When I learned this morning of Bill’s passing, my first thought was “he’s with Pat and so relieved of pain.” The second person I thought of was our mutual friend Rush Limbaugh, to whom WFB was not just an idol and a mentor, but a second father.

Much of his show today reflected that, as Rush and many of his callers paid tribute to WFB. Rush has talked about the first time he timidly met WFB, about Bill’s kindness to him, about WFB’s impact on America, and how Bill Buckley, along with Rush’s father, inspired in Rush a love for learning.

Some of his opening today can be heard here and here and here.

He said of WFB: “In my mind, I rank Bill Buckley as a Founding Father.”

Rush also talked about the debate last night and conservatism and it’s application in the world today, as he does. And as he knows WFB would want him to. Our work continues. WFB gave us some tremendous tools and training.