Unofficial Summary of the Rush Limbaugh Show for Wednesday, April 10, 1996 by John Switzer This unofficial summary is copyright (c) 1996 by John Switzer (jswitzer@limbaugh.com). All Rights Reserved. These summaries are distributed on CompuServe and the Internet, and archived on CompuServe (DL9 of the ISSUES forum) and Internet (cathouse.org and grind.isca.uiowa.edu). The /pub/users/jswitzer directory at ftp.aimnet.com contains the summaries for the past 60 days. Distribution to other electronic forums and bulletin boards is highly encouraged. Spelling and other corrections gratefully received. Please read the standard disclaimer which was included with the first summary for this month. In particular, please note that this summary is not approved or sanctioned by Rush Limbaugh or the EIB network, nor do I have any connection with them other than as a daily listener. ************************************************************* April 10, 1996 BRIEF SUMMARY OF TOPICS: words to "Whip It"; Ms. Foundation does survey that finds girls are book-crazy, not boy-crazy, anymore, yet two-thirds of them are having sex, claiming that they were pressured into it by the boys; Rush thanks everyone for the cards, emails, and faxes he's gotten on the death of his grandfather; Dan Rostenkowski pleads guilty to two counts of mail fraud, getting 17 months in prison and a $100,000 fine; Justice Antonin Scalia encourages Christians to be firm in their beliefs and not let the "sophisticated" dissuade them from expressing those beliefs; caller asks Rush to clarify his support for right-to-work legislation; the media is working together with the Clinton administration to turn Ron Brown's death into the biggest loss for the nation since JFK's assassination; Clinton is playing up Ron Brown as a hero because the black vote is important to his re-election, shamelessly politicizing this death; Rep. Martin Frost (D-TX) warns that the Democrats must not repeat the mistake of 1994, which was to ignore the black voter and he encouraged a group of black ministers to become more involved in politics; the Today show plays a clip of Bill Clinton leaving a memorial service for Ron Brown laughing and joking, and then suddenly become sad and teary-eyed the second he notices a TV camera; fourth test of the Ross Perot Emergency Volunteer Network; caller asks why the other 32 people killed in the plane crash at Dubrovnik aren't as important as Ron Brown and aren't also being buried at Arlington; caller finds it curious how the media has mentioned the investigation into Ron Brown only after his death, when it was called off; caller thinks Clinton will suffer a backlash for how he's trying to manipulate African-Americans over Ron Brown's death; latest opinion audits show that Rush is almost always right 98.2% of the time, a whopping 0.1% increase; President Clinton signs the Republicans' line-item veto bill, acting as if he were responsible for it, yet it was a Contract with America item that was almost strongly opposed by Democrats in Congress; words to the commercial for Montana, the perfect place to hide out; Bill Clinton decides to "honor" Ron Brown with another "tribute": appearing at a fund-raiser for the Democratic party; caller says people come to Wyoming and Montana to get away from the stress; caller is furious at Rush's parody ad for Montana; restaurant manager in Bozeman, MT told Jane Fonda she wasn't welcome in his place; caller is bothered by how Justice Scalia mentioned only Christians in his speech; Rush marvels at how Rostenkowski, who was originally offered a plea bargain of one count and six months, held out and got a "better deal": plead guilty to two counts and gets 17 months in jail and a $100,000 fine; caller suggests Republicans fight the Democrats on the minimum wage by making minimum wage earners tax-exempt; liberals are starting a "living wage" movement that seeks to increase the minimum wage, with voter-supported initiatives if possible; caller points out that political officials still have their own First Amendment rights that allow them to speak about religion if they like; commercial for the "House Post Office"; "Dan Rostenkowski limited edition postage stamp" commercial; commercial for the Dan Rostenkowski Special Privilege Maxer Card; commercial for the White House Basement Shopping Network; commercial for Capital Van Lines; commercial for the Capitol Hill Bank; caller bets Democrats will try to make Ron Brown's birthday a national holiday, and Rush suggests a "Black Leaders Day"; caller notes that Ron Brown, who could have become a big liability for Clinton because of the investigations into him, has now, with his death, turned into a great asset; caller thinks Republicans should learn from liberals and never stop their attacks, even if their target dies; Bill Clinton consoles Dan Rostenkowski by singing "Danny Boy"; caller says the minimum wage is an unfunded federal mandate; caller thinks the minimum wage should be raised because he's had a hard time making ends meet for the past eight years; liberal Democrat says he'll vote for Perot this year because Clinton hasn't done anything to improve his life; caller says he changed careers and started off at the bottom earning minimum wage, but he's working his way up; caller notes that he didn't need any college to improve his salary and career prospects. LIMBAUGH WATCH April 10, 1996 - It's now 1239 days after Bill Clinton's election, but Rush is still on the air with 660 radio affiliates (with more than 20 million listeners weekly world-wide), 210 TV affiliates (with a national rating of 3.7), and a newsletter with more than 500,000 subscribers. His first book was on the NY Times hardback non-fiction best- seller list for 54 consecutive weeks, with 2.6 million copies sold, but fell off the list after Simon and Schuster stopped printing it. The paperback version of "The Way Things Ought To Be" was on the NY Times paperback non-fiction best-seller list for 28 weeks. Rush's second book, "See, I Told You So," was on the NY Times hardback best-seller list for 16 weeks and has sold over 2.45 million copies; the paperback version was on the best- seller list for 11 weeks. WHITEWATER WATCH o Pending and Possible Indictments: White House lawyer and Presidential adviser Bruce Lindsey (according to the May 5, 1995 USA Today, received target letter from Whitewater prosecutors). o Indictments: Herby Branscum, Jr. and Robert Hill (conspiracy, misapplication of bank funds, and failing to file correct statements with federal regulators and examiners); James McDougal for fraud and conspiracy concerning Madison Guaranty S&L and Capital Management Services; Governor Jim Guy Tucker (D-AR) for fraud, conspiracy, taking out $300,000 in SBA loans under false pretenses, and defrauding the IRS; Susan McDougal (for allegedly embezzling $150,000 from conductor Zubin Mehta and his wife). o Convictions: David Hale (felony fraud-March, 1994); Robert Palmer (convicted of falsifying appraisal documents related to Madison Guaranty S&L-December, 1994); Webster Hubbell (convicted of mail fraud, tax evasion, and overbilling clients of at least $394,000-December, 1994); Charles Matthews and Eugene Fitzhugh (bribery-January 1995, defrauding the SBA-April 1995); real estate broker Christopher V. Wade (pleaded guilty to lying to a bankruptcy court and filing false loan applications to buy Whitewater property-March, 1995); Little Rock banker Neil Ainley (pleaded guilty to reduced charges of willfully delivering false documents to the government-May 1995); Arkansas college professor Stephen Smith (pleaded guilty to misusing federal funds to help pay off a loan he took out along with James McDougal and Governor Jim Guy Tucker); Larry Kuca (pleaded guilty to defrauding the SBA of a $150,000 loan together with David Hale-July 1995). LEST WE FORGET The following are from the Rush Limbaugh show on Wednesday, April 13, 1994: o The Wall Street Journal had a tax column recalling how the Clinton administration claimed that the 1993 Budget would cut interest rates. However, rates in 1994 were far above what they were the previous August; 10-year Treasury notes were 6.8%, compared to 5.3% in the previous August. Thirty-year bonds had yields of 7.2%, up from 6.52%. o The San Francisco Coalition of Prostitutes and Health Care Workers demonstrated in front of the San Francisco City Hall to bring attention to the dangers faced by the city's prostitutes. Displaying a quilt embroidered with the names of prostitutes the group claimed were murdered or disappeared while "working dangerous city streets," the group hoped to "puncture the politically correct lie that glamorizes hookers and treats prostitution as a crime without victims." o Jesse Jackson's Rainbow Coalition announced it would spearhead an effort to find a coalition of minority owners to buy the Oakland A's, given that the team had invoked an escape clause in its contract to seek another owner. A spokesman for Jackson said he wanted to find a "diverse group" that would keep the baseball team in Oakland. o The previous Sunday's NY Times had an op-ed page full of editorials and opinion pieces expressing outrage at the upcoming caning of Michael Fay for vandalism and graffiti in Singapore. William Safire called the caning "torture" which went beyond the bounds of proper punishment for Fay's crimes. Both President Clinton and George Bush asked for clemency from the Singapore government. The NY Times asked CEOs of corporations that did business with