Subject: Summary Wed 5/22/96 From: jswitzer@limbaugh.com (John Switzer) Date: 1996/05/25 Message-Id: <4o8482$93s@shell1.aimnet.com> Sender: jswitzer@aimnet.com Summary: Unofficial Summary for Wednesday, May 22, 1996 Organization: Aimnet Corporation Keywords: Unofficial Summary Rush Limbaugh Newsgroups: alt.fan.rush-Limbaugh,alt.rush-Limbaugh Unofficial Summary of the Rush Limbaugh Show for Wednesday, May 22, 1996 by John Switzer This unofficial summary is copyright (c) 1996 by John Switzer (jswitzer@limbaugh.com). All Rights Reserved. These summaries are distributed on CompuServe and the Internet, and archived on CompuServe (DL9 of the ISSUES forum). The summaries for the past 60 days can be found at ftp://ftp.aimnet.com/pub/users/jswitzer. Distribution to other electronic forums and bulletin boards is highly encouraged. Spelling and other corrections gratefully received. Please read the standard disclaimer which was included with the first summary for this month. In particular, please note that this summary is not approved or sanctioned by Rush Limbaugh or the EIB network, nor do I have any connection with them other than as a daily listener. *************************************************************** May 22, 1996 BRIEF SUMMARY OF TOPICS: the first national Rush poll finds most listeners prefer "seafood surprise" when feeding their grandparents; professor Stanley Fish expresses his outrage over the practical joke that Alan Sokal played with his journal in a NY Times Op-Ed piece; Scott McConnell of the NY Post notes that Alan Sokal's piece exposes the pretentiousness of academia that leads to some major abuses in education; House of Representatives votes to repeal Clinton's gasoline tax; Kenneth Starr attacks Hillary Clinton for lying on Larry King Live; Senator D'Amato will close the Senate Whitewater hearings in June; Bob Dole identifies Bill Clinton as the "me, too" President; listener is angry at how Rush refers to his ties for "big and fat guys"; Jay Leno came out with the following line in his monologue: "Bob Dole came out against young girls having sex. Finally an issue he and Clinton can debate!"; Janet Reno admits she doesn't know how many of the 17,000 Crime Bill Cops are on the streets; White House continues accusing Clinton's opponents of doing what he himself is doing by accusing Bob Dole of stealing Clinton's ideas on welfare reform; Bob Dole compares Clinton to the tornados in "Twister" by saying "it looks like a lot is happening but in reality it's all just special effects"; commercial for "The Twister"; caller notes that the Democrats' "Agenda for Progress" does not have measurable principles; caller is incensed at how Clinton took credit for "strengthening the military" and for the past 15 years of military achievements at his commencement speech to the U.S. Coast Guard Academy; Republicans have caved in to the Democrats in allowing a vote to increase the minimum wage so that they can get a vote on repealing the Clinton gas tax in the Senate; caller says there's no problem with Clinton stealing Republican ideas if he implements them; caller says if the minimum wage has to be raised, at least make gas stations exempt so that teenagers can have one place to go to get their foot in the job market; Bo Snerdley praises his Select-Comfort bed; CNN/USA Today poll reports that American is a conservative country when it comes to the major issues; Hillary Clinton tells Larry King that neither she nor the White House is liberal; Limbaugh Letter has the results of Rush's first-ever national poll; Washington Times reports that armed green militias are threatening violence to "protect the violence"; caller says the minimum wage dishonors work by making certain jobs not worth doing and thus dishonorable; Rush has suffered no gastro- intestinal distress after eating potato chips made with Olestra; words to "Shine the Light of Truth"; caller calls in with an update to his effort to find the number of Crime Bill cops on the street, and he's discovered that in many cases, cities are claiming to have cops even though no funding has been sent out yet; those in the administration and other Democrats are claiming there are anywhere from 17,000 to 110,000 Crime Bill cops; caller recalls that the Clinton administration did know what was in the Wisconsin welfare reform plan because his HHS Department sued the state to stop those reforms last year; caller thinks Bob Dole will be the positive leader Republicans and the American people want; caller says Republicans have so many good and fresh ideas that Democrats can just keep stealing them and Republicans will just say "go ahead, we'll make more"; Clinton promises to sign the Republican bill to ban same-sex marriages "as it's currently written"; words to "Conservative Boy"; Clinton's lawyer Bob Bennett claims that his lawyers never intended to claim that he was "active duty military" when they petitioned the court to delay Paula Jones' sexual harassment lawsuit; Kentucky police trying to use the "Stinger" to flatten the tires of a suspect being chased end up flattening the tires of 20 other motorists instead; LAPD officer says Crime Bill Cops will not be effective unless they're used properly, which they aren't because liberals are turning them into "meals on wheels"; police chief explains the problems communities face in applying for Crime Bill Cops federal funding; caller says police officers have to become general problem solvers for their communities and rebuild the trust they once had with the people; caller who used to hate Rush then started listening and has become a dittohead, so now he needs to know how to explain this conversion to his dittohead wife and family; caller is upset that the police are being used to move couches in Los Angeles. LIMBAUGH WATCH May 22, 1996 - It's now 1281 days after Bill Clinton's election, but Rush is still on the air with 660 radio affiliates (with more than 20 million listeners weekly world-wide), 210 TV affiliates (with a national rating of 3.7), and a newsletter with more than 500,000 subscribers. His first book was on the NY Times hardback non-fiction best- seller list for 54 consecutive weeks, with 2.6 million copies sold, but fell off the list after Simon and Schuster stopped printing it. The paperback version of "The Way Things Ought To Be" was on the NY Times paperback non-fiction best-seller list for 28 weeks. Rush's second book, "See, I Told You So," was on the NY Times hardback best-seller list for 16 weeks and has sold over 2.45 million copies; the paperback version was on the best- seller list for 11 weeks. WHITEWATER WATCH o Pending and Possible Indictments: White House lawyer and Presidential adviser Bruce Lindsey (according to the May 5, 1995 USA Today, received target letter from Whitewater prosecutors). o Indictments: Herby Branscum, Jr. and Robert Hill (conspiracy, misapplication of bank funds, and failing to file correct statements with federal regulators and examiners); James McDougal for fraud and conspiracy concerning Madison Guaranty S&L and Capital Management Services; Governor Jim Guy Tucker (D-AR) for fraud, conspiracy, taking out $300,000 in SBA loans under false pretenses, and defrauding the IRS; Susan McDougal (for allegedly embezzling $150,000 from conductor Zubin Mehta and his wife). o Convictions: David Hale (felony fraud-March, 1994); Robert Palmer (convicted of falsifying appraisal documents related to Madison Guaranty S&L-December, 1994); Webster Hubbell (convicted of mail fraud, tax evasion, and overbilling clients of at least $394,000-December, 1994); Charles Matthews and Eugene Fitzhugh (bribery-January 1995, defrauding the SBA-April 1995); real estate broker Christopher V. Wade (pleaded guilty to lying to a bankruptcy court and filing false loan applications to buy Whitewater property-March, 1995); Little Rock banker Neil Ainley (pleaded guilty to reduced charges of willfully delivering false documents to the government-May 1995); Arkansas college professor Stephen Smith (pleaded guilty to misusing federal funds to help pay off a loan he took out along with James McDougal and Governor Jim Guy Tucker); Larry Kuca (pleaded guilty to defrauding the SBA of a $150,000 loan together with David Hale-July 1995). LEST WE FORGET The following are from the Rush Limbaugh show on Wednesday, May 25, 1994: o Republican Ron Lewis won the seat of the late Rep. William Natcher in Kentucky, which previously had been held by Democrats for 129 years. This was the second special congressional election in Democratic districts that Republicans had won in three weeks, and Lewis won by running against Bill Clinton. Lewis associated his Democratic opponent, Bill Prather, with Clinton; his ads said "if you like Bill Clinton, you'll love Bill Prather - Kentucky doesn't need another professional politician." o White House press secretary Dee Dee Myers said that Clinton wanted "everybody focused on the endgame" of his health care plan, which was universal coverage financed by an employer mandate. However, even USA Today admitted that Clinton's allies "appear to be stumped" by how to win support for the mandate, which was the hidden tax increase that would allow government to take over the entire health care industry. o One letter in USA Today called Jacquelyn Kennedy's life a lie and a hoax - there was no Camelot and Jackie's husband cheated on her, after which she "sold herself" to a billionaire, Aristotle Onassis. And then Jackie lived with a married man, so the letter writer didn't think Jackie should be a role model for anyone's daughter. o