A RUSH CALL: GUEST TO FAMOUS NATIVE: `MODERATE MY DEBATE'

David Limbaugh had never met Dan Quayle before, but the vice president was looking for him when he landed at the Cape airport Friday on a campaign stop.

As Quayle patiently worked his way through a receiving line of about 30 civic leaders and Republican Party leaders, he came to the end of the line where Limbaugh, his wife Lisa, and mother Millie were standing.

After meeting the three Limbaughs, Quayle told them, "I think we're supposed to make a phone call."

He then escorted them to the front of Air Force II, where Quayle called the Rush Limbaugh radio show in New York. Rush Limbaugh is David's brother and a native of Cape Girardeau.

As David and Lisa Limbaugh looked on, Limbaugh's mother held the telephone for the vice president.

And, with about 30 national and local media people looking on, Quayle invited the talk show host to serve as moderator for his upcoming debate with Democratic vice presidential candidate Sen. Al Gore.

After telling Limbaugh of the debate, Quayle suggested, "I would like to ask if you'd be my moderator."

After Rush Limbaugh accepted Quayle's offer, the vice president said he would tell Gore of his acceptance.

"I'm sure Sen. Gore would be thrilled about that," joked Quayle. "Thanks for accepting ... you will be a great moderator, it will be a great debate."

Minutes later, when Quayle spoke briefly to a waiting crowd at the airport, the vice president told them of his conversation with Rush Limbaugh and was met with cheers when he suggested using the conservative talk show host as debate moderator.

The telephone call to Limbaugh was arranged earlier in the day by David Beckwith, Quayle's press secretary, who had called Limbaugh's assistant Kit Carson to say they would like to call the show from his hometown.

"They had it all planned," said David Limbaugh, who had been called Friday morning by his brother and advised the call was in the works.

"I think it was kind of neat to call the show from Cape," said David Limbaugh, an attorney.

Limbaugh noted that Quayle was anxious to get the call made, because the program was almost over for the day.

Air Force II landed around 1:35 p.m., but by the time Quayle got off the plane and passed through the receiving line, the 2 p.m. close of the show was getting close.

Quayle and Rush Limbaugh have met several times. Quayle has been a guest on Limbaugh's show before and the vice president has mentioned Limbaugh in some of his speeches.

While Quayle joined a motorcade to the Southeast Missouri Regional Port Authority, Beckwith took the Limbaughs on a tour of the vice president's official airplane.