RUSH: Tony in Denver, you’re next. It’s great to have you here, sir.
CALLER: Mega dittos, O great Maha. Thank you for taking my call. Hey, it’s very clear to me from last night’s debate that Romney supports an individual mandate as a condition of breathing that we must buy health insurance. Rush, what is gonna happen this summer when the Supreme Court decides if an individual mandate is constitutional, if Romney is the nominee, there’s no way the court will rule against Obamacare. Our nominee has to be opposed to an individual mandate. Do you really believe that Romney would pressure the Supreme Court to rule against something he supports?
RUSH: No, there’s no president that’s gonna pressure a Supreme Court.
CALLER: I mean — Romney — you know, pressure the Supreme Court, to rule against something he supports, the individual mandate? And one more thing —
RUSH: Wait, hold it. I’m losing you on this. Maybe it’s the language you’re using. I’m not following. Romney pressures the Supreme Court to rule against something that he supports, the individual mandate.
CALLER: Yeah, he’s not gonna pressure the court to rule against an individual mandate because he supports an individual mandate, just like Santorum brought out of him last night. What’s gonna happen, the Supreme Court is gonna have —
RUSH: Well, if the Supreme Court rules that the mandate’s constitutional, it doesn’t matter. Your fear is that Romney will cave if that happens?
CALLER: No, he’s gonna be on Obama’s side when it comes to ruling on the individual mandate. That’s my fear. He supports it. And, Rush, can I please ask you another question? In a few days you have to vote. Sarah Palin was brave and told us who she would vote for. Are you gonna show courage and tell us who you’re voting for?
RUSH: (laughing) See, my way out of that is, is to say that’s not how I define courage. Now, I’m still trying to figure out the other thing you said. I want to understand this. The Supreme Court could rule. I don’t think it’s automatic. Now, I have a lot of friends in the legal community who think that it is automatic. I have a lot of friends in the legal community who think the Supreme Court wouldn’t dare declare it unconstitutional. Separation of powers and all that, that they wouldn’t dare. That they sometimes read the election results, they don’t want the hassle, the problem. It’s something that the elected representatives of the people passed and it’s just gonna happen. A lot of people on the legal side do not see the court rendering a decision that says Obamacare is unconstitutional. I’m more of an optimist. If the court renders it unconstitutional, then Obamacare — that’s the fundamental element of it, and it breaks apart, falls apart, breaks down. Now, I don’t understand your question about Romney. (interruption) But he didn’t say “embarrass” to me. So Tony, try this one more time. I’m not sure what you’re asking me about Romney and the Supreme Court.
CALLER: Well, if Romney is our nominee —
RUSH: Okay — hold, hold, hold — I need to go very slow. If Romney is our nominee. That will be in September.
CALLER: If he’s our nominee, and he does not pressure the Supreme Court to rule against an individual mandate and Obama does not pressure the court to rule against it —
RUSH: Okay, the court’s decision is going to come in June, long before we have a nominee. Well, we might know who the nominee is, but he won’t be coronated ’til the convention.
CALLER: Yeah, our nominee is gonna be chosen by you down in Florida this coming Tuesday.
RUSH: Okay. (laughing) Okay, I think we are two ships passing in the night, is your term, if Romney does not pressure the court. Presidents don’t pressure the Supreme Court. I think you know that. So you might be asking is the court gonna be influenced by the Republican nominee? Are you asking me if the Republicans nominate Romney, then the Republicans are saying, hey, they like an individual mandate, Romney —
CALLER: That’s right. Exactly right.
RUSH: Okay. So the court will then have the freedom to rule in favor of it since the Republican nominee is for a mandate, Obama’s for a mandate, the court can say, “The people have spoken.”
CALLER: You’ve got it, Rush. What’s gonna happen then? We’re gonna lose for sure. ‘Cause Romney’s our guy and he supports what Obama supports, an individual mandate.
RUSH: Okay, and then in your scenario, once the court declares it constitutional because both party nominees are for it, then Romney can say, “Well, look, there’s nothing I can do now,” and he will drop the issue altogether. Is that what you’re afraid of?
CALLER: Yes.
RUSH: Yeah. And that’s why this next week and the Florida primary and my endorsement is so important.
