Posted on 07/05/2006 1:01:00 PM PDT by wagglebee
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Talk-show host Rush Limbaugh is canceling his international travel plans in the near future, saying he doesn't want to be "framed" by U.S. Customs officials after last week's incident when he was detained for more than three hours for possession of Viagra prescribed in his doctor's name.
"It takes one time, and I've got red flags up, and I'm not going to put myself in the position of being framed," Limbaugh said today on his national radio broadcast. "With all this partisanship that's out there, I'm just not going to make it easy for people to frame me."
Limbaugh says he has canceled a planned golf trip in Spain in August.
"I am not going to involve myself with United States Customs for the next year and a half until this so-called probationary period evaporates. I tell you the election cycles of '06 and '08, especially '08, I think it's going to be one of the most vicious and filthy of our lifetimes."
Limbaugh's "probationary period" stems from a previous, unrelated case of a probe into alleged "doctor shopping" for prescriptions for back-pain medication.
But the host is fuming over the way federal and local officials handled his arrival on a private plane last week at Palm Beach International Airport.
"There's an inbound list [of private passengers] and they know who's coming in that day. It's required by law. So, somebody in there knew I was coming in and from what I was told from people that were there during the time that I was there, mine was the only luggage that was searched. In fact they didn't search the luggage, they just searched my briefcase and the little white bag and they made me open my computer. ...
"I had this bottle of Viagra in my briefcase. I've had it in there since December, [and] forgot it was even in there. There were 30 pills prescribed, and when they counted them out, there were 29. And yet, everybody thinks I loaded up on the stuff for a trip to the Dominican Republic."
Limbaugh said he was being very restrained when he described the actions of the female Customs agent.
"She pulls out this bottle and says with 25 people in the room, 'What have we here?! Viagra!' she shouts. 'And look, it's not your name on the bottle! This is a crime! This is a violation of law!' She's shouting this all over the Customs Office, and the whole room has come to a dead stop."
Limbaugh says it wasn't until the case was turned over to the Palm Beach County sheriff's office that he was able to finally leave the airport, noting, "What happened is that somebody, and I assume it's at Customs, leaked this. How else is this discovered? ... I think this was leaked before I got out of there. It was in the news before I actually was in the car on the way home."
Limbaugh will not face any charges for carrying the non-narcotic drugs, as Mike Edmondson, a spokesman for State Attorney Barry Krischer, a Democrat, today said it is generally not illegal in Florida for a medication to be prescribed in a third party's name if all parties are aware and the doctor documents it properly.
"This was unreal, this experience was totally unreal," Limbaugh said, as he went on to attack news organizations that are trying to link this incident with his previous dispute over pain-relief prescriptions to which the host had become addicted.
"If my name had been Valerie Plame, I will guarantee you this story would have been written differently and it would read differently, and there's be all kinds of, 'Who in the government is leaking the identity and the details of this? He's an average, ordinary common citizen!' But of course, that's not the angle with me."
"I understand they hate me, folks," he said. I expect them to want bad things to happen to me, and I expect them to not like me. I have targeted them for 18 years. It's quite natural that they do this."
Still, Limbaugh was able to keep his sense of humor about the situation, saying, "I have always been able to rise above it all, and this is just another example," and, "If this story persists for over four hours, then please call your local editor or physician."
but, but, but, Now Rush can't join the "Mile High Club",,,,,,,,,,,
Actually they will probably be the last elections before a civil war breaks out.
My main point is that Rush should just shut-up about it, he is sounding like a victim and he has no one to blame but himself.
I fail to see where a Customs agent would even know the laws on this. Granted they would have a list of illegal drugs and they would know that they are illegal. But the agent had no way of knowing if this was illegal or not -- the fact that it wasn't makes that clear. Viagra is not a controlled substance, so I fail to see why she should have even brought it up. How did she even know that the doctor wasn't a passenger on the flight.
Rush is smart....
but I can't for the life of me understand how this particular customs agent isn't answering to his superiors for her blatant unprofessionalism.....
I doubt he could bring suit against her. For what? Inspecting his bag? Finding Viagra in it, and announcing it? I don't think any of that would be the basis for a civil suit, nor would releasing that info to the press.
HOWEVER, if I were him, I'd have gotten her name and mentioned it over the show. Phone calls of complaint would certainly result.
short answer, I know the clerk of courts in state and federal arenas are VERY concerned with HIPPA because of court files.
Federal courts in particular due to PACER making all pleadings publicly available.
She is a FEDERAL employee violating HIPPA law.
Rush had violated no laws.
Today it is Rush, what if it is some other woman agent? Some poor nobody will have their medical problem paraded around for all in the customs department to see. It may just be her boyfriend had an argument with her. it could be her pants DO make her look fat. Who knows?
HIPPA was put in place to protect individuals. Seems pal beach customs only cares about self amusement.
I'm sure he got tired of travelling internationally, plus folks were wondering if he had a girlfriend or not, so he decided to kill 2 birds with one stone.
There also used to be a picture of an airport screener eating someone's can of Pringles from luggage.
When I first heard something about this, I thought it was because the Dr's name was on the bottle, as if prescribed for himself and not for Rush.
Actually, she uses CIAlas, but not covertly...
Un-huh. How would you react if you knew and followed the law and some petty bureaucrat who didn't know the law, detained you, embarrassed you in public, and then called the press claiming violation of a law which wasn't the case? Upset? Angry? So you wouldn't feel your rights had been violated?
Well my mom is a 70 year old diabetic but homeland security likes frisking her under her breasts to make sure she doesn't pose a threat to the passengers on the plane and make sure that she has adequate documentation for her needles and insulin.
Next they'll cite him for drinking a soda and Rush NOT being named "Dr. Pepper".
maybe so. The rage in the liberal mind is reaching critical mass. When they lose these next 2 elections (2006 and 2008) they will not be able to contain themselves. It will resemble a matter/antimatter explosion. Yet - Hopefully the peace activists will convince them that peaceful protest is the way to happiness.....otherwise they will find themselves pounded to a pulp
Velkome,Herr Limbaugh, to ze vorld ve "commoners" haf been inhabiting fur many, many years.
Now, ummmm, perhaps your zeal fur some sensible reforms vill increase, jah?
Fur example, ze FAIR TAX, vich vill help to dismantle ze agency uf ze stat vich makes ze Customs Service look tame, und vit vhich most uf ze rest of us most frequently deal, ze IRS. Perhaps your actions at ze airport haf put you on ze top uf ze list ze IRS keeps, hummmm?
I bet this is happening as we speak
Rush said the viagra bottle's been there in his bag since Dec . Was he still with Daryn Kagan back then ? I forget..
Rush is acting like a victim and he should stop.
Rush brought this on himself.....
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