Unofficial Summary of the Rush Limbaugh Show for Wednesday, November 9, 1994 by John Switzer This unofficial summary is copyright (c) 1994 by John Switzer. All Rights Reserved. These summaries are distributed on CompuServe and the Internet, and archived on CompuServe (DL9 of the ISSUES forum) and Internet (cathouse.org and grind.isca.uiowa.edu). The /pub/jrs directory at ftp.netcom.com contains the summaries for the past 30 days. 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. ************************************************************* November 9, 1994 BRIEF SUMMARY OF TOPICS: words to "What is a Deathocrat Made Of?"; researchers say watching TV is not a good way to cheer yourself up; Rush gloats, but not too much, about the incredible success of Operation Restore Democracy; Republicans gain 52 seats in the House and nine seats in the Senate; Republican leaders win re-election with big margins; Senator Richard Shelby of Alabama switches sides to become a Republican; Democrats don't even have Oliver North or Michael Huffington to kick around; Democrats have fallen far in only two years; Mario Cuomo thinks politics is a higher calling than religion; the true message of the elections is that the people want government to get out of their lives; it's time to hold Republicans' feet to the fire, to ensure that they remember what it was that got them elected; Republicans were not elected to compromise with Clinton but to pursue their own stated conservative agenda; words to Presidential PSA about how elections were not a total defeat for the Democrats; term limits won big in elections, and voters rejected tax increases; Rush is blamed for the Democrats' loss by Rep. Andy Jacobs (D-IN); caller thinks the Democrats are ignoring the reality of yesterday's elections; White House is claiming that the elections are an indication that the people want change at a faster pace than Clinton was pursuing; will Barbra Streisand now leave America, as she pledged she would if Bush had been re-elected in 1992?; caller thinks the elections were a referendum on Ronald Reagan and the 80s; George Will calls the new 104th Congress "Ronald Reagan's third term"; caller thinks Carter and Clinton Presidencies were anomalies; Republicans won in the House, the Senate, and governor state houses, but not one Republican incumbent in Congress was defeated; Tom Foley is worried that Republicans won't be constructive; Tim Russert suggests that Cuomo might become the next baseball commissioner or a radio talk show host; Rep. Newt Gingrich (R-GA) will become the next Speaker of the House and Rep. Dick Armey (R-TX) will become the House Majority Whip; the Democrats in Congress who won, won only by the slimmest of margins; caller fears Democrats won't relax one bit in defeat; conservatives have to get out of their minority mode and learn how to start governing; Republicans have to become leaders and avoid the pressure to become moderates; exit polls this year asked if voters listened to talk radio; caller thinks Clinton was the catalyst who made the Republicans' victory in the elections possible; contrary to predictions, Los Angeles hasn't rioted because of Proposition 187 passed; Bernard Shaw asks "what went wrong" with the 1994 elections; Perot will undoubtedly try to take credit for Republicans' victories; Republican caller won election as school district trustee by running a hard-fought grass roots campaign on conservative issues; Clinton's campaign visits have left a string of defeats in their wake; words to Presidential PSA "celebrating" Ted Kennedy's victory; Republicans must concentrate on rewriting the House rules so as to restore democracy in Congress; caller thinks the Republicans' contract put the Democrats on the defensive, and Rush agrees, especially since the Republicans avoided any mention of the Clinton scandals; the left's special interest groups will now get funny and looney again because they're once again on the outside of power; caller heard rumor that Clinton will try to rule via executive order; caller thinks the elections were the second Boston Tea Party, signalling a second American revolution; Republican women won in the elections, while Democratic ones lost; Rush lists the ten points of the Republicans' Contract with America; caller thanks Bill Clinton for making the Republicans' victory possible. LIMBAUGH WATCH November 9, 1994 - It's now day one "Democracy Restored, America Awakens" and 722 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), 250 TV affiliates (with a national rating of 3.7), and a newsletter with nearly 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 best-seller list for 16 weeks and has sold over 2.45 million copies. LEST WE FORGET The following are from the Rush Limbaugh show on Wednesday, November 11, 1992: o On Veteran's Day, Rush decided to show his appreciation to the military by taking a cue from General Norman Schwarzkopf who had said his favorite song was Lee Greenwood's "God Bless the USA." EIB's Johnny Donovan mixed this song along with Schwarzkopf's comments after the Gulf War to a Joint Session of Congress: "The prophets of doom, the naysayers, the protestors, and the flag-burners all said that you wouldn't stick by us - but we knew better. We knew you'd never let us down - by golly you didn't! We'd also like to thank the families - it's you who endure the hardships and the separations simply because you choose to love a soldier, a sailor, an airman, a Marine, or a Coastguardsman. We were 541,000 soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, and Coastguardsmen. We were the thunder and lightning of Desert Storm, and we're damn proud of it." Denny from Cape Coral, FL was a Vietnam Vet and Rush's tribute to Veteran's Day reminded him of a saying he found written on the back of a C-ration can by some unknown Marine: "For those who fought for it, freedom has a quality that the protected will never know." o A column by Leslie Gelb in the San Jose Mercury News was titled "Is Clinton Tough Enough"; it claimed that Republicans were already undermining Clinton's administration by going to foreign businesses and leaders. "Conservatives are unashamed by self-interest and feel comfortable exercising power on their own behalf," according to Gelb. "But because moderates and liberals tend toward tolerance by philosophy and temperament, they want to understand other points of view and find it natural to live with differences." o Laurie from Honolulu, HI said the local TV station's lead-off story was how Hawaiian state legislator Annelle Amarol, a Democrat, had received calls from nine women claiming they were sexually harassed and victimized by Senator Daniel Inouye (D-HI), thereby corroborating the charges already made by a Hawaiian hairdresser. o Scott Barnes had just returned from Hanoi, and thus didn't hear for himself Rush's October 26th comments about Sidney Blumenthal's article on him in the June 6th issue of the New Republic. Scott said that Blumenthal and the New Republic had both issued retractions about what they had said about him in that article. Rush summarized events by saying that Perot went on 60 Minutes to claim that he quit the Presidential campaign in July, 1992 because of rumors the Republicans were going to embarrass his daughter. Barnes was mentioned by Perot as one source for these rumors, and Rush at the time remembered that Barnes was also discussed in the New Republic piece, which showed that Perot's claim that he didn't know Barnes beforehand simply wasn't true. Scott said he had talked to Blumenthal and had signed an agreement with the New Republic about the untrue aspects