RUSH: Now to the phones, as promised, Open Line Friday. Highland, Indiana, hello, Lee. Great to have you with us.

CALLER: Hi, Rush. I love, love, love you!

RUSH: Thank you very much. I appreciate that.

CALLER: (giggles) Okay, when you said today that you didn’t feel like you were quite on your game this last month, I suddenly realized that I don’t think you have been, either. But my theory is that something has to give, and when you are happy in your personal life and your wife needs you… I think you can either be the most fabulous husband, the most fabulous radio host, but sometimes you can’t be both.

RUSH: Really? That’s your take on this?

CALLER: It is! And I’ve been with you for 18 years.

RUSH: See? I told you, Snerdley. You said it, Lee! You said it! I have not been at the top of my game. You said it.

CALLER: You haven’t! And I thought it was me.

RUSH: Okay, now, wait a minute. What do you mean? I’m not arguing with you. When you say I haven’t been at the top of my game, what do you mean?

CALLER: I’ll tell you exactly. Okay. Here’s the example: I have Rush 24/7.

RUSH: Yeah?

CALLER: So when I listen to you, I run my errands, and if I miss the first 30 minutes of hour two I come home and I listen to it while I’m cooking dinner. And I have noticed that sometimes I don’t do it. And I thought, “Well, I’m just busy. I want to see something else on TV or whatever.” I used to never miss anything. I thought I was just kind of losing interest, and when you said that today, I thought, “You know what? Maybe it is him!” Maybe it is you.

RUSH: See? You were blaming yourself.

CALLER: Yes! (giggling)

RUSH: You were blaming yourself for not listening to the program, and now you are eager to be able to blame me for it.

CALLER: But I’m not, because you know what? I love you so much, I am so happy you’re happy. I don’t like it. I love Mark Steyn, you know, or the hosts, but I don’t always listen to the whole show when it’s another host, but I want you to be a fabulous husband first.

RUSH: Ah. Okay. Got it. Well, interesting thoughts. Do you consider…? Let me ask you this, Lee, before we wrap it up here. Do you consider yourself to have been at the top of your game on this call?

CALLER: No, because I’m so nervous — and, you know what? I’ve listened for 18 years and here I am calling about your personal life. How funny is that?

RUSH: Well, I wasn’t talking about my personal life. You are assuming I was talking about my personal life.

CALLER: Exactly. No, that’s my theory. I don’t know if you think that. That’s what I think because I have listened to so many years and I’m also married to a workaholic — and when I need something, when I demand my husband’s time and attention, that’s what he has to do and that’s what you have to do. Because I love you enough that I want your wife to be the most important thing in your life.

RUSH: (laughing)

CALLER: Because she’s gonna be there past the radio show.

RUSH: Right. All right, well, look, Lee, I appreciate this. This stuff fascinates me, to find out how people think, how they react to this, how they react to things that I say.

BREAK TRANSCRIPT

RUSH: Hears another Mary from Bethany, West Virginia. Hi, and welcome to the program.

CALLER: Hi. You there?

RUSH: I’m here.

CALLER: Ooookey-dokey. Hey, just called to say: You know what? You make my day.

RUSH: Well, thank you. Thank you very much.

CALLER: I have to say what — my husband listened to you for years — and, to tell you the truth, I couldn’t stand ya.

RUSH: (chuckling)

CALLER: Okay?

RUSH: Why? Why not?

CALLER: Because you sounded so arrogant.

RUSH: Whuh? What do you mean arrogant? You mean I sounded sure of myself?

CALLER: I have one hand tied behind my back. (laughing)

RUSH: “Half my brain tied behind my back just to make it fair.”

CALLER: Yeah.

RUSH: Yeah.

CALLER: Well, your statements, and then eventually as we’re listening, I’m like, “Oh, okay,” and then I would chuckle; and then no matter how bad my day might be you always make a statement that I have to smile or laugh about.

RUSH: Well, thank you very much. I appreciate that. I really do.

CALLER: You’re welcome. (giggles) You have a good day.

RUSH: Okay, you do the same. Thanks. That’s Mary from Bethany, West Virginia.