RUSH: This is Mary in Allentown, Pennsylvania. We own Allentown, by the way, and I appreciate your patience. You’ve been waiting out there a long time.
CALLER: Rush, this is a dream of mine, so no problem waiting to be on the air with you.
RUSH: Thank you.
CALLER: I’ve been listening to you since I was five in the back seat of my mom’s station wagon, so this is a dream come true.
RUSH: Since you were five?
CALLER: I think so, probably about that.
RUSH: That makes you a Rush Baby.
CALLER: I’m a Rush Baby.
RUSH: You have your own babies now?
CALLER: Not yet. (Laughing.)
RUSH: Not yet — okay.
CALLER: But they’ll be Rush Babies someday, too, don’t worry. Up in Pennsylvania this week there has been big news — well, not really huge news — but Specter is running again for reelection in 2010, and since I was a big Toomey girl back in ’04 when he challenged him in the primary, I have two questions for you. Do you think Specter might be more vulnerable to a conservative challenge like Toomey in 2010, and also do you think a conservative like Pat Toomey could win in a general election after what happened to Santorum last year?
RUSH: Sure. Any of that’s possible. 2010, that’s three years away. You know, the 2008 election is going to have a tremendous impact on voter attitudes, and we don’t know what the impact is going to be because we don’t know what the outcome is going to be. But all of that is possible.
CALLER: Oh, I’m hoping that Pat Toomey gets back in the race because he was my congressman, and I just think he would make an awesome senator.
RUSH: Yeah, there are a lot of people who are looking back at that and saying, ‘Gee, I wish we’d have done something different,’ but these traditions in Washington, Republicans — they supported Linc Chafee, too, they supported Specter. It’s just the way things are. One thing’s going to change, though, if the Democrats — if, if, if — the Democrats are elected president, then, you know, all bets are off in terms of White House party loyalty to any sitting Republican Senator. Specter is going to be formidable, don’t misunderstand. I don’t mean to portray this as a cakewalk, but I’m saying that the in the realm of possibility, sure it’s possible. The questions that you asked.
CALLER: Well, I certainly hope that people in Pennsylvania wake up.
RUSH: Well, now, that is another thing. Pennsylvania is a Democrat state. It’s getting more and more so, but it can be won. Santorum has proven it. It can be won, but that state’s run by the Philadelphia machine.
CALLER: Oh, yeah.
RUSH: As you well know. Then the Pittsburgh machine coming in a close second there. You people in Allentown and some of the other conservative areas, you get dwarfed by them.
CALLER: Absolutely.
RUSH: Philadelphia, I hear they’re building a brand-new building, big building, modernized building, no flush toilets and all this sort of stuff. And the unions, ‘You can’t do that, why, if there’s no flush toilets in there, then what are our plumbers going to have to do?’ And, of course, the city said, ‘You know, that’s a great point.’ So they’re building the building with pipes that go nowhere that will just be there to be serviced by the plumbers. That’s the kind of power that the machine there has. There’s also a factor in Philadelphia, you don’t know what the Eagles are going to be doing in 2008. You don’t know where McNabb is going to be.
CALLER: (Laughing.)
RUSH: So there’s so many factors here. But my point, never, ever give up here. Don’t think that all is lost just because of an incident in the past or two like Toomey and Santorum. But the place to focus on so much here is not the Democrats — it’s are the Republicans going to get themselves in gear? If we get some elected conservative leadership, a lot of these trends that people fear can be reversed. I’ll just tell you this. We here at the EIB Network are going to be working to achieve and accomplish what you want: to get as much conservative elected leadership going to Washington as possible.
CALLER: I hope so. I’ll keep fighting the good fight up here in Pennsylvania.
RUSH: I’m sure. They say all politics is local. But hang in there. As a Rush Baby, you ought to be naturally positive.
CALLER: I’m trying. It’s hard sometimes, but I’m trying.
RUSH: I understand that, that’s why you should listen here at least 12 hours a week. Really only takes two hours a week to get the upbeat and good cheer nature possibility here, but the more the better. But just hang in there. I know it’s tough to stay optimistic, especially when you live in a place like Pennsylvania, Allentown, where you’re surrounded by all this stuff that doesn’t make any sense to you.
CALLER: Right.
RUSH: Like liberalism. But you’re not alone.
CALLER: Well, thank you, Rush. I’m glad you have my back.
RUSH: Yes. In a manner of speaking. Thanks so much, and I’m really glad you waited. I appreciate the call.
CALLER: Sure.
RUSH: You bet. Hang tough out there, folks.