of their story. Among the many things the magazine got wrong was that Scott was never a Green Beret, but he did serve in the Army, getting an honorable discharge. He was never in jail as stated in the article. Also, Blumenthal attacked Scott's credibility by repeating his statements that he crossed the border between Cambodia and Thailand by fording a river; the New Republic then asserted that no such rivers exist between the two countries. This was not true, however - many such rivers existed. Rush asked if it were true that Scott was one of Perot's sources about how Republicans were allegedly going to disrupt the wedding of Caryline Perot. Scott said he told Perot nothing about a wedding, but he did tell him that Republicans were tapping his office phones and planning to alter photos of Caryline. Scott insisted Perot's two other sources about the photos and wiretapping were from the Republican party, but he didn't know where the tip about the wedding came from. Scott didn't know who the two tipsters could be, although Ted Koppel mentioned Senator Bob Dole (R-KS) and Rep. Bob Dornan (R-CA). Rush asks if the GOP hired Scott to do these illicit things, and Scott said this was true. Rush asked if Scott thought Perot was someone who saw conspiracies everywhere. Scott replied "oh no, not at all. I've never met the man, ever, and he's a very honorable, decent, law-abiding, above-board citizen." Rush was a bit surprised at this comment and asked if Scott really had never met Perot. Scott replied "I have never met Mr. Perot." Rush found this a curious statement from someone who had known Perot since the early 80s and who had talked a lot with him. However, he thanked Scott for calling and for giving his side of this story. o Because of popular demand, Rush replayed the reading of one of EIB's most popular poems: What Is a Deathocrat Made Of? by Murray Quirk Oh, what is a Deathocrat Made Of? Of purple haze and militant gaze. That's what a Deathocrat's made of. Of sullen cynics, abortion clinics. That's what a Deathocrat's made of. Of pseudo-scholars and guilt trip wallowers, hollow woe hollerers and hollower followers, cowerers, glowerers, frivolous borrowers. That's what a Deathocrat's made of. Party of the strange and twisted. Champion of each vice once hissed at. Mockers of the tried and true. Seekers who have not A CLU. Where kinky notions find a home, from whence the dinky dollar is thrown to anywhere unjustified from out the middle class's hide. Pretenders pressing vague agendas, they pose as philanthropic menders. Pitting class and class and class, these scions of the stubborn ass. Kill a tree and risk their might?!! Abortion? Why, a woman's right! Depict George Bush as mad aggressor, Castro as some quaint professor. Appeasing all tyrants who act with bold violence, with wishfulness, wistfulness, blissful dead silence, they cheat on their spouses and back revolutions where Marx and machine guns are posed as solutions. They run in circles, swim in fees, fly from responsibility. A criminal will earn their pity while victims mount in every city. "The poor", they say, "we help upgrade!" but back in 1978 with Democrats as the ruling tenants of White House, Congress, and the Senate, gaslines grew, inflation soared! The poor did better under Ford. Jimmy and Fritz looked pale and wan. "Who can we possibly blame this on?" The people, that's who, as they did when they said, "Things are bad, they won't get better. Its not our fault. Go wear a sweater." They spent other folks' money to garner votes and praises, leaving indexed taxing brackets that meant automatic raises, that moved the poor and middle class, their `special friends', they said, to brackets where scant years before the rich and fat had laid. And when Reagan said at last, "Indexing has to go!", they said, "The old will soon be dead!" and similar cries of woe. They cursed and worse, And fairly burst with ugly histrionics. Inflation fell. But what the hell, it can't be Reaganomics! The man's success left them a mess when he said with rhetoric blistery, "The dreaded reds will make their beds on the old ash heap of history!" "Abortion is lethal and communists evil?! Oh, how these rubes are uncouth! What gay bashing, chauvinist, war monger bigots! When will they ever see truth?" So what is a Deathocrat made of? What IS a Deathocrat made of? Of moral despoilers, and strident annoyers, devious lawyers, and porno mag voyeurs, of prayer interdiction and socialist fiction, stupid decisions and history revisions. Of sheer abdication as sex education, equivocation and scorn for our nation. Of asinine fratricide. Bully for OUR side! That's what a Deathocrat's made of. o Rush received a letter from a Minnesota listener who learned from one of his political science professors that people get the government they deserve: "People are enslaved because they are afraid to die for freedom. People prefer to give up their rights to improve themselves in order to gain a little security. People impoverish themselves because of their greed. They suffer wars because of misguided national pride. Well, the American people have chosen - they have chosen as President a man who has a reputation of being a liar, a womanizer, an opportunist, and a draft-dodger. The people must now be prepared to pay for that choice. You get the government you deserve." ******** MORNING UPDATE Rush suspects that many Democrats this morning are not feeling too well, so he'd like them to know "I feel your pain." Perhaps the Democrats are in a bad mood because of the depressing party they attended last night, or perhaps it was the morning newspaper that got them into a blue funk. Rush has some advice, though: don't watch television. According to a study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, watching TV is not a good way to cheer oneself up. To get rid of your bad moods, you should instead listen to music, read, shop, or even do some household chores, even if this means giving your illegal immigrant help the day off. The study also found that moody men tend to turn to alcohol or drugs, while moody women tend to smoke, talk to someone, or eat. Democrats should therefore stay away the TV today, especially the news, and maybe do some exercises like aerobics or jogging. If jogging does help cure depression, then the White House jogging track is going to have a waiting line today. However, if people absolutely have to watch TV, they should tune into Rush's TV show, which is one place you can always find good cheer. Plus, Rush notes, "we feel your pain." FIRST HOUR Rush warns his staff to keep the gloatometer handy because he doesn't want to end up gloating too much today, although some gloating is acceptable on the day after the successful conclusion of stage one of Operation Restore Democracy. He notes that the countdown of the days of the Raw Deal is no more; instead Johnny Donovan has prepared the following spot: "This is a special edition of the Rush Limbaugh program, Democracy Restored! America Awakens. And now from our studios in New York City, here is Rush Limbaugh!" Rush has heard a lot of commentators already ask if the Republicans can get along with Clinton, but the proper question is whether Clinton can get along with the Republicans. The massive shift of the country to the right was not done so that the 104th Congress could get along with the President; rather, it was a repudiation of the attempt by Bill Clinton and the Democrats to move the country further to the left than it's ever been. "I don't know about you, folks," Rush states, "but I sure as heck feel good!" And with that, Rush plays James Brown's "I Feel Good." As the music plays, he notes that no Republican incumbents last night lost, whether they were in the House or Senate, or were governors. The Republican House leadership, in fact, won by huge margins: Newt Gingrich won with 64% of the vote, Dick Armey with 76%, Henry Hide 73%, Tom DeLay 74%, and John Kasich 62%. Republicans have gained nine seats in the Senate, including Richard Shelby who announced this morning that he would change parties from Democrat to Republican. The GOP's gain in the House could be anywhere from 49 to 52 seats, and the bloodbath was so bad that the poor Democrats don't even have Oliver North or Michael Huffington to kick around for the next two years. Had those two men been elected to Congress, the Democrats would have at least been able to attack them relentlessly for the next two years, but the Democrats don't even have this little of a solace. Rush notes that today is truly an historic day, and not just with regards to American politics. The network news programs last night, though, were not impressed as they reported on one Republican gain after another through gritted teeth. Dan Rather, for example, had the most marvelous expression on his face when he was forced to report the network's projections that the House would be going to Republican control. It is interesting to contrast where the Democratic party was two years ago with where they are today; in 1992, the Democrats owned it all, and they were arrogant and cocky, determined to move the nation to the left, regardless of the people's wishes. The American people soon figured out that they weren't getting what they elected in 1992, and their antipathy to the President's policies was why most Democrats didn't want Bill Clinton to be anywhere near them during their campaigns. The Democrats are facing a massive loss in their political power, and it's telling that Mario Cuomo last night said "politics is the highest calling, higher even than religion." This is what liberals believe, and it shows what these people think of themselves and their power. The Democrats, though, have lost it all, after sitting on top of the world a mere two years ago. They lost all of it because of only one man, Bill Clinton; the country has begun a massive shift to the right to reject and repudiate to the policies and governance of the current administration. The Democrats are not going to be able to tolerate this loss in their power, and they'll begin some sort of recovery plan immediately. The Democrats are undoubtedly talking behind closed doors about how the elections were a referendum on Bill Clinton, his policies, and his style of doing things. The liberals, though, had better realize that the true message of yesterday's elections was that the people were telling government "get out of our lives, take the shackles off of us, we want to be free to do extraordinary things!" The people have spoken, saying that they want to live their lives, and they know they can live their lives better than the government can. Thirty years of the welfare state was rejected yesterday, and the American people should be happy and proud of their achievement. Now is therefore not the time to get moderate; this election was only the beginning because the true goal and objective is to make the Republican party the majority party for a long time, not just for two years. Those who won yesterday had best remember why they won, and if they don't, Rush will be glad to be there to remind them. A friend yesterday remarked that Congress is like a restaurant; at a restaurant the customer is revenue, while the waiters and cooks are overhead. Similarly, the citizens and voters are revenue, while those who work in Washington are the overhead, and the voters understand this. It's now time to hold people's feet to the fire, which is why Rush is deepsixing his trademarked Days of the Raw Deal. Clinton's days of being able to rule are gone: he can either obstruct the Republican Congress, a la Harry Truman, or he can try to get some things done with the Republicans, taking whatever credit he can for whatever bills are passed. It is not Republicans who will have to work with the Clinton administration, but rather Clinton who will have to work with the Republicans. The massive shift to the right seen in yesterday's elections did not occur so that the Republican Congress could go along with the Clinton agenda. Those who were sent to Washington were not sent there to get along with Clinton but to implement their own, clearly stated agenda. The Republicans laid out their agenda during the campaign, promising to bring to a vote ten specific bills; anyone who stands in their way will pay a political price for doing so. The media, though, doesn't seem to understand this. For example, CNN's Bill Snyder claimed that the remaining Democrats in Congress are more liberal than those who were ousted, while the Republicans coming in are more conservative; "but the people," Snyder insisted, "want to be governed from the center." This is totally wrong - the people clearly demonstrated last night that they don't want to be governed in the center. However, the left seems to think that the people elected a Republican Congress only so it could be a check on a Democratic President; this, though, is not what happened yesterday. The elections yesterday are the third Reagan term in an ideological sense, and Republicans were not sent to Congress to be bipartisan. They must remember why they were elected and must stay the course. Republicans' feet will need to be held to the fire. Of course, now that the liberals are out of power, they will go back to being kooky and weird, so Rush is expecting some fun times ahead as well. *BREAK* Rush has yet another Presidential PSA: "My fellow Americans, with the results of last night's historic election now in, I'm pleased to tell you that the best and brightest of our great liberal tradition still survives in Washington. It has been an uphill fight against overwhelming odds, and I know that the Americans who share the values that I do will be so pleased that Marion Barry is again Mayor of Washington, DC! See, it wasn't a complete sweep after all!" ******** Term limits was also a big winner yesterday, being approved in Alaska, Colorado, Idaho, Maine, Nebraska, Nevada, and Washington, DC. (Not to mention Spokane, WA, although Tom Foley is still refusing to concede, insisting that absentee ballots will carry him to victory. However, it's clear that Spokane voters aren't too happy with the man who sued them for passing term limits.) Oklahoma rejected the penny tax on entertainment for breast cancer research, and graduated income taxes failed in Massachusetts. Nevada also voters approved a two-thirds approval requirement for tax increases, but Missouri, Montana, and Oregon defeated proposals that would have required tax increases to be subject to a public vote. California's Proposition 186, which would have established a single-payer health care plan in the state, also went down big, as did a proposition that would have increased the gas tax by four cents. Proposition 187 also won big, with a nearly two to one margin of victory. *BREAK* The Democrats wanted to run their 1994 campaigns against the 1980s, and Rush was more than happy to let them try. Rush recalls how during Clinton's inauguration actor Ron Silver noticed some jets flying over and was at first angry at this show of military might. He then realized, though, that "those are our jets now!" Rush consoles Ron Silver and the other losing Democrats with the news that those jets are still theirs, but now there might be a couple