Those who say otherwise are missing the point, Eastwood tells CNBC in a new interview to air tomorrow during the 6 a.m. EST edition of “Squawk Box.” The following is from a rush transcript of the interview:

I’m surprised at the people who are supposed to be intelligent have interpreted it otherwise because it’s very disappointing to see that because the average person seems to get it … there are some people who make it a political element about everything you talk about from everything to where you’re dining or what on.

Eastwood also talked about out of control government spending, throwing his weight behind the bipartisan commission created by the Obama administration to the address the issue:

I was kind of amazed that they took Simpson-Bowles and assigned them this research and they come back with a recommendation which was exactly stop spending. And that everyone said, ‘that’s enough from you guys. Go home….’”

“I don’t know why the current administration assigned them to it if they weren’t going to pay any attention to it.

The conservative talker spent a second straight broadcast mocking Eastwood’s now infamous “Halftime in America” Chrysler ad that aired on Super Bowl Sunday. Today, Limbaugh played a parody on his popular radio show to keep the story alive despite Eastwood’s protest that the commercial wasn’t meant to support President Obama’s auto bailout policies.

When somebody tells me Clint Eastwood did a halftime commercial for Chrysler, I expect it to be something like this,” Limbaugh told his 20 million listeners before audio of an Eastwood impersonator began:

Limbaugh’s is audio only, but video parodies from other sources were created for the Internet, including one from the Second City Network that appears to be a subtle attack on GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney.

Rush Limbaugh, back behind the golden EIB microphone following a one-day vacation, addressed the Chrysler Super Bowl ad featuring Clint Eastwood. And the talk show titan didn’t like what he heard.

I think he got scammed. I think he got roped into doing something he thought was patriotic and ended up being played. I do,” the conservative radio host said on his show on Tuesday. “I’m just going to give him the benefit of the doubt and suggest he got suckered into this.”

Limbaugh … said “all of this talk of ‘working together’” is something people say when Democrats are “about to get shellacked.”

“When the Democrats are about to get creamed, when the Democrats are on the ropes, ‘Time-out! Time-out, time-out! We’ve got to stop the criticism. We’ve got to stop all the partisanship. Time-out, time-out! We’ve got to all start working together,’” he said, according to a transcript of his show. “Of course that means, ‘Republicans need to shut up. Conservatives need to shut up. Stop being critical! We’ve got to all come together now.’

One also wouldn’t know that Eastwood calls himself a libertarian. For Eastwood’s speech, with its calls for unity and marching together from halftime to what I take to be a touchdown, is precisely the kind of collectivism libertarians shy away from.

This is at odds with Eastwood’s maverick persona. As a consistent Republican voter, he stands apart from the Hollywood liberal herd. When the country was cheerleading for an Iraq invasion, Eastwood opposed it on “practical considerations.” While Hollywood emptied their wallets for Obama, Eastwood criticized him.

Eastwood’s libertarianism has always slipped through via his film canon. With the sheriff bashing unarmed citizens in “Unforgiven,” Eastwood sounded a warning against gun control, then and now. In last year’s “J.Edgar,” Eastwood revealed that there was a decided terrorist threat from leftists in the post-World War I period, while at the same time showing the civil liberty abuses of Hoover.

But now, the actor’s message has moved from the honor of being one against the herd to urging us all to join one.

If Eastwood would stick to his libertarianism, his football analogy would be pitched as follows: It is halftime, America, and the opposing team, the Obama administration, is on the five yard line. We are the only thing between them and a socialist touchdown.

Now, it’s Chrysler Group CEO Sergio Marchionne’s turn.

Marchionne told WJR radio in Detroit this morning “politics had nothing to do” with the instantly controversial clip.

Democrats and the White House embraced the ad narrated by actor Clint Eastwood that said the United States could learn from the Motor City’s economic woes, while a former adviser to President George W. Bush criticized it….

“It has zero political content,” Marchionne said. “It was not intended to be any type of political overture on our part. We are as apolitical as you can make us… I wasn’t expressing a view and certainly nobody inside Chrysler was attempting to influence decisions.

But the 81-year-old screen icon worked nearly as fast to shut down the notion his ad was meant to be taken that way.

Here’s the erstwhile Dirty Harry setting the record straight to a producer from Fox News’ “The O’Reilly Factor”:

I just want to say that the spin stops with you guys, and there is no spin in that ad. On this I am certain.

l am certainly not politically affiliated with Mr. Obama. It was meant to be a message about just about job growth and the spirit of America. I think all politicians will agree with it. I thought the spirit was OK.

I am not supporting any politician at this time.

Chrysler to their credit didn’t even have cars in the ad.

Anything they gave me for it went for charity.

If any Obama or any other politician wants to run with the spirit of that ad, go for it.