A CNN/USA Today poll showed that 40% of Americans were better off financially than a year earlier, the highest number since September, 1990. About 59% expected their situation to be better in 1995, but 56% said Clinton's policies had nothing to do with the improving economy, 24% said those policies were helping, and 16% said they were hurting. o The Weekly World News reported that at least 12 U.S. Senators were space aliens. Senator Phil Gramm (R-TX) admitted "it's all true - we are all space aliens, I'm amazed it's taken so long to find out." Senators Dennis Deconcini, Jay Rockefeller, Howard Heflin, Bennett Johnston, Christopher Dodd, William Cohen, John Glenn, Orrin Hatch, Nancy Kassebaum, Sam Nunn, and Alan Simpson were "outed," too. Gramm's press secretary confirmed that his employer came from "Remulak," but admitted "I don't know where the other guys are from." The press secretary also confessed that this news could cause problems for Gramm's possible Presidential aspirations since Presidents had to be born in the United States. Senator Alan Simpson's spokesman refused to say anything about this scandal except "Klaatu. Barada. Nikto." Senator Dennis Deconcini admitted that he was an alien, but was distressed that his "highly-classified cover had been blown." Senator Orrin Hatch, however, refused to talk because, in the words of his press secretary, "fellow space aliens are watching his every move." Senator Johnston was glad that the "cat was out of the bag, although this wasn't how I intended to tell my family and friends about this." o A Taiwanese immigrant was accused of killing a Kangaroo Rat with his tractor as he plowed 720 acres of farmland near Bakersfield, CA. Since the rat was on the endangered list, agents from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service accused him of violating the Endangered Species Act, specifically of knowingly killing an endangered species and destroying its habitat. If convicted, he could be imprisoned for one year and fined $300,000. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Kaliminer insisted "we're the caretakers and stewards of the land, and we have no right to deny the existence of these endangered species." The farmer still owed $30,000 on the tractor that was confiscated by the agents, and he was unable to farm the land he bought for nearly $1 million three years earlier. Rush observed that had the man simply used a brick to off the rat, he wouldn't have had any problems whatsoever, especially if he had the venue for his trial moved to Los Angeles. o White House counselor Lloyd Cutler insisted on MacNeil/Lehrer that Paula Jones's lawsuit should be suspended until President Clinton was out of office because it would "harm the President to deal with it while in office." Cutler also said that the White House would pursue this matter to the Supreme Court, and Bob Bennett also insisted he would file papers saying that Clinton cannot be sued while in office. In an editorial the NY Times stated that the White House's claims would be "highly dubious" ones to make and "unwise to adopt." ******** MORNING UPDATE In the March, 1996 issue of the Limbaugh Letter Rush conducted his first national poll of his readers and listeners because he wanted to find what was important to his audience, which the Washington Post has called among the most politically educated in America. Thus in today's Morning Update Rush wants to give just a few results from this ground-breaking poll: o When asked "how much poison is enough for our air water, and food?" 27.5% said "a teeny bit," 10% said "a medium amount," 15% said "gobs and gobs," and 47.5% said "there's never enough." o When asked "what flavor dog food would you prefer be fed to Grandma and Grandpa?" 20% said "mixed grill," 27.5% said "turkey and giblets," 40% said "seafood surprise," and 12.5% said "the Republican Congress." o When asked "if you had a $1000 windfall, how would you prefer to spend it?" an amazing 10% said "Libido insurance," 2.5% said "Arkansas real estate," 10% said "Arkansas savings and loans," and a whopping 77.5% said "cattle futures." Rush will hold more national polls later this year, and he promises to give some of the results in future Morning Updates. FIRST HOUR Items o On Monday Rush talked about a piece written by physicist Alan Sokal that was published in a scholarly journal, "Social Text," despite the fact the article was nothing but scientific gobbledegook. Professor Stanley Fish of Duke University and publisher of "Social Text" fired back in yesterday's NY Times Op-Ed pages, attacking Sokal for academic dishonesty and "pretending to be himself." Yet, Rush notes, Fish's article is full of the same gibberish that he takes Sokal to task for parodying and ridiculing. The following, for example, is Fish's attempt to defend his magazine for publishing Sokal's piece, which argued that the world does not exist: "What sociologists of science say is that of course the world is real and independent of our observations but that accounts of the world are produced by observers and are therefore relative to their capacities, education, training, etc. "It is not the world or its properties but the vocabularies in whose terms we know them that are socially constructed - fashioned by human beings - which is why our understanding of those properties is continually changing." Another good passage that proves the point of Sokal's hoax is the following: "Sociologists of science aren't trying to do science; they are trying to come up with a rich and powerful explanation of what it means to do it. Their question is, `What are the conditions that make scientific accomplishments possible?' and answers to that question are not intended to be either substitutes for scientific work or arguments against it." Rush has seen Fish on some of the TV "Firing Line" type shows, and he's truly in a different world than most, being the prototype of the effete, elitist academic who's "above it all." Fish also complains as follows: "Why then does Professor Sokal attack them? The answer lies in two misunderstandings. First, Professor Sokal takes `socially constructed' to mean `not real,' whereas for workers in the field `socially constructed' is a compliment paid to a fact or a procedure that has emerged from the welter of disciplinary competition into a real and productive life where it can be cited, invoked and perhaps challenged. It is no contradiction to say that something is socially constructed and also real." In short, Fish's stuff makes as much sense as Irwin Corey's humor piece about why men wear shoes. Scott McConnell of the NY Post addresses this controversy and the pretension that exists in academia, where parents spend thousands to send their kids to be educated. McConnell writes that allowing this pretension to run unrestrained poses all sorts of dangers, and he praises Sokal for "popping the balloons of cultural studies and pseudo-history." He adds that Afro-centric studies are pseudo-history that is not based in fact, but rather comes from Marcus Garvey's stemwinder speeches of the 1930s. For example, college students are being taught that Cleopatra and Socrates were both black, that Greek philosophy and science were stolen from Africa, and that Aristotle stole his philosophy from the library at Alexandria. None of these claims are based on any new scholarship but are taken from Garvey's claims in the 30s, yet they are taught as fact in places such as Hillary Clinton's alma mater, Wellesley College. McConnell writes that some might argue pseudo-history is okay if the intent is "noble" (such as giving minorities greater self- esteem), but Rush disagrees with that. Teaching someone a lie is not going to do much that is genuine for someone's self-esteem. McConnell points out that society does not tolerate all pseudo- history teachings, such as those who claim the Holocaust did not happen. Society is willing to confront these people, but when it comes to Afro-centric pseudo-history, everyone is willing to roll down and play dead. Rush is impressed by how this minor story - which interested him only because he likes scientific jargon and gobbledegook - has spawn a controversy of its own that touches the centers of academic thought in America. o The House of Representatives has approved the repeal of Clinton's 4.3-cent gasoline tax. The repeal must now be passed in the Senate and signed by Clinton. o White House special prosecutor Kenneth Starr has attacked Hillary Clinton for lying on Larry King Live Monday night. Hillary, by the way, also told King that she is not a liberal and that there is no liberalism in the White House, which will surprise Harold Ickes, George Stephanopoulos, and others. o Senator Alfonse D'Amato (R-NY) has said he will close up the Senate Whitewater hearings because the public is no longer interested in them. o Senator Bob Dole (R-KS) gave a great speech in Wisconsin about welfare reform, and what he said might start closing the door on Clinton's pilfering of Republican ideas. Someone asked Rush if he thought Clinton would get away with this theft, and Rush replied that Clinton has been getting away with it but he doubts Clinton will get away with it now. The mainstream press is allowing Clinton to get away with it in the newspapers and polls, but Rush thinks the real world will soon take over. Clinton and the Democratic party cannot build their foundation on what Clinton is doing now; they'll building a house of cards that is fated to collapse at some point. While Clinton might be capable of sustaining a life-time