more of them to the U.S.'s arsenal. Phone Ron from Indianapolis, IN Ron says Rep. Andy Jacobs (D-IN) won re-election last night, but in his victory speech he stated that one of the reasons so many other Democrats were losing was "Rush Limbaugh." Rush laughs at that, and jokingly agrees that Jacobs is right - it's a major step forward that the Democrats are starting to recognize the truth. Ron adds that it's fun to listen to all the whiners on the radio today, and Rush agrees; he admits he'd love to take credit for yesterday's historic massive shift to the right, but while EIB might have played one small part in this, it was the people who voted and who made this decision. The Democrats had best realize that if they continue to blame Rush for things like this, they'll remain the minority party for some time; the Democrats had best learn where their shortcomings are so they can correct them. However, if the left refuses to do this and still wants to blame Rush for their own failings, then Rush will be more than happy to wear this blame as a badge of honor. Phone Jim from Palm Harbor, FL Jim thinks the elections are double good news because not only did the idea of less government win, but the Democrats still seem to be denying the reality. David Wilhelm, Dee Dee Myers, Leon Panetta, and George Stephanopoulos just don't seem to realize just what happened yesterday. Rush says the administration probably does know what happened but they are in their "spin control" mode, trying to put the best spin on a devastating defeat. While nobody knows what these guys really think, they publicly are claiming that the American people wanted the same change they wanted in 1992, and that the Democrats' only failing was that they didn't realize just how fast the people wanted this change. The administration is thus now claiming that the Democrats and Republicans have to work together, but bipartisanship is not the way for the new Republican Congress. If the people wanted bipartisanship, the Republicans would have been thrown out of office for not being bipartisan. Instead, the country moved to the right yesterday and this means that the people want their government to move to the right, too. Jim thinks the Democrats will continue to flounder around because they are refusing to accept the truth of this; in their arrogance, they simply won't acknowledge that the people rejected them and their policies. This means that the people want Clinton stopped, not that Congress should meet him halfway. Rush agrees - the people want the government stopped and turned around, so that the country is given back to the people and so that the government gets off the people's backs. The elections were a refutation of big government, tyrannical government regulation, liberal bias, and the promise that government could and should do it all. He thanks Jim for calling. *BREAK* Rush wonders if Barbra Streisand will finally fulfill her promise to move to London; she promised to do this in 1992 if George Bush won re-election, so will she follow through with her promise now? In honor of her pledge, he plays a moving but somewhat morose rendition of Streisand singing "Happy Days Are Here Again" (with a few EIB sobs through in for good measure). With the thoughts of a Republican Senate and House in mind, Rush adds "we love you, Clarence Thomas. We love you, Robert Bork. And we love you, Ronald Reagan!" Rush is disappointed, though, that one casualty of the elections is that he'll no longer be able to take pleasure in soon-to-be ex-Senator Jim Sasser's pronouncing of the word deficit as "dafacit." Phone Vinny from Durham, CT Vinny thanks Rush for being a great speaker for the country, and Rush thanks him for saying that. He adds that he's happy and ecstatic, and was up until two last morning celebrating. Phone Jack from Rockville Center, MD Jack thinks yesterday's results are a referendum on Ronald Reagan and the 80s, and Rush agrees, and the Republicans' Contract With America is responsible in large part for this. Speaking of the contract, though, Rush found it interesting that on CNN this morning, the "great objective journalist" Bob Franken was asked about the "Contract for America," and Franken actually said "we may as well get it straight, it's the Contract With America." Rush thought it was "nice" that Franken decided to "get it straight" only after his side lost. The Republicans never called this contract a "return to the 80s," though, but the Democrats certainly did; the Democrats were the ones who turned this election into a referendum on the 80s and Reaganomics, and they paid the price for it. The Democrats dared to take on Ronald Reagan and his policies, but the voters showed that they weren't buying the history revisionism of the 80s that the Democrats were spouting. George Will last night did point out that the 104th Congress would, in effect, be Ronald Reagan's third term, and in a way this is true; the first two years of the Clinton administration have basically been nothing but a hiccup and belch of indigestion, and yesterday's election was the Milanta, Tums, and Rolaids (or any of the other antacid remedies which might be an EIB sponsor someday). Jack agrees, and thinks that both the Carter and Clinton Presidencies were anomalies. Rush says this might be, but the Democrats are definitely not going to give up. So while Republicans celebrate today and gloat a bit, it should be remembered that the Clinton administration is not by any means over. The objective is now to make sure the GOP is the majority party for many, many years, and this means true leadership and governance. The people are sending Republicans to Washington to stop its move to the left and to actively govern in very specific ways. This will be challenge, given the Democrats' opposition, not to mention that the press will be all over Republicans for the next two years. The liberal press is very angry that their people have lost, especially since part of the reason why is because the liberal press no longer has any monopoly on the news and information. The battle facing Republicans now will be a major one, and it's just begun. Rush fully expects that if anything, the battle will be more contentious than ever. *BREAK* Phone Beth from Boise, ID Beth first congratulates all the elected Republicans for their "Cinderella story," noting that the voters are not angry, but rather are tired and exhausted. The voters have been working long and hard, without having much to result from it. However, the people persevered and they, like Cinderella, finally won. Rush agrees, noting that America just had a major revolution, but it was a peaceful one that didn't require the firing of one shot. He asks Beth to hang on through the break. *BREAK* SECOND HOUR Rush notes that today is also the fifth anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, an especially appropriate anniversary for the congressional elections. Rush again notes that not one Republican incumbent was defeated, so what happened yesterday was not an "anti-incumbent" movement by any means. Not only were Republicans elected to the House, Senate, and the nation's governorships, but they have won control of at least 12 legislative state houses. Tom Foley, though, is worried that the Republicans "might not be constructive," and this statement only shows that he's still uttering the cliched, liberal psychobabble that comes straight out of the liberal handbook. Rush tells Foley that the definition of "constructive" today is the Democrats' defeat, but to Foley "constructive" means letting the Democrats continue running the show. Obviously, the Democrats