Bush to Rush Limbaugh: Happy 20th!

Rush Limbaugh was going along today, doing his radio show as usual, when producers started waving their arms frantically trying to get his attention. It seemed POTUS was on the line from Kennebunkport, Me. He and his father (Bush 41) and his brother Jeb (former governor of Florida) were calling to congratulate the conservative broadcaster on his 20 years on the air.

You can listen to the broadcast in its entirety at KTRH-AM in Texas. Or you can read the whole thing here. We imagine the reason the tape has not yet popped up on YouTube is that is was singularly lacking in the biting, mean-spirited, politically pointed invective for which Limbaugh is known and loved by millions.

-- Johanna Neuman

Photo: William Thomas Cain / Getty Images

Here's the transcript.

RUSH: What are...? (interruption) Interrupting for what?

THE PRESIDENT: Hello!

RUSH: Oh, jeez. The president?

THE PRESIDENT: Rush Limbaugh?

RUSH: Yes, sir, Mr. President.

THE PRESIDENT: President George W. Bush calling to congratulate you on 20 years of important and excellent broadcasting.

RUSH: Well, thank you, sir. You've stunned me! (laughing) I'm shocked. But thank you so much.

THE PRESIDENT: That's hard to do.

RUSH: (laughing) I know, it is.

THE PRESIDENT: I'm here with a room full of admirers. There are two others that would like to speak to you and congratulate you, people who consider you ...

... friends and really appreciate the contribution you've made.

RUSH: Thank you, sir, very much. Put 'em on.

THE PRESIDENT: How you doing? This is my swan song? If this is all you got for me, I'm moving on.

RUSH: (laughing) No! The show's yours; take as much time as you want.

THE PRESIDENT: Well, I'm just calling along with President 41 and the former governor of Florida. We're fixing to have lunch here, and I said, "Listen, we ought to call our pal and let him know that we care," for you. So this is as much as anything, a nice verbal letter to a guy we really care for.

RUSH: Well, thank you, sir, very much. I'm overwhelmed. I can't tell you how much I appreciate this and how much you've surprised me.

THE PRESIDENT: Well, that was the purpose of the phone call.

RUSH: You succeeded.

THE PRESIDENT: Good.

RUSH: They were waving at me trying to tell me you were on the line, and I didn't know what was going on. So you succeeded here in the surprise. How are you doing, sir?

THE PRESIDENT: I am great. We're doing very good, thank you very much, sir. Concerned about our economy, obviously, but know we need to be drilling for some oil and gas in order to take the pressure off the gas prices -- and I'm pleased with the progress in Iraq.

RUSH: Have you heard what Senator Obama wants to do? He wants another stimulus check of a thousand dollars to every American paid for by the oil companies.

THE PRESIDENT: Yeah. Well, what we ought to be doing is encouraging oil companies to find oil, and that's the best way to take the pressure off the gasoline prices. We're on a very strong push to get the Congress to allow for there to be offshore drilling, and most Americans understand now that an increase in oil, particularly here in America, will help take pressure off of price. And I tell people I'd rather, you know, be buying American oil instead of sending our money overseas.

RUSH: You know, Mr. President, it's amazing. In 2004 during your campaign, Senator Kerry was constantly criticizing you for not "jawboning" with the Saudis enough to bring the price of oil down. Now, four years later, they're doing everything they can to keep the price from coming down. They apparently want it to remain high.

THE PRESIDENT: Well, they may want to, but the American people want to see some relief. It would be like a massive tax cut when the gasoline prices decline. So we're in times of economic uncertainty and the more money people have in their pockets the quicker we'll be able to recover, in my judgment. You asked how I'm doing. My spirits are high; I'm going to finish strong. I love my family and I'm spending two days here with mother and dad before I head overseas.

RUSH: Well, that's right. You've got China on your agenda.

THE PRESIDENT: I do. But listen, President 41. You might remember him.

RUSH: I do. (laughing) Yes, I do. We all do.

THE PRESIDENT: You know what? He remembers you.

RUSH: Good.

THE PRESIDENT: Fondly, I might add. Anyway, here he is. Congratulations.

RUSH: Thank you, sir, very much, again.

THE PRESIDENT: Yes, sir.

BUSH 41: Hey, Rush?

RUSH: Mr. President, sir.

BUSH 41: How are you doing?

RUSH: I am never better. I'm so glad that you three called me. I'm stunned here. It's great to hear from you.

BUSH 41: I've got some advice for you.

RUSH: Tell me.

BUSH 41: Slow down your backswing.

RUSH: (laughing)

BUSH 41: (laughing) That's what I'm doing is giving advice. I remember playing with you and enjoying it. How are you?

RUSH: I'm great.

BUSH 41: Proud of you, always.

RUSH: Well, thank you. I'm doing great. And you? You're looking well, too.

BUSH 41: Well, yeah. I'm kind of on the sidelines, but I can't do golf and all that stuff anymore. But life is good. It's wonderful, and it's great having the family up here in Maine, and all is well. Do you see our man Ailes at all?

