Rush Limbaugh On Gary Johnson Joke: 'Guess I've Become Show Prep For The GOP Debates'

NEW YORK -- Former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson brought down the house at Thursday night's Fox News/ Google debate when he joked about how his "next-door neighbor's two dogs have created more shovel-ready jobs than this current administration."

The joke killed among the GOP faithful. But was Johnson the first to use it?

Just today, talk radio host Rush Limbaugh delivered a similar joke on air.

"My dogs have created more shovel-ready work than Obama has just this week alone," Limbaugh said. "The new puppy. Honest to God. More shovel-ready work for me this week than Obama has created all two and a half years."

So what does Limbaugh think of the similarity?

"I guess I've become show prep for the GOP debates now, too," Limbaugh told The Huffington Post in an email. Limbaugh said he thought he used the line yesterday, "but the days run together, so I'm not really sure."

Limbaugh didn't hear the joke live because he was traveling, but said he's received many emails about it.

UPDATE: HuffPost’s Sara Kenigsberg spoke to Johnson about the joke shortly after the GOP debate ended. Johnson told her that Jim Villanucci, a former "Tonight Show" writer and current radio host on Albuquerque’s KKOB station, sent him several jokes late Thursday afternoon. "He texted me about eight one-liners that maybe I could use so it was one of those things that, 'wow, that was really funny," Johnson said. He didn't know about Limbaugh telling the joke earlier today.

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Comments

[cassandrox]

01:07 AM on 10/08/2011

Mr. Limbaugh's little joke reflects his own mentality. He reminds one of a great steaming, stinking pile.
But on second thought, the Great Steaming Stinking Pile deserves better. It is at least natural, normal, useful, and necessary. Mr. Limbaugh is none of the above.

[VenezuelanRedneck]

07:09 AM on 10/05/2011

An exersice in self-indulgence Rush? Don't forget it's the red ones today...

[paulfiquet]

08:19 AM on 10/03/2011

as a governor gary johnson was not much but his stand on pot legallization got him a lot of support from the pot heads in New Mexico.

[sks504]

07:44 PM on 10/02/2011

Johnson steals from Rush and Obama steals from Castro.

[cuzkate]

08:11 AM on 09/28/2011

somebody get a tape measure!! the circumference of motor mou..'s head has
exceeded the circumference of the steel cage he yaps from.

[iconico62]

05:46 PM on 09/25/2011

I get the joke, but I doubt if they get the joke: i.e. they expect the dog to do the shoveling as well.

[Huzie]

02:27 PM on 09/25/2011

Oh so clever. They have been shoveling horse manure for years

[liberaldawg]

12:59 PM on 09/25/2011

Surprised? Not me. GOP'ers allow cRUSH to script all their talking points.

[Schoolgirl666]

10:37 AM on 09/25/2011

The GOP candidates are all a joke....Please somebody steal them!!!!

[Michael Doane]

09:35 AM on 09/25/2011

There are thousands of American soldiers fighting in public and secret wars. Every one of those jobs can be viewed as "shovel ready".

[foerschnerr]

09:29 PM on 09/24/2011

Yes, yes Rush. And the Founding Fathers took all of their ideas and words from your very lips, too.

[jjimmymack]

08:08 PM on 09/24/2011

I don't get the joke, Obama has created 2.1 million jobs, how many dogs are there? When asked about the joke that way Johnson had no response. He looked confused. Oh well, if it makes you happy.

[Bettaman]

01:11 AM on 09/25/2011

The new slogan for the GOP is; "Not Intended To Be A Factual Statement."

[tnlcallen]

06:47 PM on 09/24/2011

It's possible that the two jokes were written independent of each other. It isn't exactly a very original joke. I really hope this doesn't hurt Governor Johnson's chances for winning the nomination.....I would hate to think this would affect his 1% of the vote.

[Michael Doane]

09:34 AM on 09/25/2011

A tea party lady had a dog with a sign that read "Shovel Ready Job Creator" - this was more than a year ago.

[RecreationalPilot]

06:45 PM on 09/24/2011

George Carlin, keeping it real (NSFW)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vzrxy9A7Ja4&feature=related

[theiFyoU]

02:58 PM on 09/24/2011

Clearly nobody but Rush can come up with a dog s@@t and shovel analogy.
That is why he is so funny........................

[CarlIII]

04:13 PM on 09/24/2011

Actually Rush stole that joke from a 2009 Tea Party protester's dog's sweater. I saw the picture on hardball. Rush steals most of his jokes. FLUSH RUSH.