haven't woken up to what yesterday really means. Rush wonders what Mario Cuomo will do now, given that he was defeated by George Pataki. There's always the Supreme Court, of course, but Tim Russert suggested this morning that Cuomo might become the next baseball commissioner, edging out ex-Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell. Russert also theorized that Cuomo might become a radio talk show host, which doesn't surprise Rush at all. Speaking of Cuomo, Rush has to wonder what Rudolph Giuliani said to his wife when they went to bed last night. Cuomo's defeat was a major defeat for Giuliani as well, so what were his thoughts last night? Meanwhile, Rep. Henry Waxman will no longer be able to head up his inquisitorial hearings of the tobacco companies; Mike Synar was right there with Waxman, but he of course has been gone for some time, defeated by a political neophyte in this year's Democratic primaries. The Republicans, though, won Synar's seat last night. As Rush noted, the House Republican leadership won by big margins, and Rep. Newt Gingrich (R-GA) will become the Speaker of the House and Rep. Dick Armey (R-TX) will become House Majority Whip. This is great news because it means that the Republicans will be able to get to all ten items of their Contract With America. Rush notices that the CSPAN cameras have come in, so he replays the opening music and Johnny Donovan's new "Democracy Restored" promo. He continues on to say that the Republicans will be able to do great things in the House, and it's icing on the cake to see that the Republican leadership all won by huge margins. In contrast, the Democratic leadership either lost altogether or won by the slimmest of margins. Charlie Rose won with 52%, Sam Gibbons got 52%, Vic Fazio squeaked by with 49%, and Lee Hamilton had only 52%. The bottom line is that the elections were great and positive news, and since James Brown says it best, Rush replays his "I Feel Good!" He points out that the American people haven't said they want Congress to meet President Clinton halfway, but rather want Congress to stop the President's attempt to take the country so far to the left. Clinton's first two years could be thought of as a "national belch," and the country has now taken the antacid. *BREAK* Phone Beth from Boise, ID (continued) Beth says Idaho had a record turnout of voters, thanks in large part to being able to register at the voting polls, plus they got their first Republican governor. Also, Rep. Larry LaRocco (D-ID) was defeated, but in his concession speech he touted all of his achievements in office, as if he were campaigning for the next race. Beth would therefore warn Republicans that they should not relax because the Democrats will continue fighting, and should anything good happen, they'll take credit for it. Rush agrees, as this is what Bill Clinton has been doing for the past two years. However, the voters have spoken and the Democrats have suffered a major defeat, in spite of their attempts to lie about the Republicans, claiming that the GOP wants to cut Social Security, etc. Even the media's talking heads and pundits are starting to realize that a real shift to the right is occurring. Rush thinks there is some truth to this but America is and has always been a conservative country, at least as far as people live their lives. Yesterday's election was not an aberration, and in a large part George Bush was defeated because conservatives were angry. The press and the left, though, claimed Clinton's victory was a sign that the American people had finally awakened and come to their senses, after voting Republican for 12 years. The left totally misread the 1992 elections, and they can't take credit for anything now except for their own defeat. However, Republicans can't afford to relax - for conservatives to actually achieve something and to have a lasting impact on the country, they will have to learn how to properly govern. Conservatives have to get out of their "minority" mode, in which they only react to the Democrats; instead, conservatives have to set the agenda and start being proactive. In particular, conservatives have to be confident and reject any idea of moving to the center and "moderating" their positions. The pressure is only going to increase on Republicans from this point forward; it's not going to get any easier during the next two years. Republicans have to become leaders and define the agenda, and this means being willing to take the arrows that might be shot. Republicans can't afford to worry about what the left and press might say against them, but instead be confident in what the American people did yesterday. The historic victory of Republicans has been earned, but it's time for Republicans to get out of their defensive mode and into a leadership role; if this doesn't happen, all will be for naught. Sixty years of liberalism is on the brink of total defeat, but Republicans have to keep moving forward. Some liberals won, but that's okay; Ted Kennedy will simply serve to remind the country of what liberalism is and has done to America. Liberals, though, are calling the elections irrational and the result of ignorance, but this just shows that America's elite just don't get it. Americans are tired of big government, liberal bias, politically correct multiculturalism, and of the idea that government is the only source of all that is good. Republicans must respond to this by being proactive, not reactive, but this leadership must also be done in the spirit of confidence and good cheer. *BREAK* Voter Newservice is an exit polling service which is a cooperative of ABC, NBC, CNN, CBS, and the Associated Press. Its exit polls ask voters to describe themselves according to recent statistics, such as are you a crime victim, gun owner, or a union member. Their 1994 exit polls are now also asking "are you a radio talk show listener?", and the fact this question is being asked shows there has been a momentous change in the makeup of the national media. The exit polls for the New York governor's race show that 39% of Cuomo voters listen to radio talk shows, and this figure is 56% for Pataki's listeners; only 4% of Tom Golisano voters listen to talk radio. Rush thinks the exit polls also asked this question nationally, so he'll report on those figures when they come out. Phone Denny from Madison, WI Denny congratulates all Republicans and asks Rush whether it was Clinton's election that made this victory possible. Rush points out there's a huge difference in saying voters selected Republicans because they were voting against Clinton and saying that voters selected Republicans because they want what the GOP stands for. Denny thinks the voters did vote for what Republicans were saying, but it was Clinton who was the catalyst that made this possible. Rush agrees with that, and notes that the people understand that the economy is not going as great as Bill Clinton is saying. Furthermore, Bill Clinton is not the President that the people elected; the people didn't want someone who would put gays in the military or who would nationalize one-seventh of the American economy. The people thought Clinton was a "New Democrat," and he's proven himself to be anything but this. This is why the Democrats are now panicked - two years ago they had it all, but now it's all gone, thanks to one man. This election was indeed a referendum on Bill Clinton, but it was not just a vote against Bill Clinton; rather, it was a vote for some very specific things, such as stopping the government's movement to the left and it's oppressive presence in people's lives. The elections were not