RUSH: Here is the mayor of Los Angeles yesterday in Washington, Cybercast News Service correspondent Christopher Neefus interviewing the mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. ‘I know LA passed this Measure R during a recession, but I still wanted to ask you about the budget. With the city having passed this boycott of Arizona, do you think that illegal immigration is a contributor to the budget problems in LA?’
VILLARAIGOSA: No. There are a lot of benefits to immigration, more benefits than there are, uhh, detriments, uhh, if you will. In California, uhhh, I think there’s, uh, a real sense, uh, that these immigrants, uh, provide a great deal to the economic might of the state. Uh, while at the same time, give us an opportunity to take the need on this issue of really pushing the federal government, uh, to fix a broken immigration system.
RUSH: Okay, now, we did a little feature on LA the other day about unemployment is, what, 12% there, higher than 10% in the country. LA is higher than the state of California. The whole green energy thing kind of fell apart before it got started thankfully or it would be even worse, and now a lot of benefits here. The illegals are adding to the economic might of Los Angeles. Neefus then says, ‘So is cracking down on illegal immigration not part of the budget solution? That’s a separate issue?’
VILLARAIGOSA: Well, as you know, uh, cities and states, uhhh, don’t have the authority, uh, to enforce our immigration laws. Under our Constitution, uh, that’s a federal responsibility. Uh, that’s why, uhh, the Arizona law is, uhh, unconstitutional and — and, frankly, the wrong way to go.
RUSH: Well, it’s not the wrong way to go because the federal government’s making no effort to protect the borders. If you don’t protect your border then you don’t have a nation. So anyway I just found it interesting that of all the things to credit, when there is no booming LA economy anyway — of all things to credit — illegal immigrants are adding to the economic might of Los Angeles.
BREAK TRANSCRIPT
RUSH: Antonio Villaraigosa, mayor of Los Angeles, illegal immigrants contribute to the mighty LA economy, which leads the nation in layoffs. We had the story yesterday. If this is true, the mayor of Los Angeles — who I’ve met, by the way, and he was very, very nice to me. I’ve told you people the story. He was Clinton’s wing man one night at the Kobe Club in New York. That’s exactly right. I met Clinton and Villaraigosa and Ron Burkle all at the same time. I was in there having dinner with a friend, a female friend, and we were sitting in a section of the restaurant that you can see this booth from the minute you walk in the place. It faces the front door but I’m not looking at the door. I don’t make eye contact with people in restaurants. I’m busy chatting. I sensed this presence standing at the table, and I look up, and there’s Bill Clinton standing there.
It’s about 9:30 at night, and he says (doing impression), ‘Hey, hey, hey, Limbaugh! You’re looking pretty good. You’re looking in pretty good shape,’ and I told him, ‘Mr. President, nice to meet with you.’ We shook hands. I said, ‘I know a couple friends of yours down here in Palm Beach.’ ‘Yeah, yeah, they’re great people, great people,’ and he goes back to his table. Shortly here comes the mayor of Los Angeles to the table, Antonio Villaraigosa, and I didn’t recognize him at first. I thought, ‘Who is this?’ He came over to my side of the booth which distracted my attention to the right and I’m looking at him. He started telling me how much he admires me. He just wanted to come up and say hello. He said, ‘The president told me you were here, and I had to come over and say hi. I listen to you as often as I can. I really admire you.’
I’m standing up shaking his hand. I’m thanking him very much. We’re having a nice conversation. I look to the left and guess who’s returned to the table chatting up my friend? (doing Clinton impression) ‘That’s right, Limbaugh. I sent Villaraigosa over there to distract you, and it worked. Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha.’ They came back a third time and then they left, and Ron Burkle was with them when they left the last time. So I’ve met Villaraigosa. I have an idea for him: If the illegals are contributing so wonderfully to the mighty Los Angeles economy, why doesn’t he ask Arizona to send the illegals there to Los Angeles and kill a couple of birds with one stone, make the Arizona law not even necessary? I mean, that’s the logical conclusion of this. I mean, if something’s really working let’s do more of it. Right on, right on, right on.