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America owes talk host Rush Limbaugh a debt of gratitude, Libertarians say
LP Press Release ^
| October 16, 2003
| Libertarian Party Press
Posted on 10/16/2003 10:48:07 AM PDT by noprob
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 procuring illegally from his Palm Beach housekeeper -- has caused a media sensation ever since the megastar's shocking, on-air confession last week.
As the Limbaugh saga continues, here's an important question for Americans to ask, Libertarians say: Why are all the drug warriors suddenly so silent?
"Republican and Democratic politicians have written laws that have condemned more than 400,000 Americans to prison for committing the same 'crime' as Rush Limbaugh," Seehusen pointed out. "If this pill-popping pontificator deserves a get-out-of-jail-free card, these drug warriors had better explain why."
Given their longstanding support for the Drug War, it's fair to ask:
Why haven't President George Bush or his tough-on-crime attorney general, John Ashcroft, uttered a word criticizing Limbaugh's law-breaking?
Why aren't drug czar John P. Walters or his predecessor, Barry McCaffrey, lambasting Limbaugh as a menace to society and a threat to "our children?"
Why aren't federal DEA agents storming Limbaugh's $30 million Florida mansion in a frantic search for criminal evidence?
Why haven't federal, state, and local police agencies seized the celebrity's homes and luxury cars under asset-forfeiture laws?
Finally, why aren't bloviating blabbermouths like William Bennett publicly explaining how America would be better off if Limbaugh were prosecuted, locked in a steel cage and forced to abandon his wife, his friends, and his career?
The answer is obvious, Seehusen said: "America's drug warriors are shameless hypocrites who believe in one standard of justice for ordinary Americans and another for themselves, their families and their political allies.
"That alone should completely discredit them."
But there's an even more disturbing possibility, Seehusen said: that the people who are prosecuting the Drug War don't even believe in its central premise -- which is that public safety requires that drug users be jailed.
"The Bushes and Ashcrofts and McCaffreys of the world may believe, correctly, that individuals fighting a drug addiction deserve medical, not criminal treatment," he said. "That would explain why they're not demanding that Limbaugh be jailed.
"But if that's the case, these politicians have spent decades tearing apart American families for their own political gain. And that's an unforgivable crime."
TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society
KEYWORDS: abnorml; allaboutdope; bigllosers; dontbogartdope; doobydoobydoo; doperpressrelease; dopertarians; doublestandard; drugwar; drugwarriorfascists; drugwarriorreligion; drugworshippers; fanatics; fatfreddiescat; fatfreddy; franklin; freedope; gimmemyweed; giveusdope; gottahavemytoke; harryanslingersghost; hypocracy; hypocrites; ideologues; ididntinhale; imtoostonedtoread; imtoostonedtowrite; ineedmydope; itsallaboutdrugs; itsareligion; jackbootedthugs; jokerpapers; junkies; jusblowingsmoke; libertarian; libertarianreligion; libertarians; limbaugh; losertarians; lovablefuzzball; lpassclowns; maryjaneisabitch; mrnatural; mycauseisdope; needalife; ondcpsocialists; onenotejohnnies; onestringbanjo; onetrackminds; ourladyofthebuzz; ownsdoritosstock; passdeganjamon; passitoverdude; phineas; potheads; prisonrape; puritanhypocrites; rush; singleissueparty; socialengineering; theirrelevantparty; toohighforlogic; twofaced; victimlesscrime; wewantourdope; willneverwinanything; wodlist; yawwwwwwwn; zzzzzzzzzzzzzz
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To: Tall_Texan
Hypocracy = government by hypocrites.How apropos!
To: Tall_Texan
Just when you think the LP can't sink any lower, the drop the bar another notch.
Personally, I'm glad when they reveal their true nature like this. There are times that people tend to forget what the LP is really about.
To: noprob
What I see is a guy who became hooked on prescription painkillers, which were originally prescribed by a doctor. That is unfortunate.
However, I fail to see how making similar drugs readily available, so that exponentially more people get addicted to them, is somehow a good idea.
