RUSH: Here’s Boone Pickens. He was on MSNBC this morning on Scarborough’s show. They had a discussion about Obama’s speech. Scarborough said, “You have a question about the president’s speech? What’s your question about it?”

PICKENS: The president is confusing me. Every time he’s on TV he says that the rich should pay their fair share. I don’t know what “fair share” is. That’s what’s bothering me. I always want to be fair, and historically I’ve been a very fair guy. I’m 83. I still go to work in the morning at eight o’clock. I have 150 people work for me, and someplace in here I feel like I’m letting the country down.

RUSH: No, you don’t feel like you’re letting the country down, Boone. You’re being told that you’re letting the country down. You’re being told that it’s unfair. You’re being told that you are behaving improperly. Scarborough said, “Warren Buffett pays like 18%, 17% of what he makes in taxes. Is that fair? Should he pay 35%? What should he pay?”

PICKENS: After I was 70 years old, I paid $665 million in taxes. Is that fair?

BRZEZINSKI: (snickering) I don’t know how much you made, Mr. Pickens. (giggling) Why don’t you give me the full numbers?

PICKENS: You feel like I’m not paying my fair share, after $665 million and I’m over 70 years old?

BRZEZINSKI: (snickering) Sir, with all due respect —

PICKENS: Okay.

SCARBOROUGH: That’s pretty good.

BRZEZINSKI: — it depends on what you make.

RUSH: “It depends on what you make.” “With all due respect, sir, it depends on what you make.” Our good old buddies at NBC. Boone Pickens paid $665 million in taxes in the last 13 years — just since he turned 70 — and that is not enough, not enough to determine whether or not it was fair. See, because we don’t know how much he made — and unless he admits how much he made, then we can’t possibly determine whether or not it’s fair. In other words, he may have to pay more just so these schlubs on this worthless network can be satisfied.