Secret Is Out: RUSH Helps McCain

RushLimbaugh.com ^ | February 14, 2008 | Rush Limbaugh

[Yosemitest]

Secret Is Out: Rush Helps McCain
February 14, 2008

BEGIN TRANSCRIPT

RUSH: The Drive-By Media, ladies and gentlemen, two days later is still fascinated with my claim that I am actually the greatest asset Senator McCain has. Because were I to endorse him -- said I -- it would send all the moderates and the independents and the liberals that are supporting him scurrying away, such is their dislike, their hate, their loathing for me. So this is being discussed still on the cable shows.
Morning Joe today, Joe Scarborough had Mary Matalin on as a guest on the phone. Scarborough said,

"You agree with Rush that it's the moderates and not the conservatives that are really embracing McCain right now?"
MATALIN: Rush is a genius. He's a genius on philosophy, he's a genius on policy, but most importantly, he's a genius on being able to communicate difficult ideas and make them accessible to people.
And it bears repeating, something the mainstream press doesn't seem to understand. He reflects his audience, which is highly informed and active and curious, and they participate in this process. He does not direct them.
If Rush did endorse him then all the moderates and independents who don't listen to him and don't understand what he's about would have a knee-jerk reaction. He's just a genius.

RUSH: (laughter) Mary Matalin. She wasn't through. She kept plowing on.

MATALIN: He's helping McCain in a very significant way, which is while McCain is regrouping, and he got a really good start at CPAC.
You were there, Joe. It was a great event. And he did a great job starting to rally and unite and articulate core conservative principles and the policies that would flow from them. Rush keeps informing people and making them understand what those principles are the policies that would be better for this country.
So he's a huge help to McCain every conceivable way.

RUSH: The secret's getting out. You know, the secret's
-- once the secret's out it's not a secret. When you have a marketing plan, you don't tell people about it because they prepares 'em. You just execute it. I gotta come up with another marketing plan here to stay a couple steps ahead of the game.
They also discussed whether I'm secretly helping McCain on Chatsworth Osborne, Jr.'s show on DNCTV. He was talking to another guy, Joe Mathieu, a radio host. They had in exchange about moi.

CARLSON: Rush Limbaugh -- who I think is a really talented guy, a witty guy -- lost control of himself a couple of weeks ago on the question of John McCain. Got hysterical and hissy on the air. It would destroy the Republican Party if McCain's the nominee.
Now that McCain essentially is the nominee, here is what Rush Limbaugh is saying -- which I don't buy for a second. Quote:
"If I really wanted to torpedo McCain," (boy screams)
"I would endorse him, because that would send the independents and liberals that are going to vote for him running away faster than anything.
What people don't realize is, I'm doing McCain the biggest favor that could be done for him by staying out.
If I endorse him thoroughly, with passion, that would end the independents and moderates because they so despise me, they so hate me."

That is quite a narcissistic view about the electoral system -- it's all about Rush Limbaugh, but -- do you think that's true?

MATHIEU: I actually think there's a certain amount of truth to that, especially as maybe he was just saying, how important the independent vote will be for Senator McCain in a general election.

