RUSH: Kennewick, Washington, this is Ted. Nice to have you with us on Open Line Friday, sir.
CALLER: Rush, it is an honor. First, a compliment on that Ball of Fire song, the Johnny Cash song here a couple weeks ago. I’m still laughing about that one.
RUSH: Thank you, sir.
CALLER: I just wanted to ask — I guess, as someone I emulate somewhat or you’re on my list of people I emulate, I would ask — that you would live responsibly and not pollute. You’ve been talking about SUVs and global warming. I don’t buy the global warming thing much, either, but don’t you think that pollution…? I mean, if you can live responsibly and not pollute, shouldn’t you do that?
RUSH: I do live responsibly and I don’t pollute.
CALLER: Okay, because I was under the impression —
RUSH: What a minute? What is all this? You’re calling here with the assumption that I live irresponsibly and pollute?
CALLER: Not irresponsibly. When you’re talking about your vehicle, driving an SUV and —
RUSH: I don’t have an SUV. The staff has the SUV.
CALLER: Okay. It’s just the impression I got in listening to you over the last couple of weeks.
RUSH: I don’t like SUVs, frankly. I don’t like riding in them. I don’t like driving them, but the staff needs one to go to all the stores.
CALLER: Sure. I guess my point is, as somebody who holds as much esteem as you do, to encourage, not necessarily because of global warming. I don’t — like I say, I don’t — agree that’s the case, either.
RUSH: Let’s cut to the chase, sir. You are accusing me for some reason of living life to an excess, correct? You think I’m doing more than I should be doing. I’m living life excessively; I’m going overboard; I have things I don’t need; I go places I don’t need to go. This is what you’re saying, correct?
CALLER: No. No. The impression I got in listening to you over the last couple of weeks is that you’re entitled to, you know, blow off living — your pollution or trying to diminish your pollution.
RUSH: You need to be calling Algore. Algore is the one who has a big house and is going out and buying carbon credits and not cutting back on what he’s using. I’m still clueless as to what I’m guilty of here.
CALLER: I’m not accusing you of living large or living irresponsibly.
RUSH: But you should, because I do. I have earned it. I like living large, and I like being a role model. I would hope others would emulate my example just as I have emulated others. I am proud as I can be of what I’ve accomplished and what I have and what I do with it. I am proud as I can be of my philanthropy. I turn off lights at night. How many in the house do I have? (counting) I only leave a hundred of them on, something like that.