I'm not a hypocrite - Rush is wrong, plain and simple. However, he has not been charged with any crime, to my knowledge, so your claims that he should have been arrested, had his possessions confiscated, etc are entirely spurious - If he had been caught in possession of illegal substances, then I'm sure those things would have happened. Instead, the attention that his story received served as a wake up call, and Rush decided to seek treatment.
Is the war on drugs perfect? No. Does it result in externalities, like the inflation of drug prices and a crime rate that is similarly inflated, by users who need to commit crimes to support their usage? Absolutely.
That does not make the objective, of reducing the incidence of drug use and abuse in the population, any less desirable. Maybe you haven't seen lives destroyed by drug use - I have - And I don't think we need to make drugs any more available than they already are.
43
posted on
10/16/2003 11:16:11 AM PDT
by
LouD
(Official GOP Vigilante: Fair and Honest Elections - Or Else!)
To: Petronski
Pass the doob.Perfect answer. Same as always. Nothing to say, so say, "pass the doob".
In this case though, it's more appropriate to say pass the boob.
44
posted on
10/16/2003 11:16:26 AM PDT
by
Protagoras
(Hating Democrats doesn't make you a conservative.)
To: kidd
I really don't have the stats, I know there are a lot of people in jail for drug related crimes...
My point isn't to argue stats....
Why should we care what Rush or anyone else does in the privacy of their own home. The war on drugs is a failure, it has not decreased drug use one lousy bit, it's actually grown.
We spend billions of our hard owned dollars to make people "think" were helping.. Let's spend a fraction of that treating the addictions. Throwing people in jail does not solve the problem..
45
posted on
10/16/2003 11:16:34 AM PDT
by
noprob
To: noprob
This is an official statement from a Political Party that wishes to be taken seriously?
libertarian philosophy? Yes.
Libertarian Party? Never.
46
posted on
10/16/2003 11:17:18 AM PDT
by
Grit
(Tolerance for all but the intolerant...and those who tolerate intolerance etc etc)
To: Wolfie
Maybe you could grind them up and smoke them in one of these:
![](http://shop.grasscity.com/images/item_detail/kb111_400.jpg)
Only $42 on the internet.
47
posted on
10/16/2003 11:18:20 AM PDT
by
Petronski
(I'm *NOT* always *CRANKY*.)
To: noprob
Drugs are drugs are drugs... Cigarettes and alcohol included.. Yes, but some drugs have medicinal value and others don't. Some drugs can be helpful for medicinal reasons if not abused and others don't. BTW, you won't get far with the "cigarettes and alcohol are legal" stuff with me (I know these pothead arguments like the back of my hand). You can't argue that all poisons should be legal because some already are. That's specious. Our country has been harmed enough by tobacco and alcohol - we don't need more poisons competing on the marketplace.
48
posted on
10/16/2003 11:18:23 AM PDT
by
Tall_Texan
("Is Rush a Hypocrite?" http://righteverytime2.blogspot.com)
To: Protagoras
Hey, man. Relax. Light up.
49
posted on
10/16/2003 11:19:47 AM PDT
by
Petronski
(I'm *NOT* always *CRANKY*.)
To: noprob
I really don't have the stats, I know there are a lot of people in jail for drug related crimes... No specific stats?
Then how, with any credibility, can you claim Rush's situation is at all similar to those "in jail for drug related crimes"?
50
posted on
10/16/2003 11:20:16 AM PDT
by
k2blader
(Haruspex, beware.)
To: BlazingArizona
Get well quick, Rush, and when you return to the air, let's hear a ringing denunciation of the government power grab we call the War on Drugs.It will be quite interesting to see what would happen to these Rush idolators if he did just that. Where will they hide? He would then be the enemy, to be excoriated and lied about at every chance. They would have to lie and say they didn't defend him and make excuses for his drug abuse.
51
posted on
10/16/2003 11:22:04 AM PDT
by
Protagoras
(Hating Democrats doesn't make you a conservative.)