RUSH: There you go. So the radio host sets Chatsworth Osborne, Jr. straight. (interruption)
See, this is the thing. This came up last Friday, maybe it was Monday. I went to the little riff here on all this criticism.
I don't take it personally. You can't. There's just too much of it. I don't give people that kind of power over my feelings. I am not going to sit here and take all this criticism personally. I have been criticized over 20 years more than your average presidential candidate in one campaign cycle! You can't take it personally.
So "this little twit," according to Snerdley (that's what he called him in the IFB just now), called me narcissist.
See, what happened in that conversation, Dawn and everybody said... (
Oh, by the way, Dawn, I gotta tell you. Dawn sent me a humidifier. They got so alarmed when I said that I was going to put a pot of boiling water on the stove here to keep the apartment humidified during the cold weather up here so I didn't lose my voice like I did last time, they sent me a humidifier. Dawn did it, but she signed Snerdley and Brian's name to the card. I know they had nothing to do with it.
(laughing) Well, yeah, you bought doughnuts, but yip yip yip yip yahoo.)
So, anyway, Snerdley, they said last week when I was going through this riff about I don't take things personally, said,
"Well, we take it personally for you."
So he listens to Chatsworth Osborne, Jr., call me a narcissist, or narcissistic and ego-driven and demands that I respond to this.
"How dare this little guy?"
Snerdley, it's not... I would have already been through the next sound bite by now, if you hadn't interrupted me on this, and the audience will agree with me. I get e-mails:
"You tell Snerdley to quit interrupting you!"
So, anyway, Chris Matthews. Let's see. He can't buy my McCain theory, either. This is what he said. MATTHEWS: Is Rush Limbaugh actually John McCain's best buddy secretly, his saving grace, his biggest booster?
Sort of, at least according to Rush himself. Here he is, the man on the radio.
RUSH ARCHIVE: If I really wanted to torpedo McCain, I would endorse him
-- if I wanted to torpedo McCain
-- because that would send the independents and liberals that are going to vote for him running away faster than anything.
What people don't realize is, I'm doing McCain the biggest favor could be done for him, by staying out of this. If I endorsed him thoroughly, with passion, that would end the independents and moderates, 'cause they so despise me and they so hate me.

MATTHEWS: I love the way he lowered his voice there:

"They so despise me."
Anyway, still something tells me that John McCain right now would gladly like nothing more than a Rush Limbaugh big, fat endorsement.

RUSH: So Chris Matthews not buying my secret plan, and neither did Chatsworth Osborne, Jr.
One more, before we go to the break.
This is John King. (Is this right?) It was CNN's election center. The anchor is Campbell Brown, there's a panel discussion now. Larry Elder, Jeffrey Toobin, and John King about me and McCain. And Campbell Brown says,

"You know, the talk radio issue, there was enormous anger coming from that crowd toward McCain. Are they that influential?"

ELDER: There's Rush Limbaugh and then there's everybody else in terms of influence.

TOOBIN: I just think the talk radio thing is more a symptom of the personality disorders of the talk radio hosts.

ELDER: Hey! Hey! Hey!

TOOBIN: Rather than -- present company excluded.

ELDER: Let's take it outside.

ELDER: No, no, no. I'm fine with you.

BROWN: Isn't in their interest to be against whoever, whether John McCain or a Democrat in the White House?

TOOBIN: They're trying to show how important they are, rather than trying to affect a policy debate. I don't think they matter very much.

KING: They thrive on conflict. The conversations are under way. Friends of Rush Limbaugh, who are friendly with John McCain started the conversations.

BROWN: Is there going to be a summit?

TOOBIN: That's right.

KING: They're beginning the quiet diplomacy with them.

TOOBIN: That's right.

KING: You watch. John McCain is going to show up on these shows in the next weeks and months.

RUSH: Whoa!
Is this happening, H.R.? Snerdley is no doubt, after listening to this bite, seething over Jeffrey Toobin saying,
"They're just trying to show how important they are, rather than trying to affect the policy debate."
I don't know if Toobin read the TIME piece.
But even if he reads the TIME piece, he will ignore what I said and stick with his narrative and template, which is 180 degrees wrong.
John King, what did he say here?
"Conversations are underway. Friends of Limbaugh, friends with McCain have started the conversations. They're beginning quiet diplomacy."
I can tell you, ladies and gentlemen: if this is happening, I am unaware of it.
Well, it's possible we've been infiltrated, and there might be people claiming to be my friends who aren't my friends; talking to McCain's friends.
I don't know, but I don't know anything about it.

BREAK TRANSCRIPT

RUSH: George Skelton, who writes for the LA Times from Sacramento, the headline is really all you need to hear on this LA Times story. "Heading Starboard Could Sink McCain in California."

Going left was the most promising route in California, McCain better stay to the port. He goes starboard, he embraces Limbaugh, it's over in California. He's not going to win California anyway.
This is my point.
Let's say I went out to California, I have reasons to go there, and lets say I endorsed McCain, that would kill him in California because the independents and Democrats that were going to vote for him,
"Not now. Not that Limbaugh is on his side, no way."
It could be fun.

