Limbaugh not far off on Fox, neurologist says

National Post ^ | 2006-10-31 | Dr. Paul Ranalli, FRCPC (letter to the editor)

[Clive]

Re: Oct. 28 editorial cartoon, showing Rush Limbaugh shouting into a radio microphone, with a technician saying, "He must be off his meds."

There is no doubt that the U.S. radio talk-show host Rush Limbaugh's direct style and his own past medication issues make him an inviting target. And although he was, in all probability, technically inaccurate in accusing Michael J. Fox of "acting" in his recent political TV ad supporting a Democratic senatorial candidate, Mr. Limbaugh may have been very close to the mark.

As a neurologist with a large number of Parkinson's disease patients, my impression of the video is that Mr. Fox displayed the poorly controlled "choreo-athetotic" movements seen when advanced Parkinson's patients take their medication to turn "on" and emerge from their natural state of rigidity and rest tremor. At some point after taking a pill, a patient's voluntary movements are freed up, without much excess involuntary movement.

The issue, then, is one of timing. Indeed, a few days after his political ad came out, Mr. Fox appeared at a Democratic event in Chicago with his movements under control, a situation he called "ironic." Strangely, however, he seemed unable to appear controlled for a pre-taped TV ad a few days earlier, when the appropriate timing should have been easier, given the possibility of multiple "takes." Lest this all sound too cynical, consider that Mr. Fox admitted in his 2002 autobiography to going off his medication to appear more disabled before a 1999 Senate subcommittee appearance.

Democratic party manipulation appears to go much further. In offering Mr. Fox as a spokesman, they have clearly hoped he would cut a sympathetic figure immune from criticism, and the faux outrage at Mr. Limbaugh's comments seems to confirm this. While Mr. Fox deserves sympathy for this medical plight, he must assume full responsibility for his words and actions when he chooses to enter the political arena. By politicizing a medical issue, he is, in effect, saying that anyone who cares about new treatment hope for Parkinson's disease patients must vote for the the Democratic candidate in Missouri -- not coincidentally, a pivotal state in the upcoming election to control the U.S. Senate.

This is not only unfair, but absurd. Everyone, including Republicans, supports the many new treatments emerging for Parkinson's patients that promise far more immediate application than do stem cells. Republicans also support stem cell research when it comes from ethically sound sources, such as adult tissues and umbilical cord blood. Ironically, these forms of stem cells have had greater success to date than the embryonic-source stem cells lionized in the Michael J. Fox TV ad.

Dr. Paul Ranalli, FRCPC, Toronto.

[buck61]

I am glad there are a few here at FR who are alert enough to understand what Rush-mo was describing.

Some here are like the Democrats on the Constitution.

[Steely Tom]

What is a "motion of a mocking nature?"

[kalee]

"Lest this all sound too cynical, consider that Mr. Fox admitted in his 2002 autobiography to going off his medication to appear more disabled before a 1999 Senate subcommittee appearance."

[buck61]

Fact----- EMRYONIC stem cell is no cure as of this date.

[TheConservator]

Did you go off your meds?

[syriacus]

It comes down to this... Michael J Fox is telling the American voter:
You can only prove you love me
if you
pay to obliterate some people who are much smaller than I am

[Bahbah]

Why thank you. We all owe a debt of gratitude to Ann Coulter who so beautifully exposed the tactic of the left of digging up spokespersons who are allegedly beyond criticism.

[samantha]

What diseases do you have that you are such an expert? He manipulated his disease and may cause himself irreparable harm by messing with the meds. He is also showing himself to be selfish,and tone deaf. If he is so in to ESCR then let him finance the program and let him and his wife and his Hollywood friends pump out all the Embryos themselves. If ESCR was promising they would be beating down the doors to finance and do the Research because of the money they could make instead of stealing tax payer dollars that could go for promising research. ESCR is not the answer and if he was anything but a a Liberal Dem touting other liberal dems he would research and know this. I have a number of Autoimmune Diseases,but I am not foolish enough to tout something that will cause tumors,not cures,and I certainly do not show the very worst of the symptoms to prostitute myself like he is doing. Stop blaming Rush for not being silent on this Democrat Prostitution ploy.

[VOA]

"Trust, but verify"

From Googling, it appears the Ranalli has the goods when it comes to
having the medical degree and neurological expertise, along with
being a lecturer at the U. of Toronto.
Sounds like he's qualified to be an expert witness on neurological problems.