Singapore to threaten a pull-out should Fay be caned. In its editorial, the Times did an amazing thing - they published the phone number of the Singapore embassy in Washington and asked readers to call it to express their anger and outrage over the caning. Singapore founding leader Lee Quan Yu, however, noted that "one of the problems is that western countries value the individual above society," stated Yu. "In Asia the good of society is deemed more important than individual liberties." Yu criticized the United States for not punishing criminals. "The United States dares not restrain or punish the individuals, forgiving them for whatever they have done, and that's why the whole country of the United States is in chaos - drugs, violence, unemployment, and homelessness - all sorts of problems in its society." o Rush played a new version of "Whip It," redone to reflect the situation in Singapore: <> "Whack that kid! He knows what he did! Kiss your butt goodbye! Make your momma cry!" <> "Now when you're in a foreign land . . . you must whip him! With a big cane in your hand . . . you must whip him! There is one thing you must understand . . . you must whip him!" <> "They'll whip you, with a cane Really hard, lots of pain! So go for it, they don't care . . . Where you're from, they've got you there! They'll whip you, whip it good!" <> "Now when the caning time is near . . . you must whip him! Don't wait for us to interfere . . . you must whip him! In fact, we wish they did it here . . . you must whip him!" <> "We say whip him, whip him good! We say whip him, whip him good!" "One . . . two . . . three . . . four . . . five . . . six" <> "<> Swing and let it rip! Kiss your butt goodbye, Make your momma cry!" <> "Now if the kid's a problem child . . . you must whip him! And he's out there running wild . . . you must whip him! Well, they watch it with a smile . . . when you whip him!" <> "So whip him, into shape! Wake him up, if he faints. Go for it, make him bleed! We don't mind, it's what he needs! So whip him, with a cane. Really hard, lots of pain. Daddy spoiled him, mommy, too. Now he's a punk, it's up to you. So whip him, whip him good!" o A poll of 650 women by the Endless Vacation travel magazine found that women felt like second-class citizens when they travelled. Women said they received inferior service compared to men while on the road, even paying higher prices while travelling. About 69% of the women polled said the travel industry treated men better than women, and 35% believed they had negative experiences while travelling because they were women. ******** MORNING UPDATE The Ms. Foundation for Women and Seventeen Magazine commissioned a national survey of 500 boys and 500 girls to find out what they think about life, sex, and the universe. According to the three quarters of the girls in the survey, teenaged girls are no longer boy-crazy - boys are out and books are in because these girls think academic performance is what matters most. However, even if you believe this you'd best not celebrate because girls remain victims. It turns out that they do well in school only to please others, not themselves, and since they're no longer interested in boys, it must be their overbearing parents who are to blame. The survey also found that 67% of teenaged girls have sex, and it's usually with these boys that the girls claim they don't like anymore. It also turns out the girls are victims again here because they say they have sex only because the boys pressured them into it. Carolyn Miller of 17 explained girls were confused about where to draw the line. Boys expect and even demand sex, but girls are judged badly if they give in. Thus, it's a no-win situation for girls. Why? Because once again the girls are victims. Thus, Rush sums up what this Morning Update has taught: Boys? Fooey! Books? Yes! Girls have a new preference now, having broken with centuries of tradition, but they're still having sex in record numbers, with the boys they don't like. Thus, the obvious answer to this problem is simple: get rid of the boys. FIRST HOUR Items o Rush notes that not only is he responsible for 80% of the conversations in the United States, but also Guam and St. Croix, as his influence continues to spread across the world. o Rush again thanks everyone for the notes of condolences he's gotten about the death of grandfather. His mailbox has gotten fuller faster than it even did during the heydays of the Perot controversy in 1992, and he thanks everyone on his and his family's behalf for their sympathies and kind thoughts. Rush thought about setting up a macro to send a thank you to everyone, but he didn't want to reduce these messages, which were all thoughtful, personal, and unique, to some sort of form letter. He thus wants to offer his heartfelt thanks directly to everyone who has written him and his family about this loss. Rush does use macros for standard mail, such as the creeps, low- lifes, and insult-jockeys who routinely write him. The more Rush thinks about it, the more he believes that the reason you find so much gutter trash written on the internet is because of the anonymity that posters have. Low-lifes know they can call themselves some stupid name and behave as rudely as they want without penalty. If anyone truly wants to end the trash that is found on the net, all they have to do is end the anonymity that exists there right now. This will do more than any sort of "V-chip" for the internet, especially when it comes to pornography and smut that's available on the net. As it is now, though, the "brave little cowards" who write the typical misspelled, poorly phrased missives that Rush routinely receives think they are invulnerable and untouchable. Thus, Rush responds to these sad souls by coming up with intriguing macro- driven responses. For example, one macro sends the sort of response one might expect after sending a fan letter - in it Rush thanks the writer, using phrases such as "it's rewarding to have such listeners as yourself." Rush acts like these guys are just the best of fans, thereby implying that their email hasn't even been read. Then at the end, Rush adds every single phone number he can think of to order EIB merchandise, as if these guys would spend their money on this stuff. Seeing this has to be particularly galling to the nitwits out there who think they can upset Rush and get a rise out of him by sending him as many four-letter words as they can think. o Rush has searched the EIB archives to find the tapes of the interviews that he had done of his grandfather, and he's found about two hours worth of material. Rush talked with him about an hour and a half on his 100th birthday, September 27, 1991 while he was doing the show in Kansas City, where the staff of EIB affiliate KMBZ went out of their way to be accommodating to both Rush and his grandfather. This is a "must-listen" hour and a half, especially since you have to keep on reminding yourself that you're listening to someone who's been a practicing attorney for three quarters of a century. Rush also did a half-hour interview over the phone with his grandfather in 1993, so he'll play that tape tomorrow as well. Rush thinks he also talked to his grandfather on or about his 99th birthday via phone, and he'll try to find that tape as well. This was the first time he interviewed his grandfather, and Rush remembers it because his grandfather very diplomatically praised Mikhail Gorbachev, which caused liberals to tell Rush that he should pay attention to his grandfather and maybe then he'd learn something. In any case, most of Thursday's show will be devoted to these interviews of Rush's grandfather, who will be laid to rest tomorrow in Cape Girardeau, MO. o Rush's show today will feature a new Laredo and Lefty's commercial and a new Rush Limbaugh No Boundaries scarves commercial, just in time for Mother's Day. The Montana Department of Tourism has bought another commercial, too, plus if the special courier arrives in time, there'll be a new coded message from Ross Perot. o President Clinton signed the line item veto yesterday, and Rush will be discussing that in some detail today. o Dan Rostenkowski has been nailed, pleading guilty to two counts of mail fraud that will cost him a $100,000 fine and send him to prison for 17 months. However, he's still as unrepentant and arrogant as always, but that's nothing new. Today's NY Times, though, has an amazing paragraph in its editorial about this: "This resolution also contains Vindication for House Republicans like Speaker Newt Gingrich. While still in the House minority, they refused to allow a cover-up of the House Post Office scandal, which triggered the Rostenkowski investigation. They seized the issue as a telling example of shoddy management of the House to benefit Democratic insiders, and to support their claim that the Democrats had ruled the House for too long." o The "Ron Brown miniseries" continues, and Rush stresses that he's not going to be talking about Ron Brown, his death, or his contributions. Rather, Rush will be talking about the manipulative power of the TV networks as they work together with their accomplices in the White House. o This morning's Today show on NBC did a piece about Bill Clinton's acting on how he can cry tears on cue, as he's been doing throughout all the memorial services for Ron Brown. Rush will talk about this later and play a clip showing Clinton in action on his TV show. *BREAK* Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia sent "shock waves" throughout America by speaking positively about religion while making a speech at a prayer breakfast at the Mississippi College School of Law in Jackson, TN. Justice Scalia said he felt it necessary to defend religion from the assaults of a secular society, noting that the modern world dismisses Christians as fools: "We are fools for Christ's sake. We must pray for courage to endure the scorn of the `sophisticated' world." He went on to note that intellectuals have rejected the Easter story of Christ's death and resurrection throughout history, adding with the biting sarcasm he is noted for that "the wise do not investigate such silliness, they do not believe." One example of such an attitude was when Pat Buchanan appeared on "This Week with David Brinkley," and Sam Donaldson asked, with intellectual elitism dripping from his voice, whether Buchanan actually believed in Creationism. When Buchanan said he did, Donaldson couldn't believe it, coming close to guffawing, but Buchanan told Donaldson, "Sam, I don't believe you descended from apes." Justice Scalia referred to this attitude among the elitists, reminding the audience that Christ himself predicted that his teachings would be rejected by the "educated." Scalia, though, said it was irrational to reject the existence of miracles: "One can be sophisticated and believe in God. Reason and intellect are not to be laid aside where matters of religion are concerned." It is incredible that a Justice of the Supreme Court would give such a speech, given that usually they speak only about the "law." Of course, the "separation of Church and State" crowd is now insisting that Scalia is a dangerous man and that he shouldn't be saying such things, which proves that this crowd believes the religious should not be part of government. This, though, can be disproved by going to Washington, DC and looking at all the statues and monuments, most of which have a reference to God, as do the nation's founding documents. The nation's founders certainly believed that religious men and women should be involved with government, but those pushing for the "separation of Church and State" think this means that the religious should be excluded from any role in government. Scalia should thus be applauded for having the guts to say such things, and he did get a standing ovation from the crowd of about 600 people at this speech. Phone David from El Cajon, CA David gives dittos but thinks Rush took it a bit easy on yesterday's caller who didn't like Rush's proposal that the Republicans should introduce right-to-work legislation. However, it didn't seem like Rush himself was supporting this stance but only saying that the Republicans should use it as a weapon against the unions. Rush says he does support right-to-work legislation, but he wanted to make the point yesterday that his objective was not to destroy the unions. Rather, he was talking about the political battle right now, and how the Big Labor leaders have targeted Republicans and conservatives with political death, which means Republicans have to fight back. Rush thinks the unions' threat should be met, with Republicans fighting fire with fire, and in this case it means pushing right-to-work legislation. Rush, though, still supports the idea of right-to-work legislation as a principle, and he thinks it should be done, so that people do not have to join a union to work. The caller yesterday, however, thought this would undercut the newer generation of union members who wanted to take control of the unions and take them back to their original purpose. However, the unions started this battle with their $35 million campaign against House Republicans and their early endorsement of Bill Clinton, despite how he's disappointed them on many issues. Plus, Rush is the politest host in America, and that caller was being nice, so Rush was being nice and polite in return. When union thugs have called the show in the past, Rush has responded in a much tougher manner, but that wasn't the case yesterday. David says he wishes Rush had just underscored how right-to-work legislation is what should be done, regardless of the politics involved. Rush admits he didn't say this yesterday but he does believe in the right-to-work philosophy. He has lived in right- to-work states, such as Kansas, and he appreciated that because he doesn't think people should be compelled to support unions, just for the privilege of doing a particular job. David is glad to hear this and Rush thanks him for calling and giving a chance to get back in his good graces. *BREAK* Rush wants to talk about what's happening with all of the Ron Brown's memorial services, and he stresses that he's not talking about Brown, his contributions, his death, or anything specifically having to do with Brown. Rather, Rush wants to use this occasion to show how television can manipulate its viewers and, working together with those in the White House, elevate a liberal politician to sainthood, even if it means misrepresenting the life of that politician. Anyone who's been watching the TV for the past four days will have gotten the sense that Brown's death was the nation's biggest loss since JFK and that the country will never get the foreign trade deals it got while Brown was alive. There is also the sense that inner city youth have lost a major role model, without anyone to guide and direct them now. This is what Rush sees on the television, and the funeral/memorial services for Brown are like the Energizer bunny - they just keep going and going and going. Brown's body was lying in state at the Commerce Department this morning, which is an amazing thing in and of itself, and Rush recalls that the day Brown died, he asked his audience "have you noticed the difference in the way the President has reacted to Vince Foster's death to the way he's reacting to Ron Brown's death?" The major difference is not that Ron Brown is a hero or cabinet member but one far more prosaic: Vince Foster didn't represent any constituency, except perhaps for the clinically depressed, but Ron Brown represented a major Democratic constituency, the black voter. The Democrats have taken this unfortunate tragedy and politicized it shamelessly, starting when Clinton went to the Commerce Department to say that Alma Brown asked him to do one thing for her: save the Commerce Department from the Republican budget axe. Brown's death is now being used to mobilize one of the Democrats' major constituent groups, and an internal memo from Rep. Martin Frost (D-TX) proves this. Frost wrote in this memo that the Democratic party lost its control of Congress in 1994 because "it neglected black voters." Frost vowed that the Democratic party will not repeat this mistake in 1996, saying that the party cannot win without the active participation of the African-American voter. This is why the Democrats are portraying Brown as someone who came from the ghetto; as Stanley Crouch noted in his column on Saturday, the Democrats are acting like Brown was a poor "little welfare baby on his mammy's knee," despite how Brown grew up in a middle class family living in a penthouse apartment. Crouch pointed out that Brown was a middle class success story, and regardless of whether you believe in his politics, his success story was one that can be repeated by all Americans, no matter what their skin color. He worked hard and accomplished a lot, not because of Affirmative Action, but because he applied himself. This, though, is not what the Democrats are focusing on when they praise Brown. Rep. Frost heads the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which helps Democrats get elected and re-elected. Republicans have the same sort of committee to help their guys . . . or at least Rush assumes the GOP has such a committee since he hasn't seen them do much lately. Frost thus has the responsibility to help Democrats get elected this year, and he put action behind the words of his memo by speaking at a Democratic luncheon "designed to encourage black ministers to be active in the November elections." Thus, while people jump all over Justice Scalia for daring to encourage Christians to be courageous in their beliefs, the head of a major Democratic committee gets a pass in encouraging ministers to become more active in public. This dinner was attended by some 250 religious leaders, who earlier in the day had attended Democratic National Committee meetings on Clinton's policies and issues that affect their communities and congregations. So what about the separation of Church and State here? Why can Democrats elicit the support of black ministers, while Justice Scalia is attacked for talking to 600 Christians at a prayer breakfast? Thus, religion evidently is fine in politics if it is done by those on the left for the purpose of helping Democrats regain their power, and if it happens during the three-week long tribute to Ron Brown. Some people might call Rush cynical for having this attitude, but he's simply analyzing what is going on. However, Clinton is not getting a total pass - the Today show this morning showed Clinton showing up at one of the memorial services for Ron Brown, and the show's staff discussed was about how good Clinton is at these tragedies. The commentators talked about how great he was at Oklahoma City and after the death of Vincent Foster, and it went along nicely with yesterday's column by Richard Cohen that stated Clinton had become a more mature President because of these deaths. The footage that