RUSH: We go to Orlando. This is Tom. Great to have you on Open Line Friday. Hi.
CALLER: Hey, thanks, Rush. My call is just about refugees versus immigrants. I know that we’re talking about 1,000 or 10,000 and the negotiation over that number because of the cost of the system. But we never talk about our immigrants and the cost of the system. You know, whatever number you want to take, 10 million versus 10,000, I would define the cost —
RUSH: No, no, no. You’re looking at this the entire wrong way. You’re exactly right. You are ignoring the contributions they make, Tom. They are acts of love. They are not net costs. They are net benefits. That’s how we’re to look at this.
CALLER: So why limit the refugees to 10,000 that Obama just did? Why not bring them all over?
RUSH: Well, we’re not limiting it at 10,000. As we learned, it’s going to be between 70 and 100,000, plus anchor families. These are anchor refugees because they can bring in two or three family members.
CALLER: Right. And I guess that was my last point. I think Bush brought up recently, why don’t we just take voting rights off the table if that’s the big holdup and see what that does to America?
RUSH: I tried that once. Look, I tried that once. Tom, you may be new to the program or you may have missed that day. In any case, it’s good. Because you’re giving me a chance to repeat this. As you know, I’m one of the leading conservative figures in America. And I’m considered one of the primary obstacles to the nation. I mean, you people don’t know the half of it. I haven’t shared with you because I respect people’s requests of off-the-record and privacy. But I’ve been courted on this issue since 2006. Hell, even longer than that.
I’ve had emissaries from the White House come to me to try to explain this comprehensive immigration reform. I’ve been invited to dinners with powerful media and congressional figures. I’ve had them come here. They have asked to come here. It’s not been intense pressure. It hasn’t been arm twisting. It has been a legitimate attempt to have me, to get me to see their point of view on it, on comprehensive immigration reform. It goes on and on and on. And, of course, have remained in my principled opposition because I don’t think that what we’re talking about is immigration or reform.
I think we’re dealing with an invasion here. And I know that all it is ultimately, from the Democrats side, is a voter registration drive. And from the Republican side, it’s donors who want cheap labor. So, anyway, the point is, that I am known as a rock solid opponent. But one day I offered on this program, behind this Golden EIB Microphone, I offered to do a 180. I offered to support comprehensive immigration reform, which many think would guarantee its passage. It would actually be the end of my radio show if I did that. But I offered to support it if there was a promise that the new arrivals could not become citizens for 20 years and could not vote for 25. And I was not taken up on my offer. Nobody was interested in my offer.
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