act, saying things he doesn't really believe, in the real world the right wind is going to come along and collapse Clinton's house of cards. Rush is confident of this because he has an optimism in human nature, and there are signs he is justified in believing this. For example, Saturday Night Live and editorial cartoonists are making jokes about how Clinton is stealing Republican ideas. Also, Dole yesterday labelled Clinton as the "me, too" President, and this is the type of label that can stick, especially since there are plenty of videoclips that can be used to prove this of Clinton. Rush recalls how Gerald Ford was trailing Jimmy Carter in the polls in 1976 by as many as 33 points elections, but he closed the gap to four points. Had President Ford not said in one of the Presidential debates that Poland was no longer under Communist dominion, he would have closed the gap even further and won the Presidency in 1976. Thus, the 20-point leads that Clinton has in the polls right now are bound to fall, and Rush is confident this will happen, especially since a USA Today poll shows that America is without question a conservative country, as Rush will describe later. o Rush has gotten a very angry letter from someone who is really ticked that Rush refers to his extra-length ties as being for "big and fat guys." o The confiscation of Rush's book from a fourth-grader at Montvale Elementary School in Virginia has made the newswires, but listeners to Rush's show already know far more than what is appearing in the Associated Press. *BREAK* Items o Jay Leno had a great line in his monologue last night on the Tonight show. "Bob Dole came out against young girls having sex. Finally an issue he and Clinton can debate!" o Rush got a fax this morning with the headline "Clinton, Reno Clash Over the Number of Cops Out on the Beat." Bill Clinton is saying that there are 100,000 Crime Bill cops on the streets, but Janet Reno said the following: "What I am advised is that there are 17,000 officers that can be identified as being on the street. Of that 17,000, I can't give you a breakdown between those that have been redeployed and new officers that have finished the academy, finished the basic law enforcement course, and are now on the streets." Thus, not even the Attorney General knows what the real number is. She knows there are 17,000 cops on the street but has no idea whether they are new cops or just redeployed police officers. However, anyone who can come up with the real number, complete with full documentation, will win Rush's contest, along with the prize package of the complete No Boundaries tie line, including regular, young kids, and big and fat guys ties, as well as all the scarves and two subscriptions to the Limbaugh Letter. Of course, this will be hard - if Janet Reno, with all the documentation and resources available to the Justice Department doesn't know the number, it will be hard for anyone else to find it. However, there is a number and that's what Rush wants to know. Rush is amazed, though, at how the White House is responding to his show as much as they are responding to Bob Dole. For example, Ann Lewis is proving that the Clinton's "rapid response team" is working hard at its strategy of accusing the administration's opponents of the very failings that Clinton is guilty of. Many people don't believe Rush when he says such things, but the headline for a Newsday <> story about Clinton's theft of Republican welfare ideas is "Welfare Reformer Dole - He tries to reclaim the mantle from Clinton." When Ann Lewis was asked who was stealing whose ideas on welfare reform, the story says "Clinton campaign aide Ann Lewis said it was Dole, in fact, who `obviously understands good ideas when he sees them.'" Thus, Lewis is brazenly accusing Bob Dole of stealing Bill Clinton's ideas, when it's really Clinton who is stealing every idea the Republicans have and right now he is stealing the Republicans' welfare reform plans. The White House is brazenly accusing Dole of doing exactly what Clinton is doing, but this sort of brazenness is nothing new for Ann Lewis. Over the weekend, Lewis tried to deflect criticism of Clinton's legal problems by thinly implying that Bob Dole is violating campaign finance rules. Of course, it is Bill Clinton and his associates who are having the most problems with court cases, indictments, trials, etc., but Lewis in an incredible display of chutzpah is accusing Dole of breaking the law by violating the FEC's spending limits. *BREAK* Senator Bob Dole had the following to say about Bill Clinton: "President Clinton's statements are like the tornados in the movie `Twister' - it looks like a lot is happening but in reality it's all just special effects." Thus, Rush thinks it's time to remind everyone of EIB's new movie that's sure to be this summer's blockbuster: <> There's a whirlwind sweeping the country, and it's got people hiding in their basements, cellars, ditches - anywhere they can escape the whirling vortex of lies, double-talk, and tax increases that is the Clinton Presidency! <> You never know where he's coming from! That's what makes it so scary! <> Stephen Spenberg presents "Twister!" <> Where's Jim? <> He never saw it coming, sucked him right in! <> Was it the minimum wage thing? <> Yes! <> Damn it! <> Bill Clinton is a high pressure system accompanied by a smaller group of spin doctors. He'll suck you in if you're not careful! Hide your children, your safes, and your checkbook from "Twister!" <> Right wing - left wing - right wing! Which way is that thing blowing from? <> Bill Clinton is the "Twister!" <> Where's my pay stub? <> This is not a long-term warning - it's here now, and only you can make it go away! ******** Phone Greg from Medina, MN Greg is a salesrep who covers the Midwest and considers Rush to be his copilot, and every salesrep he talks to is a Rush fan. Rush is not surprised since salesreps are the epitome of the entrepreneur and the EIB Network is the home of entrepreneurism. Greg says that when he's on the road he usually gets food at a drive-thru and eats it in his car so he can continue listening to Rush. A couple of weeks ago he did this and the car next to him had a guy doing the same thing, so he knows he's not alone. Greg's main point in calling is Rush's TV show Monday night, which showed Dick Gephardt (D-MO) and Tom Daschle (D-SD) talking about the Democrats' "Agenda for Progress," which is their version of the Contract with America. Greg was struck by how this "platform" had nothing that could be measured, while in contrast everything in the Contract is measurable so that people can know when it's been accomplished. As a businessman, Greg knows that his goals have to be measurable goals, and this is what the Contract with America has. However, the Democrats' "Agenda" does not have one measurable goal. Rush agrees and congratulates Greg for nailing the very problem with the Democrats' "Agenda for Progress," which has the following five "principles": honoring work, fighting for children, protecting families, responsibility, and basic fairness. Rush is still looking for the legislation that will do all these things, which are nothing more than empty platitudes. This agenda shows that the Democrats are still on defense, unable to come out with a positive agenda on their own. Every one of these "principles" is designed to be used to mischaracterize the Republican platform. For example, saying you believe in "fighting for children" can have meaning only when you are also characterizing your opponents as anti-children. Thus, the Democrats will claim they are "fighting for children" by opposing the Republicans' school lunch reforms, welfare reforms, etc. - the Democrats will claim Republicans want to starve and hurt children, and that only the Democrats can fight Republicans "for the children." In truth, though, the Democrats' Agenda cannot be supported by legislation because these principles don't mean anything. Greg thinks the Democrats know this and concocted this Agenda in a way to prevent Republicans for showing America that they've been accomplishing something. Rush disagrees - the Democrats did conceive of these five "principles" on purpose, but they had to do something vague like this because they don't stand for anything. What does "honoring work" means? It implies someone is dishonoring work, but the only people doing this are those who created the welfare state and who raised taxes on working Americans to a confiscatory level. And what does "fighting for children" mean - are the Democrats now the parents of the nation? Does "protecting families" mean that Rush can abandon his family for a month, telling Marta that Dick Gephardt will protect her and take care of her until he gets back. Also, the idea that liberal Democrats believe in responsibility is absurd - liberals don't know the meaning of the word, given that they come up with policies that abrogate personal responsibility. But the real meaningless principle in this Agenda is "basic fairness," which is impossible - there's equality before the law but other than that, what kind of fairness exists in life? The Democrats don't have anything they stand for, so they've come up with five "principles" that just allow them to continue taking potshots at the Republicans. However, this attempt to nationalize elections with such an "Agenda" is bound to fail. Democrats used to win Congress because they kept congressional elections local, with congressmen touting their ability to bring home the bacon. Now this Agenda means they are going to now