RUSH: Now, this next, folks, ‘Vietnam Abuzz Over Chelsea Clinton’s Wedding.’ This is from the Associated Press out of Hanoi. Are we to believe this, that in Hanoi there is (buzz, buzz, buzz) a giant buzz on about Chelsea Clinton’s wedding — that in Hanoi, in Ho Chi Minh City, there are people whispering and buzzing about Chelsea Clinton’s wedding? ‘Chelsea Clinton’s big day may be half a world away but that hasn’t tempered enthusiasm in Vietnam for her upcoming nuptials. In Hanoi on Thursday for diplomatic meetings a little over a week before the July 31 wedding, mother-of-the-bride and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton was given a wedding present — a white tablecloth — for her daughter by the Vietnamese government along with gemstone mosaic portrait of her and Chelsea during their 2000 visit to the country.
”Very nice,’ Clinton said when Vietnamese Foreign Minister Pham Gia Khiem presented her with the tablecloth and congratulated her on the marriage of her only child. ‘I’m very honored. I will be very pleased to give it to [Chelsea’].’ Arriving at a hotel to speak to a luncheon hosted by the local American Chamber of Commerce, she was greeted by and posed glowingly for photos with a group of young American women holding a congratulatory sign reading ‘Mazel Tov[,] Chelsea.” Okay, so there’s a big buzz on in Vietnam for Chelsea Clinton’s wedding. This is what the giddy Associated Press wants us to think, that they’re buzzing. Vietnam ‘Vietnam Abuzz Over Chelsea Clinton’s Wedding,’ and from the Asian News International: Chelsea Clinton’s Wedding Price Tag Could Reach’ dadelut dadelut dadelut dadelut dadelut! ‘$2 Million.
‘Details of the wedding are slowly leaking out. It’s presumed to be in the small upstate New York village of Rhinebeck, reports ABC News. Perhaps all too fittingly, the historic event will be held at the Astor Courts, a 13,000-foot Beaux Arts pavilion designed to evoke Versailles. While nobody but the Clintons knows the exact price, it’s shaping up to be a costly affair: the total price tag could easily reach 2 million dollars,’ and what do you bet they aren’t paying a dime of it? What do you bet it’s being paid for by donors, campaign contributions? (interruption) You don’t think so? (interruption) You think the Clintons are paying for this out of their pockets? (interruption) You really…? (interruption) Dawn, you think the Clintons are paying for this out of their pocket? (interruption) Ah. (interruption) Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha. Yeah, right.
How did the money get into their pocket? Is it the name Johnny Chang? Does the name Charlie Trie? Who else? Is any of the money they have their own? ‘When Jenna Bush got married two years ago at the president’s ranch in Crawford, Texas, planners estimated it only cost 100,000 dollars for the ‘down-home’ celebration.’ Now, we are of the school of thought here that it’s nobody’s business how much anybody else spends on their weddings, but we are fairly sure Mrs. Clinton does not have the same laissez-faire attitude. So $2 million? Two million dollars would feed a lot of hungry children; $2 million would buy a lot of AIDS vaccines in Africa. Two million dollars! Look how far that would go in Vietnam where, according to Mrs. Clinton’s own State Department, the yearly per capita income is $1,052 a year. Yet they’re ‘abuzz’ in Vietnam over Chelsea’s wedding.
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RUSH: It has to be a slow day in Hanoi if they are abuzz over Chelsea Clinton’s wedding. Chelsea Clinton’s wedding is not even ’til, what, July 31st? And for Hanoi to be abuzz about it…
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RUSH: We’re sitting here and since everybody is buzzing in Vietnam about Chelsea Clinton’s wedding, we are, too. We’re buzzing about Chelsea Clinton’s wedding. We’re wondering if there is a Lewinsky in Chelsea’s husband’s future. Greetings, and welcome back. Heh-heh-heh-heh-heh-heh. Open Line Friday, Rush Limbaugh. Let’s grab a phone call, since it’s Open Line Friday.