Judge for yourself:

“The Obama reelection campaign couldn’t buy a better endorsement.”

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THR:

The Super Bowl is televised advertising’s equivalent of the Cannes Film Festival, so White House political strategists must have been smiling when what’s generally being hailed as this year’s best spot — the Chrysler “Halftime in America” commercial — subtly echoed the themes of President Barack Obama’s reelection campaign.

Just to ice the cake, the gritty two-minute spot featured actor/director Clint Eastwood, whose politics usually put him on the Republican side of the aisle. In the spot, Eastwood’s voice narrates an account of Detroit’s comeback and, then, when his unmistakably craggy face appears on screen, talks of how America has arrived at half-time in its struggle back from the financial precipice with good things to follow in the coming second half.

Hearing Eastwood make that point naturally invoked memories of his star turn as an irascible, but good-hearted retired auto worker in “Gran Torino.” It’s a message, moreover, that only can encourage the incumbent, who recently spoke in the Motor City and talked about deserving a second term—a theme he hit again in an address Sunday.

Full story here.

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The clear winner is easy. When I heard Clint Eastwood would appear in a car commercial and have a pep talk with America, I expected something a little more light. Maybe they’d use his “Dirty Harry” image in some satirical way. Who knows. But, when the advertisement started playing, the entire room (which was previously filled with talk and laughter and some yelling) went silent. Everyone was glued and listened to every word that slipped from Eastwood’s mouth. It was a pep talk alright. And I say we band together and start a petition to nominate Eastwood for an Oscar for his little pep talk. The second he starts walking towards the screen, he consumes you in his shadow. He speaks from experience and he speaks almost as a godfather to us all. By the end of it I wanted to stand up and salute the flag. It makes one more and more excited to see Eastwood return to the front of the cameras for his next flick.

Coming in a close second would have to be the king of funny: Jerry Seinfeld. He brings the laughs in his car commercial. He never relies upon copying his “Seinfeld” image to bring the laughs. He builds on it and that’s why we love and miss him so much. His dryness and his wit and sometimes overacting are exactly what we want and he gives it to us all in the name of advertising:

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Coming in dead last is the advertisement relying completely on the glory days of Matthew Broderick. I love “Ferris Bueller” as much as the next guy, but the reason he and this commercial fail is because they rely completely on that image. They just simply copy act after act and line after line from the movie. It requires nothing and gets nothing in return. Eastwood and Seinfeld gave us new and that’s what we want:

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If there’s any meaning to take from these advertisements, it’s this: America misses the old school. We miss real men like Eastwood sitting us down and telling us: “It’s alright sonny. Don’t you worry.” We miss Seinfeld’s wit making us laugh in a genuine way. Nowadays, we are left with Taylor Lautner pretending he’s an action hero and “30 Rock” pretending it’s a hit with America like “Seinfeld.”

We don’t want these guys mimicking their old selves (hence: Matthew Broderick). We want them still rocking the screens and the hearts and minds of America. Yet, Hollywood doesn’t seem to get that we like real men and genuinely funny people.

It’s halftime, Big Hollywood, let’s send them a message.

John Wayne is not only the only actor to place posthumously on this annual Harris Poll that asks Americans who their favorite actor is, the Duke is also the only actor — living or dead — to find a slot on this poll every year since the survey began in 1994:

In 2011 he was the voice of Rango, he was Captain Jack Sparrow (again) and he was also a journalist. And, again this year, Johnny Depp has the distinction of being America’s Favorite Actor. Next on the list are two actors who haven’t actually acted in a movie this past year. Tied for number two are Denzel Washington, who was in the second spot last year, and Clint Eastwood who was number 9 on the list last year.These are some of the results of The Harris Poll® of 2,237 adults surveyed online between December 5 and 12, 2011 by Harris Interactive®.

Rounding out the top five favorite actors is Larry Crowne or rather Tom Hanks in the number 4 spot, up from a tie for number 6 last year, and at number 5 the only actor to have been on this list since it began in 1994, the Duke himself, John Wayne down from the number 3 spot last year.

After being part of a three-way tie for number 6 last year, George Clooney now holds that position by himself. Up from number 10 to number 7 is Sandra Bullock who is the only woman in the top ten and dropping from number 4 to number 8 is Harrison Ford. There are two new additions to the list this year. At number 9, returning to the top ten after a two year absence is Will Smith and debuting at number 10 is funny man Adam Sandler.

Here’s this year’s breakdown:

1. Johnny Depp
2. The Mighty Denzel Washington, The Mighty Clint Eastwood (tie)
4. Tom Hanks
5. The Mighty John Wayne
6. George Clooney
7. Sandra Bullock
8. The Once-Mighty Harrison Ford
9. Will Smith
10. Adam Sandler

What does almost every name on this list have in common? Manly men and a womanly woman.