battle Republicans on a national level, and Rush is happy about it; he's more than happy to compare the Congress of the last 40 years to the 104th Congress. The Democrats are digging their own graves without even knowing it; they think they are scoring huge points across the nation, but they aren't. They might be gaining in a few isolated areas, but not nationally. The Democrats' Agenda is ludicrous, especially since it has only five points; at least the Democrats should have come up with ten. Thus, with all things considered, Rush is still optimistic about this November's elections. Greg says he's insulted by the Democrats' Agenda, and Rush says the Democrats are just assuming the average citizen is incompetent and incapable and that he needs the liberals' help to live his life and take care of his family. This is not the kind of stuff that will resonate among Americans, plus it takes the Democrats out of their game. These principles are not measurable, and the only advantage of that to the Democrats is that they cannot be shown to have failed with their Agenda. Greg asks if the Democrats brought Clinton in on this scam, and Rush says no because the Democrats know Clinton would steal these ideas, which are right up his alley. Rush doubts there is any coordination between the President and the Democrats in Congress, especially given the little love lost between these them. The only thing uniting Democrats right now is not ideology or principles, but the desire to regain their power. When the Democrats' start falling in the polls, it won't be long before they start blaming each other for losing the opportunity they had, and Rush will be glad to chronicle all of this for his listeners. *BREAK* Phone Sabina from Norwich, CT Sabina just finished watching Clinton give the commencement speech to the Coast Guard Academy in New London, and she is livid because Clinton used the royal plural "we" to take credit for every military accomplishment of the past 15 years. Clinton took credit for Desert Storm, Bosnia, and virtually everything else the previous Republican administrations did. Plus, he's talking about how "we are proud of our military" and how "we support our military." Rush notes that Clinton did support Desert Storm, although he also opposed it at the same time. Also, Clinton, thanks to his sexual harassment lawsuit, is now on "active duty," so he probably thinks of himself as just another grunt out there on the front lines. Sabina says Clinton is such a "lying hypocritical draft-dodging chameleon" that she can't believe his audacity. The "Coasties" at the speech had no choice but to applaud, even though it's outrageous that Clinton is taking credit for strengthening the military, while at the same time General Dynamics in Groton is announcing major layoffs because of Clinton's defense cutbacks. People are losing their jobs because of what Clinton is doing to the military, but he's still so audacious that he praises himself for strengthening the military. Rush says nobody should be surprised at this behavior from Clinton; it's nothing new. Sabina understands that this is an everyday occurrence on the part of a pathological liar, but she doesn't know why other people can't see this, too. Rush observes that being a "pathological liar" is worse than being a congenital liar, and Sabina agrees, adding that one of her friends still can't believe the American people elected as their President someone who is so stupid he didn't even know how to smoke a joint. Rush hopes Sabina still doesn't get that worked up by this, especially since there are a lot of Americans who get just as livid as she when they see Clinton do things like this. Rush is convinced that while Clinton thinks he's getting away with all this, he's not in reality. Phone Michael from Grand Rapids, MI Michael doesn't understand why Republicans are kowtowing to the Democrats on the minimum wage issue in exchange for getting a vote on repealing Clinton's gas tax. Rush says this is because the Republicans have been unable to break the Democrats' filibuster on the gas tax repeal in the Senate. The Democrats have blocked all legislation in the Senate by refusing to stop their filibusters, and the Republicans cannot get the 60 votes necessary to bring the legislation to a vote. Thus, the Republicans have cut a deal with the Democrats to allow a vote on increasing the minimum wage so they can get a vote on repealing the gas tax. Michael says he'd just as soon see the Republicans stand firm and refuse a minimum wage increase, even if it means losing the chance to repeal the Clinton gas tax. It seems that liberals always demand attention to their issues in exchange for letting conservatives do anything. Rush says the problem is that Republicans are paying attention to the polls that show four-fifths of American think increasing the minimum wage is a good idea. This is why the minimum wage will be increased - the American people want it, and that's why Republicans are going to allow a vote on increasing the minimum wage, in exchange for one on the gas tax. This is not a satisfying answer, but at least it is an, and listeners can always get the answers to what is plaguing them on the EIB Network. *BREAK* Phone Kim from Alexandria, VA Kim says there's no problem if Clinton steals the Republicans' ideas as long as they get implemented, but as to increasing the minimum wage, this is a major problem. Increasing the minimum wage will harm those at the bottom of the economic ladder - this is like having a helicopter trying to rescue someone from a burning building but the helicopter keeps raising the ladder higher and higher above these people's heads. Raising the minimum wage only prevents those with no skills and no experience from getting into the job market and improving themselves. Rush agrees - the minimum wage jobs are all about giving would-be workers entry into the job market; they are not intended to feed a family of four. Kim says if the minimum wage has to be raised, at least give teenagers should be given on place such as gas stations where it is not in effect. This would allow teens to learn all about the job market and showing up on time, so that they can get the experience they need in dealing with a boss and asking for a raise. Rush asks why Kim is talking about gas stations, and Kim says she's talking about teenagers - she recalls how in the 50s you'd pull into a gas station and have a flock of teenagers come running out to take care of your car. Thus, if the minimum wage has to be raised, why not at least make gas stations exempt, so that they can employ young people from 17 to 21, giving them that vital first job? Rush has run out of time and he wishes Kim could have stayed focused on her first question about Clinton stealing Republican ideas, which was a much better question, so he will discuss that in the second hour. *BREAK* SECOND HOUR Items o Rush notes Bo Snerdley is smiling today, so it must be his new Select-Comfort Bed, an EIB's sponsor, by the way, that should be given the credit. Bo admits this is the case - he just hits a button, and the air flow to his bed hardens or softens it to his personal taste. Rush asks if Bo has back problems, and he says sometimes he did wake up sore in the back and hips. Rush says that has happened to him with soft mattresses, and Bo says that was the case for him, too. Rush is pleased to see that his callscreener is spending his nights more easily. o Rush wishes Kim had focused on her first question, because it's valid to ask whether Clinton's stealing of Republican ideas is really that bad. Rush thinks it's just fine if Clinton steals these ideas, as long as he actually implements them. However, Clinton doesn't intend to do this; he's only borrowing Republicans' ideas, with no intention of putting them into action. Republicans thus have to make this point, showing that Clinton has no intention of using these ideas himself. Republicans should be forcing Clinton's hand on this, and Rush thinks there's plenty of time for this to be done. It will all even out over time, so Rush is not concerned about that. As to why Clinton is stealing Republican ideas, today's USA Today <> has the answer in a story that reports on a CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll that shows America is basically a conservative country. This poll found the following feelings among the American populace: - Balanced budget amendment - 83% for, 14% against - Raising the minimum wage - 83% for, 15% against - English as the official language - 82% for, 16% against - Life sentences for drug dealers - 80% for, 17% against - Death penalty for murderers - 79% for, 18% against - Congressional term limits amendment - 74% for, 23% against - School prayer amendment - 73% for, 25% against - Reducing all government agencies - 71% for, 23% against - A two-year cutoff for welfare without work - 71% for, 24% against - Mandatory job retraining - 69% for, 25% against - Doctor-assisted suicide - 68% for, 29% against - School choice - 59% for, 37% against - Public schools teaching creationism - 58% for, 36% against - Ban on partial-birth abortions - 57% for, 39% against - Ban on assault rifles - 57% for, 42% against - 5-year freeze on immigration - 50% for, 46% against - Federal flat-tax system - 49% for, 39% against - Reducing defense spending - 42% for, 54% against - Reducing social spending - 42% for, 54% against - Ban on all abortions except to save the life of the mother - 42% for, 56% against - Re-establish relations with Cuba - 40% for, 49% against - School busing