motivated by an "anti-incumbent movement"; not one Republican incumbent lost, and in fact every freshman Senator is a Republican. This didn't happen by accident, but was a deliberate desire on the part of the people who wanted what Republicans are standing for. Phone Eric from Los Angeles, CA Eric thanks Rush for helping him rebuild his faith in America and in his personal ideals. Rush thanks him for that and asks if Los Angelenos are rioting. Eric says no, even though it's a beautiful, perfectly calm day. Rush notes that New York City isn't having any riots either, even though Mathilda Cuomo had warned that race riots could result if George Pataki defeated her husband. Eric notes that the only thing that's going on is unrelenting liberal whining; one liberal talk show host on KFI at one in the morning last night referred to the Republicans' 52-seat gain in the House as a "moderate Republican victory." Eric couldn't believe this absurdity, but Rush tells him this sort of claptrap is why this host is on at one in the morning. Eric also thinks David Brinkley was twitching up a storm when he was interviewing Bob Dole last night on Nightline. Rush says Brinkley is okay, and it's a shame he'll be retiring after the 1996 elections. New York, though, didn't get to see Nightline last night because of the coverage given to George Pataki's victory speech and Cuomo's concession speech. He thanks Eric for his call. *BREAK* CNN's Bernard Shaw last night remarked "the President is just as patriotic as Republicans - what went wrong?" Rush would ask Shaw "what happened to the press's objectivity?" Rush thinks it will be fun if the press continues to be so clueless about last night's elections, and vows to keep a list of all the times a member of the mainstream press shows how out of touch they truly are. Now that the left is out of power, this sort of thing will be really fun. Rush watched the returns last night at home with Marta, and he noticed that when these guys are on the air for hours at a time, they can't keep their biases restrained. When they're on the air for only a few minutes at a time, they can restrain their true feelings, but the media was hurting last night. The news anchors and commentators were in big time pain, looking for whatever good news they could find, such as Oliver North's defeat and Ted Kennedy's win. However, yesterday's elections were such a bloodbath and defeat that the press and Democrats don't even have Michael Huffington and Oliver North to kick around anymore; the press would have loved to have these two guys around for the next two years to focus on, but the press doesn't even have this consolation. They will have to make it to the 1996 elections without being able to vilify either North or Huffington. Phone Dan from Austin, TX Dan gives dittos from Bush country, and notes that the local paper had the headline "Bush Pitches a Shut-Out." Dan, though, thinks that Bush pitched the proverbial silver foot out of both Richards' mouth and Ross Perot's mouth. Dan wonders what will happen to Perot now, given that his selected candidates lost. Rush notes that Perot drove up Ann Richards' negatives by endorsing her, so he didn't do her any favors. Perot, however, will still claim that he was a major factor in George Nethercutt's win and Frank Lautenberg's re-election, not to mention that he'll insist he was the one who told the country to vote in a Republican Congress. This is what happened, so Perot will take some credit for it. Since the media will look for any excuse they can find to justify the elections, they'll give Perot the credit, in addition to calling the elections a sign of fear and hate. The press will do anything but realize that the people were enlightened and demanding a real shift to the right. Rush, however, is very proud of the Republicans and the American people. For over a year Rush has been warning that the GOP would have to come up with a vision and policies that people can vote for; it's not enough to have the people vote against someone. The Republicans gave the people something to vote for with their contract, and it's incumbent on Republicans to follow through and make those votes worthwhile. Perot might be an interesting media figure, but Rush doubts that he's going to be much of a true political factor or have much real influence left. Perot, of course, will continue to insist that he was the deciding factor in the elections, and the press won't challenge him on it, but Rush would disagree. *BREAK* Phone Mary Ellen from Gross Point, MI Mary Ellen is especially happy because she won election as a trustee for a scandal-ridden and corrupt community college; no other Republican was willing to run for this seat, so she decided to do it. She ran against the Detroit Democratic machine and her campaign was outspent four to one. However, she stuck to the issues, had a plan and articulated it, ran a grassroots campaign that included conservative blacks, and she won. Rush thinks this proves the point and congratulates Mary Ellen. He notes that Governor John Engler (R-MI) also ran on the issues and he won big; Engler ran on low taxes and educational reform, and he got the endorsement of Detroit's largest black newspaper. Engler, like Wisconsin's Tommy Thompson, is actually governing, and this is what all Republicans have to do. Rush notes that it's now official that Republican Rod Graham won Senator Dave Durenberger's seat in Wisconsin, defeating Ann Wynia, on whose behalf Bill Clinton appeared several times. Nearly everywhere Clinton went, such as for Bob Carr in Michigan, Republicans have won, highlighting the point that the elections are a total repudiation of Clinton and his policies. *BREAK* THIRD HOUR The celebrations are continuing at the EIB Building, and Rush hopes everyone realizes just how historic the 1994 congressional elections have been. Republicans picked up 52 seats in the House of Representatives, and three Democratic committee chairman, long-time "bulls" of the party, went down to defeat: Jack Brooks (D-TX), Dan Rostenkowski (D-IL), Dan Glickman (D-KS). The GOP elected 72 Republican freshman, while the Democrats have only 15 freshman; the Republicans won 21 out of 31 Democratic open seats, 17 out of 21 Republican open seats, and no Republican incumbents in either the House or Senate lost, while 35 Democratic incumbents were defeated, 16 of whom were freshmen, most notable Marjory Margolis "Judas" Mezvinsky (D-PA). Republicans picked up four seats in the East, nineteen in the South, thirteen in the South, and 15 in the Midwest. The GOP also elected seven freshmen women and one new black, J.C. Watts of Oklahoma. And it's just been reported that House Speaker Thomas Foley has conceded his seat to Republican challenger George Nethercutt. Since there's nothing else that says it better, Rush once again plays James Brown's "I Feel Good." He then follows it with another heartfelt message from "President Clinton": "My fellow Americans, I know that you are as overjoyed as I am that my good friend Ted Kennedy has won another term. You know, the Kennedy family has a long and historic record here in Washington, and I'll have you know that 68% of Massachusetts women voted for Ted! I believe that the legacy of what the Kennedys have done to, uh, for women is what put him over the top! I mean that's even more proof that it wasn't a total sweep!" The national exit polls also showed that voters over 50 were slightly more likely to vote for Democratic candidates, but voters between 25 and 40 were much more likely to vote for Republicans. In other words, the Republican party is picking up the youth