To: noprob
Yes, i suppose you think marijuana, and cocaine are worse than Rush's drug of choice.. Oxycontin is an opiate - one of the most addictive families of drugs. It also happens to have legitimate uses. Those legitimate uses do not negate its potential for abuse. If medical uses for marijuana and cocaine exist, and I believe some do, then I have no problem with their inclusion in the medical tool box - but that does not extend to your desire to spark up a doobie at the Phish concert, or snort/smoke/inject cocaine until you live under a bridge somewhere.
52
posted on
10/16/2003 11:22:05 AM PDT
by
LouD
(Official GOP Vigilante: Fair and Honest Elections - Or Else!)
To: noprob
...these politicians have spent decades tearing apart American families for their own political gain.And the WOD is but a recent, however dramatic, addition to that tale.
The destruction of the family and civil institutions starts with the public school system and social welfare departments; it extends to housing, and health care, and God knows what else the utopians can add to the list.
The WOD may be cynically considered as yet another means of dehumanizing, deracinating, and alienating the citizenry that the modern, progressive state sees itself as managing.
The WOD is workin' real good at gutting the Bill of Rights - one can't deny its utility!
53
posted on
10/16/2003 11:23:16 AM PDT
by
headsonpikes
(Spirit of '76 bttt!)
To: Protagoras
In this case though, it's more appropriate to say pass the boob. Nah, it would be "Pass the baby blues". And "cabbage"? How does Rush come up with 'em!
54
posted on
10/16/2003 11:23:47 AM PDT
by
Wolfie
To: Petronski
Lies and false accusations are the tools of fools and those who cannot make an intelligent comment.
55
posted on
10/16/2003 11:25:14 AM PDT
by
Protagoras
(Hating Democrats doesn't make you a conservative.)
To: k2blader
I have a cousin who is an idiot... He was 17 and stopped on the side of the road to roll a joint, he got busted..
A year and a half later he got caught again, at home... pot again..
Guess what, if he get's caught again.. He'll get 7 years!!
He's a good kid, he has just done a few stupid things, and has gotten caught..
I've heard of child molesters getting less than 7 years.. Let's lock up the real criminals, how bout it..
Rush uses drugs, my cousin uses drugs... SAME THING!!!
56
posted on
10/16/2003 11:25:16 AM PDT
by
noprob
To: over3Owithabrain
I must have missed that one...
57
posted on
10/16/2003 11:25:40 AM PDT
by
LouD
(Official GOP Vigilante: Fair and Honest Elections - Or Else!)
To: noprob
uttered a word criticizing Limbaugh's law-breaking? Simply speculation at this point because no crime has been charged. Talk about putting the cart before the horse, this guy's so stoned he doesn't know which way he's going.
58
posted on
10/16/2003 11:26:15 AM PDT
by
1Old Pro
(ESPN now has 4 little wimpy sissies left. I'm switching back to FOX.)
To: Flint
And, have heard nothing about him being charged with any crime. Am I wrong?If he is, what then for your comments? I'm guessing silence or excuse making, am I wrong?
59
posted on
10/16/2003 11:27:00 AM PDT
by
Protagoras
(Hating Democrats doesn't make you a conservative.)
To: CWOJackson
Thank you for posting this. In case some folks weren't sure of the LP's priorities.That's a real belly laugh.
While President Bush stands in San Bernardino California today giving a speech about the borders in Iraq, while San Berdo, (a major city) has been completely over run by people in our country illegally.
It's like going to a brutal hurricane disaster zone in America and talking about earthquake relief for Outer Mongolia.
Want to throw more Americans in jail for drugs? While our so-called leaders pander to millions of illegal aliens? Yeah, lets build more prisons for Americans while millions flood into our country illegally, while our so-called leaders stand winking and nodding.
You talk about priorities? LOL!
60
posted on
10/16/2003 11:28:06 AM PDT
by
Joe Hadenuf
(I failed anger management class, they decided to give me a passing grade anyway)
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