Curt in East Bay of San Francisco.
Hi. Nice to have you on the program, sir.

CURT: Well, thanks, Rush.
Mega dittos from the California Republican.

RUSH: Thank you, sir.

CALLER: I have two points.
For one of the few times that I know of since listening to your show, conservative talk radio and most of the mainstream media have a common goal, and that is the demise of the Clintons and Hillary Clinton's presidential run. That's my first point.
And the second point is,
a few years ago you said that candidates that Bill Clinton endorses generally lose.
I'm going to hang up and listen to your reply. Thanks, Rush.

RUSH: I did say that, but what do you want to know about that?
Wow, that's the fastest hang-up of somebody who wasn't mad that I can remember.
He doesn't help.
Look, he hasn't helped her. He's created all kinds of problems in South Carolina, now he's back in Waukesha, Wisconsin, and didn't look happy in the crowd.
As to the Drive-Bys and talk radio being on the same page, anti-Hillary, I've not made up my mind on that.
In terms of if you're going to express a preference on the Democrat side, who would you rather run against and then who would you rather have as president, Obama or Hillary,
I know that there's a lot of people that would just celebrate the demise of the Clintons, whenever it happens, the sooner the better. Get 'em outta here, it would be happy days.
The Drive-Bys may like Obama right now, but I will guarantee you if Hillary becomes the nominee, the love fest will kick back in gear full speed ahead because they're not going to end up touting our side.

BREAK TRANSCRIPT

RUSH: Doug, Fayetteville, North Carolina, nice to have you, sir. Welcome to the EIB Network.

CALLER: Sir, I appreciate you taking my call very much.

RUSH: Thank you, sir.

CALLER: By the way, I love your promos. They're great.
I was wondering, something I've been asking people and I haven't gotten a good answer from anybody about, so I thought I would ask you, it concerns McCain.
For years he's been the media darling, the maverick, he goes against his own party, they love each other.
And my question was, if he becomes president, then he's no longer going to be a maverick, he's going to be the establishment. And what's going to happen when all of a sudden the media turn against him because he's no longer the lovable maverick that they've had before.

RUSH: Well, I think that might happen before he wins the presidency or is inaugurated. It depends.
But if he wants to hold on to the maverick label, it would be simple as pie to do it, especially if he wins the White House, it would be easy. We talked about this yesterday.
You have to think, just based on voter enthusiasm -- I hope this is not true. This is conventional wisdom right now, but even the Republicans whose business it is to calculate these things, will tell you that the Democrat majorities in the House and Senate are going to increase.
Right now they're pretty narrow and they can't get a lot done, plus they got Bush vetoing things but they're going to have a bigger margin. All they need is 60 votes in the Senate. If they get up to 53 to 55 Senators, they're going to have four or five liberal Republicans that will join 'em to get to 60.
The House majority, Nancy Pelosi says if Obama wins, he's a going to bring 75 new seats to the House for Democrats.
If all that happens, McCain's going to have no choice but than to work with the Democrats, because all presidents want to get things done.
And unfortunately today, you define getting things done by the number of bills you pass in a bipartisan way and how much you advance the liberal agenda. That's how getting things done is defined.

All presidents want to be thought of as,

"I got it done."
McCain's going to find it so easy to continue being maverick, just agree with the Democrats. He's going to practically have no choice, if these projections are right.
I don't see any problem for him holding onto the maverick status. It's this particular stage leading up to the convention, at the convention, and then on to the general election, that's where he's
-- in fact, let's go to sound bites. I got a couple sound bites.
Ron Reagan -- I'm not going to play the sound bite.
Ron Reagan was on Larry King Alive last night, and Larry King Alive is back to his old tricks, talking about people like me as wackos. He asks Ron Reagan what his dad's version of the wackos today might be. Ron Reagan gives his answer, but he does say,
"Look, if McCain starts naming cabinet members to mollify the right wing of his party, i.e., the base, a lot of independents are going to look at that and say, 'I don't want any part of this.'"
So Ron Reagan, thinking that he's agreeing with Larry King that I'm a wacko, is essentially agreeing with my secret plan to not endorse McCain because, were I to do that, I'd drive independents and liberals away from McCain just like Ron Reagan thinks a conservative cabinet or vice president would do the same thing.

