LOL, I'm glad you liked it ;)
JONNY!
Fun thread today, Jonny. Thanks for all the smiles.
President George W. Bush is looking great , and sprinting to the finish of his presidency. Great pics!
I guess that Unpopularpresidentbush - always said as one word by the Press corps - has paparazzi even in Maine.
You're very welcome :)
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