10/19/2008

Character Counts!

Family with Down Syndrome Child Meets John McCain and Sarah Palin
September 9, 2008

BEGIN TRANSCRIPT

RUSH: Kurt in Pittsburgh, hello, sir. Nice to have you on the EIB Network, and how about the Steelers defense?

CALLER: How about those Steelers, huh?

RUSH: How about that?

CALLER: Hey, listen, Rush, longtime listener, first-time caller, one of those Bible, family, gun clingers from western Pennsylvania.

RUSH: Thank you.

CALLER: And I wanted to share a story with you. A week ago last Saturday we went to the Palin-McCain rally in Washington, Pennsylvania, was the day after he announced her, and we have a five-year-old daughter with Down syndrome, and we made a sign that said: "We Love Kids with Down Syndrome." So when they pulled in in their bus the sign did catch their, McCain and Palin and the rest of their family, it caught their eye, we could tell, they gave us a thumbs-up from the bus, so we were all excited just by that --

RUSH: Wait, wait, wait. Who gave you the thumbs up, McCain and Palin?

CALLER: McCain, Palin, Cindy McCain, we could see them from the bus. We were in a position where we had eye contact with them --

RUSH: Oh, cool!

CALLER: My wife was holding our daughter.

RUSH: Very, very, very cool.

CALLER: It was really cool, Rush. I was like, "Wow, that's awesome," because I love Governor Palin and so I thought that's really neat. So then we moved around as the bus was getting ready to pull out, we kind of positioned ourselves so we could just wave them on and a Secret Service agent came up to us and said, "Hey, can you come with us?" I was like, "Do we have a choice?"

RUSH: (laughing) You shouldn't have worried. It's not the Clinton administration.

CALLER: Right. So we accompanied them up the hill, we went right to the bus, where it was, and Governor Palin, Senator McCain, Cindy, Todd Palin, they're all standing there. We're in this inner circle with just us and them, and the Secret Service agent, and they came right up to us and thanked us for coming out, said they loved our sign, and Governor Palin immediately said, "May I hold your daughter?" and our daughter Chloe, who's five, went right to her, and I have some pictures I'd love to send you maybe when I'm done here, but Governor Palin was hugging Chloe, and then her little daughter brought their baby Trig who has Down syndrome from the bus, he was napping, and Chloe went right over and kissed him on the cheek, and my son Nolan who's nine, he thanked her.

RUSH: This is amazing.

CALLER: I will send you all the stuff, Senator McCain was talking to my son, and we thanked him for his service, and he asked my son if he wanted to see the bus, and we were hanging out and it was very surreal. I felt like we could have had a pizza and a beer with them, they were so warm.

RUSH: You know what? I want to put you on hold. I want Snerdley to give you our super-secret, known-only-to-three-people here, e-mail address.

CALLER: I will send you everything, Rush.

RUSH: And then could you send us these pictures? Would you mind if we put them on the website?

CALLER: I would be honored, and my main thing is they are warm, kind, genuine people, and they represent the best of this country.

RUSH: That's right. And when you send these pictures, make sure you identify them. I mean, we'll know Palin and McCain, of course. Identify yourselves.

CALLER: I will, I will identify everybody in the picture, Rush, and God bless you for being a beacon of hope and truth in this country.

RUSH: Oh, no, no. It's nothing, it's nothing. You're doing the Lord's work.

CALLER: Well, we're very blessed and I want people to know what a blessing it is to have a child with Down syndrome. These kids, they're angels.

RUSH: That's the thing. There's always good to be found in everything that happens. It may be a while before it reveals itself.

CALLER: Absolutely ,
and when she hugged my daughter I said, here's the difference, this candidate embraces life and all its limitless possibilities.
RUSH: All right.

CALLER: That's what she is.

RUSH: Terrific, okay, I gotta run here, but I'm going to put you on hold.

CALLER: Thank you, Rush.

RUSH: Thank you, Kurt. I really appreciate it.

END TRANSCRIPT


12 comments:

cube said...

This is very telling of the character of these people. Look at the photo. Look at Palin, look at Cindy McCain, and look at John McCain.

For Pete's sake, have you seen one person on NObama's side that would engender that kind of love and fealty?

Anonymous said...
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Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Papa Frank said...

Sorry anonymous. Try again and use your name this time.

Z said...

tears here..what a story.
I'd heard it and seen the pix and it still brings tears!
of course, I'm such a wreck after Powell's announcement and how I believe that will affect this election, can you blame me for crying?
but, seriously, folks (I am serious about that, by the way!), this says SO MUCH about this campaign...the humility, the authenticity and kindness.

then when Obama reaches out to someone, the 'real American' tells him his truth which happens to tear to shreds Obama's economic plans to bits (rightfully so) and he has the guy vetted, exposes he owes taxes and doesn't have a license..."get him!" we are in such trouble.

Chuck said...

This is why Sarah scares the left, she's real. They don't kow how to deal with her.

Z, I don't think Powell does a whole lot for Obama. He could possibly bring a few independants with him but I don't think he's going to cahnge many minds. In other words, I don't think it's a real game changer. Just my humble.

Chuck said...

Sorry, hit the post button too soon. Great story and pics Papa Franks.

Anonymous said...

She has a mama's heart...always.

I love this.

Brooke said...

That's great! I remember hearing that very call, but seeing the pics for the first time is way cool.

Ducky's here said...

Not that this was in any way posed for a photo op.

The Merry Widow said...

So what, ducky...the looks on the faces and in the eyes, the way the bodies are held are generally very indicative.
The McCain's aren't put off by little Chloe...how would obama and his wife handled it?

tmw

Papa Frank said...

Ducky -- they pulled over the bus and chose these people to have a special moment with. The pictures were not from a media outlet they were the private pictures of the family. There was nobody from the campaign taking the photos to use. Compare that with Obama bringing news media with him on his world wide photo op extravaganza in an attempt to show that he could be in the same room with foreign leaders although he can't take an honest question without sending out the hounds of hell to ruin the life of anyone who dare ask him a serious question.