Later on in the program, they brought in James Carville, and Larry King said,

"James, most of the time politicians win the nomination and they run to the center. Does McCain run to the center?"
Now Larry, I know you got a distinguished career, but McCain is already at the center, and he's got a tip-toe or two on the left.
Look at this. Everybody's talking about McCain's conservative rating, conservative voting record, lifetime voting record, and he touted as an 82 on conservative issues.
Well, Ann Coulter ran the math. His rating in 2006 was 65. Jon Kyl from Arizona in 2006 was 97. In the past ten years only four Republicans have had a lower conservative rating than McCain: Lincoln Chafee, Susan Collins, Olympia Snowe, and the maverick Arlen Specter.
But the past two, three years McCain has not been anywhere near the top of the ranking in conservative votes in the Senate. You have to go and take his whole Senate career and average it out to get that 80 number.
But the last ten years he hasn't been that. So he's at the center, Larry, anyway. Anyway, here's Carville's answer to this idiotic question.
CARVILLE: I don't know, 51% in Virginia is a pathetic number.
And I mean I don't say that as a Democrat. Virginia is typically a very orderly state.
I think the brief between McCain and the conservatives is real, and it's not just Washington or the radio talk show people. Those conservatives out in the hinterland don't much care for McCain and I suspect he doesn't much care for them either.

RUSH: Carville is on to something. He may be irritating now and then, but he's not stupid.
He knows it's not just conservative talk radio McCain has a problem with. There are people
-- he refers to them as the hinterland. I refer to it as the place where the people that make the country work live. But he's at least right about that.

END TRANSCRIPT

Read the Background Material...

• TIME: Rush Limbaugh on Media, McCain & Conservatives - Jay Carney

• CNN: Limbaugh: I'm McCain's 'Most Valuable Asset'

• LA Times: Heading Starboard Could Sink McCain in California - George Skelton

*Note: Links to content outside RushLimbaugh.com usually become inactive over time.

[Mr. Silverback]

Oh, it can get worse. Wait until Obama’s the C-in-C and they nuke a city or two.

[TigersEye]

Wow...really classy, and weren't you just complaining about McCain supporters insulting you?

I give what I get. Is that what you're whining about now?

I've shown that the article falsely accuses him of collaboration and you are going to keep using it?

No you didn't. You just stated that the author was not credible based on the title of another book he wrote.

Oh, now I can tell how grown up and principled you are!

We already saw how you measure up.

Second, why do you think you get to have it both ways? You said I can't criticize you for including the Kidd article on the list because I knew more about her than you, but when you found out that I didn't know more, that was another bad thing. So, am I only allowed to comment if I know exactly as much about Devvy Kidd as you?

I think you are going to have to sort out your own internal hypocrisies.

I've just seen that your sloppy approach means it's not worth my time to pick and choose which ones are accurate and which aren't.

Fine. Move on. I'll let others do what they want with my links and your BS.

"With pathetic logic skills like that I wouldn't hire you to scoop dog poop."

Well, that's not on my list of services anyway. No loss.

And no big mess in my back yard. lol

Why don't you go ahead and answer this question: If he was giving the Vietnamese vital info, why was he writing about it in a national magazine a few years later?

Who can say what his motives were? I didn't speculate on it. Why won't he let his service record be made public?

The War Secrets Sen. John McCain Hides

"For example, all the Pentagon debriefings of the prisoners who returned from Vietnam are now classified and closed to the public under a statute enacted in the 1990s with McCain's backing. He says this is to protect the privacy of former POWs and gives it as his reason for not making public his own debriefing. But the law allows a returned prisoner to view his own file or to designate another person to view it. APBnews.com has repeatedly asked the senator for an interview for this article and for permission to view his debriefing documents. He has not responded."