for racial balance - 34% for, 62% against - Legalization of gay marriages - 28% for, 67% against - Selling public lands - 24% for, 70% against - Legalization of marijuana 24% for, 73% against - U.S. withdrawal from U.N. 17% for, 77% against - Racial preferences in jobs, schools - 14% for, 83% against Eight out the first ten issues that got the overwhelming support of the American people are conservative issues; only two - increasing the minimum wage and government job training - are liberal issues. With few exceptions the majority of Americans support the conservative position of the remaining issues by large margins, such as how 83% of Americans oppose racial preferences in jobs and schools. This is why Bill Clinton is sounding conservative - he's a man who lives by the polls, and if the polls show Americans are conservative, he's going to pretend to be a conservative. The question is thus why Clinton's own approval rating is so high, if America is a conservative country. There could be many reasons for this: people might want to like their President, the approval polls might not have anything to do with issues of substance but be a reflection of Clinton's latest speech or public appearance, or there could be problems with the polls themselves. In any case, Rush is confident that America is a conservative country, as was proven by the 1994 elections. Also, the liberals are afraid to admit they're liberal, which is why they came up with their own version of the "Contract with America." This contract was supposed to enunciate the Democrats' principles, but those principles are meaningless gobbledegook. Even Hillary Clinton denied being a liberal on Larry King Live the other night. King asked if the White House was "left wing," and she denied this, which must have disappointed King, who's proud to be a liberal. Most liberals, though, especially those running for office don't want to be liberal. Hillary knows that it would be a bad move to attach the label "left wing" to the White House, and this is because most Americans are conservative. The White House is not willing to openly admit what it stands for, precisely because America is a conservative country. This is why Clinton is stealing Republican ideas, and Rush knows that this kind of approach cannot survive in American politics - it's not how you create a long-term vision. Perhaps Clinton will pull off the 1996 elections, but all of this will come home to roost for the liberals at some point. If Clinton were to get a second term, in fact, Rush suspects he would throw caution to the wind and become an unabashed liberal, making America even more conservative. o The Limbaugh Letter conducted its first ever national poll in the March, 1996 issue, and the June issue has the results. Rush gives some highlights from the poll, repeating today's Morning Update. Rush is still surprised by the responses he got on the question about favorite dog food flavor; the large block of votes for "seafood surprise" is a surprise, given the high salt content in seafood. Of course, a new study has found that salt is not that bad after all as far as your blood pressure is concerned. The EIB staff point out that "seafood surprise" is a cat food, not a dog food. Rush is surprised to learn that his readers name a cat food when asked for a dog food; "that disappoints me about our readers" he remarks. However, the fact 12.5% said their grandparents would prefer being fed the Republican Congress proves that the Limbaugh Letter does have liberal readers. *BREAK* Rush tells his staff to get "Shine the Light of Truth on America" ready because he wants to play it a bit later. Phone Bill from Rockville, MD Bill read an article in the May 19th issue of the Washington Times weekly edition <> about "Eco-warriors" and the "Green Militia." The story, by Valerie Richardson, described how militant environmentalists were forming armed militias to "protect the environment" from "environmental encroachers." The story described a number of these left-wing wackos, such as Ric Valois of Montana, who wears a 9-millimeter pistol as he "patrols" his local area for "environmental offenders." Valois is a true environmental wacko - he's been arrested for chaining himself to a gate so as to block logging roads, and is quoted as saying that law enforcement officers' bullet-proof vests won't bother him because he'll be aiming for their heads. The story notes he's part of the "Environmental Rangers," a group that considers themselves "environmental special forces." However, this is not the only group; there are others, such as the Native Forest Council, that threaten violence to protect the environment. Bill has found it interesting that none of the major newspapers or wire services have picked up this story from the Times; given all the media coverage about militias, he would have thought that armed environmental militias would be considered news, too. Rush is not surprised - this armed militia group is leftist and certainly not members of the NRA. Bill adds that although the "Environmental Rangers" haven't been engaged in any shoot-outs yet, the Times describes a group of "Green Rambos" who have been shooting cattle with rifles and semi-automatic weapons. There were also some home-made bombs and 16 sticks of plastic explosives found in New Mexico's Gila National Forest, not to mention threats made against local officials. Rush says this is an interesting story, but the environmentalists are on the "protected" list and thus will be allowed to get away with such things. The Unabomber, after all, has been praised as a "fallen intellectual" who can teach the rest of society about its failings, despite his being responsible for three murders and for many more attempts. And if these green militias start killing people, the media's apologists will start making excuses for them, too. Rush thanks Bill for calling. Phone Steve from Bethany's Beach, NJ Steve says the Democrats' first principle is "to honor work" but the minimum wage does the exact opposite by dishonoring work. Most jobs pay what they are worth, but the minimum wage says that all work that pays less than the minimum is no longer honorable. For example, the previous caller mentioned making gas stations exempt from the minimum wage, but the reality is that at most gas stations it's the customer who pumps the gas. This is because these jobs are not considered to be worth the cost of the minimum wage, and thus the minimum wage has made pumping gas a dishonorable profession to have. Rush says this is true, but he always goes back to his main point about the minimum wage, which is that if $5 an hour is good, why not $10 or $20 an hour? And why stop there? Why shouldn't the government guarantee everyone their own house and a $100,000 income? For that matter, why can't Bill Clinton do his own version of JFK's "ten-year program" and "challenge to America" to put a man on the moon by promising that by the end of the millennia every American will have a house on the beach and earn $100,000 a year? Of course, Rush admits, these people won't really be earning this money, so he should more correctly say they will be "given $100,000 a year." Undoubtedly, there will be arguments over how many cars people park at their houses on the beach, but that nitpicking detail can be worked out in the congressional conference committees. *BREAK* Rush has a medical update: 28 hours ago he ate his first-ever sampling of fat-free snacks made with the Olestra fat substitute. This include some Dorito potato chips, some Ruffles potato chips, and some corn tortillas, and he's pleased to note he has not suffered one bit of "gastro-intestinal distress." Rush was also amazingly surprised and happy at the taste and texture of these products, nor any of the loose stools and diarrhea that the Olestra warning labels say might result. "I'm here to tell you, ladies and gentlemen," Rush says, "I'm fine!" EIB Broadcast Engineer Mike Maimone is evidently disturbed by this talk of loose stools and diarrhea, so he interrupts Rush by playing "Shine the Light of Truth": <> "The various members of the press, they really do not know, But today, I can say, `see, I told you so!' I clearly do not believe that you can't legislate morality. You stupid, cockeyed liberals are dragging down society." <> "Shining the light of truth on America. I'm going to shine the light of truth on this land, yours and mine. I'm going to shine the light of truth on America. I'm going to shine the light of truth, let it shine." <> "Congress and this administration, tax, spend, and steal. I just want to protect this nation from the ultimate raw deal. I'm hip. I'm hot. I'm good to go. I'm jazzed, I'm wired because this is Phi-Beta-Ditto!" <> "Shining the light of truth on America. I'm going to shine the light of truth on this land, yours and mine. I'm going to shine the light of truth on America. I'm going to shine the light of truth, let it shine." <> "I'm America, speaking of truth, in an age of fraud and deceit. Anarchists, rebels, criminals are shooting us in the streets. Women in the military <> are driving me insane. We need a fat, bulbous woman to overthrow Saddam Hussein!" <> <> "We are told that we are cruel and we are told that we don't care. We are told that we're insensitive, that we're not paying our fair share. We are told that we're selfish, heartless, evil, and uncouth. I guess that's what we get for our relentless pursuit of the truth." <> "Shining the light of truth on America. I'm going to shine the light of truth on this land, yours and mine. I'm