Greenville, South Carolina. Regina, thank you for calling. Nice to have you here.
CALLER: Hi. Thank you. How are you, Rush?
RUSH: Yeah, I’m Rush.
CALLER: I said, ‘How ARE you, Rush?’
RUSH: Fine. I’m fine. Thank you.
CALLER: That’s great. I was calling ’cause I wanted to ask you. You’re making a big hubbub about Chelsea Clinton’s wedding and about how the Clintons are spending $2 million on —
RUSH: No, no.
CALLER: — her wedding.
RUSH: No, no. Other people. I don’t think it’s the Clintons’ money, is the point.
CALLER: Well, okay, okay. Somebody — somebody somewhere is spending $2 million on —
RUSH: Exactly, yeah.
CALLER: — Chelsea Clinton’s wedding. And we all know that you spent at least a million dollars, or somebody spent at least a million dollars on your wedding to have Elton John sing.
RUSH: See, that’s what you think you know, because it was reported in the fake media, but I’m here —
CALLER: Are you saying you didn’t?
RUSH: — to tell you that that number is incorrect.
CALLER: Okay.
RUSH: I wish it were correct, but it’s incorrect.
CALLER: But you did pay him to sing at your wedding?
RUSH: Pardon me?
CALLER: You did —
RUSH: I did, yes. Yes. With my money. With my money.
CALLER: Will you tell us how much you spent to have him sing at your wedding?
RUSH: Well, no. It’s classless to do that. By the way, my comment on the Clintons spending $2 million at the wedding, I don’t care. If they want to spend two million of somebody else’s money on their daughter’s wedding, that’s fine with me. What makes you think that I was taking on…?
CALLER: Well, you were saying that, you know,’ it would feed a lot of hungry children and everything,’ and I realize you’re just making your point, but I’m just calling to make that point.
RUSH: Well, that’s what the Clintons always say. I love to take the Democrats’ own words and throw right back at ’em. You know, they’re the ones that don’t think we have the smarts to spend our money the right way. They’re the ones that tell us we need to pay high taxes. Remember Bill Clinton said, ‘No attack ever fed a hungry child.’ Well, no wedding ever did, either.
CALLER: Right. I see what you’re saying. I just… I was amazed that you would bring up the cost of her wedding after it was all over the media about at least part of the cost of your own.
RUSH: I didn’t bring up the cost. I reported what they’re ‘abuzz’ about in Vietnam.
CALLER: (giggles)
RUSH: Vietnam is abuzz about the fact that it’s an Asian news network that reported the cost of the wedding and their guessing two million bucks.
CALLER: M’all right. I’m headed out to Vegas and I am not one of the ‘nutroots’ members. Actually, I love you, Rush.
RUSH: I didn’t say you were.
CALLER: But, uhhh —
RUSH: Wait a minute. You’re defending a charge that has not been made. I did not say you were a member of the nutroots. Are you in Las Vegas? No. You’re in —
CALLER: N-n-n-no. I’m saying because you just talked about it and I —
RUSH: Oh, oh, oh.
CALLER: — am actually on my way out to Vegas.
RUSH: I get it.
CALLER: I didn’t want you to think I was going out there for that.
RUSH: Okay. You don’t want me to misunderstand the nature and the tone of your call?
CALLER: Right.
RUSH: Right.
CALLER: Right.
RUSH: I can take it.
CALLER: I love you.
RUSH: I love you, too. I’m glad you called.
CALLER: Thank you.
RUSH: I really am. But, look, did it come across I was bashing Chelsea? Was I bashing the amount? All I said was, ‘The Clintons aren’t paying for it.’ That’s my guess. Democrats don’t pay for anything with their own money. We do. They’re the ones that do everything from donors and fundraising and everything else. Now, if they are paying a portion of it with their own money, then good. More power to them. I just don’t believe it. Plain and simple.