[RobbyS]

Relax! Aren’t Hil and Barry promising to give it all back to you—along with fiity million OTHER senior citizens?

[TigersEye]

Throwing a tantrum is not an expression of principles. Dealing with reality in the way that best advances or preserves what you stand for is.

You MUST have meant this post for yourself. LMAO

[roamer_1]

1. I just think that if you're going to compare the public schools to the Taliban forcing radical Islam on people, you should be able to say you did something about it when it comes to your own kids.

You simply attempt to redirect the conversation to my faults, rather than address the Republicans' dishonor and ineffectiveness. It is not those few parents that are willing and able to provide more for their children that are the problem. It is the effect of that indoctrination on the vast majority, who have no time or no money to invest into their children. That is the fault of the indoctrinators, not the parents, and the Republicans are complicit in that regard, at least by their inaction.

2. Some do, others whine. Which group do you fit in?

For the record, I paid for up to 7 years of Christian education for my four children, until illness caused me to be unable to provide it financially. Tuition for four children in a Christian school is no small commitment to the principles involved.

But I also know the other side of that coin. My children are in public school because I literally have no other choice. In my experience, your position is high handed and critical of those who can do no better. A poor position to stand upon, for what it is worth.

[Yosemitest]

I'm bettin' on it gettin' worse,
and I'm bettin' on the backlash to conservatism!!!

[Mr. Silverback]

I give what I get. Is that what you're whining about now?

Oh my...describing you as a member of the suicide squad really got under your skin didn't it?

No you didn't. You just stated that the author was not credible based on the title of another book he wrote.

Uh-huh. OK, imagine that you once left the scene of an accident, but did so because you were rushing a passenger to the hospital and they would never survive if you waited around for a cop. Later, you become famous and write about the incident in your best-selling memoir. Now, imagine that later in life, someone writes an article called "TigersEye left the scene of an accident," never mentions your passenger (even quoting the account you wrote, but omitting any mention of the real reason you left) and cites a bunch of unnamed sources saying you were drunk, and a guy who says he took photos of you drunk at the wheel but unfortunately he can't produce the photos.

Do you feel like that would be an honorable thing for them to do? Would they be a good reporter? Would their article be a good source? Would someone be wise to put any stock in it or describe it as part of your "record?" And even if your account wasn't true (I don't doubt McCain's, because of Bud Day and other witnesses) wouldn't they still be liars or incompetents?

Tap dance all you want, but one of my business professors kept a giant "B.S." stamp on his desk just for students who approached sourcing like you do.

[Twink]

I don’t think that’s it. I can’t stand McCain. The one thing he has going for him, as far as my vote, is he seems honest on the WOT and the War in Iraq and Afghanistan. But I don’t even trust him on that, but trust him more than Hillary or Obama. Maybe that’s what worrying people. My Dad was WWII vet and couldn’t stand McCain. I wonder if he’d vote for him if he were alive. Something tells me he would, especially over hillary or obama, but not sure.

This Vet, former POW, has done nothing to secure our borders during this time of war, and even co-sponsored Amnesty this year. He also is against whatever it takes during interrogations. He makes it so hard to support him, imo.

I’m not for making a point or taking a stand with my vote. I don’t trust McCain on anything. I think he’s nuts. I also think Hillary and Obama are nuts. And I know they hate our military and our country. I don’t think McCain hates our military (and I know many in our military or former military who can’t stand him). It’s a tough decision for some of us (well not really, because when it comes down to it, I could NEVER vote for hillary or obama and I could vote for McCAin).

It just sucks that this is what we have, on both sides, for POTUS.

Great analogy. I wouldn’t have liked FDR either, and my parents couldn’t stand him and never voted for him. But, yeah, FDR v. Carter, it would be FDR. McCain is maybe our FDR, sucked at domestic policy was was competent on foreign and great during the War. You may have just made it easier for me to vote for him. I still think he’s going to lose in a landslide against either hillary or obama. I hope I’m wrong.

[Seaplaner]

"Is there such a [VEEP] candidate?" Actually, this might make a good vanity post question.

