“Rush made a big deal about this “
I heard that. He was getting in touch with his inner Ayn Rand, who notoriously regarded charity as unimportant.
Back in the 2008 campaign, Rush would often speak of how it appeared that McCain's heart wasn't in the race. I distinctly remember Rush, on several occasions, using the phrase, "drag him across the finish line."
I guess it wasn't a bad thing back then.