Article via WND.

It had to happen. It was just a matter of time, as Rush Limbaugh kept his listeners updated about his ultimate fight for life against lung cancer.

I learned about the end of that battle as I woke up to radio news Wednesday morning. “Rush Limbaugh is dead.” Those words reverberated through my consciousness. It was a news headline that was not unexpected but one I had hoped would not be written for a long time. But that was not to be.

I learned of his death through my morning haze – just as I had learned about his illness one morning, more than a year ago. He told his audience then of his illness – not just an “illness” but what was to be a fatal battle with advanced lung cancer.

Since then, he kept working, doing his program daily, keeping his listeners updated on his progress while he was dealing with debilitating treatments in the effort to beat the “big C.” Rush presented a picture of courage, dedication, loyalty and honesty not often seen in public figures.

It all ended officially when his wife, Kathryn, talked to the audience at the top of Rush’s program Wednesday morning. She told us that her loving husband died that morning at their home in Florida. He was 70.

It wasn’t “show biz.” There was no PR guy with a canned statement. It was the warm and loving statement of the truth by a woman who had just lost the love of her life.

For the audience, it was tough reality. It was the end of an era in the loss of a man who had made himself a part of their lives for decades. Their lives would never be the same – nor would the world of talk radio.

Rush Limbaugh was at the top of his career and the talk-radio world for more than 30 years – a record never held by anyone before and probably will never be again. He was a unique talent, and while many have tried to match him, none succeeded.

Rush Limbaugh articulated conservative principles, but he mixed the politics and philosophy with humor and carefully aimed digs. The right loved it because they could see what he was doing. The left hated it because they have no sense of humor.

The Daily Mail collected some of the most memorable quotes from Limbaugh, and the one they led with summed him up perfectly:

“Enraging liberals is simply one of the more enjoyable side effects of my wisdom.”

And then there’s: “I’ve always believed in the old-fashioned way: When you’ve got scoundrels in office, you vote ’em out.”

And: “Liberals measure compassion by how many people are given welfare. Conservatives measure compassion by how many people no longer need it.”

In reference to the Central American migrant caravan headed to the U.S. in 2018, he said, “The objective is to dilute and eventually eliminate or erase what is known as the distinct or unique American culture – this is why people call this an invasion.”

Rush Limbaugh didn’t flinch from speaking about issues that affect all Americans, and if he stepped on some toes – so be it. That honesty endeared him to his audience because they had seen decades of liberal-dominated news and talk with no place for conservatives. Rush created that place and kept it for decades. It enabled people to have both sides of issues to think about and vote on.

Needless to say, he was highly criticized by the left for his jibes, jabs and jokes, so it’s no surprise that with his death, they came out in droves to criticize and ridicule and demean. Kindness and condolences for Rush and his family are not part of their vocabulary. I have seen nothing but an avalanche of nastiness from them in their remarks about the man and his work. It’s a sad reflection on the left but one Rush understood.

I wrote about Rush for WND a year ago, how he influenced my life and broadcast career. He was a role model and a man who gave me, as a woman working in talk radio, the courage to speak out in truth. I never had the opportunity to meet him in person, but he was part of my daily radio life as he was for millions of others. For that I thank him.

What happens now? Who knows. Who will try to fill his shoes and who will succeed, if anyone, remains to be seen. It will be a challenge for that person, but I know Rush’s listeners will give that person a fair shake, as they know he would want them to.

As for the little liberals who are gloating that Rush is dead – they will need to learn that while Rush may not be with us in person any longer, his words and thoughts and beliefs are here to stay. He loved this country and what it stands for. He shaped a generation of conservative thought and political beliefs that will not soon disappear.

His “ditto-heads” won’t let that happen.