RUSH: Now, as to our last caller, who says that once the Supreme Court sees that our nominee is Romney and finds Obamacare constitutional, it’s over. So we don’t want to have Romney as the nominee. Romney, just to be factually correct out there, Romney says he opposes a federal mandate. He says he’s all in favor of the states, like he did when he was governor, mandating stuff. But the federal government, no way. So if he tried to opt out based on that, people could zero back and say, “Wait a minute, Governor, you said you oppose a federal mandate.”
Have you noticed how many people are angry with me for not endorsing a candidate in these primaries? And two things about that. People are angry at me for not endorsing yet. Meanwhile, a lot of the same people are furious at the media and the Republican elites for telling them who to vote for. It’s apparently required of me to endorse, but when the Republican elites tell you who to vote for, as in Romney, they get mad about it.
The second thing is, look at just what has happened this week. I wonder how many of the people yesterday, before some of the truth got out, who had endorsed Newt, like Fred Thompson last week endorsed Newt. It was full-throated, it was great, made a lot of sense. How do you think Fred Thompson felt when that stuff happened yesterday? These guys — by that, I mean candidates — they’ve got so much hidden stuff that can come out and embarrass endorsers and cause questions to bounce back to the endorsers.
BREAK TRANSCRIPT
RUSH: Rhonda in Twin Falls, Idaho. Let’s pick up the phone here. Great to have you with us. Thanks very much for waiting, by the way. Hi.
CALLER: Thank you for having me, Rush.
RUSH: You bet.
CALLER: I have a question. Well, I have a statement, actually. I’ve never voted in my life (chuckles), so you can’t blame me for this mess, but I feel that this year…
RUSH: Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah!
CALLER: (giggling)
RUSH: Not necessarily so.
CALLER: (laughing) Well, I know it’s a crucial time, and I’m very serious about this. I’ve written notes, taken notes. I don’t have a computer at home, but I go on the Internet when I’m at work, just don’t tell my boss. But if I could tell the candidates one thing or ask them one question, my question would be — because I don’t know who to vote for. (laughs) But my question would be, “Would you be willing to die for your country?” (laughs) If they can answer that truthfully and state that they could do that, that would mean they would have the character that I was looking for, the honor that I was looking for, putting the people first instead of their pocketbook. (sigh) And I’m just… I’m just really serious about this. I’m very bothered about the way and where this country is going. This is the first time I’ve ever called in (chuckles) so I’m kind of nervous.
RUSH: Yeah, I understand. I’ve been where you are. I have called talk shows when I was much younger. I’ve been waiting on hold and I’ve had the screener come and up and say, “Okay, be about ten minutes,” and it’s always longer. And then finally you’re sitting there and there’s been no noise on the phone 20 minutes or so, and then “click” on the phone and the screener says, “Okay! Stand by! You’re next!”
CALLER: (giggling)
RUSH: “Oh, no! Oh, no! What did I call about? Oh, gosh, I don’t even remember what I called about!”
CALLER: (giggling)
RUSH: You’re sitting out there —
CALLER: (giggling)
RUSH: — Then the host says, “Aaaand hello, Rhonda, in Twin Falls,” and you are in utter panic trying to remember.
CALLER: (giggling)
RUSH: And so then you tell the host you’ve never voted but you want to know who’s willing to die for the country.
CALLER: Yep. And if that’s a good candidate, ’cause I just don’t know who to vote for but I’m going to vote this year.
RUSH: I just don’t know that anybody’s gonna ask ’em that question.
CALLER: They should.
RUSH: You might have to come up with an alternative way to judge, ’cause I don’t know who’s gonna ask ’em, “Are you willing to die for your country?” A lot of people think just joining the campaign is a slow death.
CALLER: (giggling) Yeah.
RUSH: You know, just running is a slow death.
CALLER: Right.
RUSH: What is it that’s…? I mean, you’ve never voted; now you’re gonna vote. Why? What’s changed?
CALLER: Because I don’t want Obama in there. I think he’s run it down to the ground. I mean, we’re going to hell in a handbasket real quick, and I’m just very —
RUSH: Yeah, and we’ve got a shortage of handbaskets.
CALLER: Yeah, and I just think my vote needs to be counted this time. I just don’t know who to pick. (chuckles)
RUSH: Well, given what you’ve said, the answer’s easy: Vote for whoever is not Obama.
