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WILLIAMS: In a mere 20 years, you’ve helped end isolation of patriotic, liberty-loving Americans. We thought we were alone. Because of Excellence in Broadcasting Network and your message, we’ve learned that there are tens of millions of Americans like us. Congratulations, Rush, and hang in there until you convince every American on the moral superiority of personal liberty and its main ingredient: limited government. This is Walter E. Williams.
RUSH: Ha-ha! Walter Williams, sometimes guest host on the EIB Network. Thank you, Walter. I appreciate it.
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FLYNN: Rush, Vince Flynn here. Congrats on 20 years of making us think, reminding us that we have the power to shape our own destiny — and most importantly, for making us laugh. You’re the best. Here’s to another 20.
RUSH: Vince Flynn, noted thriller author, ladies and gentlemen. I told the staff, this stuff is going to get embarrassing. It does. It’s going to get embarrassing. It’s great and it’s nice, but it’s going to get embarrassing after awhile. You know I don’t like to be the focus of attention, Dawn. You know this.
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RUMSFELD: Hello, Rush. This is Don Rumsfeld. Congratulations to you. Twenty years on the air, my goodness, but it’s nice to see a young fellow like you just starting out. Rush, you’ve given literally millions of Americans a voice, and a strong voice it has been. The conservative cause, and I would argue our country as well, are much the better for it. You have my warmest congratulations. You have my great respect for your remarkable achievements. I want to join you and tens and thousands of friends in thanking you and wishing you very well. Please keep hard at it for the next 20 years and more. Best wishes.
RUSH: Wow! Wow! Donald Rumsfeld. You know, there is a guy — and we’ve talked about this numerous times. Here is a guy who devoted much of his life to public service, and he was around in the Gerald Ford administration working with Dick Cheney back in those days, he’s been at the Pentagon a number of times. He was vilified like George Bush has been vilified during the first four years, five years of the Bush administration. He was trying to modernize the Pentagon, but here is a guy who didn’t need it. He didn’t need the abuse that he was taking. He didn’t need the abuse that he was getting. He was president of a company called G. D. Searle when they developed and then rolled out a product called aspartame, or Equal. Rumsfeld has been successful at virtually everything that he has done, and I have the greatest admiration for him. In the face of just overwhelming personal criticism, as well as professional criticism, this guy is a genuine statesman, and he was working hard and oriented toward US national security, and there were people out to destroy him for it.
He hung in and was undeterred by it, which most people in his position are. But I think it’s something that most people can’t relate to, having that kind of an attack mounted on you consistently, and its express purpose it to destroy you. There are a lot of Republicans who have been through it, from Robert Bork, to Clarence Thomas, to George W. Bush, they know it’s part of the lay of the land when they take these jobs, and they still hung in there. Rumsfeld hung in there and did it, a genuine public servant. You hear about people doing public service, that was and still is, in his own way, Donald Rumsfeld. Thank you, sir, very much for that. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it and how surprised I was to hear it. They have not told me who these tributes and accolades aimed at me are going to be from all week. So I hear it the first time along with you.