The right to change your mind (Rush and Roger Clemens)

msnbc.com ^ | 1/13/2004 | Keith Olbermann

[Born Conservative]

There are two names in the news that, to our knowledge, have never before been linked: Roger Clemens and Rush Limbaugh.

 

Roger Clemens
Roger Clemens is the baseball pitcher, future Hall of Famer, six time winner of the game’s highest accolade for his craft, the Cy Young Award.

Before the 2003 season, he announced that it would be his last. That he sought only one more goal—to achieve 300 career victories. This he did in June. Everything after that was a valedictory.

In New York, each Clemens appearance was a love-fest. Beyond the ceremonies and the special Hum-Vee, he was accorded a priceless gift, as baseball people figure it: the Yankees let him be the “manager” for the last game of the regular season.

And away from his home stadium, it all became a victory lap, a farewell tour, a moveable feast. It was most emotional in Boston, a city which still loathed him because he left their beloved Red Sox after the 1996 season, a city which loathed him more because he wound up pitching for its hated rival, New York. In the middle of a vicious playoff series, Boston fans—who had once torn a poster of Clemens from the walls of their stadium—now stood as one, and roared, because he was making his last appearance in their stadium.

And when Clemens made his last major league appearance in Game Four of the 2003 World Series, at Miami, even the accolades in Boston were overshadowed. Not only did the fans on foreign ground cheer him, the rival players and even the manager cheered him in the middle of a World Series game.

Because that would be all we would see of him.  The Rocket was going out on top, erasing years in which he was viewed as a great pitcher but an irresponsible person—disdainful of the fans and even his own teammates and unconcerned by the safety of opponents. He was considered a great pitcher, a perfect retirement, a man of his word, who said he was giving up the game and going home to be with his kids—getting out at the peak of his professional and personal success.

Yesterday, Roger Clemens signed a one-year contract to pitch for the Houston Astros in 2004. His retirement lasted exactly 80 days.

Rush Limbaugh
Of Limbaugh’s many targets, it is hard to pick a favorite. But if you enter “Rush Limbaugh” and “American Civil Liberties Union” or ACLU into an Internet search engine, you’ll get 8600 results.

Sample items...

[Born Conservative]

[ConservativeMan55]

Rush Ping!

Freepmail me if you would like on/off the Rush Pinglist! Search for the latest Rush Limbaugh news on Free Republic. Fox begins football coverage with a political attack.(NEW) Hollywood Stars Walk as Prosecutors Target Rush(NEW) McNabb's career built on proving doubters wrong? Franken heads to radio, will challenge Limbaugh slot The right to change your mind (Rush and Roger Clemens)(NEW) Appeals court orders state to surrender Limbaugh records(NEW) Rush Limbaugh.com

[EveningStar]

Oh, screw Keith Olberman. He's a snide liberal prick.

[E.G.C.]

In support of Rush!!!!

[NutmegDevil]

Ratings of cable shows just a couple of days ago on Drudge showed Keith Olberman's at the very bottom. Not a surprise to me.

[clintonh8r]

Olbermann never mentioned that Rush didn't ask the ACLU for any help. On the other hand, Rush is correct that there is no constitutionally guaranteed right to privacy, so his medical records, within that context, should be fair game.

[Pan_Yans Wife]

MSNBC shouldn't have re-hired him. He wasn't missed before.

[Born Conservative]

no constitutionally guaranteed right to privacy

The HIPAA Act guarantees the right to privacy of medical information/records.

[clintonh8r]

You are correct, of course.

[demlosers]

The ACLU only took this high profile case to keep their name in the headlines, and very doubtful if it was Joe Blow who needed help.

[FFIGHTER]

This coming from the same "journalist" (I use the term loosely) that has been around like a two dollar W**** on payday. Check Please.

[longtermmemmory]

Florida DOES HAVE a CONSTITUTIONAL right to privacy.

so yes IN FL you DO have a Constitutional right to privacy.

[OldFriend]

MSNBC is still on the air for one reason only. That is to give aid and comfort to the democrat party. When the 2004 election is over, you can be sure that MSNBC will be over as well.

[Az Joe]

As far as I know medical records and just about every other kind of record can be released through an appropriate order of a court.

[international american]

Olbermann is a Richard Head:)

[Paradox]

Florida Constitution:

SECTION 23. Right of privacy.--Every natural person has the right to be let alone and free from governmental intrusion into the person's private life except as otherwise provided herein. This section shall not be construed to limit the public's right of access to public records and meetings as provided by law.

Ya know Rush is in favor of States Rights, even more so probably now...

[Mr. Bird]

That is true. Medical records can be surrendered upon orders from a court, generally speaking. But I believe Florida has a second level of protection with respect to med records specifically.

[dts32041]

-Every natural person

Everybody knows rush is unnatural and therefore has no right to privacy.