RUSH: Oh, yeah. I saw Roger at Tony Snow's funeral.

BUSH 41: Oh, did you?

RUSH: And a couple of times earlier this summer.

BUSH 41: Are we on the radio, are we?

RUSH: (laughing)

BUSH 41: I didn't know that. I'll clean up my act here. I'm glad they told me.

RUSH: Yeah, we're on the radio.

BUSH 41: It's wonderful talking to you, I'll tell you.

RUSH: Thank you, sir. Same here.

BUSH 41: Wait a minute, Jeb -- Governor Jeb -- wants to speak to you.

RUSH: That's great.

BUSH 41: We've got the whole family lined up.

RUSH: Put him on.

BUSH 41: All Limbaugh fans. Just a sec. Here.

JEB: Hey, Rush, congratulations on your longevity.

RUSH: Thank you, sir, very much. This is a thrill.

JEB: One of the highlights, one of the great things about your show is it's broadcast in the Sunshine State for which a whole lot of Floridians are very grateful, including me.

RUSH: It's a great place to live, governor. It really is, as you well know.

JEB: We've got a few challenges, but it's not a bad place at all.

RUSH: What's your future? What are you going to do?

JEB: I'm staying below the radar. That's what I'm doing. I love policy, and I have an education policy to try to help folks that are running for office be bold on education reform, which I think is a huge challenge and a great opportunity for our country. So my political stuff is really focused on that, which I love.

RUSH: Well, good. Keep at it, because if there's something that needs reform in this country, it's certainly that.

JEB: Absolutely.

RUSH: Particularly public education. Well, thank you guys so much. This is unexpected and a real honor for me to hear from all of you guys at the same time.

JEB: All right. Take care.

RUSH: Thanks, sir, very much.

JEB: Bye-bye.

Comments

[jefflz]

This mutual admiration society certainly do deserve one another. It will take decades, if ever, for America to recover from all the damage they have done to our standing in the world, our economy, the Constitution, every federal agency, the environment.. the list is endless

[mark aurelius]

4 morons on the phone together. whooppee

[Rushmore]

It is surprising that Rush has been on the air so long. I guess he expresses some pent up hostility that a lot of people have. Why do people like to be shocked and stirred up so much?

[Pere]

pathetic butt licking from one dog to another

[Buddesatva]

Contemptible, like Hitler congratulating Goebbels.

[Bob Jones]

Why does the author of this article, Johanna Neuman, refer to Rush as mean-spirited? Nothing could be further from the truth.

[John Rogers]

What a joke. The three stooges calling their long lost cousin.

[virginia mcmahon]

God help us........................

[greg peeler]

Why is this news ?

[jerry]

How sweet, it must be hard for the Bush's to find anyone that will treat them with respect. no surprise that Rust is the one to call to get that afermation. One moron thanking a group of morons.

Puke

[Chris Coulson]

How sweet.

[jeff]

How wonderful to have three of the biggest ninnies in the Western World on the phone congratulating one of the world's biggest blow hard right wing moralist. Did I forget to mention he was a drug addict? No wonder we are in such a mess as a country.

[midwestdogma]

Heaven help us! Can I puke now?? Why don't all the bloody lyiing, cheating, swindling conservatives line up in a row to pat themselves on the back! CORRUPTION LINE FORMS HERE

Sounds like a bunch of pill heads,wondering where they are going to get their next fix at.

[hesingswithfrogs]

Please excuse me while I wipe the vomit from my mouth.

[Adolf Hitler]

Gotta love that Bush family - a bunch of real weiners!!!

[Armand in Spain]

To utter and complete pendejo's talking from where they know. They have ruined your country; they and their ilk!

[Gregg Hein]

The "the biting, mean-spirited, politically pointed invective" is always lacking on Rush's show, which you would know if you were not a kool-aid drinking, mind-numbed lackey for the left. If you really are looking for "biting, mean-spirited, politically pointed invective", check out the drivel that comes from your own in the drive-by media, e.g., http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/gate/archive/2005/10/19/notes101905.DTL. Congrats Rush!

[larry]

I think Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Powell, Rice, Wolfowitz should form a band that plays wrong war songs. All band members play the war drums except Limbaugh. He's excluded for drug use.

[Jim]

I would have written earlier, but I couldn't type while upchucking.

[Anna]

This is amazing, I heard it on the radio and was as stunned as Rush. i'm only 16, but I've listend to Rush for years growing up. Happy 20th Rush!!

[Tom in Alabama]

How nice, Pappy Bush, Dubya and Jeb calling to congratulate Rush, the talking head who helped keep this idiot family in public office for over twenty years. Let the good times keep rolling.

[The Wunj]

I'm a fan of everyone involved in this four way, but... yeah. That was a very uneventful conference. I mean.. golf talk? Eh. But the swipe at John Kerry was a good highlight.

[Harold Reimann]

Here's what I've been writing to Human Events who has been having a week of praise for Rush: IF RUSH IS SO DAMNED GOOD, WHERE IS THE CONSERVATIVE REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE FOR PRESIDENT?