the Today show put on, though, showed Clinton walking into the memorial service laughing and having a great time; however, the moment he spotted a camera, he went into his "biting of the lower lip and tear mode." The Today show people commented on how that tear showed up immediately when Clinton saw the camera, as he tried to convince the people watching that he was spending his entire day in a solemn, sad mode, devastated by Ron Brown's death. *BREAK* The segment starts off with the latest coded message from Ross Perot, and Rush warns that this coded message is a lot harder than the previous two because the Dallas Headquarters doesn't like how non-volunteers are breaking the code so easily: <<"When Johnny Comes Marching Home" starts playing, followed by Ross Perot>> "The following is a test of the Emergency Volunteer Network. This is only a test. <> Attention, all volunteers! This is a code red, white, and blue alert. On my count break the seal on your official decoder ring and deactivate: three, two, one, break! "Ivan, Whiskey, Tag, November, It, Yankee, Uniform, Ukulele, Sierra, Whiskey "This has been a test of the Emergency Volunteer Network. If this had been an actual alert, the volunteers in your area would have been instructed by a coded message what to do, in this time of crisis, to save this great country. Volunteers are required to be in a perpetual state of readiness and will report all black helicopter sightings to the Dallas headquarters. We now return you to your regularly scheduled program. Thank you." Phone Randy from Traverse City, MI Randy gives his condolences to Rush and his family about his grandfather's death, and he wants to ask about all the other husbands, fathers, and sons who were killed on the plane crash that also killed Ron Brown. Are they less important just because Clinton wants to make political hay with Brown's death? Rush says a lot of people are asking why there's a lack of proportion being displayed about Brown's death and those of others, and he asks if Randy thinks many Americans are curious about the 32 other Americans who died on that plane. Randy says he hopes people's eyes will be opened by what Clinton is doing. Rush asks why the CEOs on this plane aren't buried in Arlington National Cemetery, too - didn't they also give their lives in their country's service? Rush notes this is not a comment about Ron Brown but about the manipulative power of TV, working together with its willing accomplices in the White House. Randy agrees and urges Rush to "keep at it," being the "Obi Wan of the forefront." Rush thanks him for calling, and wonders how the nation would greet the idea of burying CEOs at Arlington, as is being done with Brown. Phone Nancy from Bryant, TX Nancy heard on the news that the special prosecutor is ending his investigation into Ron Brown, and she finds it funny how the media mentioned this investigation only one brief time after the man's death. Rush says this is not surprising - the fact Brown is died, having died in a tragic way, does mean that any investigations into him are less important. It's rare in American society for people to focus on the negatives when someone dies. After all, there were few negative comments about Richard Nixon after he died, except for those in the press who complained about how syrupy the coverage of his death was. Nancy says she's concerned that other people would be implicated by what Brown was doing, so she'd prefer to see the investigation continue. Rush says the decision about this will probably have to be made later, once Brown is buried and the matters surrounding him are not so emotionally charged. Rush thanks Nancy for calling. *BREAK* Phone Allison from Bloomfield, CT Allison asks if the charade that Clinton is pulling about Ron Brown could backfire on him, with people realizing how insincere and manipulative he is being. If Clinton is using Brown's death as a tool for manipulating African-Americans, couldn't he be harmed by the image of insincerity? Rush says Clinton's entire administration has been a manipulation, with Clinton being the "Great Manipulator." He doubts that Democrats will care about this, particularly since the Democrats will be happy to hold their nose about this if it means they'll get their power back. The big question is thus whether any of this will matter to the 20% of American voters who currently are undecided about the elections. *BREAK* SECOND HOUR Items o The latest opinion audit of Rush by the Sullivan Group shows that he's "almost always right 98.2% of the time," a full 0.1% increase. Interestingly, this new audit coincided with Rush's accountant's response about what he owes the IRS. o "When Johnny Comes Marching Home" starts playing, and Rush repeats today's special encoded message from the Dallas headquarters. Hopefully, this message won't be as easily decrypted as the others were by non-volunteers. o Rush repeats that tomorrow's show will be dedicated to repeating the interviews he did of his grandfather over the years. In particular, half the show will be devoted to the interview he did on September 27, 1991, his grandfather's 100th birthday, which was also when he was honored by the Missouri State Bar Association for his 75 years of legal practice. Rush will be in Cape Girardeau attending memorial services, and he'll be back on the air on Friday. He again thanks everyone for their kind words, thoughts, and prayers, which are overwhelming everyone in the family. o President Clinton signed the line-item veto yesterday, but if all you saw was the news coverage in both the papers and TV, you'd think Bill Clinton was the only President who asked for the line-item veto and that it was only his legislative skills that made this day possible. In truth, though, President Ulysses S. Grant wanted this power, as did Ronald Reagan, George Bush, and probably every other President in the history of the country. Clinton just happened to be in office when this happened, but there are some people who actually think that he's the one who made this happen. Anyone who thinks like this should be told a simple fact of life, though: the line-item veto was one of the ten points of the Contract with America - it was the Republicans who came up with this idea and passed it through Congress. No Democratic Congress has ever seen fit to pass the line-item veto, but the "Republican extremists" did it. All Clinton had to do was show up with his pen and sign his name. Some people think Republicans are suicidal for giving Clinton the line-item veto, but they did this for two reasons: 1) they believe in the line-item veto, and 2) it was a major part of the Contract with America, which critics have ridiculed as being meaningless and as proof that the Republican Congress is a do- nothing Congress. Thus, Republicans wanted to point out that they still believe in the Contract, plus many Americans believe in the line-item veto, even if Clinton is President. Besides, the odds are that Clinton won't be re-elected this year, but it's a given that if the line-item veto is passed, a Democratic President will use it at some point. Thus, whether it's Clinton or some other Democrat doesn't really matter - this is one of the risks of giving the Presidency this power. The press is trying to claim this bill was a bipartisan effort, but there's nothing bipartisan about it, particularly in the Senate where the Democrats voted against it. The big government types in Congress don't like how the line-item veto will take some of their power, particularly budget power, away from them. Other critics think the line-item veto has tipped the constitutional checks and balances over to the President's side, so at least one constitutional lawsuit has already been filed against it. Thus, it will be a while before this power is declared constitutional and can be used by any President. *BREAK* Obviously going the extra mile to please an important sponsor, Rush starts off the segment with the latest ad from the Montana Department of Tourism: <> Are you a loner? Are you a psychopathic wacko? Are you uncomfortable in your current surroundings? Are you looking for a new place to hole up and hide out?! Come to beautiful Montana, the last, best place, and the last place anyone would ever look for you! Montana has a long heritage as a place to hide! From Charles Manson's summer home on Flathead Lake, Ted Bundy's buffalo ranch . . . even Jimmy Hoffa, buried in the floor of Metro Park Arena! Miles and miles of beautiful countryside, with neighbors that will leave you alone to mail your bombs and print your bad checks (unless you tick them off - then they'll form a posse and take care of your themselves). So if you're the nutcase leader of a fringe, extremist, racist, uneducated, inbred, child-abusing, wife-beating, couldn't follow a law if you wrote it yourself, ostracized by family and friends 'cause you're a looney, like to wear a camisole and pumps with your camouflage, your last girlfriend ate from a trough and slept in a barn, fraudulent waste of oxygen hate group . . . then come on in to Montana! But be warned, we'll find you soon! ******** Rush keeps thinking he won't be surprised anymore by what Bill Clinton says and does, but he keeps discovering that this is not the case. For example, the latest-breaking news about Ron Brown is that Bill Clinton plans to honor him in "a way that would appeal to the former head of the Democratic party": by attending a fund-raiser Wednesday night After attending funeral services for