RUSH: We went long with our interview with Governor Schwarzenegger. By the way, I want to thank him. His office told us five to seven minutes, and this went at least 15 minutes. So this segment is going to be very, very short. Bad, bad programming. I apologize to all of you and to our affiliate stations for this. I also want to apologize to Governor Schwarzenegger for something I have implied in the past, as have many people. We have implied that perhaps one of the reasons for Governor Schwarzenegger’s sharp turn to the left under the guise of compromise has been owing to the ideology of his wife Maria. But after this interview, I’m not sure Maria gets a word in edgewise in their house. Governor Schwarzenegger obviously learned English and he hasn’t stopped talking since. I may have to revise my thought process on that.
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RUSH: Alan in Shreveport, Louisiana, you’re next, sir, on the EIB Network. Hello.
CALLER: Rush, first of all, you’re a great American. I heard you when you spoke in Shreveport a few years ago at Hal Sutton’s benefit, and I salute you for all the work that you’ve done.
RUSH: Thank you, sir, very much. I remember that night. It was a good night.
CALLER: I was sitting at the table right in front of you, every time you said something I agreed with, I stood up.
RUSH: Terrific. I remember you.
CALLER: Anyway, I just wanted to take issue with what Governor Schwarzenegger said about — or at least implying that he could save the taxpayers of California money by extending everybody health insurance coverage so that they didn’t have to go to emergency rooms. As you well know, that is simply a myth, and you were kind enough not to throw it in the governor’s face, but I’m not embarrassed to do so. The experience in Massachusetts, if anybody needed a reminder, has redoubled that lesson.
RUSH: Well, here’s the thing. I did tell him, I don’t think he heard me. You know, he wouldn’t be quiet. He can say all he wants about all these emergency room people getting coverage. The fact is — and I’ve read this in no less than the LA Times. A lot of southern California — last I heard, I guess a year and a half or two years ago, 11 hospital emergency rooms in southern California had to shut down because the only people showing up were people that couldn’t pay the bill. Yeah, they were covered, but the hospital had to cover it or somebody did. There were ads on television advising people how to call an ambulance so it doesn’t cost you any money to call a cab to go to the emergency room so you have to pay for it and so forth. I also pointed out to him that this business of covering everybody. He said we gotta get rid of the hidden tax. Well, what’s the difference between a hidden tax and a visible tax, it’s still a tax.
CALLER: Well, the visible tax will be a whole lot higher bill than the hidden one.
RUSH: Well, of course. You have to understand. I went into this with the understanding they told me he’s got five to seven minutes, and that wasn’t going to be enough time. He ended up staying for a little over 15, but if I would have had the time to get into it with him and by the way, I’m not going to be rude and say, ‘Be quiet, let me ask you a question!’ It’s just not me. But this whole business of health care reform, I wanted to ask him, ‘Well, is this reform governor? It sounds to me like we’re just spending more and more on it because that’s what the people want. You can go broke giving the people what they want. Open a free food center in the neighborhood and find out what happens to your budget.’
CALLER: Well, and the other point were trying to make and also he wouldn’t let you get a word in edge-wise, is that compromise is a great panacea, but in fact compromising with liberals is like Senator Gramm used to say — Phil Gramm–
RUSH: That’s exactly right.
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RUSH: I want to respond to one thing that was — what was the last caller’s name, Mr. Snerdley? Having a mental block. But he said that I didn’t get a chance to talk to Arnold about compromise. Au contraire. Now, look, it’s obvious that Governor Schwarzenegger called here and wanted to talk and talk and talk, but in so doing, folks, the governor illustrated that he has turned left. He believes that government’s the answer when it comes to health care, and it’s obviously not. If it were, anywhere else in the world it’s been tried, it would succeed. He obviously believes in the religion of global warming. He uses liberalspeak now, talks about fees rather than taxes. He’s acting like a liberal in Washington. His cover for it is not so much compromise, he’s giving the people of California what they want and that’s not what leadership is. Leadership’s not taking polls and finding out what people want and giving it to them. That’s how politicians keep getting reelected but that’s not how they fix things.
