Rush Limbaugh and the Party of Compassion

Liberals are revealing their true colors yet again in the happy dance they are doing over Rush Limbaugh’s admission that he is addicted to prescription painkillers and his trip to rehab. With a few notable exceptions, such as liberal commentator and radio talk show host Alan Colmes of Fox News’s “Hannity and Colmes,” the self-proclaimed Party of Compassion is gleeful over the problem that Limbaugh is experiencing.

Liberal mean-spiritedness has shown up in many ways of late, including the scuttling of Miguel Estrada, demands to impeach President Bush for his military policy, their fervent scandal-mongering in the Joseph Wilson affair, and many other egregious examples. But because Rush Limbaugh is such a prominent and enduring spokesman for conservatism, they seem to be taking special glee in Rush’s troubles.

Senator John Kerry, one of the Party of Compassion’s Presidential wannabes, made an insensitive joke about Limbaugh’s problem in the recent Presidential debate. “There are two ways you can have lower prescription drug prices,” Kerry said. “One is to hire Rush Limbaugh’s maid. The other is to elect me President.” Fellow radio personality Don Imus, a former cocaine addict and alcoholic, warm-heartedly called Limbaugh “a fat, pill-popping loser and an undisciplined slob.” The ever-so-tolerant left-wing comedian Al Franken, who previously wrote a book attacking Limbaugh, called him “a dishonest demagogue.” CNN anchor Aaron Brown boasted of “the permanent smirk that seems to be attached to my face” due to Limbaugh’s problems. Such displays of liberal compassion bring tears to my eyes.

And it is not just liberal commentators and political leaders who are throwing parties over Limbaugh’s situation. Their followers are being even more cruel. At the liberal website Democratic Underground, one poster wrote, "I pray your rehab is excrutiatingly painful... and unsuccessful.".” Another wrote, “He doesn't deserve sympathy from any of us.” Yet another wrote that Limbaugh’s problems “make me very happy.” Others have written similarly tolerant messages.

If conservatives were to say these things about a prominent liberal, liberals would be rightly outraged and they would be screaming as loudly as they can that conservatives have once again been proven to be hard-hearted people with no compassion for others. Well, I would advise them to look in the mirror.

Let’s suppose that something like this happened to Bill or Hillary Clinton, for example. No one has been more disgusted with the policies and the conduct of the Clintons over the years than I have. But they are still fellow children of God who deserve our prayers and our compassion, even as we work overtime to defeat them in the political arena. There are certain things that decent people don’t want to see happen even to their worst enemies. So why the celebrations in liberal America?

Rush Limbaugh has said he is not a hero and he is not a victim. He has taken personal responsibility for his problem, as he rightly should, even though it stems from a prescription for medication prescribed for post-surgical pain. Why can’t the self-proclaimed Party of Compassion find any compassion in their hearts for a fellow human being in his time of suffering? Are they so blinded by ideology and power that they cannot see what they are doing?

Perhaps these liberals need to find a rehab facility where they can regain their compassion, as Rush Limbaugh is regaining his freedom from dependency.

“There are two ways you can have lower prescription drug prices,” Kerry said. “One is to hire Rush Limbaugh’s maid. The other is to elect me President.”

That is funny. I don't fault the Francophile Kerry for it. I can only guess the author, Mr. Phales, fails to recognize humor for the thick-skinned, a la Don Rickles.

Fellow radio personality Don Imus, a former cocaine addict and alcoholic, warm-heartedly called Limbaugh “a fat, pill-popping loser and an undisciplined slob.”

Well, let's see. According to the New York Post, Imus said all of this:

"Rush is a fat, pill-popping loser and an undisciplined slob who was turning his maid into a drug pusher, and she's the one who's gonna go to prison, and - as soon as he gets caught - he starts whining," Imus ranted yesterday on his WFAN wake-up show.

"He's going to rehab because he can't get any more pills and he's gonna go to prison," Imus said.

"Suck it up, fatso, and stop taking 100 pills a day or whatever . . . and employ some discipline in your life," Imus said, while offering Limbaugh some recovery advice.

"The rehab I went to was Hazleton, and there's a Hazleton in West Palm Beach, probably a couple of blocks from where Rush lives," Imus said. "Hazleton is hard core. You don't want to go to one of those chi-chi deals, these country clubs, these co-ed deals - you might as well check into the Four Seasons," Imus advised.

"You need to go hard core."

When an e-mailer suggested that Imus lay off the top-rated talker because of his own past experience with addiction, Imus said he's simply giving what he got.

"Everybody made fun of me - and still does," he said. "When I went to rehab, [Howard] Stern was hilarious."

Given the lack of anything specific Rush ever said about him, add "bitter little man" to my short list of thoughts on Imus.

The ever-so-tolerant left-wing comedian Al Franken, who previously wrote a book attacking Limbaugh, called him “a dishonest demagogue.”

Of course he did. But, let's see what that same NYP article says, shall we?

Meantime, Al Franken, the outspoken political humorist who wrote "Rush Limbaugh Is a Big Fat Idiot," told CNN he has no sympathy for the "hypocritical" conservative superstar.

"He called my friend Jerry Garcia 'just a dead doper' when he died," Franken claimed.

"He's a dishonest demagogue."

Hmm... Franken's remark looks positively relevant -- perhaps even justified -- in comparison to the Imus rant.

CNN anchor Aaron Brown boasted of “the permanent smirk that seems to be attached to my face” due to Limbaugh’s problems.