going to shine the light of truth on America. I'm going to shine the light of truth, my brilliance shines." "Shining the light of truth on America. I'm going to shine the light of truth, America needs me! I'm going to shine the light of truth on my America, America. Got to shine the light of truth, let the light shine! Got to shine the light of truth, let it shine!" ******** Rush notes that Jeremy Fox put this tune together out of samples of his voice from his radio and TV show. Every sound in this song is derived from Rush's voice, including the musical instruments, and it was quite a feat, one that took a lot of time. Phone Mike from Puyallup, WA Mike says he was honored when Rush read his letter about the Crime Bill Cops on the air last week, and he's going to stick with his number of no more than 10,000, given that there's no way any more officers than this could have been funded. However, Mike has been doing more investigation, and when he talked to the accountants at the Department of Justice, he found out they aren't even required to keep record of how many officers they've paid for. The accountant also didn't know the total number of dollars that's been spent, so Mike went to the person who writes the actual checks and asked how much money was sent to the city of Tacoma, which claims to have 20 officers; she replied zero - the grants were awarded but no money has been paid off. Thus, there are no funds at all going to Tacoma. The big problem, though, is that few cities can afford the matching funds for these grants. The matching funds start out at 25% the first year and then become 50% and 75% in the next two years, and by the end of the third year the city has to pay for it all. Furthermore, Mike notes, these Crime Bill cops cannot even go out on patrol or respond to 911 calls. Instead, their purpose is community policing, which is not the same thing as response calls. Rush asks if this means Crime Bill cops don't respond to calls for murders, robberies, rape, beatings, etc. Mike says this is not their purpose; rather, they are supposed to go into the community, to the schools and businesses, and such. For example, bicycle officers are part of all this. Rush says this sounds like Clinton's Americorps volunteer program, except that volunteers are being forced to wear police uniforms. Mike says this is where some of the funding is coming from, and Rush remarks that he was making a joke, yet he was still right. Mike says it's all smoke and mirrors - every number that's been heard so far is an estimate based on projections from the funds awarded, allocated, or authorized. Nobody is counting actual funds spent or the actual officers on the street. Rush says Hillary Clinton on Larry King Live Monday said there were 100,000 cops on the street, Dick Gephardt has said 110,000, Clinton is talking about 43,000, and Janet Reno is talking about some figure under 17,000. Mike says it's impossible to peg this number because the total Crime Bill budget is $8.8 billion, and last year they spent $1.3 billion on all programs, not just cops, out of $2 billion allocated. If the money was spent in proportion, then only $800 million was spent on Crime Bill cops, which is less than 10% of the total budget. Yet the administration is claiming it now has anywhere from 17% to 43% of the total cops. Rush says these numbers don't crunch, and Mike agrees. Rush asks if Mike is still hoping to win the fabulous prize package, and Mike replies "you betcha!" He's not about to give up this lucrative prize. Rush agrees, but it's going to be a tough project because there is a number and the proper documentation has to be supplied. If everyone thus agrees that there is a number then it should be able to identify this number; if nobody, though, can peg this number, then there really can't be a number. Mike understands, but sadly he doesn't have the funds to call all 9,000 police agencies to find out how many cops they've been awarded and how much money they've actually gotten. After all, Tacoma hasn't received any funding at all yet, despite their talk about having 20 new officers. Rush asks how Mike interprets this and Mike says there are also state programs going on for this, too. For example, the city sales tax was recently raised for the purpose of hiring more police. Rush says this sounds like what happened in Lancaster, PA, where Clinton took credit for 12 cops who were actually funded with local, not federal, dollars. He takes down Mike's name and number, though, in case he's the one with the closest documentation that can win the prize. Rush vows he will award this prize because he is certain that there is a number. However, as Mike and others are showing, it's going to take a lot of work to get to that number. *BREAK* Phone Ken from Grand Rapids, MI Ken heard Rush earlier this week talk about how the Clinton administration didn't have any idea what was in the Wisconsin welfare reform package. Ken disputes this, though, because last year he remembers reading Attorney General Janet Reno suing Governor Tommy Thompson because his welfare package set up a two-tier system for welfare benefits. Anyone who had just moved to Wisconsin would get the same amount of benefits as was paid in their home states. This was in response to how seasonal workers would move to Wisconsin in the off season to get higher benefits than those paid by their native states. Rush says he recalled this but didn't remember if it was Wisconsin or Michigan that was being sued. However, he thinks what Ken is talking about was another welfare reform plan in Wisconsin that has already gotten a waiver from the Clinton administration. However, Governor Thompson was then sued by welfare advocates who challenged the two-tier nature of welfare payments. Lawyers from the Justice Department then jumped into the suit after Clinton was inaugurated, siding with the welfare advocates. <> This was a classic example of the administration saying one thing (i.e. that Clinton wanted to "change welfare as we know it") while doing everything they could to destroy the plans. Rush spent time discussing this on his show because this also happened with the "Learnfare" welfare reforms that required parents to send their kids to school to get their welfare checks. Of course, the welfare advocates claimed this put too big a burden on the children, yet the kids were supposed to be at school in the first place. It's the law that children attend school, so what's wrong with making sure this happens? In any case, the Clinton administration again sided against the reformers, joining the lawsuit against these reforms. Rush thanks Ken for jogging his memory about this. *BREAK* Phone John from St. George, UT John thinks Bob Dole is the Republican leader who has heard what the people want and can rebut Bill Clinton. Dole has left the Senate so that he can show the American people they can vote for somebody, as opposed to settling for somebody. John is thus confident that Dole can set the agenda and put forth the ideas that can refute the lies that Clinton is telling. Rush is glad to hear from someone with a positive attitude like this and thanks him for calling. Phone Kathleen from Manhattan, NY Kathleen says the Republicans have tons of new and fresh ideas, so even if the Democrats steal those ideas, Republicans will come up with more. Rush says he can understand why Republicans want to maintain control of the ideas that define them, especially since all Clinton is doing is borrowing these ideas, with no intention of actually putting them into practice. Republicans should thus be calling Clinton on his theft of these ideas. Dole should hold a press conference to thank Clinton for coming around to the GOP's way of thinking, and he can then have Republicans come up with legislation that Clinton could sign the next week. Republicans should make Clinton sign this legislation - if he does, then Republicans have conservative legislation to make their conservative point of view. But if Clinton doesn't, then it also illustrates how false he is in what he's saying. By doing this Republicans can not only gain control but stay positive at the same time. *BREAK* THIRD HOUR Items o According to White House spokesman Mike McCurry, President Clinton would sign a bill to ban same-sex marriages if it came to his desk "as currently written." This decision was made after the Justice Department determined that this legislation would not violate the recent Supreme Court ruling that struck down Colorado's Amendment Two. Of course, the caveat "as currently written" is Clinton's out - no matter what Republicans send Clinton, he could back away from it, pointing to some codicil and claim that it was added to the bill and that it's too "extreme" for him. However, Rush is more than happy to call Clinton on this, and he urges Republicans to send this bill to him pronto. After all, Rush notes, Bill Clinton is a "conservative boy," as the song says: <> "Some folks say I like to waffle, I suppose it's true. Sometimes I have to change my mind to do what's best for you. Promises they come and go, I've made them all, you see (they're free!). I take a stand for what I believe will help you to vote for me." <> "Cause we are living in a conservative world. And I am a conservative boy. I know we are living in a conservative world, So I'll be a conservative boy." <> <> "Please don't think I'd try to fool you, I know you're too bright (yeah, right). Think I'll govern on the left and campaign on the right. Reducing spending, changing welfare, and tax cuts are okay. It's