Rush Limbaugh, probably the most influential voice in the cause of conservatism, appeared on The Today Show on Monday, October 12. Part 2 of Rush's Today Show interview, which was conducted by Jamie Gangel, will be broadcast tomorrow. Below is the complete transcript of Part 1, preceded by a short exchange between Matt Lauer and Gangel, then followed immediately by the video:
MATT LAUER: Now to the first part of our exclusive interview with controversial conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh. Normally he does not like to give interviews, but he agreed to sit down with Today's national correspondent, Jamie Gangel, who can be very persuasive. Jamie, good morning to you.
JAMIE GANGEL: Good morning, Matt. Fan or critic, Rush has become more than just the number one radio talk show host in the country. He is considered an influential political player, from his attacks on President Obama to Democrats who call him "the leader of the Republican Party." So we started by asking him, just how powerful does he think he is?
BEGIN TAPED INTERVIEW:
JAMIE GANGEL: Are you the leader of the Republican Party?
RUSH: I am not the leader of the Republican Party. I don't want to be the leader of the Republican Party. These people think that they can discredit the Republican Party by making me the head of it. All they're doing is elevating me. It's silly for them to keep talking about how I'm the leader of anything. It's just creating more curiosity about me. It's twenty-one years, more popular than ever. Lord, thank you for my enemies.
("My City Was Gone" EIB theme song)
JAMIE GANGEL: It is vintage Rush. Provocative...
RUSH ARCHIVE: Barack Obama has the inside track on becoming the worst president in the nation's history.
JAMIE GANGEL: Outspoken...
RUSH ARCHIVE: It's the Democrats who have always politicized war.
JAMIE GANGEL: Good morning, Matt. Fan or critic, Rush has become more than just the number one radio talk show host in the country. He is considered an influential political player, from his attacks on President Obama to Democrats who call him "the leader of the Republican Party." So we started by asking him, just how powerful does he think he is?
BEGIN TAPED INTERVIEW:
JAMIE GANGEL: Are you the leader of the Republican Party?
RUSH: I am not the leader of the Republican Party. I don't want to be the leader of the Republican Party. These people think that they can discredit the Republican Party by making me the head of it. All they're doing is elevating me. It's silly for them to keep talking about how I'm the leader of anything. It's just creating more curiosity about me. It's twenty-one years, more popular than ever. Lord, thank you for my enemies.
("My City Was Gone" EIB theme song)
JAMIE GANGEL: It is vintage Rush. Provocative...
RUSH ARCHIVE: Barack Obama has the inside track on becoming the worst president in the nation's history.
JAMIE GANGEL: Outspoken...
RUSH ARCHIVE: It's the Democrats who have always politicized war.
JAMIE GANGEL: Always making headlines...
RUSH: Obama gives speeches trashing his own country. And he gets a prize for it. This is a greater embarrassment than losing the Olympics bid was.
JAMIE GANGEL: Usually for his political attacks...
RUSH: I want Barack Obama to fail.
JAMIE GANGEL: (dramatic music) But sometimes it's been his personal life. Married and divorced three times, in 2001 he lost his hearing and now wears cochlear implants. He publicly struggled with an addiction to prescription painkillers and went through rehab.
RUSH ARCHIVE: Following this broadcast, I will check myself into a treatment center for the next 30 days.
JAMIE GANGEL: But these days, Rush is happily dating, has lost 85 pounds -- and, oh, by the way, he recently signed a new contract reported to be worth $400 million. It's good to be Rush.
RUSH: I'm 58 now, and I can tell you that every year has been better than the year before.
JAMIE GANGEL: Mmph.
RUSH: I've never been happier than I am right now.
JAMIE GANGEL: (sad music) But the road to success wasn't easy. Raised in a small town in Missouri, the son of a prominent family of lawyers and judges, Rush did not fit in.
RUSH: I started being interested in radio when I was eight years old because I hated school. Second grade, whatever it was, I despised it. It was prison. I wanted to be like that guy. I wanted to be the guy on the radio having fun.
JAMIE GANGEL: His father didn't approve, forced him to go to college. After a year, Rush dropped out and then bounced from job to job.
RUSH: I got fired seven or eight times. I've lost count.
JAMIE GANGEL: (bouncy music) Finally in 1988, he got his break, and ever since it's been "the world according to Rush." Three hours a day holding forth...
RUSH ARCHIVE: I am the all-knowing, all-caring, all-seeing Maha Rushie.
JAMIE GANGEL: Taking on liberals.
RUSH: Obama gives speeches trashing his own country. And he gets a prize for it. This is a greater embarrassment than losing the Olympics bid was.
JAMIE GANGEL: Usually for his political attacks...
RUSH: I want Barack Obama to fail.
