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."
More like the woman screamed everything to everyone in the room and made a scene causing this to get to the news.
More like a target they are trying to service frequently.
That's an option, though one of the keys to becoming (and remaining) wealthy is to avoid excessive spending.
What'd you expect from a government bow wow ?
True, nothing like getting national exposure to 20+ million people this afternoon to make the woman herself become an issue.
From what Rush said, and the possible privacy laws broken, he may have a great lawsuit against them and their unions! :-)
That is one of his smarter moves. His smartest move would be to get out of Palm Beach County.
Assuming you had no circle of friends that is.
No because she is "protecting" us.
It's just more proof of what we already knew. That leftist libs/Demrats are the nastiest, most vile, vindictive, hate-filled and mentally unstable 'people' on the planet. I can't wait till November 8th, when I can rub their 'latest loss' in their ugly faces. And yes, after dealing with their ugliness on the forums, I'm no longer 'playing nice' with them. All you get for doing that is walked/trampled on. (speaking from 1st hand experience)
You don't win the war on liberalism by retreating.
Sheesh... that's kind of reaching doncha' think?
Exactly right, and the same goes for politicians who do the same thing. Liberals want to get along and play nice, then the next thing you know, they're biting your hand off.
"It's amazing what someone could find in the stuffing of the seats if they really, really, really wanted to."
The agent's name can be located here http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/0705061rush2.html
Yes, he should do.
Asenio. Sounds Cuban.
This has to be on video... going to check the dark side.
"Still, Limbaugh was able to keep his sense of humor about the situation..."
This may be on e of Rush' shortcomings. Dude, there is a time to take your hands out of your pockets!
If I were in the position Rush believe he is in, to the point that I cancelled travel plans, well, lets just say that I'd be willing to devote millions of kopecs to discovering anything about certain people that they WOULDN'T want to be publicly known.
Good move! Kooky Dennis Kucinich had the same effect on Cleveland, Ohio back when he was mayor. Many businesses left for the suburbs or elsewhere.
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