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."
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.
You gave me a thought... (yes, an actual thought)
Since Rush said on the show when he was going and coming back, I wonder if this agent was the one scheduled... or if she was, who talked to her. If anyone finds the name of the customs agent, ping me.
Maybe he only used the one pill to go the fifth time in one night. That's what I do.
Don't Customs agents wear ID badges? If some whacko agent embarrassed me that way AND questioned me for three hours, I would have her name memorized......
Okay, now that we know her name is Ann Asenio, what can we do with this information? Must be some background on her somewhere.
scroll up. the entire report is now on smokinggun.com
I heard somewhere that celebs frequently do this with some prescriptions so if their bag is lost or stolen, the finder wont be able to call the tabloids revealing it's contents or blackmail them. Since most celebs are leftists, this failed Limbaugh trap screws them more than him.
Biggus Dickus. He's got a wife, you know.
Some mighty fine CYA writing on those pages.
Only if she is an illegal alien who came to this country to jobs that Americans would not do.
My honest take on this is that a guy I like to listen to got stupid. You don't fly around with a bottle that has someone else's name on it.
Yup. Gonna be more fallout to come on this one, I suspect.
I'd attach a note to a single package of condoms and it would read "Here's your lifetime supply".
Rush's mistake is that he doesn't name names. I would have a lot more respect for him if he NAMED that scumbag customs agent. Also, Rush must certainly have friends in government who can make life a little less comfortable for that scumbag customs agent.
No he's not, and never did. The agent was OUT OF LINE and you can't deny that fact.
He brought alot of this on himself and he needs to take responsibility for it and quit blaming others.
He HAS taken the responsibility and the fact that the Sheriffs who were called to the scene released him with no charges merely reinforces the argument that he is now a target of the left. Thats not whining my friend, that is the fact whether you like it or not.
Rush should realize he is not above the law.
Care to explain to the rest of us how you came to the conclusion that what Rush did was above the law when the law has already concluded what he did was not against the law?.........
Let it go, you're just putting yourself in the same camp as the ignorant DU'ers......
He's rich enough, why doesn't he just travel without any luggage, and buy what he needs in Spain
Headline Rush does not buy American
How much would I bet that this female customs agent is a Kos-freak or of similar demented mindset? She was obviously gunning for Rush and her grossly unprofessional behavior needs to be pursued hard. No one in such a position should be allowed to get away with such flagrant abuses.
Ann Asenio, LOUDMOUTH!
"actually she CAN be sued."
I think if one reads the federal laws no civilian employee working in a law enforcement position can be sued. If you remember Ruby Ridge they could not sue the agent but the agency agreed to pay $3,000,000 + as a agency can be sued if they violate your civil rights, but not an individual civilian employee. A military person can be sued but not a civilian, as I read the law.
I wouldn't be surprised.
No he's not. The Customs agent was clearly out of line, and the AP buried in the story that he was caught with an illegal substance, and later in an AP update we find out it was Viagra that was found in his possession, and yet the AP to this day hasn't even bothered to correct that factual error. There's nothing criminal about being in possession of Viagra written under your personal or family physicians name. I've seen it happen numerous times to "average Joe's you've never even heard of or met".
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