I never liked Aaron Brown, and I used to feel bad about that because I thought my dislike was based only on the fact that he sounds like Richard Dreyfus. Now, it's obvious Aaron Brown isn't just a nasally, puffed up reporter. He's a flaming liberal, just as I suspected.

And it is not just liberal commentators and political leaders who are throwing parties over Limbaugh’s situation. Their followers are being even more cruel. At the liberal website Democratic Underground, one poster wrote, "I pray your rehab is excrutiatingly painful... and unsuccessful.".” Another wrote, “He doesn't deserve sympathy from any of us.” Yet another wrote that Limbaugh’s problems “make me very happy.” Others have written similarly tolerant messages.

With all due disrespect to the DU crowd, I hate to think of anyone cherry-picking posts from FR and using them to paint a picture of compassionate conservativism.

Thanks for posting the article.

You sound like A Democrat, the wy you talk about Rush.

Are you kidding? Please quote anything that I said about Rush. And, by all means, include that which caused you to respond with such vigor.

t would be very easy to respond with something along the lines of, "I agree with Rush most of the time. But, I'm not a mind-numbed dittohead. Perhaps that's where you and I differ." However, despite the fact that you lobbed such an insult my way, I find little joy in responding in kind. So, I won't.

To me, the Kerry thing reads like a joke. If you prefer to believe otherwise, go ahead. As for any comparison to what the Dems might choose to whine about, who bleeping cares? Their lack of appreciation for wry humor doesn't mean I have to whine, too. Oh, and if it matters, it very well could be that whatever he said about Chelsea -- who, as far as I could tell, wasn't seeking the public eye -- was out of line. I'm guessing it was about her 'looks' (which she has little control over). Poor taste?

And I wouldn't believe Franken about anything. I certainly don't remember that comment about Jerry Garcia, although it's dead-on.

Whether or not the comment is dead-on -- I can't say I know much about Jerry Garcia -- Franken's recollection of it is; I remember it quite well. As for Franken, they say even a blind pig finds an acorn once in a great while. Even if Franken's point stinks, it's better than Imus's. Another thing, Imus has more than a few fans on FR; Franken is universally hated. Thus, the result of this comparison is ironic (humor of yet another sort).

The real face of liberalism is now exposed.

Now? It has been exposed for time immemorial as far as I am concerned.

I rarely get to hear Rush, and Imus is also someone who's broadcast schedule conflicts with my daily events. I simply am unable to hear their programs.

Imus, is an entertainer, and I like him for diverse reasons. As I view it, it is seemingly the great ambition for many in the journalistic profession, as well as for politicians to be insulted by the I-Man. They all want to be part of it. I like Don Imus very much, but also, I rarely get to hear his rantings.

Howard Stern is a brilliant person, but he is vile, and he works at appealing to the very lowest common denominator in our American culture. Howard Stern is simply exploiting a market, and I bear him no ill will because of it. In actuality I have only heard his broadcast 2 or maybe three times. I did see his movie, and that sort of sarcasm which he excels at, somehow appeals to me, in a perverse way.

Rush, has apparantly gotten himself into a jam because he has criticized individuals for things that he is exactly guilty of. Well, certainly hypocrisy is not a new phenomenon. I often wonder just what it was that Jesus wrote in the sand when he rebuked those that wanted to execute Mary Magdalen in a situation where there was an impending potential act of mob madness.

Call me odd, but I do indeed wonder about it. What do you suppose that a Prophet might write in the sand, if he were trying to make a point about you in such a circumstance?

Baloney, all the Rush listeners were suckers. Rush (or any other talk show hosts) are just hucksters. Most are ex DJ's who happened upon a new schtick. None of them mean what they say, but at least some of them actually have learned guests on from time to time to impart actual facts, and not some egomanical chatter.

Face it, Rush had a good show once, then he started believing all his press, he became a 'limosene conservative' and lost touch with the real world. Then he became a drug addict. But so many people who would just as soon kick a poor junkie on the street are falling all over themselves to suddenly pray for and support Rush.

Bollocks, Rush set himself up on a hundred foot pedestal built of sand,he believed he was above it all and continued to be the jackass. But too many listeners bought his schtick, like the 'tards that think professional wrestling is real. I hope he gets better, but I hope that the listeners get much better.

Oh, and if it matters, it very well could be that whatever he said about Chelsea -- who, as far as I could tell, wasn't seeking the public eye -- was out of line. I'm guessing it was about her 'looks' (which she has little control over). Poor taste?

Urban legend.

Transcript from lexis nexis:

Copyright 1992 Multimedia Entertainment, Inc.
RUSH LIMBAUGH
SHOW: RUSH LIMBAUGH (9:00 PM ET)
November 6, 1992, Friday 11:15 AM

LIMBAUGH: Thank you. This show's era of dominant influence is just beginning. We are now the sole voice of sanity, the sole voice of reason. We are the sole voice of opposition on all television. This is the only place you can tune to to get the truth of the opposition of the one-party dictatorial government that now will soon run America. Oh, I mean, we are only beginning to enjoy dominance and prosperity. Most of these things on the in-out list are not even funny, but a couple of them--one of them in particular is.

David Hinckley of--of the New York Daily News wrote this, and what he has--he's got--it's very strange. He says, In: A cute kid in the White House. Out: Cute dog in the White House.' Could--could we see the cute kid? Let's take a look at- -see who is the cute kid in the White House.

(A picture is shown of Millie the dog)

LIMBAUGH: (Voiceover) No, no, no. That's not the kid.

(Picture shown of Chelsea Clinton)

LIMBAUGH: (Voiceover) That's--that's the kid. We're trying to...

_________________________

Yes, it was a mistake, and yes, he profusely apologized.

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