JAMIE GANGEL: (dramatic music) But sometimes it's been his personal life. Married and divorced three times, in 2001 he lost his hearing and now wears cochlear implants. He publicly struggled with an addiction to prescription painkillers and went through rehab.
RUSH ARCHIVE: Following this broadcast, I will check myself into a treatment center for the next 30 days.
JAMIE GANGEL: But these days, Rush is happily dating, has lost 85 pounds -- and, oh, by the way, he recently signed a new contract reported to be worth $400 million. It's good to be Rush.
RUSH: I'm 58 now, and I can tell you that every year has been better than the year before.
JAMIE GANGEL: Mmph.
RUSH: I've never been happier than I am right now.
JAMIE GANGEL: (sad music) But the road to success wasn't easy. Raised in a small town in Missouri, the son of a prominent family of lawyers and judges, Rush did not fit in.
RUSH: I started being interested in radio when I was eight years old because I hated school. Second grade, whatever it was, I despised it. It was prison. I wanted to be like that guy. I wanted to be the guy on the radio having fun.
JAMIE GANGEL: His father didn't approve, forced him to go to college. After a year, Rush dropped out and then bounced from job to job.
RUSH: I got fired seven or eight times. I've lost count.
JAMIE GANGEL: (bouncy music) Finally in 1988, he got his break, and ever since it's been "the world according to Rush." Three hours a day holding forth...
RUSH ARCHIVE: I am the all-knowing, all-caring, all-seeing Maha Rushie.
JAMIE GANGEL: Taking on liberals.
RUSH: Their agenda is damaging to the country.
JAMIE GANGEL: Mocking feminists.
RUSH ARCHIVE: For all of these, years the feminazis have been beating up women in this country.
JAMIE GANGEL: And reporters...
RUSH ARCHIVE: Journalism is dead as we've known it.
JAMIE GANGEL: Of course, these days his favorite target is the President of the United States.
RUSH ARCHIVE: America will once again succeed when Obama admits his policies and his arrogance have failed.
JAMIE GANGEL: Beyond politics, were you moved in any way to see an African-American elected president?
RUSH: Yeah, but I got over it very quickly. I mean, he's president of the United States. His skin color doesn't matter to me. His policies are what matter. The idea that we've had a very historic thing was wonderful when it happened, absolutely. But I'll be honest with you. I predicted to you it was going to exacerbate racial problems, and it has. Any criticism of President Obama is going to be said to be oriented in racism. And if you don't like his health care bill, it's racist. I opposed when Clinton and Hillary were trying to do it, and they aren't black. It's all about ideas. I think these are dark days for the country. I think his economic policies are... I think he is shepherding the decline; he's not observing it.
JAMIE GANGEL: Is there anything good he's done?
RUSH: (long pause) Hmmm. (scratching his chin) Maybe. I can't think of it, but, let's see.
JAMIE GANGEL: Anything good you would say about him?
RUSH: He's got a great voice.
JAMIE GANGEL: Mmm!
RUSH: Great, great voice. Reads a teleprompter like no one I've ever seen read a teleprompter. I am dazzled by that.
JAMIE GANGEL: Mocking feminists.
RUSH ARCHIVE: For all of these, years the feminazis have been beating up women in this country.
JAMIE GANGEL: And reporters...
RUSH ARCHIVE: Journalism is dead as we've known it.
JAMIE GANGEL: Of course, these days his favorite target is the President of the United States.
RUSH ARCHIVE: America will once again succeed when Obama admits his policies and his arrogance have failed.
JAMIE GANGEL: Beyond politics, were you moved in any way to see an African-American elected president?
RUSH: Yeah, but I got over it very quickly. I mean, he's president of the United States. His skin color doesn't matter to me. His policies are what matter. The idea that we've had a very historic thing was wonderful when it happened, absolutely. But I'll be honest with you. I predicted to you it was going to exacerbate racial problems, and it has. Any criticism of President Obama is going to be said to be oriented in racism. And if you don't like his health care bill, it's racist. I opposed when Clinton and Hillary were trying to do it, and they aren't black. It's all about ideas. I think these are dark days for the country. I think his economic policies are... I think he is shepherding the decline; he's not observing it.
JAMIE GANGEL: Is there anything good he's done?
RUSH: (long pause) Hmmm. (scratching his chin) Maybe. I can't think of it, but, let's see.
JAMIE GANGEL: Anything good you would say about him?
RUSH: He's got a great voice.
JAMIE GANGEL: Mmm!
RUSH: Great, great voice. Reads a teleprompter like no one I've ever seen read a teleprompter. I am dazzled by that.
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Amazing how they ONLY ask questions like these to a conservative. Rush made a great point about why they don't ask these of the SNL staff. Rush is great! God Bless him.
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