true, I vetoed I all these things, but believe me when I say . . ." <> "That we are living in a conservative world. And I am a conservative boy. I know we are living in a conservative world, So I'll be a conservative boy." <> <> ******** o The White House is scrambling for cover about his lawyers' attempt to delay the Paula Jones lawsuit by claiming Clinton, as Commander-in-Chief, is on "active duty" and thus is protected by the Soldiers and Sailors Relief Act of 1940. This claim, of course, will only bring back memories of Clinton's draft-dodging past, so Clinton's lawyer, "Uncle Bob" Bennett, is claiming Republicans are taking this legal argument out of context. Bennett is insisting that the President's lawyers were not relying on the Soldiers and Sailors Relief Act, but were only mentioning it as an example of how suits are routinely delayed in the judicial system, so as to prove their contention that delaying Jones' suit until Clinton leaves office is nothing unusual. In other words, these guys are saying "never mind, we're going to drop this one quick before it brings back the draft issue." o Rush is among the first to applaud the efforts of those in law enforcement to apprehend the bad guys, but he has to admit that sometimes these efforts go awry. One such case happened in Kentucky, where state police tried to stop a fleeing theft suspect by using a device called the "Stinger." The Stinger is a 16-foot long set of spikes that is put across a road to flatten the tires of any car that drives across it. Unfortunately when Kentucky police tried it out on Monday afternoon, they punctured the tires of at least 20 innocent motorists on I-75 near Dry Ridge, KY. One trailer had 8 tires flattened by the device, and another car had three special sport tires punctured. The worst of this, though, is that as cars ran over the Stinger, the device curled up, allowing the fleeing suspect, as well as the police chasing him, to drive over it without any damage to their tires at all. Thus, while it was a nice try, this device didn't work at all, except to puncture the tires of innocent passersby who were at the wrong place in the wrong time. Police did catch the suspect, though, a short while later when he surrendered. *BREAK* Phone Ron from Los Angeles, CA Ron gives law enforcement dittos from an LAPD officer who's been in law enforcement for 24 years. Los Angeles has similar problems as the previous caller who said that the town's 20 Crime Bill's cops could not answer 911 calls. Los Angeles uses a style of policing called "drive, smile, and wave," and you could hire all the Crime Bill Cops you want like this, but unless the way they are used is changed, it would be a pointless exercise. Police once were supposed to find the criminals and bring them to jail, but that's not happening like it used to. For example, recently two full-time uniformed police officers were given a pick-up truck and told to collect all the abandoned sofas that were lying along the street in a particular area. That is how these officers spent their entire day. Rush asks if these were Crime Bill cops, and Ron says he doesn't know. There have been several hundred Crime Bill cops hired, and the problem is nobody knows who's going to be paying for these guys in three or four years when the federal money runs out. The police department is going through what Clinton has done with the military, turning it into a "meals on wheels organization." Community policing was a good idea but it's being turned into a liberal end into itself, making it a sham. Rush asks who is ordering cops to pick up sofas, and Ron says it's the same sort of thing that liberals are doing with the military. Liberals don't want the cops or military to use force under any circumstances, so using the police for social engineering types of things keeps them from confronting criminals and maybe using force against them. Rush asks who is making these sorts of decisions - someone has to be giving the orders to the cops who give the orders. Ron says it's just the liberals in city government, and Rush bets the LA city council is playing a large part in this, given that whenever he sees these guys on the TV, they act like they're already living in a liberal utopia. Ron agrees with that and Rush thanks him for calling. Ron thanks Rush for sticking up for cops, a rarity nowadays, but Rush says he understands that this is one of the jobs that few Americans would be willing to do, even on a good day. The risks police face are far greater than most people, and their compensation certainly isn't in proportion with those risks. And then when police arrest the bad guys, those bad guys are probably back on the streets before the police have finished writing their reports. Ron says there's one case like this now - a guy fired six rounds at two police officers, but because he missed them, the local prosecutor is talking about giving him only six months in county jail. Rush notes that this trend has been going on for a while - the intent no longer matters, only the skill of the perpetrator. Ron agrees, and Rush bets that if this trend keeps up, the liberals will fault the police for getting out of the way of the bullets. He thanks Ron again for calling. Phone Joe from Can't Say, MA Joe is a police chief who wants to point out that the grants for community policing include funds for new positions, in an attempt to find new ways to deal with crime. These officers, though, can still respond to 911 calls. Joe is also very familiar with the application and grant process, and he knows the Fast Cops More program is not targeted toward high-crime jurisdiction. Almost any community can apply for these funds, so the program has become more of a political issue that allows congressmen and Senators to get the credit for bringing more policemen to the district. For example, Joe's police department got three letters of congratulation from their representatives in Congress when they applied for the program. Of course, these congressmen praised themselves for working hard in making this program possible. However, the money for this program did not become available until 1995. Thus, everyone who's taking the credit for reducing crime in 1995 by passing the Crime Bill is playing a game. It takes eight to ten months for a new-hire to get through the training and Field Training Officers program, which means the Crime Bill had little or no effect on the 1995 crime rate. It's impossible these few new officers had any effect on the FBI's Uniform Crime Report for 1995. Rush says this is why he's running his contest - to show that there aren't 100,000 cops on the streets now because of the Clinton Crime Bill. Joe agrees, but he points out that nobody can know how many police officers have been hired until the final day of the program. Municipalities such as Joe's have cut back on their initial applications because the $75,000 they would have gotten for these new police doesn't even come close to the base salary of $40,000 per year, plus benefits that amount to 60% of salary, not to mention training, equipment, etc. The federal money then stops at the end of the third year, and the communities have to figure out how they are going to pay for all these officers by themselves. The police departments have to be honest when hiring these officers and tell them up front that they might not have a job for any longer than three years. These officers also have to be legitimately used. Speaking about that, as to the case cited by the LAPD officer, Joe doesn't want to quibble, but picking up sofas, while it sounds silly, does have a legitimate purpose. These sofas could lead to other forms of criminal activity. Rush is intrigued by the concept that renegade sofas could lead to other crime, so he asks Joe to hang on through the break. *BREAK* Phone Joe from Can't Say, MA (continued) Joe says his point is that having cops pick up sofas might be seen as silly, but there is a legitimate point to this. Community police officers are assigned to particular neighborhoods, and they are trying to change the socialization process that exists between the police officers and members of the neighborhood. Police officers are not just crime fighters but also community activists who want to help the community become more healthy, prideful, and caring. The police officer becomes a problem solver, not just someone who shows up whenever a crime has been committed. When a neighborhood is blighted by a bunch of abandoned sofas, a lot of bad things can happen - they can become an attractive nuisance to the likes of vagrants and the homeless, who might end up sleeping there, starting a fire, or whatever. These coaches could end up in the middle of a street and cause an accident, or they could simply emit foul odors, become a home to lice and vermin, etc. All of these things are detrimental to the neighborhood pride, and if the police officer can help correct these problems, the community will perceive him as something more than a tough guy who comes in with his gun and nightstick only when an arrest needs to be made. This can help engender a feeling of community between officers and the residents. Rush says this sounds like a program that was developed to deal with those neighborhoods who think that the cops are unfair, biased, and authoritarian bullies who don't care about certain types of people. It sounds like the police are willing to bend over backwards to please such people. It thus appears that this kind of policing is really needed in only certain types of neighborhoods, and Joe