Brown, Clinton will go to Baltimore for a fund-raiser that will benefit the Democratic National Committee and Maryland State Democratic party. White House press secretary Mike McCurry told reporters, "This is just what Brown would have wanted. This party was just another way to pay tribute to his memory." Thus, Clinton is going to a party fund-raiser - which may or may not have been previously scheduled, and Rush doesn't know which would be worse - and he's calling it a tribute to Ron Brown, saying that Brown would have wanted him to do this. Rush is now more than ever convinced that this is the "Eveready battery tribute" - it just keeps going and going and going. Rush wonders if the next trip to the White House by Barbra Streisand when Hillary is out of town will be called "a tribute to Ron Brown." Will the President claim that this is "what he would have wanted," too? Undoubtedly, the nation will be hearing this sort of thing from now until the election, and Rush has to admit that although the administration is shameless in how they're using Brown's death, they're also very, very good. Of course, they'll get away with it because nobody in the media is going to call them on it. Journalists might raise an eyebrow while at home privately with their wives, mistresses, or barmaids, but they'll say nothing while doing their newscasts or writing their stories. Phone Dave from Powell, WY Dave gives his condolences on the death of Rush's grandfather and hopes his family celebrates the man's life and what he left them. Rush says he and his family do, and it's sad that more people didn't get to know him, but Rush will try to acquaint as many people possible with him as much as he can. Dave is glad to hear this and says that he loves Rush's parody commercial about Montana. He used to be in radio, doing morning shows for 15 years, and he spent the last nine years in Wyoming, near Yellowstone National Park. He saw that a lot of people moved out here because of the lack of stress in comparison to the large cities. The lifestyle is laid back and so different from life in the cities that people find most of the stress is removed from their lives. Rush thinks Mark Fuhrman moved to Idaho for this reason, and Dave agrees. While he was doing radio, Dave got a call from an attorney who came to Wyoming from Chicago because his doctor told him that the stress of his job would kill him. The guy retired and moved with his wife to Shoshone to build a home. They ended up relaxing and enjoying the scenery each morning. Another example was Fitch Investment Services, a bond rating company, which opened up a large branch office in Wyoming to do data processing. These people do more work in Wyoming than their other office in New York, simply because of the reduced levels of stress. Rush says none of this is surprising - people will want wide-open spaces. Dave agrees, but this lifestyle is not for everybody. Because the spaces are so wide-open, people such as the Unabomber can hide out, especially since the locals don't pay much attention to the outsiders. Rush says this was the case with the Unabomber - the fact he stuck to high heaven didn't matter because nobody ran into him. If he lived in New Jersey, he could go into libraries and stink the place up without worrying about it; if you tried to throw him out, he'd sue you for violating his constitutional rights, as did happen in New Jersey a few years ago. In Montana, though, the only way you'd get to smell the Unabomber is he passed by you riding his bicycle. There's a huge difference between living in wide-open areas and tightly-controlled cities - experiments done with mice show that all sorts of unsociable things happen if there isn't enough space. Having too much space, though, can result in things like the Unabomber and environmentalist wackos. *BREAK* Phone Roxanne from Callisto, MT Roxanne thinks the world of Rush but she, along with a lot of listeners in Montana, is kind of mad at his ad about Montana. Rush says this ad is just a humorous way of making mention of the fact that the Unabomber, the Freemen, and other strange things are going on in Montana. Roxanne, though, says this can't be attributed to Montana - the Unabomber was already crazy before he arrived in Lincoln, MT, so his craziness should be attributed to Berkeley or Chicago. The ad implies, though, that Montana is at fault for him. Rush says that this is not what the ad implies at all, but Roxanne asks about the other people mentioned in the ad, such as Ted Bundy and Charlie Manson. None of these people had anything to do with Montana, so why are they in the ad? Rush says the ad's point is that had these guys gone to Montana, they might not have been caught. Roxanne says this could be said about a number of states, such as Arizona and Florida. Rush can see her point so he asks if she would feel better if EIB solicited another ad from another state asking wackos to move to it. Roxanne says no, but as the caller from Wyoming noted, there is a large influx of residents into these western states, and they're having a negative impact on those who are already living there. The home prices in Montana, for example, have gone up to the point that young people can't buy homes. Rush says that's not the Unabomber's fault - it's people like Ted Turner who show up and buy thousands of acres for their buffalo ranches. Roxanne agrees, and she digresses to note that Turner and Jane Fonda have been kicked out of restaurants in Montana. Rush asks how this happened, and Roxanne says a law enforcement friend told her that Fonda and Turner went into the Rocky Mountain Pasta Company in Bozeman, MT and were a bit miffed that they weren't seated immediately. The hostess told them that they were booked up and that there was a wait for tables, so Fonda demanded to see the manager, asking "do you know who I am?!" Rush notes this is really bad form for any sort of celebrity, and Roxanne agrees. The manager came out and he turned out to be a Vietnam veteran, so he wasn't pleased to see Fonda at all. He told her "yes, Miss Fonda, I know who you are and you are not welcome in my restaurant!" Thus, Montanans aren't that interested in having people like the Turners in their state; they move from states like California, with lots of money to spend on houses. Rush says a lot of Californians are going to states like Idaho and Montana precisely because those states are wide-open and "pristine" compared to their cities. This sort of influx is only going to continue. Roxanne says it's happening already and having a great impact, especially on the western part of the state, which has the mountains and forests. The property taxes are skyrocketing, for example, and the last thing Montana needs is an ad asking for more people to show up, especially crazy people. Montanans don't tolerate the crazy people. Rush says Kaczynski and the Freemen were in Montana, and then there was the Montana Militia. Roxanne bets that if Rush would come to Montana and see it for himself, he'd change his tune. Rush says he'd love to come to Montana - his radio ad, after all, is very persuasive, and his TV show, in fact, will be airing a TV version of that ad tonight. He thanks Roxanne for her call and her "sensitivity" to this ad, and he promises to talk to his ad people about this. However, he notes that it's few shows that take callers critical of their ads. Phone Marcie from Roanoke, VA Marcie has listened to Rush for more than four years, and she doesn't understand how people can call and say Rush is making derogatory remarks about Montana. After all, Montana isn't the only state that has undesirables in it. Rush agrees - he can think of a state that has about 7 million undesirables, most of them in one city. Marcie finds it hard, though, that people can be that stupid to take such things seriously. Rush says he wouldn't say people who complain about his Montana ad are stupid, only that they should lighten up a bit. He points out that Montana has been put under a lot of pressure; for years it's not been noticed, and now in a period of only three weeks, it's been known as the capital of America's wackos. The nation has seen Theodore Kaczynski and the Freemen hail from Montana, and the fact that Ted Turner and Jane Fonda are also there doesn't help either. Thus, Rush is willing to cut Montanans some slack, given that it's understandable why they'd be upset about this newfound notoriety. He thanks Marcie for calling. Phone Jesse from Manhattan, NY Jesse says the only thing that bothered Justice Scalia's speech - and he admits he hasn't seen a transcript of it but has only heard Rush's discussion of it - is that he spoke only about Christians. What about the Jews and Muslims or any other religious group? He should have made the point that "church" includes all religions. Rush says Scalia wasn't being exclusionary at all - all he was doing is defending his religion. Christianity has become the safest religion to attack in America today, and Scalia, as a Roman Catholic, was only defending it. He was not, though, saying that only Christians should be involved in politics. Scalia was simply pointing out that Christians should not be intimidated by the "sophisticated" of society into being ashamed of believing in the Resurrection or other Christian miracles. Jesse asks why Scalia mentioned only Christians when America is a country of many, many faiths. Rush says Scalia is a Christian, and his faith is the one under assault. Jesse, though, says that as a Supreme