TODD: I told you earlier, “Call friends. Get ready for this.” We had Charlton Heston call Rush and read from this incredible piece in Jurassic Park talking about how we can’t destroy the earth. We don’t have enough power. Now this — and I told you this coming.
So, for today’s EIB High Note, we’re gonna take you back to September 24, 2009, when Rush was a guest on NBC’s “The Jay Leno Show,” and he was asked to take part in the great car challenge — the Ford Focus electric car — and Rush purposely ran over Algore and Ed Begley cardboard cutouts. You can see the hilarious video over at RushLimbaugh.com. But listen to this clip.
LENO: Are you ready to take our Green Car Challenge and see how you do?
RUSH: Oh, yeah.
LENO: This will be your first time in a —
RUSH: Oh, yeah.
LENO: — nonpetroleum-based car, is that right?
RUSH: It will be.
CROWD: (cheers and applause)
LENO: Ford Motor Company made this electric car for us, and it uses no.. You’ll love this. It’s saving the environment. It uses no petroleum.
RUSH: It’s not saving the environment.
CROWD: (laughing)
LENO: Less than a penny a race. That’s what we use in electricity. All right.
RUSH: It’s not saving the environment.
CROWD: (laughing)
LENO: Mr. Green himself, Rush Limbaugh, is going to try and break the record set by Drew Barrymore. He’s gonna compete against the clock. Are you ready to get in the car? Come around. Got to get going. Get in the car.
CROWD: (cheers and applause)
LENO: Hop in, have a seat. Have a seat. Have a seat. Put your seat belt on.
RUSH: All right.
LENO: I got your helmet right here. Before I give you this helmet, let me explain what’s going to happen. Okay, the first lap you’re just going for speed, get a feel of track.
RUSH: Yeah.
LENO: The second lap you’ll be familiar with the track, give you a little more speed. But there are some obstacles in the way. We have ping-pong cannons. We have streamers, and Al Gore may jump out in front of you. If you hit Al Gore —
CROWD: (laughing)
LENO: If you hit Al Gore, you lose a point. If you hit Ed Begley Jr., you lose a point. So if they jump out you have to avoid them or else it’s going to add to your score.
RUSH: You lose a point hitting those guys?
CROWD: (laughing)
LENO: I mean you add a point.
RUSH: What kind of track is this?
LENO: It adds. It adds a point to your score.
RUSH: That’s what I thought. Okay. Is the car running?
LENO: The car is running.
RUSH: All right.
LENO: Okay. Put it in drive.
RUSH: It’s in drive.
LENO: When you break the Omega timing light, you start.
RUSH: All right.
LENO: On your mark. Get set. Go!
CROWD: (cheers)
LENO: Here we go. He is off!
CROWD: (cheers and applause)
LENO: There we go!
CROWD: (cheers and applause)
MAN: Al Gore!
CROWD: (cheers)
LENO: Okay, there he is going into the first turn, going through the chicane now.
CROWD: (applause)
LENO: His time looks pretty good, good. He’s got his foot in it. He’s not losing any time, that’s for sure. Here he comes down the straight again. All right, coming around. Coming around Ed Begley Corner.
CROWD: (cheers)
LENO: Coming around Ed Begley Corner. Put your foot in it. Doing well doing, doing well, following his line perfectly, coming down the main straight. Now it gets tricky. On this lap, this is when he runs into some obstacles.
CROWD: (cheers and applause)
MAN: Yeah!
LENO: Watch out. Watch out. Don’t hit Al Gore. Watch out!
RUSH: (Thump!)
LENO: Oh, he hit Al Gore!
CROWD: (cheers)
LENO: Oh, he’s stopping!
MAN: Keep going!
LENO: Oh, he’s… (laughing)
CROWD: (wild cheers and applause)
LENO: He’s backing up! He’s hitting Al Gore again.
RUSH: Number two. I don’t care about the seconds.
LENO: Hey! Hey!
CROWD: (cheers and applause)
LENO: Here he comes. Here he comes. (boom) Okay, the streamers.
CROWD: (cheers)
RUSH: Ping-pong balls all over the place.
LENO: Ed Begley is going to jump out in front of him!
RUSH: (Thump! Crunch!)
CROWD: (laughter)
LENO: You’re not doing your score any help, Rush.
CROWD: (laughter)
LENO: Oh, he’s hitting it again!
RUSH: (Thump!)
LENO: Ohhh! Come oooon!
CROWD: (laughter)
RUSH: (Thump!)
LENO: Ohhh, come oooon.
CROWD: (applause)
LENO: Okay.
RUSH: Oh, mama!
LENO: Here we go.
RUSH: (Thump!)
LENO: Let’s see. Coming down —
RUSH: Nobody would believe this car is electric!
CROWD: (cheers and applause)
RUSH: (Thump!)
LENO: Let’s see.
CROWD: (cheers and applause)
LENO: All right, now.
CROWD: (cheers and applause)
LENO: Hang on. Hop out.
CROWD: (cheers and applause)
LENO: Let’s see how you did.
RUSH: What a blast! (laughing)
LENO: Now, first of all —
RUSH: What a… (laughing)
LENO: Do you like the electric car?
RUSH: I like the electric car!
LENO: Yes!
CROWD: (cheers and applause)
RUSH: I like the electric car.
LENO: He likes the electric car!
CROWD: (cheers and applause)
LENO: Now, your time is… You committed manslaughter. That adds about 45 minutes to your time.
RUSH: I am proud.
LENO: That is the worst time in the history.
CROWD: (laughter)
RUSH: All right!
CROWD: (cheers and applause)
RUSH: All right!
LENO: That is one…five…
RUSH: That’s exactly what I wanted to do.
LENO: …six…seven…eight.
RUSH: It was worth it. It was worth it.
LENO: Let’s look at the instant replay where you hit Al Gore.
RUSH: All right.
RUSH REPLAY: (hitting Al Gore)
CROWD: (laughter and applause)
RUSH: Oh, yeah. All right.
CROWD: (laughter and applause)
LENO: We’ll be right back. Thank you, Rush!
TODD: Oh, so good to remember that. Do I need to say it again? There’s a reason that I keep telling you, begging you, just asking you to go to RushLimbaugh.com and get Rush 24/7. There’s so many memories like this.