BRETT: Hi, Rush. This is your friend George Brett from Kansas City. Congratulations on 20 years of helping so many of us out here in the country. I know we go back to the late seventies, about 30 years ago when you had that very important job of who was going to throw out the first pitch and sing the National Anthem at Royal games; and every once in a while might have sold some tickets to a group. But you’ve come a long way. It’s been great being your friend and cherish the things that you’ve taught me and the times that we’ve shared together, and can’t wait to see you again, pal. Hope you have another 20 years. And, as my brother told me when he found out you got that new contract, he said, ‘George, see what happens when you read, and you kind of understand things?’ My heart goes out to you, pal. I’m proud of you. I’m proud to call you friend, and I look forward to seeing you again in the very near future, pal. Congratulations on 20 wonderful years on radio.RUSH: Now, this is another thing. They won’t tell me who they’ve got for their little greetings. I cannot worm it out of any of them. There are 23, maybe 25 of these through the week. That’s four a day. So we’re not going to pound every break here with these. In fact, I’d forgotten we were going to run these. When I heard this today, ‘Oooh!’ I picked up and Brian started shouting at me so I can look at the transcribed screen so I could understand everything that Brett said. Thank you, George. There’s another guy.We all joke about my days at the Royals, but (sigh) those were lonely days, and some of my closest friends today come from those years, and it’s sort of… Well, it’s a little emotional to hear these people say these things after the unkind teasing they gave me when I was there. (laughter) Of course, it was all in good fun. (laughter) It got so bad I refused to go to the locker room for two home stands. I just refused to go down there. I refused to go, and my job required me to go. I told them, ‘I’m not going down there. I can’t put up with it,’ and finally George and his brother Ken came up to my office and said, ‘We miss you down there. What’s going on?’ (laughing) BREAK TRANSCRIPT
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.