Court Justice Scalia has to include all faiths in the protections of the Constitution. Rush is certain that Scalia does this when he rules from the Bench, but here he was speaking to some law students at a Baptist school, and he was encouraging them not to be swayed from their beliefs by those who ridicule Christianity and its belief in miracles. He was not saying Christianity was the only valid religion and that everyone else was wrong; instead, he was responding to the assaults that have been aged on Christianity lately. *BREAK* Phone Dan from Chicago, IL Dan gives "megadittos from the stamp-collecting city of Chicago," and speaking of stamp collectors, Dan is curious about what Rush thinks about Dan Rostenkowski and how he's going to jail, after doing everything he could to stonewall this investigation. Rush says what intrigues him about this case is that Rostenkowski was originally offered a plea bargain that offered a conviction on one count and six months in jail. This was back when "Uncle Bob" Bennett was handling Rostenkowski's case, and Rostenkowski didn't like it at all, so he angrily fired Bennett. Thus, Rostenkowski, who always wanted more, ended up getting it; he held out for a better deal and now ends up getting convictions on two counts, 17 months in jail, and a $100,000 fine. Only someone as arrogant as a liberal Democrat could turn a plea bargain for only six months in jail to one for 17 months, plus a fine of a hundred grand. Rostenkowski, by the way, was one of those guys who was trying to manage Americans' lives, raising their taxes, and coming up with punitive laws and regulations on achievers. Rostenkowski was one of those guys who wanted to run health care for everyone, and who believed they know better than anyone else how to spend their money for them. Rostenkowski, though, is still unbowed by his convictions and insists he's not done anything wrong but is just taking the fall for what everyone else was doing. Thus, Rostenkowski's arrogance remains unabated, in true liberal fashion. Today's Washington Post, by the way, has a picture of Rostenkowski that looks as if the paper tried to find the worst picture they could find of him. This guy looks like a Webster Hubbell clone, and Rush can only imagine this duo playing gin while in prison. Perhaps they'll end up playing tennis instead. Rush thanks Dan for calling. Phone Jay from Hope Valley, RI Jay says Republicans should combat the Democrats on the minimum wage by suggesting that it be tax-exempt, so that these poor workers don't have to pay any taxes. Rush says those earning minimum wage probably are already not paying too much in taxes, but it's worthwhile to discuss how to fight this issue. Obviously, the minimum wage is going to be a cause celebre for the Democrats, especially since there's now a "living wage" movement starting in America. The goal, according to the organizers of this movement, is to make sure every worker has a "living wage." <> This is a perfect and traditional liberal approach, where the government's now responsible for making sure everyone has a "livable wage." Of course, the way that "livable wage" will be defined is to make sure everyone gets paid at least $6 an hour, if not more. But the minimum wage is not intended to be a livable wage - it's simply designed to allow people who have no training or experience to get a foot in the job market door, so that they can work their way up. However, the liberals, particularly labor unions, are pushing hard for this; the unions know raising the minimum wage will push everyone's wages up, despite how it will also result in many jobs being lost. When the issue of health care was big in the news, and the CEO of Godfather's Pizza pointed out to Clinton that his business could not bear the costs associated with mandated health care, Clinton just told him to raise the costs of his pizzas a few cents, ignoring how the free market works. The reality is that if Godfather's Pizza or McDonalds or any other business could raise the price of their products, they would have done it years ago. Businesses, though, can't raise prices whenever they want - consumers respond to higher prices by not consuming as much as before. This is where the natural laws of supply and demand come into play, but these laws are ignored by those who want the government to take care of all this and ensure every American has a "livable wage." People applaud this idea only because American schools have created a bunch of educational dunces, and it's time they learned the realities of the economy. *BREAK* Phone Kevin from Chesapeake, VA Kevin wants to respond to the caller who was critical of Justice Scalia's remarks. As someone who has gone to law school and studied the Constitution, he knows a lot of people do not understand the First Amendment. A Supreme Court Justice or politician does not cease to be a citizen because they hold a high office, and as such they are entitled to express themselves under the First Amendment. If Justice Scalia wants to express his personal religious views, he can without it interfering with his duty to the law. Rush, though, says the movement in America is that anyone who expresses Christian-based religious views is somehow not acceptable for government service. Kevin says this is what psychologists call "chastisement": an attempt to intimidate or chide someone so that they alter their views. Rush says this is exactly what Scalia's point was - he was telling those at this breakfast that they shouldn't be afraid or intimidated in expressing their views. And if anyone thinks they will be able to intimidate Justice Scalia, then they've got another think coming. *BREAK* THIRD HOUR Rush proudly presents EIB's tribute to that fine congressman and statesman, Dan Rostenkowski, who turned down a six-month jail term, holding out for more and getting it. First up is the House Post Office commercial from 1992: <> The Capitol Hill Post Office - over a 100 years of service. <> Yeah, I remember my first day behind the counter at the Capitol Hill Post Office. It's something I'll never forget . . . <> <> Well, ah hello there, Mr. Congressman. Is there anything I can help you with there? <> Well, yes son, I need a couple of them thar first-class stamps. <> Okay, is that all, sir? <> No - uh - can you cash this check for a $1000? <> Ah, boy, sir, I don't - I don't know, I don't think so. <> Well now, trust me, son, you can. You see, it's just the way we do things up here on the Hill. Heh, heh, heh. <> Oh, sure, the congressmen have come and gone, and I've retired, but some things remain the same. <> <> Well, ah, hello there, Mr. Congressman. Is there anything I can help you with there? <> Yeah, check my mailbox. <> Okay - oh, just a check statement from your bank, sir. <> What check statement? <> Ah, yes sir, I'll just tear this up right away. <> Good kid, good kid. Hey, I need some postage stamps - just one. <> Okay, that'll be 29 cents. <> Uh, here's a constituent's check for $5000. <> Ah, and here's your change. Thanks, Congressman. <> And kid, you keep that stamp. <> Hey thanks! <> That way if I'm indicted, he's my accomplice. Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh. <> Bye-bye! <> Yes sir, I guess it's true what they say about congressmen and the Capitol Hill Post Office - neither inquiry nor bribes nor abuses of power shall keep our appointed leaders from making their rounds. <> The Capitol Hill Post Office, another special privilege institution. ******** Along with this was the House Post Office's special commemorative edition: <> Attention, stamp collectors! The Capitol Hill Post Office announces a must-have stamp for your collection - the Dan Rostenkowski limited edition postage stamp. This special stamp is available for a limited time only, and it features Dan Rostenkowski at his best - surrounded by reporters, refusing to answer any questions. <> Euugggh! There's no way you could get me to lick that thing. <> No need to worry about that! The Dan Rostenkowski limited edition stamp has no glue on it; it won't stick to anything and nothing will stick to it! <> How do I get one?!? <> Simply go to the Capitol Hill Post Office, cash a constituent's check, and the stamp is absolutely free, no questions asked! <> Super! <> And while you're there, you can vote on which Bill Clinton you'd like to see on the new Presidential stamp: the old, likable campaigning Bill Clinton or the new promise-breaking, misleading, and occasionally confrontational Bill Clinton. <> We're not sure which one we hate more! <> The new limited edition Dan Rostenkowski postage stamp. Another fine service from the Capitol Hill Post Office. ******** Another product from the offices of Dan Rostenkowski was the Special Privilege Maxer Card: <> Some credit cards give you low rates, but none can offer you the special treatment you'll get from the Dan Rostenkowski Special Privilege Maxer Card! Perfect for those of us who don't have the `ways and means' of a Washington bigwig! <> Oh, ho! Ah, congressman . . . your usual table? Right this way! <> The Dan Rostenkowski Special Privilege Maxer Card is more than just a credit card! It allows you all the special features that come with abuse of power. With the new Rostenkowski Special Privilege Maxer Card, you can assume ownership of state vehicles, you can give government employees the day off to vote for you, or with our new Cash-Plus option, you can get all the cash you need at any Capitol Hill Post Office location. <> Here's your postage stamp