vote and this may be the way it will be for some time. Phone Phil from Raleigh, MO Phil thinks it's a great day to be alive, and Rush agrees. Phil says that the Republicans' Contract with America did help them, but they've also got to go further and get rid of the trick of the discharge petition. Doing this would prove the Republicans' sincerity and help them in future campaigns. Rush agrees - Republicans have long attacked the unfair rules which Democrats have written over the past 40 years. The people voted out the Democrats because of this corruption, so getting rid of things like the discharge petition is a good idea. This is what Rush meant earlier when he said the opportunity for change now is so great, if only Republicans reach out and seize it. Republicans can change these rules easily during the next two years, and doing so will be a good first test for them. One of the major challenges Republicans will face is to make sure they remain the majority party for some time; they can't afford to think of their victory in only two year stretches. Thus, if the Republicans get rid of all these corrupt and unfair rules, it will make it all the harder for Democrats in the future to get away with recreating them, assuming Democrats ever get back in control. Yesterday was catastrophic to the Democrats because not only have they lost power now but they will face great problems in ever trying to reclaim it. Rush thinks it might be time for the Democrats to drag out the Grape Koolaid once again. Phone Walt from Gross Points Farms, MI Walt says today is a historic day, and he has to think Bill and Hillary Clinton for coming to Michigan to campaign for the loser Bill Carr. Rush says he hasn't mentioned Hillary today, but the elections really were a repudiation of the Clintons' co-Presidency and of the way they have tried to run this country. Walt agrees; he was so excited that he spent the morning calling all his business friends, who were also excited. He asks Rush if he thinks the Republicans' Contract With America had much to do with the victory, and Rush thinks it had a lot to do with the Republicans' victories in the House. Walt says the contract put the Democrats on the defensive, and Rush agrees, although the press seemed to think that the contract was a negative for the GOP. The contract, though, was put together really well, full of things that many Democrats had said they supported. Thus, Rush thinks that the contract was a factor. As to negative campaigning, though, Rush points out that the Republicans could easily have run against Whitewater, Tyson Foods, Mike Espy, Cattlegate, Joycelyn Elders, etc., but they didn't; the House Republicans ran their races on the issues, telling the people what they would do if elected. Walt thinks yesterday was just the election; the left doesn't understand the point yet, so Republicans will have to keep hard at it, reinforcing the reason that they won. Rush agrees, and notes that Michigan is an interesting state because it used to be a Democratic union haven, but the Republican governor won big, Republican Spence Abraham won big, and Democrat Bob Carr lost even though Clinton campaigned several times for him. Rush wonders what Tom Foley, Dan Rostenkowski, Mario Cuomo, and the other Democrats were thinking about when they went to bed last night. Rush suspects, though, that Rostenkowski wasn't really interesting in winning back his seat, given that he was kicked off his power seat as chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee. Rostenkowski was humiliated by this and the indictments against him, so while Rush doesn't want to disparage Rostenkowski's opponent Michael Patrick Flanagan, he just wonders whether Rostenkowski really wanted to win. Rostenkowski didn't campaign for his re-election, but maybe that's only because he arrogantly thought he had a slamdunk. Rush wonders, though, what all these Democrats, along with special interests such as NOW's Patricia Ireland, are thinking now, given that their power base is gone. They are now on the outside, knocking to get in, and this is great news for Rush's show because this is when the left gets really looney and funny. How did Bill Clinton think when he and Hillary went to bed last night? Did he tell himself the truth about what the elections mean or did he lie even to himself? This is a huge disaster for the Democrats, and they aren't going to get any federal assistance from FEMA to help them recover. They aren't going to be able to walk back in a little later to get all their power back. *BREAK* Phone Fulton from St. Louis, MO Fulton heard a news report that the White House was going to counter the Republicans' victory by concentrating on foreign policy and by ruling via executive order. If anything points out the Clintons' arrogance, it is this, and it makes Fulton think Clinton is nothing more than an aspiring dictator. Rush says that if the White House does try this, it will prove out all that's been said about the real motivations behind the Clintons. If they try to rule via executive order, it will demonstrate the absolute arrogance of the Clintons and Democrats, and Rush doesn't think they could get away with it for long. And if Clinton is going to concentrate on foreign policy, then what does that mean? Fulton says he heard a second analyst mention that the President was thinking of trying to "rule the country" via executive order. Rush notes that the word "rule" is pregnant with meaning; given that those in Washington have their power only because of the people, Rush is more than willing to let Clinton try such a thing. He'll only doom himself all the more. Phone Sue from Chicago, IL Sue says that last night was the Boston Tea Party 2; the Americans are tolerant, but have been pushed too far, and last night was the beginning of the Second American Revolution. Sue admits that for years she fell for the left's claims that she should feel sorry for this and that group of Americans, and she gladly supported their programs which allegedly would fix all these problems. It took Sue a long time to wake up, but she was eventually pushed too far; she then realized that what she was being told was not what she had been taught about what was right. Rush is glad to hear this and says this is why he's been saying the voters have been enlightened and are getting it. This is happening because of market forces in the media, because the mainstream media no longer has a monopoly on information and news. He thanks Sue for her call. *BREAK* Update Feminist (The Forester Sisters, "Men" with "in your face" slogan) Yesterday's elections were interesting for a lot of reasons, such as how women did and how feminist women did. 1992 was supposed to be "The Year of the Woman," with all sorts of liberal women insisting that the Senate and Congress weren't fair because there weren't enough women in office. The feminists insisted that only women could represent women, and they demanded that their female candidates be elected simply because they were women. However, this trend did not continue since in 1994 all six Democratic female candidates for governor lost: Governor Ann Richards (D-TX), Kathleen Brown of California, Dawn Netch of Illinois, Governor Barbara Roberts (D-OR), Bonnie Campbell of Iowa, and Cathy Carpin of Wyoming. Similarly, all three Democratic women candidates for the Senate lost: Ann Wynia of Minnesota, Jan Bacchus of Vermont, and Linda Kushner of Rhode Island. Eight incumbent House Democratic women lost, including Rep. Marjory "Judas" Margolis-Mezvinsky who gave Clinton his one-vote victory for his 1993 budget in the House. However, Republicans