More please, Hollywood.

And out of every classic movie star from the Golden Age: Bogart, Cagney, Cooper, Gable, Tracy, Davis, Crawford… Why John Wayne? It’s very simple; he’s one of the greatest actors to ever walk across the silver screen, he’s the greatest movie star Hollywood ever produced, he starred in at least a half-dozen outright masterpieces, a dozen classics, and too many crowd-pleasers to count.

The only close second in this arena is Eastwood, who will surely join Wayne on this list long after his death.

It really is that simple. America loves John Wayne and America loves John Wayne movies.

Richard Corliss in 2007:

Forget the youthquake. What America really loves is… old. Whatever Wayne represents – the Old Testament God, a Mount Rushmore face with a permanent scowl, the craggy soul of Frontier or Sunbelt America[.] …

Will Hollywood take any lessons from this poll – say, to make movies with, and for, older people. Nah. The moguls have read the small print in the Harris poll, and noted that it was weighted for many variables, but not to mirror the average age of moviegoers.

That’s exactly what Hollywood did and does, which is why we get Ryan Reynolds and Michelle Williams — boys and girls playing men and women. There’s a whole audience out there hungry for movies and movie stars. But we want intelligent movies, mature films that ennoble the human spirit, not corrupt it. Unfortunately, those are the most difficult stories to tell, and too many of those in charge of the miracle of motion pictures lack the talent and humanity to deliver that kind of entertainment. So they cater to their own mentality, the immature. All hail Seth Rogen.

Thank God for home video. John Wayne lives.

Me in 2009:

Wayne was the most popular and enduring star while alive and remains so today because he also represents honesty, justice, truth, liberty, America, fighting for what you believe in, integrity, chivalry, and most importantly in this awful era of the metrosexual, Wayne represents good ole’ give-a-punch/take-a-punch/have-a-drink-and-laugh-about-it-later masculinity.

John Wayne in his final film, “The Shootist”:

I won’t be wronged. I won’t be insulted. I won’t be laid a-hand on. I don’t do these things to other people, and I require the same from them.

Yep.

Clint Eastwood disobeyed two of those three movie commandments with 1978’s “Every Which Way But Loose,” arguably the most eccentric film in the movie star’s canon.

The action comedy, Eastwood’s first, should have been the equivalent of Sylvester Stallone’s “Oscar” … or “Rhinestone” or “Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot.” An unmitigated disaster.

Instead, “Loose” became a surprise hit and one of Eastwood’s most popular films. Credit Gordon, blistering the screen as Eastwood’s scrappy Ma, or Clyde, the scene-stealing orangutan. Either way, Eastwood looked right at home letting his cast snare the laughs.

Eastwood stars as Philo Beddoe, an amateur boxer floating through life in sun-bleached California. He earns extra cash by walloping anyone foolish enough to take him on in a fight, and he practices his skills by polishing off honkytonk bar dwellers.

Philo’s meandering stops when he spots crooner Lynn Halsey-Taylor (former Eastwood squeeze Sondra Locke) at his favorite night spot, The Palomino. The two hook up quickly, but it’s clear Lynn is the kind of gal country singers write about on tear-strained cocktail napkins.

“Every Which Way But Loose” is like one of those country western song sprung to life, with the addition of an oversized ape for comic relief. You can almost see the animal trainer off-screen guiding Clyde (real name: Manis) through his paces, but he’s such a screen natural it doesn’t matter. The film is as cartoonish as Clyde, a collection of broad gags that would make a fine kiddie film if not for all the drinkin’, flirtin’ and fighting.

Philo is a wizard at fisticuffs, and his bare-knuckled bouts perk up the sleepy narrative. So does the appearance of the Black Widow gang, a hapless Heck’s Angels menagerie who keep running into Philo’s fists. The bikers even get their own bluesy theme song, a sad-sack dirge that tells you they won’t lay a glove on our hero.

“Loose” may be all bluster, but it treats the blue-collar California denizens with respect, and the film’s bittersweet coda should have earned the film more respect than it received during its initial run. Director James Fargo also stages the silliness with care, using clever camera vantage points to hammer home the high jinks. “Loose” doesn’t glamorize the West Coast. Instead, we see a side of the Golden State that’s gritty and unvarnished, something another filmmaker might have easily overlooked.

Supporting players like Geoffrey Lewis (father of Juliette) and Beverly D’Angelo (“Vacation”) add to the light touch, but none can match the ferocity of Gordon spitting out a line. The “Harold and Maude” star is simply doing her old dame shtick, but it’s never been put to better use.

“Every Which Way But Loose” inspired a sequel as well as a fresh way to look at Eastwood the Movie Star.