and your $20,000 in change. Would you like that in same, untraceable bills, sir? <> The new Dan Rostenkowski Special Privilege Maxer Card, because House membership has its privileges! ******** Dan Rostenkowski also has been willing to help his President when called upon to serve: <> Shopping at home has never been easier! Get ready America, here comes another edition of The White House Basement Shopping Network! <> The White House Basement Shopping Network! <> We're closing out the 103rd Congress, and we're going to be here until they're all gone, right here on the WBSN network! Next, an item no philatelist can be without! <> Mr. President, this is so demeaning! <> Go on, go on! Think of the money! <> Oh yeah! Hi out there, everybody, Dan Rostenkowski here and have I got a deal for you! These mint quality sheets of stamps that have never been used and uh . . . <> And some of them are rare, aren't they!? <> Yeah, uh, some of them have coffee stains. This one I made into a paper airplane. They're one of a kind, you know! <> You heard him, folks, a one of a kind original! It could be yours for only $15.95! And as a bonus offer, Rosty will autograph each and every sheet! <> Uh, for an extra fifteen bucks . . . cash! <> You heard it here, folks. Where else can you get deals like this? We're closing out on the 103rd Congress right here on the WBSN, the White House Basement Shopping Network! See you next time! <> The White House Basement Shopping Network! ******** Next is an ad for a service that many Democrats needed after the November, 1994 elections: <> Only one van line is the choice of Democratic congressman for their one-way moving needs: Capitol Van Lines. At Capitol Lines, we know the urgency of being thrown out of your House, so we're there right now! <> Hello, Capitol Van Lines. <> <> Why, hello, congressman Rostenkowski! <> . . . one way . . . <> One way to Illinois? No problem! Lots of nice furniture, congressman? <> . . . 18 terms . . . <> 18 terms, huh? I guess you'll be needing the really large truck! <> . . . checks . . . <> I'm sorry, congressman, we don't take checks from the Capitol Hill Bank. <> Capitol Van Lines, whether you're moving yourself or your entire staff, we've got the right truck to get you back home and back in the private sector where you belong! <> Hello, congressman Foley! <> . . . truck . . . <> Sorry, our really big truck is spoken for - will two small ones do? <> Capitol Van Lines, no job is too small or too big! <> Capitol Van Lines! <> Hello, can I get a truck? <> Hello, Mr. President! <> I won't need it for a couple years, though. <> Well, of course, you can book a truck two years in advance. <> When you're leaving town and don't expect to come back, call the one-way moving specialist. Capitol Van Lines! ******** Next is a commercial for the Capitol Hill Bank, where Dan Rostenkowski proudly wrote many a check: <> And now, another Capitol Hill Bank Moment. <> I'm working behind the counter here at the Bank, when in comes another freshman Congressman. He puts $500 into his new checking account. Boy, you should have seen the look on his face when I told him $500 in a Capitol Hill checking account is unheard of. Congressmen never keep that kind of money in the Bank. <> So this kindly teller tells me that my $500 is worth $60 to 100,000 in check writing privileges. Until that moment I never realized how much I was going to love living in Washington. Heh, heh. <> Capitol Hill Bank - for personal service. <> I like to get really involved with my customers. Why, once, a Congressman called me from this big drinking party he was throwing - said he needed some more checks. So I went to his party with a box of checks. Why, he even paid for that party with one of those checks. I felt like I really made a difference. <> I don't remember much about that party, but I do remember my Capitol Hill Bank associate - he really saved me. You know, people like Ted Kennedy can rack up quite a bar tab. Capitol Hill Bank made me look like I had money and influence. You don't get that kind of treatment from a bank very often. Capitol Hill Bank. <> Capitol Hill Bank - for worry-free checking. <> If I get named, that kid's going down with me. <> Capitol Hill Bank, member F.L.E.E.C.E. A special privilege lender. *BREAK* Phone Nick from Hartford, CT Nick asks if Rush knows Ron Brown's birthday; he doesn't either, but he bets that next year it will be a federal holiday, given the rate things are going. Rush says the latest about Brown's beatification is that after today's memorial services, Clinton is going to host a fund-raise for the DNC tonight as a "tribute" to Brown. Nick thinks this is an incredible political move, showing Clinton at his political "best." However, it cheapens true black leaders and heroes who are real patriots, such as Colin Powell. Rush says he sees Nick's point about how this adoration of Brown could cheapen "real heroes," but he thinks the more important point is Clinton's shamelessness in all this. He is politicizing a tragedy here, and the idea that we might have a "Ron Brown Day" is interesting because last week he suggested to some people in his office that the country turn Martin Luther King Jr. Day into a "black leader day" so that it could be used to honor both Brown and King. Nick says Brown was straight from the Hubbell/Espy/Rostenkowski mold, so he is not a real "leader." Rush notes that Brown is also not a child of the ghetto, as the liberals are portraying, and he instead grew up in a penthouse middle class apartment, going to private schools, etc. This doesn't negate the fact that he did achieve a lot in his life, and there's a lot to be said about him, especially since he didn't get where he was by Affirmative Action. There is some "role model" stuff there. Nick agrees, but he doesn't think Brown is "beatification material," as he's being treated now. Fortunately, Republicans didn't close down the Commerce Department while Brown's was lying in state there. Rush says another thing to consider is whether world trade will be able to recover from this loss. Perhaps, though, a "Black Leaders Day" would be a fitting thing to do; critics would say it would diminish the role of King, but Presidents' Day hasn't diminished Washington's and Lincoln's birthdays. Rush bets someone will seriously propose this at some point. Nick hopes not because he does want another day off, but Rush chides him for his selfish attitude. After all, the last way that Washington and Lincoln would have wanted their birthdays to be honored would have been with a "day of slothfulness." He thanks Nick for calling. Phone Mark from Norfolk, VA Mark says that every time a tragedy comes along in the Clinton administration, it either turns into a plot or something else derails it. Ron Brown was being investigated, in danger of becoming a big liability to Clinton, but now he's become a big asset for Clinton, who is the luckiest man on Earth. Rush says Mark must be very cynical to believe this - obviously Mark is listening to some right-wing fanatics on the radio. Mark says he and some friends were amazed when they started listing the things that have happened in the Clinton administration - the man is so lucky that when he leaves office, he won't have to work because he can keep on playing the lottery. Rush likes that thought and thanks Mark for calling. Phone Walt from Pittsburgh, PA Walt disagrees with the decision to drop the charges against Brown; conservatives should perhaps take some lessons from liberals, who never give up on their attacks. Even Richard Nixon is still being ridiculed, such as what happened on the Dana Carvey show and in Oliver Stone's movies. Rush asks why Walt thinks conservatives back away at times like this while liberals keep pressing on, and Walt says Newt Gingrich gave the reason why when he said "we're good people." Conservatives are willing to forgive and forget, while liberals always want to give the knife one more turn, refusing to give up. Rush agrees, and this is why, when he's asked what will happen to his career if Dole wins the Presidency, he replies "nothing." Liberals, after all, will never go away - they never stop but continue to impugn and defame their enemies, even when they're dead. They'll keep on attacking as long as they have to so as to advance their agenda, using a totally different set of rules than those used by conservatives. *BREAK* Rush has one final tribute to Dan Rostenkowski: <> Mr. President, congressman Rostenkowski here to see you. <> Okay, send him in. <> Thanks for seeing me, Mr. President. <> Danny, I can't tell you how I feel about your indictment. I'll just have to sing. <> "Oh, Danny boy, the feds, the feds are calling. Bob did his best, now there's nowhere to hide. Your power's gone, our health care hopes are falling. <> Oh, Danny boy, <> I need you on my side." "But call me back when you get out of prison, When Bob Dole's hushed and we're leading in the polls. And then we can call a special session. Oh, Danny boy, oh, Danny boy, I need you so." "I wish we could pass new legislation And change the law so you won't have to go. For who'll be there when I need extra postage? Oh, Danny boy, oh, Danny boy, I need you so. Oh, Danny boy, oh, Danny boy, I'll miss you so!" ******** Phone Patty from Philadelphia, PA Rush notes that Greg Lousinski of the Philadelphia Phillies dropped by today, but Patty notes that she just moved to town and doesn't follow local sports. She read two Op-Ed pieces in the Wall Street Journal