elected Olympia Snowe to the Senate and six Republican women to the House; Democrats elected only three women to the House and one incumbent Senator (Dianne Feinstein). Since 1992 was really "The Year of the Liberal Woman," 1994 could be seen as "The Year of the (Liberal) Woman Scored." Voters across the country didn't vote according to gender, but according to ideology, and Rush hopes this is one lesson liberals never learn. Phone Jeremy from Jacksonville, FL Jeremy is a bit saddened that his state has more people who preferred Lawton Chiles to Jeb Bush, but Rush says that Bush still has a golden future in politics and he did very well against "Walking Lawton" who has yet to lose an election. Jeremy says he just heard on the news that the White House is claiming that yesterday's elections are not dissatisfaction with the President but rather a continuation of the call for change which got Clinton elected two years ago. Jeremy can't believe how ridiculous this is, and Rush admits it's hilarious; however, this is the spin the White House has been putting on the elections since last night, telling the nation that the Republicans' victories only showed that the people wanted change at a "faster pace" than Clinton had expected. However, while Clinton is now saying that the American people want change faster than he wanted to give it to them, it was also Clinton who a short while ago complained that the American people wanted change but weren't willing to do what it took to get that change. Clinton even blamed the American people for not getting it and for not supporting him, yet now he's claiming that the people want his brand of change even faster than he thought. Rush, though, is more than happy to let the Democrats spin the elections however they wish; they evidently think that the people will buy their spin, so Rush is more than happy to let them live in their little dream world. The Democrats just saw an incredible shift to the right last night, yet they think the people will buy their spin and lies about what has happened. If there is ever an illustration that the people don't believe what comes out of the Clinton White House, it's last night's election. These are things that should make the people smile, because as Jeremy proves, the people aren't buying the Democrats' spin anymore. *BREAK* Rush sadly has to announce that a regular feature of his program will soon disappear, because one of New York's political institutions is also going to disappear. Thus Rush, for old time's sake, plays his Mario Cuomo Update theme one last time: Screamin' Jay Hawkins singing "I Put a Spell on You." Rush follows this with the short song "Mario, Mario, We Love You, Mario." Phone Bill from Boyertown, PA Bill heard Rush say that the Republicans would vote on ten bills within the next 100 days, and Rush says that these are the points in the Republicans' Contract with America. The House Republicans wrote this contract, pledging that they would bring these ten bills to the House floor for a debate and vote within the first 100 days of the 104th Congress. The Republicans admit they might not be able to get these bills passed, given that they also have to pass in the Senate and be signed by the President, but at least they will debate them and vote on them, something which the Democrats haven't even allowed the Congress to do. This is why Rush named the November elections "Operation Restore Democracy," because true democracy is going to be restored in Congress. As to the Republicans' ten points, they are the following: 1. THE FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY ACT - A balanced budget/tax limitation amendment and a legislative line-item veto to restore fiscal responsibility to an out-of-control Congress, requiring them to live under the same budget constraints as families and businesses. 2. THE TAKING BACK OUR STREETS ACT - An anti-crime package including stronger truth-in-sentencing, "good faith" exclusionary rule exemptions, effective death penalty provisions, and cuts in social spending from this summer's "crime" bill to fund prison construction and additional law enforcement to keep people secure in their neighborhoods and kids safe in their schools. 3. THE PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY ACT - Discourage illegitimacy and teen pregnancy by prohibiting welfare to minor mothers and denying increased AFDC for additional children while on welfare, cut spending for welfare programs, and enact a tough two-years-and-out provision with work requirements to promote individual responsibility. Rush notes that this item is particularly important because one of the major issues cited in the exit polls was welfare reform - people were tired at seeing their tax money thrown into bottomless welfare pits without anything ever resulting from it. 4. THE FAMILY REINFORCEMENT ACT - Child support enforcement, tax incentives for adoption, strengthening rights of parents in their children's education, stronger child pornography laws, and an elderly dependent care tax credit to reinforce the central role of families in American society. 5. THE AMERICAN DREAM RESTORATION ACT - A $500 per child tax credit, begin repeal of the marriage tax penalty, and creation of American Dream Savings Accounts to provide middle class tax relief. 6. THE NATIONAL SECURITY RESTORATION ACT - No U.S. troops under U.N. command and restoration of the essential parts of our national security funding to strengthen our national defense and maintain our credibility around the world. 7. THE SENIOR CITIZENS FAIRNESS ACT - Raise the Social Security earnings limit which currently forces seniors out of the work force, repeal the 1993 tax hikes on Social Security benefits and provide tax incentives for private long-term care insurance to let Older Americans keep more of what they have earned over the years. 8. THE JOB CREATION AND WAGE ENHANCEMENT ACT - Small business incentives, capital gains cut and indexation, neutral cost recovery, risk assessment/cost-benefit analysis, strengthening the Regulatory Flexibility Act and unfunded mandate reform to create jobs and raise worker wages. Rush notes that if the capital gains tax cut is achieved and signed into law, it would be the single greatest thing that could be done to get the economy booming, and not coincidentally to send new growth-generated tax revenues into Washington. 9. THE COMMON SENSE LEGAL REFORM ACT - "Loser pays" laws, reasonable limits on punitive damages and reform of product liability laws to stem the endless tide of litigation. 10. THE CITIZEN LEGISLATURE ACT - A first-ever vote on term limits to replace career politicians with citizen legislators. Rush thinks it will be fun to watch Republicans bring all ten of these points to the House floor. The Democrats know the people want these things, but they haven't brought them to the House for a vote because they don't want to be seen on CSPAN opposing the public will. Rush can hardly wait for January 4th and the beginning of the 104th Congress which will finally bring these bills out for consideration. *BREAK* Phone Rich from Sussex County, NJ Rich thinks it's a great day and Rush totally agrees. Rich says that credit has to be given where it's due and that means giving it to Rush. Rush demurs, saying that he was not solely responsible for this tremendous election victory. Rich, though, isn't going to thank Rush but Bill Clinton because if it hadn't been for Clinton, none of this would have happened. This didn't happen with Reagan, Bush, or Goldwater, but it did happen with Clinton. "Ah, maybe," Rush says, not totally convinced about this.