You’re not gonna get your question asked because nobody’s gonna say… Well, you never know. The Drive-Bys listen to this program, they do, and there are some debates left. Not in Florida, but there are some debates left. So it’d be easy to get a Drive By to say, “You know, I was listening to Rush Limbaugh,” or, “I was listening to a radio talk show the other day. A very, very bright woman from Idaho wanted to know which of you will die for your country. Congressman Paul, would you like to take that question first?” I just don’t see it. (laughing)
(Paul impression) “Weeeeell, we’re all gonna diiiie if we keep on mongering with these waaaaaars,” would be his answer.” Romney would say, “Of course I’ll die for my country. I’ve died for my country many times before. I saved the Olympics. I want to repeal Obamacare, and I worked in the private sector. Of course I’d die for my country.” Newt would say, “Let me give you the facts. The fact of the matter is it’s an extraordinary question. Extraordinary. ‘Do we want to die for our country?’ What a great philosophical question. George Washington was willing to, and I’m the modern equivalent of George Washington. So maybe you could say I might.”
Santorum would say, “Listen to these phonies. Die for their country? They wouldn’t die for their wives! I’m the only guy up here who has died for my country by being part of this process.” And then they’d go ask Obama: “What did you think of the Republican answers to the question, ‘Would you die for the country?'” (impression) “Well, you know, it’s an interesting question, but that’s fine with me if all of them did. Ha-ha-ha! Ha-ha!” That’s probably what would happen, Rhonda, if the question were asked.
Mary in Montgomery, Illinois, great to have you on the EIB Network. Hello.
CALLER: Well, thank you. The last time I spoke with you was in 1992, I believe. I was very upset because we were talking about Ross Perot. Were talking about when Ronald Reagan — what I thought — took away my credit card interest deduction, and I thought it was a tax increase, and you set me straight on that. I loved Ronald Reagan. I was one of those conservative Democrats, Democrats for Reagan, but I was upset with them and I went with Ross Perot in ’92.
RUSH: I remember that ’86 tax reform.
CALLER: You remember that?
RUSH: When they took away from credit card deduction —
CALLER: But, you know, I gotta tell you the rest of the story.
RUSH: Okay.
CALLER: Because you saved my life. You saved my whole family. I listened to what you said. You ended up talking about it for a couple days. I got involved. I stayed with Ross Perot’s organization, United We Stand. We got involved with Newt Gingrich and Contract with America, and we were part of that
Republican revolution, and we have been with Newt ever since. He’s been so right on so many issues, and so was Ronald Reagan. It totally changed my life. I just wanted to share that with you, because my granddaughter — who was born January 2nd of this year — my daughter, who was a baby at the time, named her Reagan Rose. Because without you and without Ronald Reagan and without Newt Gingrich, our family would not have been the same. And we just wanted to thank you for that. And I hope, as Florida’s most influential voter, you will at least tell us who you’re going to vote for on Tuesday because this election is too important to let it go back to somebody who’s not a conservative.
RUSH: That’s the second mention of this. I will be voting next Tuesday, and you want to know who I’m voting for; is that right?
CALLER: Yes, or else I know you have a brother who’s very conservative as well. Sarah Palin didn’t endorse, but her husband did. Maybe your brother, David, would like to endorse and you could announce that on your program, but we have to make it clear.
RUSH: (laughing) My brother goes rogue! (laughing)
CALLER: We gotta get this done!
RUSH: That would be a good way of passing the buck. I remember, Mary, that whole 1986 tax reform that took away credit card interest as deductibility. That didn’t go on for two days. That went on for years. People were livid about that for years. It was an exchange for a lower overall tax rate, and I remember the lesson: Why do you want to incur debt to think you’re screwing the government? What is the…? You go out and spend money you don’t have and get into debt to be able to deduct 28% of it or whatever your tax rate is? It was big, and people didn’t like me — coupled with they thought I was on the wrong side of Perot issue. I’ll never forget that. She’s absolutely right.
BREAK TRANSCRIPT
RUSH: A caller a moment ago wanted to know who my brother would vote for next Tuesday here in Florida if he lived here, and he just tweeted. My brother, David, he’s tweeting out there that he would vote for Santorum if he could.
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