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<\/p>\nRUSH: What a fabulous job they did. What a wonderful job they did. Greetings, my friends. It\u2019s great to have you with us. It\u2019s Rush Limbaugh, and it is Friday.<\/p>\n
JOHNNY DONOVAN: And now, from sunny South Florida, it\u2019s Open Line Friday!<\/p>\n
RUSH: Open Line Friday means that you can ask me anything. It doesn\u2019t have to be related to COVID-19, coronavirus. It doesn\u2019t have to be related to anything to do with that. It could be questions or comments about anything. It\u2019s the purpose of Open Line Friday. The original reason, the original purpose behind Open Line Friday was to take the program beyond where I take it by allowing you to talk about things that maybe I hadn\u2019t brought up.<\/p>\n
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You don\u2019t have to do that, but, I mean, it\u2019s the option. We don\u2019t permit this Monday through Thursday. Monday through Thursday I maintain benevolent dictatorial control over the program and the callers. On Friday I take a gigantic career risk by surrendering that benevolent, dictatorial control, autocratic control, and giving you more say so over the programming than ever, at any other time during the week. The phone number is 800-282-2882, and email address, ElRushbo@eibnet.us.<\/p>\n
So Kathryn and I were chatting about the daily brief yesterday after the president announced the phased reopening plan for the country. And it has to happen. Folks, there is no delaying this any further. You see all over the country now people are revolting against certain state governors who want to maintain lockdown. It can\u2019t go on. This forced shutdown, the forced ruination of the United States economy must end. And I can\u2019t tell you. I was longing for that day yesterday.<\/p>\n
I have been longing for the White House briefing to be what it was yesterday for a month. I cannot describe for you — I\u2019ve tried, during the course of every day\u2019s busy broadcast, I have tried to convey my concern and fear for you, for all of us, for everybody. I\u2019ve been there. I don\u2019t know how many of the people who are among our experts setting policy, I don\u2019t know how many of them have been broke.<\/p>\n
I don\u2019t know how many of them have been where 22 million Americans are, without a job, without any income, and unemployment compensation that just will not get it done. I don\u2019t know how many. There may be some. I\u2019m sure that the law of averages would dictate some have been there. But I don\u2019t know how many. Trump has been there, by the way. Trump has been at the edge of the cliff looking over it. His survival techniques are a fascinating story and why they\u2019re not going to damage him ultimately with every effort they\u2019re gonna mount on this.<\/p>\n
But you look at some of these people. I don\u2019t want to mention any names. The names are not the important thing here. It\u2019s the ability to relate, the ability to have some kind of empathy. And while I understand the nature of leadership and I understand the nature of expertise and intelligence, it simply is better if there are people in the policy making sphere who\u2019ve been there or have faced similar circumstances far better than people who are not feeling threatened financially by any of this.<\/p>\n
And I think that way too many people in some positions of authority and power really don\u2019t face dire economic circumstances like an increasing number of the American people do. It worries me. As I say, I\u2019ve been there, and it\u2019s scary to me, just the memories of being in that circumstance. And it was a number of different times for me. It\u2019s scary to remember it. But it enables me to understand what people are going through and how it cannot go on. It simply can\u2019t.<\/p>\n
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There may be great risk in reopening the country in phases. There may be great risk in sending people back out to start working even under the guidelines. They\u2019re risks that have to be taken. They are certainly no different than risks the American people have taken throughout our history. We had to get involved in World War II once we were attacked by the Japanese. We had to get involved in World War I. We had to get involved in order to defend and protect ourselves.<\/p>\n
These were risks that we tried to avoid taking for the longest time, but we had to get involved. We had to take risks after 9\/11. We\u2019ve had to take risks our entire history as a nation. Taking risks, entrepreneurism, fearlessness, it\u2019s a hallmark of the American identity and of the American culture. And this shutdown and hunkering down in total fear is not a hallmark of American history or of American culture.<\/p>\n
Now, very quickly, here are the guidelines that were announced yesterday. And I\u2019m gonna have some comments in that briefing \u2019cause it was brilliant. Trump, even before it began, was watching the Fox News Channel, and John Roberts was their White House correspondent, said the magic words. Dr. Fauci and the Scarf Queen have signed off on the guidelines. Okay. The leadership that President Trump has exhibited, the leadership that he has engaged in, that he commanded, is worthy of being noted.<\/p>\n
People are so busy occupying themselves with their own problems that you may not have time, you may not have the inclination to start analyzing how anybody else is doing, either living their lives or doing their jobs or what have you. But I want to make a point about it because do you realize, Mr. Snerdley and everybody, do you realize whatever the length of time this task force has been up and running there has not been one subversive leak, not one? Not a single subversive leak. Not a single act or leak of sabotage. It\u2019s phenomenal.<\/p>\n
Think of all the opportunities people on this task force had. There is a sympathetic media waiting out there beating down the windows, beating down the doors, begging anybody, a staff member, an actual member of the task force, “Please, please, we know things can\u2019t be going this well. We know some of you have to think Trump\u2019s an idiot. Just tell us. Just tell us. We promise you anonymity.” The media trying to get leaks, the media trying, desperately trying for any negative story. Not one. That is leadership.<\/p>\n
Okay. More on that in a second. Here are the guidelines on reopening the economy and essentially Trump\u2019s plan is three phases. And each phase or every step requires a decline in cases for two previous weeks before the next phase can be implemented.<\/p>\n
(summarizing phases) Phase One allows certain businesses such as gymnasiums — gyms, workout centers, health and recreation centers — to reopen if social distancing is possible — and, of course, it is. You limit the number of people in the gym; you limit the number of people at each station in the gym. “Hey, Rush, it sounds like you know about gyms.” Ho-ho! I know about \u2019em. That\u2019s why I don\u2019t go there.<\/p>\n