The issue isn't compassion; the issue is hypocrisy. I don't recall Favre or Downey or even JFK supporting the War on Drugs or arguing in favor of imprisoning illegal drug users. (And I'm not certain that Favre or JFK took illegal drugs. They may have received painkillers prescribed by their doctors.) If Rush illegally purchased drugs, then he deserves the same punishment he has advocated for other people who've done so.
The press has two standards -- one for the liberals they like, and one for the conservatives they hate. It's really that easy. ( Well, like most intelligent fools, they have many rationalizations about why it's OK to treat two people with the same problem differently.)
They're also known for believing their own excuses. Excuses so lame we're left standing with our mouths hanging open and looks of total disbelief on our faces.
-It goes like this: somewhere some conservative minister said it was wrong to abuse drugs therefore Rush can be condemned, but if a person thinks it's OK to use drugs, then they get a pass.
Next they'll apply the same Orwellian logic to child killers -- As in, a person who kills a child and thinks it's OK to kill children is innocent, whereas a person who kills a child and believes it's wrong, is guilty. These people think every man is his own measure of morality and the only thing immoral is to assert a moral code. Soooo "1984" with it's love is hate, good is evil, evil is good, that it's spooky.
Did the press say these same things about JFK?
Well, you are going a long way towards bastardizing the term "press" by throwing this washup's mumbling blather as "news press" He's just trying to boost his career by talking about Rush. Not the first time. Ignore him and he'll go away...