last week, one by Robert B. Reich and the other by a woman columnist, about the minimum wage. It dawned on her that the minimum wage was a government unfunded mandate, and Rush says this is exactly right - the minimum wage is simply an unfunded mandate that's administered by private businesses. Patty suggests that this is how Republicans can portray it and shut the liberals up. Rush says this will be a tough thing to sell to liberals, as the next caller will indicate, given that the minimum wage is being justified by saying it's the "fair" thing to do. And Americans believe this because they don't have any economic education. Patty says she'd love to be paid $100,000 a year so if they want to raise the minimum wage that much, then she'd be all for it. Rush says this is his point and he thanks Patty for calling. Phone Mark from Lancaster, OH Mark thinks the minimum wage should be raised to at least $7 an hour, if not more. He makes minimum wage right now and barely can support his family; if this is raise by $2 an hour, though, he'd be just above poverty level. Rush asks how long Mark has been earning the minimum wage, and he says it's been since he left high school, which is 8 years or so since he is 27 years old now. Rush asks what Mark does and he replies that he works at a foundry, getting paid $5.90 an hour. Rush says that's not the minimum wage, which is $4.25 or so an hour. However, if $7 an hour is fair, why not pay people $10 an hour? Mark replies that the wage has to be based on experience but you also can't start someone out at $4.25 and hour and expect them to make a living for their family. Rush says this is true but the minimum wage is not intended for family providers but for inexperienced, entry-level, unskilled people. They start off at minimum wage and get their foot in the door, but it's never been intended to be a wage for a four-person family. Mark says that it should be raised then, but Rush asks where businesses are going to get this money? Mark says the businesses of the United States can certainly afford to pay their employees more than they are now. Rush says many businesses certainly can't afford to pay unskilled, untrained, inexperienced workers $7 an hour. Mark says the businesses could just increase their prices - Congress gets a standard cost of living raise, so why not the rest of Americans? Rush says most Americans don't think Congress should be able to vote themselves pay increases, but if $10 an hour would be fair for the minimum wage, why not $20 an hour? Mark thinks that's extreme, so Rush asks why $10 is extreme and not $20? Mark says $20 an hour sounds fine to him, so Rush asks about $50 an hour. Mark says that this would not work economically - if businesses pay exorbitant wages, their costs would have to be exorbitant, too. Rush asks why that matters - if the goal is fairness, what difference does the price paid by consumers have to do with anything? Mark replies that consumers and the workers are one and the same. Rush says this means that if the minimum wage is raised too far, prices will go up to where people can't afford to buy anything. Mark says he can't afford anything now - he's in debt at the end of every month, with debt collectors calling his house and asking for their money; he has to tell them to call his employer. Rush says that's not where debtors should go to collect their debts. Rush notes that Mark knows what his job pays and he's reaching a point in his life where he needs to move up. Mark says he can't afford to go to school to get a better education to do this. Rush notes that there are a lot of people who don't have any college who are doing okay. Mark says if Rush can tell him what job he can take that will pay more, he'll take it. Rush says it's not his job, nor that of Congress, nor President Clinton to find a job for him. Mark says this should be the job of the government; as a die-hard liberal he thinks the government owes him because he pays taxes. Rush says Mark has to be a setup caller to say this, so he asks if Mark will vote for Clinton this year. Mark says no - he'll vote for Perot this year because Clinton hasn't done anything for him. Rush asks what Perot will do for him, and Mark says Perot will straighten out the government, which will help the economy out and create more jobs. Rush says there are plenty of jobs out there, but Mark says they're all minimum wage. Rush says some are, but not all, and there's nothing wrong with minimum wage jobs, which are for entry-level jobs. Mark suggests Rush try living at minimum wage, and Rush says no thanks, but nobody is making Mark stay at minimum wage either. It sounds to Rush like the limitations on Mark are mainly self- imposed - through this call he's given a list of "can'ts" as to why he can't do better. The reality, though, is that Mark can do better. Mark says he'd like to know where he can make more money; he sees other people making more money but they aren't entry-level jobs. Rush says if Mark knows where these other jobs are, he should be going there. In fact, Mark should stop wasting his time talking to Rush and hang up so that he can go to where these others jobs are. *BREAK* Rush remarks that if it weren't for the fact he wasn't from Philadelphia, he would be certain he knew that last caller. Rush would have sworn he was the guy in high school who was always sitting in the back of the class, not paying attention to anything going on. However, if the guy does want to know where he can go to get paid more than the minimum wage, there's an easy answer: Montana! Phone Russ from Ithaca, MI Russ gives megadittos and says he used to own a successful business in Virginia, one that he started after leaving the Navy. However, he lost the business along with a lot of money, so he decided to follow one of his dreams and move to Michigan to take a job paying the minimum wage, simply so he could get a foot in the door of this field, which is broadcasting. This was six months ago, and he's since gotten a raise. Also, though, because of the experience he's gotten in his second job, he's since landed a second job in which he's doing really well. Rush asks why Russ moved for a minimum wage job, and Russ replies that he's loved broadcasting and radio for years. He knows he's not going to get a job starting at the top, so he moved to where he could get a job doing morning news at a small station, and he plays music on the weekends. He's also been hired by a second station, getting more opportunities and experience. Rush says this is what someone has to do - to do the job. For the most part, the rule of thumb at radio is that you start with a small station and work your way up. That's how Rush did it. Russ notes this doesn't apply to people such as Danny Bonaduce, but Rush notes that nobody should want to get into radio the Bonaduce way. Contrary to popular thinking, there's no requirement that you have to be a drug addict to get into radio and TV. Russ says he enjoys every minute of his career, and Rush encourages him to stay enthusiastic, as that will carry him farther than he can imagine. Russ says if the previous caller is still making only minimum wage after ten years, it's his fault - he's getting what he deserves since the company will continue paying him this money as long as he's willing to work for it. This is not the government's fault. Rush, though, says this caller thought it was the government's fault, and there are a lot of people who think the same. Russ notes that any suburban McDonald's pays more than minimum wage because they have to so as to get workers. Rush says he saw a story about how the minimum wage doesn't exist in a couple of Indiana towns because even McDonalds needs to pay more than that to get skilled labor, even at entry-level jobs. Russ agrees - the only reason radio has so many minimum wage jobs is because so many people want to do the gig and are willing to take such low pay for it. However, McDonalds in a suburb of Detroit are paying a starting salary of $7.50 an hour for entry-level workers who have never flipped a burger before because they need the workers. Rush thanks Russ for calling and wishes him the best with his radio career. *BREAK* The segment opens up with some screaming head-banger rock-and- roll, and Rush remarks that he feels like he's in Tower Records at six o'clock in the morning. Phone Ron from Summit, NJ Ron says the caller from Philadelphia doesn't need college to get a job that pays more than the minimum wage. Ron went to college for a year, decided it wasn't for him, and went out and got a job. He worked hard, took the next opportunity, and worked his way up. As a result, he has a responsible position and is earning more than $50,000 a year. This required sweat and applying himself, but not a college degree. Ron thus thinks the previous caller was just looking for excuses. Rush says it's either that or the guy was a setup. After all, there are people who work for free because they want the experience - they're called interns and EIB is always looking for them because they're cheap. Rush doesn't need anyone to apply now, though, so all would-be broadcasters can forget about sending in a resume. Rush thanks Ron for calling. Rush adds that the show tomorrow will be a "Best of Rush" show because he's going to be in Cape Girardeau attending his grandfather's funeral services. The show will feature mainly replays of the two interviews Rush did of him in 1991 and 1993, and then Friday's show will be a regular Open Line Friday.