If his comment comes across Rush's desk, he may just let it pass.
It sounds like Ranalli also has had the politically-incorrect cojones
to point out that fetuses manifest many of the traits of experiencing pain
that "quickened" humans do. Even if Ranalli's comment back up Rush's contentions,
Rush probably doesn't want to cite a controversial fellow like this,
no matter how expert he is in neurology.

http://www.uoftneurology.com/profile/profiles.php?id=57

http://www.doctorsintegrity.org/people/ranalli.htm

"Dr. Paul Ranalli is a member on the Advisory Board of the deVeber Institute for Bioethics and Social Research, a pro-life organization"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fetal_pain

[joesbucks]

Rush should have stuck to the lies in the ad and not gone into Fox's physical symptoms.

Bingo! He strayed from the issue and tried to take it personal. The fact remains whether Fox was on or off the medication or whether this was the "take" that showed him at his worst, it needed to remain in the context of the commentary Fox made in the commercials. If Fox was a burn victim and wore extensive comestic devices to cover that and took them off for the commercial to show his burns to support stem cell scar burn recovery, it would be the same. The scars are there not matter what. The cosmetics, like the medication mask the real problem. Rush may win in the end, but my guess is he's hurt himself by taking it personal.

[joesbucks]

Rush should have stuck to the lies in the ad and not gone into Fox's physical symptoms.

Bingo! He strayed from the issue and tried to take it personal. The fact remains whether Fox was on or off the medication or whether this was the "take" that showed him at his worst, it needed to remain in the context of the commentary Fox made in the commercials. If Fox was a burn victim and wore extensive comestic devices to cover that and took them off for the commercial to show his burns to support stem cell scar burn recovery, it would be the same. The scars are there no matter what. The cosmetics, like the medication mask the real problem. Rush may win in the end, but my guess is he's hurt himself by taking it personal.

[syriacus]

Anyone with a chronic illness who depends on medication to function normally knows that it isn't always possible to time it perfectly

Even the super-liberal Washington Post says Fox has been able to time his tapings.

Fox's scenes in "Boston Legal" had to be taped around his illness, as he worked to control the tremors associated with Parkinson's for limited periods of time."

[ValerieUSA]

Don't be a shill.
Fox was making a political ad, and he is open to ridicule for the content and presentation in said ad especially because he exploited his disease to deliver a false message.
His suffering is real, I do not doubt that. But his hope is misplaced, and we are not obliged to support that.

[Wonder Warthog]

"Mocking the pathological symptoms of someone who is disabled is simply unacceptable. Anyone with a chronic illness who depends on medication to function normally knows that it isn't always possible to time it perfectly."

I don't recall Rush or anybody else "mocking the pathological symptoms of someone who is disabled". What they did was call Fox to account for LYING about his symptoms by going off his meds (as he has himself admitted to doing) for political propaganda purposes.

[PGalt]

Outstanding post. Thank you Dr. Paul Ranalli.

My mom has had Parkinson for 17 years and has NEVER been a VICTIM of ANY politician's vote.

I cannot thank the pharmaceutical, medical, healthcare, scientific community enough for their outstanding work in this field.

Michael Fox has issues far greater than Parkinson.

[LikeLight]

Rush is over. We need better spokesmen for our side.

On the contrary, Rush did something amazingly courageous. He single-handedly pierced the veil of the "infallible victim" tactic so effectively employed by the Left for so many years. Rush dared to say that the emperor has no clothes! The resulting MSM backlash was harsh and loud, but the dynamic of the election changed, thanks to Rush.

Make no mistake, Rush scored a solid body blow. And when the MSM howls at him like a wounded animal, you know how bad he's hurt them.

[Hat-Trick]

I've found it always that it helps to read the article, think about it, then post. Your mileage may vary.

No doubt about it. I had just read the article and was thinking that with more guys like this Canadian Doc, there might be hope for healthcare in Canada, and then this guy drops a "STFU" on the good doctor. Read more, post less, is also a good policy. FRegards,

H-T

[true_blue_texican]

We need better spokesmen for our side

Yeah!! I vote for Net!!! /sarc

[Paulus Invictus]

Rush is far from over and you need to listen more carefully to his advice and commentaries. Check out Rush's web site for the exact review of what was said and when. He did not mock Fox, but he did emphasize the political bias and inaccuracies of the ads. He also referred to the exaggerated movements Fox made in the ads, made perhaps by either failing to take his meds or taking too much, either of which could easily have caused the excessive movements. As far as finding another spokesman, I can't imagine a better one than Rush.

[AaronInCarolina]

My mom has had Parkinson for 17 years and has NEVER been a VICTIM of ANY politician's vote.

My now-deceased mother-in-law had Parkinson's disease for many years toward the end of her life. I never witnessed her shake with the kind of wild swaying that Michael J. Fox displayed in his political ad. Mainly her chin would tremble and she had shaking in her limbs. But no large swaying movements.