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LC002022

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2021

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H O U S E   R E S O L U T I O N

COMMEMORATING THE LIFE AND CAREER OF RUSH LIMBAUGH, THE GOAT OF

CONSERVATIVE TALK RADIO

     

     Introduced By: Representatives Morgan, Nardone, and Roberts

     Date Introduced: March 03, 2021

     Referred To: House Special Legislation

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     WHEREAS, Rush Hudson Limbaugh, III, was born on January 12, 1951, in Cape

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Girardeau, Missouri, into a highly regarded local family. His paternal grandfather, Rush Hudson

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Limbaugh, served as a U.S. ambassador to India under President Dwight D. Eisenhower, an uncle

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served as a federal judge during Ronald Reagan's presidency; and his conservative father, Rush

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Hudson Limbaugh, II, worked as an attorney; and

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     WHEREAS, Despite the disapproval of his family, from the age of 8, Rush Limbaugh

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knew he wanted to pursue a career in radio. During high school, he landed his first radio job, and

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using the pseudonym "Rusty Sharpe," he worked as a DJ for the local station KGMO which was

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co-owned by his father; and

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     WHEREAS, Upon graduating high school, Mr. Limbaugh briefly attended Southeast

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Missouri State University but left the school in 1971, after one year of enrollment, in order to

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pursue a career in radio. He had trouble keeping a position and was fired from stations in

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Missouri and Pennsylvania for being too controversial as news commentator. He later recalled,

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"My whole family thought I was destined for failure"; and

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     WHEREAS, In the mid-1980s, following a stint as a ticket salesman for Major League

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Baseball's Kansas City Royals, Mr. Limbaugh landed a job as an on-air host at KFBK in

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Sacramento, California, with the help of a radio executive friend. While there, he took over

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Morton Downey, Jr.'s slot, and met with success when his ratings surpassed his predecessor's.

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Less than a year later, he became known as Sacramento's top radio host; and

 

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     WHEREAS, In 1987, the repeal of the Fairness Doctrine ultimately paved the way for

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Mr. Limbaugh's now-distinct, politically conservative radio style to take shape. Not long after, the

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on-air host for KFBK left the station for a position at the ABC Radio Network, bringing his

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newfound fame with him, as well as a reputation for having strong, conservative opinions; and

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     WHEREAS, Mr. Limbaugh is considered one of the most influential media figures in

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American history and has played a consequential role in conservative politics since "The Rush

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Limbaugh Show" began in 1988. Perched behind his Golden EIB (Excellence in Broadcasting)

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Microphone, Mr. Limbaugh spent over three decades as arguably both the most beloved and

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polarizing person in American media; and

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     WHEREAS, The program that began 33 years ago on national syndication with only 56

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radio stations grew to be the most listened to radio show in the United States, airing on more than

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600 stations. Up to 27 million people tuned in on a weekly basis and Mr. Limbaugh lovingly

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referred to his passionate fan base as "Dittoheads," as they would often say "ditto" when agreeing

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with the iconic radio host; and

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     WHEREAS, In addition to his success on the radio, Mr. Limbaugh made regular

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appearances as a political commentator on various TV programs, and authored numerous articles

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and books, including the 1992's best-selling The Way Things Ought to Be and 1993's See, I Told

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You So; and

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     WHEREAS, "It's my job, it's my life, it's my career, it's my passion," Mr. Limbaugh once

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said about his politically charged career as a radio host, commentator and writer. "I'm doing what

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I love. I think I'm doing what I was born to do. I have no specific goals from this point forward. I

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never have had specific goals. I've always thought, 'I know generally what I want to do. I want to

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be in media, I want to be in radio.' It's what I love. It's what I do best. And I'm open to all

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opportunities that come my way"; and

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     WHEREAS, Rush Limbaugh was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 1993, and the

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National Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 1998. Additionally, he's a five-time winner

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of the National Association of Broadcasters Marconi Award for Excellence in Syndicated and

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Network Broadcasting; and

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     WHEREAS, In February of 2020, Mr. Limbaugh revealed that he had been diagnosed

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with advanced lung cancer. Shortly afterward, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom

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during President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address; and

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     WHEREAS, In his final radio broadcast of 2020, Rush Limbaugh thanked his listeners

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and supporters, revealing with a grateful heart at the time that he outlived his prognosis. On

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February 17, 2021, he lost his battle with advanced lung cancer; now, therefore be it

 

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     RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island hereby

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commemorates the life and career of Rush Limbaugh, the Goat Of Conservative Talk Radio; and

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be it further

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     RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to

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transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to Mrs. Kathryn Limbaugh.

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