agrees. Rush asks if this really helps those in the community accept the responsibility for their own communities, especially if they are learning that they can toss their trash into the streets and have the police pick it up for them. Rush thinks this is really forcing police officers to compromise their real work for a bunch of phony, feel-good principles. Joe says this approach does work, and the bottom line is that the police officer has to be more than just the guy on the beat who's waiting for an alarm or scream. This is part of their job, but there's more to it than that. Rush agrees but a cop should not have to clean up after other people's messes. Joe agrees, but the cop should be the one who can bring together all the resources of the community to solve the problems that need to be solved. They must become generalists and the neighborhood managers of the local problems. Most cops are doing this already - when they get called out at 4 in the morning, it might be only to help a dog that is strangling itself with its chain or to rescue a cat out of a tree. Rush understands that, but it's one thing to say cops should help people in need but another for them to take out their trash. It also seems to Rush to be counterproductive to do things that don't reinforce the notion of personal responsibility among those who need to learn this. Joe agrees, but when a problem exists, it must be solved, and that problem might not have been caused by the residents - the sofas might have been left by the Sanitation Department, or they might have been left by someone from a different neighborhood who decided that street was a good place to get rid of their trash. Joe wouldn't tell his police to pick up couches in a general order, but Rush asks who is putting these couches in the street in the first place. Rush has to separate his trash and to flatten his cardboard boxes; if he were to put a sofa out in the street, he'd be arrested. Joe says this is only a very small example of the police's efforts at public service, and he mentioned it only because it was the one thing mentioned by Ron. It could be that the people in this neighborhood had been trying to clean their area up. The point is that police have to be problem solvers; they shouldn't pick up couches on a regular basis, but at least the police in these case can use this to show they are willing to help the residents make their neighborhood a better place. What happens as a result of this is that a strong rapport develops between the police and the residents of the neighborhood, who become more willing to talk to the police and tell them what's going on. In contrast, if a cop just stays in his car, he's driving an iron lung that separates him from the people. If that cop can get out of the car, walk the street, talk to the people, and make it known that he can solve problems, the police can do their real job better. Rush says he understands this and agrees with it, but he still doesn't think police should be picking up couches; they should be able to call the Sanitation Department to deal with this. Rush can't even throw away cardboard boxes where he lives unless the breaks them down, but evidently if he lived elsewhere, he could get the police to do this for him. This is cutting people slack they don't deserve. Joe says this was an isolated incident; the police are not becoming garbage haulers. Certainly it appears to be a stupid move for cops to pick up sofas, but maybe the residents of this neighborhood saw the police solving a problem that they had been trying to get the city to solve for days or weeks. The police won't be doing this every day but on that one day they communicated clearly with the residents that they are willing to help solve their problems. Joe is a professional law enforcement officer, and few police officers are left wing at all, so he's not some liberal touchy- feely wacko. Rush says he's not concerned about the ideology here, but how police officers are becoming a prisoner as the concept of law enforcement has changed. Joe says law enforcement has changed and it will continue changing. Rush asks if these changes are happening because of a few rogue cops or because society is not prosecuting law-breakers anymore. Joe says both reasons are part of the mix; there's no simplistic answer to why many people don't trust their police. Rush says he would lay the blame mainly on educational systems that teach students that their country and its establishment are their enemies. The police thus end up being agents of repair for those who are destroying society. Rush, though, is fascinated by Joe's accent and asks him to say "Da Bulls" and "Da Bears." Joe does and Rush remarks that Joe sounds like he's from Chicago, but Joe says he came originally from Rochester, NY and is not a Chicago man at all. Rush bets that Saturday Night Live could use Joe on their Chicago "Da Bulls" skits and thanks him for calling. *BREAK* Phone Kent from Pella, IA Kent gives "reluctant megadittos" because while he agrees with what Rush says, he's never admitted this fact to anyone before. For a number of years Kent has been quick to disparage Rush, despite not having listened to the show himself; however, a few months ago he began listening to Rush and realized he agreed with Rush. Thus, now that Kent is hooked, he has to come out of the closet about his support for Rush, and he's not sure how to do that with his wife and her family. Rush says this is not that tough, once you've taken the first step - after all, Kent has the advantage of listening to the program himself, while his wife and her family probably haven't. Rush thus suspects Kent is now well-equipped to correct the mistaken assertions that his wife and her family might make. Kent says he has been recently using the information he gets from the EIB Network, and his wife remarked that he was starting to sound like Rush since that was what she had heard on Rush's show. Rush notes that this proves Kent's wife is listening, and Kent agrees, so he is now under pressure to go public with his support. Rush asks what kind of objections Kent is getting from his wife and family about Rush. Kent explains that his wife and her family are actually avid Rush listeners, while he's been the dissenter, so now he has to eat crow and admit he likes Rush, too. He asks if Rush has any ideas on how he can do this in a tactful way. Rush says he had assumed Kent's family members were antagonistic toward him, but the fact they're fans is a different matter. He notes that Kent will be a bigger man after he admits his mistake - it takes courage to do such a thing. Kent agrees but now he has to do this in person, so he wonders how this can be done: does he have to go down on his knees or should he get a Rush tie and wait until she asks him about it? Rush says a No Boundaries tie is not a requirement, although it would force his wife to make the first move. Kent thinks this would be easier, and Rush agrees, although there are many ways to do this. However, in his experience the shortest, sweetest, and quickest route to any objective is the most effective, so Rush would suggest this for Kent: simply go up to his wife and say "I'm sorry, I misunderstood - you were right." Kent agrees that "I was wrong" would probably be the best route, and Rush notes that this was the advice Charlton Heston, who's been married 50 years, gave him on the eve of his marriage to Marta: "Just remember, Rush, those three magic words: `I was wrong.' " Thus, by telling his wife this, not only will Kent get his dittoheadness out in the open, but he'll strengthen his marriage as well, even without a Rush tie. Rush asks when Kent plans to do this, and Kent suspects sooner is better. Rush agrees and puts him on hold so Bo can get his name and number. Then EIB can contact him afterwards to find out how it went, but Rush suspects that when all is said and done, Kent will have discovered this was a far easier and nicer thing to do than he had feared. *BREAK* Phone Gayle from St. James, IA Gayle says she thinks liberals and their agenda are behind the type of policing that has officers move couches. Why does everyone have to hug everybody? Society needs rules and authority, so what's wrong with those things? Rush doesn't mind hugging people, but you have to hug people who deserve it, not those who are polluting the neighborhoods. Gayle is upset that police are used to move sofas - the police should be authority figures, reminding people that there are rules they must follow. She suspects the liberal agenda is the driving force behind this. Rush says the LAPD officer had it right when he said police officers were being turned into the civilian equivalent of "meals on wheels," just as Clinton has turned the military into an organization that delivers food and does police work they are not suited for. Gayle says this trend has to be stopped; the liberals are intent on bending every rule there is until it breaks, but conservatives don't do this. Rush agrees - conservatives take the cake when it comes to inflexibility of rules and he thanks Gayle for calling. -- John Switzer | "Clinton would barbecue Smokey the Bear to | win re-election." - Washington Post columnist jswitzer@limbaugh.com | Richard Cohen *** Access the Congressional Record at http://thomas.loc.gov *** [Previous] [Next] [Hitlist] [Get Thread] [Author Profile] [Post] [Reply] _________________________________________________________________ [ Home ] - [ Search ] - [ Contacts ] - [ Help ] _________________________________________________________________