Posted on 10/04/2003 7:22:47 AM PDT by CometBaby
Addressing for the first time allegations that he's under investigation in Florida for abusing prescription painkillers, talk radio icon Rush Limbaugh promised his audience today that he'd tell them everything he knew "as soon as I know what I'm up against."
"The story in Florida, it really is an emerging situation," Limbaugh said at the top of his broadcast. "I watch what's being reported on television and it changes from morning to morning, hour to hour, day to day.
He continued:
"I don't know yet what I'm dealing with here, folks. I really don't know the full scope of what I'm dealing with. But when I get all the facts, when I get all the details of this, rest assured that I will discuss this with you and tell you how it is."
Limbaugh pledged, "I'll tell you everything there is - well, maybe more than you want to know."
Sounding confident and strong, Limbaugh said he'd received more than 25,000 supportive e-mails since he was hit with twin controversies over his comments to ESPN and allegations from a former housekeeper that she obtained for him thousands of painkilling pills over the last four years.
"I can't tell you how much I appreciate the notes, all of the expressions of support. It means everything to me, as has your support over these many years," the top talker said. "I've often said throughout the 15 years that I've been here that you people have made my life an adult Christmas every day."
While Limbaugh did not expressly deny the story, reported first by the National Enquirer on Thursday, he said he was frustrated that "I haven't yet gotten to the bottom of what all this is about."
"I'm very much desirous of telling you about this," he insisted. "But until I know exactly what this is - and I don't yet - it just makes no sense to start delving into it."
When the story hit Thursday, Limbaugh issued a statement explaining that he had yet to be contacted by law enforcement and had no idea that he was under investigation for anything.
He said he couldn't be more specific because "I don't want to deal with hypotheticals, and I don't want to respond to what's in the press, though I - I'm very tempted to, but I'm not going to even go there."
"Trust me - it makes no sense for me to go there," the top talker said. "Just trust me on this. When I find out all that this is ... then you are going to be among the first to know."
Palm Beach County law enforcement sources have said that Limbaugh was not the target of their probe. It's not clear whether Limbaugh's housekeeper, Wilma Cline, compromised their larger investigation by selling her story to the supermarket tabloid.
Fighting the Thought Police
He said he would not apologize for his comments about quarterback Donovan McNabb because he was correct and had the right to express his opinion.
"Not yet in this country is there anything to apologize about for having an opinion," he noted.
He said he had not tried to muzzle others. "What I've always said on this program is: Meet me in the arena of ideas. ... It is the other side that has created speech codes, political correctness."
He said: "So throw me in jail. Fire me. If that's what it takes to stand up for free speech, fine."
Keep paying them or kill them. That's the Clinton way.
Possibly, but there's no reason whatsoever for someone of his financial means to acquire such prescripts in an illegal manner. I don't believe the drug story at all. There's lots of holes in the whole story:
The maid claims something like 4000 pills per month - that's 133 painkillers per day, easily enough to kill somebody.
If the maid had access to such a vast black market in the first place, why would she subject herself to taking on a houscleaning job in the first place?
The maid suddenly finds the means to access an expensive, democRATically connected lawyer for herself.
The story comes from Palm Beach County, home of the democRATic voter controversy.
The National Enquirer suddenly has become the voice of reason among the leftist media elite.
The real lefties are piling on..figuring on kicking Rush when he's down to finish him off...and to get him off the air..by causing advertisers to pull spots and radio and tv networks to run for cover...for fear of being associated with Rush
Yes they are piling it on, and not just with Rush.
I hope they choke on it...
They will - this will increase Rush's radio audience.
the lefties are nothing but Big Brother wannabes...
Except on college campuses where they actually are big brother.
that's pretty darn funny!
That would drive the Libs right off the cliff!
He hasn't denied it because he hasn't been accused of it. How many times have you heard Rush say: "Never, ever, ever deny what you have not been accused of..."
The lack of a denial says a lot to me.
It says to me that he understands how to play 'the smear game' better than you.
After all, he is the Maja Rushie.
Consider this:
1) Rush may have a legitimate perscription for painkillers, a perscription filled at a pharmacy in Palm Beach County, FL.
2) Palm Beach County has some of the most die-hard Democrats in the USA, no contest.
3) Someone high up in the Democratic National Committee hierarchy may have contacted a close friend who lives in Palm Beach County to secretly steal Rush's perscription information from the local pharmacy.
4) By carefully forging the perscription and using local illegal drug pushers, they concoct a plan that makes it look like Rush has been illegally buying large amounts of painkiller pills off the street.
5) They paid Rush's housekeeper a six-figure sum of money to be in on the ruse. Similar amounts are paid to sympathetic National Enquirer editors and writers to be on the ruse, too.
6) The story is drafted well in advance to be released at the appropriate moment.
Far-fetched and people thinking I'm wearing a tinfoil hat? I don't think so for two reasons:
1) The Democrats have a very long history of political shenanagans, dating to the infamous Tammany Hall club that was the Democratic headquarters in New York City since the middle of the 19th Century.
2) There are many prominent Democrats that would LOVE to take Rush down, and it would not be above the Clintons, Terry McAuliffe and James Carville inside the Democratic National Committee and/or prominent Democratic supporting entertainers and mass media folks to concoct up such a plan.
Same here. And then to seek the advice of his maid. Come on. Any doctor, considereing how ethical they are, cough, cough would prescribe anything if the price was right or evn if it wasn't.
Others here should learn to read the news the way you do. The Democrats, as always, choose smear tactics over honest debate. Of course they'd lose the debate so the politics of personal destruction is their weapon of choice.
Me too. It says his lawyer told him to shut up about the whole situation. That's exactly what a good lawyer would tell any client under a similar investigation. Guilt or innocence is beside the point.
The owners of that drug store were busted BIG TIME.
Palm 'RATS had them by the short hairs.."LET$$$$ MAKE A DEAL!...$$$$$$$$$$
Then why didn't Rush simply state that on yesterday's show?
I concur. I remember Rush saying that he had a problem with painkillers in the past...why should people be so shocked if he's fallen off that wagon again?
I don't even believe that there's a narrow left-wing conspiracy behind it. It appears that Rush is not the target of any criminal investigation; Rush's problem is apparently just an old demon that has come back to haunt him. No leftist help was necessary there. The tabloids will always spin ANY celebrity's problems in the worst possible light. No leftist help was necessary there, either. All the leftists have to do is sit back and laugh at someone else's tragedy. It sucks, but would anyone expect them to behave differently?
Its all they have and it is failing. This will make them look incredibly stupid, though the liberal elite will try to suddenly distance themselves from the issue.
They are using smear tactics against Arnold, Dubya, and all of the President's judicial nominations. They have no substance so they smear. Smear Smear Smear, that's all we hear.
I can't wait for the election.
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