Free Republic

Rush Limbaugh may not be arrested, let alone spend time behind bars, for illegally buying narcotic painkillers. "We're not sure whether he will be charged," a law enforcement source told CNN earlier this month. "We're going after the big fish, both the suppliers and the sellers." If the conservative radio commentator escapes serious legal consequences, there will be speculation about whether a pill popper who wasn't a wealthy celebrity would have received such lenient treatment. Yet the distinction between dealer and user drawn by CNN's source is both widely accepted and deeply imbedded in our drug laws. That doesn't mean...

How should a person of conservative leanings regard the revelation that right-wing national talk radio host Rush Limbaugh has admitted his addiction to - as they say in polite circles - prescription painkillers? That's a tough enough question. But I'm wondering if there aren't bigger issues here than just a famous man, back pain and an enterprising tabloid reporter. Perhaps, in some odd and twisted way, Limbaugh's current rehabilitation - and possible arrest after it - will lead to some higher ground on the issue of drug use and how we handle it. My sense is the Limbaugh situation has...

The entire nation owes radio broadcaster Rush Limbaugh a debt of gratitude, Libertarians say, because his ordeal has exposed every drug warrior in America as a rank hypocrite. "One thing we don't hear from American politicians very often is silence," said Joe Seehusen, Libertarian Party executive director. "By refusing to criticize Rush Limbaugh, every drug warrior has just been exposed as a shameless, despicable hypocrite. "And that's good news, because the next time they do speak up, there'll be no reason for anyone to listen." The revelation that Limbaugh had become addicted to painkillers -- drugs he is accused of...