A Message To Conservatives: "Your Silence About Rush Limbaugh Is Deafening."

MichaelGraham.com ^ | 12/24/03 | Michael Graham

[suspects]

A NOTE TO MY FELLOW CONSERVATIVES:

Your silence regarding Rush Limbaugh is excruciating.

I like Rush, too, and given that he and I have the same employer, I'm not exactly improving my career prospects by being consistent. It's a bad habit I picked up after years of listening to, and admiring, Rush Limbaugh.

And if we learned the lessons of Limbaugh (individual responsibility and the rule of law), how can we now agree to "Clintonize" ourselves defending him? A drug addiction is one thing, but blackmail? He's allowed himself to be blackmailed for years--the same years he was rightly pounding the stuffing out of the Clintons? And now he claims he's the victim of a politically-motivated prosecution?

What's next: "The b**** set me up?"

Of all the disappointing decisions Rush has made, these last two are the most disheartening. Consider for a moment what blackmail is: An admission that you know what you're doing is wrong.

The decision to fork over the cash is just that--a decision. It can't be any less difficult to make that decision than to decide to, say, go to your lawyer, spill your guts and spend a month in detox at Charter. So why not choose to do the RIGHT thing?

But that's not what Rush chose to do. He chose instead to continue, for years, to do the wrong thing and then--after he was caught--blame the consequences on the vast, left-wing conspiracy. As Rush himself said very wisely and correctly when Jim Carville made the same argument defending President O.J., "It doesn't matter what Ken Starr's politics are if you're innocent."

Bill Clinton wasn't an innocent victim of political vendettas. He was a perjurer and obstructer of justice who blamed others for his own lack of character and its consequences.

Which means, my fellow conservatives, that Rush Limbaugh is....?

I'm sorry, I can't seem to hear you. It must be that deafening silence again.

[TigersEye]

As I've already pointed out, the vets can acquire help if they so desire.

"Are there no workhouses? Are there no prisons?"

[GodBlessRonaldReagan]

Graham was the drive-time follower to Rush here in Charleston, SC before he went to Richmond. He would constantly insult rural people and Clemson fans as hicks

Ironic, coming from the author of Redneck Nation:How The South Won The Civil War. Did he promote his book as incessantly in Charleston as he is in Richmond?

[RightOnline]

"From my experience dealing with abusers, labeling someone a recreational user is intellectually lazy.

Many who "recreationally" abuse drugs are, upon deeper examination, self-medicating an underlying emotion or mental disorder."

So you........and some others here........see no difference whatsoever between someone like Rush who gets hooked on legal pain killers (and you know why he took them initially) and some heroine junkie on the street, right?

[CWOJackson]

Nope, but there are numerous agencies out there that will help those veterans...but they have to have their own desire to help themselves first.

[MissAmericanPie]

Maybe you should check the archives, I don't watch or listen to Rush, but I remember a mini-war going on between him and a few freepers on this site about his lack of focus or mention on some issues they felt was important and should not have been ignored by him.

Rush even mentioned this site disparagingly on his program a few times from what I have read. He needs to face up to his problem and make arrangements with the law on his punishment. He has made his public comment, he is not a political leader able to wield great harm on the public, so you suggest we kick a man while he is down?

There is not much wrong with Rush's world view as far as conservatism goes. He's a human like the rest of us, a man who took a stumble, he failed his responsibility. What has happened is a disappointment so what now? Other than saying it's disappointing we can't tear into his world view because most conservatives have the same world view.

His character at it's worst is still light years ahead of his enemies. Do you not agree? Is Rush selling out our sovereignty, burdening us with an unpayable national debt?
No? Then what should we make of those that are that do not have the excuse, I was drunk?

[Oztrich Boy]

Which he purchased Illegally, thereby BREAKING THE LAW.

maybe. but i see it as on the level as having an unregistered gun in NYC.

possession of the item is neither illegal or immoral, it's a matter of not having the goveernment approved paperwork.

Jail time? No.

[Bluntpoint]

They are both self-medicating their respective pain.

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

How about anyone who votes for a Republican Senator who voted against conviction during the impeachment? Why exclude them? They put their put their finger in the air and chose "how would the people react to us over this" to their duty and the rule of law.

Well, you can seldom get what you want in politics. I expect most conservatives will vote for Bush in '04 notwithstanding the fact that he signed McCain Feingold knowing it was blatantly in contradiction to the First Amendment. Because the Democratic opponent will be worse on that issue, and on others as well. Nominations to judgeships not least.

But a party which is unanimous against the rule of law is a candidate for RICO prosecution, or should be.

[uncbob]

I'm sorry, I can't seem to hear you. It must be that deafening silence again.

Don't know about your hearing but you must be BLIND when it comes to this site as they have been NUMEROUS posters here myself included that did criticize Rush for the very things you state

[LS]

I think, now, the evidence is suggesting Rush acquired drugs illegally. As the man says, you can't be blackmailed unless you've done something wrong, and I don't know that addiction alone was "wrong" enough for him to be blackmailed over.

That said, anyone who can't see a world of difference between a President of the U.S., who has taken an oath to uphold the laws of the nation---then broke them---and a RADIO commentator, is just living in another dimension.

[HighWheeler]

"Who in hell is Michael Graham?"

He's filling for Glen Beck right now, today. I've never heard him before, and he posted this thread from his own website.

He sounds awful. I can't take this, he sounds like a reject 80's standup comedian, and seems to think he's clever and funny, and he's neither. Talking now about McDonalds not having anything to do with beef and therefore not a concern for mad cow. Sheeesh.

[uncbob]

the Republicans always throw rheir own to the wolves when they are guilty

Funny way to characterise holding our represenatives up to standards

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

I don't think Graham promoted his book so much here as it came out around the time he left, or just slightly after.

[TigersEye]

... but they have to have their own desire to help themselves first.

That is well and true.

Nope, but there are numerous agencies out there that will help those veterans...

I have nothing to refute that with nor any knowledge to confirm it so I will simply hope that it is true. It ought to be.

[laredo44]

If you have a problem understanding how one harms themself by knowingly breaking the law and suffering the consequences that is something you need to resolve on your own.

They've suffered harm. Perhpas that's the extent to which we can agree. If their suffering is the result of others disapproving of an adult ingesting stuff, I believe the harm is caused not by themselves, but by the others.

[Bluntpoint]

If the pioneers of the past were like these guys nothing would have been explored. Circling the wagons all the time gets you no where.

[CWOJackson]

It's far simpler then that...the harm is caused by knowingly breaking the law.

[VRWC_minion]

you are correct. Rush is still in denial and so are some of his supporters.

[uncbob]

Rush remained silent on drug criticism, directing his comments on other topics

Only AFTER he got addicted ( he admitted he didn't want to call attention to the subject) Before that he did take on the drug users and called them POT HEADS MAGGOT INFESTED etc etc and said put them in Jail

[Wolfie]

...the harm is caused by knowingly breaking the law.

And a good chunk of the fun, too.