Right now, I'd have to recommend John Boehner, but I'm sure there are many good potential VEEPS with genuinely conservative bona fides.

[Mr. Silverback]

You MUST have meant this post for yourself. LMAO

Aw, that's so cute how you sling the words "***hole" and "GFY" around and I'm the angry one. My son used to do that when he was a toddler, throw a tantrum and, when told to calm down, scream "NO, YOU CALM DOWN!!"

Charming, really...if you're three years old.

[Mr. Silverback]

You simply attempt to redirect the conversation to my faults, rather than address the Republicans' dishonor and ineffectiveness.

I stand by what I wrote, and I'm the last person to let either party off the hook for the condition of public schools.

It is the effect of that indoctrination on the vast majority, who have no time or no money to invest into their children.

You're the one who said we were talking about your kids.

That is the fault of the indoctrinators, not the parents, and the Republicans are complicit in that regard, at least by their inaction.

So are the Dems, so be sure and get one elected President this fall and pat yourself on the back for being a good citizen.

For the record, I paid for up to 7 years of Christian education for my four children, until illness caused me to be unable to provide it financially. Tuition for four children in a Christian school is no small commitment to the principles involved.

Good for you. Maybe you should have said that when I first asked what you had done about it.

In my experience, your position is high handed and critical of those who can do no better.

Actually, you're the first person I've criticized on this issue, and I did so because you're (a willing to put Barack Obama in charge of my friend's lives and (b quick to direct the conversation to the inadquacies of pols rather than defend the silliness of your abdication as a citizen.

I wish you well, but at least those kids of yours have a Dad. I have friends who will be commanded by a military-hating moron if you get your way and their kids may welcome them home in a box. I'm not going to be able to dig deep enough to find respect or sympathy for people who are going to make that reality more likely because of some ideological spat.

[Mr. Silverback]

I'm bettin' on it gettin' worse, and I'm bettin' on the backlash to conservatism!!!

Don't bet on it. Carter got us a Reagan after one term, but Johnson and Clinton didn't.

[Mr. Silverback]

I don’t think McCain hates our military (and I know many in our military or former military who can’t stand him).

Oh, I'm sure he doesn't. I'm also sure he's made enemies, not just because he's a something of a hothead but because he's a naval aviator and most of them have huge egos...plus, sadly some of my fellow Air Force vets back in McCain's day considered the Navy to be right behind the Soviet Union on the enemies list.

[Mr. Silverback]

You may have just made it easier for me to vote for him.

Glad to help...I know this sucks, a lot. I'm not a fan of his either, but it is what it is and it's time to stop the Dems.

[Mr. Silverback]

I’d like to see someone with excellent economic chops, because that really is McCain’s weak area.

[TigersEye]

Tap dance? LOL You present a hypothetical where all the knowns are given at the outset. That isn't comparable, in an adult mind, to the stories written by McCain or his detractors. In the real world the whole truth isn't a given and one has to look at everything they can and make a judgment.

But I haven't made any judgments, as you have accused me of, I have just put up the stories I have found.

You can't really run away from your insulting characterizations by laughingly speculating that it got under my skin. You started out being a jerk, like McCain, and that is just a simple fact.

[Walkingfeather]

Huh? you think McCain would be any better commander in chief? The man is a hot headed @ss. Is he better than obama and hitlery? probably but how much better, probably negligible. Vote for him, but dont condemn me and others because they are not willing to compromise their values as you have.

[TigersEye]

Tap dance all you want, but one of my business professors kept a giant "B.S." stamp on his desk just for students who approached sourcing like you do.

I'll bet he wasn't dumb enough to apply it on works his students didn't submit or didn't claim was theirs.

[TigersEye]

I’m not for making a point or taking a stand with my vote.

Neither am I. People who assume that I am and insult me for it are just immature.

I don’t trust McCain on anything. I think he’s nuts.

So do I and that is the reason I'm not voting for him. If people don't like my reasoning that's too bad.

[TigersEye]

Yeah, I bet your three year old claimed he wasn’t the first one to do it too. Fruit doesn’t fall far from the tree.