Conservative host: 'We're at the big boy table, stop the pouting, support McCain' David Edwards and Muriel Kane

Published: Friday February 15, 2008



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Print This Email This Mitt Romney announced on Thursday that he is backing John McCain and will encourage his delegates to switch their support as well. However, many conservatives remain extremely dissatisfied with McCain as the presumptive Republican nominee. Fox News turned to a frequent guest, conservative radio talk show host Mike Gallagher, to ask about the discontent. "This is a painful chapter for me," Gallagher replied. "Sean Hannity is one of my closest friends in the world, and Sean has had real struggles with Senator McCain, I believe. I don't like to disagree with Sean about anything, but the fact is, Mitt Romney's endorsement yesterday kind of slams the lid on any of the temper tantrums that have been going on." Gallagher's fellow radio host, Rush Limbaugh, has been perhaps the most outspoken of the anti-McCain pundits. On Wednesday, he even said jokingly, "I would like today to announce a tentative decision -- Im still thinking about it -- to endorse Barack Obama." Fox News asked Gallagher about Limbaugh's suggestion that Obama "stands for everything to everybody." "Including, I guess, to some Muslims," Gallagher replied, "because, remember, his middle name is Hussein. So everybody's happy!" More seriously, though, Gallagher emphasized again that "you can't keep the temper tantrums up." "There's a pesky little part of the process, that we radio hosts don't always like to acknowledge, that's called the voters," Gallagher stated.

"They go to the polls, they decide who they want. Republicans have decided it's John McCain. "You're being a little modest," Fox host Alisyn Camerota insisted. "Talk radio hosts are so influential. ... Now that Mitt Romney has endorsed John McCain, do you think that talk radio hosts ... will now get behind him?" "We're not king-makers," retorted Gallagher. "Rush and the rest of us threw everything we had and the kitchen sink at Bill Clinton in 1996. And boy, that worked out real well for us." "Now it's time to act like big boys and big girls again," Gallagher concluded. "We're at the big boy table. Stop the pouting, stop the temper tantrums, and support John McCain." This video is from Fox's Fox & Friends, broadcast February 15, 2008.



Transcript via closed captions :: alisyn: we have heard the big news. mitt romney is backing john mccain and encouraging the del gas that he earned in the race to now turn their support to the g.o.p. frontrunner. does this make mccain the definitive presidential nominee? joining from us dallas is fox news contributor and radio talk show host mike gallagher. mike, good morning. :: good morning, alisyn. alisyn: i need to talk to you about talk radio, your bailiwick. i don't have to tell that you several famous talk radio conservative hosts don't like john mccain and some have even threatened to pull the lever for hillary clinton. you can help us understand the end game here? surely they don't really want hillary clinton to win. :: they don't. this is a painful chapter for me because, for example, sean hannity is one of my closest friends in the world. and sean has real struggles with senator mccain, i believe. i don't like to disagree with sean about anything. the fact is mitt romney's endorsement yesterday kind of slams the lid on any of the temper tantrums that have been going on. george will stood up at cpac and said it's time for the temper tantrums to stop. you know, you can't continue. alisyn: take a break for one second, mike. sorry to interrupt you. we will talk to you on the other side about what conservative talk radio hosts do not want :: steve: our buddy radio talk show host mike gallagher. mike, i heard ali talking to you about talk radio and the problem with some of your colleagues have with john mccain two days ago rush limbaugh suggested on the air that he was thinking about finally endorsing barack obama. because barack obama stands for everything to everybody. :: including to some muslims his middle name is husain. everybody is happy. is he barack husain obama. ann coulter says she is going to vote and campaign for hillary clinton. listen, george will said it at cpac. this is the downfall of achilles. you can't keep the temper tantrums up. i heard mitt romney described as the conservative's conservative at the cpac convention. he didn't give up conservative ideology or principles by endorsing senator mccain there is a pesky part of the process that we radio hosts don't always like to acknowledge that's called the voters. they go to the polls. they decide who they want. republicans are deciding it's john mccain. we better support him. alisyn: you are being a little modest because talk radio hosts are so influential and such opinionmakers now that mitt romney has endorsed john mccain, do you think that talk radio hosts, the biggest names that we know will now get behind him? :: ali, we are not kingmakers, we never have been. if we were, rush and the rest of us threw everything we had and the kitchen sink at bill clinton in 1996, that worked out well for us. we had eight years of bill clinton. it's a clearing house of ideas and opinions. we were effective in the illegal immigration debate. we all have different views about who should be the next president. now it's time to act like big boys and big girls again. we are at the big boy table. stop the pouting and temper tantrums and support john mccain. steve: we know you have got to do your table -- radio show. :: thanks.



