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The Pope of American Conservatism

by Rush Limbaugh - Feb 7,2013

RUSH: TIME Magazine has called me a pope. They have a cover story on Marco Rubio. By the way, Rubio’s gonna do the Republican response to the State of the Union show. And he’s gonna do it in Espanol. He’s gonna do it in English, too, obviously. But he’s gonna have a response to the State of the Union in Spanish. Now, what is your gut reaction when you hear that? Is it, “Right on, right on, outreach, cool.” Or is it, “Ah, gee, why are we pandering? Do we really think we’re gonna get any votes by speaking out to them in Spanish? Is that really what we’re gonna do?” I mean, do the Hispanics really not know who Rubio is?


Well, the answer to that is, the Hispanics that vote Obama, vote Democrat, think Rubio is something that he’s not. They think he’s a sellout. Whatever their equivalent to an Uncle Tom is. So he’s gonna reach out, do the response in Spanish. What is your gut reaction to that, Snerdley? You think it’s pandering? You think it’s total pandering. Interesting.

TIME Magazine, it doesn’t matter what I say, what I mean. When they interpret me incorrectly and I correct it, I’m still wrong. I don’t know what I’ve said. The way I am interpreted by others is what I really meant and what I said. What I mean doesn’t matter, I’m wrong. That’s the way the mainstream media reacts. They say that I told Rubio in the interview on this program that what he was doing was admirable, as though he had been granted absolution by the pope. That I, El Rushbo, in telling Rubio that what he’s doing is admirable, had thus granted him absolution by the pope, meaning it’s okay, clear sailing, smooth sailing ahead, El Rushbo said it’s okay for you to have the — and I was simply talking about — you’ve heard me say this. I was simply complimenting Rubio on his willingness to properly characterize Barack Obama and Barack Obama’s policies and where Obama wants to take the country.

It came at the end of the interview, and in the interview, obviously, we spent a lot of time talking about immigration. He explained his position along with that of the Gang of Eight. At the end of the interview I said that what he’s doing was valuable, remarkable, admirable and all that. And the Drive-Bys said, “Well, Limbaugh’s softened his views on amnesty. Rubio somehow got through to Limbaugh. Limbaugh now agrees with the whole notion of amnesty and told Rubio his position…” I’m being mischaracterized here in what I said, but I just wanted to get that out again for the purposes of you not being confused if your encounter with TIME Magazine was your first encounter of my having said that to Senator Rubio.

BREAK TRANSCRIPT

RUSH: Debbie in Louisville. Great to have you on the EIB Network. Hi.

CALLER: Well, hi there, Pope Limbaugh!

RUSH: (laughing)

CALLER: I can’t believe I’m getting to speak to you. (giggling) I am so excited

RUSH: It’s Pope Evictus II.

CALLER: I love it. You are the pope, and I think that Marco Rubio would definitely benefit from your years of wisdom not to mention your wonderful parents — and your grandpa, who I got to hear speak on your show way back when.

RUSH: When he was a hundred years old.

CALLER: Yes!

RUSH: He was a hundred years old, and he lived to be 104.

CALLER: I was so honored to get to hear his voice. It was amazing.

RUSH: Well, thank you very much. I really appreciate your saying that.

CALLER: Well, you are a blessing to our country, and I thank you. I want to remark on Senator Rubio. I believe I heard a speech from him a couple years ago on the Senate floor. I watched it on C-SPAN. It was so awesome, it was so awesome, and because of that, I really believe he’s an authentic man and I think from your question earlier — you said, “Does it matter that he speaks in two tongues?” And I said, “At this time in history, to me it matters that he can respond to President Obama in dual tongues,” not to be confused with lying tongues, but in both English and Spanish, and I hope that he will listen to you and that he will learn from your wisdom and learn all he can.

RUSH: Debbie, I appreciate that. Let me tell you something. Marco Rubio is an original. He doesn’t need to be advised on conservatism. He doesn’t need to consult people on principle. He has them. He is the real deal. He doesn’t have to consult anybody or note cards or CliffsNotes, cheat sheets, any of that kind of stuff. He’s a genuine, principled real deal. My only question about giving the response to the State of the Union show in Spanish is, will the Hispanics see it as pandering or as genuine outreach? And I was just asking. I don’t really have a thought or an informed opinion on that yet, but it’s something that they announced.

As Pope Evictus, the second, that’s Evictus from Obama, I am fallible. I am a benevolent dictator, and I am a fallible pope. I will admit this. Snerdley is frowning here, doesn’t think I should have admitted that, but it’s about humility. It’s like what Obama was talking about today. (laughing) Yeah, I don’t mean it, I was just saying it trying to make people think what I am, when I actually know I’m not.


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