Posted on 10/31/2006 4:05:23 PM PST by Coleus
There is no doubt that 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 actor Michael J. Fox of "acting" in his recent political TV ad supporting a Democratic senatorial candidate, 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 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.
Fox himself has no doubt utilized this timing to affect a near-"normal" appearance on various TV late night talk show appearances over the past few years. Limbaugh twigged to the obvious observation that he appeared much worse in the Missouri Democratic Party ad than he has ever allowed himself to be seen in public before. Indeed, a few days after his political ad came out, Fox appeared at a Democratic event in Chicago with his movements under good control, a situation he called "ironic". Parkinson’s patients become quite adept at predicting the timing and effect of their medications, such as when the golden period of each dose allows them to be freed of their natural rigidity yet not too obviously affected by these involuntary movements. Strangely, however, Fox seemed unable to appear controlled for the pre-taped TV ad, when the appropriate timing should have been easier, especially given the possibility of multiple "takes".
Lest this all sound too cynical, consider that Fox himself admitted in his 2002 autobiography to going off his medication to appear more disabled before a 1999 Senate subcommittee appearance. In his autobiography, "Lucky Man", Fox recalled his 1999 appearance before a Senate subcommittee in this way: "I had made a deliberate choice to appear before the subcommittee without medication . . . the transformation must have been startling." 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 Limbaugh's comments seems to confirm this.
While 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. He is not using his fame and suffering for a generic good like fundraising for Parkinson's research in general; he is, in effect, saying that if you care at all about Parkinson's patients getting better, vote for the Democratic Senate candidate in Missouri. Not coincidently, this is a pivotal state in the upcoming election to control the U.S. Senate. The implication that only supporters of embryonic stem cell research care about hope for Parkinson's patients is not only unfair, it's deceitful. There are considerably more promising new Parkinson's treatments closer to human application than stem cells. Everyone, including Republicans, supports the many treatments emerging for Parkinson's patients that promise more immediate application than do stem cells. For that matter, 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. Embryonic cells have been an utter failure to date, and just last week were revealed to cause uncontrolled brain tumors in a mouse experiment.
See related items:
Michael J. Fox is Right About One Thing: Pro-life Movement Must Oppose IVF
Original Michael Fox video promoting Missouri's Amendment 2 on stem cell research
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9WB_PXjTBo
Michael Fox responds to Limbaugh (video)
http://thinkprogress.org/2006/10/25/fox-limbaugh-parkinson/
Michael J. Fox admits he hasn't read cloning measure
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=526...
Actor Jim Caviezel Battles Michael J. Fox on Embryonic Stem Cell Video Ads
I know a number of persons with PD and they are not quite as animated as MJF was in a Paid(?) ad. They feel insulted and embarassed.
He was the same way in the Katie Couric interview.
Nah, too much truth and sense, the sheeple will never buy it.
Not arguing with you,....but? Is this part of his investment in the clononing industry? Not being smart, but could it be connected? (He IS an actor, Ya know).
Good post, Coleus.
Have not heard of that industry.
Worth investing in?
:)
BTTT
I love Rush Limbaugh, but I think he made a mistake by criticizing Michael J. Fox. Yes, Fox is fair game because he inserted himself into this political debate. However, Fox is such a likeable person and Parkinson's is such a terrible disease, that Limbaugh's criticism made Michael J. Fox a victim and garnered sympathy for Fox personally and, indirectly, for the pro-stem cell research side. People shouldn't let personalities influence their views about stem cell research, but many people, espeically women -- and I am a woman, in case anyone goes bezerk over this -- vote based on emotion. While Rosie O'Donnell, for example, is the type of celeb who inspires people to vote against anything she is for, Michael J. Fox is the opposite type of celeb. The Great Rush Limbaugh -- and I'm not being sarcastic when I call him "The Great" -- played into the hands of the bad guys when he took the bait and criticized Michael J. Fox personally instead of focusing on the nuts and bolts regarding embryonic stem cell research. George Stephnopolous gave Michael J. Fox 25 minutes, without commercials, of airtime, over all this. You KNOW there were many people who watched that interview and thought, "Oh, Michael J. Fox is such a nice man. And he's so sick. How could Rush be mean to him? How could anyone be opposed to embryonic stem cell research?" It stinks that many people think this way, but they do, and conservatives have to not take the bait.
Stole my tagline yesterday ... with the likes of Mr. Fox, Max Cleland and Sheehan driving the bus, it still applies
Yeah. Once MJF and others get government financing from Pelosi, et al.
but I think he made a mistake by criticizing Michael J. Fox. .... Rush did NOT criticize him.
I think MJF may now be forced to ALWAYS appear uncontrolled from now on just to undermine the Rush comments.
Because the media cannot be trusted to relay information accurately when someone like Rush Limbaugh is involved, Limbaugh should have glossed over Michael J. Fox and focused on the facts surrounding embryonic stem cell research. Fox and the pro-embryonic stem cell research folks are doubtless delighted over all the sympathy Fox is getting and their cause is getting. Limbaugh could have neutralized Fox at the outset by saying, "Michael J. Fox is a sincere, good person battling an awful disease, but it is morally repugnant to harvest embryos for the benefit of Fox or anyone else."
Parkinson’s patients become quite adept at predicting the timing and effect of their medications, such as when the golden period of each dose allows them to be freed of their natural rigidity yet not too obviously affected by these involuntary movements. Strangely, however, Fox seemed unable to appear controlled for the pre-taped TV ad, when the appropriate timing should have been easier, especially given the possibility of multiple "takes".
When are Leftists going to realize that they just can't pull this garbage any more. That the alternative media is watching and reporting. That Leftists dont control the information any more?
Much like as with the Global Warming Controversy, phony science and the Democrat's cynical confidence in the ignorance of the public has led to a national strategy of lying to the public about the real nature of Embryonic Stem Cell Research, and at the same time misrepresenting its chances of offering any kind of cure for anything. At the moment, those chances seem to be nill.
All told, this simply has come down to the classic kind of outright fraud the Democrats are so famous for, and the kind of issue they like to run on... one they can bash their opponents with, and one that will not force them to deliver on any promises.
Perhaps this time, the public isn't so ignorant, or maybe the fraud is just too blatant and easy to illuminate. We shall see.
Part of me agrees with you but I have to say that Rush did not criticize in a degrading way or make fun of Michael in a degrading way.He was simply as usual trying to get us all to THINK and see truth from a perspective not available anywhere else.
Bump
If you believe polling, that cloning amendment has been rapidly declining in the polls since Rush took aim.
I'll tell you exactly what Rush did. He exposed that amendment which is NOT what they wanted to happen. And he denied the MSM the ability to attack Talent the way they have attacked Allen. Instead Rush drew the fire onto himself, that served he indirect goal of helping Talent and Steele etc...from being in the persistent unrelenting glare intended for them by WAPO, NYTIMES, NBC, ABC, CBS and so forth.
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