Now, this business of compromise, it was hard to get a word in without rudely interrupting him, which I’m sure was one of his plans. I’m not rude, and I’m not going to start being rude, just for the sake of it. But this business of compromise, I said, ‘Look, governor, you’re giving up your ideology.’ He kept talking about ideology is not the way to answer. Well, fine, you’re giving yours up but the libs aren’t giving theirs up. The libs don’t give up their ideology. I said come on, governor, you know these people, you’ve known liberals all your life. Liberal ideology is what governs their lives. Okay, so you didn’t give them what they wanted price-wise on the minimum wage, still gave them a minimum wage. You gave them what they wanted. The price is just going to go up from now, doesn’t matter what your starting point is. On health care, everything the liberals want, they are getting under the guise of it’s what the people want, and he’s a servant of the people. But this business of compromise is not what’s going on.
He’s compromising his principles. It’s one of the first questions I was able to ask him early on in the interview. We’ll have that transcript up and the audio at RushLimbaugh.com as soon as we can so you can review this. But, he said that he’s tired of talk, and he wants to get things done. But getting things done, if they’re the wrong things, in the long term, are going to harm the state, and the people. And if so, these things shouldn’t be done. Getting things done, that’s right out of the liberal dictionary here to get things done for people. Government does best when it does least. Something’s happened. He’s clearly changed his attitude. I said to him, ‘You were so inspiring in that first campaign, you had so many people so hopeful.’ ‘Thank you, thank you.’ He was very appreciative of that. But now it’s not the case. He cited polling data where it is. But it’s obvious that for whatever reason, Governor Schwarzenegger has put his arms around a very liberal agenda out there, and he’s running with it. He’s running to the front of the liberal parade. He’s trying to get in front of that parade and now justifying what he’s doing.
But here’s the thing. Arnold Schwarzenegger is known first and foremost as the lovable characters he has played, even when he’s in these futuristic sci-fi things, a lovable, likeable guy, and everybody loves Arnold Schwarzenegger. Everybody likes him. He’s got this constant smile on his face. He has the charismatic and infectious attitude, and you strip all the politics stuff away, people still like Arnold Schwarzenegger as a human being. But his liberalism is what it is, and his 180 on his own ideology is what it is.
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RUSH: What is this CNN still running this irrelevant story even after the interview? Look at that. Governor says Rush Limbaugh irrelevant. He doesn’t say that anymore. CNN, he came out here and didn’t say that. Ah, they’re running video. Look at the way they stretched this. I’ve lost 28 pounds and they’ve made it look like I’ve gained 29 the way they’ve stretched their video up there.
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RUSH: Dennie in Long Beach, California, nice to have you with us.
CALLER: Hi, Rush. It’s a great pleasure to talk to you.
RUSH: I can understand. Thank you.
CALLER: (Laughing.) I just think it’s unbelievable that CNN can only find something to talk about, as you and Arnold, and they’re the ones that are irrelevant.
RUSH: Well, that’s true. You know, they finished fourth last week in prime-time? They came in behind, let’s see, Fox, Headline News, PMS — I think they came in behind — yeah, in the seven to midnight — they’re bringing up the cellar. But, you know, you know what they just did?
CALLER: What?
RUSH: They just ran a piece on Arnold’s appearance here, and they had Dittocam video, and these airheads at the end of it start speculating, ‘Will this be the next Rosie and Donald feud?’ Now, anybody who heard that interview knows that there’s no feud. These people attach the word feud to it yesterday when there wasn’t one. They came to all kinds of conclusions about this yesterday, and it’s as though this interview today never happened except in the guise of their perception.
CALLER: Right.
RUSH: Whatever that is. Will this be the next Rosie and Donald feud? And, of course, their little anchorette and anchor guy, little chuckles, hee-hee-hee-hee-hee after they postulate all this.
CALLER: Crazy.
RUSH: Well, look, I’m glad you called, Dennie, thanks so much. I’ve not talked to a woman named Dennie before.
CALLER: Well, it’s unique.
RUSH: It is. How do you spell it?
CALLER: D-e-n-n-i-e.
RUSH: Is it short for something?
CALLER: No. That’s my name.
RUSH: Really?
CALLER: Yeah.
RUSH: What’s your maiden name?
CALLER: Wallace.
RUSH: What’s your middle name?
CALLER: Sue.
RUSH: Dennie Sue. Cool. Good. With that name, how did you end up in California?
CALLER: Well, I was born in the south.
RUSH: Ah. That’s my northeastern liberal bias coming out.
CALLER: Southern California, that’s all, I’m California home bred.
RUSH: Well, good. Well, I appreciate your waiting. I know you were on hold for a while and I thank you so much.
CALLER: Well, you’re welcome Rush. Any time.
RUSH: Have a great one, Dennie.
CALLER: Thank you.